Catalytic enantioselective intermolecular reductive aldol reaction to ketones

We describe the first example of a catalytic enantioselective intermolecular reductive aldol reaction. Three types of reactions were studied: (1) reactions between acetophenone and methyl acrylate; (2) reactions between symmetric ketones and β-substituted α,β-unsaturated esters; and (3) reactions between acetophenone derivatives and an allenic ester. Although only moderate enantioselectivity was obtained in the first reaction type, high to excellent enantioselectivity was realized in the enantio-induction at the α-position in the second reaction type and at the δ-position in the third reaction type. Specifically, the third reaction type afforded the corresponding tertiary alcohols with up to 99% ee. Pre-activation of the nucleophile by silyl enolate formation is not necessary in these one-pot catalytic enantioselective reductive aldol reactions.     

Overwhelming electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction of zinc-nitrogen-carbon from biomass resource chitosan via a facile carbon bath method

Developing high efficiency and low cost electrocatalysts is critical for the enhancement of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which is the fundamental for the development and commercialization of renewable energy conversion technology. Herein, zinc-nitrogen-carbon (Zn-N-C) was prepared by using biomass resource chitosan via a facile carbon bath method. The obtained Zn-N-C delivered a high specific surface area (794.7 cm²/g) together with pore volume (0.49 cm³/g). During the electrochemical evaluation of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), Zn-N-C displayed high activity for ORR with an onset potential E₀ = 0.96 V_RHE and a half wave potential E_1/2 = 0.86 V_RHE, which were more positive than those of the commercial 20 wt% Pt/C benchmark catalyst (E₀ = 0.96 V_RHE and E_1/2 = 0.81 V_RHE). In addition, the Zn-N-C catalyst also had a better stability and methanol tolerance than those of the Pt/C catalyst.     

氢部分选择性催化还原NO反应研究

在低钯含量活性非均布Pd/Al2O3催化剂上，实现了富氧条件下，氢部分选择性催化还原NO过程，低温、富氧条件下NO的转化率高达80％－100％。NO直接分解实验表明，600℃，NO分解转化率在无氧时为17．3％，有0．5％氧存在时接近于0。氢非选择性还原NO条件下，100℃以下，NO转化率为100％。根据实验结果及文献，推测了氢部分选择性还原NO过程中可能存在的反应，不同的反应温度下，NO脱除反应有所不同。在115℃以下，NO还原产物为NH3；115℃－155℃，NO还原产物为NH3、N2O和N2；155℃以上，NO还原产物中无NH3存在。NO还原反应与氢氧反应是平行的竞争反应。     

Retention characteristics of volatile compounds on tenax TA

The chromatographic separation properties of long, thin adsorption tubes enable substance-specific quantitative enrichment and reduction to be achieved when sampling and thermal desorption are carried out in the same flow direction. The specific retention volumes, and also the breakthrough and peak end volumes, of 69 compounds in the boiling range between-164 and 126°C and of a relative molecular mass between 16 and 119 were determined at temperatures between 30 and 130°C: normal alkanes, isoalkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, polyenes, alkynes, aromatics, ethers, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and their esters, nitroalkanes, O-heterocycles, S-heterocycles, chloroalkanes, water, nitrogen monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. The correlation between adsorbent temperature and specific retention volume of these components, presented in the form of diagrams, permits the required quantity of adsorbent to be determined for a given sample volume. Contrary to literature sources, even extremely volatile compounds such as propane, propene, methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid, and chloromethane can be quantitatively retained on Tenax provided the operating conditions are appropriately selected.     

MH—Ni电池封口化成及其性能

在硼氢化钾碱性溶液中对金属氢化物（ＭＨ）电极的表面进行化学还原处理，提高了ＭＨ电极的放电容量、活化性能和电催化活性．用其为负极组装的ＡＡ型ＭＨ－Ｎｉ电池进行了封口化成，电池放电容量达到１１５０ｍＡｈ，５Ｃ下电池的放电容量达到０．２Ｃ下容量的８０％以上，电池在１Ｃ１００％ＤＯＤ（放电深度）充放电条件下，循环寿命由原来的１００次左右提高到２００次以上     

Further studies of M3(μ3-O)(μ-X)3(μ-O2CCH3)3L3 (M=Mo,W) type clusters with nine core electrons

