Microwave-assisted formation of organic monolayers from 1-alkenes on silicon carbide.

The rate of formation of covalently linked organic monolayers on HF-etched silicon carbide (SiC) is greatly increased by microwave irradiation. Upon microwave treatment for 60 min at 100 °C (60 W), 1-alkenes yield densely packed, covalently attached monolayers on flat SiC surfaces, a process that typically takes 16 h at 130 °C under thermal conditions. This approach was extended to SiC microparticles. The monolayers were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and static water contact angle measurements. The microwave-assisted reaction is compatible with terminal functionalities such as alkenes that enable subsequent versatile "click" chemistry reactions, further broadening the range and applicability of chemically modified SiC surfaces.

Radical-cation dimerization overwhelms inclusion in [N]pseudorotaxanes.

Suppression of the dimerization of the viologen radical cation by cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) in water is a well-known phenomenon. Herein, two counter-examples are presented. Two viologen-containing thread molecules were designed, synthesized, and thoroughly characterized by (1)H DOSY NMR spectrometry, UV/Vis absorption spectrophotometry, square-wave voltammetry, and chronocoulometry: BV(4+), which contains two viologen subunits, and HV(12+), which contains six. In both threads, the viologen subunits are covalently bonded to a hexavalent phosphazene core. The corresponding [3]- and [7]pseudorotaxanes that form on complexation with CB7, that is, BV(4+)⊂(CB7)2 and HV(12+)⊂(CB7)6, were also analyzed. The properties of two monomeric control threads, namely, methyl viologen (MV(2+)) and benzyl methyl viologen (BMV(2+)), as well as their [2]pseudorotaxane complexes with CB7 (MV(2+)⊂CB7 and BMV(2+)⊂CB7) were also investigated. As expected, the control pseudorotaxanes remained intact after one-electron reduction of their viologen-recognition stations. In contrast, analogous reduction of BV(4+)⊂(CB7)2 and HV(12+)⊂(CB7)6 led to host-guest decomplexation and release of the free threads BV(2(·+)) and HV(6(·+)), respectively. (1)H DOSY NMR spectrometric and chronocoulometric measurements showed that BV(2(·+)) and HV(6(·+)) have larger diffusion coefficients than the corresponding [3]- and [7]pseudorotaxanes, and UV/Vis absorption studies provided evidence for intramolecular radical-cation dimerization. These results demonstrate that radical-cation dimerization, a relatively weak interaction, can be used as a driving force in novel molecular switches.

Tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF)-catalyzed addition of substituted trialkylsilylalkynes to aldehydes, ketones, and trifluoromethyl ketones.

Herein we report that tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) is a very efficient catalyst for the addition of trialkylsilylalkynes to aldehydes, ketones, and trifluoromethyl ketones in THF solvent at room temperature. The reaction conditions are mild and operationally simple, and a variety of aryl functional groups, such as chloro, trifluoromethyl, bromo, and fluoro groups, are tolerated. Impressively, using our protocol, useful CF(3)-bearing tertiary propargylic alcohols can be synthesized. Product yields are generally better than or comparable to those in the literature. 1-Phenyl-2-trimethylsilyl acetylene, trimethyl ((4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)ethynyl)silane, 1-trimethylsilyl-1-hexyne, and trimethyl(thiophen-3-ylethynyl)silane underwent clean conversion to their corresponding propargylic alcohols as products under our conditions. Heterocyclic carbonyl compounds, such as furan-3-carboxaldehyde, thiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, and 2-pyridyl ketone, gave good yields of propargylic alcohols.

P(PhCH2NCH2CH2)3N catalysis of Mukaiyama aldol reactions of aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic aldehydes and trifluoromethyl phenyl ketone.

Herein we find that proazaphosphatrane 1c is a very efficient catalyst for Mukaiyama aldol reactions of aldehydes with trimethylsilyl enolates in THF solvent. Only the activated ketone 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone underwent clean aldol product formation with a variety of trimethylsilyl enolates under similar conditions as the aldehydes. The reactions were carried out at room temperature using (1-methoxy-2-methyl-1-propenyloxy)trimethylsilane, whereas the temperature was -15 degrees C in the case of 1-phenyl-1-(trimethylsilyloxy)ethylene. The reaction conditions are mild and operationally simple, and a variety of aryl functional groups, such as nitro, amino, ester, chloro, trifluoromethyl, bromo, iodo, cyano, and fluoro groups, are tolerated. Product yields are generally better than or comparable to those in the literature. 1-Phenyl-1-(trimethylsilyloxy)ethylene, 1-(trimethylsilyloxy)cyclohexene, and 2-(trimethylsilyloxy)furan underwent clean conversion to beta-hydroxy carbonyl compounds under our reaction conditions. In the case of bulky (2,2-dimethyl-1-methylenepropoxy)trimethylsilane, only alpha,beta-unsaturated esters were isolated. Heterocyclic aldehydes, such as pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde, benzofuran-2-carboxaldehyde, benzothiophene-2-carboxaldehyde, and 1-methyl-2-imidazolecarboxaldehyde, gave good yields of Mukaiyama products. An optimized synthesis for the catalyst 1c is also reported herein.

P(PhCH(2)NCH(2)CH(2))(3)N: an efficient lewis base catalyst for the synthesis of propargylic alcohols and Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts via aldehyde alkynylation.

Proazaphosphatrane P(PhCH(2)NCH(2)CH(2))(3)N (1a) is an efficient catalyst for the addition of aryl trimethylsilyl alkynes to a variety of aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic aldehydes in THF at room temperature. The reaction conditions are mild and employ a low catalyst loading (ca. 5 mol %). Only propargylic alcohols were isolated in good to excellent isolated yields when electron-rich, electron-neutral, heterocyclic, and aliphatic aldehydes were employed, whereas beta-branched Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) type adducts were isolated with electron-deficient aromatic aldehydes after conventional acid hydrolysis of the TMS ether products. Alkynes containing heterocyclic and aromatic groups bearing electron-withdrawing or -donating substituents underwent clean addition to cyclohexanecarboxaldehyde and to electron-rich aromatic aldehydes to give propargylic alcohols in excellent isolated yields. beta-Branched Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) type adducts were isolated when electron-deficient aromatic aldehydes were employed. Reaction pathways to both types of products are proposed.

P(i-PrNCH2CH2)3N as a Lewis base catalyst for the synthesis of beta-hydroxynitriles using TMSAN.

Proazaphosphatrane 1a was found to be an efficient catalyst for synthesis of beta-hydroxynitriles via the reaction of trimethylsilylacetonitrile (TMSAN) with aldehydes under mild reaction conditions and typically low catalyst loading (ca. 2 mol %). A variety of functional groups were tolerated, and good to excellent product yields were obtained.

P(i-PrNCH2CH2)3N: efficient catalyst for synthesizing beta-hydroxyesters and alpha,beta-unsaturated esters using alpha-trimethylsilylethylacetate (TMSEA).

We present an efficient synthesis of beta-hydroxyesters and alpha,beta-unsaturated esters via activation of the silicon-carbon bond of alpha-trimethylsilylethylacetate using catalytic amounts of the commercially available P(i-PrNCH(2)CH(2))(3)N 1a. Selectivity for either of these two products can be achieved simply by altering the catalyst loading and reaction temperature to afford addition or stereoselective condensation. This method is mild and tolerates a wide array of functional groups.