Anionic polymerization of N,N‐dialkyl‐2‐methylenebut‐3‐enamide: Effect of alkyl substituents on polymerization behavior

Anionic polymerizations of three 1,3‐butadiene derivatives containing different N,N‐dialkyl amide functions, N,N‐diisopropylamide (DiPA), piperidineamide (PiA), and cis‐2,6‐dimethylpiperidineamide (DMPA) were performed under various conditions, and their polymerization behavior was compared with that of N,N‐diethylamide analogue (DEA), which was previously reported. When polymerization of DiPA was performed at ?78 °C with potassium counter ion, only trace amounts of oligomers were formed, whereas polymers with a narrow molecular weight distribution were obtained in moderate yield when DiPA was polymerized at 0 °C in the presence of LiCl. Decrease in molecular weight and broadening of molecular weight distribution were observed when polymerization was performed at a higher temperature of 20 °C, presumably because of the effect of ceiling temperature. In the case of DMPA, no polymer was formed at 0 °C and polymers with relatively broad molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n = 1.2) were obtained at 20 °C. The polymerization rate of PiA was much faster than that of the other monomers, and poly(PiA) was obtained in high yield even at ?78 °C in 24 h. The microstructure of the resulting polymers were exclusively 1,4‐ for poly(DMPA), whereas 20–30% of the 1,2‐structure was contained in poly(DiPA) and poly(PiA). © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3714–3721, 2010     

Carbazole Dendrimers as Solution‐Processable Thermally Activated Delayed‐Fluorescence Materials

Recently, thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials have received increasing attention as effective emitters for organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, most of them are usually employed as dopants in a host material. In this report, carbazole dendrimers with a triphenyl‐s‐triazine core are reported, which are the first solution‐processable, non‐doped, high‐molecular‐weight TADF materials. The dendrimers were obtained by a new and facile synthetic route using the tert‐butyldimethylsilyl moiety as a protecting group. All dendrimers showed TADF in toluene. Measurements of the temperature‐dependent luminescence lifetime revealed that spin‐coated neat films also showed TADF with moderate quantum yields. OLED devices incorporating these dendrimers as spin‐coated emitting layers gave external quantum efficiencies of up to a 3.4 %, which suggests that this device is harvesting triplet excitons. This result indicates that carbazole dendrimers with attached acceptors are potential TADF materials owing to their polarized electronic structure (with HOMO–LUMO separation).     

(−)‐Englerin A is a Potent and Selective Activator of TRPC4 and TRPC5 Calcium Channels

Current therapies for common types of cancer such as renal cell cancer are often ineffective and unspecific, and novel pharmacological targets and approaches are in high demand. Here we show the unexpected possibility for the rapid and selective killing of renal cancer cells through activation of calcium‐permeable nonselective transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) calcium channels by the sesquiterpene (?)‐englerin A. This compound was found to be a highly efficient, fast‐acting, potent, selective, and direct stimulator of TRPC4 and TRPC5 channels. TRPC4/5 activation through a high‐affinity extracellular (?)‐englerin A binding site may open up novel opportunities for drug discovery aimed at renal cancer.     

Heteroatom‐embedded Medium‐Sized Cycloalkynes: Concise Synthesis,Structural Analysis,and Reactions

A variety of medium‐sized cycloalkynes were efficiently synthesized by the double Nicholas reaction of cobalt complex and bis(hetero)substituted acyclic compound. The alkyne moiety within the ring has a unique bent structure and high reactivity toward cycloaddition reactions. Furthermore, preparation of multifunctionalized alkynes was achieved by embedding the cycloalkyne within a peptide chain.     

Direct transformation of N,N-disubstituted amides and isopropyl esters to nitriles

Various N,N-dimethyl amides, N-methoxy-N-methyl amides, and isopropyl esters were smoothly transformed into the corresponding nitriles in good to moderate yields by the treatment with diisobutylaluminium hydride, followed by treatment with molecular iodine in aq ammonia. The present reactions are novel one-pot and practical methods for the transformation of N,N-disubstituted amides and isopropyl esters into nitriles, through the formation of hemiaminal O-AlBu₂ and hemiacetal O-AlBu₂, respectively.     

Mesoporous TiO2 core-shell spheres composed of nanocrystals with exposed high-energy facets: facile synthesis and formation mechanism

A facile new method that combines electrospray and hydrothermal treatment is used to prepare mesoporous core-shell TiO(2) spheres with high specific surface areas and high pore volumes. Interestingly, the resulting TiO(2) spheres are composed of anatase TiO(2) nanocrystals with exposed step-like {001} and smooth {010} facets. The percentage of exposed {001} facets can be adjusted by changing the experimental parameters used in the electrospray and hydrothermal treatment processes, such as the contents of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) and acetic acid. The combination of high specific surface area (>100 m(2) g(-1)), high pore volume (>0.30 cm(3) g(-1)), useful pore size (10-15 nm), spherical core-shell structure, and exposed high energy facets makes these TiO(2) spheres an important candidate for use in many photoelectrochemical applications. The formation mechanism of the mesoporous TiO(2) spheres is also studied. The great advantage of this method is that interesting and complicated mesoporous superstructures can be prepared using electrospray technology.     

Electrochemical-coupling layer-by-layer (ECC-LbL) assembly

Electrochemical-coupling layer-by-layer (ECC-LbL) assembly is introduced as a novel fabrication methodology for preparing layered thin films. This method allows us to covalently immobilize functional units (e.g., porphyrin, fullerene, and fluorene) into thin films having desired thicknesses and designable sequences for both homo- and heteroassemblies while ensuring efficient layer-to-layer electronic interactions. Films were prepared using a conventional electrochemical setup by a simple and inexpensive process from which various layering sequences can be obtained, and the photovoltaic functions of a prototype p/n heterojunction device were demonstrated.     

Reversible photoredox switching of porphyrin-bridged bis-2,6-di-tert-butylphenols

Porphyrin derivatives bearing 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol substituents at their 5,15-positions undergo reversible photoredox switching between porphyrin and porphodimethene states as revealed by UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and X-ray single-crystal analyses. Photoredox interconversion is accompanied by substantial variations in electronic absorption and fluorescence emission spectra and a change of conformation of the tetrapyrrole macrocycle from planar to roof-shaped. Oxidation proceeds only under photoillumination of a dianionic state prepared through deprotonation using fluoride anions. Conversely, photoreduction occurs in the presence of a sacrificial electron donor. Transient absorption spectroscopy and electron spin resonance spectroscopy were applied to investigate the processes in photochemical reaction, and radical intermediates were characterized. That is, photooxidation initially results in a phenol-substituent-centered radical, while the reduction process occurs via a delocalized radical state involving both the macrocycle and 5,15-substituents. Forward and reverse photochemical processes are governed by different chemical mechanisms, giving the important benefit that conversion reactions are completely isolated, leading to better separation of the end states. Furthermore, energy diagrams based on electrochemical analyses (cyclic voltammetry) were used to account for the processes occurring during the photochemical reactions. Our molecular design indicates a simple and versatile method for producing photoredox macrocyclic compounds, which should lead to a new class of advanced functional materials suitable for application in molecular devices and machines.