Preparation and electrical resistivities of tetrathiafulvalen (TTF) and tetraselenafulvalen salts with the [SnR2Cln]2-n anions (n = 3 or 4: R = Et or Ph) and X-ray crystal structure of [TTF]3[SnEt2Cl4]

Tetrathiafulvalen (TTF) and tetraselenafulvalen (TSF) salts with diorganochloro-stannate anions, [TTF][SnEt₂Cl₃] (1), [TTF]₂[SnPh₂Cl₄] (2), [TTF]₃[SnEt₂Cl₄] (3), [TTF]_3.3[SnPh₂Cl₄] (4), [TSF]₂[SnPh₂Cl₄] (5) and [TSF]_3.3[SnPh₂Cl₄] (6), were prepared by the reactions of [TTF or TSF]₃[BF₄]₂ with SnR₂Cl₂ (R = Et or Ph) in the presence of [Ph₃PCH₂Ph]Cl and by electrocrystallization of TTF or TSF in acetonitrile containing SnR₂Cl₂ and [Ph₃PCH₂Ph]Cl. All the salts behave as semiconductors with electrical resistivities of the order of 10–10⁸ Ω cm as compacted samples at 25°C. Electronic reflectance spectra of the simple salts 1, 2 and 5, show a band due to the dimeric(TTF⁺)₂ or (TSF⁺)₂ unit in the 12,200–12,800-cm^?1 region. The complex salt 3 exhibits a TTF⁺/TTF° charge-transfer (CT) band at 8700 cm^?1, and the remaining complex salts, 4 and 6, both display CT bands between the radical cations and between the radical cation and the neutral donor molecule. The crystal structure of 3 was determined by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The tetragonal crystal, space group I4cm, has cell dimensions a = 11.710(3) Å, c = 25.242(7) Å, and Z = 4. The structure was solved by the heavy-atom method and refined to a final R value of 0.082 for 479 independent reflections with >F_° > 3σ(F). TTF molecules exist as trimers, in which a slight lateral shift from the eclipsed TTF overlap occurs, although TTF molecules are arranged with equal spacing between them. The trimer units are located perpendicularly to each other, forming a two-dimensional layer. The [SnEt₂Cl₄]^2? anion is disordered with respect to the two SnEt and two SnCl bonds.     

Tribochemical reaction dynamics of phosphoric ester lubricant additive by using a hybrid tight-binding quantum chemical molecular dynamics method

To study the atomistic behavior of the phosphoric ester molecule on the nascent Fe surface under boundary lubrication conditions, we adopted a hybrid tight-binding quantum chemical molecular dynamics method. First, we investigated chemical interactions between phosphoric ester and the nascent Fe surface. Phosphoric ester was shown to interact with the nascent Fe surface, forming both covalent and ionic bonds. Formation and dissociation dynamics of covalent bonds during tribochemical reaction was clearly observed during the simulation. The effect of friction condition on the tribochemical reaction dynamics was then studied, and it was indicated that friction would influence the formation and the dissociation of covalent bonds. By using a hybrid tight-binding quantum chemical molecular dynamics method, we obtained insights on initial tribochemical reaction processes for the formation of tribofilm from the phosphoric ester molecule on the nascent Fe surface.     

Disulfide‐Unit Conjugation Enables Ultrafast Cytosolic Internalization of Antisense DNA and siRNA

Development of intracellular delivery methods for antisense DNA and siRNA is important. Previously reported methods using liposomes or receptor‐ligands take several hours or more to deliver oligonucleotides to the cytoplasm due to their retention in endosomes. Oligonucleotides modified with low molecular weight disulfide units at a terminus reach the cytoplasm 10 minutes after administration to cultured cells. This rapid cytoplasmic internalization of disulfide‐modified oligonucleotides suggests the existence of an uptake pathway other than endocytosis. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the modified oligonucleotides are efficiently internalized into the cytoplasm through disulfide exchange reactions with the thiol groups on the cellular surface. This approach solves several critical problems with the currently available methods for enhancing cellular uptake of oligonucleotides and may be an effective approach in the medicinal application of antisense DNA and siRNA.     

