Metal-Free Photoredox-Catalyzed Hydrodefluorination of Fluoroarenes Utilizing Amide Solvent as Reductant

A metal-free photoredox-catalyzed hydrodefluorination of fluoroarenes was achieved by using N,N,N’,N’-tetramethyl-para-phenylenediamine ( 1 ) as a strong photoreduction catalyst. This reaction was applicable not only to electron-rich monofluoroarenes but also to polyfluoroarenes to afford non-fluorinated arenes. The experimental mechanistic studies indicated that the amide solvent NMP plays an important role for regeneration of the photocatalyst, enabling additive-free photoreduction catalysis.     

Tungsten(0)- and rhenium(I)-catalyzed tandem cyclization of acetylenic dienol silyl ethers based on geminal carbo-functionalization of alkynes

Tungsten(0)- and rhenium(I)-catalyzed reactions of acetylenic dienol silyl ethers based on the concept of geminal carbo-functionalization of alkynes are reported. Treatment of 3-siloxy-1,3-diene-7-ynes with catalytic amounts of [W(CO)(6)] or [ReCl(CO)(5)] under photoirradiation conditions gives synthetically useful bicyclo[3.3.0]octane derivatives in good yields. Extremely high catalytic activity is noted for the rhenium(I) complex. The reaction has been extended to substrates containing a nitrogen atom in their tethers. In this case, two kinds of synthetically useful heterocyclic compounds-the 2-azabicyclo[3.3.0]octane derivatives 9 and the monocyclic dihydropyrroles 10, with allenyl substituents-are obtained, and selective preparation of either product can be achieved through the use of an appropriate combination of the nitrogen substituent and the type of the rhenium(I) catalyst. The 2-azabicyclo[3.3.0]octane derivatives 9 are obtained selectively by carrying out treatment of N-Ns derivatives in the presence of [ReCl(CO)(4)(PPh(3))], whereas the dihydropyrrole derivatives 10 are obtained by treatment of N-Mbs derivatives with [ReCl(CO)(5)]/AgSbF(6) . Finally, we have applied this geminal carbo-functionalization to one-carbon-elongated substrates containing N-Ts moieties in their tethers. Selective 5-exo cyclization is achieved in the presence of gold(I) or rhenium(I) catalysts, whereas 6-endo cyclization is observed on use of [W(CO)(6)].     

Insight into binding of calyculin A to protein phosphatase 1: isolation of hemicalyculin a and chemical transformation of calyculin A

Calyculin A isolated from the marine sponge Discodermia calyx is a potent inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A. We attempted to elucidate its mode of binding to the enzymes by examining the activity of natural and chemically transformed derivatives. Ten natural derivatives including a new compound, hemicalyculin A, were provided. The structure of hemicalyculin A, which comprises the southern hemisphere of calyculin A, was firmly established by chemical methods. Six compounds were prepared by selective modifications of functional groups in calyculin A. The enzyme inhibitory activity of these compounds indicated that 17-phosphate, 13-hydroxyl, and the hydrophobic tetraene moieties were all necessary for binding to the enzymes. The derivatives lacking the peptide portion were less cytotoxic even when they possessed full enzyme inhibitory activity.     

Wettability characterization of transparent MgF<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticle coatings with SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> binder covered with fluoroalkylsilane self-assembled monolayers

SiO₂-added MgF₂ nanoparticle coatings with various surface roughness properties were formed on silica-glass substrates from autoclaved sols prepared at 100–180 °C. The samples were exposed to fluoro-alkyl silane (FAS) vapor to give hydrophobicity. All nanoparticle samples before FAS treatment had transmittances higher than 93% and such values were preserved even after FAS treatment. We examined root mean square roughnesses of the nanoparticle coatings with a Scanning Probe Microscope. We also examined their static and dynamic wettabilities with a contact angle meter and calculated their adhesive energies and surface free energies (SFEs). The surface roughness of the nanoparticle coating increased with the increase of the autoclave temperature. In addition, higher autoclave temperature caused increases in the sliding angle and decreases in the SFE. Interestingly, the higher the contact angle was, the larger the sliding angle was, although smaller sliding angle was expected with a larger contact angle.     

NaOH-catalyzed crossed Claisen condensation between ketene silyl acetals and methyl esters

We have developed a practical crossed Claisen condensation between ketene silyl acetals and methyl esters using catalytic NaOH to obtain alpha-monoalkylated beta-keto esters and inaccessible alpha,alpha-dialkylated beta-keto esters.     

