Experimental study for adsorption and photocatalytic reaction of ethyl methylphosphonate molecule as organophosphorus compound adsorbed at surface of titanium dioxide under UV irradiation in ambient condition

The adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of Ethyl methylphosphonate (EMPA) on powdery TiO₂ film has experimentally investigated using attenuated total reflection-infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) in ambient condition. Characteristic IR frequency as P-O-C vibration mode as EtO was observed by EMPA adsorbed at the surface of TiO₂. By TiO₂ photocatalysis, the adsorbed EMPA was decomposed to methyl phosphonic acid and phosphoric acid. The increment of IR intensity of which is assigned to Ti–O-P-O-Ti of EMPA was accompanied with increasing the IR peak intensity assigned to MPA. About that, we suggest that the appearance of the Ti–O-P-O-Ti of EMPA by the TiO₂ photocatalysis is regarded as acceleration of the hydrolysis of EMPA by the surface OH groups of TiO₂. The plausible adsorption structure and the photocatalytic reaction mechanism of EMPA at the surface of TiO₂ photocatalyst were elucidated.

     

Mode of complement activation by acidic heteroglycans from the leaves of Artemisia princeps PAMP.

The mode of action of the anti-complementary acidic heteroglycans, AAF-IIb-2 and IIb-3 which consisted of rhamnogalacturonan core and arabinogalactan moieties, purified from the leaves of Artemisia princeps PAMP (Japanese name = Gaiyo) were investigated. The anti-complementary activities of AAF-IIb-2 and IIb-3 were reduced partially in the absence of Ca2+ ions. A marked consumption of C4 was observed to have occurred when serum was incubated with both polysaccharides in the presence of Ca2+ ions. AAF-IIb-2 showed more potent C4 consumption than IIb-3. After the incubation of the serum with AAF-IIb-2 in the absence of Ca2+ ions, a cleavage of C3 in the serum was detected by immunoelectrophoresis. AAF-IIb-2 showed more significant consumption of the complement than IIb-3 when rabbit erythrocytes were used in the assay system in the absence of Ca2+ ions. These results indicate that AAF-IIb-2 activates the complement via both the alternative and classical pathways, whereas IIb-3 mainly activates the complement via the classical pathway. The absorption of serum with Protein A-Sepharose results in a decrease of the activity of AAF-IIb-2 and IIb-3. However, the decrease of the activity was restored by the replacement of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) fraction after its recovery from the Protein A-Sepharose. These results suggest that IgG dependent mechanisms are both involved in the anti-complementary activity of AAF-IIb-2 and IIb-3.     

Chiral discrimination of a helically organized crown ether array parallel to the helix axis of polyisocyanate

The asymmetric polymerization of 4′‐isocyanatobenzo‐18‐crown‐6 with the lithium amide of (S)‐(2‐methoxymethyl)pyrrolidine successfully proceeded to afford end‐functionalized poly(4′‐isocyanatobenzo‐18‐crown‐6) with (S)‐(2‐methoxymethyl)pyrrolidine (polymer 2 ). In the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of 2 , a clear positive Cotton effect was observed in the range of 240–350 nm corresponding to the absorption of the polymer backbone, indicating that 2 partially formed a one‐handed helical structure, which was preserved by the chirality of (S)‐(2‐methoxymethyl)pyrrolidine bonding to the terminal end in 2 . In the titration experiments for the CD intensity of 2 in the presence of D ‐ and L ‐Phe·HClO₄ (where Phe is phenylalanine), a small but remarkable difference was observed in the amount of the chiral guest needed for saturation of the CD intensity and in the saturated CD intensity, indicating that the extremely stable, one‐handed helical part should exist in the main chain of 2 , which was not inverted even when the unfavorable chiral guest for the predominant helical sense, L ‐Phe·HClO₄, was added. In addition, helical polymer 2 exhibited a chiral discrimination ability toward racemic guests; that is, the guests were extracted from the aqueous phase into the organic phase with enantiomeric excess. The driving force of the chiral discrimination ability of 2 should certainly be attributed to the one‐handed helical structure in 2 . © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 325–334, 2006     

An efficient synthesis of 5-diethoxymethylimidazole-4-carboxylate,a potential precursor for various imidazole derivatives

Anionic cycloaddition of methyl isocyanoacetate to diethoxyacetonitrile afforded methyl 5-diethoxymethylimidazole-4-carboxylate, a useful imidazole nucleus with two different functional groups.     

New labdane-type diterpenoids from Leonurus heterophyllus SW

Five new natural labdane-type diterpenoids (5-9), designated leoheteronins A-E, together with four known diterpenoids (1-4), two phytosterols as a mixture of beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol, and the flavone genkwanin (10) were isolated from the aerial parts of Leonurus heterophyllus SW. (Lamiaceae) collected in northern Vietnam. Compound 1 was isolated for the first time from a Leonurus species, and 10 is considered to be a chemotaxonomic marker of the Leonurus genus. Their structures were determined using spectroscopic analyses.     

Efficient oxidative dimerization of 1-naphthols to 2,2-binaphthyls with dioxygen mediated by semiconductors

A novel and efficient oxidative dimerization of 1-naphthols 1 with dioxygen in the presence of several semiconductors including SnO₂, ZrO₂, and activated charcoal as catalytic mediators took place selectively to give the corresponding 2,2^′-binaphthols 2 or 2,2^′-binaphthyl-1,1^′-quinones 3 in excellent yields without light irradiation. Among these semiconductors, the catalytic activity of SnO₂ could be fully restored by appropriate reactivation treatment after oxidation. The products 2 and 3 should be useful as synthetic intermediates for natural binaphthyls.     

Staphylionosides A-K: megastigmane glucosides from the leaves of Staphylea bumalda DC

Chemical investigation of leaves of Staphylea bumalda DC., collected in the suburbs of Hiroshima City, afforded 11 new megastigmane glucosides, named staphylionosides A-K (3-13), along with two known megastigmane glucosides (1, 2). The relative structures were elucidated from spectroscopic evidence, and the absolute structures of the aglycones were determined by means of the combination of beta-D-glucosylation-induced shift-trends and the modified Mosher's method.     

Platanionosides D-J: megastigmane glycosides from the leaves of Alangium platanifolium (Sieb. et Zucc.) Harms var. platanifolium Sieb. et Zucc

From the leaves of Alangium paltanifolium var. platanifolium, collected in Fukuoka Prefecture, twelve further megastigmane glycosides were isolated. Seven of them, named platanionosides D-J (1-7), were found to be new compounds. Their structures were elucidated from spectroscopic evidence and their absolute structures were determined from beta-D-glucosylation-induced shift trends of 13C-NMR and by application of a modified Mosher's method.