Comparison of the equilibrium geometry of acetylene (C2H2) and disilyne (Si2H2)

The equilibrium geometry of disilyne is not linear, but is twisted. The potential surfaces of acetylene and disilyne have a critical internuclear distance between the central atoms, where the stable geometry changes from linear to twisted forms the R-dependence of the valence-shell electron energy causes the difference in the structure of the molecules.     

High-Pressure Synthesis of Fully Occupied Tetragonal and Cubic Tungsten Bronze Oxides

A high-pressure reaction yielded the fully occupied tetragonal tungsten bronze K₃W₅O₁₅ (K_0.6WO₃). The terminal phase shows an unusual transport property featuring slightly negative temperature-dependence in resistivity (dρ/dT<0) and a large Wilson ratio of R_W=3.2. Such anomalous metallic behavior possibly arises from the low-dimensional electronic structure with a van Hove singularity at the Fermi level and/or from enhanced magnetic fluctuations by geometrical frustration of the tungsten sublattice. The asymmetric nature of the tetragonal tungsten bronze K_xWO₃-K_0.6−yBa_yWO₃ phase diagram implies that superconductivity for x≤0.45 originates from the lattice instability because of potassium deficiency. A cubic perovskite KWO₃ phase was also identified as a line phase—in marked contrast to Na_xWO₃ and Li_xWO₃ with varying quantities of x (<1). This study presents a versatile method by which the solubility limit of tungsten bronze oxides can be extended.     

Contribution of Discharge Excited Atomic N,N2*, and N2+ to a Plasma/Liquid Interfacial Reaction as Suggested by Quantitative Analysis

Electric-discharge nitrogen comprises three main types of excited nitrogen species-atomic nitrogen (N_atom), excited nitrogen molecules (N₂*), and nitrogen ions (N₂⁺) – which have different lifetimes and reactivities. In particular, the interfacial reaction locus between the discharged nitrogen and the water phase produces nitrogen compounds such as ammonia and nitrate ions (denoted as N-compounds generically); this is referred to as the plasma/liquid interfacial (P/L) reaction. The N_atom amount was analyzed quantitatively to clarify the contribution of N_atom to the P/L reaction. We focused on the quantitative relationship between N_atom and the produced N-compounds, and found that both N₂* and N₂⁺, which are active species other than N_atom, contributed to P/L reaction. The production of N-compounds from N₂* and N₂⁺ was enhanced upon UV irradiation of the water phase, but the production of N-compounds from N_atom did not increase by UV irradiation. These results revealed that the P/L reactions starting from N_atom and those starting from N₂^* and N₂⁺ follow different mechanisms.     

Recent topics of gold catalyst featuring Z-type ligands

In the long history regarding the development of the transition metal-catalyzed reactions, almost all ligands in metals are classified as the covalent X-type and/or dative L-type ligands. Therefore, exploring the reactivity of the metal complexes bearing the σ-acceptor, i.e., the Z-ligand, is required. This digest briefly describes our recent results regarding 1) the syntheses of gold complexes featuring the Z-type ligand, and 2) their catalytic reactions, which would be speculated that the electron-withdrawing effect of the Z-ligand on the neighboring gold activated the catalytic reactivity due to the increase in the Lewis acidity.     

Kinetics of radiation-induced grafting reactions. I. Polyethylene–styrene systems

By means of bromine labeling and ESR, the grafting reactions of styrene onto preirradiated polyethylene have been investigated. Not all the radicals produced by irradiations participate in grafting reactions all together, but they are rendered active bit by bit by the swelling of crystalline parts of polyethylene. The growing rates for polystyryl graft chains at 20°C decrease from 4 monomer units/active site/sec to one-fourth the initial value after 100 min. On the contrary, the average lifetimes increase from <10³ sec to >2.6 × 10³ sec. The number-average molecular weight of graft chains also increases with reaction times and rises to 3.5 × 10⁵ after 90 min at 20°C.     

