Catalytic enantioselective desymmetrization of meso-glutaric anhydrides using a stable Ni2-Schiff base catalyst

We describe the desymmetrization of meso-glutaric anhydrides to chiral hemiesters using a bench-stable homodinuclear Ni(2)-(Schiff base) complex as the catalyst in good to excellent yield (up to 99%) and enantioselectivity (up to 94%). Using the opposite enantiomer of the catalyst, we obtained the same yield and enantioselectivity with the opposite configuration, thereby gaining access to both hemiester enantiomers.     

Amycolamicin: A Novel Broad‐Spectrum Antibiotic Inhibiting Bacterial Topoisomerase

The abuse of antibacterial drugs imposes a selection pressure on bacteria that has driven the evolution of multidrug resistance in many pathogens. Our efforts to discover novel classes of antibiotics to combat these pathogens resulted in the discovery of amycolamicin (AMM). The absolute structure of AMM was determined by NMR spectroscopy, X‐ray analysis, chemical degradation, and modification of its functional groups. AMM consists of trans‐decalin, tetramic acid, two unusual sugars (amycolose and amykitanose), and dichloropyrrole carboxylic acid. The pyranose ring named as amykitanose undergoes anomerization in methanol. AMM is a potent and broad‐spectrum antibiotic against Gram‐positive pathogenic bacteria by inhibiting DNA gyrase and bacterial topoisomerase IV. The target of AMM has been proved to be the DNA gyrase B subunit and its binding mode to DNA gyrase is different from those of novobiocin and coumermycin, the known DNA gyrase inhibitors.     

Application of paramagnetic NMR-validated molecular dynamics simulation to the analysis of a conformational ensemble of a branched oligosaccharide

Oligosaccharides of biological importance often exhibit branched covalent structures and dynamic conformational multiplicities. Here we report the application of a method that we developed, which combined molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and lanthanide-assisted paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy, to evaluate the dynamic conformational ensemble of a branched oligosaccharide. A lanthanide-chelating tag was attached to the reducing end of the branched tetrasaccharide of GM2 ganglioside to observe pseudocontact shifts as the source of long distance information for validating the conformational ensemble derived from MD simulations. By inspecting the results, the conformational space of the GM2 tetrasaccharide was compared with that of its nonbranched derivative, the GM3 trisaccharide.     

Whose deletion does not affect your payoff? The difference between the Shapley value, the egalitarian value, the solidarity value, and the Banzhaf value

This study provides a unified axiomatic characterization method of one-point solutions for cooperative games with transferable utilities. Any one-point solution that satisfies efficiency, the balanced cycle contributions property (BCC), and the axioms related to invariance under a player deletion is characterized as a corollary of our general result. BCC is a weaker requirement than the well-known balanced contributions property. Any one-point solution that is both symmetric and linear satisfies BCC. The invariance axioms necessitate that the deletion of a specific player from games does not affect the other players’ payoffs, and this deletion is different with respect to solutions. As corollaries of the above characterization result, we are able to characterize the well-known one-point solutions, the Shapley, egalitarian, and solidarity values, in a unified manner. We also studied characterizations of an inefficient one-point solution, the Banzhaf value that is a well-known alternative to the Shapley value.     

