Novel and efficient one‐pot synthesis of azuleno[1,2‐b]‐benzothiophenic enones from the corresponding 2‐cycloheptatrientyl‐3‐(2‐furyl)benzothiophenes

2‐Cycloheptatrienyl‐3‐(2‐furyl)benzothiophenes, which are prepared by Stille coupling reaction of 2‐cyclo‐heptatrienyl‐3‐bromobenzothiophene with the 5‐substituted 2‐trimethylstannylfurans, react with triphenylmethyl tetrafluoroborate to give the corresponding azuleno[1,2‐b]benzothiophenic enones in excellent yields.     

N,N-Diethyl-3-toluamide Formulation Based on Ethanol Containing 0.1% 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin Attenuates the Drug’s Skin Penetration and Prolongs the Repellent Effect without Stickiness

N,N-diethyl-3-toluamide (DEET) is one of the most widely used insect repellents in the world. It was reported that a solution containing 6–30% cyclodextrin (CD) as a solvent instead of ethanol (EtOH) provided an enhancement of the repellent action time duration of the DEET formulation, although the high-dose CD caused stickiness. In order to overcome this shortcoming, we attempted to prepare a 10% DEET formulation using EtOH containing low-dose CDs (β-CD, 2-hydroxypropyl-β-CD (HPβCD), methyl-β-CD, and sulfobutylether-β-CD) as solvents (DEET/EtOH/CD formulations). We determined the CD concentration to be 0.1% in the DEET/EtOH/CD formulations, since the stickiness of 0.1% CDs was not felt (approximately 8 × 10⁻³ N). The DEET residue on the skin superficial layers was prolonged, and the drug penetration into the skin tissue was decreased by the addition of 0.1% CD. In particular, the retention time and attenuated penetration of DEET on the rat skin treated with the DEET/EtOH/HPβCD formulation was significantly higher in comparison with that of the DEET/EtOH formulation without CD. Moreover, the repellent effect of DEET was more sustained by the addition of 0.1% HPβCD in the study using Aedes albopictus. In conclusion, we found that the DEET/EtOH/HPβCD formulations reduced the skin penetration of DEET and prolonged the repellent action without stickiness.     

Organic thin films based on a dicyanovinyl-quaterthiophene: Influence of electrode configuration on third-order nonlinear optical properties measured by electroabsorption spectroscopy

Electroabsorption (EA) studies at room temperature on organic thin films based on a dicyanovinyl-quaterthiophene 4T-V(CN)₂ are reported. An electric field modulation is applied to the samples for two different electrode geometries, i.e. sandwich and coplanar versus the organic layer. Changes in optical absorption coefficient of 4T-V(CN)₂ based thin films are measured and analyzed to determine the character of the optical transition in the visible range (400-800 nm). Depending on the experimental electrode configuration, magnitude of electroabsorption responses are different, possibly due to different distribution of the externally applied electric field. The results indicate a higher resolution of EA response for the sandwich electrode configuration and confirm the charge transfer exciton character of 4T-V(CN)₂ in contrast to the unsubstituted quaterthiophene 4T. Finally, a third-order nonlinear susceptibility χ⁽³⁾ (−ω; ω, 0, 0) of 16 × 10⁻¹² e.s.u. is obtained.     

Efficient synthesis of [2]- and higher order rotaxanes via the transition metal-catalyzed hydrosilylation of alkyne

A novel end-capping method of pseudorotaxanes via the hydrosilylation of the alkyne of the axle terminal was developed. RuHCl(CO)(PPh₃)₃ and RhCl(CO)(PPh₃)₃ complexes catalyzed the hydrosilylation reactions of the alkyne moiety of several pseudorotaxanes at ambient temperature to give the corresponding [2]- and higher order rotaxanes in high yields with excellent regio- and stereoselectivity.     

Microwave spectrum, structure, dipole moment and internal rotation of allylsilane

Microwave spectra of allylsilane and its ¹³C and deuterium substituted species have been measured and assigned for the skew isomer. The r_s structure was determined with the aid of several assumptions. Some of the parameters determined are; r(C=C) = 1.328 ± 0.007 Å, r(C---C) = 1.492 ± 0.008 Å, (CCC) = 126.7 ± 0.8°, (CCSi) = 111.6 ± 0.5° and τ(CCCSi) = 106.8 ± 1.1°. Dipole moments and their components were also determined for the CH₂ = CHCH₂SiH₃ and CH₂=CHCH₂SiD₃ species. Hyperconjugation between the C=C π bond and the C---Si σ bond is discussed.     

Theoretical analysis of potential forces in markets

We show that random walks in a moving potential function, with its center at the moving average of market prices, are represented in the form of the self-modulation model. From this point of view we confirm the existence of non-trivial autocorrelation in real market price changes. By generalizing the formulation of potential function we prove that the ARCH model belongs to the special case of random walk in an asymmetric potential with randomly changing coefficient.     

Photoinduced amino-imino tautomerism: an infrared study of 2-amino-5-methylpyridine in a low-temperature argon matrix

The photoreaction of 2-amino-5-methylpyridine was investigated by matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopy and DFT calculation. Photoinduced reversible amino (N=C-NH(2))-imino (NH-C=NH) tautomerism was found between 2-amino-5-methylpyridine and 5-methyl-2(1H)-pyridinimine; the amino tautomer changes to the imino tautomer by UV irradiation (340>lambda>or= 300 nm) and the reverse change occurs by longer-wavelength light irradiation (420>lambda>or= 340 nm). The results of the CASSCF calculation revealed that the amino-imino tautomerism proceeds in vibrational relaxation process from electronic excited state to the ground state. The IR spectra of 2-amino-5-methylpyridine in the T(1) state and 5-methyl-2-pyridinamino radical were also obtained by UV irradiation (lambda>or= 300 nm).     

A quantum chemical study of the catalysis for cytidine deaminase: contribution of the extra water molecule

Cytidine deaminase is known as an important enzyme responsible for the hydrolytic deamination of cytidine, which is applied as a key step to the conversion of the precursor of the cancer drug to an active form in the living body. Cytidine with water is efficiently converted to uridine with ammonia in the cleft of cytidine deaminase. In this work, the catalysis of cytidine deaminase for the hydrolytic deamination was examined using cytosine as a model of cytidine and the model molecules for the active site of cytidine deaminase by means of the quantum chemical method. We especially investigated the contribution of the water molecule from the solvent to the catalysis, because the X-ray diffraction analysis of a crystal structure has revealed the existence of the water molecule in the vicinity of the substrate bound to the active site inside the cleft. Our computations showed that the extra water molecule from the solvent has a possibility to support the catalysis of cytidine deaminase.     

Intermolecular interaction and a concentration-quenching mechanism of phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes in a solid film

Solid-state self-quenching processes of highly efficient Ir(III) phosphorescent emitters are investigated by the measurement of thin film photoluminescence quantum efficiency and transient lifetime as a function of doping concentration in a host matrix. The radiative decay rate constant is found to be independent from the average distance between dopant molecules (R), and the concentration-quenching rate constant is shown to be dependent on R(-6). The quenching dependence on R strongly suggests that luminescent concentration quenching in a phosphorescent Ir(III) complex:host film is controlled by dipole-dipole deactivating interactions as described by the F?rster energy transfer model.