Synthesis of polyethers containing viologen moiety and their application to electron-transfer catalyst

Polyethers containing viologen moieties were prepared by the reaction of tosylated polyethers with bipyridine. Viologen moieties of these polymers having ? ((CH₂)₂? O? )_n ? chains were reduced into the cation radicals by sodium dithionite in dichloromethane, methanol, and benzene. The reduction of vicinal dibromide, ethyl 2,3-dibromo-3-phenylpropionate using these polymers as electron-transfer catalyst (ETC) was performed in dichloromethane to obtain ethyl cinnamate in good yield.     

Electron transfer rates and Franck–Condon factors: an application to the early electron transfer steps in photosynthetic reaction centers

Mechanistic aspects of some of the early electron transfer steps occurring in photosynthetic reaction centers are discussed. Starting from the normal modes of the redox cofactors involved in the electron transfer processes, we show how a series of quantities which regulate electron transfer rates, such as (i) the electron transfer active modes, (ii) the intramolecular reorganization energy, and (iii) the mutual couplings between the vibronic states of the donor and the acceptor, can be obtained and used to draw qualitative conclusions on ET rates.     

Preparation of a polymeric membrane with lipoamide structure and its application to electron transport across membrane

A lipoamide (LAm) structure was introduced into a polymeric membrane by chemical modification of poly(γ-methyl-D -glutamate) (PMG). A. redox reaction proceeded across the membrane mediated by pendant LAm groups as solid carriers. It is suggested that the electron transport process in the membrane is derived from the exchange reaction between reduced LAm (thiol) and LAm (disulfide).     

The new theory of electron transfer: application to the photosynthetic reaction centre

Based on recent developments in the theory of electron transfer, we prove that a non-polar environment is needed to maintain the high efficiency and chemical integrity of the photosynthetic reaction centre. We also determine the Gibbs energy diagram for the primary act of charge separation in photosynthesis, and propose an equivalent circuit that captures the principal features of the entire acceptor side of the electron transport chain in photosystem II.     

Preparation of a polymeric membrane crosslinked by the viologen structure from a cyanopyridinium salt polymer

The polymeric membrane crosslinked by a viologen structure was prepared by the reduction of the homopolymer with a pendant cyanopyridinium structure, poly(1-vinylbenzyl-4-cyanopyridinium perchlorate), chemically or electrochemically. The homopolymer in the state of membrane was reduced chemically by aqueous sodium dithionite (Na₂S₂O₄) to obtain the polymer containing viologen group (64 mol%) despite a heteogeneous reaction. When the membrane was reduced electrochemically, the resulting viologen moiety in the membrane showed reversible one- and two-electron redox behavior.     

Anion exchange membrane with viologen moiety as anion exchange groups and generation of photo-induced electrical potential from the membrane

An anion exchange membrane with a viologen moiety was prepared by the reaction of a film of chloromethylated polysulfone and 4,4′-bipyridine. The anion exchange membrane showed a high electrical resistance and a high transport number of anions due to the development of high crosslinking by the diamine. After the membrane had been swollen with ethylene glycol, photo-voltage and photo-current (82 mV, 410 nA at 200 kΩ load, 160 μm thick membrane) were generated from the membrane upon photo-irradiation.     

Electron correlation theories and their application to the study of simple reaction potential surfaces

This paper serves two purposes. The first is to describe an implementation of the coupled cluster theory with double substitutions (CCD ) previously developed by Cizek. The second is to apply this method and closely related fourth-order perturbation methods to some simple molecules and reaction potential surfaces. These studies show that CCD theory gives results close to those of a Møller-Plesset perturbation treatment to fourth order in the space of double and quadruple substitutions MP 4(DQ). Addition of contributions from single substitutions at fourth order makes little change in predicted relative energies. Preliminary results on the potential surfaces for 1,2-hydrogen shifts in C₂H₂, HCN, CH₂O, and N₂H₂ are discussed and compared with previous studies.     

A strategy to determine the transition state of an electron transfer reaction

We suggest that the electron involved in an electron transfer reaction be represented as a wavepacket expanded in a limited basis set of appropriate functions. Saddle point optimization to determine the transition state involves moving the center of gravity of the wavepacket together with the atoms of the molecular framework.     

Competitive photoinduced electron transfer by the complex formation of porphyrin with cyclodextrin bearing viologen

Photoinduced electron transfer between a porphyrin and a new guest cyclodextrin bearing viologen occurs by a supramolecular formation with conformational change of a guest molecule.     

Ligand-receptor interactions between surfaces: the role of binary polymer spacers

The interactions between a receptor-modified planar surface and a surface grafted with a bimodal polymer layer, where one of the polymer species is ligand functionalized, are studied using a molecular theory. The effects of changing the binding energy of the ligand-receptor pair, the polymer surface coverage, the composition, and molecular weight of both the unfunctionalized and ligand functionalized polymers on the interactions between the surfaces are investigated. Our findings show that bridging exists between the surfaces including when the molecular weight of the ligand-bearing polymer is smaller than that of the unfunctionalized polymer, even though the ligand is initially buried within the polymer layer. The distance at which the surfaces bind depends only on the molecular weight of the ligand-modified polymer, while the strength of the interaction at a given surface separation can be tuned by changing the molecular weight of the polymers, the total polymer surface coverage, and the fraction of ligated polymers. The composition of the bimodal layer alters the structure of the polymer layer, thereby influencing the strength of the steric repulsions between the surfaces. Our theoretical results show good agreement with experimental data. The present theoretical study can be used as guidelines for the design of surfaces with tailored abilities for tunning the binding strength and surface-ligand separation distances for polymer-grafted surfaces bearing specific targeting ligands.     

