Effect of Organic Ligands Used in Sol-Gel Process on the Formation of Mullite

The preparation of mullite by the sol-gel method using organic polydentate ligands and the effect of the raw materials and organic polydentate ligands on the formation of mullite were investigated. Two series of samples were prepared using tetraethoxyorthosilicate (TEOS) and aluminum nitrate nonahydrate, or dibutoxyethylacetoacetatoaluminum (Al(OBu)₂(AcAcEt)) as the silica and alumina sources, respectively, and using ethylene glycol (EG), 1,3-propanediol (PD), 1,3-butanediol (BD), 2-methyl-2, 4-pentanediol (MPD), diethlene glycol monoethyl ether (DEME) and ethoxyethanol as the ligands. When the alumina source was aluminum nitrate nonahydrate, mullite was apt to appear in the order of EG>PD>MPD. When Al(OBu)₂(AcAcEt) was the alumina source, the tendency toward the appearance of mullite crystalline phase was EG>BD>DEME>MPD. Between the two alumina sources, aluminum nitrate nonahydrate gave mullite much easier than Al(OBu)₂(AcAcEt). These relationships were discussed from the viewpoints of the coordination ability of the ligands and the miscibility between the silica and alumina.     

Complete selection of a self-assembling homo- or hetero-cavitand cage via metal coordination based on ligand tuning

Selective formation of a homo- or hetero-cavitand cage via metal-coordination, by using tetra(4-pyridyl)-cavitand (1), tetrakis(4-pyridylethynyl)-cavitand (2), or tetrakis(4-cyanophenyl)-cavitand (3) as deep cavitand ligands and Pd(dppp)(OTf)2 (4) as a connector, has been investigated by 1H NMR and CSI-MS. When the cavitand and 4 were mixed in CDCl3 in a 2:4 molar ratio, 1 gave a complicated mixture, whereas 2 or 3 formed a homo-cavitand cage {2(2).4[Pd(dppp)]}8+.8(TfO-) (5) or {2(3).4[Pd(dppp)]}8+.8(TfO-) (6), respectively, as a single species. In a 1:1:4 mixture of 2, 3, and 4, homo-cavitand cages 5 and 6 were observed in a 1:1 ratio. In marked contrast, a mixture of 1, 3, and 4 in a 1:1:4 ratio was exclusively self-assembled into a hetero-cavitand cage {1.3.4[Pd(dppp)]}8+.8(TfO-) (7). The selectivity for the self-assembly of the homo- or hetero-cavitand cage via metal coordination would arise from a combination of factors such as coordination ability and steric demand of cavitand ligands.     

Aqueous Titanate Sols from Ti Alkoxide-α-Hydroxycarboxylic Acid System and Preparation of Titania Films from the Sols

Aqueous titanate sols were prepared by reactions of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TIP) with -hydroxycarboxylic acids in water. IR and Raman spectra, and elemental analyses of the precipitates obtained from the sols revealed that the carboxylates were chelated to titanium but the Ti species were polymerized to form a cluster that had a colloidal nature. Spin-coating of titania (TiO₂) thin films from these sols was also examined. Interestingly, it was found that (004) preferentially oriented anatase films with refractive index of 2.54 were obtained from TIP-lactic acid-NH₃ (1:1:1, molar ratio) aqueous sol. This crystallographic orientation was characteristic of the TIP-lactic acid-NH₃ (1:1:1) system, and was not affected by the kinds of substrates used and the heating rate of the film. TEM observation indicated that small anatase grains had already formed at 200°C. Therefore, the crystallographic orientation might depend strongly on the structure of the chemical species of the precursor solutions.     

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.     

Palladium-catalyzed allylation of imines with allyl alcohols

A catalytic system, Pd(OAc)2 (10 mol %)-P(n-Bu)3 (20 mol %)-Et3B (360 mol %), promotes allylic alcohols to undergo the allylation of anisidine-imines of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes and furnishes homoallylamines in good to moderate yields. The reaction shows unique stereoselectivity, giving anti-isomers selectively. [reaction: see text]     

A Convenient General Access to α-Sulfenylated Acetophenones and Alkanones

Friedel-Crafts acylation of arenes with methylthio- (1) or phenylthio-acetyl chloride (2) provides ready access to α-methylthio- or α-phenylthio-substituted acetophenones. The acyl chlorides 1 and 2 reacted also with organoaluminum reagents to give α-sulfenylated alkanones.     

Enantioselective Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction catalyzed by a chiral phosphine oxide

An application of a hypervalent silicon complex, generated from a chiral phosphine oxide catalyst and silicon tetrachloride, to the enantioselective organocatalytic Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction is described. A chloride anion liberated from the hypervalent silicon complex smoothly generated a γ-chloro silyl enol ether that subsequently reacted with an aldehyde to afford the Baylis–Hillman adducts in good yields and with good enantioselectivities.     

Multifunctional Core‐Shell‐Corona‐Type Polymeric Micelles for Anticancer Drug‐Delivery and Imaging

We have developed core‐shell‐corona‐type polymeric micelles that can integrate multiple functions in one system, including the capability of accommodating hydrophobic dyes into core and hydrophilic drug into the shell, as well as pH‐triggered drug‐release. The neutral and hydrophilic corona sterically stabilizes the multifunctional polymeric micelles in aqueous solution. The mineralization of calcium phosphate (CaP) on the PAA domain not only enhances the diagnostic efficacy of organic dyes, but also works as a diffusion barrier for the controlled release.     

Enzymatic Hydrolysis-Responsive Supramolecular Hydrogels Composed of Maltose-Coupled Amphiphilic Ureas

Maltose is a ubiquitous disaccharide produced by the hydrolysis of starch. Amphiphilic ureas bearing hydrophilic maltose moiety were synthesized via the following three steps: I) construction of urea derivatives by the condensation of 4-nitrophenyl isocyanate and alkylamines, II) reduction of the nitro group by hydrogenation, and III) an aminoglycosylation reaction of the amino group and the unprotected maltose. These amphiphilic ureas functioned as low molecular weight hydrogelators, and the mixtures of the amphipathic ureas and water formed supramolecular hydrogels. The gelation ability largely depended on the chain length of the alkyl group of the amphiphilic urea; amphipathic urea having a decyl group had the highest gelation ability (minimum gelation concentration=0.4 mM). The physical properties of the supramolecular hydrogels were evaluated by measuring their thermal stability and dynamic viscoelasticity. These supramolecular hydrogels underwent gel-to-sol phase transition upon the addition of α-glucosidase as a result of the α-glucosidase-catalyzed hydrolysis of the maltose moiety of the amphipathic urea.     

Elongation method with intermediate mechanical and electrostatic embedding for geometry optimizations of polymers

The elongation method with intermediate mechanical and electrostatic embedding (ELG-IMEE) is proposed. The electrostatic embedding uses atomic charges generated by a charge sensitivity analysis (CSA) method and parameterized for three different population analyses, namely, the Merz–Singh–Kollman scheme, the charge model 5, and the atomic polar tensor. The obtained CSA models were tested on two model systems. Test calculations show that the electrostatic embedding provides several times of decrease in the difference of energies of testing and reference calculations in comparison with the conventional elongation approach (ELG). The mechanical embedding is implemented in a combination of the conventional elongation method and the ONIOM approach. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the geometry optimization with the ELG-IMEE reduces the errors in the optimized structures by about one order in root-mean-square deviation, when compared to ELG.