Well-defined NHC–Pd(II)–Im (NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene; Im=1-methylimidazole) complex catalyzed C–N coupling of primary amines with aryl chlorides

We report herein a well-defined NHC–Pd(II)–Im (NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene; Im=1-methylimidazole) complex catalyzed C–N coupling of primary amines with aryl chlorides. Under the optimal reaction conditions, a variety of primary amines can be coupled with aryl chlorides to give the amination products in good to high yields within 4 h. It is worthy of noting here that the NHC–Pd(II)–Im complex showed especially high catalytic activity toward challenging sterically hindered substrates including both of aryl amines and aryl chlorides. In addition, alkyl amines were also proved to be suitable reaction partners to give the corresponding amination products in good to high yields.     

A selective fluorescent turn-on NIR probe for cysteine

A selective and sensitive turn-on fluorescent NIR probe for cysteine has been developed. Cleavage of 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl (DNBS) with thiols switches the weakly fluorescent aza-BODIPY dye (λ(em) = 734 nm, Φ(f) = 0.03) to a strongly fluorescent species in the NIR region (λ(em) = 755 nm, Φ(f) = 0.14).     

Measure-valued continuous curves and processes in total variation norm

Several equivalent characterizations of continuous curves in the total variation norm are given, which enable us to provide a sufficient condition for a purely atomic finite measure-valued stochastic process to possess a version with continuous sample paths in the total variation norm. Our criterion is in the form of Kolmogorov’s continuity theorem. As an application, we apply this criterion to study the sample path property of finite measure-valued diffusions with immigrations constructed by Shiga (1990).     

Numerical simulations of the flapping of a three-dimensional flexible plate in uniform flow

The self-sustained flapping of a three-dimensional flexible plate in a uniform viscous flow is numerically simulated with a fictitious domain method. The effects of the various non-dimensional control parameters including the Reynolds number, the density ratio, the dimensionless shear modulus, the length–thickness ratio, and the width–length ratio on the flapping of the plate are investigated. The results show that there exist two flapping modes: symmetrical and asymmetrical flapping about the centerline in the spanwise direction. Near the critical point a decrease in the plate width–length ratio, or the increase in the Reynolds number or the reduced velocity (a combination of the density ratio, the dimensionless shear modulus, and the length–thickness ratio) can make symmetric (or nearly symmetric) flapping become asymmetric. It is found that the flapping amplitude is mainly controlled by the density ratio and the dimensionless elastic modulus, while the frequency by the density ratio and the length–thickness ratio. In addition, the flapping amplitude and frequency are affected significantly by the confinement effect of the computational domain, and normally enhanced as the confinement effect becomes stronger. The effects of the plate width and the mass ratio (i.e., the ratio of the length–thickness and density ratios) on the critical reduced velocities are examined. The results indicate that when the fluid–plate mass ratio (or the plate length–thickness ratio) is relatively small there exist two significantly different critical velocities for the flapping instability, depending on the strength of initial plate deformation, a hysteresis phenomenon. No obvious hysteresis can be observed when the fluid–plate mass ratio (or the plate length–thickness ratio) is large.     

Particle sizing of colloidal suspensions by low-coherence fiber optic dynamic light scattering

A low-coherence fiber optic dynamic light scattering technique is used to measure the particle size distributions of colloidal suspensions with different volume fractions. We detect electric field autocorrelation function of the singly backscattered light from a sample and use the CONTIN algorithm to obtain the particle size distributions. As a result, in the range of volume fractions from 0.01 to 0.10 of monodispersive colloidal suspensions, the mean particle size with the deviation within 4% and the polydispersity approximate 5% can be determined for particles of different radii. The results demonstrate that the low-coherence fiber optic dynamic light scattering technique is effective in measuring particle size of colloidal suspensions.     

Three New Sucrose Fatty Acid Esters from Equisetum hiemale L.

Three new monosubstituted sucrose fatty acid esters, 1 – 3 , were isolated from Equisetum hiemale L., together with nine known compounds, 4 – 12 . Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 5, 6 , and 10 – 12 were isolated from the title plant for the first time. All these compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity. However, none of them was cytotoxic.     

