New 1,3-dioxan-type ionic liquid crystal compounds having a large dielectric constant

New pyridinium-type thermotropic ionic liquid crystal materials having a 1,3-dioxan ring in its central core: N-substituted-4-(5-alkyl-1,3-dioxan-2-yl)pyridinium bromides (6) were synthesized. The mesomorphic behaviour of these compounds and dielectric constant perpendicular to the molecular axis were measured. The principal features of these compounds are that they exhibit a smectic A phase over a wide temperature range including room temperature - for example 6f: g -9 SmA 181 I (°C)-and they have a large dielectric constant perpendicular to the molecular axis.     

Liquid crystal properties of new ionic liquid crystal compounds having a 1,3-dioxane ring

New pyridinium type chiral ionic liquid crystal materials having a 1,3-dioxane ring in the central core, (+)- N -2-methylbutyl-4-(5-alkyl-1,3-dioxan-2-yl)pyridinium bromides (6), were synthesized. Mixture A was made by adding 5.9 wt % of compound 6?3 to the ferroelectric liquid crystal mixture Merck 4655-100; its phase transitions and some liquid crystal properties were measured. In spite of a large decrease of P_s for mixture A, its response time A was the same as that of Merck 4655-100. The dielectric constants perpendicular to the molecular axis for the smectic C* and smectic A phases were measured for the mixture and Merck 4655?100: in the smectic C phase, these dielectric constants were almost the same (4.5～5.5), but in the smectic A phase, the perpendicular dielectric constant of the mixture was 47.0 and that of Merck 4655?100 was 4.5.     

Dinuclear nickel complexes of phenolbased dinucleating macrocycles: Synthesis,structure, and properties

Abstract

Dinuclear Ni₂(II,II) complexes with the formula [Ni₂(R^m,n)](ClO₄)₂ ((m,n)= (2,2) (1), (2,3) (2), (2,4) (3)) have been obtained where (R^m,n)^2- denotes the macrocycles containing two 2,6-bis(iminomethyl)-4-methylphenolate entities combined through two lateral chains, -(CH₂)_m- and -(CH₂)_n-, at the imino nitrogens. [Ni₂(R^2,2)](ClO₄)₂ (1) crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system, space group P 1, with Z=1, a=8.396(2) Å, b= 10.021(2) Å, c=8.104(2) Å, α=109.56(2)°, β=99.40(2)°, γ=79.89(2)°, V=628.5(3) ų and Z=1. The refinement converges with R=0.0384 and R_w=0.0415 for 2075 reflections with | Fo | > 3[sgrave](| Fo |). In the centrosymmetric [Ni₂(R^2,2)]²⁺, a pair of Ni(II) ions are bridged by two phenolic oxygens with the Ni···Ni separation of 2.801(1) Å. Each Ni assumes a planar configuration with Ni-O bond distances of 1.842(3) and 1.838(3) Å and Ni-N bond distances of 1.814(3) and 1.823(3) Å. In the solid state, 1 is diamagnetic (S₁=S₂=0) whereas [Ni₂(R^2,3)]-(ClO₄)₂ (2) and [Ni₂(R^2,4)](ClO₄)₂ (3) are of a mixed-spin (S₁=0, S₂=1). In DMSO and pyridine all the complexes assume high-spin (S₁=S₂=1). The Ni₂(II,II) complexes are electrochemically reduced in DMSO or pyridine to Ni₂(I,II) and Ni₂(I,I) complexes. The conproportionation constants of the Ni₂(I,II) complexes are determined to be 3.4X10⁴-1.2X10⁵ in DMSO and 1.6X10³-2.6X10⁵ in pyridine. The Ni₂(I,II) and Ni₂(I,I) complexes of 1–3 have been prepared by electrolysis in DMSO. The mixed-valent complexes of 1 and 2 are characterized by an intervalence (IV) transition band at 790 and ～ 700 nm, respectively, and belong to Class II using the classification of Robin and Day. The Ni₂(I,II) complex of 3 shows no IT band (Class I). The Ni₂(I,II) complexes of 1-3 show well-resolved ESR spectra due to the spin-coupled S_T = 1/2 ground-state. The Ni₂(I,I) complexes of 1-3 are all ESR- innocent probably due to the strong antiferromagnetic interaction.     

