Rational Design and Facial Synthesis of Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃@C Nanocomposites Using Carbon with Different Dimensions for Ultrahigh-Rate Lithium-Ion Batteries

Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃ (LVP) particles dispersed in different inorganic carbons (LVP@C) have been successfully synthesized via an in situ synthesis method. The inorganic carbon materials with different dimensions including zero-dimensional Super P (SP) nanospheres, one-dimensional carbon nanotubes (CNTs), two-dimensional graphene nanosheets, and three-dimensional graphite particles. The effects of carbon dimensions on the structure, morphology, and electrochemical performance of LVP@C composites have been systematically investigated. The carbon materials can maintain their original morphology even after oxidation (by NH₄VO₃) and high-temperature sintering (850 °C). LVP@CNT exhibits the best electrochemical performances among all of the samples. At an ultrahigh discharge rate of 100C, it presents a discharge capacity of 91.94 mAh g^–1 (69.13% of its theoretical capacity) and maintains 79.82% of its original capacity even after 382 cycles. Its excellent electrochemical performance makes LVP@CNT a promising cathode candidate for lithium-ion batteries

The Manufacture of a Homochiral 4‑Silyloxycyclopentenone Intermediate for the Synthesis of Prostaglandin Analogues

A process is described for the synthesis of kilogram quantities of homochiral 4-silyloxycyclopentenone (<i>R</i>)-<b>1</b>, a key intermediate useful for the synthesis of a plurality of prostaglandin analogue drugs. Cyclopentenone (<i>R</i>)-<b>1</b> was synthesized in 14 isolated steps from furfural. Key steps in the synthesis include a Wittig reaction, Piancatelli rearrangement, and an enzymatic resolution featuring in situ recycling of the undesired enantiomer furnishing the desired homochiral alcohol in ≥99.5% ee. As a retort to the unsatisfactory coformation of about 8% at best of the <i>trans</i>-olefin in the Wittig reaction, a change to the order of several steps and the identification of a recrystallisable, amine salt derivative, <b>2</b>, allowed the unwanted isomer to be controlled to as low as 0.2%