Preparation of peptides and active esters by a hydrolysis-dehydration reaction with phosphonites,and the application of the reaction to polymer synthesis

Dehydration reactions accompanied by hydrolysis of the condensation reagent itself, generalized as “hydrolysis-dehydration,” are seen in the formation of amides and esters using phosphites. The proposed concept was shown to be applicable also to the reactions with other phosphorus compounds, such as phosphinites, phosphonites and phosphonates. Aryl esters of these phosphorus compounds were effective for producing amides and esters, whereas alkyl esters were ineffective. Several peptides and active esters of amino acids were prepared using diphenyl phosphonites in the presence of tertiary amines and extended to the preparation of polypeptides and polyamides. Linear polypeptides and high molecular weight polyamides were obtained by means of diphenyl ethylphosphonite in N-methylpyrrolidone containing pyridine.     

Preparation of pyrenebutyric acid-modified magnesia-zirconia stationary phases using phosphonate as spacers and their application to the separation of fullerenes

A novel method was proposed for the preparation of pyrenebutyric acid-modified magnesia-zirconia stationary phases. Pyrenebutyric acid was grafted to magnesia-zirconia composites with different pore sizes via the sodium salt of cis-(3-methyloxiranyl)phosphonic acid (fosfomycin) as spacers. Aminated fosfomycin was first absorbed onto the surface of magnesia-zirconia composites during the preliminary step to provide amino and hydroxy reactive sites. And then the pyrenebutyric acid was covalently attached to the amine or hydroxyl groups via amide or ester bonds. The resulting stationary phases were characterized by elemental analysis, diffused reflectance FT-IR, nitrogen adsorption analysis and ¹³C solid state NMR spectra. The HPLC separation of fullerenes on the new stationary phases with different pore sizes was also investigated. The chromatographic performance showed a dependence on the pore size of the magnesia-zirconia matrix. Little retention of fullerenes was observed on the stationary phase with pore sizes about 4.5 nm. However, on the modified magnesia-zirconia with pore sizes about 10 nm, selectivity factors (α) for C₇₀/C₆₀ separation were determined to be 1.76, 2.29, 2.41, 3.10, with carbon disulfide, chlorobenzene, xylene and toluene as mobile phases, respectively. And the high solubility of fullerenes in these solvents dramatically increased the overall potential with regard to preparative fullerene purification. Among the reported stationary phases with pyrene ligands, the pyrenebutyric acid-modified magnesia-zirconia (PYB-F-(ZrO₂-MgO)) with larger pore sizes exhibited the best selectivity for fullerenes. The thermodynamic and kinetic behavior of fullerenes was also examined.     

Preparation of nanocomposites consisting of an epoxyamine polymer matrix with silver nanoparticles

A promising method is presented for the preparation of polymer composites in situ containing stabilized silver nanoparticles without the use of additional reducing systems. The effects of functionality and the structure of the epoxyamine polymer matrices on their capacity to reduce silver ions and stabilize growing silver nanoparticles were evaluated.     

Electron transfer activation of the Diels-Alder reaction: Quantitative relationship to charge transfer excited states

The Diels-Alder cycloaddition of anthracene to tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) is quantitatively compared to alkylmetal insertion under the same reaction conditions. In both systems, the observation of transient charge transfer (CT) absorption bands is related to the presence of 1:1 electron donor-acceptor complexes of anthracene (Ar) and alkylmetal (RM) donors with the TCNE acceptor. The activation free energies ΔG3 for anthracene cycloaddition and alkylmetal insertion are found to be equal to the energies of ion-pair formation, i.e. [Ar⁺TCNE^?] and RM⁺TCNE^?], which are evaluated from the CT transition energies hν_CT. Indeed, the differences in the rates of alkylmetal insertion and anthracene cycloaddition by a factor of more than 10⁹, are shown quantitatively to arise from the differences in ion-pair solvation ΔG^s. The same differences in ΔG^s also apply quantitatively to the free ions, [Ar⁺] and [RM⁺], independently derived from the electrochemical and iron(III) oxidations of alkylmetals and aromatic compounds, respectively, by outer- sphere electron transfer. The charge transfer formulation of the activation process but provides a unifying basis for comparing such diverse processes as Diels-Alder cycloadditions and organometal cleavages, when a common electron-deficient acceptor is employed. The relationship to the concerted mechanisms of the Diels-Alder reaction is discussed.     

Fast electron transfer between glucose oxidase and electrodes via phenothiazine mediators with poly(ethylene oxide) spacers attached to the enzyme surface

A series of glucose oxidase hybrids capable of a direct electrical communication with electrodes is synthesized by covalently bonding phenothiazine mediators to surface lysine residues via poly(ethylene oxide) spacers with different lengths. The hybrid with the optimum length of spacer chain exhibits the fast electron transfer between the redox center of enzyme and electrodes. This fast electron transfer in the hybrids realizes a large catalytic current comparable to that for the corresponding freely diffusing mediator systems.     

Electron transfer function of kerateine gel and conjugated redox reaction by using the kerateine-immobilized membrane

Kerateine gel, prepared by reducing wool keratin with alkaline 2-mercaptoethanol-urea solution and by partially reoxidizing the dissolved kerateine, reduced iron(III) to iron(II). Reduction of iron(III) was enhanced by addition of copper(II). Reduction of methylene blue (MB) to leuco MB with thioglycollic acid (TGA) as a model compound of wool thiol group was investigated in the presence of copper(II) and intercuticular cementing material (δ_Cu) extracted from wool fiber. It is confirmed that copper(II) is a catalyst for the reduction of MB and the δ_Cu containing copper ion acts as a carrier for electron transfer. Some kerateine/δ_Cu-immobilized hydrophilic polyurethane membranes were prepared. A conjugated redox reaction combining the reduction of MB and the oxidation of TGA was carried out across these membranes.