pH-Dependent catalytic activity and chemoselectivity in transfer hydrogenation catalyzed by iridium complex with 4,4'-dihydroxy-2,2'-bipyridine

Transfer hydrogenation catalyzed by an iridium catalyst with 4,4'-dihydroxy-2,2'-bipyridine (DHBP) in an aqueous formate solution exhibits highly pH-dependent catalytic activity and chemoselectivity. The substantial change in the activity is due to the electronic effect based on the acid-base equilibrium of the phenolic hydroxyl group of DHBP. Under basic conditions, high turnover frequency values of the DHBP complex, which can be more than 1000 times the value of the unsubstituted analogue, are obtained (up to 81 000 h(-1) at 80 degrees C). In addition, the DHBP catalyst exhibits pH-dependent chemoselectivity for alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Selective reduction of the C=C bond of enone with high activity are observed under basic conditions. The ketone moieties can be reduced with satisfactory activity under acidic conditions. In particular, pH-selective chemoselectivity of the C=O versus C=C bond reduction was observed in the transfer hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde.     

Photoinduced omega-bond dissociation of m-halomethylbenzophenones studied by laser photolysis techniques and DFT calculations. Substituted position effects

Photochemical profiles of omega-cleavage of carbon-X (X = Br and Cl) bonds in m-bromo- and m-chloromethylbenzophenones (m-BMBP and m-CMBP) were investigated by laser photolysis techniques and DFT calculations. m-BMBP and m-CMBP were found to undergo omega-bond cleavage to yield the m-benzoylbenzyl radical (m-BBR) at 295 K, and the quantum yields were determined. No CIDEP signal was detected upon 308 nm laser photolysis of both the compounds. From these observations, it was inferred that the omega-bond of these m-halomethylbenzophenones (m-HMBP) cleaves in the lowest excited singlet state (S(1)(n,pi(*))) upon direct excitation. Upon triplet sensitization of acetone (Ac), the m-BBR formation was observed in transient absorption for an Ac-m-BMBP system, and an efficiency of the C-Br bond cleavage in the lowest triplet state (T(1)(n,pi(*))) of m-BMBP was determined. In contrast, formation of triplet m-CMBP was seen for an Ac-m-CMBP system. Absence of C-Cl bond cleavage in the triplet state of m-CMBP indicated the reactive state of m-CMBP for omega-cleavage is only the S(1)(n,pi(*)) state. Based on the efficiencies and DFT calculations for excited state energies, photoinduced omega-bond dissociation of m- and p-HMBPs was characterized.     

Photoresponsive porphyrin-imprinted polymers prepared using a novel functional monomer having diaminopyridine and azobenzene moieties

A novel photoresponsive functional monomer bearing diaminopyridine and azobenzene moieties was synthesized and applied to the preparation of photo-regulated molecularly imprinted polymers, which can recognize porphyrin derivatives through hydrogen bonding. The binding affinity of the imprinted cavities was regulated by UV irradiation, suggesting that azobenzene groups located inside the binding sites worked as photosensitizers and the trans-cis isomerization could regulate the affinity for the target compounds. Repetitive binding of the target compound to trans-IP and cis-IP was directly monitored by slab optical waveguide spectroscopy and the photo-mediated regulation of binding affinity was successfully confirmed.     

Primary processes during the light-signal transduction of phototropin

Phototropin is a blue-light photoreceptor in plants that mediates phototropism, chloroplast relocation, stomata opening and leaf expansion. Phototropin molecule has two photoreceptive domains named LOV1 (light-oxygen-voltage) and LOV2 in the N-terminus and a serine/threonine kinase domain in the C-terminus, and acts as a blue light-regulated kinase. Each LOV domain binds a flavin mononucleotide as a chromophore and undergoes unique cyclic reactions upon blue-light absorption that comprises a cysteinyl-flavin adduct formation through a triplet-excited state and a successive adduct break to revert to the initial ground state. The molecular reactions underlying the photocycle are reviewed and one of the probable molecular schemes is presented. Adduct formation alters the secondary protein structure of the LOV domains. This structural change could be transferred to the linker between the kinase domain and involved in the photoregulation of the kinase activity. The structural changes as well as the oligomeric structures seem to differ between LOV1 and LOV2, which may explain the proposed roles of each domain in the photoregulation of the kinase activity. The photoregulation mechanism of phototropin kinase is reviewed and discussed in reference to the regulation mechanism of protein kinase A, which it resembles.     

Antiferromagnetic or canted antiferromagnetic orderings of Fe(III) d spins of FeX4- ions in BEDT-TTFVO(S).FeX4 (X = Cl, Br) [BEDT-TTFVO(S) = bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalenoquinone(-thioquinone)-1,3-dithiolemethide

By the reaction of new donor molecules, bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalenoquinone(-thioquinone)-1,3-dithiolemethides [BEDT-TTFVO (1) and BEDT-TTFVS (2)] with FeX3 (X = Cl, Br) in CS2/CH3CN, 1:1 salts of 1 or 2 with an FeX4- ion (1.FeX4 and 2.FeX4) were obtained as black needle crystals. Their crystal structures are very similar to each other, in which the donor molecules are strongly dimerized and the dimers construct a one-dimensional uniform chain along the a axis, while the FeX4- ions are located at an open space surrounded by the neighboring donor molecules and also construct a one-dimensional uniform chain along the a axis. There are close contacts between the donor molecules and the FeX4- ions and significant differences in the contact distances among the four salts. All of the salts are semiconductors with room-temperature electrical conductivities of 10-4-10-2 S cm-1. The Fe(III) d spins of the FeX4- ions are subject to dominant ferromagnetic interaction through the participation of one of the singlet pi spins to form a short-range ferromagnetic d-spin chain. Such neighboring chains interact antiferromagnetically with each other through the singlet pi spins and are ordered at 1.0, 2.4, and 0.8 K for 1.FeCl4, 1.FeBr4, and 2.FeCl4, respectively. On the other hand, the antiferromagnetic ordering occurred with some canted angle at 1.9 K to leave a small magnetization for 2.FeBr4.     

Granulation of core particles suitable for film coating by agitation fluidized bed I. Optimum formulation for core particles and development of a novel friability test method

To prepare powdered medicines without bitter taste, film coating is required to cover the surface of core particles. In this study, effect of formulation and operating conditions of agitation fluidized bed on the core particle properties was investigated. In order to prevent breakage of the core particles during coating process, which sometimes causes variation of drug dissolution rate, addition of maltose syrup powder during the formulation process of the core particles was investigated. Also, a method for friability test in which the core particles were subjected to strong impact was proposed to evaluate strength of the core particles. The friability of the core particles determined by this test method correlated well with the actual friability of the particles during the coating process. Based on this result, we confirmed this novel friability test method could predict the core particle endurance during the coating process.     

Fluorescent behavior of 2‐(3,4,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐2‐hydroxyphenyl)imidazo‐[1,2‐a]pyridine in the presence of metal perchlorate

2‐(3,4,5,6‐Tetrafluoro‐2‐hydroxyphenyl)imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridine ( 1 ) emits long wavelength light around 540 nm both in polar and in nonpolar solvents. Zn²⁺ perchlorate in acetonitrile causes the intermediate wavelength emission around 430 nm, which is ascribed to the species where the imidazole nitrogen atom and the phenolate oxygen atom bridge Zn²⁺. In the presence of Hg²⁺ and Al³⁺ perchlorates, short wavelength emission around 370 nm is strongly increased and this fluorescent enhancement is attributable not to the coordination of Hg²⁺ and Al³⁺ to 1 but to the formation of the salt of perchloric acid of 1 .