On a new calcium vanadate: synthesis, structure and Li insertion behavior

A synthetic form of the mineral hewettite was prepared via a new route in aqueous medium, starting either from the crystalline compound Li_1.1V₃O₈, or from its amorphous precursor. The anhydrous, crystalline derivative Ca_0.5V₃O₈ was obtained by heating the synthetic hewettite at 250°C under dynamic vacuum. The diffraction studies show that the 2D structure of Ca_0.5V₃O₈ involves the same V₃O₈ layers as in the hewettite or in Li_1+αV₃O₈. The stacking of the layers is similar to that in the metahewettite. A structural model is proposed, where the Ca²⁺ ions occupy octahedral sites in the interlayer space. The electrochemical behavior of Ca_0.5V₃O₈ vs. lithium insertion is presented. It is original and reveals particularly good performances in terms of stability during cycling at C/5 rate. The homologues obtained with Mg or Ba, instead of Ca, are briefly presented.     

Three-dimensional integrable models and associated tangle invariants

In this paper we show that the Boltzmann weights of the three-dimensional Baxter-Bazhanov model give representations of the braid group if some suitable spectral limits are taken. In the trigonometric case we classify all possible spectral limits which produce braid group representations. Furthermore, we prove that for some of them we get cyclotomic invariants of links and for others we obtain tangle invariants generalizing the cyclotomic ones.     

A geometric formula for Haefliger knots

Haefliger has shown that a smooth embedding of the (4k−1)-sphere in the 6k-sphere can be knotted in the smooth sense. In this paper, we give a formula with which we can detect the isotopy class of such a Haefliger knot. The formula is expressed in terms of the geometric characteristics of an extension, analogous to a Seifert surface, of the given embedding. In particular, the Hopf invariant associated to the extension plays a crucial role. This leads us to a new characterisation of Haefliger knots.     

Microperforated insertion units: An alternative strategy to design microperforated panels

Microperforated panels (MPPs) coupled to a rigid wall have been proposed recently as an alternative to porous absorbers in situations having concerns with bacterial contamination and small particles discharge, like food, pharmaceutical and microelectronic industries. There exists also an increasing interest for MPP absorbers in the transportation industry and civil engineering. In general, an optimally designed MPP with good broadband absorption requires many submillimetric holes distributed over a panel of also submillimetric thickness. Such thin plates or foils become so fragile that they need to be protected from mechanical damage. In this paper, an alternative strategy is investigated which allows the design of MPPs with panels of millimetric thickness while maintaining their acoustic performance. These absorbers, named microperforated insertion units (MIUs), avoid the structural problems of the classical MPPs. An assessment of the sound absorption properties of these structures is presented. Comparisons between calculations and measurements are also made under two experimental conditions: plane waves at normal incidence (impedance tube) and free field (anechoic room).     

Unexpected formation of the novel fluorinated diazenes

Fluoroalkanesulfonyl azides reacted with morpholine giving unexpectedly N-fluoroalkanesulfonyl-N-morpholino diazenes, which were fully characterized by using spectral methods and X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Synthesis of cyclopentane building blocks via an intramolecular CH insertion reaction of a chiral pool derived α-diazo-γ-hydroxy-β-ketosulfone

A highly functionalized cyclopentanone building block 13 was prepared by a facile Rh-catalyzed intramolecular CH insertion reaction of an enantiopure α-diazo-γ-hydroxy-β-ketosulfone 12, in turn derived from an α-hydroxy acid 2. A cyclic γ-hydroxy vinyl sulfone 16 was also prepared from 13.     

Molecular mechanics study of zirconocenium catalyzed isospecific polymerization of propylene

Stereocontrol energy (ΔE⁰) is investigated as a measure of enantioselectivity of ansa-zircoocenium catalyst in propylene polymerization; it was calculated with MM2 (molecular mechanics) force field using π complex (°C) and transition state (TS) geometries obtained by ab initio molecular orbital methods. Both rac-ethylenebis (1-η⁵-indenyl) - ( 1 ) and rac-ethylenebis (1-η⁵-4,5,7,8-tetrahydroindenyl) ( 2 ) zirconocenium species are isospecific in either the π-complexes or the transition states. The stereoselectivity is greater if there is α-agostic interaction; it is lowered in the cases of β and γ agostic interactions. The ¹³C-NMR steric pentad distribution indicates the poly(propylene) to be much less stereoregular than that predicted by ΔE⁰. Following the occurrence of a regiochemical insertion error, the addition of another monomer via any mode is prohibitively unfavorable. The catalyst suffers loss of stereospecificity as temperature of polymerization increases. Insertion via transition states involving different agostic interactions could be one explanation for the observed loss. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

First C-C bond formation in the Pauson-Khand reaction: Influence of carbon-carbon triple bond polarization on regiochemistry: A density functional theory study

The influence of carbon-carbon triple bond polarization on the regiochemistry of the Pauson-Khand reaction has been studied with the B3LYP functional. The regiochemistry determining step of this reaction, i.e., olefin insertion leading to cobaltacycle formation, has been examined with ethylene as the olefin and propyne, methyl 2-butynoate, and methyl propiolate as the acetylenes. From this study, it has been concluded that, in absence of overwhelming steric effects of an acetylene substituent, the regiochemistry is influenced by the polarization of the acetylenic bond, which arises from the different substituents. The initial C-C bond is preferentially formed with the acetylenic carbon that has the greater electron density: with propyne, this leads to a cyclopentenone having the methyl group in the α-position; with methyl 2-butynoate, to a cyclopentenone with the CO₂Me in the β-position; with methyl propiolate, which is virtually unpolarized in the complex, to a cyclopentenone with the CO₂Me in the α-position (a result of steric effects). These theoretical results are concordant with those observed experimentally with norbornene. The question of axial versus equatorial reactive positions for the coordinated olefin is also addressed and a kinetic simulation is presented.     

Enantiomer differentiation in intramolecular carbon—hydrogen insertion reactions of racemic secondary alkyl diazoacetates catalyzed by chiral dirhodium(ii) carboxamidates

Highly efficient kinetic resolution of racemic secondary alkyl diazoacetates in intramolecular carbon-hydrogen insertion reactions has been achieved using chiral dirhodium(ii) carboxamidates. Products formed from catalytic diazo decomposition of racemic 2-octyl diazoacetate and, separately, its (2R)- and (2S)-enantiomeric forms, as well as bothcis- andtrans-2-methylcyclohexyl diazoacetates, have been systematically evaluated. Enantioselectivities up to 99 %ee have been obtained for -lactone formation. -Lactone production has been observed and, although minor with cyclohexyl diazoacetates, is the major insertion pathway for diazo decomposition of 2-octyl diazoacetate.Dedicated to Academician of the RAS N. S. Zefirov (on his 60th birthday).Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1798–1803, September, 1995.Financial support for this research from the National Institutes of Health (GM 46503) and the National Science Foundation of the United States is gratefully acknowledged. We thank D. A. Pierson for her preparation of 2-methylcyclohexyl diazoacetates and preliminary studies of their diazo decomposition and A. Melekhov from the Higher College of Chemistry for his preparation and catalytic studies of rac-2-octyl diazoacetate.