Synthesis and properties of chiral ammonium-based ionic liquids

New chiral ammonium-based ionic liquids containing the (1R,2S,5R)-(-)-menthyl group can be easily and efficiently prepared under ambient conditions. The preparation and characterization of trialkyl[(1R,2S,5R)-(-)-menthoxymethyl]ammonium salts is reported. The salts have been demonstrated to be air- and moisture-stable under ambient conditions and can be readily used in a variety of standard experimental procedures. The single-crystal X-ray structure of butyldimethyl[(1R,2S,5R)-(-)-menthoxymethyl]ammonium chloride has been determined. The chiral, room-temperature ionic liquids have been characterized by physical properties such as specific rotation, density, viscosity, thermal degradation, and glass transition temperature. Trialkyl[(1R,2S,5R)-(-)-menthoxymethyl]ammonium chloride prototype ionic liquids have also been found to exhibit strong antimicrobial and high antielectrostatic activities.     

Catalytic olefination of carbonyl compounds. A new versatile method for the synthesis of alkenes

The review is devoted to a new catalytic olefination reaction (COR) discovered by the authors. This is the reaction between N-unsubstituted hydrazones of carbonyl compounds with dihalides CHal₂XY in the presence of copper(i) chloride to give substituted alkenes. Catalytic olefination is versatile. Variation of the carbonyl and olefinating components opens up the way for the synthesis of various classes of unsaturated compounds including those containing functional groups. The reaction mechanism is discussed and a catalytic cycle describing the process is proposed. A model for estimating and predicting the reactivity of halogen-containing compounds in the COR is developed. The relationship between the structure of the carbonyl substrates and their behavior in the title reaction is elucidated.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic study on ionic liquids of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium salts

Chemical shifts of ¹H and ¹³C NMR of series of methylimidazolium salts (MIM⁺, X=Br⁻, BF₄⁻ and PF₆⁻) function on the length of alkyl groups on the ring, type of solvents and the concentration. The bromides series demonstrate more chemical shift variation on H2 upon the change of solvents and concentration. Unexpected H-D exchange reactions were also observed in the MIM⁺Br⁻ by using CD₃OD and D₂O. The exchange rates strongly depend on the length of the alkyl group, which could cause more steric factor to reduce the interaction between deuterium atom from solvent and C2 of the ring.     

Synthesis and tautomeric transformations of 2-(tert-butyl)-1,2,4-benzotriazine-3(2H)-thiones

Treatment of 2-(tert-butyl)-1,2,3,4-benzotetrazinium tetrafluoroborates with sodium thiocyanate afforded 2-(tert-butylazo)phenyl isothiocyanates 3, which exist in equilibrium with 2-(tert-butyl)-1,2,4-benzotriazine-3(2H)-thiones 3′. The equilibrium depends on the substituents R in the benzene ring: the percentage of the open isomer 3 is about 20% for R = H or Me; for R = Cl or Br, the equilibrium is completely shifted to cyclic isomer 3′. The equilibrium is slow on the time scale of the ¹H and ¹³C NMR experiments. For compounds 3a/3′a (R = H), the spectra at 24 °C show two sets of signals, while those at 0 °C contain only signals for isomer 3′a. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1192–1195, July, 2006.     

The aggregation of sodium dehydrocholate in water

 We used a battery of different methods to study the association in aqueous sodium dehydrocholate (NaDHC) solutions. This salt associates by a stepwise mechanism. Below (9.6 ± 4.2) × 10⁻⁴ mol dm⁻³ there is a molecular solution with some strongly insoluble dehydrocholic acid produced by hydrolysis. Between (9.6 ± 4.2) × 10⁻⁴ and (5.2 ± 2.2) × 10⁻³ mol dm⁻³, an aggregate similar to acid soap (NaDHC.HDHC) appears and its amount and the aggregate's size increase with concentration. At =(2.20 ± 0.85) × 10⁻² mol dm⁻³ the aggregates formed have properties usually associated with true micelles, such as solubilisation of water-insoluble dyes. These aggregates increase in size with concentration and change their shape at 8 × 10⁻² mol dm⁻³, giving nonsymmetrical aggregates. The changes in the solution physicochemical properties at these concentrations may be misinterpreted and this explains the different values of the critical micelle concentration reported in the literature for substances with similar structure, such as bile salts. Received: 14 May 2001 Accepted: 10 August 2001     

