Regioselective Exohedral Functionalization of La@C82 and its 1,2,3,4,5‐Pentamethylcyclopentadiene and Adamantylidene Adducts

The first regioselective functionalization of La@C₈₂ by two different groups has been performed. Bis‐adducts of La@C₈₂ with Cp* and adamantylidene were synthesized by using two different routes and characterized. Spectroscopic analysis and theoretical calculations reveal that the addition position is controlled by the charge density and p‐orbital axis vector value of the fullerene cage.     

Application of second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory with resolution-of-identity approximation to periodic systems

Efficient periodic boundary condition (PBC) calculations by the second-order M?ller-Plesset perturbation (MP2) method based on crystal orbital formalism are developed by introducing the resolution-of-identity (RI) approximation of four-center two-electron repulsion integrals (ERIs). The formulation and implementation of the PBC RI-MP2 method are presented. In this method, the mixed auxiliary basis functions of the combination of Poisson and Gaussian type functions are used to circumvent the slow convergence of the lattice sum of the long-range ERIs. Test calculations of one-dimensional periodic trans-polyacetylene show that the PBC RI-MP2 method greatly reduces the computational times as well as memory and disk sizes, without the loss of accuracy, compared to the conventional PBC MP2 method.     

Chemistry of anthracene-acetylene oligomers: synthesis and enantiomeric resolution of a chiral 1,8-anthrylene-ethynylene cyclic tetramer

To construct a new type of chiral pi-conjugated system, the title anthracene-acetylene oligomer containing two octyl groups at position 10 of 1,2-alternating anthracene groups was synthesized. Each anthracene unit was connected by Sonogashira coupling, and the tetrameric precursor was cyclized by a cross-coupling reaction to form the desired C2-symmetric compound. Its enantiomers were resolved by chiral HPLC with a Chiralcel OD column, and the chiroptical properties were investigated by optical rotation ([alpha]D(23) = -95 and +91) and circular dichroism (CD) measurements. The structural and spectroscopic features of this oligomer were discussed in terms of the molecular symmetry and the dynamic behavior of the macrocyclic framework.     

Preparation of nitrogen-substituted TiO2 thin film photocatalysts by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering deposition method and their photocatalytic reactivity under visible light irradiation

Nitrogen-substituted TiO2 (N-TiO2) thin film photocatalysts have been prepared by a radio frequency magnetron sputtering (RF-MS) deposition method using a N2/Ar mixture sputtering gas. The effect of the concentration of substituted nitrogen on the characteristics of the N-TiO2 thin films was investigated by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. The absorption band of the N-TiO2 thin film was found to shift smoothly to visible light regions up to 550 nm, its extent depending on the concentration of nitrogen substituted within the TiO2 lattice in a range of 2.0-16.5%. The N-TiO2 thin film photocatalyst with a nitrogen concentration of 6.0% exhibited the highest reactivity for the photocatalytic oxidation of 2-propanol diluted in water even under visible (lambda > or = 450 nm) or solar light irradiation. Moreover, N-TiO2 thin film photocatalysts prepared on conducting glass electrodes showed anodic photocurrents attributed to the photooxidation of water under visible light, its extent depending on wavelengths up to 550 nm. The absorbed photon to current conversion efficiencies reached 25.2% and 22.4% under UV (lambda = 360 nm) and visible light (lambda = 420 nm), respectively. UV-vis and photoelectrochemical investigations also confirmed that these thin films remain thermodynamically and mechanically stable even under heat treatment at 673 K. In addition, XPS and XRD studies revealed that a significantly high substitution of the lattice O atoms of the TiO2 with the N atoms plays a crucial role in the band gap narrowing of the TiO2 thin films, enabling them to absorb and operate under visible light irradiation as a highly reactive, effective photocatalyst.     

New cyclic depsipeptides from the green alga Bryopsis species; application of a carboxypeptidase hydrolysis reaction to the structure determination

New cyclic depsipeptides, kahalalides P (1) and Q (2), were isolated from the Hawaiian green alga Bryopsis sp. The sequential positions of the dl anti-podal amino acids were determined by a carboxypeptidase hydrolysis reaction. This enzymatic method will be applicable to the structure determination of other non-ribosomal peptides. The absolute chemistry of 3-hydroxy-9-methyldecanoic acid in kahalalides P and Q were determined by the recently introduced convenient Mosher ester procedure.     

