The anodic oxidation
of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate
(BMIm-BF
4
) efficiently generates BF
3
from BF
4
–
. This Lewis acid, strongly bound to the
ionic liquids, can be efficiently used in classical BF
3
-catalyzed reactions. We demonstrated the BF
3
/BMIm-BF
4
reactivity in four reactions, namely, a domino Friedel–Crafts/lactonization
of phenols, the Povarov reaction, the Friedel–Crafts benzylation
of anisole, and the multicomponent synthesis of tetrahydro-11
H
-benzo[
a
]xanthen-11-ones. In comparison
with literature data using BF
3
-Et
2
O in organic
solvents, in all the presented cases, analogous or improved results
were obtained. Moreover, the noteworthy advantages of the developed
method are the
in situ
generation of BF
3
(no storing necessity) in the required amount, using only the electron
as redox reagent, and the recycling of BMIm-BF
4
for multiple
subsequent runs.
Imidazolium-based dicationic ionic liquids (DILs) are gaining considerable space in the field of organocatalysis mainly due to the opportunities in offering new possible applicable structural variations. In addition to the well-known variables which made the ionic liquids (ILs) famous as the type of cation and anion used, the nature of the molecular spacer moiety turns out a further possibility to improve some physicochemical properties, for example, solubility, acidity, electrochemical behavior, and so on. For this reason, this class of ionic liquids has been considered as possible competitors to their corresponding monocationic salts in replacing common catalysts in organic synthesis, particularly in cases in which their bidentate nature could positively affect the catalytic activity. This mini-review is intended to highlight the progress carried out in the last six years in the field of organocatalysis, including DILs as such and as hybrids with polymers, nanomaterials, and composites.
Electrochemical procedures present a selective and environmentally friendly approach for fine chemicals preparation. The use of electricity instead of classical chemical reagents is economical and ecologically attractive. In fact, electricity from renewable resources can be used for electrochemical transformations with highly sustainable and desirable electrochemical applications. Alkynes triple C−C bond has a key role in many chemical transformations, and a growing attention has been recently paid to its electrochemical reactivity. The use of alkynes as building blocks or intermediates or products in electrochemical synthesis is presented in this minireview.
Twenty-five species of cetaceans have been reported throughout the Mediterranean Sea, eight of them are commonly distributed in the whole basin and are regularly found beached or adrift in the sea. Stranded animals are frequently found in poor conservation status, preventing reliable identification; identification is thus often based solely on morphological features. Therewith, molecular tools are especially useful to provide taxonomic identification. In this work, a four-enzymes PCR-RFLP in silico protocol, based on a fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytb, has been designed for cetacean species occurring in the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, beached or floating specimen samples belonging to the eight common species have been tested in the laboratory, providing evidence that this approach represents a reliable, cost- and time-effective tool for their specific identification.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.