The Characteristics of Direct Hydroxylation of Benzene to Phenol with Molecular Oxygen Enhanced by Pulse DC Corona at Atmospheric Pressure

The direct hydroxylation of benzene using molecular oxygen by atmospheric pulse DC corona discharge was investigated. The conversion of benzene increased with the increase of oxygen content and input voltage but the selectivity of phenol decreased due to the formation of polymerized products. The reactivity was also influenced by the kind and content of background inert gas. By using argon as background gas, we could get 2.2% of phenol yield at 60°C and 1 atm with energy consumption of 50 W. The strategy of reductive oxidation, which added hydrogen to the reactant, was not favorable to the phenol formation in this reaction system. The polymerized product showed the oligomeric character and the analysis of its chemical structure with FT–IR was presented.     

Vanadium Oxide: From Gels to Nanotubes

Vanadium oxide nanotubes (VO _x -NT) have been prepared by mixing hexadecylamine with V₂O₅·nH₂O gels. This procedure was followed by an hydrothermal treatment (150–180°C, 2–7 days) which leads to a large quantity of VO _x -NT. SEM and XRD analysis have been used to optimize the temperature and reaction time required for production of VO _x -Nt and morphology of the nanotubes investigated by TEM.     

Synthesis ad Some Conversions of Partially Hydrogenated 1-Aminopyrano(thiopyrano)[4,3-d]pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines and Pyrazolo[3,4-c]isoquinolines

We have synthesized derivatives of pyrano(thiopyrano)[4,3-d]pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine and pyrazolo[3,4-c]isoquinoline, and we have also carried out some conversions with them.     

Novel Stereoselective Synthesis of (E)- α，β-Unsaturated Esters by the Tandem Reaction of Deprotonation-Oxidation-Wittig Reaction from Phosphonium and Arsonium Salt

Phosphonium or arsonium salt 1 can undergo the tandem reaction of deprotonation -oxidation-Wittig reaction with alcohol 2 in the presence of sodium hydroxide and manganese dioxide,which affords a general simplified method for the stereoselective synthesis of (E)- α-β-unsaturated esters 3.     

Synthesis of novel dendrimers containing pyrimidine units

A novel convergent approach to dendritic macromolecules is described in which 4,6-dichloro-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-pyrimidine is used as the building block. The nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction at this AB₂-monomer was used as the key step in the propagation of the dendrons. Different core reagents were used to form the dendrimers, including a 5,15-bis(pyrimidyl)porphyrin core. Fourth-generation dendrons and third-generation dendrimers could be synthesized. The presented dendrimers are promising candidates to be used in applications where a more rigid structure and a larger resistance towards the applied conditions is required.     

A simple and easy access to 3-N-alkyl-5-vinyloxazolidinones mediated by palladium-phosphine catalysts

A new entry for the synthesis of 3-alkyl substituted 5-vinyloxazolidin-2-one derivatives 2 from cis-2-butenylene-1,4-dicarbonate 1 and primary amines mediated by palladium-phosphine catalysts is described. The scope and limitation, a plausible mechanism, and an asymmetric version of the reaction are also discussed.     

A route to the structure proposed for puetuberosanol and approaches to the natural products marshrin and phebalosin

Synthesis of the structure claimed for puetuberosanol 1 (using the Juliá-Colonna oxidation in a key step) showed that the natural product was a different material. The isomeric epoxy alcohols 16-18 can be discounted from the alternatives. An analogue 19 of marshrin 2 was prepared but the synthesis of the natural product was thwarted by failure of a Juliá-Colonna oxidation in the key step. The epoxy ketone 29 was prepared by Darzens condensation and was converted into (±)-phebalosin 3.     

Probes for narcotic receptor mediated phenomena. Part 31: Synthesis of rac-(3R,6aS,11aS)-2-methyl-1,3,4,5,6,11a-hexahydro-2H-3,6a-methanobenzofuro[2,3-c]azocine-10-ol, and azocine-8-ol, the ortho-c and the para-c oxide-bridged phenylmorphan isomers

Two of the 12 possible oxide-bridged phenylmorphans, were synthesized, rac-(3R,6aS,11aS)-2-methyl-1,3,4,5,6,11a-hexahydro-2H-3,6a-methanobenzofuro[2,3-c]azocine-10-ol (7) (the ortho-c compound), and rac-(3R,6aS,11aS)-2-methyl-1,3,4,5,6,11a-hexahydro-2H-3,6a-methanobenzofuro[2,3-c]azocine-8-ol (8) (the para-c compound). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies indicated that the dihedral angle between the least squares planes through the phenyl ring and the atoms C₁, C_11a, C₁₂, and C₃ in the piperidine ring in both 7·CHCl₃ and 8·HBr was 6.9°. The C₁₂-C_6a-C_6b-C_10a torsion angle was found to be 139.3° for both compounds. The angular relationship between the phenolic ring and the piperidine ring in phenylmorphans that interact with specific opioid receptors as agonists or antagonists is of considerable theoretical interest.     

Versatile synthesis of chiral 2-substituted-5-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-5H-1,4-benzodiazepines as novel scaffolds for peptidomimetic building

The stereocontrolled synthesis of phenylalanine and tryptophan derived 5-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-5H-1,4-benzodiazepine derivatives is described. This new methodology involves a modified Strecker reaction of N-Boc protected amino aldehydes and methyl anthranilate, reduction of the resulting α-amino nitriles, and lactamization. The resulting 2-substituted-5-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-5H-1,4-benzodiazepines were further functionalized at position 4 by alkylation or acylation reactions. One of these new tryptophan-derived 1,4-benzodiazepines showed significant selective binding affinity at cholecystokinin CCK₁ receptors (IC₅₀=156.5±33.2 nM).     

Convenient route to enantiopure aryl cyclopentanes via Diels-Alder reaction of asymmetric dienes. Total synthesis of (+)-herbertene and (+)-cuparene

A general route for the synthesis of highly substituted aryl cyclopentanes has been developed involving Diels-Alder reaction of asymmetric dienes prepared from (+)-camphoric acid followed by aromatization of the resulting cyclohexene derivatives. Employing this protocol enantiospecific synthesis of (+)-herbertene and (+)-cuparene has been accomplished.