Synchrotron X‐ray study of ortho­rhombic Rb3Ta5O14 with a modified pyrochlore structure

The structure of a new orthorhombic trirubidium pentatantalum oxide (Rb₃Ta₅O₁₄) phase with Pnma symmetry was identified from a half sphere of synchrotron X‐ray data measured at a wavelength of 0.85 Å. This notionally linked TaO₆ octahedral structure broadly consists of three different modifications of the pyrochlore ring motif with layer stacking normal to (205) planes. Successive pyrochlore layers do not simply stack normal to these planes but are offset along the [100] axis. An unusual aspect of this structure is the occurrence of TaO₅ trigonal bipyramids in structurally complex regions where the modified pyrochlore rings connect.     

Polymorphism of Supramolecular Charge-Transfer Complex Composed of 10,10′-dihydroxy-9,9′-biphenanthryl and p-benzoquinone

Charge-transfer (CT) complexes were prepared using racemic (rac)-10,10′-dihydroxy-9,9′-biphenanthryl, which has a large and highly π-conjugated phenanthrene ring, as the electron donor and p-benzoquinone as the electron acceptor. This CT system showed a polymorphism.     

Determination of walnut protein in processed foods by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay: interlaboratory study

Because food allergens from tree nuts, including walnuts, are a frequent cause of adverse food reactions for allergic patients, the labeling of foods containing ingredients derived from tree nuts is required in numerous countries. According to Japanese regulations, the labeling of food products containing walnuts is recommended. To ensure proper labeling, a novel sandwich ELISA kit for the determination of walnut protein in processed foods (Walnut Protein [2S-Albumin] Kit; Morinaga Institute of Biological Science, Inc.; "walnut kit") has been developed. We prepared seven types of incurred samples (model processed foods: biscuits, bread, sponge cake, orange juice, jelly, chicken meatballs, and rice gruel) containing 10 microg walnut soluble protein/g of food for use in interlaboratory evaluations of the walnut kit. The walnut kit displayed sufficient reproducibility relative standard deviations (interlaboratory precision: 5.8-9.9% RSDR) and a high level of recovery (81-119%) for all the incurred samples. All the repeatability relative standard deviation (RSDr) values for the incurred samples that were examined were less than 6.0%. The results of this interlaboratory evaluation suggested that the walnut kit could be used as a precise and reliable tool for determination of walnut protein in processed foods.     

Asp-Gly based peptides confined at the surface of cationic gemini surfactant aggregates

Cationic gemini surfactants complexed with anionic oligoglycine-aspartate (called gemini peptides hereafter) were synthesized, and their aggregation behaviors were studied. The effects of the hydrophobic chain length (C10-C22) and the length of the oligoglycine (0-4) were investigated, and it was clearly shown by critical micellar concentration, Krafft temperature, and isothermal surface pressure measurements that the hydrophobic effect and interpeptidic interaction influence the aggregation behavior in a cooperative manner. Below their Krafft temperatures, some of them formed both hydro- and organogels with three-dimensional networks and the Fourier transform infrared measurements show the presence of interpeptidic hydrogen bonds.     

Investigation of a molecular morphology effect on polyphenylazomethine dendrimers; physical properties and metal-assembling processes

A series of novel dendritic polyphenylazomethines (DPA) with asymmetric morphologies was synthesized. Their physical properties, such as encapsulating effect, molecular dynamics, and metal assembly, are strongly dependent on the entire conformation of the molecules. The most important property is layer-by-layer metal assembly in the dendrimer structure from the core to the outside. Bis- and tris-substituted DPAs of the fourth generation also act as frameworks for stepwise assembly of a metal component (SnCl2), like the fully substituted symmetric DPA. However, extensive investigation of metal assembly in specific DPAs revealed that they do not follow the stepwise process. The molecular density calculated from the experimental hydrodynamic volume indicated that bis- and tris-substituted DPAs with asymmetric morphology still retain a free space similar to that of fully substituted symmetric DPA. The monosubstituted DPA, however, displayed a slightly higher density (smaller space) than the other DPAs. The experimental results suggest a bent conformation of the dendrimer in which the core moiety is folded into the dendron structure. In addition, the molecular dynamics were probed by means of the 1H NMR signals of the porphyrin core. It was demonstrated that the conformation is not fixed at room temperature in solvated DPAs, especially in monosubstituted DPA. A similar observation was for the smaller DPAs (third generations) with asymmetric morphologies. These dendrimers do not follow the stepwise complexation process. The structures of bis- and tris-substituted dendrimers which accurately follow the stepwise process are fixed. These observations provide a new insight into the finely controlled metal-assembly chemistry of dendritic macromolecules, and a rigid and fixed conformation is one of important factors for their unique properties.     

