Obtaining 4-vinylphenols by decarboxylation of natural 4-hydroxycinnamic acids under microwave irradiation

4-Vinylphenols, useful compounds for industrial applications, were obtained by decarboxylation of 4-hydroxycinnamic acids under microwave irradiation in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) as base and basic aluminum oxide as solid support. The reactions were fast (15-30 min). The selective extraction of the final products with ethyl acetate avoids chromatographic purifications. The conversions are quantitative and the yields are satisfactory. Only the unstable 4-vinylcatechol was obtained in moderate yield. This procedure was successfully extended to a natural sample of ferulic acid extracted from wheat bran to get the corresponding 4-vinylguaiacol, a FEMA GRAS (Flavor and Extract Manufacturer's Association; General Regarded as Safe) approved flavoring agent.     

Derivatization of 1-phenyl substituted 4-amino-2-benzazepin-3-ones: evaluation of Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions

Several Pd-catalyzed reactions were explored to further functionalize the bromo-substituted 4-amino-1,2,4,5-tetrahydro-2-benzazepin-3-one scaffold (Aba). We report in this paper suitable reaction conditions for Suzuki, Buchwald-Hartwig, and Heck reactions. The substitution pattern of the starting aminobenzazepinone turned out to be crucial for the success of these transition metal-catalyzed reactions, which often required modifications of standard literature procedures. The Pd-catalyzed methods provide access to novel substitution patterns of the Aba scaffold.     

硼砂与氯化铵合成hBN反应机理的研究

 研究了以硼砂、氯化铵为原料在氨气气氛下合成hBN 的反应机理。指出氯化铵在反应中的主要作用是与硼砂反应形成可阻止硼砂颗粒团聚的高熔点膜层；而氨气的主要作用就是提供大量参与反应的NH₃分子，增加了反应几率；新生成的hBN则进一步隔离高度熔融的硼砂团粒，防止玻璃相的生成。