Molecular design of crown ethers. 21.(1,2) synthesis of novel double-armed benzo-15-crown-5 lariats and their complexation thermodynamics with light lanthanoid nitrates in acetonitrile

Three new disubstituted benzo-15-crown-5 derivatives (3-5) have been synthesized from 4',5'-bis(bromomethyl)benzo-15-crown-5 (2) and the corresponding alkanols in the presence of Na(2)S(2), and their complexation thermodynamics with light lanthanoid(III) nitrates (La-Gd) have been studied in anhydrous acetonitrile at 25 degrees C. Plots of K(S) against the reciprocal ionic diameter of lanthanoid exhibited monotonically declining pattern for the parent benzo-15-crown-5 (1) and 3 but showed a characteristic peak at Ce(3+) for 4 and 5. It is interesting to note that the simple extension of the alkyl side chains in 4 and 5 can alter the cation selectivity profiles of 1 and 3. Possessing two 2-oxapropyl groups, 3 gave a comparable K(S) for La(3+) but a significantly decreased K(S) for Ce(3+) compared with the corresponding values for 1, thus exhibiting an exceptionally high La(3+)/Ce(3+) selectivity of 11. Thermodynamically, the complexation of lanthanoid perchlorates with 1 is absolutely entropy-driven in acetonitrile, while the complexation of lanthanoid nitrates with 3-5 is primarily driven by exothermic enthalpy changes with accompanying moderate entropic gain or small entropic loss.     

Three New Lanostane Triterpenoids from Inonotus obliquus

Three new lanostane‐type triterpenoids, inonotsulides A, B, and C ( 1 – 3 , resp.) were isolated from the sclerotia of Inonotus obliquus (Pers .: Fr.) (Japanese name: Kabanoanatake; Russian name: Chaga). Their structures were determined to be (20R,24S)‐3β,25‐dihydroxylanost‐8‐en‐20,24‐olide ( 1 ), (20R,24R)‐3β,25‐dihydroxylanost‐8‐en‐20,24‐olide ( 2 ), and (20R,24S)‐3β,25‐dihydroxylanosta‐7,9(11)‐dien‐20,24‐olide ( 3 ) on the basis of chemical transformation, NMR spectroscopy including 1D and 2D (¹H,¹H‐COSY, NOESY, HMQC, HMBC), EI‐MS, and single‐crystal X‐ray analysis.     

Conformation of poly(S-(2-N-carbazolylethyl)-L-cysteine) in the solid state

The β-forming characteristics of poly(S-(2-N-carbazolylethyl)-L -cysteine), (CELC)_n, were examined by infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The film of (CELC)₃₉ cast from tetrahydrofuran (THF) showed the typical spectrum of the antiparallel β-form with the amide I band at 1630 cm^?1, whereas that of (CELC)₂₀₀ from dimethylformamide (DMF) or pyridine exhibited the amide I band at 1640 cm^?1 which shifted to 1630 cm^?1 on heating at 100°C for 5 min. As a result of the examination of the spectral variation due to the degree of polymerization, casting solvents, casting temperatures, and heat treatment, together with the evaluation of interaction constants for intermolecular hydrogen bonds, the band at 1640 cm^?1 was attributed to the antiparallel-chain pleated sheet (designated as β′-form) with weaker hydrogen bond strength than that of the usual antiparallel β-form. The β′-β-transformation is discussed in terms of the rigidity of the side-chain region.     

Effect of dose rate on the radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene in tert-butyl alcohol

The dependence of the dose rate on the rate of radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene in tert-butyl alcohol containing 5 vol-% water was studied. The reaction was carried out by use of a reactor with a capacity of 100 ml under the following conditions: pressure, 200 kg/cm²; temperature, 24 ± 3°C; dose rate, 3.7 × 10⁴?1.6 × 10⁵ rad/hr; amount of medium, 70 ml. The dose rate exponents for rate of the polymerization, the molecular weight, and the number of polymer chain were found to be about 0.8, ?0.1, and 0.9, respectively. These results were well explained with kinetic results (obtained by a novel analytical method) for the polymerization which contain both first-order and second-order terminations for the concentrations of propagating radical. The individual values of the rate constants in each elementary reaction were also obtained.     

Manipulating the Through‐Space Spin–Spin Interaction of Organic Radicals in the Confined Cavity of a Self‐Assembled Cage

We show a new approach to manipulating the through‐space spin–spin interaction by utilizing the confined cavity of a self‐assembled M₆L₄ coordination cage. The coordination cage readily encapsulates stable organic radicals in solution, which brings the spin centers of the radicals closer to each other. In sharp contrast to the fact that the radical in solution in the absence of the cage is in a doublet state, in the presence of the cage through‐space spin–spin interaction is induced through cage‐encapsulation effects in solution as well as in the solid state, resulting in the triplet state of the complex. These results were confirmed by ESR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. The quantity of triplet species generated by encapsulation in the cage increases with increasing affinity of the radicals to the cage. We estimated the affinity between several types of guests and the cage in solution by cyclic voltammetry. We also demonstrate that the through‐space interaction of organic radicals within the self‐assembled coordination cage can be controlled by external stimuli such as heat or pH.     

