Gold‐Catalyzed Tandem Cycloisomerization–Halogenation of Chiral Homopropargyl Sulfonamides

Two new gold‐catalyzed tandem cycloisomerization–halogenation reactions of chiral homopropargyl sulfonamides have been developed. Various enantioenriched 3,3‐diiodopyrrolidin‐2‐ols and 3‐fluoropyrrolidin‐2‐ols were obtained in moderate‐to‐good yields with excellent enantio‐ and diastereoselectivity.     

Adaptive fixed-time synchronization of Lorenz systems with application in chaotic finance systems

Nonlinear Dynamics - This paper concerns the problem of fixed-time synchronization of master–slave Lorenz systems. The adaptive control and fixed-time control strategies are successfully...     

Correction to: Theoretical modeling and experimental evaluation of a magnetostrictive actuator with radial-nested stacked configuration

Nonlinear Dynamics -     

Coherence resonance in a noise-driven gene network regulated by small RNA

Small RNA has recently drawn more and more attention. In this paper, we concentrate on the influence of noises on gene network regulated by small RNA using chemical Langevin equation. It shows that the noise can cause oscillation when the oscillate does not occur in the corresponding deterministic system. The coherence of the noise induced oscillation reaches a maximum for an optimal intensity of noise, and the coherence resonance appears accordingly. The findings imply probably omnipresent importance of noise in the functioning process of living organism.     

An Atomically Precise Au10Ag2 Nanocluster with Red–Near‐IR Dual Emission

A red–near‐IR dual‐emissive nanocluster with the composition [Au₁₀Ag₂(2‐py?C≡C)₃(dppy)₆](BF₄)₅ ( 1 ; 2‐py?C≡C is 2‐pyridylethynyl, dppy=2‐pyridyldiphenylphosphine) has been synthesized. Single‐crystal X‐ray structural analysis reveals that 1 has a trigonal bipyramidal Au₁₀Ag₂ core that contains a planar Au₄(2‐py?C≡C)₃ unit sandwiched by two Au₃Ag(dppy)₃ motifs. Cluster 1 shows intense red–NIR dual emission in solution. The visible emission originates from metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (MLCT) from silver atoms to phosphine ligands in the Au₃Ag(dppy)₃ motifs, and the intense NIR emission is associated with the participation of 2‐pyridylethynyl in the frontier orbitals of the cluster, which is confirmed by a time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) calculation.     

pH‐ and Thiol‐Responsive BODIPY‐Based Photosensitizers for Targeted Photodynamic Therapy

A diiodo distyryl boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) core was conjugated to two ferrocenyl quenchers through acid‐labile ketal and/or thiol‐cleavable disulfide linkers, of which the fluorescence and photosensitizing properties were significantly quenched through a photoinduced electron‐transfer process. The two symmetrical analogues that contained either the ketal or disulfide linkers could only be activated by a single stimulus, whereas the unsymmetrical analogue was responsive to dual stimuli. Upon interaction with acid and/or dithiothreitol (DTT), these linkers were cleaved selectively. The separation of the BODIPY core and the ferrocenyl moieties restored the photoactivities of the former in phosphate buffered saline and inside the MCF‐7 breast cancer cells, rendering these compounds as potential activable photosensitizers for targeted photodynamic therapy. The dual activable analogue exhibited the greatest enhancement in intracellular fluorescence intensity in both an acidic environment (pH 5) and the presence of DTT (4 mm ). Its photocytotoxicity against MCF‐7 cells also increased by about twofold upon preincubation with 4 mm of DTT. The activation of this compound was also demonstrated in nude mice bearing a HT29 human colorectal carcinoma. A significant increase in fluorescence intensity in the tumor was observed over 9 h after intratumoral injection.     

Enantioselective iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation of α-arylcinnamic acids and synthesis of (S)-equol

By using iridium catalyst based on chiral spiro phosphine–oxazoline ligands, the hydrogenation of α-arylcinnamic acids was accomplished under ambient pressure and low catalyst loading (as low as 0.01 mol %), providing useful 2,3-diarylpropionic acids in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee). A catalytic enantioselective synthesis of (S)-equol with the present hydrogenation reaction as a key step was accomplished starting from commercially available starting materials in six steps with 48.4% overall yield.