Four-mirror imaging system (magnification +1/5) for ArF excimer laser lithography

Research was conducted on the axially symmetric four-mirror system (magnification +1/5) for use in optical lithography using an ArF excimer laser beam. The initial design is derived from an extensive numerical calculation that makes the sum of the third-order aberration coefficients very small _j=I ^V |S _j |<10_-6. Using an optimization method (damped least-squares method) the finite aberrations are reduced; then, to obtain the diffraction-limited performance, three surfaces are aspherized. The final system has NA=0.38 for the ArF excimer laser line (=0.193 m) and depth of focus of 1.2 m over a 2.6×2.6 cm² object field. Nearly all rays fall within the Airy disk in the image plane. The resolution is 540 cycles mm^-1 at MTF=0.5 level for axial object point. We consider that the present four-mirror system may be further refined for use in soft x-ray lithography.     

Supramolecular reactor in an aqueous environment: aromatic cross Suzuki coupling reaction at room temperature

[reaction: see text] We have investigated supramolecular reactors for the Suzuki coupling reactions of aryl halides with phenyl boronic acids by using self-assembly of amphiphilic rod-coil molecules in aqueous solution at room temperature. All the rod-coil molecules synthesized in this work showed to self-assemble into discrete micelles consisting of aromatic rod bundles encapsulated by hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) coils. We present a comparative study of rod-coil molecules' efficiency as supramolecular reactors for Suzuki coupling reaction. The closed-packed aromatic bundles play an efficient role in supramolecular reactors for the coupling reactions at room temperature. The supramolecular reactor based on hexa-p-phenylene confers unprecedented activity, allowing reactions to be performed at very low catalyst levels, without conventional heating or microwave.     

Inactivation of the carbamoyltransferase gene refines post-polyketide synthase modification steps in the biosynthesis of the antitumor agent geldanamycin

The post-polyketide synthase modification of geldanamycin (1) biosynthesis is of interest as a means of introducing structural diversity into the compound. From the inactivation of a gene encoding carbamoyltransferase, we demonstrated that the C-17 hydroxylation and the C-21 oxidation precede O-carbamoylation and that the hypothetical progeldanamycin does not possess a double bond at C-4 and C-5. More importantly, our result revealed new intermediates 4,5-dihydro-7-O-descarbamoyl-7-hydroxygeldanamycin (3) and 4,5-dihydrogeldanamycin (5), indicating that O-carbamoylation occurs prior to the C-4,5 cis double bond formation in geldanamycin biosynthesis.     

Three-dimensional helical coordination networks of a hexanuclear manganese metallamacrocycle as a helical tecton

We report on helical coordination networks that were prepared using a hexanuclear manganese metallamacrocycle as a helical tecton. We were able to prepare the three-dimensional helical coordination networks using a hexanuclear manganese metallamacrocycle, [Mn(6)(lshz)(6)], as a helical tecton, where N-lauroyl salicylhydrazide (H(3)lshz) was used as the primary building unit to generate the helical tecton as a secondary building unit. While the 4(1)/4(3) screw symmetry-linked helical coordination network was obtained when the primary building units had an N-acetyl group, both the 3(1)/3(2) screw symmetry-linked and the 4(1)/4(3) screw symmetry-linked helical coordination networks were obtained simultaneously in the same batch when the primary building unit had a long alkyl N-lauroyl group at the N-acetyl site.     

Synthesis of new thiazolium betaines and the ring expansion reaction via 1,4-dipolar cycloaddition

The 1,4-dipolar cycloaddition of 3-phenyl-7-[N-pheny(carbamoyl)]-5,6-dihydroimidazo[2,1-b]thia-zolium betaine (7d) with a series of aliphatic alkylating agents such as ethyl bromoacetate, α-chloroacetone, and ethyl 4-chloroacetoacetate gave a variety of new ring-expanded cycloadducts 10a-c instead of ring transformation compounds 9 . This result was derived from the difference of reactivity between N- and S-alkylations of thiazolium betaines 7a,d. The advantage of our method is to prepare the triheterocyclic compounds 10a-c of complicated structure using reactive thiazolium betaine 7d in a one-pot without isolation of intermediates. Treatment of N-bridged thiazolo compounds 1a-c with benzoyl isothiocyanate led to new thiazolium betaines 2a-c , which were reacted with methyl iodide to afford the S-alkylated quarternary ammonium salts 3a-c. Synthesis of new 2-iminothiazolinium betaines 5a,b also was carried out.     

New synthetic route for preparing rattle-type silica particles with metal cores

Rattle-type silica particles with metal cores, applicable to catalysts and metal/inorganic composite coating materials, were prepared by the pre-shell/post-core method that can control the size of metal cores inside silica capsules and exchange from metal cores into different ones with a metal displacement reaction.     

Self-aggregates of hydrophobically modified poly(2-hydroxyethyl aspartamide) in aqueous solution

Dehydrocholic acid (DHA) grafted poly(2-hydroxyethyl aspartamide) (PHEA)s were successfully synthesized and their self-aggregates in aqueous solution were characterized by fluorescence spectra and light scattering. PHEA was obtained by a simple reaction of ethanolamine with synthesized poly(succinimide) (PSI), and then PHEA-g-DHA was synthesized through an ester linkage between DHA and PHEA. The degree of substitution (DS) of DHA groups, defined by grafted mole%, was determined from both ¹H-NMR and elemental analysis. The grafting reaction of DHA was retarded up to almost 10 mole% feed ratio of DHA/PHEA, but increased linearly above the threshold ratio. Nano-size self-aggregates in aqueous solution were examined with four DSs less than 10. As DS increased, the critical aggregation concentrations (CAC) of polymers were continuously reduced and the size of primary aggregates reduced to as small as 40 nm in diameter. When stored, the sonicated aggregates of high DS were destabilized, apparently forming large aggregates with small curvatures. The formation of irreversible interfused secondary structures would be induced by the curvature change or aggregation of primary particles. A simple calculation indicates that a small change of separation between grafted DHA groups may induce the large curvature shift, in fact, sphere-to-planar surface transition.