Almost Alternating Diagrams and Fibered Links in S3

Let R be a Seifert surface obtained by applying Seifert's algorithmto a connected diagram D for a link L. In this paper, lettingD be almost alternating, we give a practical algorithm to determinewhether L is a fibered link and R is a fiber surface. We furthershow that L is a fibered link and R is a fiber surface for Lif and only if R is a Hopf plumbing, that is, a successive plumbingof a finite number of Hopf bands. It has been known for sometime that this is true if D is alternating, and we show thatit is not always true if D is 2-almost alternating. In the appendix,we partially answer C. Adams's open question concerning almostalternating diagrams. 2000 Mathematical Subject Classification:57M25.     

Asymmetric [2,3]Wittig sigmatropic rearrangement involving a chiral azaenolate as the migrating terminus. A simple synthesis of (+)-verrucarinolactone

The diastereo- and/or enantioselection are described in the title rearrangement of the chiral 2-(2-alkenyloxy)methyl 2-oxazolines which eventually provides optically active -hydroxy, γ,δ- unsaturated esters and (+)-verrucarinolactone.     

Stereocontrolled glycosidations using a heterogeneous solid acid, sulfated zirconia, for the direct syntheses of α- and β-manno- and 2-deoxyglucopyranosides

Novel α- and β-stereocontrolled glycosidations using a heterogeneous solid acid, sulfated zirconia (SO₄/ZrO₂), as an activator have been developed. The glycosidations of manno- and 2-deoxyglucopyranosyl α-fluorides with several alcohols using SO₄/ZrO₂ in MeCN proceeded α-stereoselectively, while those with the same activator in the presence of MS 5A in Et₂O occurred with β-stereoselectivity. Thus, both the α- and β-manno- and 2-deoxyglucopyranosides were effectively obtained by the present glycosidations.     

Crosscap numbers of 2-bridge knots

We present a practical algorithm to determine the minimal genus of non-orientable spanning surfaces for 2-bridge knots, called the crosscap numbers. We will exhibit a table of crosscap numbers of 2-bridge knots up to 12 crossings (all 362 of them).     

Asymmetric “Acetylenic” [3+2] Cycloaddition of Nitrones Catalyzed by Cationic Chiral PdII Lewis Acid

Highly enantioselective [3+2] cycloaddition of ynones and nitrones has been developed. Very bulky ligand, DTBM‐SEGPHOS, was used for an effective asymmetric induction over distal reaction centers on the linear ynone dipolarophile and for prevention of Pd^II catalyst deactivation by coordination of the nitrones. The reaction has wide scope of substrates in both ynones and nitrones.     

The effect of Ag addition on electrical properties of the thermoelectric compound Ca3Co4O9

Ca₃Co₄O₉/Ag composites incorporating different amounts of Ag were synthesized by solid-state reaction. Scanning electron microscopy revealed Ag particles dispersed among and combined with Ca₃Co₄O₉ grains several times larger in size. The electrical resistivity (ρ) of the composites is favorably lower than that of Ca₃Co₄O₉ alone and decreases with increasing Ag content. It can thus be inferred that the highly conductive Ag particles between the oxide grains contribute to the reduction of ρ. Although minimal in smaller amounts, the addition of Ag also seems to have a negative impact on the Seebeck coefficient (S) of the composites due to its poor S. Since the reduction of ρ is more significant than the degradation of S, the power factor is found to be improved by the addition of 10 wt% Ag.     

Analysis of the intermolecular interactions between CH3OCH3, CF3OCH3, CF3OCF3, and CH2F2, CHF3

The intermolecular interaction energy curves of CH(3)OCH(3)-CH(2)F(2), CF(3)OCH(3)-CH(2)F(2), CF(3)OCF(3)-CH(2)F(2), CH(3)OCH(3)-CHF(3), CF(3)OCH(3)-CHF(3), and CF(3)OCF(3)-CHF(3) complexes were calculated by the MP2 level ab initio molecular orbital method using the 6-311G** basis set augmented with diffuse polarization functions. We investigate the fluorine substitution effects of both methane and dimethyl ether on intermolecular interactions. In addition, orientation dependence of intermolecular interaction energies is also studied with utilizing eight types of orientations. Our analyses demonstrate that partial fluorinations of methane make electrostatic interaction dominant, and consequently enhance attractive interaction at several specific orientations. On the contrary, fluorine substitutions of dimethyl ether substantially decrease the electrostatic interaction between ether and CH(2)F(2) or CHF(3); thus, there is no such characteristic interaction between the C-H of fluorinated methane and ether oxygen of CF(3)OCF(3) as conventional hydrogen bonding, due to reduced polarity of fluorinated ether. The combination of different pairs of the electrostatic interaction is therefore responsible for the intermolecular interaction differences among the complexes investigated herein and also their orientations.     

Asymmetric allylsilane-mediated carbocyclization: A highly enantiospecific synthesis of (1S, 2S)-(+)-2-methyl-3-cyclopenten-1-ol

An enantiospecific synthesis of the title compound is described which involves the TiCl₄-promoted cyclization of the chiral allylic silane having formyl group, which was obtained via the Claisen rearrangement of ($\text{R}$, $\text{E}$)-1-trimethylsilyl-1-buten-3-ol.