Four new compounds having nine cluster electrons and cores of the types Mo₃OCl₃, Mo₃OBr₃, and W₃OCl₃ are reported. Compound (1) prepared by reduction of [Bu₄N][Mo₃OCl₆(OAc)₃] in THF with metallic zinc, was shown by X-ray crystallography to be Mo₃OCl₄(OAc)₃ (THF)₂ (1). It forms crystals in space groupP2₁ with unit cell dimensionsa=9.472(2) Å,b=13.546(4) Å,c=9.652(2) Å, =101.70(2)°,V=1201(1) Å₃,Z=2. The [Mo₃(₃-O)(-Cl)₃]⁴⁺ core is surrounded by three -O₂CCH₃ anions, one Cl^–, and two THF and has Mo-Mo distances of 2.620(1) Å, 2.613(1) Å, and 2.530(1) Å, with the shortest bond between the two Mo atoms to which the THF molecules are coordinated. Compounds [Bu₄N]₂ [Mo₃OBr₆(O₂CCH₃)₃] · Me₂CO, (2) and [Mo₃OBr₃(O₂CCH₃)₃(PMe₃)₃]₃ · BF₄, (3) are the first two nine-electron Mo₃ species with a [Mo₃(₃-O) Br₃]⁴⁺ core. Both were obtained by zinc reduction of [Mo₃OBr₆(O₂CCH₃)₃]^– in the presence of (NBu₄) Br (2) or PMe₃ and NaBF₄ (3), and each was characterized crystallographically. Compound (2) crystallized in space group Cc with unit cell dimensionsa=25.037(5) Å,b=12.827(2) Å,c=21.484(4) Å, =122.96(1)⁰,V=5790(3) ų,Z=4. While the anion has no crystallographically required symmetry, its virtual symmetry is C_3v . The Mo-Mo distances are 2.619(2) Å, 2.610(3) Å, 2.644(2) Å, with a mean value of 2.624[14] Å. Compound (3) crystallized in space groupP2₁/c with unit cell dimensionsa=10.846(2) Å,b=25.033(5) Å,c=12.641(5) Å, =94.74(2)⁰,V=3420(2) ų,Z=4. The cation occupies a general position but has virtual C_3v symmetry, with Mo-Mo distances of 2.601(2) Å, 2.610(2) Å, 2.627(2) Å, with a mean value of 2.613[14] Å. Thus the anionic and cationic Mo₃ clusters in (2) and (3), respectively, have average Mo-Mo distances that are equal within experimental error. Compound (4), [NEt₄]₂ [W₃OCl₆(O₂CCH₃)₃] is the first 9-electron compound of this type containing tungsten. It was prepared by reduction of [Et₄N][W₃OCl₆(OAc)₃] in benzene with Na/Hg. It crystallized in space groupP2₁2₁2₁ with unit cell dimensionsa=11.076(2) Å,b=14.345(2) Å,c=21.026(3) Å,V=3574(1) ų,Z=4. The anion resides on a general position but has virtual C_3v symmetry, with W-W distances of 2.577(1) Å, 2.612(1) Å, 2.584(1) Å and a mean value of 2.591[15] Å.     

Metal Nanoparticles on Stainless Steel Surfaces as Novel Heterogeneous Catalysts

The goal of this work was the development of a novel type of heterogeneous catalyst, consisting of bare metal nanoparticles on stainless steel foils, which can be shaped to any kind of architecture and, if necessary, heated electrically. Solutions of pre-prepared, ligand protected and monodispersed gold, palladium, platinum and rhodium nanoparticles were sprayed onto stainless steel foils, followed by the careful removal of the ligand molecules by an oxygen plasma treatment. Due to this, bare particles become irreversibly fixed on the steel support. It could be shown that the original particle sizes do not change during the plasma treatment. Foils, densely coated with the nanoparticles, were used for gas phase catalyses in a self-made reactor at room temperature or at 60 °C. Hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene at 15 nm Pd and 2 nm Pt, CO oxidation at 16 nm, 8 nm and 1.4 nm gold and NO reduction with NH₃ at 2 nm Rh particles were performed, indicating that the novel catalysts might in principle be applicable in technical processes if the experimental conditions like form and temperature would be optimized. Dedicated to Professor Dieter Fenske on the occassion of his 65th birthday.     

Pd-H from Pd/C and triethylamine: Implications in palladium catalysed reactions involving amines

The palladium hydride-iminium complex generated from Pd/C and triethylamine catalyses the isomerisation of allylic alcohols into carbonyl compounds, and Pd/C catalyses the conjugate reduction of activated double bonds using triethylamine as the source of the two newly incorporated hydrogen atoms via the same complex.     

Electrocatalytic Proton Reduction by a Cobalt Complex Containing a Proton-Responsive Bis(alkylimdazole)methane Ligand: Involvement of a C−H Bond in H2 Formation

Homogeneous electrocatalytic proton reduction is reported using cobalt complex [ 1 ](BF₄)₂. This complex comprises two bis(1-methyl-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)methane (HBMIM ) ligands that contain an acidic methylene moiety in their backbone. Upon reduction of [ 1 ](BF₄)₂ by either electrochemical or chemical means, one of its HBMIM ligands undergoes deprotonation under the formation of dihydrogen. Addition of a mild proton source (acetic acid) to deprotonated complex [ 2 ](BF₄) regenerates protonated complex [ 1 ](BF₄)₂. In presence of acetic acid in acetonitrile solvent [ 1 ](BF₄)₂ shows electrocatalytic proton reduction with a k_obs of ≈200 s⁻¹ at an overpotential of 590 mV. Mechanistic investigations supported by DFT (BP86) suggest that dihydrogen formation takes place in an intramolecular fashion through the participation of a methylene C−H bond of the HBMIM ligand and a Co^II−H bond through formal heterolytic splitting of the latter. These findings are of interest to the development of responsive ligands for molecular (base)metal (electro)catalysis.