Tuesday 15 July 2014

Practical Approach for Preparation of Unsymmetric Benzils from β-Ketoaldehydes

Figure
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 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ol403762e

Practical Approach for Preparation of Unsymmetric Benzils from β-Ketoaldehydes

pp 733–735
Publication Date (Web): January 29, 2014 (Letter)
DOI: 10.1021/ol403762e
 
 An efficient and practical method for the synthesis of unsymmetric benzils from readily available β-ketoaldehydes has been developed. Various unsymmetric 1,2-diaryldiketones bearing functional groups have been obtained in good to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. A plausible mechanism was proposed, and α,α-dichloroketone was considered as the key intermediate. The generation of α,α-dichloroketones from β-ketoaldehydes may undergo the following steps: (1) oxidation by sodium hypochlorite, (2) decarboxylation, and (3) chlorination by Cl2 generated from sodium hypochlorite.

Thursday 10 July 2014

Buckyball boron


The stability of the predicted boron cage stems from its unique structural geometry
 Since C60 fullerene’s discovery in 1985 and the subsequent Nobel prize awarded to Robert Curl, Harry Kroto and Richard Smalley in 1996, researchers have been challenging themselves to make similar structures with other elements in the hope of finding exciting alternative nano building blocks.
 http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2014/07/boron-cage-b38-fullerene