The periodic table and other wallcharts in the teaching of chemistry in St Andrews, 1884–1919

The teaching of the chemistry of the elements at the University of St Andrews by Professor Thomas Purdie FRS is examined with reference to selections from a collection of recently discovered historic wallcharts and extracts from his detailed hand-written lecture notes. Together these reveal a comprehensive and exciting programme of lectures incorporating numerous practical demonstrations which were continually updated to reflect the latest state of knowledge in what was a rapidly changing field.PostprintPeer reviewe

Synthesis, structure and properties of dihydrotetrathiafulvalenes

Funding: The authors are grateful to the School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews for a studentship (FMF).Although less well known than their fully unsaturated analogues, dihydrotetrathiafulvalenes (dihydro-TTFs) have been of considerable recent interest as components of organic conducting materials. In this article the various methods for their synthesis are reviewed and this is followed by a survey of their structure and properties, including those of charge transfer salts, and an account of their reactions.Peer reviewe

The solid-state structures of cyclic NH carboximides

The patterns adopted in the solid state structures of over 300 cyclic NH carboximides as determined by X-ray diffraction are reviewed. While the analysis shows that the majority of these fit into just a few common patterns, a significant number exhibit more complex and interesting patterns involving the other functional groups present in addition to the cyclic imide.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Thiophene-3-carbonyl chloride

The X-ray structure of the title compound has been determined for the first time. It shows the ring flip disorder common among thiophene-3-carbonyl derivatives and the occurrence of this phenomenon in the structures of such compounds is discussed.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

4-Chlorobenzyl chloride

The X-ray structure of the title compound has been determined for the first time. Its molecular structure is in good agreement with those previously determined for similar benzyl halides and the angles between the ring–Cl bonds in adjacent molecules show values in good agreement with an early Zeeman quadrupole spectroscopy study.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

5-Amino-3-methyl-1,2,4-thiadiazole

An improved procedure for isolation of 5-amino-3-methyl-1,2,4-thiadiazole in pure form on a multi-gram scale without chromatography is reported. Its 1H and 13C NMR and IR data are presented and previously published erroneous data corrected. The molecular structure is confirmed by X-ray diffraction which shows layers consisting of an elaborate two-dimensional hydrogen bonded network of moleculesPublisher PDFPublisher PDFPeer reviewe

tert-Butyl carbazate (N-Boc-hydrazine)

The X-ray structure of the title compound has been determined for the first time. There are four independent molecules which form a repeat unit packed in the crystal in alternating pairs with orthogonal orientation and further joined into infinite chains by hydrogen bonding.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

2,4,6-Trimethylbenzyl chloride (α2-chloroisodurene)

The X-ray structure of the title compound has been determined and it is compared with those of other substituted benzyl chlorides reported previously. It has an atypically long CH2–Cl bond.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Further studies on the [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement of 2-(2-benzyloxy)aryloxazolines

Authors thank EPSRC (UK) for a DTA studentship to ADH (Grant EP/L505079/1), EPSRC (UK) and CRITICAT Centre for Doctoral Training for a studentship to R. A. I. (Grant code: EP/L016419/1) and the EPSRC UK National Mass Spectrometry Facility at Swansea University.The behaviour of 14 ortho-functionalised 2-aryloxazolines, 11 of them prepared and characterised for the first time, with butyllithium has been examined. Significant limitations to the Wittig rearrangement of such systems are revealed. In terms of asymmetric Wittig rearrangement, good diastereoselectivity is obtained with a valine-derived 4-isopropyl oxazoline but this is compromised by racemisation upon hydrolysis. More encouraging selectivity is achieved in the Wittig rearrangement of an acyclic phenylalanine-derived ortho-benzyloxy benzamide.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe