Synthesis and properties of optically active 1,3-diols and their derivatives as chiral dopants for ferroelectric liquid crystals

Abstract

New chiral dopants β-hydroxy ketones 1, 1,3-diols 2, 1,3-dioxanes 3 and 1,3-dioxan-2-ones 4 were designed and synthesized. Reaction of (R)-1,2-epoxyoctane with carbanions derived from 2-(4-substituted phenyl)-1,3-dithianes followed by hydrolysis of the resulting hydroxy dithianes afforded 1. Reduction of 1 gave the diols 2, which yielded 3 upon acetalization and 4 upon carbonation. The syn isomers of 2, 3, and 4 exhibited larger spontaneous polarizations, when applied as chiral dopants, than the anti isomers or hydroxy ketones 1.     

Efficient Synthesis of Polycyclic γ-Lactams by Catalytic Carbonylation of Ene-Imines via Nickelacycle Intermediates

The nickel(0)-catalyzed carbonylative cycloaddition of 1,5- and 1,6-ene-imines with carbon monoxide (CO) is reported. Key to this reaction is the efficient regeneration of the catalytically active nickel(0) species from nickel carbonyl complexes such as [Ni(CO)₃L]. A variety of tri- and tetracyclic γ-lactams were thus prepared in excellent yields with 100 % atom efficiency. Preliminary results on asymmetric derivatives promise potential in the synthesis of enantioenriched polycyclic γ-lactams.     

Supramolecular system composed of B12 model complex and organic photosensitizer: impact of the corrin framework of B12 on the visible-light-driven dechlorination without the use of noble metals

The visible-light-driven dechlorination system without the use of a noble metal has been developed. We screened the combination of cobalt catalysts having square-planar monoanionic ligands (hydrophobic B₁₂ model complex 1/imine-oxime type complex 2) and typical red dyes (Rose Bengal 3/Rhodamine B 4/Nile Red 5) for the construction of a dehalogenation system via a noble-metal-free and visible-light-driven process. The combination of the hydrophobic B₁₂ model complex 1 and Rose Bengal 3 exhibited the highest catalytic activity to 1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane (DDT) to form the monodechlorinated compound, 1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethane, as the major product. The prolonged photocatalysis of DDT by the B₁₂–Rose Bengal system afforded the tri-dechlorinated compound, trans-4,4′-dichlorostilbene, as the major product. Furthermore, we investigated the mechanism of the dehalogenation cycle using various methods such as UV–vis spectroscopy and laser flash photolysis. Finally, we clarified the advantage of using the hydrophobic B₁₂ model complex 1 as an electron acceptor as well as a cobalt catalyst in the organic dye-involved photocatalysis.     

An Alternative Method for the Stereospecific Synthesis of Conjugated Alkenynes Via the Copper (I) Iodide Assisted Cross-Coupling Reaction of 1-Akyens with Haloalkenes

Conjugated alkenynes were prepared stereospecifically in moderate to good yields by heating haloalkenes with 1-alkynes in the presence of copper(I) iodide in hexamethylphosphoric triamide (HMPA).     

Universal fluorescent labeling of amplification products using locked nucleic acids

Amplification/hybridization‐based genetic analyses using primers containing locked nucleic acids (LNAs) present many benefits. Here, we developed a novel design for universal fluorescent PCR using LNAs. Universal fluorescent PCR generates intermediate nonlabeled fragments and final fluorescent fragments in a two‐step amplification process that uses locus‐specific primers with universal tails and universal fluorescent primers. In this study, a few standard nucleotides were replaced with LNAs only in the fluorescent universal primers. The sequence of the fluorescent universal primer significantly affected the amplification efficiency. For primers with three LNAs, the fluorescent primers with stable M13(‐47) sequences provided the most efficient signal (approximately tenfold higher than the primers with M13(‐21) sequences at lower Tm values). Moreover, AT‐rich LNA substitutions in the fluorescent primers produced much lower amplification efficiencies than GC‐rich substitutions. GC‐rich LNAs produced greater differences in Tm values among primers, and resulted in the preferential production of fluorescently labeled amplicons. The specificity and sensitivity of LNA‐containing fluorescent primers were assessed by genotyping eight STRs in Japanese individuals, and full STR profiles could be generated using as little as 0.25 ng of genomic DNA. The method permitted clear discrimination of alleles and represents sensitive STR genotyping at a reduced cost.     

