nylethyl radical and the radical an ion of the jS-nitronitrile. In the first of three propagation steps, the β-nitronitrile radical ani on loses nitrite ion to yield l'-cyano1-bicyclohexylyl radical. Next, a sec ond a-phenylpropionitrile anion transfers a hydrogen atom to the bicyclohexylyl radical, converting that to 1-bicyclohexylcarbonitrile and thus becoming a radical anion. It is this radical anion formed from α-phenylpropionitrile that contains the three-electron covalent bond. Fi nally, the radical anion transfers an electron to more β-nitronitrile to give α-phenylacrylonitrile and the radical anion of the jS-nitronitrile. In the product-forming step, still more a-phenylpropionitrile anion undergoes a Michael addition to α-phenylacrylonitrile to produce the pentanedinitrile. The West Lafayette workers find that di-ierf-butyl nitroxide (a stable free radical) or m-dinitrobenzene (a strong one-electron acceptor) inhib it these reactions, lending support to a chain mechanism involving rad icals and radical anions. In addi tion, the formation of an unsymmetrical dimer from 9-methylfluorene is also consistent with such a mechanism. These new reactions are not re stricted to jS-nitronitriles. Thus, α-nitrocumene reacts with 9-meth-
ylfluorene anion in the same way as the nitronitrile, t h o u g h at a slower rate. Kornblum says that some of his previous work on reactions of nitroalkane anions will have to be re-ex amined in the light of this new pro cess. And earlier work of others on reactions of propiophenone anions with either alkyl halides or free rad icals may have to be re-examined. In particular, the new chain reac tion may limit Kornblum's method for making quaternary carbon com pounds [/. Org. Chem., 46,1037 (1981)]. In one example of this method, 2-cyano -2,3 - dimethyl-3 - nitrobutane reacted with the sodium salt of nitromethane to give a 91% yield of 2-cyano-4-nitro - 2,3,3 - trimethylbutane. But sodium salts of nitroethane or 2-nitropropane yielded intractable gums. Kornblum suggests that the nitroethane salt may have formed nitroethylene, which either poly merized or underwent Michael ad ditions in the basic medium. So the method for making qua ternary carbon compounds may be limited to n i t r o a l k a n e s lacking β-hydrogens, such as nitromethane, phenylnitromethane, and nitroneopentane. On the positive side, the process of electron-plus-hydrogen transfer may be developed into a process to make nitroolefins. Stephen Stinson, New York
Editor chosen for new ACS materials journal Chemistry professor Leonard V. as chemical engineers and materi Interrante of Rensselaer Polytech als scientists, a forum for present nic Institute has been selected to be ing investigations of the synthesis the first editor of the American and properties of solid-state materi Chemical Society's newest journal, als, polymeric solids and thin films, Chemistry of Materials. The bimonth and the preparation and chemical ly journal will cover fundamental processing of electronic and optical research with a molecular level per materials and devices. spective at the interface of chemis "This journal will emphasize the try, chemical engineering, and ma chemistry of materials as opposed terials science. The journal was ap to the physics or engineering tech proved by the ACS Board at the nology aspects," Interrante says. national meeting in Denver a year "Currently work of this type is ago, and its premier issue is sched spread throughout the scientific lit uled for January 1989. erature." Interrante hopes that Chem Interrante expects that chemists istry of Materials will provide a highworking in a variety of areas such quality, inexpensive, centralized as solid-state chemistry and poly source of chemical information for mer science will be the major con materials researchers. The journal has issued a call for tributors to Chemistry of Materials. The journal will give them, as well papers, and manuscripts may be sub
mitted to Interrante at Rensselaer. Full papers, short communications for rapid publication of results that are especially important, and short reviews will be included. The re views are intended to acquaint the community of chemists and materi als scientists with work going on in particular areas of the field. Topics in materials chemistry that could form the basis for articles in Chemistry of Materials include hightemperature superconductors, mo lecular electronics, and chemical sen sors. Other relevant research in cludes studies of the relationship between properties of materials and structure or between bulk and sur face properties; the synthesis and characterization of piezoelectric, nonlinear optical, magnetic, and electronically or ionically conduc tive materials; and chemical vapor deposition. Other examples of topics for the new journal are plasma- or laserassisted deposition or processing; radiation effects on materials; crys tal growth; molecular-level mecha nisms of corrosion; electrocatalysis and electrode surface modification; and chemical modification of sur faces and interfaces. Surface chem istry related to heterogeneous ca talysis or corrosion; intrazeolite chemistry and catalysis; solid-state polymerization and reactions in organized assemblages; and prep aration and studies of LangmuirBlodgett films, liquid crystals, and biomaterials are also within the journal's scope. Associate editors for the journal will be Dennis W. Hess, professor of chemical engineering at the Uni versity of California, Berkeley, and Gary E. Wnek, associate professor of chemistry at Rensselaer. An ad visory board is being formed. Another new ACS journal, Chem ical Research in Toxicology, began pub lishing bimonthly issues at the start of this year. The journal includes articles and reviews on investiga tions of the structures of toxic chem ical agents, their mechanisms of ac tion, and their interaction with bio logical systems. The journal's editor is Lawrence J. Marnett, professor of chemistry at Wayne State Universi ty in Detroit. Pamela Zurer, Washington April 25, 1988 C&EN
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