Novel ring transformation of thiazolidine to oxazolidine: acyl halide-promoted intramolecular rearrangement of 4(R)-hydroxymethyl-3-methyl-1,3-thiazolidine

An interesting transformation occurs during acylation of 4(R)-hydroxymethyl-3-methyl-1,3-thiazolidine when 4(R)-acylthiomethyl-3-methyl-1,3-oxazolidines are yielded: the reaction competing with O-acylation is controlled by the bulkiness of the acyl group.     

Formation of azatitanacyclopentanes from ene-imines and a Ti(O-i-Pr)4/2i-PrMgX reagent and their synthetic reactions

ω-Vinylimines reacted with a Ti(O-i-Pr)₄/2i-PrMgX reagent to generate the corresponding azatitanacyclopentanes in quantitative yield, which in turn reacted with H₂O, I₂ and O₂ to give 2-methyl-, 2-iodomethyl-, 2-hydroxymethyl-1-aminocyclic compounds, respectively. The azatitanacyclopentanes thus generated reacted with formaldehyde to afford the corresponding 2,3-annulated pyrrolidines in good yield.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Mo-Based Oxide Catalysts and Selective Oxidation of Alkanes

Mo-V-M(=Al, Ga, Bi, Sb and Te)–O mixed oxide catalysts were synthesized hydrothermally for the first time, characterized structurally, and tested for ethane and propane oxidation after activation by various ways. These catalysts were black solids of rod-shaped (fiber like) crystals, which had a layer structure in the direction of fiber axis and a high dimensional arrangement of metal octahedra in the cross-section plane. These fresh crystalline materials became active for catalytic oxidation of alkanes after heat-treatment at 600 °C and subsequent grinding in order to increase exposed plane of the cross-section. The resulting catalysts were very active for an oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane with 80% of the ethylene selectivity in the reaction temperature range of 300 to 400 °C and also showed about 50% selectivity to acrylic acid in the propane oxidation. Multi-functional character which derived from the high dimensional structure of the catalysts and mechanism of the selective alkane oxidation were discussed.     

In Situ Processing of Nano Crystalline Oxide Particles/Polymer Hybrid

Nano sized crystalline particles/polymer hybrids were synthesized form designed metal-organic precursors. The newly developed method is composed of the synthesis of organic matrix by polymerization and the in situ nucleation and growth of crystalline oxide particles in the organic matrix below 100°C. The design of metal-organic precursor modified with polymerizable ligand and the selection of reaction conditions does influence the size and crystallinity of ceramic particles in organic matrix. The nano-sized magnetic particle/polymer hybrid exhibits the interesting feature of superparamagnetism and quantum size effect. The crystalline particles of BaTiO₃/, PbTiO₃/, and KNbO₃/polymer hybrids behave to be dielectric and show the typical electro-rheological behavior.     

Key aspects of crystalline Mo-V-O-based catalysts active in the selective oxidation of propane

Mo-V-O-based complex metal oxide catalysts were synthesized hydrothermally for the first time, characterized structurally and tested in the selective oxidation of propane to acrylic acid, and the results obtained were compared on the basis of catalyst crystal structures in order to clarify key aspects of alkane selective oxidation over multifunctional metal oxide catalysts. The catalysts tested were black solids of rod-shaped crystals, which had a layer structure in the direction of fiber axis and various high dimensional arrangements of metal octahedra in the cross-section plane. A strong dependency on the octahedra arrangements and a facet dependency were observed, and the roles of metal elements in the course of selective oxidation of propane were clarified by comparing the catalytic performance of various Mo-V-O-based catalysts. We discuss the multi-functional character derived from high dimensional structures of the catalysts and mechanism of the selective oxidation of propane.     

