Anomalous octahedral distortion and multiple phase transitions in the metal-ordered manganite YBaMn2O6

By means of powder X-ray diffraction, powder neutron diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we determined the crystal structures of a metal-ordered manganite YBaMn₂O₆ which undergoes successive phase transitions. A high-temperature metallic phase (T_c1=520 K<T) crystallizes in a triclinic P1 with the following unit cell: Z=2, a=5.4948(15) Å, b=5.4920(14) Å, c=7.7174(4) Å, α=89.804(20)°, β=90.173(20)°, γ=91.160(4)°. The MnO₆ octahedral tilting is approximately written as a⁰b⁻c⁻, leading to a significant structural anisotropy within the ab plane. The structure for T_c2<T<T_c1 is a monoclinic P2 (Z=2, a=5.5181(4) Å, b=5.5142(4) Å, c=7.6443(3) Å, β=90.267(4)°) with an a⁻b⁻c⁻ tilting. The structural features suggest a d_x²−y² orbital ordering (OO). Below T_c2=480 K, crystallographically inequivalent two octahedra show distinct volume difference, due to the Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺ charge ordering. The TEM study furthermore revealed a unique d_3x²−r²/d_3y²−r² OO with a modified CE structure. It was found that the obtained crystal structures are strongly correlated to the unusual physical properties. In particular, the extremely high temperature at which charge degree of freedom freezes, T_c2, should be caused by the absence of the structural disorder and by heavily distorted MnO₆ octahedra.     

Polarized ethylene. V. Synthesis of 1-substituted indolizine,pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine,and their related compounds using methoxyethylene derivatives

The reaction of pyridinium or isoquinolinium N-ylides with methoxy-substituted ethylenes gave the corresponding indolizine and pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives bearing acetyl, aroyl, cyano, ester group at the 1-position in one step. Pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine, pyrazolo[1,5-a]quinoline, and pyrazolo[5,1-a]isoquinolines were also synthesized in good yields from the corresponding aromatic N-imines and methoxyethylene derivatives.     

Synthesis of a perpendicular TiO2 nanosheet film with the superhydrophilic property without UV irradiation

A method was developed for preparing perpendicular TiO2 nanosheet films from titanate nanosheet films produced on a titanium metal sheet by hydrothermal treatment with aqueous urea. The method is based on the consideration of some important points relating to the thermodynamics of nucleation and crystal growth. The resulting anatase TiO2 nanosheet films showed a specific superhydrophilicity without the need for any prior UV irradiation.     

Water‐Mediated Recognition of Simple Alkyl Chains by Heart‐Type Fatty‐Acid‐Binding Protein

Long‐chain fatty acids (FAs) with low water solubility require fatty‐acid‐binding proteins (FABPs) to transport them from cytoplasm to the mitochondria for energy production. However, the precise mechanism by which these proteins recognize the various lengths of simple alkyl chains of FAs with similar high affinity remains unknown. To address this question, we employed a newly developed calorimetric method for comprehensively evaluating the affinity of FAs, sub‐Angstrom X‐ray crystallography to accurately determine their 3D structure, and energy calculations of the coexisting water molecules using the computer program WaterMap. Our results clearly showed that the heart‐type FABP (FABP3) preferentially incorporates a U‐shaped FA of C10–C18 using a lipid‐compatible water cluster, and excludes longer FAs using a chain‐length‐limiting water cluster. These mechanisms could help us gain a general understanding of how proteins recognize diverse lipids with different chain lengths.     

Molecular rearrangement induced by hydrogen co-adsorption: C2H4 on Pd(110)

The symmetry of low-coverage (0.1 ML) ethylene adsorbed on Pd(110) and the co-adsorption effect of hydrogen have been investigated by high-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Ethylene adsorbs with π-bond character intact on both clean and H-covered Pd(110) with characteristic C–C stretching vibrational energies at 178 and 186 meV, respectively. The symmetry of the adsorbed ethylene, however, drastically changes upon the co-adsorption of hydrogen: the C–C axis which is tilted to the clean Pd(110) surface (C₁ symmetry) is rearranged such that it becomes parallel to the H-covered Pd(110) surface (C₂ symmetry).     

Asymmetric synthesis of a highly functionalized β-amino acid: the key amino acid of sperabillins B and D

The asymmetric synthesis of the highly functionalized (3R,5R,6R)-3,6-diamino-5-hydroxyheptanoic acid, the key amino acid fragment of sperabillins B and D, was achieved by an asymmetric Michael addition of lithium (R)-(-methylbenzyl)allylamide 10 to (E,E)-2,5-heptadienoate establishing the C-3 stereogenic centre, the information from which was propagated to the C-5 and C-6 centres by a highly stereoselective iodocyclocarbamation reaction.