High-throughput walkthrough detection portal for counter terrorism: detection of triacetone triperoxide (TATP) vapor by atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization ion trap mass spectrometry

With the aim of improving security, a high‐throughput portal system for detecting triacetone triperoxide (TATP) vapor emitted from passengers and luggage was developed. The portal system consists of a push‐pull air sampler, an atmospheric‐pressure chemical ionization (APCI) ion source, and an explosives detector based on mass spectrometry. To improve the sensitivity of the explosives detector, a novel linear ion trap mass spectrometer with wire electrodes (wire‐LIT) is installed in the portal system. TATP signals were clearly obtained 2 s after the subject under detection passed through the portal system. Preliminary results on sensitivity and throughput show that the portal system is a useful tool for preventing the use of TATP‐based improvised explosive devices by screening persons in places where many people are coming and going. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Psb30 is a photosystem II reaction center subunit and is required for optimal growth in high light in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The psb30 (ycf12) gene is conserved in a wide variety of oxygenic-photosynthetic organisms except angiosperms and some marine cyanobacteria. Psb30 protein is found in cyanobacterial photosystem II (PSII) core complexes and is dispensable for PSII structure and function. The most recent three-dimensional structure of cyanobacterial PSII core complex has revealed that Psb30 is located in proximity of PsbJ, PsbK, and PsbZ. However Psb30 has not yet been detected in PSII complexes from eukaryotic photosynthetic organisms. Here we found the expression of the chloroplast psb30 gene in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by immunoblotting and Psb30 is exclusively co-purifies with PSII core complex and is significantly reduced in PSII-deficient mutants. Partial disintegration of PSII core complex and subsequent fractionation of the resulting subcomplexes revealed that Psb30 is exclusively associated with PSII reaction center. We have generated chloroplast transformants in which the psb30 gene is disrupted and the resulting ΔPsb30 cells showed decreased oxygen evolution activity by 15%, grew photosynthetically under moderate light, and displayed increased sensitivity to high light relative to wild type. We conclude that Psb30 is a PSII reaction center subunit and is required for optimal PSII function under high light environments.     

A Compound I Mimic Reveals the Transient Active Species of a Cytochrome P450 Enzyme: Insight into the Stereoselectivity of P450-Catalysed Oxidations

Catching the structure of cytochrome P450 enzymes in flagrante is crucial for the development of P450 biocatalysts, as most structures collected are found trapped in a precatalytic conformation. At the heart of P450 catalysis lies Cpd I, a short-lived, highly reactive intermediate, whose recalcitrant nature has thwarted most attempts at capturing catalytically relevant poses of P450s. We report the crystal structure of P450BM3 mimicking the state in the precise moment preceding epoxidation, which is in perfect agreement with the experimentally observed stereoselectivity. This structure was attained by incorporation of the stable Cpd I mimic oxomolybdenum mesoporphyrin IX into P450BM3 in the presence of styrene. The orientation of styrene to the Mo-oxo species in the crystal structures sheds light onto the dynamics involved in the rotation of styrene to present its vinyl group to Cpd I. This method serves as a powerful tool for predicting and modelling the stereoselectivity of P450 reactions.     

Synthesis and photoinduced coloration of ferric bipyridine complex linked viologen units in a polymer matrix

A ferric bipyridine complex linked viologen unit was synthesized and its photoinduced coloration properties were investigated in a thin poly(vinyl alcohol) film. The colorless‐to‐color change of the film occurs upon irradiation, associated with the intramolecular electron transfer from the photoreduced viologen to the colorless ferric bipyridine complex.     

Total Synthesis of Lucidumone through Convenient One-pot Preparation of the Tetracyclic Skeleton by Claisen Rearrangement and Subsequent Intramolecular Aldol Reaction

The total synthesis of lucidumone ( 1 ), a Ganoderma meroterpenoid, was accomplished in racemic form from easily prepared 6 and 7 in 10 steps as the longest linear sequence. The synthesis was completed through one-pot preparation of the tetracyclic core skeleton by Claisen rearrangement followed by an intramolecular aldol reaction. The intramolecular aldol reaction allowed for the stereocontrolled construction of the bicyclo [2.2.2] octane skeleton fused to an indanone structure. The enantioselective total synthesis of 1 was also described via a chiral transfer strategy in the Claisen rearrangement.