Proton Order–Disorder Phenomena in a Hydrogen‐Bonded Rhodium–η5‐Semiquinone Complex: A Possible Dielectric Response Mechanism

A newly synthesized one‐dimensional (1D) hydrogen‐bonded (H‐bonded) rhodium(II)–η⁵‐semiquinone complex, [Cp*Rh(η⁵‐p‐HSQ‐Me₄)]PF₆ ([ 1 ]PF₆; Cp*=1,2,3,4,5‐pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; HSQ=semiquinone) exhibits a paraelectric–antiferroelectric second‐order phase transition at 237.1 K. Neutron and X‐ray crystal structure analyses reveal that the H‐bonded proton is disordered over two sites in the room‐temperature (RT) phase. The phase transition would arise from this proton disorder together with rotation or libration of the Cp* ring and PF₆^? ion. The relative permittivity ε_b′ along the H‐bonded chains reaches relatively high values (ca., 130) in the RT phase. The temperature dependence of ¹³C CP/MAS NMR spectra demonstrates that the proton is dynamically disordered in the RT phase and that the proton exchange has already occurred in the low‐temperature (LT) phase. Rate constants for the proton exchange are estimated to be 10^?4–10^?6 s in the temperature range of 240–270 K. DFT calculations predict that the protonation/deprotonation of [ 1 ]⁺ leads to interesting hapticity changes of the semiquinone ligand accompanied by reduction/oxidation by the π‐bonded rhodium fragment, producing the stable η⁶‐hydroquinone complex, [Cp*Rh³⁺(η⁶‐p‐H₂Q‐Me₄)]²⁺ ([ 2 ]²⁺), and η⁴‐benzoquinone complex, [Cp*Rh⁺(η⁴‐p‐BQ‐Me₄)] ([ 3 ]), respectively. Possible mechanisms leading to the dielectric response are discussed on the basis of the migration of the protonic solitons comprising of [ 2 ]²⁺ and [ 3 ], which would be generated in the H‐bonded chain.     

Ring-Opened Hemiporphyrazines: Helical Molecules Exhibiting Circularly Polarized Luminescence

We designed and synthesized a new type of small helical molecule exhibiting intense circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) ( 1_2H ) by modifying a 20π-electron hemiporphyrazine with a large transition magnetic dipole moment. The hemiporphyrazine ring was opened and one additional pyridine unit was introduced, resulting in an overlap of two pyridine rings. X-ray structure analysis confirmed that 1_2H and its zinc complex ( 1_Zn ) adopt a helical geometry. A racemic mixture of 1_Zn was resolved into two enantiomers ((P)- and (M)- 1_Zn ), which exhibited CPL with a high luminescence dissymmetry factor (g_lum) value of ±2.1×10⁻². The origin of the large g_lum value was rationalized by means of DFT calculations. Helical structures could be formed in a diastereoselective manner by covalently attaching chiral units to the skeleton ( 1’_2H and 1’_Zn ). 1_Zn was found to possess chiral recognition ability for amines.     

Control of Axial Chirality by Planar Chirality Based on Optically Active [2.2]Paracyclophane

Optically active X-shaped molecules based on the planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophane building block were prepared, in which di(methoxy)terphenyl units were stacked on the central benzene rings. At 25 °C, anisolyl rings freely rotate in solution, while in the crystal form, they are fixed by intramolecular CH–π interactions, thereby leading to the expression of the axial chirality, i.e., propeller chirality was exhibited by the planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophane moiety. The X-shaped molecule exhibited good circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) profiles with moderate Φ_PL and a large g_lum value in the order of 10⁻³ at 25 °C, in solution. In contrast, at −120 °C, dual CPL emission with opposite signs was observed. According to the theoretical studies, the rotary motion of the anisolyl units is suppressed in the excited states, and so emission from two isomers could be observed. These results demonstrate that the axial chirality was controlled by the planar chirality, leading ultimately to propeller chirality.     

CesA protein is included in the terminal complex of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acetobacter</Emphasis>

Cellulose is a major biopolymer on the earth that is produced by cellulose synthase in the cell membrane of living organisms. Cellulose synthase is a hetero-subunit complex composed of several different protein subunits, and is visualized as a supermolecular complex called a “terminal complex” by electron microscopy. Such supermolecular organization of an enzyme complex is believed to be important for the fiber formation or crystallization of cellulose microfibrils in cellulose biosynthesis. In the case of the cellulose-producing bacterium Acetobacter, it is hypothesized that the enzyme complex includes at least six subunits given its genetic constitution. However, to date, only three of these molecules have been experimentally confirmed as the subunits included in the terminal complex: CesB, CesD, and ccp2. In this study, we used fluorescence immuno-microscopy to show that CesA protein, the catalytic subunit, is included in the terminal complex of Acetobacter. Furthermore we discuss the obtained microscopic data for improving our understanding of the molecular organization of the bacterial cellulose synthase complex.     

