Study of the O-glycidylation of natural phenolic compounds. The relationship between the phenolic structure and the reaction mechanism

The O-alkylation reaction by epichlorohydrin of some natural phenolic compounds such as 4-methylcatechol, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, pyrogallol and resorcinol was investigated. Phenolic compounds reacted first with epichlorohydrin in the presence of benzyltriethylammonium chloride as phase transfer catalyst. Then, an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide was added.It was demonstrated that the two competitive mechanisms involved in the O-alkylation reaction were highly dependent of the starting material. The O-alkylated products obtained in this reaction could be further used as bisphenol A substitutes in the synthesis of epoxy resins pre-polymers.     

Dibromocarbene and bromofluorocarbene addition to substituted allylsilanes

The dibromocarbene or bromofluorocarbene addition to substituted allyldisilanes afforded instable gem-dibromocyclopropanes or a gem-bromofluorocyclopropane, respectively. These gem-bromohalogenocyclopropanes undergo a spontaneous ring opening at room temperature to give halogenated dienylsilanes or bromo dienes or dibromotetraenes.     

Unexpected Ti-catalyzed formal intramolecular [4+4] cycloaddition of 1,1′-bi[(S,S)-6-(trimethylsilyl)cyclohepta-2,4-dien-1-yl]

Reductive disilylation (Li+Me₃SiCl−THF) of 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene led to 1,1′-bi[(S^∗,S^∗)-6-(trimethylsilyl)cyclohepta-2,4-dien-1-yl] (2). In the presence of TiCl₄ in dichloromethane, 2 gave rise to a spherical molecule 5 resulting from an intramolecular formal [4+4] supra-supra cycloaddition.     

The reductive dimerization of some 1,3-dienes and of 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene in the presence of trimethylchlorosilane: a DFT investigation

Treatment of 1,3-dienes and 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene by chlorotrimethylsilane in the presence of wire of lithium led mainly to reductive dimerization with formation of bis(allylsilane) derivatives. Bis-silyl compounds obtained: from 1,3-butadiene, 1,8-bis(trimethylsilyl)-2,6-octadiene (70%); from isoprene, (Z,Z)-2,7-dimethyl-1,8-bis(trimethylsilyl)-2,6-octadiene (44%) and 2,6-dimethyl-1,8-bis(trimethylsilyl)-2,6-octadiene (19%); from butadiene-isoprene mixture (1:1), 3-methyl-1,8-bis(trimethylsilyl)-2,6-octadiene (55%); from 2,3-dimethylbutadiene, (E,E)-2,3,6,7-tetramethyl-1,8-bis(trimethylsilyl)-2,6-octadiene (36%), from 1,3-cyclohexadiene, 4,4′-bis(trimethylsilyl)-bicyclohexyl-2,2′-diene (48%); from 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene, 1,1′-bi[(S^∗,S^∗)-6-(trimethylsilyl)cyclohepta-2,4-dien-1-yl] (53%). The structure of the various intermediates (radical anion, dianion, silylated radical, silylated anion) has been established by calculations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory with zero-point energy correction. These results are in accordance with a pathway including the formation of a radical anion, its silylation furnishing to a γ-silylated allylic radical followed by a dimerization reaction in the head to head manner.     

Structure–property study of new [1,2,3]-triazole liquid crystalline derivatives

The synthesis of a new type of liquid crystalline compound derived from 1,2,3-triazole was achieved using Wittig reaction. Polarised microscopy studies, X-ray scattering and differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed that the target compounds exhibit enantiotropic liquid crystalline properties. Their mesomorphic behaviour is closely related to the nature of substituents in position N1 of the heterocycle, the length of the mesogenic core as well as the isomerisation nature (E/Z) of the double bond.     

Titanium-mediated addition of diallylsilanes to oxalyl chloride: formation of a diquinane

The titanium tetrachloride mediated reaction of the cis,cis-2,6-dimethyl-1,8-bis(trimethylsilyl)-2,6-octadiene with oxalyl chloride yielded 1-hydroxy-4-methyl-8-(1-propen-2-yl)bicyclo[3.3.0]oct-3-en-2-one of which the structure was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis.     

Ti-catalyzed reactions of 4,4′-bis(trimethylsilyl)bicyclohexyl-2,2′-diene with various electrophiles

Reductive disilylation (Li + Me₃SiCl − THF) of 1,3-cyclohexadiene led to 4,4′-bis(trimethylsilyl)bicyclohexyl-2,2′-diene (1). In the presence of TiCl₄ in dichloromethane, 1 reacted with some acyl chlorides, anhydrides, and aldehydes to give tricyclo[7.4.0.0^3,8]trideca-4,12-diene-2-yl derivatives.     

Copolymerization of novel reactive fluorinated acrylic monomers with styrene: reactivity ratio determination

The radical copolymerization of three polymerizable surfactants with styrene was investigated by NMR spectroscopy to assess their compositions. The reactivity ratios of these monomers were calculated according to the methods of Fineman–Ross and Kelen–Tüdos. Consequently, Q and e values were deduced by the Alfrey and Price method. The results indicated the positive effect of the fluorine chain on the reactivity of monomers bearing a long spacer between the ammonium head and the acrylic function. These monomers exhibit high e values which are in favor of an intramolecular conformation of the surfactant where the ester carbonyl function of the polymerizable group interacts with the onium nitrogen atom via a compact six-sided structure.     

Synthesis and properties of biobased epoxy resins. part 1. Glycidylation of flavonoids by epichlorohydrin

Biobased epoxy resins were synthesized from a catechin molecule, one of the repetitive units in natural flavonoid biopolymers also named condensed tannins. The reactivity of catechin toward epichlorohydrin to form glycidyl ether derivatives was studied using two model compounds, resorcinol and 4‐methylcatechol, which represent the A and B rings of catechin, respectively. These model molecules clearly showed differences in reactivity upon glycidylation, explaining the results found with catechin monomer. The reaction products were characterized by both FTIR and NMR spectroscopy and chemical assay. The glycidyl ether of catechin (GEC) was successfully cured in various epoxy resin formulations. The GECs thermal properties showed that these new synthesized epoxy resins displayed interesting properties compared to the commercial diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). For instance, when incorporated up to 50% into the DGEBA resin, GEC did not modify the glass‐transition temperature. Epoxy resins formulated with GEC had slightly lower storage moduli but induced a decrease of the swelling percentage, suggesting that GEC‐enhanced crosslinking in the epoxy resin networks. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011