Fabrication of flexible gold films with periodic sub-micrometer roughness and their wettability control by modification of SAM

Flexible honeycomb gold films supported by polymer sheets are fabricated by using polystyrene particle monolayers. The surfaces of the flexible gold films are covered with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of hydrophobic or hydrophilic thiol compounds, and the wettability of the modified surface is evaluated by measurements of the contact angles of water droplets. The contact angle of the film covered with hydrophobic SAM is ca. 150 degrees, which is greater than the value of 112 degrees for a flat gold surface, while the values for hydrophilic SAM are below 10 degrees.     

Designed surface construction by photo-induced vapor-phase assisted surface polymerization of vinyl monomers using immobilized free radical initiators

To build up finely designed patterns on solid surfaces, consecutive vapor-phase assisted surface photo-polymerization (VASP) of methyl methacrylate and styrene was carried out under UV-irradiation through a stripe-patterned photo-mask on Si-wafer and Au-plate surfaces, resulting in the reproduction of designed and multi-layered patterns made of block copolymer chains grafted from the surfaces.     

Competitive photoinduced electron transfer by the complex formation of porphyrin with cyclodextrin bearing viologen

Photoinduced electron transfer between a porphyrin and a new guest cyclodextrin bearing viologen occurs by a supramolecular formation with conformational change of a guest molecule.     

La@C72 having a non-IPR carbon cage

We show here that La@C72 has a non-IPR cage, unique electronic properties, and high reactivity by the spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analysis and the theoretical study. The isolation of La@C72 as a stable derivative might constitute an important stepping-stone on the way to isolation of these unknown metallofullerenes and open new material science of metallofullerenes.     

Magnetic transitions of single-component molecular metal [Au(tmdt)2] and its alloy systems

A single-component molecular conductor [Au(tmdt)2] (tmdt = trimethylenetetrathiafulvalenedithiolate) undergoes an antiferromagnetic phase transition at unprecedentedly high temperature (TN = 110 K). Black microcrystals of alloys, [Ni1-xAux(tmdt)2] (0.0 < x < 1.0) were prepared. The Au-rich system exhibited an antiferromagnetic transition. Metallic single crystal was obtained for x = 0.25.     

Spin-site exchange system constructed from endohedral metallofullerenes and organic donors

Complexation behavior of the paramagnetic La@C82 metallofullerene with organic donor molecules (D) in solution is investigated. It is revealed that La@C82 and D form a 1:1 complex as a result of electron transfer. La@C82 and D are in equilibrium with [La@C82]-/[D]*+ in solution, which is readily controllable by changing the temperature and solvent.     

Dispersion and separation of small-diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes

The dispersion of small-diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) produced by the CoMoCAT method in tetrahydrofuran (THF) with the use of amine was studied. The absorption, photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopies showed that the dispersion and centrifugation process leads to an effective separation of metallic SWNTs from semiconducting SWNTs. Since this method is simple and convenient, it is highly applicable to an industrial utilization for widespread applications of SWNTs.     

A practical and facile synthesis of azetidine derivatives for oral carbapenem, L-084

An orally active carbapenem L-084, which exhibits high bioavailability in humans, has a 1-(1,3-thiazolin-2-yl)azetidin-3-ylthio moiety at the C-2 position of the 1beta-methylcarbapenem skeleton. We established a practical and cost-effective synthesis of 3-mercapto-1-(1,3-thiazolin-2-yl)azetidine (1) for further scale-up production of L-084. This synthesis method entails an industry-oriented reaction of azetidine ring-closure to yield N-benzyl-3-hydroxyazetidine (16), which is eventually converted to 1 via key intermediates, Bunte salts 19 and 20.