Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Other

John P Wolfe

Stephen L Buchwald

Michael Palucki

Ken Kamikawa

David W Old

Jens Bertil Ahman

Robert A Singer

Joseph P Sadighi

Jens Ahman

Malisa Troutman

Andre Chieffi

One aspect of the present invention relates to novel ligands for transition metals. A second aspect of the present invention relates to the use of catalysts comprising these ligands in transition metal-catalyzed carbon-heteroatom and carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. The subject methods provide improvements in many features of the transition metal-catalyzed reactions, including the range of suitable substrates, reaction conditions, and efficiency.

Ligands for metals and improved metal-catalyzed processes based thereon

The present invention provides transition-metal-catalyst-based methods for the arylation and vinylation of activated methyl, methylene, and methine carbons with aryl halides, vinyl halides, and the like. The methods of the invention provide several improvements over existing methods, including the ability to synthesize efficiently and under mild conditions &#x3b1;-aryl and &#x3b1;-vinyl products from a wide range of starting materials, including ketones, esters, hydrazones, and imines. Furthermore, the methods of the invention may be used in an asymmetric sense, i.e. to produce enantiomerically-enriched chiral &#x3b1;-aryl and &#x3b1;-vinyl products.

Arylation and vinylation of activated carbons

A toilet seat ventilation assembly for mounting on a toilet bowl includes a seat having a and air passageway and plurality of vent holes formed in the seat. A tubular manifold is rotatably secured in mounting fixtures at the rear of the toilet seat. The toilet seat is rotatably secured to the manifold by hinges having a passageway for communicating air from the toilet seat to the inlet of the manifold. The mounting fixtures have a passageway for communicating air from the outlet of the manifold to an exhaust conduit. The toilet seat cover has hinges for connecting the toilet seat cover to the manifold in a fixed manner. Pivoting the toilet cover between a horizontal position and a vertical position causes the manifold to rotate within the toilet seat hinges and the mounting fixtures. The inlets and outlets of the manifold are configured so that air from around the toilet bowl is communicated into and out of the manifold to an external vent when the toilet cover is in the vertical position and the toilet seat is in a horizontal position.

Toilet ventilation system

A game table includes a storage area with a center leaf horizontally mounted in the storage area. When the top cover is in a closed position, the center leaf is positioned at the bottom of the storage area. A pulley system is used to raise the center leaf into a playing position when the top cover is moved to the open position. When the top cover is closed again, the pulley system lowers the center leaf into the storage area. A game board and game pieces positioned on the center leaf are maintained in the same position when the top cover is closed and the center leaf is lowered into the storage area. By maintaining the center leaf in a horizontal position, persons playing a game can suspend the game and safely keep the game pieces in the same position by merely closing the top cover. The game may be resumed by opening the top cover to raise the center leaf back into the playing position.

Game table with recessed game board storage area

One aspect of the present invention relates to novel, electron-rich bidentate ligands for transition metals. A second aspect of the present invention relates to the use of catalysts comprising these ligands in transition metal-catalyzed carbon-heteroatom and carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. The subject methods provide improvements in many features of the transition metal-catalyzed reactions, including the range of suitable substrates, reaction conditions, and efficiency.

The present invention provides a method for the preparation of a wide range of primary arylamines. The arylamines are prepared in two efficient, straightforward transformations: 1) an activated aryl group and an imine group are combined, in the presence of a transition metal catalyst, under conditions wherein the transition metal catalyst catalyzes the formation of a carbon-nitrogen bond between the activated carbon of the arene and the imine nitrogen; and 2) the resulting N-aryl imine is transformed, via any of a number of standard protocols, to the primary arylamine. The method of the invention may also be exploited in the preparation of vinylamines.

Arylamine synthesis

A method for preparing an aryl ether compound is provided in which an alcohol is reacted with an aromatic compound in the presence of a base, and a transition metal catalyst selected from the group consisting of platinum and nickel to form an aryl ether. The aromatic compound comprises an activated substituent, X, said activated substituent being a moiety such that its conjugate acid HX has a pKa of less than 5.0. The catalyst is preferably a soluble palladium complex in the presence of supporting ligands.

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Brighton, MA, United States of America

John P Wolfe