Mechanistic Advancements

Study of fhe mechanism of MeOH oxidation over Pt and PtRu surfaces has recenfly been given new insights using a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches. The use of electrochemically linked mass spectroscopy techniques (e.g., differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy— DBMS) has allowed the quantification of the MeOH oxidation reaction in terms of comparing CO2 yields with electrons passed. In addition, detection and quantification of reaction intermediates has also been demonstrated. In addition, use of theorefical fechniques such as DFT has allowed calculation of adsorbafe energies, probing reaction pathways, and activation of H2O to provide active OH species. 

The general mechanism of MeOH on Pt and PtRu is well established. First, MeOH is adsorbed and subjected to multiple dehydrogenation steps to give adsorbed CO. This dehydration step is known to occur at low potentials. The adsorbed CO is then oxidized by active OH species produced by the dissociation of H2O. This is fhe pofenfial-driven rate-determining step because OH formation does not occur on Pt until higher potentials. The addition of Ru pro-mofes fhe reaction because it is able to produce OH species at lower potentials. This promotional effect is known as the bifunctional mechanism  

This is known as the indirect mechanism because it requires the removal of CO. The direct mechanism goes through formaldehyde (HCHO) and formic acid (HCO2H) intermediafes and allows for desorption at each step. 

The kinetics of MeOH oxidation of a 1 1 PfRu in an MEA has been well established by Vidakovic, Christov, and Sundmacher. At low overpotentials, the MeOH oxidation reaction was found to be zero order in MeOH concentration, indicating that CO oxidation is the rate-determining step. A Tafel slope of 50-60 mV dec was found at 60°C. At higher overpotentials, positive reaction orders were found, suggesting that MeOH adsorption becomes rate determining. An activation energy of 55 kj moP was found this agrees well with the values found for similar bulk PtRu electrodes. 

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The success of bis(oxazolines) (43) in the copper-catalyzed cyclopropanation reaction has prompted numerous researchers to modify these structures in an attempt to improve the catalysts. To date, none have approached the success and generality exhibited by /erf-butyl bis(oxazoline) (55c) although some afford improved selectivities in specific cases. As a corollary to its success in this reaction, the copper-catalyzed cyclopropanation has taken on the aspects of a testing ground for new bis(oxazoline)-based ligands. The plethora of publications in this area will be summarily condensed in the rest of this section, and emphasis will be placed only on those ligands that provide improvements over 55c and those publications that deal with structural or mechanistic advances. 

Gallagher RM. Management of neuropathic pain translating mechanistic advances and evidence-based research into clinical practice. Clin J Pain 2006 22... 

In the 1980s, advances in biotechnology had a considerable impact on steroid research. During this period, the mechanism of steroid hormone-activated gene regulation became more clearly defined. These mechanistic studies stiH receive considerable attention in the primary Hterature. 

The high degree of orientational specificity which controls the cycloadditions to (267) of allene [(273) (274) 30 1 ] and acetoxybutenone [rz t/-adducts (278) and (279)] is suggestive of being meaningful in mechanistic terms. Several proposals have been advanced to account for these observations, inter alia a polar ground-state complex of the reactants, (281), which undergoes photoexcitation followed by concerted bond formation to products... 

Since about 1955, a considerable number of new developments of wide synthetic, structural, and mechanistic interest have been described. It is the purpose of this review to discuss the significant features of these new advances. 

This review outlines developments in zinc-mediated cyclopropanation from the initial reports in the 1950s through to the current state of the art methods. The presentation will rely heavily on how the evolution of mechanistic understanding aided in the rationalization and optimization of each new advance in the asymmetric process. 

Because of the complexity of the pathway, the sensitivity of the reagents involved, the heterogeneous nature of the reaction, and the limitations of modern experimental techniques and instrumentation, it is not surprising that a compelling picture of the mechanism of the Simmons-Smith reaction has yet to emerge. In recent years, the application of computational techniques to the study of the mechanism has become important. Enabling theoretical advances, namely the implementation of density functional theory, have finally made this complex system amenable to calculation. These studies not only provide support for earlier conclusions regarding the reaction mechanism, but they have also opened new mechanistic possibilities to view. 

R. Spitz, Recent Advances in Mechanistic and Synthetic Aspects of Polymerization, Reidel Publishing Co., Japan, p. 485 (1987). 

There have been remarkably few reviews of the chemistry of decompositions and interactions of solids. The present account is specifically concerned with the kinetic characteristics described in the literature for the reactions of many and diverse compounds. Coverage necessarily includes references to a variety of relevant and closely related topics, such as the background theory of the subject, proposed mechanistic interpretations of observations, experimental methods with their shortcomings and errors, etc. In a survey of acceptable length, however, it is clearly impossible to explore in depth all features of all reports concerned with the reactivity and reactions of all solids. We believe that there is a need for separate and more detailed reviews of topics referred to here briefly. The value of individual publications in the field, which continue to appear in a not inconsiderable flow, would undoubtedly be enhanced by their discussion in the widest context. Systematic presentation and constructive comparisons of observations and reports, which are at present widely dispersed, would be expected to produce significant correlations and conclusions. Useful advances in the subject are just as likely to emerge in the form of generalizations discerned in the wealth of published material as from further individual studies of specific systems. Perhaps potential reviewers have been deterred by the combination of the formidable volume and the extensive dispersal of the information now available. 

Different mechanisms have been advanced to account for the dependence of rate upon concentration, and since the experimental data does not agree it is no surprise that the mechanistic conclusions are different. Gold and Satchell160 advanced the mechanism which has been described above (p. 67) and which is no longer acceptable. Kilpatrick et al.165 found the rate coefficients to be approximately correlated by means of the equation... 

Several mechanistic explanations98—including both concerted symmetry-allowed nonlinear chelatropic paths96, and nonconcerted stepwise mechanisms (such as that in which a diradical species is involved99)—have been advanced to accommodate the stereospecific experimental results2,173,73,99. 

The mechanistic investigations presented in this section have stimulated research directed to the development of advanced ruthenium precatalysts for olefin metathesis. It was pointed out by Grubbs et al. that the utility of a catalyst is determined by the ratio of catalysis to the rate of decomposition [31]. The decomposition of ruthenium methylidene complexes, which attribute to approximately 95% of the turnover, proceeds monomolecularly, which explains the commonly observed problem that slowly reacting substrates require high catalyst loadings [31]. This problem has been addressed by the development of a novel class of ruthenium precatalysts, the so-called second-generation catalysts. 

Mechanistic smdies are needed on a select nnmber of electrochemical reactions, particularly those involving oxygen. These smdies are far from routine and reqnire advances in knowledge of molecular interactions at electrode surfaces in the presence of an electrolyte. Recent achievements in surface science under ultrahigh vacuum conditions snggest that a comparable effort in electrochemical systems would be equally fmitful. 

At the practical level, an ideal mechanistic biomarker should be simple to use, sensitive, relatively specific, stable, and usable on material that can be obtained by nondestructive sampling (e.g., blood or skin). A tall order, no doubt, and no biomarker yet developed has all of these attributes. However, the judicious use of combinations of biomarkers can overcome the shortcomings of individual assays. The main point to emphasize is that the resources so far invested in the development of biomarker technology for environmental risk assessment has been very small (cf the investment in biomarkers for use in medicine). Knowledge of toxic mechanisms of organic pollutants is already substantial (especially of pesticides), and it grows apace. The scientific basis is already there for technological advance it all comes down to a question of investment. 

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