The surface structure of sulfated zirconia: Studies of XPS and thermal analysis

Sulfated zirconias were prepared using two kinds of amorphous zirconia gels, XZO 631 and 632 supplied by MEL Chemicals, and their thermal gravimetrical analyses were carried out. DTG of the former sample showed two peaks based on decomposition of the sulfate species on the surface, the first peak at 680 °C and the second broad one centered at 850 °C. The latter sample indicated only broad peak at 850 °C in the range from 700 to >1000 °C. The first peak for the former sample was ascribed to the decomposition of Zr(SO₄)₂ remained on the surface, and the broad one at 700 to >1000 °C for the both samples was attributed to the catalytically active species. The acidic character of sulfated zirconia calcined at 1000 °C was examined in acid-catalyzed reactions of cumene, ethylbenzene, and butane together with the adsorption heat of Ar, showing a solid acid with acidity higher than that of silica-alumina. It was indicated from the XPS analysis that the S species are composed of SO₄²⁻. The results led to a structural model of the active surface to be polysulfate species containing mainly three or four S atoms with two ionic bonds of SOZr in addition to coordination bonds of SO with Zr, the active site being Lewis sites on the S atoms.     

Two-directional synthesis and stereochemical assignment toward a C2 symmetric oxasqualenoid (+)-intricatetraol

The asymmetric synthesis of tetraol (+)-3, a degradation product derived from a C2 symmetric oxasqualenoid intricatetraol 1, has been achieved through the two-directional synthesis starting from diol 7, realizing the further additional assignment of the incomplete stereostructure of 1, the stereochemistry of which is difficult to determine otherwise.     

Formal total synthesis of (-)-emetine using catalytic asymmetric allylation of cyclic imines as a key step

[reaction: see text] Catalytic asymmetric allylation of 3,4-dihydro-6,7-dimethoxyisoquinoline was carried out using allyltrimethoxysilane in the presence of Cu(I) and tol-BINAP. The allyl adduct thus obtained was transformed to a chiral synthetic intermediate for (-)-emetine in good yield. The procedure was applied to the total synthesis of ent-emetine.     

Stereoselective total synthesis of the proposed structure of 2-epibotcinolide

[Structure: see text] The total synthesis of pseudo 2-epibotcinolide (1b) through several featured synthetic approaches has been attained. First, the chiral linear precursors of the nine-membered ring compound is stereoselectively constructed by the asymmetric aldol reaction for producing beta-hydroxy ester units. Second, the key cyclization reaction to form the nine-membered lactone moiety is efficiently achieved by the extremely facile and powerful mixed-anhydride method promoted by 2-methyl-6-nitrobenzoic anhydride (MNBA) with basic promoters.     

Electrophoretic analysis of proteins and enantiomers using capillaries modified by a successive multiple ionic-polymer layer (SMIL) coating technique

The applicability of three-layer coatings consisting of three different polymers (A⁺-B⁻-C⁺ coating) prepared by a successive multiple ionic-polymer layer (SMIL) coating technique to the immobilization of polypeptides and/or proteins onto the inner surface of the capillaries was investigated to provide a high-performance separation medium for proteins and enantiomers in capillary electrophoresis (CE). To obtain a stable protein-coated capillary, high molecular mass poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) was employed as the first layer in the A⁺-B⁻-C⁺ coating, and then a cationic protein was immobilized as the third layer. Comparisons of analytical performances between the A⁺-B⁻-C⁺ coating and the conventional SMIL-coated (A⁺-B⁻-A⁺ coating) capillary were conducted. The CE separation of cationic proteins was successfully achieved with the prepared capillaries. In addition, the polypeptide- and protein-coated capillaries were applied to the chiral separation of a binaphthyl compound. It should be noted that the chiral separation efficiency was strongly dependent on the second anionic polymer layer of the coating. Effects of the interaction between oppositely charged ionic polymer layers on the separation efficiency are discussed.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of Al4Si2C5-homeotypic aluminum silicon oxycarbide, (Al6−xSix)(OyC5−y) (x∼0.8 and y∼1.6)

We have prepared a new layered oxycarbide, [Al_5.25(5)Si_0.75(5)][O_1.60(7)C_3.40(7)], by isothermal heating of (Al_4.4Si_0.6)(O_1.0C_3.0) at 2273 K near the carbon-carbon monoxide buffer. The crystal structure was characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The title compound is trigonal with space group R3?m (centrosymmetric), Z=3, and hexagonal cell dimensions a=0.32464(2) nm, c=4.00527(14) nm and V=0.36556(3) nm³. The atom ratios Al:Si were determined by EDX, and the initial structural model was derived by the direct methods. The final structural model showed the positional disordering of one of the three types of Al/Si sites. The reliability indices were R_wp=4.45% (S=1.30), R_p=3.48%, R_B=2.27% and R_F=1.25%. The crystal is composed of three types of domains with nearly the same fraction, one of which has the crystal structure of space group R3¯m. The crystal structure of the remaining two domains, which are related by pseudo-symmetry inversion, is noncentrosymmetric with space group R3m.     

Rhodium-catalyzed convenient synthesis of functionalized tetrahydronaphthalenes

Convenient as well as convergent synthesis of functionalized tetrahydronaphthalenes has been accomplished under mild reaction conditions by the cationic rhodium(I)/H₈-BINAP complex-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,7-octadiyne derivatives with functionalized monoynes. The effect of the diyne tether lengths was investigated, which revealed that 1,6-heptadiyne and 1,7-octadiyne exhibit higher reactivity than 1,8-nonadiyne. Mechanistic studies indicated that the present rhodium-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition proceeds through the rhodacyclopentadiene intermediate generated by oxidative coupling of a diyne with rhodium. On the other hand, in the reactions of diynes and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, the rhodacyclopentadiene intermediate generated by oxidative coupling of a diyne and a monoyne with rhodium would also be involved.     

Anti-biofouling properties of polymers with a carboxybetaine moiety

The resistance of random copolymers of BMA and CMB against biofouling was evaluated. The amount of proteins adsorbed onto the CMB copolymers was smaller than that onto other polymers (non-ionic polymers and copolymers of ordinary ionic monomers and BMA) and decreased with an increase in the content of CMB residues. Furthermore, there was a dramatic decrease in the number of cells (platelets and fibroblasts) that adhered to the CMB copolymers compared with that to other polymers. In contrast with this, CMB copolymers were slightly perturbative to both complement and coagulation systems. However, the overall results suggest that zwitterionic moieties are effective for making polymer materials biocompatible due to their excellent anti-biofouling property.     

A hidden local symmetry approach to rho-meson photoproduction

We study the photoproduction of r \rho -mesons in a model of hidden local symmetry. For this purpose, the r \rho -meson is introduced as a hidden-gauge boson in a non-linear sigma model. For charged r \rho -meson photoproduction, the model takes into account the r \rho -meson magnetic moments from the three-point vertex in the kinetic terms. We show that the magnetic interaction of the charged r \rho -meson has a significant effect on the total cross-sections through the r \rho -meson exchange process, which is proportional to the energy of the photon. The t -channel dominance may be used for the study of structures of various unstable particles.