Behavior of electrogenerated bases in room-temperature ionic liquids

The reductive electrochemistry of substituted benzophenones in the aprotic room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bistriflimide occurs via two consecutive one-electron processes leading to the radical anion and dianion, respectively. The radical anion exhibited electrochemical reversibility at all time-scales whereas the dianion exhibited reversibility at potential sweep rates of >or=10 V s(-1), collectively indicating the absence of strong ion-paring with the RTIL cation. In contrast, reduction in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bistriflimide is complicated by proton-transfer from the [Bmim] cation. At low potential sweep rates, reduction involves a single two-electron process characteristic of either an electrochemical, chemical, electrochemical (ECE) or disproportion-type (DISP1) mechanism. The rate of radical anion protonation in [Bmim] is governed by basicity and conforms to the Hammett free-energy relation. At higher potential sweep rates in [Bmim][NTf2], reduction occurs via two consecutive one-electron processes, giving rise to the partially reversible generation of the radical anion and the irreversible generation of the dianion, respectively. Also, the redox potentials for the reversible parent/radical anion couples were found to be a linear function of Hammett substituent constants in both RTIL media and exhibited effectively equivalent solvent-dependent reaction constants, which are similar to those for reduction in polar molecular solvents such as acetonitrile or alcohols.     

Determination of phosphate using a highly sensitive paired emitter-detector diode photometric flow detector

The use of a novel inexpensive photometric device, a paired emitter-detector diode (PEDD) has been applied to the colorimetric determination of phosphate using the malachite green spectrophotometric method. The novel miniaturized flow detector applied within this manifold is a highly sensitive, low cost, miniaturized light emitting diode (LED) based detector. The optical flow cell was constructed from two LEDs, whereby one is the light source and the second is the light detector, with the LED light source forward biased and the LED detector reversed biased. The photocurrent generated by the LED light source discharges the junction capacitance of the detector diode from 5 V (logic 1) to 1.7 V (logic 0) and the time taken for this process to occur is measured using a simple timer circuit.The malachite green (MG) method employed for phosphate determination is based on the formation of a green molybdophosphoric acid complex, the intensity of which is directly related to phosphate concentration. Optimum analytical parameters such as reaction kinetics, reagent to sample concentration ratio and emitter wavelength intensity were investigated for the spectrophotometric method. Linear calibration plots that obeyed the Beer-Lambert law were obtained for phosphate in the range of 0.02-2 μM. The dynamic range, sensitivity and limits of detection are reported.     

Convenient Preparation of N-Salicyloyl-(L)-phenylalanine

N-salicyloyl-(L)-phenylalanine was prepared by a simple, two-step process from (L)-phenylalanine benzyl ester and acetylsalicyloyl chloride followed by hydrolysis and catalytic hydrogenation in an overall yield of 85%.     

Novel integrated paired emitter-detector diode (PEDD) as a miniaturized photometric detector in HPLC

A novel low power, low cost, highly sensitive, miniaturized light emitting diode (LED) based flow detector has been used as optical detector for the detection of sample components in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This colorimetric detector employs two LEDs, one operating in normal mode as a light source and the other is reverse biased to work as a light detector. Instead of measuring the photocurrent directly, a simple timer circuit is used to measure the time taken for the photocurrent generated by the emitter LED (lambda(max) 500 nm) to discharge the detector LED (lambda(max) 621 nm) from 5 V (logic 1) to 1.7 V (logic 0) to give digital output directly without using an A/D converter. Employing a post-column reagent method, a Nucleosil 100-7 column (functionalized with iminodiacetic acid (IDA) groups) was used to separate a mixture of transition metal complexes, manganese(II) and cobalt(II) in 4-(2-pyridylazo)-resorcinol (PAR). All optical measurements were taken by using both the in-built HPLC variable wavelength detector and the proposed paired-emitter-detector-diode (PEDD) optical detector configured in-line for data comparison. The concentration range investigated using the PEDD was found to give a linear response to the Mn(II) and Co(II) PAR complexes. The effects of flow rate and emitter LED light source intensity were investigated. Under optimised conditions the PEDD detector offered a linear range of 0.9-100 microM and LOD of 0.09 microM for Mn-PAR complex. A linear range of 0.2-100 microM and LOD of 0.09 microM for Co-PAR complex was achieved.     

Synthesis and Bergman cyclization of a beta-extended porphyrenediyne

Condensation of a porphyrin-2,3-dione with a 1,2-diaminoarenediyne affords a [small beta]-extended porphyrinic-enediyne: upon thermal Bergman cyclization the quinoxaline spacer positioned between the macrocycle and the enediyne prevents tandem radical cyclization to a picenoporphyrin.     

Mechanism of 2,2'6,6'-tetramethylpiperidin-N-oxyl-mediated oxidation of alcohols in ionic liquids

The mechanism of 2,2'6,6'-tetramethylpiperidin- N-oxyl (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and ketones in ionic liquids has been investigated using cyclic voltammetry and rotating disk electrode voltammetry. It is shown that the presence of bases (B) and their conjugate acids (BH (+)), as well as their p K as, strongly influences the rate of reaction. Data indicated that the first step in the oxidation is the formation of the alcoholate species via acid-base equlibrium with B. The alcoholate subsequently reacts with the active form of TEMPO (T (+), i.e., the one-electron oxidized form) forming an intermediate that further reacts with T (+) and B returning TEMPO catalytically, BH (+), and the carbonyl product. A kinetic model incorporating this pre-equilibrium step has been derived, which accounts for the experimentally observed reaction kinetics. Overall, the rate of reaction is controlled by the equilibrium constant for the pre-equilibrium step; as such, strong bases are required for more kinetically efficient transformations using this redox catalyst.     

Highly chemoselective direct crossed aliphatic-aromatic acyloin condensations with triazolium-derived carbene catalysts

It has been shown for the first time that triazolium precatalysts promote (in the presence of base) highly chemoselective crossed acyloin condensation reactions between aliphatic and ortho-substituted aromatic aldehydes. An o-bromine atom can serve as a temporary directing group to ensure high chemoselectivity (regardless of the nature of the other substituents on the aromatic ring) which then can be conveniently removed. The process is of broad scope and is operationally simple as it does not require the preactivation of any of the coupling partners to ensure selectivity. Preliminary data indicate that highly enantioselective variants of the reaction are feasible using chiral precatalysts.     

Solution Phase Preparation of Highly Pure Amide Mixtures via In-Situ Chlorotrimethylsilane Protection and Activation

Coupling of 4-(4-aminophenyl)butyric acid 1 with acyl halides in both organic and aqueous media were found to produce large amount of oligomeric materials. By using an in situ chlorotrimethylsilane protection/activation procedure, these oligomers were suppressed completely and the desired 4-(4-acylaminophenyl)butyric acids 3 were obtained in good yield and high purity. The method was also extended to a parallel synthesis of a three component mixture. ¹H-NMR of the mixture indicated that each component was formed in a nearly stoichiometric quantity.