Depression of the apparent chiral recognition ability obtained in the host-guest complexation systems by electrospray and nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Chiral recognition in the host-guest complexation systems of chiral crown ether hosts and amino ester guests was thoroughly examined using the electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry/enantiomer labeled (EL)-guest method. In this method, the mass spectra of a mixture of three components in a solution, a chiral host (H), an equal amount of an (S)-enantiomer guest labeled with deuterium atoms (G(S-dn)(+)) and an unlabeled (R)-enantiomer guest (G(R)+), were measured and the relative peak intensity value [I(H + G(R))(+) / I(H + G(S-dn))(+) = IRIS] of the host-guest complex ions, observed with an excess guest concentration, was taken to provide the chiral recognition ability of the host. In our earlier report (1996), we demonstrated that the apparent chiral recognition abilities using a mass spectrometer with a homemade ESI interface were depressed by about one tenth compared with the corresponding abilities obtained by fast-atom bombardment (FAB) MS. In the present study, the enantioselective complexation behaviors of various combinations of chiral crown hosts with chiral guests were further investigated in detail mainly using a modern commercial ESI/ion trap (IT) mass spectrometer. Consequently, it was found that the apparent IRIS values from the ESI-MS/EL-guest method changed significantly, depending upon the instrument used, and in particular, upon the ESI interfaces. Moreover, under the specific measuring conditions in ESI-IT-MS, the degrees of depression of the apparent chiral recognition abilities are roughly grouped into three classes, depending upon the number (or probably the type) of the hydrophobic substituents of the hosts. Representing the degrees by the slopes when plotting the apparent IRIS values in ESI-MS versus those in FAB-MS, the slopes for the three classes are (1) 1.0, (2) 0.7 and (3) 0.3; the higher the hydrophobicity of the hosts (and then, the host-guest complex ions), the lower the slope (the apparent enantioselectivity). Strengthening the degree of depression may be caused by an increase in the local concentration of the host close to the surface of the droplets produced during the electrospary ionization process. The chiral recognition ability (K(R )/ K(S)) in an equilibrated solution agrees quite well with the IRIS value in FAB-MS rather than that in ESI-MS.     

A unified treatment of real-time ULM correlators

Many studies on an optical ULM correlator have been carried out by various workers. Different types of correlation are usually produced, depending not only on the combinations of signals to be processed but also on the optical and electrical filters used in the detecting stage. This paper investigates the effects of these conditions on the performance of the optical ULM correlator in some detail on the basis of a unified analysis. It is also shown, by considering in the course of this analysis the propagation of a spatial coherence function, that the coherence property of light used for the illumination does not affect the correlation-output signal. Some experiments are performed concerned with the effect of spatial coherence, binary or intensity correlation and the linear response for correlation in the ULM correlator.     

Fabrication and self-assembly of hydrophobic gold nanorods

Hydrophobic gold nanorods were fabricated from hydrophilic gold nanorods coated with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide by treating with mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) and subsequently octadecyltrimethoxysilane (ODS). The fabrication of the hydrophobic shell went through the process of (1) binding MPS onto the nanorods, (2) hydrolysis of methoxysilanes, and (3) immobilization of ODS by dehydration condensation. The 2- or 3-D ordered structures of hydrophobic nanorods were self-assembled by the evaporation of solvent on a substrate. The aspects of 2-D assemblies were dependent on the concentration of the nanorods, as was seen in transmission electron microscopic images. At a low concentration, the nanorods assembled parallel to the substrate, whereas they stood on the substrate at a high concentration. On the other hand, in a solid of the gold nanorods, the formation of the 3-D assembly was confirmed by small-angle X-ray scattering. The assembly consisted of hexagonal arrays of the gold nanorods and their lamellar accumulation.     

Direct perfluoroalkylation of non-activated aromatic C-H bonds of phenols

A simple procedure for the perfluoroalkylation of the aromatic ring of phenols under mildly basic conditions is described. Treatment of a variety of phenols with perfluoroalkyl iodide in the presence of the radical initiator V-70L and Cs₂CO₃ provided the corresponding perfluoroalkylated products in moderate to good yields. Generally, the reaction proceeded smoothly at room temperature to yield regioselectively perfluoroalkylated products.