Interlaboratory evaluation of two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits for the detection of egg, milk, wheat, buckwheat, and peanut in foods

The labeling of 5 major allergenic ingredients (egg, milk, wheat, buckwheat, and peanut) is mandatory in Japan, and 2 series of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits have been established as official screening methods. However, these official methods have not provided the necessary sensitivity, due in part to poor extraction efficiency. To address this need, 2 novel ELISA kits have been developed: the FASTKIT ELISA Ver. II Series and the FASPEK Allergenic Substances Detection Kit. The new kit systems use an improved extraction buffer that can extract insoluble proteins produced by processing and feature new antibodies that bind to the denatured proteins extracted with the new extraction buffer. The analytical performances of the 2 new ELISA kit series were evaluated in an interlaboratory study. Ten laboratories participated in the study and determined the major allergenic ingredients contained in 5 types of model processed food. The 2 ELISAs displayed fairly good reproducibility and sufficient recovery.     

Boxes, helicates, and coordination polymers: a structural and magnetochemical investigation of the diverse coordination chemistry of simple pyridine-alcohol ligands

A structurally diverse array of polynuclear complexes has been identified and structurally characterized from the reaction of 6-methylpyridine-2-methanol (1) with a range of cobalt(II) salts under a variety of reaction conditions. A tetranuclear cubane, [Co4(1-H)4Cl4(H2O)3(CH3OH)], was isolated from the reaction of 1 with CoCl2.6H2O and NaOH in MeOH, and a tetranuclear double cubane, [Co4(1-H)6(NO3)2], was isolated from the reaction of 1 with Co(NO3)2.6H2O and NEt3 in MeOH. A bowl-shaped trinuclear complex, [Co3(1-H)3Cl3(dmso)], which features a triply bridging dmso ligand, assembled upon mixing 1 and CoCl2.6H2O in dmso. A 1-D coordination polymer, [Co(1)2(SO4)](infinity), where the sulfate ligands bridge "[Co(1)2]" units in a mu2:eta1 fashion to build up the polymer structure, was isolated from the reaction of 1 with CoSO4.7H2O. The reaction of the structurally related ligand 8-hydroxyquinaldine (2) with a mixture of CoCl2.6H2O and Co(OAc)2.4H2O lead to the formation of the tetranuclear double cubane, [Co4(2-H)6Cl2]. Temperature-dependent magnetic measurements have also been performed for these five complexes along with the hydrogen-bonded helicate [Co2(1)2(1-H)2]. The hydrogen bonds of the helicate mediate antiferromagnetic interactions between the cobalt(II) centers (J = -3.18(9) cm(-1), g = 2.25(2)). The sulfate bridging ligands of [Co(1)2(SO4)](infinity) are poor mediators of magnetic exchange. The Co(II) centers in the double-cubane complexes [Co4(1-H)6(NO3)2] and [Co4(2-H)6Cl2] are strongly antiferromagnetically coupled to each other at low temperature to give an S = 0 ground state. [Co4(1-H)4Cl4(H2O)3(MeOH)] exhibits rather complicated magnetic behavior; however, we did not observe any evidence for single-molecule magnetism as was seen for structurally related complexes.     

Catalytic enantioselective allylation of ketoimines

A general catalytic allylation of simple ketoimines was developed using 1 mol % of CuF.3PPh(3) as catalyst, 1.5 mol % of La(O(i)Pr)(3) as the cocatalyst, and stable and nontoxic allylboronic acid pinacol ester as the nucleophile. This reaction constituted a good template for developing the first catalytic enantioselective allylation of ketoimines. In this case, using LiO(i)Pr as the cocatalyst produced higher enantioselectivity and reactivity than La(O(i)Pr)(3). Thus, using the CuF-cyclopentyl-DuPHOS complex (10 mol %) and LiO(i)Pr (30 mol %) in the presence of (t)BuOH (1 equiv) produced high enantioselectivity up to 93% ee from a range of aromatic ketoimines. Mechanistic studies indicated that LiO(i)Pr accelerates the reaction by increasing the concentration of an active nucleophile, allylcopper.     

Colored supramolecular charge-transfer host system using 10,10′-dihydroxy-9,9′-biphenanthryl and 2,5-disubstituted-1,4-benzoquinone

A colored charge-transfer (CT) host complex is formed using racemic (rac)-10,10′-dihydroxy-9,9′-biphenanthryl, which has a large and widely π-conjugated phenanthrene ring, as the electron donor and 2,5-disubstituted-1,4-benzoquinone as the electron acceptor. This CT host complex can include aromatic molecules as guests and its color and diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) change according to the type of guest molecules included. Characteristically, it is possible to tune the color and DRS of the inclusion CT complex by changing the type of the component 2,5-disubstituted-1,4-benzoquinone.