Stabilization of High‐Valence Ruthenium with Silicotungstate Ligands: Preparation,Structural Characterization,and Redox Studies of Ruthenium(III)‐Substituted α‐Keggin‐Type Silicotungstates with Pyridine Ligands, [SiW11O39RuIII(Py)]5−

Ruthenium(III)‐substituted α‐Keggin‐type silicotungstates with pyridine‐based ligands, [SiW₁₁O₃₉Ru^III(Py)]^5?, (Py: pyridine ( 1 ), 4‐pyridine‐carboxylic acid ( 2 ), 4,4′‐bipyridine ( 3 ), 4‐pyridine‐acetamide ( 4 ), and 4‐pyridine‐methanol ( 5 )) were prepared by reacting [SiW₁₁O₃₉Ru^III(H₂O)]^5? with the pyridine derivatives in water at 80 °C and then isolated as their hydrated cesium salts. These compounds were characterized using cyclic voltammetry (CV), UV/Vis, IR, and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, titration, and X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) analysis (Ru K‐edge and L₃‐edge). Single‐crystal X‐ray analysis of compounds 2 , 3 , and 4 revealed that Ru^III was incorporated in the α‐Keggin framework and was coordinated by pyridine derivatives through a Ru? N bond. In the solid state, compounds 2 and 3 formed a dimer through π? π interaction of the pyridine moieties, whereas they existed as monomers in solution. CV indicated that the incorporated Ru^III–Py was reversibly oxidized into the Ru^IV–Py derivative and reduced into the Ru^II–Py derivative.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Mo-Based Oxide Catalysts and Selective Oxidation of Alkanes

Mo-V-M(=Al, Ga, Bi, Sb and Te)–O mixed oxide catalysts were synthesized hydrothermally for the first time, characterized structurally, and tested for ethane and propane oxidation after activation by various ways. These catalysts were black solids of rod-shaped (fiber like) crystals, which had a layer structure in the direction of fiber axis and a high dimensional arrangement of metal octahedra in the cross-section plane. These fresh crystalline materials became active for catalytic oxidation of alkanes after heat-treatment at 600 °C and subsequent grinding in order to increase exposed plane of the cross-section. The resulting catalysts were very active for an oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane with 80% of the ethylene selectivity in the reaction temperature range of 300 to 400 °C and also showed about 50% selectivity to acrylic acid in the propane oxidation. Multi-functional character which derived from the high dimensional structure of the catalysts and mechanism of the selective alkane oxidation were discussed.     

Formation of azatitanacyclopentanes from ene-imines and a Ti(O-i-Pr)4/2i-PrMgX reagent and their synthetic reactions

ω-Vinylimines reacted with a Ti(O-i-Pr)₄/2i-PrMgX reagent to generate the corresponding azatitanacyclopentanes in quantitative yield, which in turn reacted with H₂O, I₂ and O₂ to give 2-methyl-, 2-iodomethyl-, 2-hydroxymethyl-1-aminocyclic compounds, respectively. The azatitanacyclopentanes thus generated reacted with formaldehyde to afford the corresponding 2,3-annulated pyrrolidines in good yield.     

Mixed-Valent Heptairon Complex with a Ground-State Spin Value of S=12/2 Constructed from a Triiron Cluster Ligand

The anionic triiron(III) cluster ligand [Fe(III)(3)(μ(3)-O)(bpca)(2)Cl(4)(EtO)(2)](-) (1; Hbpca=bis(2-pyridylcarbonyl)amine) was prepared as a building block for constructing larger metal assemblies. This "metal cluster complex ligand" was used in the synthesis of the mixed-valent heptairon complex [Fe(II)(1)(2)(EtOH)(2)], which has a ground-state spin value of S=12/2.     

Development of a fluoride-responsive amide bond cleavage device that is potentially applicable to a traceable linker

A fluoride-responsive (FR) amino acid that induces amide bond cleavage upon the addition of a fluoride was developed, and it was applied to an FR traceable linker. By the use of an alkyne-containing peptide as a model of an alkynylated target protein of a bioactive compound, introduction of the FR traceable linker onto the peptide was achieved. Subsequent fluoride-induced cleavage of the linker followed by labeling of the released peptide derivative was also conducted to examine the potential applicability of the FR traceable linker to the enrichment and labeling of alkynylated target molecules.     

Homo‐double helix formation of an optically active conjugated polymer bearing carboxy groups and amplification of the helicity upon complexation with achiral and chiral amines

An optically active, m‐terphenyl‐based π‐conjugated polymer bearing carboxy groups was synthesized by the copolymerization of the diethynyl monomer bearing a carboxy group with (S,S)‐2,5‐bis(2‐methylbutoxy)‐1,4‐dibromobenzene using Sonogashira reaction. The copolymer showed a weak circular dichroism (CD) in the main‐chain chromophore region due to a homo‐double helix formation with an excess helical handedness biased by the chiral alkoxy substituents through self‐association. However, upon complexation with achiral amines, such as piperidine, the CD intensity of the polymer significantly increased resulting in the formation of a greater excess one‐handed homo‐double helix via hydrogen‐bonded inclusion complexation with the achiral amines between each strand, leading to the amplification of the helicity. A preferred‐handed homo‐double helix was also induced in the polymer in the presence of nonracemic amines. The effect of the achiral and chiral amines on the homo‐double helix formation was investigated by comparing the CD spectra of the polymer to those of its model dimer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 990–999     

Free-energy analysis of the molecular binding into lipid membrane with the method of energy representation

A statistical-mechanical treatment of the molecular binding into lipid membrane is presented in combination with molecular simulation. The membrane solution is viewed as an inhomogeneous, mixed solvent system, and the free energy of solvation of a solute in membrane is computed with a realistic set of potential functions by the method of energy representation. Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, benzene, and ethylbenzene are adopted as model solutes to analyze the binding into 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) membrane. It is shown that the membrane inside is more favorable than bulk water and that the solute distribution is diffuse throughout the membrane inside. The membrane-water partition coefficient is then constructed with the help of the Kirkwood-Buff theory from the solvation free energy obtained separately in the hydrophobic, glycerol, headgroup, and aqueous regions. To discuss the role of repulsive and attractive interactions, the solvation free energy is partitioned into the DMPC and water contributions and the effect of water to stabilize the benzene and ethylbenzene solutes within the membrane is pointed out.