Hidden order in 1D bose insulators

We investigate the phase diagram of spinless bosons with long range (variant 1/r(3)) repulsive interactions, relevant to ultracold polarized atoms or molecules, using density matrix renormalization group. Between the two conventional insulating phases, the Mott and density wave phases, we find a new phase possessing hidden order revealed by nonlocal string correlations analogous to those characterizing the Haldane gapped phase of integer spin chains. We develop a mean field theory that describes the low-energy excitations in all three insulating phases. This is used to calculate the absorption spectrum due to oscillatory lattice modulation. We predict a sharp resonance in the spectrum due to a collective excitation of the new phase that would provide clear evidence for the existence of this phase.     

Inside Cover: Cognitive‐Performance Recovery of Alzheimer's Disease Model Mice by Modulation of Early Soluble Amyloidal Assemblies (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 11/2009)

The accumulation of amyloid‐β (Aβ) as amyloid fibril deposits may play a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, which is among the most common diseases of the 21st century. E. Gazit and co‐workers describe in their Communication on page 1981 ff. a novel Aβ fibrilization inhibitor, whose mechanism of action is based on targeting aromatic recognition modules together with a unique C^α‐methylation β‐breakage strategy. We thank Tal Mazor for the graphical assistance with the cover.

     

Origin of selectivity in the antibody 20F10-catalyzed Yang cyclization

The first antibody-catalyzed Yang (Norrish type II) cyclization has been achieved with antibodies that were elicited against cis- and trans-2,3-diaryloxetanes. The photocyclization of 1,4-diarylbutan-1-one produced a single stereoisomer of cis-1,2-diarylcyclobutanol with very high enantioselectivity. The background photochemical reaction in the absence of the antibody yielded only fragmentation products. The antibody 20F10-catalyzed reaction was studied in detail, exploring its selectivity, substituent effects, substrate and hapten binding, kinetic parameters and irradiation wavelength dependence. Quantum mechanical calculations suggest that the activation enthalpy of fragmentation pathway is favored by 7.9 kcal/mol over cyclization pathway. Hapten, substrate, and transition state docking studies on a homology based modeled antibody binding site indicate that the trans hapten, substrate and the cyclization transition state have similar binding modes. By contrast, the fragmentation transition state is bound in a different way, not easily accessible within the lifetime of the bound substrate excited state. Several side chain residues were identified that can act as local sensitizers to enhance the cyclization process.     

Deca-heterosubstituted corannulenes

The Cu(I)-catalyzed Ullmann condensation reaction between aliphatic alcohols and sym-pentachlorocorannulene provides a convenient entry to 1,3,5,7,9-pentaalkoxycorannulenes. The latter are easily converted to novel deca-heterosubstituted derivatives, such as 1,3,5,7,9-penta-X-2,4,6,8,10-penta-Y-corannulenes by electrophilic aromatic substitution.