Fluorescence detected circular dichroism of a red-shifted exciton-coupling chromophore <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>′-carbonyl-bridged dipyrrinone derivative using an ellipsoidal device

A fluorescent red-shifted exciton-coupling chromophore, N,N′-carbonyl-bridged dipyrrinone, was subjected to fluorescence-detected CD (FDCD) measurements as a primitive structure-elucidating probe with trans-1,2-cyclohexanediol template in several solvents under various instrumental conditions. With the help of a JASCO ellipsoidal mirror device FDCD465, a chloroform solution achieved the sensitivity enhancement by 50 times of the transmission CD and 5 times of the conventional FDCD. All FDCD spectra were completely free from the polarization artifacts. Correspondence: Tatsuo Nehira and David A. Lightner, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-hiroshima 739-8521, Japan; Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA.     

A novel mediator-polymer-modified anode for microbial fuel cells

A high-performance anode system based on a combination of mediator-polymer-modified graphite felt and bacteria capable of reducing extracellular materials shows significant potential for practical use in microbial fuel cells (MFCs).     

Preparation of highly monodisperse fluorescent polymer particles by miniemulsion polymerization of styrene with a polymerizable surfactant

Miniemulsion polymerization of styrene (St) in the presence of a hydrophobe (hexadecane:HD) using a cationic polymerizable surfactant (N,N-dimethyl-N-n-dodecyl-N-2-methacryloyloxyethylammonium bromide:C(12)Br) and a cationic initiator (2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride:V50), called St/C(12)Br/V50 hereafter, proceeded efficiently compared with that using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and potassium persulfate (KPS), i.e., St/SDS/KPS, providing monodisperse polystyrene latex particles with a narrower particle size distribution. In St/C(12)Br/AIBN, where an oil-soluble initiator, i.e., 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), was used in place of V50, little changes in polymerization kinetics or in particle size distribution were observed, while a significant drop in polymerization rate and a broad particle size distribution were observed with St/SDS/AIBN. A polymerizable pyrene derivative (1-pyrenylmethyl methacrylate: PyMMA) was quantitatively incorporated into monodisperse latex particles in St/PyMMA/C(12)Br/V50 compared to pyrene (Py) in St/Py/C(12)Br/V50. Contrary to our expectation, however, increased excimer emission was observed with St/PyMMA/C(12)Br/V50 particles, indicating less evenly distributed pyrene chromophores in the particles. The fluorescence lifetime of pyrene chromophores in St/Py/C(12)Br/V50 particles was determined to be 286 ns, which was 17 times longer than that of pyrene in THF solution.     

Directed aggregation and fusion of lipid vesicles induced by DNA-surfactants

We investigated DNA-directed aggregation of vesicles using DNA-surfactants. Following tethering of single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides to vesicles using DNA-surfactant, the tethered vesicles were assembled with other vesicles bearing complementary strands. The vesicle aggregation was strongly affected by the salt concentration and by temperature according to the characteristics of DNA hybridization. Restriction enzyme, which can hydrolyze the double-stranded DNA used in the present study, dissociated the vesicle aggregates. Exploration using fluorescently labeled vesicles suggested that the DNA-directed vesicle aggregation took place in a sequence-specific manner through DNA-duplex formation. Interestingly, the DNA-directed aggregation using short DNA-surfactant induced the fusion of vesicles to produce giant vesicles, resulting in an enzymatic reaction in the giant vesicle.     

A Dual Emissive Coumarin–urea Derivative with an Electron-withdrawing Substituent in the Presence of Acetate Anion

We investigated the fluorescent properties, including the excited-state intermolecular proton transfer, of urea derivatives comprising a coumarin ring, which is a widely used fluorophore. We prepared two different coumarin–urea derivatives, 6CU and 7CU, which bear a urea-based substituent at the 6 and 7 positions of a coumarin ring, respectively. In the presence of the acetate ion, 7CU showed additional tautomer fluorescence emission with respect to 6CU, indicating that tautomer formation depends on the positions of the urea-based substituent on the coumarin ring. Thus, the resonance structures of urea derivatives might play an important role in the behavior of dual fluorescence, which is an important phenomenon applicable to photochemical anion sensing. Moreover, in order to further improve the fluorescence properties of the mentioned derivatives, a CF₃ group was introduced in a phenyl ring opposite to a coumarin ring. The fluorescence quantum yield of 7CUCF₃ thus synthesized was 65 times as large as that of 7CU, an observation that renders 7CUCF₃ a suitable anion sensor candidate. The results of this study will contribute to the development of new molecular designs for highly fluorescent sensing.     

