Bench‐Stable Stock Solutions of Silicon Grignard Reagents: Application to Iron‐ and Cobalt‐Catalyzed Radical C(sp3)–Si Cross‐Coupling Reactions

A robust method for the preparation of silicon‐based magnesium reagents is reported. The MgBr₂ used in the lithium‐to‐magnesium transmetalation step is generated in situ from 1,2‐dibromoethane and elemental magnesium in hot THF. No precipitation of MgBr₂ occurs in the heat, and transmetalation at elevated temperature leads to homogeneous stock solutions of the silicon Grignard reagents that are stable and storable in the fridge. This method avoids the preparation of silicon pronucleophiles such as Si?Si and Si?B reagents. The new Grignard reagents were applied to unprecedented iron‐ and cobalt‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reactions of unactivated alkyl bromides. The functional‐group tolerance of these magnesium reagents is excellent.     

A family of octahedral rhenium cluster complexes [Re6Q8(H2O)n(OH)6-n]n-4 (Q=S, Se; n=0-6): structural and pH-dependent spectroscopic studies

The conversions of hexahydroxo rhenium cluster complexes [Re6Q8(OH)6]4- (Q=S, Se) in aqueous solutions in a wide pH range were investigated by chemical methods and spectroscopic measurements. Dependences of the spectroscopic and excited-state properties of the solutions on pH have been studied in detail. It has been found that a pH decrease of aqueous solutions of the potassium salts K4[Re6Q8(OH)6].8H2O (Q=S, Se) results in the formation of aquahydroxo and hexaaqua cluster complexes with the general formula [Re6Q8(H2O)n(OH)6-n]n-4 that could be considered as a result of the protonation of the terminal OH- ligands in the hexahydroxo complexes. The compounds K2[Re6S8(H2O)2(OH)4].2H2O (1), [Re6S8(H2O)4(OH)2].12H2O (2), [Re6S8(H2O)6][Re6S6Br8].10H2O (3), and [Re6Se8(H2O)4(OH)2] (4) have been isolated and characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction and elemental analyses and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. In crystal structures of the aquahydroxo complexes, the cluster units are connected to each other by an extensive system of very strong hydrogen bonds between terminal ligands.     

Surface modification of gold nanorods with synthetic cationic lipids

Colloidal gold nanorods (GNRs), which were passivated with cationic cerasome-forming lipids having triethoxysilyl groups, were obtained in the aqueous phase by sonication of the mixture of lipids and GNRs.     

Synthetic routes toward carborane-wheeled nanocars

A new set of aryleneethynylene derivatives bearing three, four, and six p-carboranes as potential wheels attached to a semirigid chassis have been designed and synthesized. These molecules are expected to move in predetermined patterns on atomically smooth surfaces, depending on their specific configuration.     

Synthesis of 2,2'-Bis(3,6,9-triazanonyl)-4,4'-bithiazole and related compounds as new DNA cleavage agents

Two new bithiazole derivatives, 2,2'-bis(3,6,9-triazanonyl)- and 2,2'-bis(3,7,11-triazaundecyl)-4,4'-bithiazoles (3a, b), were readily synthesized in six steps using the corresponding dialkylenetriamine as starting materials. Under physiological conditions, 5.0 microM 3a exhibited significant DNA cleavage activity in the presence of Co(II), whereas even at 50 micriM, 3b exhibited no DNA cleavage activity. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that 3a forms a 1 : 2 complex with Co(II) ions, whereas 3b does not. These conclusions were based on measurements of stoichiometries of the bithiazole-cobalt complexes obtained by the Job continuous variation method. In contrast, 3a, which contains diethylenetriamine moieties, showed decreased affinity for Calf Thymus (CT) DNA compared with that of 3b, which contains dipropylenetriamine moieties. These findings indicate that the structure of the two aminoalkyl side chains attached at the 2- and 2'-positions of the 4,4'-bithiazole ring significantly influence the formation of cobalt complexes, and affects the compound's ability to cleave DNA as well as its affinity for double-stranded DNA.     

Polycyclic N-hetero compounds. XXXV. Syntheses and anti-platelet aggregation activity of 5,6-Dihydro-4H-benzo[3,4]cyclohept[1,2-e]imidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidines with an oxygen function at the 1-position

Various 6,7-dihydro-5H-benzo[6,7]cyclohepta[1,2-d][pyrimidines bearing amino acid group at the 4-position of the skeleton were synthesized by the reaction of 4-chloro-6,7-dihydro-5H-benzo[6,7]cyclohepta[1,2-d]-pyrimidine with some amino acid, which were cyclized to 5,6-dihydro-4H-benzo[3,4]cyclohept[1,2-e]imidazo-[1,2-c]pyrimidines, corresponding to B-homo-11,13,15-triazasteroids. Their inhibitory activities against platelet aggregation induced by collagen were also investigated.     

