Microwave Activation in Organic Synthesis

Data on the effect of microwave irradiation on organic reactions are reviewed. Possible mechanisms of microwave activation are discussed, and some examples of acceleration of organic reactions and change of their direction and selectivity as compared to traditional thermal activation are described. Specific aspects of the application of microwave activation to various fields of organic synthesis are considered. The review covers mainly the data published over the last 5 years.     

Synthesis and Dehydrobromination of 3-Bromomethyl- and 3-Bromo-3-methoxymethylcyclobutane-1-carbonitriles and Methyl 3-Bromomethyl- and 3-Bromo-3-methoxymethylcyclobutane-1-carboxylates

The anti-Markownikoff products of bromination and bromomethoxylation of 3-methylenecyclobutane-1-carbonitrile and methyl 3-methylenecyclobutane-1-carboxylate were subjected to dehydrobromination by the action of potassium tert-butoxide in THF. The reaction takes two elimination pathways: 1,3-dehydrobromination to give bicyclobutane derivatives and 1,2-dehydrobromination leading to substituted methylenecyclobutane. Structural factors in the substrate were revealed, which are responsible for the ratio of the two concurrent elimination processes.     

Counterpropagating waves on the sea surface (Results of Natural Microwave Experiment)

This paper is devoted to the analysis of the results of the natural experiment on the study of nonlinear dynamics of surface waves by microwave methods. During the experiment, waves traveling in opposition to the wind and the dominant wave system were detected by high-resolution microwave radar methods. An analysis of the results of microwave sounding made it possible to obtain a space-frequency spectrum of counterpropagating waves, to estimate their intensity, and to relate the fact of counterpropagating wave generation to experimental conditions. It was shown that the generation of counterpropagating waves under conditions of this experiment can be interpreted on the basis of the mechanism of the cubic interaction of surface gravity waves.     

Addition of Some Enamino Esters to 3-Substituted Coumarins

The addition of the enamino esters 1a, b to several coumarins with electron-withdrawing 3-substituents 2 yielded 3 and 4, whereas ethyl 3-amino-2-butenoate (1c) reacted surprisingly with its C-4 to give either an adduct 8 or pyrido [3,4-c] chromene 9.     

Pseudo-bimolecular [2+2] cycloaddition studied by time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy

The first study of pseudo‐bimolecular cycloaddition reaction dynamics in the gas phase is presented. We used femtosecond time‐resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (TRPES) to study the [2+2] photocycloaddition in the model system pseudo‐gem‐divinyl[2.2]paracyclophane. From X‐ray crystal diffraction measurements we found that the ground‐state molecule can exist in two conformers; a reactive one in which the vinyl groups are immediately situated for [2+2] cycloaddition and a nonreactive conformer in which they point in opposite directions. From the measured S₁ lifetimes we assigned a clear relation between the conformation and the excited‐state reactivity; the reactive conformer has a lifetime of 13 ps, populating the ground state through a conical intersection leading to [2+2] cycloaddition, whereas the nonreactive conformer has a lifetime of 400 ps. Ab initio calculations were performed to locate the relevant conical intersection (CI) and calculate an excited‐state [2+2] cycloaddition reaction path. The interpretation of the results is supported by experimental results on the similar but nonreactive pseudo‐para‐divinyl[2.2]paracyclophane, which has a lifetime of more than 500 ps in the S₁ state.     

Aggregation Behavior of Monomeric Surfactants and a Gemini Cationic Surfactant by NMR and Computer Simulation Data

Aggregation of decyltrimethylammonium bromide and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in D₂O has been studied. Spin–lattice relaxation time and self-diffusion coefficient of surfactant molecules were measured at concentrations below and above surfactant critical micelle concentration. The aggregation properties of conventional surfactant, CTAB, examined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation, were compared with the properties of double-tail analog, N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-N,N′dihexadecyl-1,4-butan di-ammonium di-bromide (BCTA). Both NMR and computer simulation methods suggest that micellization is a stepwise process and the pre-micellar aggregates take place in a solution at concentration below critical micelle concentration. According to MD simulation Gemini surfactant, BCTA, forms worm-like micelles, whereas CTAB, which may be considered as its “monomer”, forms only elongated micelles.