A convenient method for the preparation of α-vinylfurans by phosphine-initiated reactions of various substituted enynes bearing a carbonyl group with aldehydes

α-Vinylfurans were obtained by phosphine-initiated cyclization of various enynes bearing a carbonyl group at the ene end in the presence of various aldehydes, in moderate to high yields. The reaction may consist of 1,6-addition of phosphine to the enynes, ring closure, and Wittig reaction between the ylid resulting from cyclization and an aldehyde. Thus, various aldehydes were able to be used in the reaction. The reaction was influenced greatly by the substituents at the acetylene position (R¹) and the α-position of the carbonyl group (R³).     

Electrical properties and memory effect in the field effect transistor based on organic ferroelectric insulator and pentacene

We have fabricated a field effect transistor (FET) based on an organic ferroelectric insulator and molecular conductor, and investigated the electrical properties and memory effects on the PEN-FET. We have observed a drastic change in the drain current at around the coercive electric fieldE _c of the organic ferroelectric insulator in not only a FET (PEN-FET) based on a pentacene (PEN) film but also a FET (IPEN-FET) based on an iodine doped PEN film. The magnitude of the change of the drain current for the IPEN-FET is 200 times larger than that for the PEN-FET. It is expected from these results that the PEN-FET (especially the IPEN-FET) is an improvement in such devices, since it operates at a low gate electric field accompanied by the appearance of the spontaneous polarization in the organic ferroelectric insulator. In addition, we have found that the drain current for the PEN-FET does not return to the initial drain current ofE _G =0 V/cm for more than one week, even if the gate electric field is changed to 0 V/cm from 500 V/cm(>E _c ). From these results, it is suggested that the PEN-FET becomes a memory device.     

Studies on the syntheses of heterocyclic compounds. CLXXIV. An approach to the synthesis of oxyacanthine and berbamine

Schotten-Baumann reaction of the amine (X) with 4-benzyloxy-3,4′-oxydiphenylacetyl chloride (XI) gave two amides, (XIIa) and (XIIb), which were cyclized to give the corresponding 3,4-dihydroisoquinolines, respectively. Methylation of the above 3,4-dihydro-isoquinolines, followed by hydrolysis, afforded the compounds having the same composition as berbamine (Ia) and oxyacanthine (Ib), whose structures are under examination.     

Improved preparation of racemic 2-amino-3-(heteroaryl)propanoic acids and related compounds containing a furan or thiophene nucleus

Racemic 2-amino-3-(heteroaryl)propanoic acids (1), mostly with a furan or thiophene nucleus as a heteroaryl group, were synthesized in 48-94% yield by the reduction of 3-(heteroaryl)-2-(hydroxyimino)propanoic acids (5) with zinc dust and formic acid in the presence of a catalytic amount of iron dust at 60 degrees C for 2 h. Under these conditions, unfavorable hydrogenolysis of bromine on the thiophene nucleus does not occur. Traditional N-formylation of the prepared 3-(heteroaryl)alanine (1) with a mixture of formic acid and acetic anhydride afforded 2-(formylamino)-3-(heteroaryl)propanoic acids (6) in 51-95% yield.     

Hydrogen analysis in solid samples by utilizing He metastable atoms induced by TEA CO2 laser plasma in He gas at 1 atm

A TEA CO₂ laser (350 mJ–1.5 J, 10.6 μm, 200 ns, 10 Hz) was focused onto a metal sub-target under He as host gas at 1 atmospheric pressure with a small amount of impurity gas, such as water and ethanol vapors. It was found that the TEA CO₂ laser with the help of the metal sub-target is favorable for generating a strong, large volume helium gas breakdown plasma at 1 atmospheric pressure, in which the helium metastable-excited state was then produced overwhelmingly. While the metal sub-target itself was never ablated. The helium metastable-excited state produced after the strong helium gas breakdown plasma was considered to play an important role in exciting the atoms. This was confirmed by the specific characteristics of the detected H emission, namely the strong intensity with low background, narrow spectral width, and the long lifetime. This technique can be used for gas and solid samples analysis. For nonmetal solid analysis, a metal mesh was introduced in front of the nonmetal sample surface to help initiation of the helium gas breakdown plasma. For metal sample, analysis can be carried out by combining the TEA CO₂ laser and an Nd–YAG laser where the Nd–YAG laser is used to ablate the metal sample. The ablated atoms from the metal sample are then sent into the region of helium gas breakdown plasma induced by the TEA CO₂ laser to be excited through the helium metastable-excited state. This technique can be extended to the analysis of other elements, not limited only to hydrogen, such as halogens.     

An intramolecular diels-alder approach to quassinoids—a stereoselective construction of a-aromatic klaineanone

Thermolysis of a benzocyclobutene derivative ($\text{20}$) prepared from norcamphor produced stereoselectively a tetracyclic compound ($\text{2}$), which was converted to a lactone ($\text{21}$) having correct stereochemistry at C₇, C₈, C₉, C₁₁, C₁₃, and C₁₄ positions of (±)-klaineanone.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed carbonylative cycloaddition of alpha-keto lactones with alkenes or alkynes: the participation of an ester-carbonyl group in cycloaddition reactions as the two-atom assembling unit

The reaction of benzofuran-2,3-dione derivatives 1 with CO and alkenes (or alkynes) results in a carbonylative [2+2+1] cycloaddition in which the ester-carbonyl group is incorporated into a two-atom assembling unit to give spirolactone derivatives 2. This reaction provides the first example of an ester-carbonyl group participating in a carbonylative cycloaddition reaction.     

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over cobalt catalysts supported on modified SiO2 with mesoporous silica

SiO₂ was modified by hexagonal mesoporous silica to form a mixture with meso-/macroporous sizes and used as support of Co catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in a slurry phase. A synergistic effect on the activity of Co catalyst was found. The catalytic properties are related to the state of surface Co and the character of support.