Surfactant-free single-nano-sized colloidal Cu nanoparticles for use as an active catalyst in Ullmann-coupling reaction

Surfactant-free, single-nano-sized copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) (size: about 2 nm) were prepared by the DMF reduction method. The Cu NPs showed high catalytic activity (with a turnover number (TON) of up to 2.2 × 10(4)) in Ullmann-type cross-coupling of aryl halides with phenols under ligand-free conditions.     

Size parameter effect of dielectric small particle mediated nano-hole patterning on silicon wafer by femtosecond laser

By use of a polystyrene particle with a fundamental (800 nm) and a second-harmonic (400 nm) wave of a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser, nano-hole patterning properties on a silicon wafer were experimentally compared by keeping the size parameter constant. With the 800-nm wave, the patterned hole diameter ranged from 100 to 250 nm and the depth ranged from 20 to 100 nm. With the 400-nm wave, the hole diameter ranged from 50 to 200 nm while the depth ranged from 10 to 60 nm. The patterned diameter and the depth of patterned nano-holes were also controllable by the laser fluence. By the 3D finite-difference time-domain method it is numerically predicted that if the size parameter is kept at π approximately, the nano-hole patterning is efficiently performed even in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum.     

Intra- and intermolecular interactions between cyclic-AMP receptor protein and DNA: ab initio fragment molecular orbital study

The ab initio fragment molecular orbital (FMO) calculations were performed for the cAMP receptor protein (CRP) complexed with a cAMP and DNA duplex to elucidate their sequence-specific binding and the stability of the DNA duplex, as determined by analysis of their inter- and intramolecular interactions. Calculations were performed with the AMBER94 force field and at the HF and MP2 levels with several basis sets. The interfragment interaction energies (IFIEs) were analyzed for interactions of CRP-cAMP with each base pair, DNA duplex with each amino acid residue, and each base pair with each residue. In addition, base-base interactions were analyzed including hydrogen bonding and stacking of DNA. In the interaction between DNA and CRP-cAMP, there was a significant charge transfer (CT) from the DNA to CRP, and this CT interaction played an important role as well as the electrostatic interactions. It is necessary to apply a quantum mechanical approach beyond the "classical" force-field approach to describe the sequence specificity. In the DNA intramolecular interaction, the dispersion interactions dominated the stabilization of the base-pair stacking interactions. Strong, attractive 1,2-stacking interactions and weak, repulsive 1,3-stacking interactions were observed. Comparison of the intramolecular interactions of free and complexed DNA revealed that the base-pairing interactions were stronger, and the stacking interactions were weaker, in the complexed structure. Therefore, the DNA duplex stability appears to change due to both the electrostatic and the CT interactions that take place under conditions of DNA-CRP binding.     

Pyrene‐Bridged Boron Subphthalocyanine Dimers: Combination of Planar and Bowl‐Shaped π‐Conjugated Systems for Creating Uniquely Curved π‐Conjugated Systems

Pyrene‐bridged boron subphthalocyanine dimers were synthesized from a mixed‐condensation reaction of 2,7‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4,5,9,10‐tetracyanopyrene and tetrafluorophthalonitrile, and their syn and anti isomers arising from the result of connecting two bowl‐shaped boron subphthalocyanine molecules were successfully separated. Expansion of the conjugated system of boron subphthalocyanine through a pyrene bridge caused a redshift of the Q band absorption relative to the parent pyrene‐fused monomer, whereas combining the curved π‐conjugation of boron subphthalocyanine with the planar π‐conjugation of pyrene enabled facile embracement of C₆₀ molecules, owing to the enhanced concave–convex π–π stacking interactions.     

Enantioselective 1,4‐Addition Reaction of α,β‐Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids with Cycloalkanones Using Cooperative Chiral Amine–Boronic Acid Catalysts

An enantioselective 1,4‐addition of α,β‐unsaturated carboxylic acids with cycloalkanones has been developed by using chiral amine–boronic acid cooperative catalysts. In the presence of a chiral amine and boronic acid, cycloalkanones and carboxylic acids are activated as chiral enamines and mixed anhydrides, respectively. The corresponding 1,4‐adducts are obtained in high yield with high enantioselectivity. Furthermore, subsequent oxylactonization of the 1,4‐adducts gives spirolactones with high diastereoselectivity.     

