A variety of ortho,ortho'-disubstituted hydrobenzoin derivatives are readily accessible through a directed ortho,ortho'-dimetalation strategy in which the alcohol functions in hydrobenzoin are deprotonated by n-BuLi and the resulting lithium benzyl alkoxides serve as directed metalation groups. The optimization and scope of this reaction are discussed, and the utility of this process is demonst...

The mixed-metal oxo clusters FeTi5O4(OiPr)4(OMc)10 (OMc = methacrylate), Zn2Ti4O4(OiPr)2(OMc)10, Cd4Ti2O2(OAc)2(OMc)10(HOiPr)2, [Ca2Ti4O4(OAc)2(OMc)10] n , and [Sr2Ti4O4(OMc)12(HOMc)2] n were obtained from the reaction of titanium alkoxides with the corresponding metal acetates and methacrylic acid. Their structures are derived from Ti clusters with the composition Ti6O4(OR)8(OOCR')8. The Ca an...

In current paper we demonstrate the applicability of high viscous oligomeric alkoxide concentrates in fabrication of technologically interesting structures like nanometer diameter fibers (down to 200 nm), nanoneedles (tip radii 15-25 nm) and some micrometers wide linear surface structures. The approach is cost-effective and simple as it utilizes low-cost precursor materials (metal alkoxides) co...

Asymmetric amplification during self-replication is a key feature that is used to explain the origin of homochirality. Asymmetric autocatalysis of pyrimidyl alkanol in the asymmetric addition of diisopropylzinc to pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde is a unique example of this phenomenon. Crystallization of zinc alkoxides of this 5-pyrimidyl alkanol and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the al...

Organically modified silica coatings were prepared on metal nanowires using a variety of silicon alkoxides with different functional groups (i.e., carboxyl groups, polyethylene oxide, cyano, dihydroimidazole, and hexyl linkers). Organically modified silicas were deposited onto the surface of 6-μm-long, ∼300-nm-wide, cylindrical metal nanowires in suspension by the hydrolysis and polycondensatio...

The chiral ligand (-)-sparteine and PdCl(2) catalyze the enantioselective oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones and thus effect a kinetic resolution. The structural features of sparteine that led to the selectivity observed in the reaction were not clear. Substitution experiments with pyridine derivatives and structural studies of the complexes generated were carried out on (sparteine)PdCl...