Heterocyclic effect for optical properties of naphthoquinone-based pigment: 2-methyl-3-heteroarylthio-1,4-naphthalenedione

Three novel naphthoquinone-based heterocyclic pigments, 2-methyl-3-[(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)thio-1,4-naphthalenedione, (4-methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio-1,4-naphthalenedione, and (1-methyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl)thio]-1,4-naphthalenedione, are synthesized, and their optical properties in both solution and solid states are investigated. Depending on the heteroarylthio ring in the pigment, variation in optical properties is observed, e.g. characteristic colours for each pigment in the solution and solid states. The achiral pigment containing the 1-methyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl ring exhibits a chiral space group and a CD signal in the solid state.     

Cellulose-synthesizing machinery in bacteria

Cellulose - Cellulose is produced by all plants and a number of other organisms, including bacteria. The most representative cellulose-producing bacterial species is Gluconacetobacter xylinus, an...     

Synthetic Utilization of α-Phosphonovinyl Anions

The α-phosphonovinyl anions, generated in situ from treatment of β-hetero-substituted vinyl-phosphonates 1a-c with LDA (or LTMP), were trapped with various electrophiles such as chlorotriorganosilanes, chlorotrimethylgermane, chlorotriorganotins, dimethyl disulfide, and halogen to afford the corresponding β-hetero-substituted α-functionalized vinylphosphonates 2–14 in good to excellent yields. The Friedel-Crafts reaction of α-(silyl) or α-(germyl)phosphonoketene dithioacetals 2, 9 or 4 with acid chlorides gave α-acylated phosphonoketene dithioacetals 15–19 in 53–91 % yields. The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of β-ethoxy-α-(tributylstannyl)vinylphosphonate 13 with a variety of organic halides (R = acyl, allyl, aryl etc.) provided β-ethoxy-α-substituted vinylphosphonates 20–25 in good to moderate yields. The palladium-mediated cross-coupling reaction of α-(iodo)-vinyl-phosphonates 7, 14 with terminal acetylenes afforded α-alkynylated vinylphosphonates 26–29 in 69–83 % yields.     

Optical coupling characteristics of graded-index type photonic crystal fiber collimator depending on air hole diameter ratio to pitch

Optical Review - A graded-index type photonic crystal fiber (GI-PCF) has a graded effective index distribution that can be realized by an α-power air hole diameter distribution in radial...     

Monocyclic rod-type liquid crystals; 2,5-dialkanoyloxytropones and 5-alkanoyloxy-2-alkoxytropones

Two kinds of monocyclic troponoid mesogens, 2,5-dialkanoyloxytropones (4) and 5-alkanoyloxy2-alkoxytropones (5), were prepared. The former showed monotropic smectic A phases and the virtual isotropic liquid-smectic A transitions of the latter were determined by extrapolation of results in a binary phase diagram. Comparing the mesogenic properties between the tropones 4 and the 2-alkanoyloxy-5-alkoxytropones (1), the alkanoyloxy group at C-5 enhances both the melting points and the transition temperatures of the smectic A phases. From the comparison between 5 and 1, the alkanoyloxy group at C-2 lowers the melting points.     

Stability of symmetry breaking states in finite-size Dicke model with photon leakage

We investigate the finite-size Dicke model with photon leakage. It is shown that the symmetry breaking states, which are characterized by non-vanishing $〈\stackrel{?}{a}〉\ne 0$ and correspond to the ground states in the superradiant phase in the thermodynamic limit, are stable, while the eigenstates of the isolated finite-size Dicke Hamiltonian conserve parity symmetry. We introduce and analyze an effective master equation that describes the dynamics of a pair of the symmetry breaking states that are the degenerate lowest energy eigenstates in the superradiant region with photon leakage. It becomes clear that photon leakage is essential to stabilize the symmetry breaking states and to realize the superradiant phase without the thermodynamic limit. Our theoretical analysis provides an alternative interpretation using the finite-size model to explain results from cold atomic experiments showing superradiance with the symmetry breaking in an optical cavity.