The Jahn-Teller effect in CH3Cl+(X̃2E): a combined high-resolution experimental measurement and ab initio theoretical study

The energy levels of CH(3)Cl(+)X?(2)E showing strong spin-vibronic coupling effect (Jahn-Teller effect) have been measured up to 3500 cm(-1) above the ground vibrational state using one-photon zero-kinetic energy photoelectron and mass-analyzed threshold ionization spectroscopic method. Theoretical calculations have been also performed to calculate the spin-vibronic energy levels using a diabatic model and ab initio adiabatic potential energy surfaces (PESs). In the theoretical calculations the diabatic potential energy surfaces are expanded by the Taylor expansions up to the fourth-order including the multimode vibronic interactions. The calculated spin-orbit energy splitting (224.6 cm(-1)) for the ground vibrational state is in good agreement with the experimental data (219 ± 3 cm(-1)), which indicates that the Jahn-Teller and the spin-orbit coupling have been properly described in the theoretical model near the zero-point energy level. Based on the assignments predicted by the theoretical calculations, the experimentally measured energy levels were fitted to those from the diabatic model by optimizing the main spectroscopic parameters. The PESs from the ab initio calculations at the level of CASPT2/vq(t)z were thus compared with those calculated from the experimentally determined spectroscopic parameters. The theoretical diagonal elements in the diabatic potential matrix are in good agreement with those determined using the experimental data, however, the theoretical off-diagonal elements appreciably deviate from those determined using the experimental data for geometric points far away from the conical intersections. It is also concluded that the JT effect in CH(3)Cl(+) mainly arises from the linear coupling and the mode coupling between the CH(3) deform (υ(5)) and CH(3) rock (υ(6)) vibrations. The mode couplings between the symmetric C-Cl stretching vibration υ(3) with υ(5) and υ(6) are also important to understand the spin-vibronic structure of the molecule.     

Quantification of glutathione in plasma samples by HPLC using 4-fluoro-7-nitrobenzofurazan as a fluorescent labeling reagent

A rapid and highly sensitive high-performance liquid chromatograpy method with fluorescence detection has been developed for determination of glutathione (GSH) in human plasma. A simple pre-column derivatization procedure with 7-flouro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-F) reagent was employed. The separation of the derivatized glutathione was performed using a mobile phase consisting of phosphate buffer (0.02 mol/L, pH 6.0)-acetonitrile (77:23, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with the column temperature 2°C. The eluted derivatives were fluorometrically detected at an excitation wavelength 470 nm and an emission wavelength 530 nm. Under the optimum chromatographic conditions, the calibration curve was linear over the range of 0.1 μmol/L to 10.0 μmol/L with the correlation coefficient of 0.9988. The precision of the method was satisfactory with the intra- and inter-day coefficient of variation being 6.3%, 6.9%, respectively. This method has been used to determine glutathione concentrations in plasma samples from healthy individuals.     

Facile synthesis of α-monofluoromethyl alcohols: Nucleophilic monofluoromethylation of aldehydes using TMSCF(SO2Ph)2

α-Fluoromethyl phenyl sulfone derivatives have been extensively employed in various reactions as versatile fluoromethylating reagents. While nucleophilic monofluoromethylations of aldehydes have been achieved using fluoromethyl phenyl sulfone or fluorobis(sulfonyl)methanes, a facile protocol under mild reaction conditions remains an ardently sought goal. We now report a feasible synthetic approach toward β-monofluorinated alcohols using α-trimethylsilyl-α-fluorobis(phenylsulfonyl)methane [TMSCF(SO₂Ph)₂, TFBSM] as a novel monofluoromethylating reagent. Initiated by a catalytic amount of fluoride, the reagent can be readily added to a variety of aldehydes providing the desired products in high yields. Computational and kinetic studies have revealed the exceptional lability of the Si–C bond in TFBSM compared with other fluoromethylsilane counterparts.     

A New Mixed‐Valence Tetranuclear Manganese [MnII2MnIII2] Cluster

A new tetranuclear manganese complex [Mn₂^IIMn₂^III(bhmcpH)₂(hmp)₄Cl₂(MeOH)₂] ( 1 ) [bhmcpH₃ = 2, 6‐bis(hydroxymethyl)‐4‐chlorophenol, hmpH = 2‐(hydroxymethyl)pyridine] was synthesized and characterized. X‐ray diffraction analyses reveal that complex 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c. It has a mixed‐valence tetranuclear dicubane unit, which comprises two Mn^II and two Mn^III ions. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibilities of 1 indicates ferromagnetic interactions between the manganese ions.