A multi-mode-driven molecular shuttle: photochemically and thermally reactive azobenzene rotaxanes

The shuttling process of alpha-CyD in three rotaxanes (1-3) containing alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CyD) as a ring, azobenzene as a photoactive group, viologen as an energy barrier for slipping of the ring, and 2,4-dinitrobenzene as a stopper was investigated. The trans-cis photoisomerization of 1 by UV light irradiation occurred in both DMSO and water due to the movement of alpha-CyD toward the ethylene group, while the photoisomerization of 2 occurred in DMSO, but not in water. No photoisomerization was observed for 3 in both water and DMSO. The activation parameters of 1 and 1-ref in DMSO are subject to a compensation relation between deltaS(double dagger) and deltaH(double dagger); however, in water, the deltaS(double dagger) terms are not compensated by the deltaH(double dagger) terms. Alternating irradiation of the UV and visible lights resulted in a reversible change in the induced circular dichroism (ICD) bands of trans-1 and cis-1. In contrast, after the UV light irradiation, the ICD band of trans-2 decreased without the appearance of any bands of cis-2. The NMR spectra of 2 in DMSO showed coalescence of the split signals for the methylene and for the viologen protons due to the shuttling of alpha-CyD. Both the NOE differential spectra for cis-1 in water after UV light irradiation and 2 in DMSO after heating to 120 degrees C showed the negative NOE peaks assigned to interior protons of alpha-CyD, suggesting that alpha-CyD in cis-1 exists at the one ethylene moiety, and alpha-CyDs in cis-2 and 2 heated in DMSO exist at the propylene moieties.     

THE CONFORMATIONAL ANALYSIS AND PHOTOISOMERIZATION OF RETINOCHROME ANALOGS WITH POLYENALS

Abstract— 3, 7-Dimethyl-2, 4, 6, 8, 10-dodecapentaenal was synthesized for reconstitution of the retinochrome analog. Its opsin shift was 1000 cm ¹ smaller than that of native retinochrome, whose chromophore contains the same number of double bonds. The conformational change from 6-s-trans to 6-s-cis , as figured in a retinal molecule, plays an important role in the formation of the retinochrome analog, based on the estimation of opsin shifts for retinal analogs locked in the 6-s conformation. Thus the conformation of the 6–7 single bond in the native retinochrome was suggested to be 6 -cis . Analysis of the circular dichroic spectra of retinochrome analogs revealed that the 6-s conformation is independent of the appearance of the β-band. The stereoselectivity in the photoisomerization of the retinal analogs by a retinochrome template depends on the hydrophobic binding in the region of the β-ionone ring.     

Electronic structure and magnetic properties of small manganese oxide clusters

To investigate the electronic structure and magnetic properties of manganese oxide clusters, we carried out first-principles electronic structure calculations for small MnO clusters. Among various structural and magnetic configurations of the clusters, the bulklike [111]-antiferromagnetic ordering is found to be favored energetically, while the surface atoms of the clusters exhibit interesting electronic and magnetic characteristics which are different from their bulk ones. The distinct features of the surface atoms are mainly attributed to the reduction of Mn coordination numbers and the bond-length contractions in the clusters, which may serve as a key factor for the understanding of physical and chemical properties of magnetic oxide nanoparticles.     

Multitracer study on permeation of rare earth elements through a supported liquid membrane

Separation by means of supported liquid membranes is a useful method for the preparation and preconcentration of radioactive nuclides. The permeation of rare earth elements through a bis(2-ethylhexyl) hydrogen phosphate-decalin membrane supported on a microporous polytetrafluoroethylene sheet was studied using a multitracer containing radioactive nuclides of Sc, Zr, Nb, Hf, Ce, Pm, Gd, Yb, and Lu. Permeation rates of these elements from feed solutions of various acidity to receiving solutions of 0.5 mol·dm⁻³ HCl were determined simultaneously. The feed solution at pH 1.4 gave the highest permeation rate for Ce, Pm, and Gd, amounting to about 95% of permeation for Ce and Pm, 80% for Gd, and 10% for Yb in 21 h. Scandium, Zr, Nb, Hf, and Lu were not transported at all from the feed solution. Permeation rates of Yb and Lu from the feed solution at pH 1.4 to receiving solutions of 0.75, 1.0, 2.3, and 4.0 mol·dm⁻³ HCl increased with the concentration. The results obtained indicate that the light rare earth elements can be separated from the heavy ones by this method.     

Reaction of enaminones with carbon disulfide: Synthesis of heterocycles using enamino dithiocarboxylates

Reaction of various types of enaminones, which are prepared by the condensation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with aromatic amines, with carbon disulfide in the presence of sodium hydroxide as the base in dimethyl sulfoxide to give the corresponding enamino dithiocarboxylates, 1,3-thiazines and trithiones. Enamino dithiocarboxylates are cyclized under refluxing in diphenyl ether to give the fused quinoline derivatives. The reaction of 6-arylamino-1,3-dimethyluracils with excess carbon disulfide in the presence of sodium hydroxide and subsequent methylation with dimethyl sulfate gave directly the corresponding 1,3-dimethyl-5-methylthiopyrimido[4,5-b]quinoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones.     

Determination of total nitrogen content, pH, density, refractive index, and brix in Thai fish sauces and their classification by near-infrared spectroscopy with searching combination moving window partial least squares

Near-infrared (NIR) transflectance spectra in the region of 1100-2500 nm were measured for 100 Thai fish sauces. Quantitative analyses of total nitrogen (TN) content, pH, refractive index, density and brix in the Thai fish sauces and their qualitative analyses were carried out by multivariate analyses with the aid of wavelength interval selection method named searching combination moving window partial least squares (SCMWPLS). The optimized informative region for TN selected by SCMWPLS was the region of 2264-2428 nm. A PLS calibration model, which used this region, yielded the lowest root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.100% w/v for the PLS factor of 5. This prediction result is significantly better than those obtained by using the whole spectral region or informative regions selected by moving window partial least squares regression (MWPLSR). As for pH, density, refractive index and brix, the 1698-1722, and 2222-2258 nm regions, the 1358-1438 nm region, the 1774-1846, and 2078-2114 nm regions, and the 1322-1442, and 2000-2076 nm regions were selected by SCMWPLS as the optimized regions. The best prediction results were always obtained by use of the optimized regions selected by SCMWPLS. The lowest RMSEP for pH, density, refractive index and brix were 0.170, 0.007 g cm(-3), 0.0079 and 0.435 degrees Brix, respectively. Qualitative models were developed by using four supervised pattern recognitions, linear discriminant analysis (LDA), factor analysis-linear discriminant analysis (FA-LDA), soft independent modeling of class analog (SIMCA), and K neareat neighbors (KNN) for the optimized combination of informative regions of the NIR spectra of fish sauces to classify fish sauces into three groups based on TN. All the developed models can potentially classify the fish sauces with the correct classification rate of more than 82%, and the KNN classified model has the highest correct classification rate (95%). The present study has demonstrated that NIR spectroscopy combined with SCMWPLS is powerful for both the quantitative and qualitative analyses of Thai fish sauces.     

meso-Alkyl-substituted meso-meso linked diporphyrins and meso-alkyl-substituted meso-meso, beta-beta, beta-beta triply linked diporphyrins

[reaction: see text] AgPF6-promoted oxidation of 5,10,15-trialkyl zinc(II) porphyrins led to formation of meso-meso linked diporphyrins, which were further oxidized with Sc(OTf)3 and DDQ to give meso-meso, beta-beta, beta-beta triply linked diporphyrins that exhibited a stronger aggregation propensity than corresponding meso-aryl diporphyrins.