Preparation of colloidal stable fluoroalkyl end‐capped oligomer/silver nanocomposites––application to the surface modification of traditional organic polymers with these nanocomposites

A variety of fluoroalkyl end‐capped oligomers/silver nanocomposites were prepared by the reactions of silver ions with poly(methylhydrosiloxane) in the presence of fluoroalkyl end‐capped N,N‐dimethylacrylamide oligomer, N‐(1,1‐dimethyl‐3‐oxobutyl)acrylamide oligomer, N,N‐dimethylacrylamide cooligomer containing poly(dimethylsiloxane) segments in organic media such as toluene and 1,2‐ dichloroethane. These fluorinated oligomers/silver nanocomposites thus obtained were found to exhibit clear plasmon absorption bands around 420 nm related to the formation of silver nanoparticles. In particular, these composites could display narrow plasmon absorptions around 420 nm in toluene by the addition of trioctylamine (TOA). On the other hand, the corresponding non‐fluorinated N‐(1,1‐ dimethyl‐3‐oxobutyl)acrylamide oligomer was not able to afford such a plasmon absorption under similar conditions. These fluorinated oligomers/silver nanocomposites in organic media have been found to be stable for more than 10 days. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements showed that silver nanoparticles could be effectively encapsulated into fluorinated oligomeric aggregate cores to afford colloidal stable fluorinated oligomers/silver nanocomposites. Fluorinated oligomers/silver nanocomposites were also applied to the surface modification of traditional organic polymers such as polystyrene (PSt) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to exhibit not only a good oleophobicity imparted by fluorine but also a higher surface antibacterial activity related to the silver nanoparticles on their surface. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Roles of hydrophobic interaction in a volume phase transition of alkylacrylamide gel induced by the hydrogen-bond-driving alkylphenol binding

It was found that a degree of the binding of alkylphenols to N-alkylacrylamide gel increased transitionally to induce the volume phase transition of gel. Binding isotherms of nonylphenol (n-Ph), propylphenol (p-Ph), ethylphenol (e-Ph), methylphenol (m-Ph), and phenol (Ph) to N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA), N,N-diethylacrylamide (DEA), N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), and acrylamide (AM) gels were examined. Two types of binding, the site binding at beta < 1 and the multimolecular binding at beta > 1, were observed, where beta was a degree of binding to a monomeric unit of the chain. The former binding was analyzed with the Hill equation applicable to the cooperative binding and the latter binding with the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) equation applicable to the multilayer adsorption. The binding constant, K, and the Hill coefficient, N, decreased and increased, respectively, in the order of DEA, NIPA, and DMA gels in the case where the binding alkylphenol was the same. The K value increased in the order of Ph, m-Ph, e-Ph, p-Ph, and n-Ph that bound to the same type of gel. The N value was found to change little with the type of binding alkylphenol. The complexes of N-alkylamide with alkylphenol were condensed to form the ordered nanostructures that were observed as broad scattering peaks in small-angle X-ray scattering experiments. The fluorescence excimer emission was observed for the phenol-binding DMA gel, which corresponded to the condensed state of phenol.     

Platinum monolayer on nonnoble metal-noble metal core-shell nanoparticle electrocatalysts for O2 reduction

We synthesized a new class of O2 electrocatalysts with a high activity and very low noble metal content. They consist of Pt monolayers deposited on the surfaces of carbon-supported nonnoble metal-noble metal core-shell nanoparticles. These core-shell nanoparticles were formed by segregating the atoms of the noble metal on to the nanoparticles' surfaces at elevated temperatures. A Pt monolayer was deposited by galvanic displacement of a Cu monolayer deposited at underpotentials. The mass activity of all the three Pt monolayer electrocatalysts investigated, viz., Pt/Au/Ni, Pt/Pd/Co, and Pt/Pt/Co, is more than order of magnitude higher than that of a state-of-the-art commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst. Geometric effects in the Pt monolayer and the effects of PtOH coverage, revealed by electrochemical data, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy data, appear to be the source of the enhanced catalytic activity. Our results demonstrated that high-activity electrocatalysts can be devised that contain only a fractional amount of Pt and a very small amount of another noble metal.