Ferromagnetic coupling promoted by kappa3N:kappa2N bridging system

Syntheses, structures, and magnetic properties of novel trinuclear complexes of the same motif [M{Cu(pz2bg)2}M]4+ (M = CuII, NiII, CoII, MnII), catena-[Cu2{Cu(pz2bg)2}(Hpz)2(PhSO3)2](PhSO3)2.4H2O (2.4H2O), [Ni2{Cu(pz2bg)2}(MeOH)2(H2O)4](NO3)4 (3), [Co2{Cu(pz2bg)2}(NO3)2(EtOH)2](NO3)2 (4), and [Mn2{Cu(pz2bg)2}(NO3)4(MeCN)2] (5), which include the complex ligand [Cu(pz2bg)2] (1), are reported (Hpz = pyrazole, pz2bg- = di(pyrazolecarbimido)aminate; bispyrazolyl derivative of biguanidate). The reaction of Cu(ClO4)2.6H2O, sodium dicyanamide, Hpz, and PhSO3H.H2O (1:2:4:4) in MeOH yielded blue crystals of [Cu2(1)(Hpz)2(PhSO3)2](PhSO3)2.4H2O (2.4H2O). In 2, the tricopper(II) units, which consist of two Cu(II) ions bridged by 1, are linked by benzenesulfonate anions to form a ladder structure. Complex 1 was isolated by removing the terminal Cu(II) ions from 2 with use of Na(4)edta. Complexes 3-5 were obtained by the reaction of 1 with an excess of each M(II) ion. In 2-5, the adjoining metal ions are ferromagnetically coupled via the pz2bg- ligand with J values of +7.2(1), +7.5(1), +2.7(1), and +0.3(1) cm(-1), respectively, using a spin Hamiltonian H = -2J(S(M1)S(Cu) + S(Cu)S(M2)). The ferromagnetic interaction was attributed to the strict orthogonality of magnetic dsigma orbitals, which are controlled by the kappa3N:kappa2N bridging geometry of the pz2bg- ligands.     

Analysis of vertical coupling between a 2D photonic crystal cavity and a hydrogenated-amorphous-silicon-wire waveguide

We present an efficient means of light extraction from two-dimensional photonic crystal (2D PC) cavities with SiO₂ cladding. We propose a vertically coupled system consisting of a 2D PC cavity and a hydrogenated-amorphous-silicon (a-Si:H)-wire waveguide, which we theoretically investigate using the 3D finite-difference time-domain method. Light can be extracted with an efficiency of greater than 95% to both output ports of the a-Si:H-wire waveguide or extracted with an efficiency of greater than 90% to a single output port of the a-Si:H-wire waveguide with a reflector.     

(2‐Aminoethanethiolato‐N,S)bis(ethylenediamine‐N,N′)cobalt(III) dinitrate

In the title compound, [Co(C₂H₆NS)(C₂H₈N₂)₂](NO₃)₂, the Co^III atom has a slightly distorted octahedral geometry, coordinated by one 2‐amino­ethane­thiol­ate and two ethyl­enedi­amine ligands. The three five‐membered chelate rings adopt a gauche conformation with the unfavoured (lel)₂(ob) form, which is ascribed to hydrogen bonds between the amine groups in the complex cation and the nitrate counter‐anions [N?O 2.900 (3)–3.378 (3) Å].     

Studies on chemical modification of monensin IX. Synthesis of 26-substituted monensins and their Na+ ion transport activity.

The C-26 modified monensin derivatives, 26-O-benzoylmonensin (3), 26-O-benzylmonensin (4) and 26-phenylaminomonensin (5) were prepared from monensin (1). Na+ ion transport activity through biological membrane and antibacterial activity of 3-5 were evaluated and compared with the activities reported for a 26-phenylurethane derivative (2). Among these compounds, 5 showed the largest Na+ ion transport and antibacterial activities. In these compounds, the formation of head-to-tail hydrogen bonds was suggested to be an important factor for Na+ ion transport and antibacterial activities.     

Synthesis of [1,2,5]selena(or thia)diazolo[3,4‐e][1,4]diazepines, [1,2,5]selena(or thia)diazolo[3,4‐e][1,4]oxazepines and [1,2,5]selena(or thia)diazolo[3,4‐c] [1,2,6]thiadiazines

Novel heterocycles [1,2,5]selenadiazolo[3,4‐e][1,4]diazepines 3a‐c , [1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐e]‐[1,4]diazepines 7a‐c , [1,2,5]selenadiazolo[3,4‐e][1,4]oxaepines 4a,b , [1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐e]‐[1,4]oxazepines 9a‐c and [1,2,5]selena(or thia)diazolo[3,4‐c][1,2,6]thiadiazines 10a,b were synthesized starting form 4,6‐dimethyl[1,2,5]se]enadiazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine‐5,7(4H,6H)‐dione 1 or 4,6‐dimethyl‐[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine‐5,7(4H,6H)‐dione 5 .