Solvent effect on the photochemical properties of symmetrically substituted trans-3,3',5,5'-tetramethoxystilbene

Photochemical properties of trans-3,3',5,5'-tetramethoxystilbene (TMST) have been studied in various polar solvents. The Stokes shift of trans-TMST was found to be increased with increasing solvent polarity. The fluorescence lifetime of trans-TMST experienced a large solvent effect changing from 2.3 ns in cyclohexane to 16.6 ns in acetonitrile. These results indicate that the excited singlet state of trans-TMST has a charge-transfer (CT) character. On the basis of the obtained results, the interior polar environment of a water-soluble TMST dendrimer is discussed.     

Kinetics of hydrogen bonding between anthracene urea derivatives and anions in the excited state

Urea compounds are useful anion sensors due to their hydrogen-bonding capabilities. We investigated the emissive properties of complexes consisting of urea-anthracene (nPUA, n = 1, 2) host compounds and acetate anions held as guests through intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The kinetics of a new emission band formed by conformational changes in the excited singlet state were revealed. The new band is thought to arise from a charge-transfer interaction between the anthracene and urea moieties after intermolecular hydrogen-bond reconfiguration in the excited state, with rate constants of 2.4 × 10(9) and 4.0 × 10(7) s(-1) for 1PUA and 2PUA, respectively.     

Synthetic Utilization of α-Phosphonovinyl Anions

The α-phosphonovinyl anions, generated in situ from treatment of β-hetero-substituted vinyl-phosphonates 1a-c with LDA (or LTMP), were trapped with various electrophiles such as chlorotriorganosilanes, chlorotrimethylgermane, chlorotriorganotins, dimethyl disulfide, and halogen to afford the corresponding β-hetero-substituted α-functionalized vinylphosphonates 2–14 in good to excellent yields. The Friedel-Crafts reaction of α-(silyl) or α-(germyl)phosphonoketene dithioacetals 2, 9 or 4 with acid chlorides gave α-acylated phosphonoketene dithioacetals 15–19 in 53–91 % yields. The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of β-ethoxy-α-(tributylstannyl)vinylphosphonate 13 with a variety of organic halides (R = acyl, allyl, aryl etc.) provided β-ethoxy-α-substituted vinylphosphonates 20–25 in good to moderate yields. The palladium-mediated cross-coupling reaction of α-(iodo)-vinyl-phosphonates 7, 14 with terminal acetylenes afforded α-alkynylated vinylphosphonates 26–29 in 69–83 % yields.     

Cross‐Coupling of Organolithium with Ethers or Aryl Ammonium Salts by C−O or C−N Bond Cleavage

Various aryl‐, alkenyl‐, and/or alkyllithium species reacted smoothly with aryl and/or benzyl ethers with cleavage of the inert C?O bond to afford cross‐coupled products, catalyzed by commercially available [Ni(cod)₂] (cod=1,5‐cyclooctadiene) catalysts with N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands. Furthermore, the coupling reaction between the aryllithium compounds and aryl ammonium salts proceeded under mild conditions with C?N bond cleavage in the presence of a [Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂] catalyst. These methods enable selective sequential functionalizations of arenes having both C?N and C?O bonds in one pot.     

Structure Revision of Caesalpinistas A and B and Isolation of a New Furanoditerpenoid from the Cotyledons of Caesalpinia decapetala var. japonica

A known cassane‐type furanoditerpenoid, caesalpinista B ( 1 ), and a new diterpenoid, deoxycaesaljaponin A ( 2 ), were isolated from the cotyledons of Caesalpinia decapetala var. japonica. The previously reported configurational assignments of 1 and the related diterpenoid caesalpinista A ( 3 ) were revised on the basis of X‐ray crystallography and chemical conversion. The structure of 2 was elucidated by spectroscopic data and chemical conversion into 3 .