A protocol for the cross coupling of aryl halides with secondary phosphine oxides over Ni/CeO₂ or Ni/Al₂O₃ catalysts has been developed for the first time. The advantages offered using this protocol are operational simplicity and the use of an inexpensive heterogeneous nickel catalyst in the absence of any additional ligand. A range of aryl bromides and iodides are coupled with secondary phosphine oxides using low loadings of a catalyst (1 mol%) via this procedure, with good to high yield (up to 86%). Moreover, the influence of nickel particle size and catalyst support on P-arylation of secondary phosphine oxides has also been established.

Two synthetic protocols for the conversion of 1-phenylphosphinan-4-ones to novel P-stereogenic 1-phenylphosphin-2-en-4-ones by enantioselective deprotonation followed by oxidation and by asymmetric organocatalytic halogenation accompanied by elimination have been developed. These two-step one-pot transformations provide convenient access to optically active 1-phenylphosphin-2-en-4-one 1-sulfide and 1-phenylphosphin-2-en-4-one 1-oxide of 96 and 55% enantiomeric purities, respectively.

This paper presents the thermal behavior of polymer microspheres based on glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and crosslinking agents benzene-1,4-diylbis(2-methylprop-2-enoate) (1,4DMB) and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM) before and after functionalization with thioglycolic acid (TGA). The thermal stability of the polymers was determined using thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry under non-oxidizing conditions. The evolved gases were detected by FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, and the chemical structure of solid residues after preheating was assessed by FTIR/ATR spectroscopy. The post-functionalized microspheres showed higher thermal stability (within 270–290 °C) than the initial copolymers (within 240–250 °C). In this paper, examples of decomposition patterns of polymer microspheres before and after functionalization are presented. The decomposition of the initial microspheres starts with the emission of GMA monomers, acrolein, carbon dioxide, and the formation of unsaturated bonds in the solid residue. In the case of functionalized microspheres, degradation involves the transesterification of ester groups with the -SH groups, resulting in the emission of carbonyl sulfide, acrolein and carbon dioxide. Furthermore, lactone groups are created in the solid residue. The degradation of the functionalized copolymers is a complex process due to their crosslinked structure, rendering the identification of all the degradation products unattainable.