Inner-shell excitation spectroscopy and fragmentation of small hydrogen-bonded clusters of formic acid after core excitations at the oxygen K edge

Inner-shell excitation spectra and fragmentation of small clusters of formic acid have been studied in the oxygen K-edge region by time-of-flight fragment mass spectroscopy. In addition to several fragment cations smaller than the parent molecule, we have identified the production of HCOOH.H+ and H3O+ cations characteristic of proton transfer reactions within the clusters. Cluster-specific excitation spectra have been generated by monitoring the partial ion yields of the product cations. Resonance transitions of O1s(C[double bond]O/OH) electrons into pi(CO)* orbital in the preedge region were found to shift in energy upon clusterization. A blueshift of the O1s(C[double bond]O)-->pi(CO)* transition by approximately 0.2 eV and a redshift of the O1s(OH)-->pi(CO)* by approximately 0.6 eV were observed, indicative of strong hydrogen-bond formation within the clusters. The results have been compared with a recent theoretical calculation, which supports the conclusion that the formic-acid clusters consist of the most stable cyclic dimer andor trimer units. Specifically labeled formic acid-d, HCOOD, was also used to examine the core-excited fragmentation mechanisms. These deuterium-labeled experiments showed that HDO+ was formed via site-specific migration of a formyl hydrogen within an individual molecule, and that HD2O+ was produced via the subsequent transfer of a deuterium atom from the hydroxyl group of a nearest-neighbor molecule within a cationic cluster. Deuteron (proton) transfer from the hydroxyl site of a hydrogen-bond partner was also found to take place, producing deuteronated HCOOD.D+ (protonated HCOOH.H+) cations within the clusters.     

Development of isomerization and cycloisomerization with use of a ruthenium hydride with N-heterocyclic carbene and its application to the synthesis of heterocycles

A pure ruthenium hydride complex with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand was efficiently generated from the reaction of a second-generation Grubbs ruthenium catalyst with vinyloxytrimethylsilane and unambiguously characterized. This ruthenium hydride complex showed high catalytic activity for the selective isomerization of terminal olefin and for the cycloisomerization of 1,6-dienes. These reactions of N-allyl-o-vinylaniline lead to novel synthetic methods for heterocycles such as indoles and 3-methylene-2,3-dihydroindoles, which are useful synthons for bioactive natural products. These procedures address an important issue in diversity-oriented synthesis.     

Design and synthesis of indole derivatives of adenophostin A. A entry into subtype-selective IP3 receptor ligands

Indole derivatives 3a and 3b of adenophostin A (2) in which the adenine of 2 was replaced with indole or 4-fluoroindole was designed as potential inositol trisphosphate receptor ligands. These target compounds were successfully synthesized from the key disaccharide unit 6. Biological evaluation showed that 3b selectively activates IP₃R1, a subtype of IP₃ receptors.     

Liquid structures of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and carbon dioxide mixtures by X-ray diffraction measurements

X-ray diffraction measurements for the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [BMIM][BF₄], mixed with CO₂ were carried out at high pressures using our developed polymer cell. The intermolecular distribution functions obtained for [BMIM][BF₄]–CO₂ mixtures showed that CO₂ molecules are preferentially solvated to the [BF₄]⁻ anion. The similar preferential solvation was previously observed in analogous 1-btuyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [BMIM][PF₆], with a different anion, which is in harmony with the present results in [BMIM][BF₄]–CO₂.     

Total syntheses of beta-carboline alkaloids, (R)-(-)-pyridindolol K1, (R)-(-)-pyridindolol K2, and (R)-(-)-pyridindolol.

The total syntheses of beta-carboline alkaloids, (R)-(-)-pyridindolols (1, 5, and 6) are described. The two key steps involved are (1) a thermal electrocyclic reaction of the 3-alkenylindole-2-aldoxime 10 and (2) a thermal cyclization of 3-alkynylindole-2-aldoxime 11 to construct the beta-carboline N-oxides 8, which upon heating with acetic anhydride and sequential treatment with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride gave the triflates 18. The Stille coupling reaction of 18 with vinylstannane, followed by cleavage of MOM ether, afforded the 1-ethenyl-3-hydroxymethyl-beta-carboline (7a). Subsequent acetylation of 7a yielded the acetate 7b, which was subjected to the Sharpless asymmetric 1,2-dihydroxylation by AD-mix-beta to produce (R)-(-)-pyridindolol K2 (6). Selective acetylation of 6 was effected by Ac(2)O and collidine to form (R)-(-)-pyridindolol K1 (5). By contrast, hydrolysis of 6 provided (R)-(-)-pyridindolol (1).     

Novel syntheses of murrayaquinone A and furostifoline through 4-oxygenated carbazoles by allene-mediated electrocyclic reactions starting from 2-chloroindole-3-carbaldehyde.

