Rhodium-Catalyzed ortho-Bromination of O-Phenyl Carbamates Accelerated by a Secondary Amide-Pendant Cyclopentadienyl Ligand

It has been established that a newly developed cyclopentadienyl rhodium(III) [Cp^ARh^III] complex, bearing an acidic secondary amide moiety on the Cp ring, is able to catalyze the ortho-bromination of O-phenyl carbamates with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) at room temperature. The presence of the acidic secondary amide moiety on the Cp^A ligand accelerates the bromination by the hydrogen bond between the acidic NH group of the Cp^A ligand and the carbonyl group of NBS.     

Enhancement of Photocatalytic Activity for Hydrogen Production by Surface Modification of Pt-TiO2 Nanoparticles with a Double Layer of Photosensitizers

To investigate the effect of the surface structure of dye-sensitized photocatalyst nanoparticles, we prepared three types of Ru^II-photosensitizer (PS)-double-layered Pt-cocatalyst-loaded TiO₂ nanoparticles with different surface structures, Zr- RuCP⁶ -Zr- RuP⁶ @N wt %Pt-TiO₂, RuCP⁶ -Zr- RuP⁶ @N wt %Pt-TiO₂, and RuCP² -Zr- RuP⁶ @N wt %Pt-TiO₂ (N=0.2, 1, and 5), and evaluated their photocatalytic H₂ evolution activity in the presence of redox-reversible iodide as the electron donor. Although the driving force of the electron injection from I⁻ to the photo-oxidized Ru^III PS is comparable, the activity increased in the following order: RuCP² -Zr- RuP⁶ @1 wt %Pt-TiO₂ < RuCP⁶ -Zr- RuP⁶ @1 wt %Pt-TiO₂ < Zr- RuCP⁶ -Zr- RuP⁶ @1 wt %Pt-TiO₂. The apparent quantum yield of Zr- RuCP⁶ -Zr- RuP⁶ @1 wt %Pt-TiO₂ in the first hour reached 1 %. Zeta-potential measurements suggest that the surface Zr⁴⁺-phosphate groups attracted I⁻ anions to the nanoparticle–solution interface. Our results indicate that the surface modification of dye-sensitized photocatalysts is a promising approach to enhance photocatalytic activity with various redox mediators.     

Effects of graded porous structure on local strain distribution under compression in silicone rubber

Silicone rubber samples with gradually changing pore sizes within the range of 70–610 μm are produced using an improved spacer method. The samples are scanned using an X‐ray computed tomography to evaluate their graded structure as compared to uniform rubber. A compressive test reveals that graded porous silicone rubber has characteristic stress–strain curves whose slope changes within a specific strain range depending on the porous structure. Analysis results of local strain based on a digital image correlation of the graded porous silicone rubber under compression demonstrate that the characteristic stress–strain properties are caused by shifts in the main deformation region in the graded structure. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 1033–1042     

Formal [4+2] cycloaddition of 3-phenylcyclobutanones with nitriles

Various 3-phenylcyclobutanones reacted with aliphatic and aromatic nitriles in the presence of Me₃SiOTf to afford dihydropyridones by formal [4+2] cycloaddition.     

Single-Step N-Terminal Modification of Proteins via a Bio-Inspired Copper(II)-Mediated Aldol Reaction

The chemical modification of proteins is an effective technique for manipulating the properties and functions of proteins, and for creating protein-based materials. The N-terminus is a promising target for single-site modification that provides modified proteins with uniform structures and properties. In this paper, a copper(II)-mediated aldol reaction with 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde (2-PC) derivatives is proposed as an operationally simple method to selectively modify the N-terminus of peptides and proteins at room temperature and physiological pH. The copper(II) ion activates the N-terminal amino acids by complexation with an imine of the N-terminal amino acid and 2-PCs, realizing the selective formation of the nucleophilic intermediate at the N-terminus. This results in a stable carbon-carbon bond between the 2-PCs and the α-carbon of various N-terminal amino acids. The reaction is applied to four different proteins, including biopharmaceuticals such as filgrastim and trastuzumab. The modified trastuzumab retains the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 recognition activity.     

Identification and Purification of the CPD Photolyase in Vibrio parahaemolyticus RIMD2210633

Photoreactivation is an error‐free mechanism of DNA repair, utilized by prokaryotes and most eukaryotes and is catalyzed by specific enzymes called DNA photolyases. Photoreactivation has been reported in Vibrio parahaemolyticus WP28; however, information on photolyases in V. parahaemolyticus (V.p) strains has not been reported. This study examined the photoreactivation in V.p RIMD2210633. The photolyase responsible for repairing cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) in DNA was identified, and the corresponding gene was determined as VPA1471. The protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and was purified for functional assessment in vitro. The mRNA level and protein expression level of this gene increased after ultraviolet A (UVA) illumination following ultraviolet C (UVC) irradiation. In vitro experiments confirmed that the protein encoded by VPA1471 could reduce the quantity of CPD in DNA. We designated the corresponding gene and protein of VPA1471 phr and Phr, respectively, although the function of two other photolyase/cryptochrome family members, VPA0203 and VPA0204, remains unclear. UV (ultraviolet) irradiation experiments suggest that these two genes possess some photorepairing ability. Therefore, we hypothesize that VPA0203 and VPA0204 encode (6‐4) photolyase in V. parahaemolyticus RIMD2210633.     

Organosulfide‐Catalyzed Diboration of Terminal Alkynes under Light

An efficient metal‐free diboration of terminal alkynes is reported. In the presence of a catalytic amount of organosulfides under light, the addition of bis(pinacolato)diboron (B₂pin₂) to terminal alkynes takes place efficiently to produce the corresponding double borylation products in good yields. Mechanistic studies indicate that this metal‐free sulfide‐catalyzed diboration of alkynes likely occurs by generation of a boryl‐centered radical with the aid of light and a sulfide, since such a radical was detected in the reaction mixture by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The present form of catalysis (sulfide/light) is thought to be unprecedented and provides a new means of preparation for organoboranes without heavy metal contamination in the products, which is highly desired in the preparation of drugs and electronic materials.     

C‐Selective and Diastereoselective Alkyl Addition to β,γ‐Alkynyl‐α‐imino Esters with Zinc(II)ate Complexes

Since umpolung α‐imino esters contain three electrophilic centers, regioselective alkyl addition with traditional organometallic reagents has been a serious problem in the practical synthesis of versatile chiral α‐amino acid derivatives. An unusual C‐alkyl addition to α‐imino esters using a Grignard reagent (RMgX)‐derived zinc(II)ate was developed. Zinc(II)ate complexes consist of a Lewis acidic [MgX]⁺ moiety, a nucleophilic [R₃Zn]^? moiety, and 2 [MgX₂]. Therefore, the ionically separated [R₃Zn]^? selectively attacks the imino carbon atom ,which is most strongly activated by chelation of [MgX]⁺. In particular, chiral β,γ‐alkynyl‐α‐imino esters can strongly promote highly regio‐ and diastereoselective C‐alkylation because of structural considerations, and the corresponding optically active α‐quaternary amino acid derivatives are obtained within 5 minutes in high to excellent yields.