Oxo-tethered ruthenium(II) complex as a bifunctional catalyst for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation and H2 hydrogenation

Newly developed oxo-tethered Ru amido complexes (R,R)-1 and their HCl adducts (R,R)-2 exhibited excellent catalytic performance for both asymmetric transfer hydrogenation and the hydrogenation of ketonic substrates under neutral conditions without any cocatalysts to give chiral secondary alcohols with high levels of enantioselectivity.     

Experimental and theoretical study on generalized oscillator strengths of the valence-shell electronic excitations in CF4

We report an angle-resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) study on the valence-shell electronic excitations in CF(4). Experimentally momentum-transfer-dependent generalized oscillator strengths (GOSs) or GOS profiles for low-lying electronic excitations at 12.6, 13.8, and 14.8 eV are derived from EELS spectra measured at an incident electron energy of 3 keV. We also calculate GOS profiles using theoretical wave functions at the equation-of-motion coupled cluster singles and doubles level. There are good agreements between experiment and theory except for a significant discrepancy at small momentum transfer for the 1t(l) → 3s Rydberg excitation at 12.6 eV. The experimental GOS profile for 1t(l) → 3s exhibits a shape that is typical of a dipole allowed transition, while the excitation is formally dipole forbidden. This symmetry breaking behavior is rationally accounted for by qualitatively analyzing the nature of vibronic coupling effects. For the excitation band at 13.8 eV, a shoulder and extrema are observed in the GOS profile and are then found to be mainly due to the 2(1)T(2) transition. Furthermore, the theoretical GOS profile for the 2(1)T(2) transition exhibits a remarkable oscillatory pattern; its origin is discussed by considering multicenter interference effects. For the 14.8 eV excitation band, the predominant nondipole nature of the underlying transitions are revealed and comparisons with the theoretical calculations show that major contributions to this band come from the 4t(2) → 3p excitation.     

A sensitive and quantitative technique for detecting autophagic events based on lysosomal delivery

We sought to develop a sensitive and quantitative technique capable of monitoring the entire flux of autophagy involving fusion of lysosomal membranes. We observed the accumulation inside lysosomal compartments of Keima, a coral-derived acid-stable fluorescent protein that emits different-colored signals at acidic and neutral pHs. The cumulative fluorescent readout can be used to quantify autophagy at a single time point. Remarkably, the technique led us to characterize an autophagy pathway in Atg5-deficient cells, in which conventional LC3-based autophagosome probes are ineffective. Due to the large Stokes shift of Keima, this autophagy probe can be visualized in conjunction with other green-emitting fluorophores. We examined mitophagy as a selective autophagic process; time-lapse imaging of mitochondria-targeted Keima and GFP-Parkin allowed us to observe simultaneously Parkin recruitment to and autophagic degradation of mitochondria after membrane depolarization.     

Highly luminescent complexes [Mo6X8(n-C3F7COO)6]2- (X=Br, I)

New complexes (Bu(4)N)(2)[Mo(6)X(8)(n-C(3)F(7)COO)(6)] (X = Br, I) display extraordinarily bright long-lived red phosphorescence both in solution and solid phases, with the highest emission quantum yields and the longest emission lifetimes among hexanuclear metal cluster complexes of Mo, W and Re, hitherto reported.     

Direct synthesis of fluorescent 1,3a,6a-triazapentalene derivatives via click-cyclization-aromatization cascade reaction

An efficient and versatile method was established for the preparation of 1,3a,6a-triazapentalenes. The 1,3a,6a-triazapentalene skeleton without an additional fused ring system was discovered to be a compact and highly fluorescent chromophore, which exhibited various interesting fluorescent properties such as a noteworthy correlation of luminescent wavelength with the Hammett σ(p) value and a strongly positive solvatofluorochromism.     

Chemical trend of Ln-M exchange couplings in heterometallic complexes with Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er and M = Cu, V

The 4f-3d exchange couplings were definitively and precisely determined in the dinuclear complexes (Ln-M) involving double μ-oxo-bridges, by means of combined high-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance and pulsed-field magnetization techniques, revealing a monotonic decrease of ferromagnetic J(Ln-Cu) in the order of the atomic number, (64)Gd to (68)Er.     

Observations of surface modifications induced by the multiple pulse irradiation using a soft picosecond x-ray laser beam

To study the interactions between picosecond soft x-ray laser (SXRL) beams and material surfaces, gold (Au), copper (Cu), and silicon (Si) surfaces were irradiated with SXRL pulses having a wavelength of 13.9 nm and a duration of ～7 ps. Following irradiation, the surfaces of the substrates were observed using a scanning electron microscope and an atomic force microscope. With single pulse irradiation, ripple-like structures were formed on the Au and Cu surfaces. These structures were different from previously investigated conical structures formed on an Al surface. In addition, it was confirmed that the development of modified structures, i.e., growth of hillocks on the Au and Cu surfaces, was observed after multiple SXRL pulse exposures. However, on the Si surface, deep holes that seemed to be melted structures induced by the accumulation of multiple pulses of irradiations were found. Therefore, it was concluded that SXRL beam irradiation of various material surfaces causes different types of surface modifications, and the changes in the surface behaviors are attributed to the differences in the elemental properties, such as the attenuation length of x-ray photons.     

Electronic properties of Au nano-particles supported on stoichiometric and reduced TiO2(1 1 0) substrates

Growth modes and electronic properties were analyzed for Au nano-particles grown on stoichiometric and reduced TiO₂(1 1 0) substrates by medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) and photoelectron spectroscopy(PES) using synchrotron-radiation-light. Initially, two-dimensional islands (2D) with a height of one and two atomic layers grow and higher coverage increases the islands height to form three-dimensional (3D) islands for the stoichiometric TiO₂(1 1 0) substrate. In contrast, 3D islands start to grow from initial stage with a small Au coverage (?0.1 ML, 1 ML = 1.39 × 10¹⁵  atoms/cm²: Au(1 1 1)) probably due to O-vacancies acting as a nucleation site. Above 0.7 ML, all the islands become 3D ones taking a shape of a partial sphere and the Au clusters change to metal for both substrates. We observed the Au 4f and Ti 3p core level shifts together with the valence band spectra. The Ti 3p peak for the O-deficient surface shifts to higher binding energy by 0.25 ± 0.05 eV compared to that for the stoichiometric surface, indicating downward band bending by an electron charge transfer from an O-vacancy induced surface state band to n-type TiO₂ substrate. Higher binding energy shifts of Au 4f peaks observed for both substrates reveal an electron charge transfer from Au to TiO₂ substrates. The work functions of Au nano-particles supported on the stoichiometric and reduced TiO₂ substrates were also determined as a function of Au coverage and explained clearly by the above surface and interface dipoles.     

Wellposedness of abstract Cauchy problems for second order differential equations

This paper concerns the abstract Cauchy problem (ACP) for an evolution equation of second order in time. LetA be a closed linear operator with domainD(A) dense in a Banach spaceX. We first characterize the exponential wellposedness of ACP onD(A ^k+1),k teN. Next let {C(t);t teR} be a family of generalized solution operators, on [D(A ^k)] toX, associated with an exponentially wellposed ACP onD(A ^k+1). Then we define a new family {T(t); Ret>0} by the abstract Weierstrass formula. We show that {T(t)} forms a holomorphic semigroup of class (H _k) onX. Research of the second-named author was partially supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 63540139), Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.