Polycationic‐Shelled Capsular and Tubular Nanostructures and Their Anionic–Guest Binding Properties

For the development of novel nanospace with unique electrostatic character, we prepared new capsular and tubular nanostructures by the quantitative assembly of metal ions and bent bisacridinium ligands. The capsule and tube have closed spherical and open cylindrical cavities, respectively, with diameters of around 1 nm surrounded by cationic polyaromatic panels. Thanks to the facile synthetic protocol (three steps), another polycationic capsule with an elliptical nanocavity was also prepared by using an elongated ligand. In spite of the absence of pendant hydrophilic groups, the spherical polyaromatic capsule shows sufficient water solubility due to the polycationic shell. Moreover, the highly cationic cavity (12+) can selectively encapsulate anionic organic compounds in water.     

Stereoselective Synthesis and Retentive Trapping of α‐Chiral Secondary Alkyllithiums Leading to Stereodefined α,β‐Dimethyl Carboxylic Esters

The treatment of α‐chiral secondary alkyl iodides with tBuLi at ?100 °C leads to the corresponding secondary alkyllithiums with high retention of configuration. Subsequent quenching with various electrophiles such as Bu₂S₂, DMF, MeOB(OR)₂, or Et₂CO provides the desired products with retention of configuration. Furthermore, a transmetalation with CuBr?P(OEt)₃ also allows retentive trapping with acid chlorides and ethylene oxide. The quenching of the resulting alkyllithiums with ClCO₂Et furnishes stereoselectively syn‐ and anti‐ethyl‐2,3‐dimethyl ester carboxylates (d.r.>94 %). Related esters bearing three adjacent stereo‐controlled centers (stereotriads) have also been prepared. This method has been applied to the synthesis of the ant pheromone (±)‐lasiol in 26 % overall yield (four steps) with d.r.=97:3 starting from commercially available cis‐2,3‐epoxybutane.     

Novel thermal reaction of Fischer carbene complexes with imines: synthesis of beta-methoxy allylic amine derivatives

[formula: see text] Alkyl-substituted chromium Fischer carbene complexes were found to react with various N-tosylimines to give beta-methoxy allylic amine derivatives under thermal conditions. This result is essentially distinct from the photochemical outcome in which beta-lactam derivatives are obtained.     

Structural study of self-assembled monolayers of ferrocenylalkanethiols on gold by angleresolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

An angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study has been performed on structures of self-assembling systems, viz ferrocenylthiols on a gold (111) crystal. The angular dependence of the intensities of photoemission reveals that ferrocenyl groups are on the outermost layer, separated from the gold substrate by hydrocarbon chains of the thiol groups.     

Mössbauer study of the fraction of non-bridging oxygens in potassium borate glasses

A Mössbauer study was performed to find the fraction of non-bridging oxygens in potassium borate glasses containing a small amount of iron. The borate glasses with alkali contents of 15, 20, 25, 30 and 40 mol% were irradiated with ⁶⁰Co-γ rays at room temperature in a nitrogen atmosphere. The Mössbauer absorption area for the irradiation-induced Fe²⁺ increased with the total γ-ray dose in the range of 1 × 10⁶ ?2 × 10⁸ R, and became constant after irradiation ranging from 2 × 10⁸ R ? 1 × 10⁹ R. The absorption area for the Fe²⁺ at the saturated region was correlated with the difference in the glass structure, i.e., the fraction of the non-bridging oxygens was estimated from the increased absorption area for the Fe²⁺ as a function of the alkali content of the glasses. The fraction of the non-bridging oxygen increased with the alkali content of the glasses in the alkali region above 20 mol%, and about 14% of the fraction was obtained for an alkali content of 40 mol%.     

Stereospecific photocyclization of α-bisulfenylated keto compounds. Cis-dihydrobenzothiophenes

Irradiation of α-bisulfenylated keto compounds in acetonitrile affords the cis-fused dihydrobenzothiophenes which are dehydrated to benzothiophenes in high yields.