Interactions of water and methanol with a mixture of copper and zinc metals: a theoretical <Emphasis Type="Italic">ab initio</Emphasis> study

Ab initio cluster quantum chemical calculations at the Hartree–Fock and second-order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory levels were carried out to mimic the interactions of water and methanol with a mixture of Cu and Zn metals. It was shown that both molecular and dissociative adsorption of methanol on a mixture of Cu and Zn metal catalyst are preferred over the corresponding adsorptions of water. Estimated transition-state structures for dissociation of methanol into CH·₃ and OH· lie about 9.0 and 22.0 kcal/mol higher compared to the dissociated (forward reaction) and molecular adsorption (reverse reaction) complexes, respectively. Based on distinct radicals' bond energies with the active sites of the catalyst considered, it is suggested that hydrogen molecules could be formed through a chain of homogeneous reactions of methyl radicals released into the gas phase with the water and/or methanol molecules.     

PEGylated polyplex micelles from triblock catiomers with spatially ordered layering of condensed pDNA and buffering units for enhanced intracellular gene delivery

An A-B-C type triblock copolymer, tandemly aligning two types of polycations with different pKa values in a single polymer strand, was developed for the construction of novel polyplex micelles, satisfying a high DNA condensing ability as well as a proton buffering activity directed to elevating gene transfection. The micelle might feature the distinctive three-layered structure, where an inner polyplex layer of condensed pDNA with poly(l-lysine) (pKa approximately 9.4) as the C segment is successively wrapped with an intermediate layer of poly[(3-morpholinopropyl)aspartamide] (B segment) with a comparatively low pKa of approximately 6.2, to provide a buffering effect, and an outer PEG layer (A segment) as a biocompatible palisade.     

Development of a chemical vapor sensor using piezoelectric quartz crystals with coated unusual lipids

Piezoelectric quartz crystal sensors were developed using lipids with various properties for highly sensitive detection of chemical vapors. Lipids with varying lengths of alkyl chains were coated onto 10 MHz AT-cut quartz crystal resonators and the response of these modified crystals to chemical vapors were measured. It was shown that hydrophilic compounds, such as ethanol and methanol, could be recognized efficiently by lipids having shorter alkyl chains, whereas lipids with longer alkyl chains showed affinity to more hydrophobic vapors, such as toluene, hexane and cyclohexane. Frequency changes caused by adsorption of alcohols could be enhanced when cholesterol was co-immobilized in the lipid layer. To confirm the assumption that the sensor-response might be affected by the properties of lipids derived from acyl chains, we have examined the effects of two types of newly synthesized unusual lipids on sensor response. When lipids having one triple bond each at different positions on their alkyl chains were coated onto quartz crystals separately, lower responses were observed compared to responses obtained for a sensor with immobilized, saturated phosphatidylcholine. Lipids containing -branched acyl chains, however, showed good affinity for organic vapors, and sensor responses improved 4–5-fold. Moreover, these sensors were shown to have sensitivity of the same order as the humans' sense of smell (10⁻⁵–10⁻⁶ w/w in liquid paraffin) when measured using standard odorants (isovaleric acid, skatole, etc.) for an olfactometry established in Japan.     

Homoleptic cyclometalated iridium complexes with highly efficient red phosphorescence and application to organic light-emitting diode

Phosphorescence studies of a series of facial homoleptic cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes have been carried out. The complexes studied have the general structure Ir(III)(C-N)(3), where (C-N) is a monoanionic cyclometalating ligand: 2-(5-methylthiophen-2-yl)pyridinato, 2-(thiophen-2-yl)-5-trifluoromethylpyridinato, 2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)pyridinato, 2,5-di(5-methylthiophen-2-yl)pyridinato, 2-(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)pyridinato, 2-(9,9-dimethyl-9H-fluoren-2-yl)pyridinato, 1-phenylisoquinolinato, 1-(thiophen-2-yl)isoquinolinato, or 1-(9,9-dimethyl-9H-fluoren-2-yl)isoquinolinato. Luminescence properties of all the complexes at 298 K in toluene are as follows: quantum yields of phosphorescence Phi(p) = 0.08-0.29, emission peaks lambda(max) = 558-652 nm, and emission lifetimes tau = 0.74-4.7 micros. Bathochromic shifts of the Ir(thpy)(3) family [the complexes with 2-(thiophen-2-yl)pyridine derivatives] are observed by introducing appropriate substituents, e.g., methyl, trifluoromethyl, or thiophen-2-yl. However, Phi(p) of the red emissive complexes (lambda(max) > 600 nm) becomes small, caused by a significant decrease of the radiative rate constant, k(r). In contrast, the complexes with the 1-arylisoquinoline ligands are found to have marked red shifts of lambda(max) and very high Phi(p) (0.19-0.26). These complexes are found to possess dominantly (3)MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer) excited states and have k(r) values approximately 1 order of magnitude larger than those of the Ir(thpy)(3) family. An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) device that uses Ir(1-phenylisoquinolinato)(3) as a phosphorescent dopant produces very high efficiency (external quantum efficiency eta(ex) = 10.3% and power efficiency 8.0 lm/W at 100 cd/m(2)) and pure-red emission with 1931 CIE (Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage) chromaticity coordinates (x = 0.68, y = 0.32).     

