Apparent horizons of time-symmetric initial value for three black holes

The apparent horizon of three black holes on a time-symmetric space-like hypersurface is examined. The area is computed for various values of separation parameters. Using Hawking's mass formula, we found that the maximum possible efficiency of energy release is no more than 8.44 × 10^-3 when the initial apparent horizon encloses three black holes.     

The first total synthesis of prianosin B

The first asymmetric total synthesis of prianosin B (1) is described. Formation of the 16,17-dehydropyrroloiminoquinone skeleton from the pyrroloiminoquinone unit is a key step in this synthesis. Thus, the detosylation and dehydrogenation reactions of the pyrroloiminoquinone unit are caused by the presence of a catalytic amount of NaN₃.     

Raman spectroscopy shows interchain through space charge delocalization in a mixed valence oligothiophene cation and in its pi-dimeric biradicaloid dication

The vibrational Raman spectra of a decathiophene are provided in three relevant oxidations states: for the radical cation, its class III mixed valence system and its "frozen, -170 degrees C" class II MV analogue; for the dication, its singlet biradical pi-dimer and its "hot, +70 degrees C" magnetically active triplet excited state. Everything is compatible with interpentathiophene charge delocalization occurring at distances of 4-5 A similar to those found in the crystals of pi-stacked oligothiophenes. This stresses the interest of this spectroscopic tool for the analyses of electronic processes in crystals or in thin films of conjugated organic molecules.     

Liquid structure of room-temperature ionic liquid, 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis-(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide

The liquid structure of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis-(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (EMI(+)TFSI(-)) has been studied by means of large-angle X-ray scattering (LAXS), (1)H, (13)C, and (19)F NMR, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. LAXS measurements show that the ionic liquid is highly structured with intermolecular interactions at around 6, 9, and 15 A. The intermolecular interactions at around 6, 9, and 15 A are ascribed, on the basis of the MD simulation, to the nearest neighbor EMI(+)...TFSI(-) interaction, the EMI(+)...EMI(+) and TFSI(-)...TFSI(-) interactions, and the second neighbor EMI+...TFSI(-) interaction, respectively. The ionic liquid involves two conformers, C(1) (cis) and C(2) (trans), for TFSI(-), and two conformers, planar cis and nonplanar staggered, for EMI(+), and thus the system involves four types of the EMI(+)...TFSI(-) interactions in the liquid state by taking into account the conformers. However, the EMI(+)...TFSI(-) interaction is not largely different for all combinations of the conformers. The same applies alsoto the EMI(+)...EMI(+) and TFSI(-)...TFSI(-) interactions. It is suggested from the 13C NMR that the imidazolium C(2) proton of EMI(+) strongly interacts with the O atom of the -SO(2)(CF(3)) group of TFSI(-). The interaction is not ascribed to hydrogen-bonding, according to the MD simulation. It is shown that the liquid structure is significantly different from the layered crystal structure that involves only the nonplanar staggered EMI(+) and C(1) TFSI(-) conformers.     

Analysis of optical time domain demultiplexer using microring resonators

A time domain optical demultiplexer using electrooptic microring resonator is proposed. The switching window with pico-second order width is generated by using a sinusoidal electrical control voltage to shift the refractive index of the material. The modulation characteristics and switching window of the microring resonator are studied. The dependences of the width and extinction ratio of the switching window on the control voltage are analyzed. The demultiplexing performance of a 40–10 Gbps system is evaluated by numerical simulation technology. Results show that switching windows with required width and extinction ratio can be generated.     

Efficient synthesis of optically active α-substituted glutamate analogs possessing α-hydroxymethyl and α-alkoxymethyl groups

Highly enantioselective synthesis of (2R)-α-(hydroxymethyl)glutamate (1), a selective agonist of mGluR2 and 3, was achieved in short steps using an asymmetric version of the Strecker synthesis. This was converted into its α-methoxymethyl- and α-benzyloxymethyl derivatives 2 and 3, possible ligands as tools to investigate glutamate receptors, via protection of the sterically hindered amino group by means of phase transfer catalyst.     

Highly regioselective nucleophilic carbon-carbon bond formation on furans and thiophenes initiated by pummerer-type reaction

[reaction: see text] The reactions of (phenylsulfinyl)furans or -thiophenes with carbon nucleophiles in the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride allowed the nucleophilic installation of carbon functional groups on the furan and thiophene nuclei with complete regioselectivity.     

The synthetic and biological studies of discorhabdins and related compounds

Various analogues of the marine alkaloids, discorhabdins, have been synthesized. The strategy contains spirocyclization with phenyliodine(III) bis(trifluoroacetate) (PIFA), oxidative fragmentation of the β-amino alcohols with the hypervalent iodine reagent C(6)F(5)I(OCOCF(3))(2), the detosylation and dehydrogenation reaction of the pyrroloiminoquinone unit in the presence of a catalytic amount of NaN(3) and the bridged ether synthesis with HBr-AcOH as the key reactions. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated by in vitro MTT assay for cytotoxic activity against the human colon cancer cell line HCT-116. Furthermore, the discorhabdin A oxa analogues were also evaluated against four kinds of tumor model cells, a human colon cancer cell line (WiDr), a human prostate cancer cell line (DU-145) and murine leukemia cell lines (P388 and L1210). For the identification of the target, discorhabdin A and the discorhabdin A oxa analogue were evaluated by an HCC panel assay. In the test, discorhabdins could have a novel mode of action with the tumor cells.