α,α-Difluoro-α-phenylsulfanylmethyl carbanion equivalent: a novel gem-difluoromethylenation of carbonyl compounds

α,α-Difluoro-α-phenylsulfanyl-α-trimethylsilylmethane (PhSCF₂SiMe₃) has been demonstrated as an α,α-difluoro-α-phenylsulfanylmethyl carbanion equivalent. gem-Difluorophenylsulfanylmethylation of carbonyl compounds has been successfully achieved by using PhSCF₂SiMe₃ in the presence of TBAF in THF. The adducts have been converted to the corresponding gem-difluoroalkenes by a novel pyrolytic and/or FVP elimination of the β-hydroxy-α-phenylsufinyl derivatives under reduced pressure.     

α,α-Difluoro-α-phenylsulfanyl-α-trimethylsilylmethane as a difluoromethyl building block: A general strategy to α,α-difluoromethyl aryl ketones

The synthetic utility of α,α-difluoro-α-phenylsulfanyl-α-trimethylsilylmethane (PhSCF₂SiMe₃; 1) as a difluoromethyl building block providing a general strategy to α,α-difluoromethyl aryl ketones was demonstrated. Oxidation, by using m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, of the readily available 1-aryl-2,2-difluoro-2-phenylsulfanyl-1-trimethylsiloxyethanes obtained from fluoride-catalyzed nucleophilic addition of PhSCF₂SiMe₃ with aromatic aldehydes followed by flash vacuum pyrolytic elimination provided α,α-difluoromethyl aryl ketones in moderate overall yields.     

Synthesis and phase separation of amine-functional temperature responsive copolymers based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)

Free radical copolymerizations of N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) and cationic N-(3-aminopropyl) methacrylamide hydrochloride (APMH) were investigated to prepare amine-functional temperature responsive copolymers. The reactivity ratios for NIPAM and APMH were evaluated in media of different ionic strength (r_NIPAM = 0.7 and r_APMH = 0.7-1.2). Phase separation behavior of the random copolymers with only 5 mol% of the APMH was found to be suppressed in pure water at temperatures up to 45 °C due to electrostatic repulsion among the cationic amine groups randomly distributed along the copolymer chain. Alternate sequential addition of PNIPAM/APMH mixtures and pure NIPAM was used to provide increased control of the location of APMH units along the chain. Consequently (close to) homo-PNIPAM block(s) were formed as evidenced by its characteristic phase transition at 33 °C. The influences of the monomer feeding time and feeding interval time to the APMH distribution were investigated to prepare copolymers with thermo-induced phase separation under physiologically relevant temperature and to determine the extent of conjugation to poly(ethylene oxide).