Carbon-Fluorine Activation in the Gas Phase: The Reactions of Benzyl C-F Bonds and Silyl Cations.

The activation of C-F bonds figures largely in both fundamental and applied chemical processes. Herein the activation of benzyl C-F bonds by silyl cations is examined both computationally and experimentally in the gas phase. The experimental rate constant values obtained herein have not heretofore been measured and provide insight into the intrinsic ability of silyl cations to activate C-F bonds.

Mass spectrometry in organic and bio-organic catalysis: Using thermochemical properties to lend insight into mechanism.

In this review, we discuss gas phase experimentation centered on the measurement of acidity and proton affinity of substrates that are useful for understanding catalytic mechanisms. The review is divided into two parts. The first covers examples of organocatalysis, while the second focuses on biological catalysis.

A Concise Synthesis of Potential COX Inhibitor BRL-37959 and Analogs Involving Bismuth(III) Catalyzed Friedel-Crafts Acylation.

We report the development of a concise method of synthesizing possible cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor BRL-37959, which is believed to be a potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). The four-step synthesis greatly increased the efficiency of compound production from commercially available salicylaldehydes. The synthesis involved an optimized, bismuth(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate catalyzed benzoylation of a benzofuran ring.