The active site structure of nitrided and oxynitrided graphite as a cathode catalyst in a fuel cell

The first-principles studies were performed for the modified graphites with various edge conformations, which revealed that the NH edge facilitates easy transfer of an electron into the adsorbed O(2).     

Superexchange mediated energy transfer in zinc(II) porphyrin-free base porphyrin dimers: comparison of m- and p-bis(phenylethynyl) phenylene linked dimers

The singlet-singlet energy transfer rate in a new zinc(II) porphyrin-free base porphyrin dimer, having a m-bis(phenylethynyl)phenylene bridge, was found to be slower than that in the corresponding p-bis(phenylethynyl)phenylene-bridged dimer, despite the shorter donor-acceptor distance and pathway. The slower rate is interpreted as evidence for a major contribution of the superexchange mechanism.     

Structural stability of boron clusters with octahedral and tetrahedral symmetries

The structural stability of cagelike boron clusters with octahedral and tetrahedral symmetries has been investigated by means of first-principles calculations. Twenty-eight cluster models, ranging from B(10) to B(66), were systematically constructed using regular and semiregular polyhedra as prototypes. The binding energies per atom were, on the whole, slightly lower than those of icosahedral clusters B(80) and B(100), which are supposed to be the most stable in the icosahedral group. The larger clusters did not always have higher binding energies. Isothermal molecular dynamics simulations were performed to determine the deformation temperatures at which clusters began to break or change their structures. We found eight clusters that had nonzero deformation temperatures, indicating that they are in metastable states. The octahedral cluster B(18) had the highest deformation temperature among these, similar to that of icosahedral B(80) and B(100). The analysis of the electronic structure of B(18) showed that it attained this high stability owing to Jahn-Teller distortion.     

Experimental and computational study of intermolecular migration of N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl group from N(7) to N(1) on a 7-azaindoline derivative

N,N-Dimethylcarbamoylation of the anilinic nitrogen atom N(1) on the spiro 7-azaindoline consists of two steps. The first step is N,N-dimethylcarbamoylation of the pyridyl nitrogen atom N(7), leading to the formation of an isolable intermediate. The second step is intermolecular migration of the N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl group from the pyridyl nitrogen atom N(7) to the anilinic nitrogen atom N(1). We accomplished optimization of the reaction conditions based on the revealed reaction mechanism and a large scale synthesis of compound 3 in quantitative yield.     

Isolation and structural characterization of an octaneselenolate-protected Au25 cluster

We report the isolation and structural characterization of an octaneselenolate-protected Au(25) cluster ([Au(25)(SeC(8)H(17))(18)](-)). Isolated [Au(25)(SeC(8)H(17))(18)](-) was characterized by various analytical techniques. The results strongly suggest that [Au(25)(SeC(8)H(17))(18)](-) possesses a similar geometric structure to the well-studied thiolate (RS)-protected Au(25) cluster ([Au(25)(SR)(18)](-)) and that the charge transfer between the metal atoms and ligands in [Au(25)(SeC(8)H(17))(18)](-) is lower than that in [Au(25)(SR)(18)](-). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation of a selenolate-protected gold cluster. [Au(25)(SeC(8)H(17))(18)](-) is an ideal compound for determining how changing the ligand from thiolate to selenolate affects the fundamental properties of a cluster.     

Formation of diaryl telluroxides and tellurones by photosensitized oxygenation of diaryl tellurides

Aerobic oxygenation of diaryl tellurides under photosensitized conditions is investigated. Unlike Ph(2)S and Ph(2)Se, reaction of diaryl tellurides with singlet oxygen proceeds smoothly to yield diaryl telluroxides and the corresponding tellurones. The product distribution is largely affected by the substrate and the reaction conditions. In particular, the photooxygenation of bulky diaryl tellurides principally produces tellurones. The results of a series of trapping experiments suggest that the diaryl telluroxides can capture transient intermediates such as Me(2)S(+)OO(-) and Ar(2)Te(+)OO(-), generated in the singlet oxygen oxidation of chalcogenides, to yield diaryl tellurones, and therefore it may be the most potent precursors of the tellurones.     

Generation of Singlet Diatomic Sulfur from 9,10-Epidithio-9,10-dihydroanthracene

The novel 9,10-epidithio-9,10-dihydroanthracene ( ) was formed as an intermediate in the reaction of 9,10-dihydro-9,10-(1,3-epidithio-2-methano- 2-p-methoxyphenyl-1-oxide)propanoanthracene ( ) with perchloric acid. Singlet diatomic sulfur was generated from endodisulfide and trapped with conjugated dienes.