Graphite oxide (GO) and its derivatives have been studied using 13C and 1H NMR. NMR spectra of GO derivatives confirm the assignment of the 70 ppm line to C−OH groups and allow us to propose a new structural model for GO. Thus we assign the 60 ppm line to epoxide groups (1,2-ethers) and not to 1,3-ethers, as suggested earlier, and the 130 ppm line to aromatic entities and conjugated double bonds. GO contains two kinds of regions:  aromatic regions with unoxidized benzene rings and regions with aliphatic six-membered rings. The relative size of the two regions depends on the degree of oxidation. The carbon grid is nearly flat; only the carbons attached to OH groups have a slightly distorted tetrahedral configuration, resulting in some wrinkling of the layers. The formation of phenol (or aromatic diol) groups during deoxygenation indicates that the epoxide and the C−OH groups are very close to one another. The distribution of functional groups in every oxidized aromatic ring need not be identical, and both ...

Structure of Graphite Oxide Revisited

Synthetic Principles for Bandgap Control in Linear pi-Conjugated Systems.

2.5. Stabilization of IL Emulsions by Nanoparticles 2623 3. Hydrogenations in ILs 2623 3.1. Hydrogenation on IL-Stabilized Nanoparticles 2623 3.1.1. Hydrogenation of 1,3-Butadiene 2623 3.1.2. Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Arenes 2624 3.1.3. Hydrogenation of Ketones 2624 3.2. Homogeneous Catalytic Hydrogenation in ILs 2624 3.3. Hydrogenation of Functionalized ILs 2625 3.3.1. Selective Hydrogenation of Polymers 2625 3.4. Asymmetric Hydrogenations 2626 3.4.1. Enantioselective Hydrogenation 2626 3.5. Role of the ILs Purity in Hydrogenation Reactions 2628

Catalysis in ionic liquids

The increasing demand to produce enantiomerically pure pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, flavors, and other fine chemicals has advanced the field of asymmetric catalytic technologies.1,2 Among all asymmetric catalytic methods, asymmetric hydrogenation utilizing molecular hydrogen to reduce prochiral olefins, ketones, and imines, have become one of the most efficient methods for constructing chiral compounds.3 The development of homogeneous asymmetric hydrogenation was initiated by Knowles4a and Horner4b in the late 1960s, after the discovery of Wilkinson’s homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst [RhCl(PPh3)3]. By replacing triphenylphosphine of the Wilkinson’s catalystwithresolvedchiralmonophosphines,6Knowles and Horner reported the earliest examples of enantioselective hydrogenation, albeit with poor enantioselectivity. Further exploration by Knowles with an improved monophosphine CAMP provided 88% ee in hydrogenation of dehydroamino acids.7 Later, two breakthroughs were made in asymmetric hydrogenation by Kagan and Knowles, respectively. Kagan reported the first bisphosphine ligand, DIOP, for Rhcatalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation.8 The successful application of DIOP resulted in several significant directions for ligand design in asymmetric hydrogenation. Chelating bisphosphorus ligands could lead to superior enantioselectivity compared to monodentate phosphines. Additionally, P-chiral phosphorus ligands were not necessary for achieving high enantioselectivity, and ligands with backbone chirality could also provide excellent ee’s in asymmetric hydrogenation. Furthermore, C2 symmetry was an important structural feature for developing new efficient chiral ligands. Kagan’s seminal work immediately led to the rapid development of chiral bisphosphorus ligands. Knowles made his significant discovery of a C2-symmetric chelating bisphosphine ligand, DIPAMP.9 Due to its high catalytic efficiency in Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of dehydroamino acids, DIPAMP was quickly employed in the industrial production of L-DOPA.10 The success of practical synthesis of L-DOPA via asymmetric hydrogenation constituted a milestone work and for this work Knowles was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2001.3k This work has enlightened chemists to realize * Corresponding author. 3029 Chem. Rev. 2003, 103, 3029−3069

New Chiral Phosphorus Ligands for Enantioselective Hydrogenation

Asymmetric 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions

The First Isolable Dialkylsilylene

Reaction of a chiral RuCl2(diphosphine)(1,2-diamine) complex and NaBH4 forms trans-RuH(η1-BH4)(diphosphine)(1,2-diamine) quantitatively. The TolBINAP/DPEN Ru complex has been characterized by single crystal X-ray analysis as well as NMR and IR spectra. The new Ru complexes allow for asymmetric hydrogenation of simple ketones in 2-propanol without an additional strong base. Various base-sensitive ketones are convertible to chiral alcohols in a high enantiomeric purity with a substrate/catalyst ratio of up to 100 000 under mild conditions. Configurationally unstable 2-isopropyl- and 2-methoxycyclohexanone can be kinetically resolved with a high enantiomer discrimination. This procedure overcomes the drawback of an earlier method using RuCl2(diphosphine)(diamine) and an alkaline base, which sometimes causes undesired reactions such as ester exchange, epoxy-ring opening, β-elimination, and polymerization of ketonic substrates.

trans-RuH(η1-BH4)(binap)(1,2-diamine): A Catalyst for Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Simple Ketones under Base-Free Conditions

Carbon chemistry exhibits a rich variety in bonding patterns, with homo- or heteronuclear multiple bonds involving sp-hybridized carbon atoms as found in molecules such as acetylenes, nitriles, allenes and carbon dioxide. Carbon's heavier homologues in group 14 of the periodic table—including silicon, germanium and tin—were long thought incapable of forming multiple bonds because of the less effective pπ–pπ orbital overlap involved in the multiple bonds. However, bulky substituents can protect unsaturated bonds and stabilize compounds with formally sp-hybridized heavy group-14 atoms1,2: stable germanium2, tin3 and lead4 analogues of acetylene derivatives and a marginally stable tristannaallene5 have now been reported. However, no stable silicon compounds with formal sp-silicon atoms have been isolated. Evidence for the existence of a persistent disilaacetylene6 and trapping7 of transient 2-silaallenes and other X = Si = X′ type compounds (X, X′ = O, CR2, NR, and so on) are also known, but stable silicon compounds with formally sp-hybridized silicon atoms have not yet been isolated. Here we report the synthesis of a thermally stable, crystalline trisilaallene derivative containing a formally sp-hybridized silicon atom. We find that, in contrast to linear carbon allenes, the trisilaallene is significantly bent. The central silicon in the molecule is dynamically disordered, which we ascribe to ready rotation of the central silicon atom around the molecular axis.

Chizuko Kabuto

Papers

The First Isolable Dialkylsilylene

trans-RuH(η1-BH4)(binap)(1,2-diamine): A Catalyst for Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Simple Ketones under Base-Free Conditions

A stable silicon-based allene analogue with a formally sp -hybridized silicon atom

Synthesis of p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene and its inclusion property

Momilactones, Growth inhibitors from rice, Oryza sativa L