Synthesis and photochromic properties of quinoxalino[e]-annelated dimethyldihydropyrene with planar chirality

9,10-Diacetyl-2,7-di-tert-butyl-trans-10b,10c-dimethyl-10b,10c-dihydropyrene annelated with a quinoxaline unit (q-DM-DHP, 3) was prepared from 5,13-di-tert-butyl-8,16-dimethyl[2.2]metacyclophane-1,2,9,10-tetraoxide (2) and o-phenylenediamine in two steps. The photochromic isomers of q-DM-DHP 3, closed form 3a and open form 3b, were separated by reverse-phase HPLC, and their isolated UV–visible spectra were estimated. The chiral HPLC analyses of q-DM-DHP 3 indicated their planar chirality, and their CD spectra were measured. The photochromic properties and thermodynamic properties of 3 were also discussed based on their UV–visible, ¹H NMR, CD, and fluorescence spectra.     

Spectroelectrochemical identification of a pentavalent uranyl tetrachloro complex in room-temperature ionic liquid

Reduction of U(VI)O(2)Cl(4)(2-) in a mixture of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and its chloride at E°' = -0.996 V vs Fc/Fc(+) and 298 K affords U(V)O(2)Cl(4)(3-), which is kinetically stable and exhibits typical character of U(V) in the UV-vis-NIR absorption spectrum.     

Total syntheses of (+)-spiculoic acid A and (+)-zyggomphic acid, new marine natural products of polyketide origin

The total syntheses of both natural (+)-spiculoic acid A and (+)-zyggomphic acid, new cytotoxic marine natural products of polyketide origin, have been accomplished for the first time. These syntheses were achieved by the highly stereoselective and high-yielding intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of a functionalized (E,E,E)-2,7,9-dodecanal derivative to construct the core tetrahydroindan-2-one skeleton. A stereocongener of (+)-spiculoic acid A, i.e., the (2R,5S,6R)-isomer, was also synthesized. The details of these total syntheses are described.     

Stereoselective synthesis of tetrahydro-2H-[2]benzopyrano[3,4-c]pyrrol-3-ones and related compounds as precursors of serotonin 5-HT2C receptor agonists

Tetrahydro-2H-[2]benzopyrano[3,4-c]pyrrol-3-ones and the related 3a-methyl-2,3,3a,4,5,9b-hexahydro-1H-benzo[e]isoindole analogues were synthesised by an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction. The observed stereoselectivity was dependent upon the nature of the tethered dienophile as well as the judicious placement of the amide.     

Spin-orbit relativistic long-range corrected time-dependent density functional theory for investigating spin-forbidden transitions in photochemical reactions

A long-range corrected (LC) time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) incorporating relativistic effects with spin-orbit couplings is presented. The relativistic effects are based on the two-component zeroth-order regular approximation Hamiltonian. Before calculating the electronic excitations, we calculated the ionization potentials (IPs) of alkaline metal, alkaline-earth metal, group 12 transition metal, and rare gas atoms as the minus orbital (spinor) energies on the basis of Koopmans' theorem. We found that both long-range exchange and spin-orbit coupling effects are required to obtain Koopmans' IPs, i.e., the orbital (spinor) energies, quantitatively in DFT calculations even for first-row transition metals and systems containing large short-range exchange effects. We then calculated the valence excitations of group 12 transition metal atoms and the Rydberg excitations of rare gas atoms using spin-orbit relativistic LC-TDDFT. We found that the long-range exchange and spin-orbit coupling effects significantly contribute to the electronic spectra of even light atoms if the atoms have low-lying excitations between orbital spinors of quite different electron distributions.     

Mannich-Michael versus formal aza-Diels-Alder approaches to piperidine derivatives

A review into the aza-Diels-Alder reaction, mainly concentrating on literature examples that form piperidin-4-ones from the reaction of imines and electron rich dienes or enones, either through a Lewis acidic/Br?nsted acid approach or through the use of an organocatalyst. This review questions whether the mechanism of the aza-Diels-Alder reaction is step wise as opposed to concerted when using oxygenated dienes.     

Microfluidic baker's transformation device for three-dimensional rapid mixing

We developed a new passive-type micromixer based on the baker's transformation and realized a fast mixing of a protein solution, which has lower diffusion constant. The baker's transformation is an ideal mixing method, but there is no report on the microfluidic baker's transformation (MBT), since it is required to fabricate the complicated three-dimensional (3D) structure to realize the MBT device. In this note, we successfully fabricate the MBT device by using precision diamond cutting of an oxygen-free copper substrate for the mould fabrication and PDMS replication. The MBT device with 10.4 mm mixing length enables us to achieve complete mixing of a FITC solution (D = 2.6 × 10(-10) m(2) s(-1)) within 51 ms and an IgG solution (D = 4.6 × 10(-11) m(2) s(-1)) within 306 ms. Its mixing speed is 70-fold higher for a FITC solution and 900-fold higher for an IgG solution than the mixing speed by the microchannel without MBT structures. The Péclet number to attain complete mixing in the MBT device is estimated to be 6.9 × 10(4).     

Medicinal Flowers. XXXII. Structures of oleanane-type triterpene saponins, perennisosides VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII, from the flowers of Bellis perennis

Five new triterpene saponins perennisosides VIII (1), IX (2), X (3), XI (4), and XII (5) were isolated from the MeOH-eluated fraction of the methanolic extract from the flowers of Bellis perennis. The MeOH-eluted fraction of the methanolic extract from the flowers of B. perennis was found to inhibit gastric emptying in olive oil-loaded mice at a dose of 200 mg/kg, per os (p.o.). The stereostructures of 1-5 were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence.     

Discovery of novel Thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-yl hydrazone-based cyclin-dependent kinase 4 inhibitors: synthesis, biological evaluation and structure-activity relationships

The design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-yl hydrazone analogues as cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) inhibitors are described. In continuing our program aim to search for potent CDK4 inhibitors, the introduction of a thiazole group at the hydrazone part has led to marked enhancement of chemical stability. Furthermore, by focusing on the optimization at the C-4' position of the thiazole ring and the C-6 position of the thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine moiety, compound 35 has been identified with efficacy in a xenograft model of HCT116 cells. In this paper, the potency, selectivity profile, and structure-activity relationships of our synthetic compounds are discussed.     

Synthesis of a spirobifluorene-bridged allylsilane precursor for periodic mesoporous organosilica

A novel spirobifluorene-bridged allylsilane precursor, which can be easily purified by silica gel chromatography, was prepared by using a new molecular building block for allylsilane sol-gel precursors (MBAS) and successfully converted into a highly fluorescent periodic mesoporous organosilica film.