Ni‐Catalyzed [4+3+2] Cycloaddition of Ethyl Cyclopropylideneacetate and Dienynes: Scope and Mechanistic Insights

A detailed study of the Ni‐catalyzed [4+3+2] cycloaddition reaction between ethyl cyclopropylideneacetate and dienynes has been conducted, resulting in the development of a new method for the synthesis of compounds containing nine‐membered rings. We studied the reactivity of various dienynes, together with their substituent and conformational effects. The mechanism of the reaction was probed by examining the stoichiometric reactions of the Ni complexes and dienynes.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Coupling Reaction of Perfluoroarenes with Diarylzinc Compounds

This report describes the first Pd⁰‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of hexafluorobenzene (C₆F₆) with diarylzinc compounds to give a variety of pentafluorophenyl arenes. This reaction could be applied to other perfluoroarenes, such as octafluorotoluene, pentafluoropyridine, and perfluoronaphthalene, to give the corresponding polyfluorinated coupling products. The optimal ligand in this catalytic reaction was PCy₃, and lithium iodide was indispensable as an additive for the coupling reaction. One of the roles of lithium iodide in this catalytic reaction was to promote the oxidative addition of one C?F bond of C₆F₆ to palladium. Stoichiometric reactions revealed that an expected oxidative‐addition product, trans‐[Pd(C₆F₅)I(PCy₃)₂], generated from the reaction of [Pd(PCy₃)₂] with C₆F₆ in the presence of lithium iodide, was not involved in the catalytic cycle. Instead, a transient three‐coordinate, monophosphine‐ligated species, [Pd(C₆F₅)I(PCy₃)], emerged as a potential intermediate in the catalytic cycle. Therefore, we isolated a novel Pd^II complex, [Pd(C₆F₅)I(PCy₃)(py)], in which pyridine (py) acted as a labile ligand to generate the transient species. In fact, in the presence of lithium iodide, this Pd^II complex was found to react smoothly with diphenylzinc to give the desired pentafluorophenyl benzene, whereas the same reaction conducted in the absence of lithium iodide resulted in a decreased yield of pentafluorophenyl benzene, which indicated that the other role of lithium iodide was to enhance the reactivity of the organozinc species during the transmetalation step.     

Metal-to-Oxide Charge Transfer Observed by a Kelvin Probe Force Microscope

The charge transfer from a nanometer-sized transition metal particle to a catalyst support is thought to affect reactions over the metal surface. We propose the application of Kelvin probe force microscope, which is an extension of the atomic force microscope, to observe the charge transfer particle-by-particle. Our recent results on Na adatoms, Cl adatoms, Pt adatoms and particles, and Ni particles evaporated on TiO₂(110) are reviewed.     

Clove oil prevents glycyrrhizin gel formation in aqueous solution

One persistent problem with using therapeutic concentrations of glycyrrhizin (GZ) is that, at these high concentrations, it forms a gel in an aqueous solution. We previously solved this problem by dissolving GZ in a highly concentrated phosphate buffer. Unfortunately, the resulting GZ solution has a hyperosmotic pressure that renders it unsuitable for use in patients. The aim of this study was to prepare a highly concentrated GZ solution having an osmotic pressure ratio of 1 and a pH of 7.4. By adding small amounts of oil and using a 100 mM phosphate buffer, we achieved an emulsified GZ solution that is stable at room temperature and has a physiological osmotic pressure and pH. When clove oil was used as an emulsifier, the gel formation temperature of GZ solution decreased appreciably compared to that of GZ solution without clove oil. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we examined the detailed characteristics of GZ gels prepared from solutions with or without clove oil. SEM of cross sections of GZ gels revealed an irregular structure in gels prepared with clove oil, indicating that clove oil prevented the formation of the intermolecular GZ networks typically characterized by gels derived from pure GZ solutions.