Liquid-phase noncatalytic butene oxidation with nitrous oxide

The kinetics and mechanism of noncatalytic liquid-phase oxidation of but-1-ene and but-2-ene with nitrous oxide in a benzene solution in the temperature range from 180 to 240°C were studied. Oxidation proceeds via the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition mechanism to form carbonyl compounds. Both of these reactions occur with close rates and activation energies and have the first orders with respect to the alkene and N₂O. A considerable fraction (39%) of but-1-ene involved in oxidation undergoes cleavage at the double bond yielding propanal and an equivalent amount of methylene, the latter producing ethylcyclopropane and cycloheptatriene. The oxidation of but-2-ene proceeds with a minimum bond cleavage and affords methyl ethyl ketone with 84% selectivity. Regularities of the oxidation of terminal and internal alkenes C₂—C₈ with nitrous oxide were analyzed using the previously published data. __________ Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 925–933, April, 2005.     

Alkenylidenes in Organic Synthesis

Alkenylidenes R₂C?C: (= alkylidene carbenes) undergo regio- and stereoselective intramolecular C? H insertion reactions that are excellently suited for the synthesis of cyclopentenes. The 1, 2-shifts occurring with R?H and R?Ar are useful for the preparation of alkynes. Alkenylidenes are efficiently generated from carbonyl compounds by diazomethylation, from vinyl halides by α-elimination, from alkynyliodonium salts by addition of nucleophiles, and from alkynes by retro-1, 2-shifts. Specific applications of the various methods, particularly in the synthesis of natural products, are discussed.     

Multinuclear magnetic resonance study of some mesoionic oxatriazoles containing nitrogenous exocyclic groups

¹H,¹³C,¹⁴N and¹⁵N NMR measurements are reported for four mesoionic 1-oxa-2, 3, 4-triazoles containing exocyclic nitrogenous groups. The NMR signal assignments are discussed and compared with those previously published for some corresponding oxatriazoles. The results obtained support the proposed cyclic mesoionic structures for the compounds studied. The questions of possible charge delocalization and valence tautomerism are addressed. Compound with N^– H as a exocyclic group (Fig. 1) is found to be relatively unstable, this is attributed to proton migration in the corresponding non-cyclic form of this molecule.Published in Khimiya Geterotsikiicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 9, pp. 1260–1263, September, 1995.     

Synthesis of Donor–Acceptor Alkynylcyclopropanes by Diastereoselective Cyclopropanation of Electron‐Deficient Alkenes with Alkoxyalkynyl Fischer Carbene Complexes

The reaction of electron‐deficient alkenes with alkoxyalkynyl Fischer carbene complexes (FCCs) represents a straightforward route to a new type of captodative (donor–acceptor) alkynylcyclopropanes, which have been prepared in moderate to high yields and in a diastereoselective manner. Some studies regarding the employment of additives to facilitate the recovery of the metal moiety after the reaction are also described. Finally, the first example of a cyclopropanation reaction through employing Fischer carbene complexes under microwave irradiation is presented; this method proved to be an advantageous alternative to the thermal reaction.     

N-heterocyclic carbenes as ligands in high-valent molybdenum and tungsten complexes

Oxometal complexes of molybdenum and tungsten in high oxidation states from stable adducts with 1,3-dimethylimidazoline-2-ylidene (L) 1. The first ‘carbene’ complexes of molybdenum(VI) [MoO₂Cl(L)₃]Cl (3a) and tungsten(VI) WO₂Cl₂(L)₂ (4b) are reported.     

Dirhodium(II)-catalyzed carbonyl ylide generation. Stereoelectronic control in dioxolane formation

The combination of ethyl diazoacetate with aryl aldehydes in the presence of copper(I) or rhodium(II) catalysts results in the formation of 1,3-dioxolane products in moderate to good yields. These reactions occur through a pathway that involves ylide intermediates. Catalyst-dependent diastereocontrol is observed and suggests that metal-associated ylides are involved in the product-determining step. The influence of aryl aldehyde substituents has been determined. Current address. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 961–965, May, 1998.     

Synthesis of mesoionic[1,2,3]triazolo[5,1-d][1,2,5]triazepines

Intramolecular cyclization of 1-amino-3-phenacyl-4-carbohydrazido-1,2,3-triazolium-5-olates has been shown to take place via selective interaction of the carbonyl group with the terminal amino function of the hydrazido group to form a 1,2,5-triazepine ring. Minor products, resulting from the interaction of the α-nitrogen atom of the hydrazido group with the carbonyl function, having a N-amino-pyridazine structure were also detected and isolated. A general method for the synthesis of novel mesoionic 2-amino-7-aryl-4-oxo-2,4,5,8-tetrahydro[1,2,3]triazolo[5,1-d][1,2,5]triazepin-9-ium-3-olates was developed.     

Decomposition of hexafluoropropylene oxide in a strong IR field

Multiphoton dissociation (MPD) of hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) under focused CO₂-laser radiation was studied. A high-energy channel of HFPO decomposition was revealed. The dependences of the MPD yield and the ratio between various channels of HFPO decomposition on the laser radiation frequency in the range from 967.7 to 1090.0 cm^–1, the incident radiation energy, and the initial pressure of HFPO were obtained. A considerable contribution of thermal decomposition of HFPO occurring outside of the irradiated zone to the total yield of its decomposition was established. An explanation for the pressure dependence of the yield of HFPO decomposition was suggested.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2174–2180, November, 1995.The authors are grateful to the Russian Foundation for Basic Research for financial support of this work (Project No. 94-03-09059).