Formation of the dimer radical cation of aromatic sulfide on the TiO2 surface during photocatalytic reactions

The formation of the dimer radical cation (D*+) of 4-(methylthio) benzoic acid on a TiO2 surface is demonstrated using the time-resolved diffuse reflectance technique. The observed time-resolved diffuse reflectance spectral shape significantly depends on the substrate concentrations. The substrate concentration dependences of the initial transient signal intensity (%abs.(t=0)) and the amount of adsorbates (n(ad)) clearly suggest that the formation of D*+ is attributableto the high local substrate concentration on the TiO2 surface. The electronic influence of substituents on the formation of D*+ is also discussed.     

Tetracyanoethylene oxide not only oxidizes sulfides to sulfoxides but also reduces sulfoxides to sulfides

It was found that tetracyanoethylene oxide not only oxidizes sulfides to sulfoxides but also reduces sulfoxides to sulfides with generation of two molecules of carbonyl cyanide. The reaction thus also functions as a new method for generation of carbonyl cyanide.     

Monitored aminolysis of 3-acylthiazolidine-2-thione : A new convenient synthesis of amide

3-Acylthiazolidine-2-thiones ($\text{1}$) were easily prepared and they were treated with several amines in dichloromethane to give amides $\text{4}$ in very high yields within a short time. Aminoalcohols and aminophenols were selectively converted into acylaminoalcohols and acylaminophenols, respectively, by this reaction. One can monitor the reaction by disappearance of the yellow color of the starting material $\text{1}$. Some amide alkaloids ($\text{1}$$\text{5}$–$\text{1}$$\text{8}$) have effectively been synthesized.     

Photovoltaic cells using composite nanoclusters of porphyrins and fullerenes with gold nanoparticles

Novel organic solar cells have been prepared using quaternary self-organization of porphyrin (donor) and fullerene (acceptor) units by clusterization with gold nanoparticles on nanostructured SnO2 electrodes. First, porphyrin-alkanethiolate monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles (H2PCnMPC: n is the number of methylene groups in the spacer) are prepared (secondary organization) starting from the primary component (porphyrin-alkanethiol). These porphyrin-modified gold nanoparticles form complexes with fullerene molecules (tertiary organization), and they are clusterized in acetonitrile/toluene mixed solvent (quaternary organization). The highly colored composite clusters can then be assembled as three-dimensional arrays onto nanostructured SnO2 films to afford the OTE/SnO2/(H2PCnMPC+C60)m electrode using an electrophoretic deposition method. The film of the composite clusters with gold nanoparticle exhibits an incident photon-to-photocurrent efficiency (IPCE) as high as 54% and broad photocurrent action spectra (up to 1000 nm). The power conversion efficiency of the OTE/SnO2/(H2PC15MPC+C60)m composite electrode reaches as high as 1.5%, which is 45 times higher than that of the reference system consisting of the both single components of porphyrin and fullerene.     

Anomalous fluorescence from the azaxanthone ketyl radical in the excited state

The time-resolved absorption and fluorescence spectra of the azaxanthone (AX) ketyl radical (AXH.) in the excited state (AXH.(Dn) (n = 1 or 2)) were observed during the nanosecond-picosecond two-color two-laser flash photolysis. AXH. showed dual fluorescence peaks at 460 and 645 nm, which were assigned to the D2 --> D0 and D1 --> D0 transitions, respectively. It was found that the lifetime of the D2 --> D0 fluorescence (1.0 ns) was longer than that of the D1 --> D0 fluorescence (0.4 ns). The fluorescent quantum yields of the D1 --> D0 and D2 --> D0 fluorescence were estimated to be 0.0008 +/- 0.0002 and 0.05 +/- 0.02, respectively. These anomalous emitting properties can be attributed to the pyridine ring in AX. AXH. is a new example of a neutral radical which violates Kasha's rule.     

