Regio-controlled ring-opening polymerization of perfluoroalkyl-substituted epoxides

Highly fluorinated epoxides were polymerized under mild conditions regioregularly, which gave easy access to isotactic polymers by using optically pure epoxides.     

Computer Simulation of High-speed Bending Deformation in Copper

According to one suggested model, bending of a single crystal introduces edge dislocations of the same sign. In the present study, this model is examined by computer simulation using molecular dynamics. When a notch is present on the tension surface, Heidenreich-Shockley partial dislocations are created near the tip of the notch. In the compression surface, partial dislocations are created due to wrinkling of the crystal plane. The results of simulation shows that dislocations are more easily created in a compressive bending region than in a tension bending region or simple tension region.     

"Inject-mix-react-separate-and-quantitate" (IMReSQ) method for screening enzyme inhibitors

Many regulatory enzymes are considered attractive therapeutic targets, and their inhibitors are potential drug candidates. Screening combinatorial libraries for enzyme inhibitors is pivotal to identifying hit compounds for the development of drugs targeting regulatory enzymes. Here, we introduce the first inhibitor screening method that consumes only nanoliters of the reactant solutions and is applicable to regulatory enzymes. The method is termed inject-mix-react-separate-and-quantitate (IMReSQ) and includes five steps. First, nanoliter volumes of substrate, candidate inhibitor, and enzyme solutions are injected by pressure into a capillary as separate plugs. Second, the plugs are mixed inside this capillary microreactor by transverse diffusion of laminar flow profiles. Third, the reaction mixture is incubated to form the enzymatic product. Fourth, the product is separated from the substrate inside the capillary by electrophoresis. Fifth, the amounts of the product and substrate are quantitated. In this proof-of-principle work, we applied IMReSQ to study inhibition of recently cloned protein farnesyltransferase from parasite Entamoeba histolytica. This enzyme is a potential therapeutic target for antiparasitic drugs. We identified three previously unknown inhibitors of this enzyme and proved that IMReSQ could be used for quantitatively ranking the potencies of inhibitors.     

Skeletal Ni Catalysts Prepared from Amorphous Ni–Zr Alloys: Enhanced Catalytic Performance for Hydrogen Generation from Ammonia Borane

Skeletal Ni catalysts were prepared from Ni–Zr alloys, which possess different chemical composition and atomic arrangements, by a combination of thermal treatment and treatment with aqueous HF. Hydrogen generation from ammonia borane over the skeletal Ni catalysts proceeded efficiently, whereas the amorphous Ni–Zr alloy was inactive. Skeletal Ni prepared from amorphous Ni₃₀Zr₇₀ alloy had a higher catalytic activity than that prepared from amorphous Ni₄₀Zr₆₀ and Ni₅₀Zr₅₀ alloys. The atomic arrangement of the Ni–Zr alloy also strongly affected the surface structure and catalytic activities. Thermal treatment of the amorphous Ni–Zr alloys at a temperature slightly lower than the crystallization temperature led to an increase of the number of surface‐exposed Ni atoms and an enhancement of the catalytic activities for hydrogen generation from ammonia borane. The skeletal Ni catalysts also showed excellent durability and recyclability.     

Photoinduced omega-bond dissociation of m-halomethylbenzophenones studied by laser photolysis techniques and DFT calculations. Substituted position effects

Photochemical profiles of omega-cleavage of carbon-X (X = Br and Cl) bonds in m-bromo- and m-chloromethylbenzophenones (m-BMBP and m-CMBP) were investigated by laser photolysis techniques and DFT calculations. m-BMBP and m-CMBP were found to undergo omega-bond cleavage to yield the m-benzoylbenzyl radical (m-BBR) at 295 K, and the quantum yields were determined. No CIDEP signal was detected upon 308 nm laser photolysis of both the compounds. From these observations, it was inferred that the omega-bond of these m-halomethylbenzophenones (m-HMBP) cleaves in the lowest excited singlet state (S(1)(n,pi(*))) upon direct excitation. Upon triplet sensitization of acetone (Ac), the m-BBR formation was observed in transient absorption for an Ac-m-BMBP system, and an efficiency of the C-Br bond cleavage in the lowest triplet state (T(1)(n,pi(*))) of m-BMBP was determined. In contrast, formation of triplet m-CMBP was seen for an Ac-m-CMBP system. Absence of C-Cl bond cleavage in the triplet state of m-CMBP indicated the reactive state of m-CMBP for omega-cleavage is only the S(1)(n,pi(*)) state. Based on the efficiencies and DFT calculations for excited state energies, photoinduced omega-bond dissociation of m- and p-HMBPs was characterized.