The large-scale applications of the kinetic resolution of urethane-protected α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (UNCAs) and the desymmetrization of cyclic meso-anhydrides using modified cinchona alkaloids are described. These asymmetric reactions are effective organocatalytic methods for the synthesis of chiral α-amino acids 6 and chiral half-esters 2 on an industrial scale, because the organocatalyst recovery and product purification can be carried out by a simple extractive procedure obviating a chromatographic purification step. The modified cinchona alkaloid catalysts (DHQD)2AQN and (DHQ)2AQN, as reported by Deng and co-workers, are not readily available and therefore not suitable for industrial-scale synthesis. Various O-alkylated quinidine and quinine derivatives were prepared and screened as catalysts for the kinetic resolution of phenylalanine UNCA with alcohol. The readily prepared O-propargylquinidine (OPQD) and O-propargylquinine (OPQ) were discovered to be highly enantioselective and practical catalysts. These new catalysts were applied to the synthesis of chiral propargylglycine 24 and the key intermediate of BAY10-8888/PLD-118, 26, on an industrial scale, by the kinetic resolution of UNCA 22 and the desymmetrization of cyclic meso-anhydride 25, respectively.

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Hydrogen gas evolution from water dispersing nanoparticles induced by 60 Co γ-ray irradiation was studied. Nanoparticles of TiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 with average sizes of 7-33 nm supplied from several suppliers were examined. It was indicated that reactions enhancing the hydrogen evolution proceed on particle's surface. It was implied that the yield depends on size of agglomerated particle regardless of their primary particle size and chemical species. Reactions that enhance the hydrogen yields were discussed, and radiolysis process was concluded dominant in the total enhancement mechanism.

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