The formal total synthesis of murrayaquinone A (1) and the total synthesis of furostifoline (5) were completed by the construction of 4-oxygenated 3-methylcarbazoles 7 based on a new type of electrocyclic reaction through 2-alkenyl-3-allenylindole intermediates 8 derived from the 2-alkenyl-3-propargylindoles 9, starting from 2-chloroindole-3-carbaldehyde (11). The N,O-bisbenzyloxymethyl group of 16c and 22 underwent a Birch reduction followed by treatment with Triton B to produce the known 4-hydroxy-3-methylcarbazole (7a) and 4-hydroxy-3-methylfuro[3,2-a]carbazole (7b) as precursors of murrayaquinone A (1) and furostifoline (5), respectively. The trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy-3-methylfuro[3,2-alcarbazole (24), prepared from 7b, was subjected to reductive cleavage to provide furostifoline (5).     

Remarks on a Noncanonical Representation for a Stationary Gaussian Process

For a stationary centered Gaussian process, we construct a noncanonical representation which has an infinite-dimensional orthogonal complement that is nontrivial. The authors have already proposed a systematic method for the construction of noncanonical representation having a finite-dimensional orthogonal complement.     

Pressure effects on the inhomogeneities of environmentally sensitive polymer gels

The effects of pressure at gel preparation on the inhomogeneities were investigated by small-angle neutron scattering. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) gels, known as thermosensitive polymer gels undergoing volume transition, were prepared at various pressures ranging from 0.1 to 300 MPa. The scattering intensity increased with increasing P_prep, up to 200 MPa, then decreased by further increase in P_prep. The degree of inhomogeneities evaluated by the ratio of the static and dynamic correlators exhibited a similar behavior to that of the ensemble average light scattered intensity, <I>_E. The physical meaning of the gel inhomogeneities is discussed from the viewpoint of swelling thermodynamics. It will be shown that the increase in the swelling degree is due not to an increase in the miscibility of PNIPA with water but to the increase in inhomogeneities.     

Synthesis and Self-Association of Stimuli-Responsive Diblock Copolymers by Living Cationic Polymerization

The living cationic polymerization of several functional monomers in the presence of an added base is investigated as a possible preparation of a new series of water-soluble or stimuli-responsive copolymers. Under appropriate conditions, the polymerization allows the selective preparation of polymers with various shapes and different sequence distributions of monomer units, including stimuli-responsive block copolymers, gradient copolymers, poly(vinyl alcohol) graft copolymers, and star-shaped polymers. The stimuli-induced self-association of the diblock copolymers is also examined. An aqueous solution of the diblock copolymer with a thermo-sensitive segment undergoes rapid physical gelation upon warming to the critical temperature to give a transparent gel, and returns sensitively to the solution state upon cooling. The sharp transition of stimuli-responsive segments with highly controlled primary structure turns out to play an important role in the self-association. Small-angle neutron scattering, dynamic light scattering, and electron microscopy studies reveal that the physical gelation involves a thermosensitive micellization of diblock copolymers (core size: 18-20 nm) and subsequent micelle macrolattice formation (bcc symmetry). Based on the gelation mechanism, several stimuli-responsive gelation systems are achieved using other stimuli such as the addition of a selective solvent or compound, cooling, pH change, and irradiation with ultraviolet light.     

Melt drawing of ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene: Comparison of Ziegler‐ and metallocene‐catalyzed reactor powders

The drawing behavior of the ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW‐PE) melts has been studied by comparing the stress/strain curves for two types of samples as polymerized using conventional Ziegler and newer metallocene catalyst systems. Two UHMW‐PE samples, having the same viscosity average molecular weight of 3.3 × 10⁶, but different molecular weight distribution, have been drawn from melt at special conditions. The sample films for drawing were prepared by compression molding of reactor powders at 180°C in the melt. Differences in the structural changes during drawing and resultant properties, ascribable to their broad or narrow molecular weight distribution, were estimated from tensile tests, SEM observations, X‐ray measurements and thermal analyses. The metallocene‐catalyzed sample having narrower molecular weight distribution, could be effectively drawn from the melt up to a maximum draw ratio (DR) of 20, significantly lower than that obtained for the Ziegler‐catalyzed sample, ∼ 50. The stress/strain curves on drawing were remarkably influenced by draw conditions, including draw temperature and rate. However, the most effective draw for both was achieved at 150°C and a strain rate of 5 min⁻¹, independent of sample molecular weight distribution. The efficiency of drawing, as evaluated by the resultant tensile properties as a function of DR, was higher for the metallocene‐catalyzed sample having narrower molecular weight distribution. Nevertheless, the maximum achieved tensile modulus and strength for the Ziegler sample, 50–55 and 0.90 GPa, respectively, were significantly higher than those for the metallocene sample, 20 and 0.65 GPa, respectively, reflecting the markedly higher drawability for the former than the latter. The stress/strain behavior indicated that the origin of differences during drawing from the melt could be attributed to the ease of chain relaxation for the lower molecular weight chains in the melt. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1921–1930, 1999