Steric Effect of Carboxylate Ligands on Pd‐Catalyzed Intramolecular C(sp2)–H and C(sp3)–H Arylation Reactions

A bulky carboxylic acid bearing three cyclohexylmethyl substituents at the α‐position, namely, tri(cyclohexylmethyl)acetic acid, is demonstrated to act as an efficient ligand source in Pd‐catalyzed intramolecular C(sp²)?H and C(sp³)?H arylation reactions. The reactions proceed smoothly under mild reaction conditions, even at room temperature due to the steric bulk of the carboxylate ligands, which accelerates the rate‐determining C?H bond activation step in the catalytic cycle.     

Synthesis of optically active tetrahydrozerumbone

Tetrahydrozerumbone 2, which has a powerful balmy fragrance, has a stereogenic carbon at C2 and can be easily prepared from zerumbone 1, which is one of the most important materials that displays an NMRDOS character. Reduction of 2 gave two diastereomers 3 and 4; their optically active (>99% ee) alcohols were obtained by lipase-catalyzed stereoselective transesterification of each racemic alcohol. The enantioselectivity of tetrahydrozerumbol does not entirely depend on the hydroxyl position but on the 2-methyl position. Compounds (R)-2 and (S)-2 were obtained by Dess–Martin oxidation of the corresponding alcohols. Interestingly, (R)-2 showed a strong balmy fragrance while (S)-2 had hardly any fragrance.     

The Novel Process for Diphenyl Carbonate and Polycarbonate Production

We developed a novel process for production of diphenyl carbonate (DPC) and polycarbonate (PC), which achieved smaller energy consumption, lower environmental load than conventional processes. DPC is produced from phenol and carbonyl dichloride using a new nitrogen containing catalyst without the use of organic solvent. Transesterification of DPC and bisphenol-A to produce PC is performed in the presence of an alkali metal compound catalyst controlling the amount of branching structures and the polymer molecular weight based on the kinetics. The first commercial plant based on this process started in 2000.     

First-principles calculations of stable local structures and electronic structures of magnesium secondary battery cathode materials,MgCo2−xMnxO4 (x = 0, 0.5), in second charged state after first discharge

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The stable structures associated with the second charge of MgCo2−xMnxO4 (x = 0, 0.5), where Mg is removed from the stable first-discharge...     

Effects of Roxadustat on Erythropoietin Production in the Rat Body

Anemia is a major complication of chronic renal failure. To treat this anemia, prolylhydroxylase domain enzyme (PHD) inhibitors as well as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have been used. Although PHD inhibitors rapidly stimulate erythropoietin (Epo) production, the precise sites of Epo production following the administration of these drugs have not been identified. We developed a novel method for the detection of the Epo protein that employs deglycosylation-coupled Western blotting. With protein deglycosylation, tissue Epo contents can be quantified over an extremely wide range. Using this method, we examined the effects of the PHD inhibitor, Roxadustat (ROX), and severe hypoxia on Epo production in various tissues in rats. We observed that ROX increased Epo mRNA expression in both the kidneys and liver. However, Epo protein was detected in the kidneys but not in the liver. Epo protein was also detected in the salivary glands, spleen, epididymis and ovaries. However, both PHD inhibitors (ROX) and severe hypoxia increased the Epo protein abundance only in the kidneys. These data show that, while Epo is produced in many tissues, PHD inhibitors as well as severe hypoxia regulate Epo production only in the kidneys.     

Novel synthesis of heterocyclic spirans by tandem cycloaddition to sulfur-containing heterocumulenes

Novel Ni(C0)₄-promoted tandem cycloadditions of diphenylcyclo- propenone to isothiocyanates and to CS₂ were found to provide new heterocyclic spirans, pyrroline-2-one-5-spiro-5′-thiolene-4′-ones and a thiolene-2-one-5-spiro-5′-thiolene-4′-one, respectively, in moderate yields.     

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.     

Zirconium-mediated intramolecular ester transfer reaction: synthesis of alpha-substituted gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) derivatives

[reaction: see text]. The zirconium-mediated intramolecular ester transfer reaction of N-alkenyl carbamate derivatives proceeded to give alpha-substituted gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) derivatives in good to excellent yields. Quenching experiments of the reaction mixture with iodine or O2 indicated the presence of a cyclopropane intermediate. The resulting iodide was converted to 2-substituted pyrrolidine-3-carboxylate and/or alpha-alkylidene-gamma-aminobutyric acid derivatives in a stereospecific manner.     

Drug-plasma protein binding assay by electrokinetic chromatography-frontal analysis

We developed a rapid, microscale and reliable analytical method for binding of drugs to plasma proteins using capillary electrophoresis (CE) with ionic cyclodextrins (CD) combined with frontal analysis. These CDs were used as pseudostationary phases of electrokinetic chromatography (EKC). The CD-modified EKC (CDEKC) approach allowed us to separate anionic drugs from plasma proteins, whereas CZE could not separate these drugs from plasma proteins because they had a similar mobility like plasma proteins. CDs uniquely interact with these drugs but not with plasma proteins. Therefore, CDEKC could be coupled with frontal analysis to measure the binding of anionic drugs to plasma proteins. The binding values obtained by CDEKC were highly consistent with those determined by the ultrafiltration method. Our CDEKC approach should expand the applicability of CE to protein binding analysis.     

CFD-PBM approach for the gas-liquid flow in a nanobubble generator with honeycomb structure

In recent years, nanobubble technologies have drawn great attention due to their wide applications in many fields of science and technology. From previous studies, a kind of honeycomb structure for high efficiency nanobubble generation has been proposed. In this paper, the numerical simulations of bubbly flow in the honeycomb structure were performed by using a computational fluid dynamics–population balance model (CFD-PBM) coupled model. The numerical model was based on the Eulerian multiphase model and the population balance model (PBM) was used to calculate the bubble size distribution. The bubble size distributions in the honeycomb structure under different work conditions were predicted. Two different drag force models (Schiller-Naumann model and Tomiyama model) and two different aggregation models (Luo model and turbulent aggregation model) were investigated. Both two drag models gave similar prediction of bubble number density distribution at the outlet. The results obtained from Luo model had better reflection of the trend of number density distribution. The turbulence dissipation rate ε can be used to evaluate the nanobubble generating ability. The water tank was not included in the CFD model in this work. The bubbles in the water tank should be studied in the future.