Oxovanadium(V) complexes and with general formula VO(L3*)(OR5) were prepared in quantitative yields in alcohol (R5OH) from reactions of VO(O-i-Pr)3 and tridentate Schiff bases of beta-amino alcohols having one or two stereogenic centers, (HO)C*(R1)(R2)C*H(R3)N[double bond, length as m-dash]CH(2-OH-3,5-R4(2)-C6H2) (H2L3*). The alkoxy OR5 ligand exchanges readily with the alcoholic molecule in the solvent. Crystal structures of and were determined to be five-coordinate square pyramidal monomers. However, 1H NMR spectra of the complexes reveal two sets of signals, indicating the presence of two isomers in solution. The two isomers are suggested to be the endo/exo pair or the monomer/dimer pair. Asymmetric oxidations of methyl phenyl sulfide catalyzed by catalyst precursors were demonstrated to afford the chiral sulfoxide in yields and ee values similar to those obtained from the in situ-formed catalytic systems of VO(acac)2 and corresponding Schiff base ligands. Complexes and are also good catalysts for asymmetric alkynyl additions to aldehydes. Structural differences between the oxovanadium complexes, for inducing high stereoselectivities in the asymmetric oxidation of organic sulfides and the asymmetric alkynyl addition to aldehydes, are rationalized.

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In this paper, the concrete gravity dam built 40 years ago was partially damaged by the M=7.3 Chi-Chi Earthquake in central Taiwan in 1999. The elastic wave tomography method was applied to identify the safety conditions of the repaired dam in 2010. The resulting velocity profiles showed that the total structure conditions were accepted as a good to questionable condition. The filled materials and cracks existed in some dam components. Seven years later, the updating tracing investigation revealed that the pervious detrimental zones were spatially extended and associated with time. These testing results were also consistent with the findings from the ground penetrating radar inspection.

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