Simulation study of angle-resolved photoemission spectra and intramolecular energy-band dispersion of a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) oligomer film

Theoretical simulations of the angle-resolved ultraviolet photoemission spectra (ARUPS) for the oligomer of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) [(CF(2))(n); PTFE] were performed using the independent-atomic-center approximation combined with ab initio molecular orbital calculations. Previously observed normal-emission spectra for the end-on oriented sample (with long-chain axis perpendicular to the surface) showed the incident photon-energy (hnu) dependence due to the intramolecular energy-band dispersion along the one-dimensional chain, and the present simulations successfully reproduced this hnu dependence of the observed spectra. We employed the experimentally observed helical structure for PTFE oligomers for the simulations. We also calculated the density of states (DOS) for the planar zigzag structure, and examined the changes in the electronic structure due to the difference in the molecular structure by comparing the DOS for the helical and planar zigzag structures. Only a small change in the DOS was found between these structures, showing little change of the electronic structure between these conformations. We also evaluated the inner potential V(0), which is the parameter defining the energy origin of the free-electron-like final state, and checked the validity of the value of -10 eV estimated in our previous study using the experimentally observed hnu dependence of the peak intensity. The estimation of V(0) was performed by pursuing the best agreement between the energy-band dispersion [E=E(k)] relation along the chain direction obtained from the simulated spectra and the experimentally deduced one. An excellent agreement in the topmost band was achieved when the assumed inner potential V(0) was set at about zero. This value of V(0) is much different from the value of V(0)=-10 eV in the previous study, suggesting the invalidity of the previous assumption at the estimation of V(0) from the peak intensity variation with hnu. Using the presently obtained V(0), we could derive more reliable E=E(k) dispersion relation from the observed ARUPS spectra. The comparison of this newly derived relation gave good agreement with theoretically calculated E=E(k) relations, in contrast to the poor agreement for the previous results with V(0)=-10 eV.     

Glycosides of Atractylodes lancea

Five sesquiterpenoid glycosides (two guaiane-type glycosides and three eudesmane-type glucosides) and a glucoside of an acetylene derivative were newly isolated from the water-soluble portion of the methanolic extract of Atractylodes lancea rhizome together with 26 known compounds. Their structures were characterized as atractyloside A 14-O-beta-D-fructofuranoside, (1S,4S,5S,7R,10S)-10,11,14-trihydroxyguai-3-one 11-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, (5R,7R,10S)-isopterocarpolone beta-D-glucopyranoside, cis-atractyloside I, (2R,3R,5R,7R,10S)-atractyloside G 2-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, and (2E,8E)-2,8-decadiene-4,6-diyne-1,10-diol 1-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic investigation. The presence of six characteristic guaiane-type glucosides in both rhizomes of A. lancea and Atractylodes japonica suggested a close chemotaxonomic relationship between them.     

Adjacent- versus remote-site electron injection in TiO2 surfaces modified with binuclear ruthenium complexes

Nanocrystalline thin films of TiO2 cast on an optically transparent indium tin oxide glass were sensitized with ruthenium homo- and heterobinuclear complexes, [LL'Ru(BL)RuLL']n+ (n = 2, 3), where L and L' are 4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine (dcb) and/or 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) and BL is a rigid and linear heteroaromatic entity (tetrapyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c:3",2"-h:2'",3'"-j]phenazine (tpphz) or 1,4-bis([1,10]phenanthroline[5,6-d]imidazol-2-yl)benzene (bfimbz)). The photophysical behavior of the RuII-RuII diads in solution indicated the occurrence of intercomponent energy transfer from the upper-lying Ru --> bpy charge-transfer (CT) excited state of the Ru(bpy)(2) moiety to the lower-lying Ru --> dcb CT excited state of the Ru(bpy)(dcb) (or Ru(dcb)(2)) subunit in the heterobinuclear complexes. These sensitizer diads adsorbed on nanostructured TiO2 surfaces in a perpendicular or parallel attachment mode. Adsorption was through the dcb ligands on one or both chromophoric subunits. The behavior of the adsorbed species was studied by nanosecond time-resolved transient absorption and emission spectroscopy, as well as by photocurrent measurements. In the TiO2-adsorbed samples where BL was bfimbz, the electron injection kinetics was very fast and could not be resolved because an electron is promoted from the metal center to the dcb ligand directly linked to the semiconductor. In the TiO2-adsorbed samples where BL was tpphz, for which, in the excited state, a BL localization of the lowest-lying metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) is observed, slower injection rates (9.5 x 10(7) s(-1) in [(bpy)(2)Ru(tpphz)Ru(bpy)(dcb(-))](3+)/TiO2 and 5.5 x 10(7) s(-1) in [(bpy)(dcb)Ru(tpphz)Ru(bpy)(dcb(-))](3+)/TiO2) were obtained. Among the systems, the heterotriad assembly [(bpy)(2)Ru(bfimbz)Ru(bpy)(dcb(2-))](2+)/TiO2 gave the best photovoltaic performance. In the first case, this was attributed to a fast electron injection initiated from a dcb-localized MLCT; in the second case, this is attributed to improved molecular orientation on the surface, which was due to rigidity and, at the same time, linearity of the heterotriad system, resulting in a slower charge recombination between the injected electron and the hole.     