Second crystal modification of 1,10-diazonia-18-crown-6 dichloride

The second crystal modification (II) of 1,10-diazonia-18-crown-6 dichloride [H₂DA18C6]²⁺·2Cl^?, where [H₂DA18C6]²⁺ is the 1,10-diaza-18-crown-6 dication (DA18C6) with two protonated nitrogen atoms, was investigated by XRD. The monoclinic modification (II) (space group P2₁/n, a = 9.600 Å, b = 5.689 Å, c = 15.749 Å, β = 91.03°, Z = 2) was solved by direct methods and refined by full-matrix least squares analysis in an anisotropic approximation to R = 0.032 for all 2494 independent reflections collected (CAD-4 automatic diffractometer, λMoK _α). In modification II, the conformation of the DA18C6 dication and the ion packing differ from those in triclinic modification I investigated previously.     

Copper(I)-catalysed homo-coupling of aryldiazonium salts: synthesis of symmetrical biaryls

Copper(I) triflate acts as an efficient stoichiometric reagent for the homo-coupling of aryldiazonium salts bearing electron-withdrawing group(s), to yield symmetrical biaryls in acetonitrile under mild reaction conditions. Aryldiazonium salts bearing electron-donating groups undergo the reaction by using catalytic amounts of a copper complex prepared in situ from copper(II) triflate and 2,2′-bipyridine with metallic copper as an ultimate reductant.     

Ring opening of 2-(cyanomethyl)aziridines by acid chlorides: synthesis of novel 4-amino-2-butenenitrile derivatives through intermediate aziridinium salts

1-Arylmethyl-2-(cyanomethyl)aziridines were transformed into novel N-arylmethyl-N-(2-chloro-3-cyanopropyl)amides as the major reaction products upon treatment with acid chlorides in CH₂Cl₂ through the ring opening of intermediate aziridinium salts. Subsequently, N-arylmethyl-N-(2-chloro-3-cyanopropyl)amides were converted into stable N-arylmethyl-N-(3-cyano-2-propenyl)amides for the first time by means of a dehydrochlorination mediated by Et₃N in CH₂Cl₂.     

Di-μ-hydroxy-bis(N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylenediamine)-copper(II) chloride [Cu(OH)·TMEDA]2Cl2: an efficient, practical catalyst for benzylation and allylation of amides

An efficient protocol for the benzylation or allylation of amides using the corresponding benzyl or allyl chlorides as electrophiles under basic conditions with commercially available 5 mol % of [Cu(OH)TMEDA]₂Cl₂ as catalyst was developed. Under these conditions, unprotected amino acids were benzylated without any racemization.     

Multistate/multifunctional behaviour of 4'-hydroxy-6-nitroflavylium: a write-lock/read/unlock/enable-erase/erase cycle driven by light and pH stimulation

We have investigated the network of reactions observed for the photochromic 4'-hydroxy-6-nitroflavylium compound in aqueous solutions upon pH changes (including pH jump and stopped flow experiments) and light excitation. The changes observed in the NMR and UV/Vis spectra allowed identification of ten different forms in which this compound can be transformed depending on the experimental conditions. Equilibrium and kinetic constants have been determined. Compared with other members of the flavylium family, 4'-hydroxy-6-nitroflavylium is characterized by a large cis-->trans isomerization barrier, and a very efficient hydration reaction. These peculiar features allow writing, reading, storing and erasing photonic information on 4'-hydroxy-6-nitroflavylium by a novel cyclic process that involves the following steps: write-lock/read/unlock/enable-erase/erase.