NALNET book system: Cost benefit study

The goals of the NASA's library network system, NALNET, the functions of the current book system, the products and services of a book system required by NASA Center libraries, and the characteristics of a system that would best supply those products and services were assessed. Emphasis was placed on determining the most cost effective means of meeting NASA's requirements for an automated book system. Various operating modes were examined including the current STIMS file, the PUBFILE, developing software improvements for products as appropriate to the Center needs, and obtaining cataloging and products from the bibliographic utilities including at least OCLC, RLIN, BNA, and STIF. It is recommended that NALNET operate under the STIMS file mode and obtain cataloging and products from the bibliographic utilities. The recommendations are based on the premise that given the current state of the art in library automation it is not cost effective for NASA to maintain a full range of cataloging services on its own system. The bibliographic utilities can support higher quality systems with a greater range of services at a lower total cost

Enantioselective Iridium-Catalyzed Allylic Alkylation Reactions of Masked Acyl Cyanide Equivalents

The first enantioselective iridium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reaction of a masked acyl cyanide (MAC) reagent has been developed. The transformation allows for the use of an umpoled synthon, which serves as a carbon monoxide equivalent. The reaction proceeds with good yield and excellent selectivity up to gram scale for a wide range of substituted allylic electrophiles, delivering products amenable to the synthesis of highly desirable, enantioenriched vinylated α-aryl carbonyl derivatives

A Catalytic, Enantioselective Formal Synthesis of (+)-Dichroanone and (+)-Taiwaniaquinone H

A catalytic, enantioselective formal synthesis of (+)-dichroanone and (+)-taiwaniaquinone H is reported. The all-carbon quaternary stereocenter was constructed by asymmetric conjugate addition catalyzed by a palladium(II) (S)-tert-butylpyridinooxazoline complex. The unexpected formation of a [3.2.1] bicyclic intermediate required the identification of a new route. Analysis of the Hammett constants for para-substituted arenes enabled the rational design of a highly enantioselective conjugate addition substrate that led to the completion of the formal synthesis

Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Conjugate Addition of Arylboronic Acids to α,β-Unsaturated Cyclic Electrophiles

This account describes our laboratory’s efforts in the development of a palladium-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of arylboronic acids to cyclic conjugate acceptors. Specifically, we highlight the study of this transformation in the following areas: (a) construction of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters, (b) elucidation of the reaction mechanism, (c) addition to heterocyclic acceptors to generate tertiary stereocenters, and (d) application in the synthesis of natural products

Enantioselective Synthesis of Acyclic α-Quaternary Carboxylic Acid Derivatives through Iridium-Catalyzed Allylic Alkylation

The first highly enantioselective iridium-catalyzed allylic alkylation providing access to products bearing an allylic all-carbon quaternary stereogenic center has been developed. The reaction utilizes a masked acyl cyanide (MAC) reagent, which enables the one-pot preparation of α-quaternary carboxylic acids, esters, and amides with a high degree of enantioselectivity. The utility of these products is further explored via a series of diverse product transformations

Asymmetric Synthesis of All-Carbon Quaternary Spirocycles via a Catalytic Enantioselective Allylic Alkylation Strategy

Rapid access to enantioenriched spirocycles possessing a 1,4-dicarbonyl moiety spanning an all-carbon quaternary stereogenic spirocenter was achieved using a masked bromomethyl vinyl ketone reagent. The developed protocol entails an enantioselective palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reaction followed by a one-pot unmasking/RCM sequence that provides access to the spirocyclic compounds in good yields and selectivities

Application of photoluminescence and electroluminescence techniques to the characterization of intermediate band solar cells

The intermediatebandsolarcell (IBSC) is a photovoltaic device with a theoretical conversion efficiency limit of 63.2%. In recent years many attempts have been made to fabricate an intermediateband material which behaves as the theory states. One characteristic feature of an IBSC is its luminescence spectrum. In this work the temperature dependence of the photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) spectra of InAs/GaAs QD-IBSCs together with their reference cell have been studied. It is shown that EL measurements provide more reliable information about the behaviour of the IB material inside the IBSC structure than PL measurements. At low temperatures, the EL spectra are consistent with the quasi-Fermi level splits described by the IBSC model, whereas at room temperature they are not. This result is in agreement with previously reported analysis of the quantum efficiency of the solarcell

