New Aspects of 1,3‐Diphosphacyclobutane‐2,4‐diyls

1,3‐Di(tert‐butyl)‐2,4‐bis[2,4,6‐tri(tert‐butyl)phenyl]‐1,3‐diphosphacyclobutane‐2,4‐diyl was formed from [2,4,6‐tri(tert‐butyl)phenyl]phosphaacetylene and t‐BuLi. In addition, the X‐ray diffraction analysis was carried out, together with theoretical calculations of the structure and NMR data.     

Cyano‐Bridged MnIII?MIII Single‐Chain Magnets with MIII=CoIII,FeIII, MnIII,and CrIII

A series of isostructural cyano‐bridged Mn^III(h.s.)–M^III(l.s.) alternating chains, [Mn^III(5‐TMAMsalen)M^III(CN)₆] ? 4H₂O (5‐TMAMsalen^2?=N,N′‐ethylenebis(5‐trimethylammoniomethylsalicylideneiminate), Mn^III(h.s.)=high‐spin Mn^III, M^III(l.s.)=low‐spin Co^III, Mn? Co ; Fe^III, Mn? Fe ; Mn^III, Mn? Mn ; Cr^III, Mn? Cr ) was synthesized by assembling [Mn^III(5‐TMAMsalen)]³⁺ and [M^III(CN)₆]^3?. The chains present in the four compounds, which crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/c, are composed of an [‐Mn^III‐NC‐M^III‐CN‐] repeating motif, for which the ‐NC‐M^III‐CN‐ motif is provided by the [M^III(CN)₆]^3? moiety adopting a trans bridging mode between [Mn^III(5‐TMAMsalen)]³⁺ cations. The Mn^III and M^III ions occupy special crystallographic positions: a C₂ axis and an inversion center, respectively, forming a highly symmetrical chain with only one kind of cyano bridge. The Jahn–Teller axis of the Mn^III(h.s.) ion is perpendicular to the N₂O₂ plane formed by the 5‐TMAMsalen tetradentate ligand. These Jahn–Teller axes are all perfectly aligned along the unique chain direction without a bending angle, although the chains are corrugated with an Mn‐N_axis‐C angle of about 144°. In the crystal structures, the chains are well separated with the nearest inter‐chain M???M distance being relatively large at 9 Å due to steric hindrance of the bulky trimethylammoniomethyl groups of the 5‐TMAMsalen ligand. The magnetic properties of these compounds have been thoroughly studied. Mn? Fe and Mn? Mn display intra‐chain ferromagnetic interactions, whereas Mn? Cr is characterized by an antiferromagnetic exchange that induces a ferrimagnetic spin arrangement along the chain. Detailed analyses of both static and dynamic magnetic properties have demonstrated without ambiguity the single‐chain magnet (SCM) behavior of these three systems, whereas Mn? Co is merely paramagnetic with S_Mn=2 and D/k_B=?5.3 K (D being a zero‐field splitting parameter). At low temperatures, the Mn? M compounds with M=Fe, Mn, and Cr display remarkably large M versus H hysteresis loops for applied magnetic fields along the easy magnetic direction that corresponds to the chain direction. The temperature dependence of the associated relaxation time for this series of compounds systematically exhibits a crossover between two Arrhenius laws corresponding to infinite‐chain and finite‐chain regimes for the SCM behavior. These isostructural hetero‐spin SCMs offer a unique series of alternating [‐Mn‐NC‐M‐CN‐] chains, enabling physicists to test theoretical SCM models between the Ising and Heisenberg limits.     

Study of biocatalyst to produce ethanol from starch

This article presents a detailed study on the conditions for achieving a stable biocatalyst to be used in the production of ethanol from starch. Different pellets were used depending on which characteristic of the biocatalyst was being studied: (a) Saccharomyces cerevisiae entrapped in pectin or calcium alginate gel particles; (b) silica containing immobilized glucoamylase entrapped in pectin gel particles; or (c) pectin gel particles, with the silicaenzyme derivative and yeast coimmobilized. The influence of several variables on the mechanical resistance of the particle, on the viability of the microorganism, and on the rate of substrate hydrolysis was studied with biocatalyst. The best conditions found were 6% pectin gel, 2-mm particle diameter, and curein 0.2 M CaCl₂·2H₂O/60 mM acetate buffer, pH 4.2, for gel preparation; and 6.0 g/L of CaCl₂·2H₂O in the fermentation medium. Biocatalyst (c) was successfully tested for the production of ethanol from liquefield manioc flour syrup.     

Preparation of Gd(2)O(3) : Eu(3+) and Gd(2)O(2)S : Eu(3+) phosphor fine particles using an emulsion liquid membrane system

Size- (submicrometer-sized) and morphology- (spherical) controlled composite Gd-Eu oxalate particles were prepared in an emulsion liquid membrane (water-in-oil-in-water emulsion) system. The oxalate particles thus prepared were calcined in air to obtain Gd(2)O(3) : Eu(3+) phosphor particles and in sulfur atmosphere to obtain Gd(2)O(2)S : Eu(3+) phosphor particles. These submicrometer-sized spherical phosphor particles showed photoluminescence properties with emission peak at 614 nm for Gd(2)O(3) : Eu(3+) and 628 nm for Gd(2)O(2)S : Eu(3+).     