Active Ag species in MFI zeolite for direct methane conversion in the light and dark

Photo-induced methane conversion was examined over Ag-MFI zeolite at room temperature. On the oxidized Ag-MFI zeolite, containing Ag⁺ exchanged cations, huge amounts of methane were adsorbed, even in the dark, and then converted to mainly ethane upon photo-irradiation without H₂ production. It was revealed that Ag _n ⁺ small clusters were formed at the expense of Ag⁺ ion during this photoreaction, and probably hydrogen would be stored as H⁺ on the ion-exchange sites instead of Ag⁺. On the other hand, the reduced sample containing larger clusters converted methane into alkene even without photo-irradiation.     

Solvent-free microwave-assisted synthesis of imidazo[1,5- a]pyridine and –quinoline derivatives

A quick and highly efficient microwave-assisted preparation of imidazopyridines and –quinolines is described, starting from the corresponding ketones and amines. The method requires no solvent and uses activated MnO₂ as an oxidant. A mechanism for the cyclization is proposed and discussed.     

Synthesis and hybridization properties of 2′-O-(tetrazol-5-yl)ethyl-modified oligonucleotides

2′-O-(1H-Tetrazol-5-yl)ethyladenosine was synthesized using 2′-O-cyanoethyladenosine derivative as a key intermediate. The 2′-O-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)ethyl modifications exhibited intriguing properties such as the change in the structure of the tetrazole residue between a protonated and a deprotonated form. The T_m experiments of various oligodeoxynucleotides having a 2′-O-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)ethyl-modified adenosine showed reduced hybridization affinity in comparison to the unmodified oligonucleotides toward their complementary oligodeoxynucleotides. The mechanism of the reduced hybridization affinity was discussed on the basis of the structure and the physicochemical properties of the tetrazole moiety.     

Selective synthesis of C-arylglycosides via Cp*RuCl-catalyzed partially intramolecular cyclotrimerizations of C-alkynylglycosides

In the presence of catalytic amounts of Cp*RuCl(cod), the partially intramolecular cyclotrimerizations of various C-alkynylglycosides and C-diynylglycosides proceeded at ambient temperature to afford C-arylglycosides.     

A highly efficient carbon-carbon bond formation reaction via nucleophilic addition to N-alkylaldimines without acids or metallic species

A nucleophilic addition reaction to N-methylaldimines without acid or metal species is described. A novel reagent, dicyanomethyl acetate, is used as a nucleophile to give alpha-(N-methyl-N-acetyl)amino acid methyl esters in excellent yield.     

A high-sensitivity photometric method based on doped Sol-Gel glass detectors: determination of sub-ppb divalent iron

Summary A novel high-sensitivity photometric method to determine trace concentrations of water pollutants is presented. The Sol-Gel procedure, a simple and efficient way to produce porous glasses at room temperature, is applied to entrap organic reagents (e.g. 1,10-phenanthroline) in glass matrices without resorting to complicated covalent bonding procedures. When these doped Sol-Gel glass detectors are immersed in water they concentrate the analyte [e.g. iron(II)] from the solution into the glass matrix. The glass detectors may then be analyzed by a conventional spectrophotometer. Thus, exceedingly low concentrations can be determined, e.g., the demonstrated detection limit of ferrous ions in aqueous solution is below 100 ppt.