Tagging of avidin immobilized beads with biotinylated YAG:Ce3+ nanocrystal phosphor

YAG:Ce³⁺ nanoparticles 9.5 ± 1.2 nm in diameter have been synthesized from aluminium isopropoxide and acetates of yttrium and cerium in 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) by autoclave treatment at 300 °C for 2 h. After replacing 1,4-BD by ultrapure water, NH₂ groups were introduced on the surface of YAG:Ce³⁺ nanoparticles by addition of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane then biotinylation with sulfo-NHS-LC-biotin. We demonstrated that avidin immobilized beads are tagged by biotinylated YAG:Ce³⁺ nanoparticles by the selective avidin-biotin interaction, furnishing a green fluorescent image on excitation with blue light. This result indicates that YAG:Ce³⁺ nanoparticle phosphors have much potential in biological applications.     

A reliable Pd-mediated hydrogenolytic deprotection of BOM group of uridine ureido nitrogen

The benzyloxymethyl (BOM) group has been utilized widely in syntheses of a variety of natural and non-natural products. The BOM group is also one of few choices to protect uridine ureido nitrogen. However, hydrogenolytic cleavage of the BOM group of uridine derivatives has been unreliably performed via heterogeneous conditions using Pd catalysts. One of the undesirable by-products formed by Pd-mediated hydrogenation conditions is the over-reduced product in which the C5-C6 double bond of the uracil moiety was saturated. To date, we have generated a wide range of uridine-containing antibacterial agents, where the BOM group has been utilized in their syntheses. In screening of deprotection conditions of the BOM group of uridine ureido nitrogen under Pd-mediated hydrogenation conditions, we realized that the addition of water to the ⁱPrOH-based hydrogenation conditions can suppress the formation of over-reduced uridine derivatives and the addition of HCO₂H (0.5%) dramatically improve the reaction rate. An optimized hydrogenation condition described here can be applicable to the BOM-deprotections of a wide range of uridine derivatives.     

Utilizing photocurrent transients for dithiolene-based photodetection: stepwise improvements at communications relevant wavelengths

Photodetection based on bis-(4-dimethylaminodithiobenzil)-Ni(II) (BDN), a representative and well-studied metal dithiolene that shows strong absorption in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, has been investigated. By adopting a metal/insulator/semiconductor/metal (MISM) structure, the peak photocurrent response to an oscillating light chain is increased by up to 50 times, compared to devices without an insulating layer. The transient form of the MISM photoresponse, while unsuitable for steady-state photodetection, can be used to detect periodic light signals of frequencies up to 1 MHz, and is thus applicable for optical communication. Further improvements have been realized by nanostructuring carbon black into the dithiolene layer, improving charge collection, and yielding detectivity of up to 1.6 × 10(11) Jones at wavelengths beyond the scope of silicon photodiodes. Such an architecture may allow the favorable absorption properties of other such metal dithiolenes to be harnessed, where their low charge carrier mobilities and short excitation lifetimes have previously limited their applicability to this field.     

Batch and column study: sorption of perfluorinated surfactants from water and cosolvent systems by Amberlite XAD resins

Amberlite XAD resins have been employed to a great extent as the sorbent for removing or concentrating organic compounds from different matrices. We present for the first time a systematic study on the sorption of perfluorochemical (PFC) surfactants, an emerging class of environmental contaminants, by XAD-7HP (moderately polar) and XAD-2 (nonpolar). The results show that XAD-7HP can strongly sorb PFCs at circumneutral pH; the isotherm-determined linear sorption coefficient can reach 10(6)L/kg. On the other hand, the sorption coefficient for XAD-2 was two orders of magnitude lower than that for XAD-7HP. PFC sorption on XAD-7HP increased with an increase of the perfluorocarbon chain length of PFC and a decrease of the solution pH, indicating the importance of hydrophobic and electrostatic effects. The sorption coefficient for XAD-7HP reduced markedly with increasing fraction of the organic cosolvent (methanol) in the water-cosolvent mixture; however, the trend could not be predicted by a log-linear cosolvency model. Furthermore, the statistical analysis of column test results showed that after regeneration XAD-7HP can be used at least eight times without significant loss of performance. Finally, the experimental results imply that XAD-7HP sorption of shorter-chained PFCs (≤5 perfluorinated carbons) from water can be thermodynamically favorable.     

Development of scattering near-field optical microspectroscopy apparatus using an infrared synchrotron radiation source

We report the status of a scattering near-field microspectroscopy apparatus developed at SPring-8 using an infrared synchrotron radiation (IR-SR) source. It consists of a scattering type scanning near-field optical microscope and a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The IR-SR is used as a highly brilliant and broad-band IR source. This apparatus has potential for application in near-field spectroscopy with high spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limit. In order to eliminate background scatterings from the probe shaft and/or sample surface, we used higher harmonic demodulation method. The near-field spectra were observed by 2nd harmonic components using the lock-in detection. The spatial resolution of about 300 nm was achieved at around 1000 cm^? 1 (10 μm wavelength).