N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyzed Concerted Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution of Aryl Fluorides Bearing α,β‐Unsaturated Amides

Concerted nucleophilic aromatic substitution (CS_NAr) has emerged as a powerful mechanistic manifold, in which nucleophilic aromatic substitution can proceed in one step without the need to form a Meisenheimer intermediate. However, all of the CS_NAr reactions reported thus far require a stoichiometric strong base or activating reagent, and no catalytic variants have yet been reported. Herein, we report an N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of acrylamides that contain a 2‐fluorophenyl group on the nitrogen through a CS_NAr reaction. By using this catalytic method, it is possible to synthesize an array of quinolin‐2‐one derivatives, which are common structural motifs in pharmaceuticals and organic materials. DFT calculations unambiguously revealed that this reaction proceeds through the concerted nucleophilic aromatic substitution of aryl fluorides, in which a stereoelectronic σ (C_ipso‐C_β)→ σ*(C_ipso‐F) interaction critically contributes to the stabilization of the transition state for the cyclization.     

Molecular dynamics study of solubilization of cyclohexane,benzene, and phenol into mixed micelles composed of sodium dodecyl sulfate and octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether

Molecular dynamics calculations of a mixed micelle composed of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₈) were performed for six compositions (SDS/C₁₂E₈ = 100/0, 80/20, 60/40, 40/60, 20/80, and 0/100) to investigate the composition dependence of the mixed micelle structure and solubilization of cyclohexane, benzene, and phenol molecules by the micelle. The radial density distribution of the hydrophilic polyoxyethylene (POE) group of C₁₂E₈ as a function of distance from the micelle center is very sharp for micelles with high SDS content because the POE group captures a Na⁺ ion in solution and wraps around it to form a compact crown-ether-like complex. The hydrophobic dodecyl groups of SDS and C₁₂E₈ were separately distributed in the mixed micelle core. ΔG(r) evaluated for each solute showed that despite the structural changes of the micelle the binding strength of the solute molecules to the micelle did not change significantly. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Chiral cyclic [n]spirobifluorenylenes: carbon nanorings consisting of helically arranged quaterphenyl rods illustrating partial units of woven patterns

Chiral cyclic [n]spirobifluorenylenes consisting of helically arranged quaterphenyl rods, illustrating partial units of woven patterns, were designed and synthesized as a new family of carbon nanorings. The synthesis was accomplished by the Ni(0)-mediated Yamamoto-coupling of chiral spirobifluorene building blocks. The structures of the cyclic 3-, 4-, and 5-mers were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. These carbon nanorings exhibited a strong violet colored emission with high quantum yields in solution (95%, 93%, and 94% for 3-, 4-, and 5-mer, respectively). Other spectroscopic properties, including their chiroptical properties, were also investigated. The g-values for circularly polarized luminescence were found to be in the order of 10⁻³. Characteristic spiroconjugation induced by multiple (≧3) bifluorenyl units, for example the even-odd effect of the number of units in the matching of the signs of the orbitals, was also indicated by DFT calculations.

Chiral cyclic [n]spirobifluorenylenes consisting of helically arranged quaterphenyl rods, illustrating partial units of woven patterns, were designed and synthesized as a new family of carbon nanorings.     

Stereoselective synthesis of triply isotope-labeled Ser, Cys, and Ala: amino acids for stereoarray isotope labeling technology

Efficient access to highly enantioselective isotope-labeled serine, cysteine, and alanine for stereoarray isotope labeling (SAIL) is described.     

Three-metal-center spin interactions through the intercalation of metal azaporphines and porphines into an organic pillared coordination box

Discrete homo Cu-Cu-Cu and hetero Cu-Pd-Cu or Cu-Co-Cu metal arrays are prepared within an organic-pillared coordination box by inserting M(ii)-azaporphine/porphine cartridges (M = Cu(ii), Pd(ii) or Co(ii)), where the metal arrays show unique spin interactions in ESR: in particular, Deltam(s) = 3 for the Cu-Cu-Cu array.