Excited states of phosphorescent platinum(II) complexes containing N wedge C wedge N-coordinating tridentate ligands: spectroscopic investigations and time-dependent density functional theory calculations

The absorption and emission spectra of the Pt(II) complexes containing N wedge C wedge N-coordinating tridentate ligands, platinum(II) 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)benzene chloride [Pt(dpb)Cl] and platinum(II) 3,5-di(2-pyridyl)toluene chloride [Pt(dpt)Cl], together with their corresponding free ligands, 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)benzene (dpbH) and 3,5-di(2-pyridyl)toluene (dptH), have been analyzed by density functional theory (DFT) for the ground state and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) for the excited states. T(1)(A(1)) and S(1)(B(2)) of the complexes (in C(2)(v) symmetry) were assigned on the basis of the calculated excitation energies as well as comparison of the experimental spectroscopic properties and the calculated states' characteristics. The calculated excitation energies for T(1) and S(1) of the complexes as well as those for T(1) of the free ligands were in good agreement with their observed values within 600 cm(-1). The d-pi* characters of the excited states were evaluated from the change in electron densities between the ground and excited states by Mulliken population analysis; values of 25% for T(1) and 32% for S(1) were obtained for both complexes. The calculated values of d-pi* character were found to be consistent with the reported emission lifetimes as well as the observed emission energy shifts from the corresponding free ligands. Most spectroscopic properties of the complexes and the free ligands, which include solvatochromic shift, Stokes shifts, methyl substitution shifts, and emission spectra profiles, were well explained from the calculation results.     

Determination of the chemical nature of active surface sites present on bulk mixed metal oxide catalysts

CH3OH temperature programmed surface reaction (TPSR) spectroscopy was employed to determine the chemical nature of active surface sites for bulk mixed metal oxide catalysts. The CH3OH-TPSR spectra peak temperature, Tp, for model supported metal oxides and bulk, pure metal oxides was found to be sensitive to the specific surface metal oxide as well as its oxidation state. The catalytic activity of the surface metal oxide sites was found to decrease upon reduction of these sites and the most active surface sites were the fully oxidized surface cations. The surface V5+ sites were found to be more active than the surface Mo6+ sites, which in turn were significantly more active than the surface Nb5+ and Te4+ sites. Furthermore, the reaction products formed also reflected the chemical nature of surface active sites. Surface redox sites are able to liberate oxygen and yield H2CO, while surface acidic sites are not able to liberate oxygen, contain either H+ or oxygen vacancies, and produce CH3OCH3. Surface V5+, Mo6+, and Te4+ sites behave as redox sites, and surface Nb5+ sites are Lewis acid sites. This experimental information was used to determine the chemical nature of the different surface cations in bulk Mo-V-Te-Nb-Ox mixed oxide catalysts (Mo(0.6)V(1.5)Ox, Mo(1.0)V(0.5)Te(0.16)Ox, Mo(1.0)V(0.3)Te(0.16)Nb(0.12)Ox). The bulk Mo(0.6)V(1.5)Ox and Mo(1.0)V(0.5)Te(0.16)Ox mixed oxide catalytic characteristics were dominated by the catalytic properties of the surface V5+ redox sites. The surface enrichment of these bulk mixed oxide by surface V5+ is related to its high mobility, V5+ possesses the lowest Tammann temperature among the different oxide cations, and the lower surface free energy associated with the surface termination of V=O bonds. The quaternary bulk Mo(1.0)V(0.3)Te(0.16)Nb(0.12)Ox mixed oxide possessed both surface redox and acidic sites. The surface redox sites reflect the characteristics of surface V5+ and the surface acidic sites reflect the properties normally associated with supported Mo6+. The major roles of Nb5+ and Te4+ appear to be that of ligand promoters for the more active surface V and Mo sites. These reactivity trends for CH3OH ODH parallel the reactivity trends of propane ODH because of their similar rate-determining step involving cleavage of a C-H bond. This novel CH3OH-TPSR spectroscopic method is a universal method that has also been successfully applied to other bulk mixed metal oxide systems to determine the chemical nature of the active surface sites.     

Three new quassinoids,ailantinol E,F, and G,from Ailanthus altissima

Three new quassinoids, ailantinol E (1), ailantinol F (2), and ailantinol G (3), and related compounds were isolated from Ailanthus altissima grown in Taiwan. Their structures were elucidated from spectral evidence. Each new quassinoid was evaluated for its antitumor promoting effects against Epstein-Barr virus early antigen activation introduced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in Raji cells. The new quassinoids were found to show potent activity without showing any cytotoxicity. The screening for inhibitors against nitric oxide donor action was also conducted using the new quassinoids and some standard samples.