Electric-field driven director oscillations in a nematic liquid crystal: a NMR investigation

We have investigated the oscillatory behavior of the nematic director for 4-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) when it is subjected to a static magnetic field and a sinusoidal electric field. In these experiments the two fields were inclined at about 50 degrees and the frequency of the electric field was varied from several hertz to approximately 1000 Hz. The director orientation was measured using time-resolved deuterium NMR spectroscopy since this has the advantage of being able to determine the state of director alignment in the sample. In fact, for all of the frequencies studied the director is found to remain uniformly aligned. Since the diamagnetic and dielectric anisotropies are both positive the director oscillates in the plane formed by the two fields. These oscillations were observed to continue for many cycles, indicating that the coherence in the director orientation was not lost during this motion. The maximum and minimum angles made by the director with the magnetic field were determined, as a function of frequency, from the NMR spectrum averaged over many thousand cycles of the oscillations. At low frequencies (several hertz) these limiting angles are essentially independent of frequency but as the frequency increases the two angles approach each other and become equal at high frequencies, typically 1000 Hz. Our results are well explained by a hydrodynamic theory in which the sinusoidal time dependence of the electric field is included in the torque-balance equation. This analysis also shows that, for a range of frequencies between the high and low limits, these NMR experiments can give dynamic as well as static information concerning the nematic phase.     

Synthetic studies of vitamin D analogues. IX. Synthesis and differentiation-inducing activity of 1 alpha,25-dihydroxy-23-oxa-, thia-, and azavitamin D3.

Three vitamin D3 analogues, 1 alpha,25-dihydroxy-23-oxavitamin D3 (3), 1 alpha,25-dihydroxy-23-thiavitamin D3 (4) and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxy-23-azavitamin D3 (5) were synthesized. In the differentiation-inducing activity of human myeloid leukemia cells into macrophages in vitro, the 23-aza analogue (5) showed the least activity, while no remarkable differences were observed between the 23-oxa analogue (3) and the 23-thia analogue (4), which were less active than 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1).     

Synthesis and photochemical properties of a photochromic iron(II) complex of hexaarylbiimidazole

The photochromic ligand bis(terpyridyl)hexaarylbiimidazole (bistpy-HABI) and the Fe(II) complex of bistpy-HABI with formula [{Fe(tpy)}2.bistpy-HABI](PF6)4.4H2O were synthesized and characterized. Bistpy-HABI is readily cleaved into a pair of terpyridyltriphenylimidazolyl radicals (tpy-TPI*) on irradiation with UV light. This photochemical reaction is completely reversible, and the light-induced radicals can thermally recombine to form bistpy-HABI in the dark. [{Fe(tpy)}2.bistpy-HABI]4+ is the first example of a transition-metal complex of an HABI derivative and was found to show photochromic reaction in solution. The spin state of the light-induced radical pair in a frozen matrix was investigated by ESR spectroscopy. The triplet state of the light-induced radical pair from [{Fe(tpy)}2.bistpy-HABI]4+, as well as that from bistpy-HABI, was confirmed to be a ground state or nearly degenerated with a singlet state. Kinetic studies on the radical recombination reaction in solution elucidated the decrease in the activation energy by forming the Fe(II) complex. This is the first observation of a decrease in the activation energy of the radical recombination reaction by the formation of a metal-coordinated radical complex. The syntheses, photochemical properties, and spin states of bistpy-HABI and [{Fe(tpy)}2.bistpy-HABI](PF6)4 are discussed.     

Novel and efficient method for esterification, amidation between carboxylic acids and equimolar amounts of alcohols, and amines utilizing Me2NSO2Cl and N,N-dimethylamines; its application to the synthesis of coumaperine, a natural chemopreventive dieneamide

Various carboxylic esters or amides were prepared in good to excellent yield between carboxylic acids and equimolar amounts of alcohols or amines under very mild conditions (0-45°C; within 3 h) using dimethylsulfamoyl chloride (Me₂NSO₂Cl; 1) combined with N,N-dimethylamines (Me₂NR: 2a; R=Me, 2b; R=Bu). The choice of the sulfamoyl chloride and the amine is crucial for the reaction; that is, sterically uncrowded amines accelerated the present esterification and amidation. This agent had some advantages over methanesulfonyl chloride (3)/amines as for the atom-economy, avoidance of side reactions, and had very high chemoselectivity toward the carboxyl group vs the hydroxyl group; the experiment was performed by the addition of 1 to the mixture of carboxylic acids and alcohols. Application of this method to the synthesis of coumaperine, a chemopreventive natural product, was performed using the present amidation as a key step.     

Electroreductive synthesis of 1-(bromobenzyl)-isoquinoline derivatives and its application to cularine synthesis

Electrochemical reduction of immonium salts in the presence of bromobenzylbromide derivatives gave 1-(bromobenzyl)-isoquinoline derivatives in moderate yields. This reaction is useful in the synthesis of several natural alkaloids as exemplified in the synthesis of Cularine.     

Synthesis and absolute configuration of +-lineatin,the pheromone of trypodendronlineatum

A new synthesis of (±), (+)- and (-)-lineatin (3,3,7-trimethyl-2, 9-dioxatricyclo [3.3.1.0^4,7] nonane, $\text{1}$) was achieved. The stereochemistry of (+)-lineatin was established as 1$\text{R}$, 4$\text{S}$, 5$\text{R}$, 7$\text{R}$ by an X-ray crystallographic analysis of an intermediate $\text{1}$$\text{5}$.