Photoredox‐Catalyzed Alkenylation of Benzylsulfonium Salts

Visible light‐mediated radical alkenylation of benzylsulfonium salts was achieved by means of fac‐Ir(ppy)₃ as a photocatalyst, giving allylbenzenes as products. A variety of functional groups, such as halogen, ester, and cyano, were well tolerated in this transformation. Starting benzylsulfonium salts could be readily prepared from benzyl alcohols by an acid‐mediated substitution, increasing the synthetic utility of this transformation.     

Development of an efficient amine-functionalized glass platform by additional silanization treatment with alkylsilane

Aminosilane-treated molecular layers on glass surfaces are frequently used as functional platforms for biosensor preparation. All the amino groups present on the surface are not available in reactive forms, because surface amino groups interact with remaining unreacted surface silanol groups. Such nonspecific interactions might reduce the efficiency of chemical immobilization of biomolecules such as DNA, enzymes, antibodies, etc., in biosensor fabrication. To improve immobilization efficiency we have used additional surface silanization with alkylsilane (capping) to convert the remaining silanol groups into Si–O–Si linkages, thereby liberating the amino groups from nonspecific interaction with the silanol groups. We prepared different types of capped amine surface and evaluated the effect of capping on immobilization efficiency by investigating the fluorescence intensity of Cy3-NHS (N-hydroxysuccinimide) dye that reacted with amino groups. The results indicate that most of the capped amine surfaces resulted in enhanced efficiency of immobilization of Cy3-NHS compared with the untreated control amine surface. We found a trend that trialkoxysilanes had greater capping effects on immobilization efficiency than monoalkoxysilanes. It was also found that the aliphatic chain of alkylsilane, which does not participate in the capping of the silanol, had an important function in enhancing immobilization efficiency. These results would be useful for preparation of an amine-modified surface platform, with enhanced immobilization efficiency, which is essential for developing many kinds of biosensors on a silica matrix. Enhancement of amine funtionality by capping with alkylsilane     

A Permselective CeOx Coating To Improve the Stability of Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts

Highly active NiFeO_x electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) suffer gradual deactivation with time owing to the loss of Fe species from the active sites into solution during catalysis. The anodic deposition of a CeO_x layer prevents the loss of such Fe species from the OER catalysts, achieving a highly stable performance. The CeO_x layer does not affect the OER activity of the catalyst underneath but exhibits unique permselectivity, allowing the permeation of OH^? and O₂ through while preventing the diffusion of redox ions through the layer to function as a selective O₂‐evolving electrode. The use of such a permselective protective layer provides a new strategy for improving the durability of electrocatalysts.     

Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of 1-isopropyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives as novel antihypertensive agents

A series of 1-isopropyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives were synthesized and their bradycardic activities were evaluated in isolated guinea pig right atria. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that the introduction of an appropriate substituent and its position on the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline ring are essential for potent in vitro activity. Furthermore, the tether between the piperidyl moiety and the terminal aromatic ring is important for potent antihypertensive activity. Oral administration of 6-fluoro-1-isopropyl-2-{[1-(2-phenylethyl)piperidin-4-yl]carbonyl}-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (3b) to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) elicited antihypertensive effects without inducing reflex tachycardia, which is often caused by traditional L-type Ca2? channel blockers.     

High-yield diastereoselective synthesis of planar chiral [2]- and [3]rotaxanes constructed from per-ethylated pillar[5]arene and pyridinium derivatives

Planar chiral [2]- and [3]rotaxanes constructed from pillar[5]arenes as wheels and pyridinium derivatives as axles were obtained in high yield using click reactions. The process of rotaxane formation was diastereoselective; the obtained [2]rotaxane was a racemic mixture consisting of (pS, pS, pS, pS, pS) and (pR, pR, pR, pR, pR) forms of the per-ethylated pillar[5]arene (C2) wheel, and other possible types of the [2]rotaxane did not form. Isolation of the enantiopure [2]rotaxanes with one axle through (pS, pS, pS, pS, pS)-C2 or (pR, pR, pR, pR, pR)-C2 wheels was accomplished. Furthermore, pillar[5]arene-based [3]rotaxane was successfully synthesized by attachment of two pseudo [2]rotaxanes onto a bifunctional linker. [3]Rotaxane formed in a 1:2:1 mixture with one axle threaded through two (pS, pS, pS, pS, pS)-C2, one (pS, pS, pS, pS, pS)-C2 and one (pR, pR, pR, pR, pR)-C2 (meso form), or two (pR, pR, pR, pR, pR)-C2 wheels. The [3]rotaxane enantiomers and the meso form were successfully isolated using appropriate chiral HPLC column chromatography. The procedure developed in this study is the starting point for the creation of pillar[5]arene-based interlocked molecules.     