Nondenaturing two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of loop-sheet polymerization of serpin, squamous cell carcinoma antigen-2

Two homologous serine proteinase inhibitors (serpins), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen-1 and -2 were separated by nondenaturing two-dimensional electrophoresis combined with immunostaining to acquire further information on these proteins under physiological conditions. Polymers of SCC antigen-2 were detected in cytosolic extracts prepared from tumor tissues. The polymer formation of SCC antigen-2 was apparently decreased and the SCC antigen-2-synthetic peptide binary complexes were newly formed by the addition of synthetic peptide with sequences corresponding to residues from P14 to P2 in the reactive center loop of SCC antigen-2. On the other hand, the incubation with synthetic peptides having the sequence of the reactive center loop of SCC antigen-1 or antithrombin had no effect on polymerization of SCC antigen-2. These data suggest that the polymerization of SCC antigen-2 may occur spontaneously in vivo by the loop-sheet mechanism of serpin.     

On the mixed complexes of tetracycline metal chelates

The mixed complexes of chlorotetracycline-metal chelates with isomazid, penicillin G, and dihydrostreptomycin were examined with Th⁺⁴, Cu⁺², Fe⁺³, Co⁺³, and Ni⁺² ions.A mechanism is proposed that accounts for the formation of the mixed complexes, cationic chelates of tetracycline have a molar ratio of 1 : 1 of metal to chlorotetracycline and mixed complexes are formed by combining with other ligands through the remaining covalencies. The properties and preparation of the mixed complexes are given     

Chemopreventive action of xanthone derivatives on photosensitized DNA damage

Photosensitized DNA damage participates in solar-UV carcinogenesis, photogenotoxicity and phototoxicity. A chemoprevention of photosensitized DNA damage is one of the most important methods for the above phototoxic effects. In this study, the chemopreventive action of xanthone (XAN) derivatives (bellidifolin [BEL], gentiacaulein [GEN], norswertianin [NOR] and swerchirin [SWE]) on DNA damage photosensitized by riboflavin was demonstrated using [32P]-5'-end-labeled DNA fragments obtained from genes relevant to human cancer. GEN and NOR effectively inhibited the formation of piperidine-labile products at consecutive G residues by photoexcited riboflavin, whereas BEL and SWE did not show significant inhibition of DNA damage. The four XAN derivatives decrease the formation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo), an oxidative product of G, by photoexcited riboflavin. The preventive action for the 8-oxodGuo formation of these XAN derivatives increased in the following order: GEN>NOR>BEL>SWE. A fluorescence spectroscopic study and ab initio molecular orbital calculations suggested that the prevention of DNA photodamage is because of the quenching of the triplet excited state of riboflavin by XAN derivatives through electron transfer. This chemoprevention is based on neither antioxidation nor a physical sunscreen effect; rather, it is based on the quenching of a photosensitizer. In conclusion, XAN derivatives, especially GEN, may act as novel chemopreventive agents by the quenching mechanism of an excited photosensitizer.     

Interaction between vitamin D receptor and vitamin D ligands: two-dimensional alanine scanning mutational analysis

We present a new method to investigate the details of interaction between vitamin D nuclear receptor (VDR) and various ligands, namely a two-dimensional alanine scanning mutational analysis. In this method, the transactivation of various ligands is studied in conjunction with a series of alanine scanning mutations of the residues lining the ligand binding pocket (LBP) of VDR, and the complete set of results is profiled in a patch table. We investigated examples from four structurally diverse groups of known VDR ligands: the native vitamin D hormone and two compounds with the same side chain configuration; four 20-epi compounds; three 19-nor compounds; and two nonsecosteroids. The patch table of the results indicates characteristics of each group in terms of its interaction with 18 LBP residues. We demonstrate the validity of this approach by application to docking studies of the two nonsecosteroids.     

Functions of key residues in the ligand-binding pocket of vitamin D receptor: Fragment molecular orbital–interfragment interaction energy analysis

Fragment molecular orbital–interfragment interaction energy calculations of the vitamin D receptor (VDR)/1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ complex were utilized to assign functions of key residues of the VDR. Only one residue forms a significant interaction with the corresponding hydroxy group of the ligand, although two residues are located around each hydroxy group. The degradation of binding affinity for derivatives upon removal of a hydroxy group is closely related to the trend in the strength of the hydrogen bonds. Type II hereditary rickets due to an Arg274 point mutation is caused by the lack of the strongest hydrogen bond.