Combined Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Sodium Battery Materials

Owing to developments in theoretical chemistry and computer power, the combination of calculations and experiments is now standard practice in understanding and developing new materials for battery systems. Here, we briefly review our recent combined studies based on density functional theory and molecular dynamics calculations for electrode and electrolyte materials for sodium‐ion batteries. These findings represent case studies of successful combinations of experimental and theoretical methods.     

Photochemical Reactions. 126th Communication. Photochemistry of an α, β: δ, ε-unsaturated ketone: 4-(2′, 7′, 7′-Trimethylbicyclo [3.2.0]hept-2′-en-1′-yl)-3-buten-2-one

On ¹n,π*-excitation, the title compound 2 undergoes a photoinduced intramolecular [4 + 2]-cycloaddition affording the tetracyclic enol ether 3 as the only product in 79% yield. The assigned structure of 3 was confirmed by its conversion to the p-nitrobenzoate 6 whose structure was determined by X-ray analysis.     

Freezing Point of Mixtures of C6H6 with C6D6 or 13C6H6 and of CH3COOH with CH3COOD or CD3COOD

The freezing points of mixtures of benzene, C₆H₆, with one of its isotopes, C₆D₆ and ¹³C₆H₆, and those of acetic acid CH₃COOH with its isotopes, CH₃COOD and CD₃COOD, were measured as functions of the molal concentrations of C₆D₆ and ¹³C₆H₆, CH₃COOD and CD₃COOD, respectively. They changed linearly or non-linearly with increasing molal concentration of C₆D₆ and ¹³C₆H₆, CH₃COOD, and CD₃COOD, respectively. These findings confirm Kiyosawas previous conclusion drawn from experiments on the freezing points of mixtures of H₂¹⁶O with H₂¹⁸O or H₂¹⁷O. This hypothesis states that even a difference in the number of neutrons in the hydrogen or oxygen atoms of water molecules makes water molecules behave as different entities with respect to the colligative properties of solutions. This concept can be extended to mixtures of ordinary benzene with either of its isotopes, C₆D₆ or ¹³C₆H₆, and those of ordinary acetic acid CH₃COOH with either of its isotopes, CH₃COOD or CD₃COOD.     

New syntheses of pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidines

New synthetic routes to pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidines starting with 5-amino-1,3,6-trimethyluracil (I) or 1,3,6-trimethyl-5-nitrouracil (X) are described. Thus, condensation of I with arylaldehydes gave 5-arylideneamino-1,3,6-trimethyluracils (IIa-h), which upon heating with dimethylformamide dimethylacetal afforded 6-aryl-1,3-dimethylpyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-diones (Va-h) via 5-arylideneamino-1,3-dimethyl-6-(2-dimethylaminovinyl)uracils (IIIa-h). On the other hand, reaction of X with phenylacetaldehyde in the presence of base yielded Va and its 5-oxide (XI).     

A versatile route to (η5-C5R5)RuL2X from allylmethylruthenium complexes

Divalent ruthenium complexes, (η⁵-C₅R₅)RuL₂X (R = H, CH₃; X = Br, Cl), are formed by thermal decomposition of (η⁵-C₅R₅)Ru(CH₃)X(η³-C₃H₅) in the presence of several neutral ligands.     

Synthetic antibacterials. VIII. 7-(1′-alkylhydrazino)-1,8-naphthyridines and related compounds

Synthesis and in vitro antibacterial activity of 7-(1′-alkylhydrazino)-1,8-naphthyridines related to nalidixic acid were investigated. Namely, treatment of 7-alkylamino-1-ethyl-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxylic acids 1a-d with sodium nitrite in the presence of hydrochloric acid gave the 1-ethyl-1,4-dihydro-7-(N-nitrosoalkylamino)-4-oxo-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxylic acids 2a-d , which upon reacting with zinc dust in acetic acid gave the 7-(1′-alkylhydrazino)-1-ethyl-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxylicacids 3a-d. The compound 3a was alternately obtained by the reaction of 7-chloro-1-ethyl-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-1,8-naphth-yridine-3-carboxylic acid ( 4 ) with methylhydrazine. The reaction of 7-chloro-4-hydroxy-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxylic acid ( 5 ) with methylhydrazine gave the 4-hydroxy-7-(1′-methylhydrazino)-4-oxo-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxylic acid ( 6 ), which upon treatment with alkyl halides afforded the 1-alkyl-1,4-dihydro-7-(1′-methyl-hydrazino)-4-oxo-1,8-naphthyridines 3a and 3e-g. The reaction of the appropriate 3 with ketones gave the corresponding 7-(1′-methylalkylidenehydrazino)-1,8-naphthyridines 7a-c and 8a-b. Among the compounds prepared, certain 3 and 7 exhibited good activity against Gram-negative bacteria.     

Synthesis of 1,3-dialkylpyrazolo [1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diones isomers of 1,3-dialkylxanthines

The synthesis of a new series of alkylxanthine analogs containing a bridgehead nitrogen atom is reported. 1,3-Dialkylpyrazolo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diones, were prepared by the treatment of 3-methylpyrazolo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-dione (3) with the corresponding alkyl iodide. Similarly, the reaction of 3-methyl-7-phenylpyrazolo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-dialkyl-7-phenylpyrazolo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diones. The starting materials, 3 and 17 , were prepared via the reaction of an appropriate 3-aminopyrazole with ethoxycarbonyl isothiocyanate. Several 8-bromo derivatives were prepared by direct bromination of the 1,3-dialkylpyrazolo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diones.     

PICOSECOND TRANSIENT BEHAVIOR OF REACTION-CENTER PARTICLES OF PHOTOSYSTEM I ISOLATED FROM SPINACH CHLOROPLASTS. ENERGY AND ELECTRON TRANSFER UPON SINGLE AND MULTIPLE PHOTON EXCITATION

Abstract— Both [15-¹³C] and [14-¹³C] all-trans-retinals were synthesized. Bacteriorhodopsin containing [14-¹³C]retinal as a chromophore, when solubilized with octyl-β-D-glucoside, showed characteristic resonances at 125 and 118 ppm from tetramethyl silane. The former was assigned to the signal from free retinal and the latter from protonated Sehiff base. When the bacteriorhodopsin was denatured in sodium dodecyl sulfate, the signal at 118 ppm disappeared, while the signal at 125 ppm rather increased.
In the case of bacteriorhodopsin containing [15-¹³C]retinal, when solubilized with Triton X-100, a characteristic resonance at 169 ppm was distinguishable as a shoulder peak superimposed on the broad signal of carbonyl carbons and it was assigned to the signal from the protonated Sehiff base. The other signal observed at 191 ppm was from free retinal.
These results suggested that the Sehiff base of bacteriorhodopsin is protonated in the dark.     

Use of abasic site-containing DNA strands for nucleobase recognition in water

Nucleobase recognition in water is successfully achieved by the use of an abasic site (AP site) as the molecular recognition field. We intentionally construct the AP site in DNA duplex so as to orient the AP site toward a target nucleobase and examine the complexation of 2-amino-7-methylnaphthyridine (AMND) with nucleobases at the AP site. AMND is found to selectively bind to cytosine (C) base with a 1:1 binding constant of >106 M-1, accompanied by remarkable quenching of its fluorescence. In addition to hydrogen bonding, a stacking interaction with nucleobases flanking the AP site seems responsible for the binding properties of AMND at the AP site. Possible use of AMND is also presented for selective and visible detection of a single-base alternation related to the cytosine base.