Improved preparation of racemic 2-amino-3-(heteroaryl)propanoic acids and related compounds containing a furan or thiophene nucleus

Racemic 2-amino-3-(heteroaryl)propanoic acids (1), mostly with a furan or thiophene nucleus as a heteroaryl group, were synthesized in 48-94% yield by the reduction of 3-(heteroaryl)-2-(hydroxyimino)propanoic acids (5) with zinc dust and formic acid in the presence of a catalytic amount of iron dust at 60 degrees C for 2 h. Under these conditions, unfavorable hydrogenolysis of bromine on the thiophene nucleus does not occur. Traditional N-formylation of the prepared 3-(heteroaryl)alanine (1) with a mixture of formic acid and acetic anhydride afforded 2-(formylamino)-3-(heteroaryl)propanoic acids (6) in 51-95% yield.     

Cooperative motions of protein and hydration water molecules: molecular dynamics study of scytalone dehydratase

Two molecular dynamics (MD) simulations totaling 25 ns of simulation time of monomeric scytalone dehydratase (SD) were performed. The enzyme has a ligand-binding pocket containing a cone-shaped alpha+beta barrel, and the C-terminal region covers the binding pocket. Our simulations clarified the difference in protein dynamics and conformation between the liganded protein and the unliganded protein. The liganded protein held the ligand molecule tightly and the initial structure was maintained during the simulation. The unliganded protein, on the other hand, fluctuated dynamically and its structure changed largely from the initial structure. In the equilibrium state, the binding pocket was fully solvated by opening of the C-terminal region, and the protein dynamics was connected with hydration water molecules entry into and release from the binding pocket. In addition, the cooperative motions of the unliganded protein and the hydration water molecules produced the path through the protein interior for ligand binding.     

Triethylborane-induced radical allylation reaction with zirconocene-olefin complex

[reaction: see text] Allylzirconium reagents are effective for radical allylation of alpha-halo carbonyl compounds. The key steps would be homolytic cleavage of the zirconium-carbon bond and halogen abstraction by the resulting Cp(2)ZrCl(III). Zirconocene-olefin complex can be also utilized for the allylation of alpha-halo compounds.     

Efficient synthesis of an optically active tetrahydrozerumbone exhibiting a fragrance and the application of zerumbone derivatives with a medium ring structure

(R)-Tetrahydrozerumbone 2, which has a powerful balmy fragrance, contains a stereogenic carbon at the C2 position and can be easily prepared from zerumbone 1, one of the most important materials displaying an NMRDOS character. The reduction of 2 gave two diastereomers of tetrahydrozerumbol 3, and the optically active (>99%ee) alcohols were obtained by a lipase-catalyzed stereoselective transesterification of each racemic alcohol. A barrier to this development is a long reaction time (about four weeks) and the need to separate the diastereoisomers. The desired (2R)-form of 3 was efficiently obtained by a lipase-catalyzed transesterification under optimized conditions using a diastereomeric mixture of racemic 3 as the starting material without separation of the diastereomers. Using this method, the reaction of other zerumbone derivatives is greatly improved.     

Supramolecular steric effects as the means of making reactive carbon radicals persistent. Quantitative characterization of the external surface of MFI zeolites through a persistent radical probe and a langmuir adsorption isotherm

The photochemistry of tetraphenylacetone (1) adsorbed on the external surface of a MFI zeolite (the sodium form of LZ-105) has been investigated in combination with computational chemistry, surface area measurements, EPR analysis, and classical adsorption isotherms. All of the methods are consistent with a supramolecular structural model in which 1 is first adsorbed strongly through intercalation of a single benzene ring into a hole on the LZ-105 external surface (site I) followed by a weaker binding to the external framework between the holes (site II) until a monolayer of 1 is formed. From both computational and surface area measurements, it is estimated that the site I holes on the external surface will be filled at ca. 0.3-0.5 wt %/wt loading of 1/LZ-105, which corresponds to 6.5 x 10(18) (ca. 10(-)(5) mol) of holes or molecules of 1 adsorbed in holes per gram of zeolite. The supramolecular composition of ca. 0.3-0.5% of 1 on LZ-105 characterizes a "break point" for the photochemistry and the EPR measurements, since it represents the value for saturation of the site I holes with 1. These conclusions are supported quantitatively by experimental isotherms of the adsorption of 1 on LZ-105. Photolysis of 1 intercalated in the site I holes causes fragmentation into two isomeric supramolecular diphenylmethyl (DPM) radicals, one (DMP)(in) which is adsorbed into the internal surface and becomes strongly persistent (half-life of many weeks) and the other (DMP)(ex) which diffuses on the external surface and rapidly dimerizes (less than a few minutes) to produce the radical-radical combination product tetraphenylethane (2). Photolysis of 1 adsorbed on the solid external surface produces two supramolecularly equivalent DPM radicals (DMP)(ex) that diffuse on the external surface and rapidly dimerize to produce 2, and do not produce persistent DPM radicals.     

Water‐Soluble N‐(n‐Fatty acyl)chitosans

Chitosan was partially N‐acylated by treatment with n‐fatty acid anhydrides in a homogeneous solution in 2 vol.‐% aqueous acetic acid‐methanol (1:2 v/v). The degree of substitution (d.s.) for N‐acyl groups in the water‐soluble N‐acylchitosan derivatives was in the range of 0.42–0.82 for N‐acetyl, 0.37–0.76 for N‐propionyl, 0.52–0.71 for N‐butyryl and 0.54–0.64 for N‐pentanoyl and ca. 0.58 for N‐hexanoyl, respectively.

Water soluble N‐(n‐fatty acyl)chitosans.