Experimental and theoretical investigations of isomerization reactions of ionized acetone and its dimer

Ionization dynamics of acetone and its dimer in supersonic jets is investigated by a combination of experimental and theoretical techniques, both of which have recently been developed. In experiments, the neutral and the cationic structures are explored by infrared predissociation spectroscopy with the vacuum-ultraviolet photoionization detection schemes. Reaction paths following the one-photon ionization of the acetone monomer and its dimer have been studied by the joint use of several theoretical methods including the ab initio molecular dynamics, the global reaction route mapping, the intrinsic reaction coordinate, and the artificial force induced reaction calculations. Upon one-photon ionization, the dimer isomerizes to the H-bonded form, in which the enol cation of acetone is bound to the neutral molecule, while this enolization is energetically forbidden in the acetone monomer. The enolization of the dimer cation occurs through a two-step proton-transfer from the methyl group of the ionized moiety, and is catalyzed by the neutral moiety within the dimer cation.     

The origin of unidirectional charge separation in photosynthetic reaction centers: nonadiabatic quantum dynamics of exciton and charge in pigment–protein complexes

Exciton charge separation in photosynthetic reaction centers from purple bacteria (PbRC) and photosystem II (PSII) occurs exclusively along one of the two pseudo-symmetric branches (active branch) of pigment–protein complexes. The microscopic origin of unidirectional charge separation in photosynthesis remains controversial. Here we elucidate the essential factors leading to unidirectional charge separation in PbRC and PSII, using nonadiabatic quantum dynamics calculations in conjunction with time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) with the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics/polarizable continuum model (QM/MM/PCM) method. This approach accounts for energetics, electronic coupling, and vibronic coupling of the pigment excited states under electrostatic interactions and polarization of whole protein environments. The calculated time constants of charge separation along the active branches of PbRC and PSII are similar to those observed in time-resolved spectroscopic experiments. In PbRC, Tyr-M210 near the accessary bacteriochlorophyll reduces the energy of the intermediate state and drastically accelerates charge separation overcoming the electron–hole interaction. Remarkably, even though both the active and inactive branches in PSII can accept excitons from light-harvesting complexes, charge separation in the inactive branch is prevented by a weak electronic coupling due to symmetry-breaking of the chlorophyll configurations. The exciton in the inactive branch in PSII can be transferred to the active branch via direct and indirect pathways. Subsequently, the ultrafast electron transfer to pheophytin in the active branch prevents exciton back transfer to the inactive branch, thereby achieving unidirectional charge separation.

Essential factors leading to unidirectional charge separation in photosynthetic reaction centers are clarified via nonadiabatic quantum dynamics calculations.     

Drying dissipative structures of the aqueous suspensions of monodisperse bentonite particles

Macroscopic and microscopic dissipative structural patterns formed in the course of drying the fractionated and monodisperse bentonite particles (plate-like in their shape) in aqueous deionized suspension and in the presence of NaCl have been studied on a cover glass. The patterns coexisted with the broad ring of the hill accumulated with the particles and with the round hills are formed around the outside edges of the film and in the center, respectively, in the macroscopic scale. By the addition of NaCl the pattern shifts from the broad ring to the round hill in the center. The spoke-like cracks, which have been observed for the suspensions of the spherical particles so often hitherto, are not observed at all for the bentonite suspensions. The characteristic convection flow of the particles and the interactions among the particles and substrate are important for the macroscopic pattern formation. Wrinkled, branch-like and/or star-like fractal patterns are observed in the microscopic scale. These patterns are determined mainly by the electrostatic and polar interactions between the particles and/or between the particle and the substrate in the course of drying.