Enantioselective 1,4-Addition Reaction of α,β-Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids with Cycloalkanones Using Cooperative Chiral Amine–Boronic Acid Catalysts

An enantioselective 1,4-addition of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids with cycloalkanones has been developed by using chiral amine–boronic acid cooperative catalysts. In the presence of a chiral amine and boronic acid, cycloalkanones and carboxylic acids are activated as chiral enamines and mixed anhydrides, respectively. The corresponding 1,4-adducts are obtained in high yield with high enantioselectivity. Furthermore, subsequent oxylactonization of the 1,4-adducts gives spirolactones with high diastereoselectivity.     

TTF-Annulated Silicon Phthalocyanine Oligomers and Their External-Stimuli-Responsive Orientational Ordering

Orientational control of functional molecules is essential to create complex functionalities as seen in nature; however, such artificial systems have remained challenge. Herein, we have succeeded in controlling rotational isomerism of μ-oxo silicon phthalocyanine (SiPc) oligomers to achieve an external-stimuli-responsive orientational ordering using intermolecular interactions of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF). In this system, three modes of orientations, free rotation, eclipsed conformation, and staggered conformation, were interconverted in response to the oxidation states of TTF, which varied interactions from association due to formation of mixed-valence TTF dimer to dissociation due to electrostatic repulsion between TTF dications. Furthermore, a stable performance of oligomers as a cathode material in a Li-ion battery proved that the one-dimensionally stacked, rotatable structure of SiPc oligomers is useful to control the orientation of functional molecules toward molecular electronics.     

An Electron-Accepting aza-BODIPY-Based Donor–Acceptor–Donor Architecture for Bright NIR Emission

A bright near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent molecule was developed based on the donor–acceptor–donor (D–A–D) approach using an aza-BODIPY analog called pyrrolopyrrole aza-BODIPY (PPAB) as an electron-accepting chromophore. Directly introducing electron-donating triphenylamine (TPA) to develop a D–A–D structure caused redshifts of absorption and emission of PPAB into the NIR region with an enhanced fluorescence brightness of up to 5.2×10⁴ m ⁻¹ cm⁻¹, whereas inserting a phenylene linker between the TPA donor and the PPAB acceptor induced solvatochromic behavior in emission. Transient absorption spectra and theoretical calculations revealed the presence of a highly emissive hybridized locally excited and charge-transfer state in the former case and the contribution of the dark charge-separated state to the excited state in the latter case. The bright D–A–D PPAB as a novel emitter resulted in a NIR electroluminescence with a high external quantum efficiency of 3.7 % and a low amplified spontaneous emission threshold of ca. 80 μJ cm⁻², indicating the high potential for NIR optoelectronic applications.     

Efficient Amide Bond Formation through a Rapid and Strong Activation of Carboxylic Acids in a Microflow Reactor

The development of highly efficient amide bond forming methods which are devoid of side reactions, including epimerization, is important, and such a method is described herein and is based on the concept of rapid and strong activation of carboxylic acids. Various carboxylic acids are rapidly (0.5 s) converted into highly active species, derived from the inexpensive and less‐toxic solid triphosgene, and then rapidly (4.3 s) reacted with various amines to afford the desired peptides in high yields (74 %–quant.) without significant epimerization (≤3 %). Our process can be carried out at ambient temperature, and only CO₂ and HCl salts of diisopropylethyl amine are generated. In the long history of peptide synthesis, a significant number of active coupling reagents have been abandoned because the highly active electrophilic species generated are usually susceptible to side reactions such as epimerization. The concept presented herein should renew interest in the use of these reagents.     

Wurster’s Blue‐type Cation Radicals Framed in a 5,10‐Dihydrobenzo[a]indolo[2,3‐c]carbazole (BIC) Skeleton: Dual Electrochromism with Drastic Changes in UV/Vis/NIR and Fluorescence

Electron‐donating dihydrobenzindolocarbazoles (BICs) 1 a – c , which adopt planar disk‐shaped geometries, were prepared by gold(I)‐catalyzed cyclization as a key step. Due to the presence of a 1,4‐phenylenediamine (PD) moiety in the framework, they undergo reversible one‐electron oxidation to the corresponding Wurster’s Blue (WB)‐type species that exhibits NIR absorptions up to λ=1200 nm. In the case of the N,N′‐dimethyl derivative, cation radical 1 c ^+. is stable enough to be isolated as a salt and X‐ray analysis indicated paraquinoid‐type bond alternation in the WB core unit, whereas the bond lengths in the peripheral benzene rings are identical to those in the neutral donor. Upon electrochemical interconversion, the redox pairs of 1 a – c and 1 a – c ^+. exhibited an electrochromic response in the UV/Vis/NIR region, which was accompanied by a drastic change in the fluorescence spectrum because only neutral donors 1 a – c are highly emissive (Φ_F: 0.7–0.8).