Diastereoselective imino-aldol condensation of chiral 3-(p-Tolylsulfinyl)-2-furaldimine and ester enolates

(Ss)-3-(p-Tolylsufinyl)-2-furaldimine was synthesized, and condensation of the chiral furaldimine with lithium ester enolates has been examined. The product distribution of the reaction is dependent upon reaction conditions and on the kind of the substituent placed on the esters. Disubstituted ester enolate resulted in the exclusive formation of (4R)-beta-lactam, while unsubstituted, tert-butyl ester enolate preferentially gave (3R)-beta-amino ester. With the monosubstituted ester enolates, the condensation afforded (4R)-beta-lactams and/or (3R)-beta-amino esters as major products. This method has been applied to an efficient route to chiral furyl beta-lactams.     

Development of hydrophilic fluorogenic derivatization reagents for thiols: 4-(N-acetylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole and 4-(N-trichloroacetylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole

Sensitive, reactive, and hydrophilic fluorogenic reagents for thiols with the benzofurazan skeleton, 4-(N-acetylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (AcABD-F) and 4-(N-trichloroacetylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (TCAcABD-F) have been developed. These reagents reacted with thiols within 10 min at 60 degrees C. AcABD-F and TCAcABD-F themselves do not fluoresce but are strongly fluorescent after the reaction with thiol compounds. The generated derivatives were highly water-soluble, since they dissociated a proton and ionized in the neutral pH region. The derivatives with four biologically important thiol compounds were separated on a reversed-phase HPLC column and detected fluorometrically at 504 nm with excitation at 388 nm. The detection limit attained for homocysteine with AcABD-F was 25 fmol on column (11 nM) (signal-to-noise ratio = 3), and that for glutathione with TCAcABD-F was 45 fmol on column (20 nM).     

A new strategy in enantioselective intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder reaction: catalytic double asymmetric induction during the tandem transetherification-intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder reaction of methyl (E)-4-methoxy-2-oxo-3-butenoate with rac-6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol

An efficient catalytic double asymmetric induction during the tandem transetherification-intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder reaction has been developed. The enantioselective tandem reaction of methyl (E)-4-methoxy-2-oxo-3-butenoate with rac-6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol has been achieved to provide methyl (2R,4aS,8aR)-3,4,4a,8a-tetrahydro-2,5,5-trimethyl-2H,5H-pyrano[4,3-b]-pyran-7-carboxylate in good yield with effective kinetic resolution (up to 95% selectivity), high diastereoselectivity (up to 92% de), and high enantioselectivity (up to 97% ee) in the presence of (S,S)-tert-Bu-bis(oxazoline)-Cu(SbF₆)₂ and 5 Å molecular sieves.     

Charge separation in a nonfluorescent donor-acceptor dyad derived from boron dipyrromethene dye, leading to photocurrent generation

Boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY), which is commonly used as an energy absorbing and transferring antenna molecule, has been modified to contain an electron donor moiety, 8-(2,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-4,4-difluoro-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (MEOPHBDP). The photoinduced electron transfer from a 2,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl moiety to a BODIPY moiety of MEOPHBDP in acetonitrile was observed by femtosecond laser flash photolysis measurements. The lifetime of the charge-separated state of MEOPHBDP was 59 ps at 298 K. The dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) were prepared using MEOPHBDP with carboxylic acid (MEOPHBDP-COOH) and a reference BODIPY dye having no electron donor moiety. The photovoltaic measurements were performed using a standard two-electrode system consisting of a working electrode and a Pt sputtered electrode in methoxyacetonitrile containing 0.5 M iodide and 0.05 M I(2). The photoelectrochemical properties of DSSC with MEOPHBDP are compared with those with a reference BODIPY dye.     

Analysis of dynamic behavior of human middle ear using a finite-element method.

Applying the general-purpose finite-element package program (ISAP), a three-dimensional finite-element method (FEM) model of a human right middle ear, which included ossicles, was made and the mechanical properties and boundary conditions of the middle ear were determined by a comparison between the numerical results obtained from the FEM analysis and the measurement results of the fresh cadavers, normal subjects and patients, which were obtained by our developed sweep frequency middle ear analyzer (MEA). The "Elastic" boundary condition consisting of linear and torsional springs at the eardrum attachments to the annular ligament was more appropriate for the actual condition than "fully clamped" one. Rotational axis of the ossicular chain was assumed to be a fixed straight line from the anterior process of the malleus to the short process of the incus, and a load of the ossicular chain and cochlea was simplified to be expressed by the stiffness of the cochlea. Vibration patterns of the eardrum and ossicles at the first resonance frequency, obtained under these assumptions, were in agreement with the experimental results obtained by means of time-averaged holography and by using a video measuring system, except for the relatively large displacements at the tympanic ring.