Stereoselective synthesis of trisubstituted alkenylboranes by palladium-catalysed reaction of alkynyltriarylborates with aryl halides

The palladium-catalysed reaction of alkynyltriarylborates with aryl halides afforded trisubstituted alkenylboranes, in which two different aryl groups were installed across the carbon-carbon double bond in a cis arrangement.     

Synthesis of two osteoclast-forming suppressors,demethylincisterol A3 and chaxine A

The synthesis of two potent osteoclast-forming suppressing agents isolated from the Chinese mushroom Agrocybe chaxingu, demethylincisterol A₃ and chaxine A, was accomplished using ergocalciferol as the starting material. Our methodology for the synthesis of demethylincisterol A₃ and chaxine A featured the construction of a butenolide moiety by the intramolecular Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction under Masamune–Roush conditions. This is the first reported synthesis of chaxine A.     

Computer-Aided Detection of Quantitative Signatures for Breast Fibroepithelial Tumors Using Label-Free Multi-Photon Imaging

Fibroadenomas (FAs) and phyllodes tumors (PTs) are major benign breast tumors, pathologically classified as fibroepithelial tumors. Although the clinical management of PTs differs from FAs, distinction by core needle biopsy diagnoses is still challenging. Here, a combined technique of label-free imaging with multi-photon microscopy and artificial intelligence was applied to detect quantitative signatures that differentiate fibroepithelial lesions. Multi-photon excited autofluorescence and second harmonic generation (SHG) signals were detected in tissue sections. A pixel-wise semantic segmentation method using a deep learning framework was used to separate epithelial and stromal regions automatically. The epithelial to stromal area ratio and the collagen SHG signal strength were investigated for their ability to distinguish fibroepithelial lesions. An image segmentation analysis with a pixel-wise semantic segmentation framework using a deep convolutional neural network showed the accurate separation of epithelial and stromal regions. A further investigation, to determine if scoring the epithelial to stromal area ratio and the SHG signal strength within the stromal area could be a marker for differentiating fibroepithelial tumors, showed accurate classification. Therefore, molecular and morphological changes, detected through the assistance of computational and label-free multi-photon imaging techniques, enable us to propose quantitative signatures for epithelial and stromal alterations in breast tissues.     

Generation and reactivity of bis(2,6-diethylphenyl)germanium(II)

The title intermediate ($\text{3a}$) is produced on photolysis of hexakis(2,6-diethyl-phenyl)cyclotrigermane ($\text{1}$) or bis(2,6-diethylphenyl)bis(trimethylsilyl)germane ($\text{4}$) as evidenced by trapping experiments, and thermally dimerizes to tetrakis(2,6-diethyl-phenyl)digermene ($\text{2a}$). Diarylgermylenes such as $\text{3a}$ do not form stable triethylamine adducts (e.g. $\text{5a}$) as has been previously reported.     

Fast oxygen ion migration in Cu–In–oxide bulk and its utilization for effective CO2 conversion at lower temperature

Efficient activation of CO₂ at low temperature was achieved by reverse water–gas shift via chemical looping (RWGS-CL) by virtue of fast oxygen ion migration in a Cu–In structured oxide, even at lower temperatures. Results show that a novel Cu–In₂O₃ structured oxide can show a remarkably higher CO₂ splitting rate than ever reported. Various analyses revealed that RWGS-CL on Cu–In₂O₃ is derived from redox between Cu–In₂O₃ and Cu–In alloy. Key factors for high CO₂ splitting rate were fast migration of oxide ions in the alloy and the preferential oxidation of the interface of alloy–In₂O₃ in the bulk of the particles. The findings reported herein can open up new avenues to achieve effective CO₂ conversion at lower temperatures.

Efficient activation of CO₂ at low temperature was achieved by reverse water–gas shift via chemical looping (RWGS-CL) by virtue of fast oxygen ion migration in a Cu–In structured oxide, even at lower temperatures.