On African Eupsilobiinae (Coleoptera: Endomychidae) with Descriptions of a New Genus and Species

Species of the South African genus Microxenus Wollaston are revised. Microxenus laticollis Wollaston is redescribed, and M. muelleri sp. nov. and M. krugeri sp. nov. are described. Natalinus gen. nov. and its single included species, N. klimaszewskii sp. nov. are described. All of these taxa are diagnosed and illustrated, and a key to the species of Microxenus is presented. Female genitalia of newly described species are discussed in terms of monophyly of Eupsilobiinae. Zoogeographical and biological data of African Eupsilobiinae are summarized

Preparation of (S)-tert-ButylPyOx and Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Conjugate Addition of Arylboronic Acids

A. (S)-N-(1-Hydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutan-2-yl)picolinamide (2). A 1 L one-necked round-bottomed flask equipped with a 3.0 cm x 1.4 cm, egg-shaped, Teflon-coated magnetic stirring bar is sealed with a septum and connected via needle adapter to a two-tap Schlenk adapter attached to an oil bubbler and a nitrogen/vacuum manifold (Note 1). The flask is dried with a heat gun under vacuum and cooled under a stream of nitrogen. The flask is charged with 2-picolinic acid (1) (6.15 g, 50.0 mmol, 1.00 equiv) (Note 2), evacuated and back-filled with nitrogen three times, then charged with dichloromethane (300 mL, 0.17 M) (Note 3) and N-methylmorpholine (7.59 g, 8.25 mL, 75.0 mmol, 1.50 equiv). The flask is cooled in an ice/water bath and iso-butylchloroformate (6.86 mL, 7.17 g, 52.5 mmol, 1.05 equiv) is added dropwise over 30 min by syringe pump. The reaction mixture is stirred for an additional 30 min while remaining submerged in the ice/water bath. A separate 100 mL one-necked round-bottomed flask is sealed with a septum and connected via needle adapter to the two-tap Schlenk adapter and manifold, dried with a heat gun under vacuum, and allowed to cool under a stream of nitrogen. This flask is charged with (S)-tert-leucinol (6.45 g, 55.0 mmol, 1.10 equiv), dichloromethane (40 mL), and N-methylmorpholine (6.07 mL, 5.56 g, 55.0 mmol, 1.10 equiv). The resulting clear solution is taken up in a syringe and transferred dropwise using a syringe pump over the course of 1 h to the stirring reaction mixture in the ice/water bath. The cooling bath is removed, and the pale gold colored reaction mixture is stirred for an additional 6 h at 23 °C. Upon consumption of starting material (Note 4), the mixture is quenched at ambient temperature with a single addition of an aqueous solution of saturated NH_4Cl (50 mL), diluted with additional H_2O (25 mL), and transferred into a 1 L separatory funnel. The phases are separated, and the aqueous phase is extracted with CH_2Cl_2 (3 x 100 mL). The combined organic phases are washed with an aqueous solution of saturated NaHCO_3 (1 x 50 mL) and brine (1 x 50 mL). The combined organic phases are dried over Na_2SO_4 (10 g, 15 min while agitating), filtered through a M pore glass frit, and concentrated by rotary evaporation (28 °C, 15 mmHg). Excess N-methylmorpholine is further removed by placing the crude residue under high vacuum (< 12 mmHg, 12 h) to provide a pale red solid (Note 5). The crude residue is dissolved in 10 mL of acetone and purified via silica gel flash chromatography (Note 6). The combined product-containing fractions are concentrated by rotary evaporation (40 °C, 15 mmHg) to yield a solid, which is dried under high vacuum (< 12 mmHg, 12 h) to afford (S)-N-(1-hydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutan-2-yl)picolinamide (2) as a white amorphous solid (9.88-9.95 g, 44.4-44.8 mmol, 89-90% yield) (Note 7)