Facile synthesis of platinum nanoparticle-containing porous carbons,and their application to amperometric glucose biosensing

This study describes the facile synthesis of platinum nanoparticle-containing porous carbons (Pt/C) by carbonization of freeze-dried agarose gels containing potassium tetrachloroplatinate under a nitrogen atmosphere at 800 °C. By adjusting the ratio between agarose and platinate in the freeze-dried gels, the Pt content in the final Pt/C products could be systematically varied from 0–10 wt.%. Transmission electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and nitrogen physisorption measurements revealed that the Pt/C materials obtained by this method possess high surface areas (350–500 m² g⁻¹), narrow Pt nanoparticle size distributions (6 ± 3 nm) and nanocrystalline graphite –like carbon character. By immobilization of glucose oxidase on the surface of a 4 wt.% Pt/C electrocatalyst prepared by this route, a very sensitive amperometric glucose biosensor was obtained (response time <2 min, sensitivity 1.9 mA M⁻¹; and a linear response with glucose concentration up to 10 mM). The simplicity and versatility of the described synthetic method suggests its application to the preparation of carbon supported noble metal catalysts including palladium/C and gold/C.

This study describes the facile synthesis of platinum nanoparticle-containing porous carbons (Pt/C) by carbonization of freeze-dried agarose gels containing potassium tetrachloroplatinate. The Pt/C materials exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activities, as demonstrated by their successful integration into amperometric glucose biosensor

     

Gold nanoparticle-templated assembly of oligothiophenes: preparation and film properties

Terthiophene-appended gold nanoparticles were prepared by the reduction of AuCl₄⁻(C₈H₁₇)₄N⁺ with NaBH₄ in the presence of bis[2,5-di(3-hexylthiophen-2-yl)thiophene-3-carboxyloxyhexanyl]disulfide. A hexagonal self-assembly of particles with gold core diameters (1.9±0.1 nm) was detected by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. The electric conductivity of the iodine-doped film was 9.1×10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹, which was ascribable to the terthiophene-based inter-ligand π-π interactions. The Au/terthiophene hybrid spin-coated film consisted of a highly three-dimensional assembled structure of terthiophenes, as inferred from grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering, indicating that such monodispersed and small-sized gold nanoparticles can serve as a template for this organization. In this study, a gold nanoparticle-templated assembly of oligothiophenes has been fabricated for proposing a method to develop tailor-made organizations of π-conjugated oligomers.     

Synthetic study of yonarolide: stereoselective construction of the tricyclic core

Stereoselective construction of the tricyclic core of yonarolide (1), a marine norditerpenoid, was achieved. This synthetic route includes a Diels-Alder reaction and an intramolecular aldol condensation. It also involves efficient epimerization through a retro-Michael reaction-Michael addition and will be applicable to the total synthesis of 1.     

NO reduction by C3H6 over apatite-type A10(PO4)6(OH)2 (A?=?Ca and Sr)-supported Pt catalysts

A₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂ (A = Ca and Sr)-supported Pt catalysts were prepared and their catalytic activity in NO reduction were investigated. The Sr₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂-supported catalyst had high catalytic activity in the C₃H₆?CNO?CO₂ reaction; the activity was higher than that of the ??-Al₂O₃-supported catalyst at 300 °C. The basicity of the apatite supports would affect the chemical state of Pt on catalyst, resulting in promotion of NO reduction.     

Optimization of fluorescence property of the 8-oxodGclamp derivative for better selectivity for 8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine

2′-Deoxyguanosine (dG) suffers from oxidation by reactive oxygen species (ROS) to form 8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG), which is regarded as a marker of oxidative stress in the cells. In our continuous study for the recognition molecule of 8-oxo-dG, 8-oxoGclamp and its derivatives have been identified as the selective fluorescent probe. However, it is an obstacle for further application that dG also forms a complex with 8-oxoGclamp, resulting in fluorescence quenching in less polar solvents. Quenching of the fluorescence of 8-oxoGclamp is thought to involve photo-induced electron transfer in the complex. It was hypothesized that the energy level of the excited state of 8-oxoGclamp and the HOMO energy of dG are the preliminary determinant of the quenching efficiency. Thus, fluorescence properties of the substituted derivatives at the 7-position of the 1,3-diazaphenoxazine part of 8-oxoGclamp were investigated. Among the new derivatives, fluorescence of the 7-phenyl substituted 8-oxoGclamp was not quenched by dG even in the stable complex, exhibiting the highest selectivity for 8-oxo-dG.     

Communication: The reason why +c ZnO surface is less stable than -c ZnO surface: first-principles calculation

It has been experimentally shown that an O(-c)-polar ZnO surface is more stable than a Zn(+c)-polar surface in H(2) ambient. We applied first-principles calculations to investigating the polarity dependence on the stability at the electronic level. The calculations revealed that the -c surface terminated with H atom was stable maintaining a wurtzite structure, whereas the +c surface was unstable due to the change of coordination numbers of Zn at the topmost surface from four (wurtzite) to six (rock salt). This causes the generation of O(2) molecules, resulting in instability at the +c surface.     

Third-order nonlinear optical properties of open-shell supermolecular systems composed of acetylene linked phenalenyl radicals

The third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, at the molecular level, the static second hyperpolarizabilities, γ, of supermolecular systems composed of phenalenyl and pyrene rings linked by acetylene units are investigated by employing the long-range corrected spin-unrestricted density functional theory, LC-UBLYP, method. The phenalenyl based superethylene, superallyl, and superbutadiene in their lowest spin states have intermediate diradical characters and exhibit larger γ values than the closed-shell pyrene based superpolyene systems. The introduction of a positive charge into the phenalenyl based superallyl radical changes the sign of γ and enhances its amplitude by a factor of 35. Although such sign inversion is also observed in the allyl radical and cation systems in their ground state equilibrium geometries, the relative amplitude of γ is much different, that is, |γ(regular allyl cation)/γ(regular allyl radical)| = 0.61 versus |γ(phenalenyl based superallyl cation)/γ(phenalenyl based superallyl radical)| = 35. In contrast, the model ethylene, allyl radical/cation, and butadiene systems with stretched carbon-carbon bond lengths (2.0 ?), having intermediate diradical characters, exhibit similar γ features to those of the phenalenyl based superpolyene systems. This exemplifies that the size dependence of γ as well as its sign change by introducing a positive charge on the phenalenyl based superpolyene systems originate from their intermediate diradical characters. In addition, the change from the lowest to the highest π-electron spin states significantly reduces the γ amplitudes of the neutral phenalenyl based superpolyene systems. For phenalenyl based superallyl cation, the sign inversion of γ (from negative to positive) is observed upon switching between the singlet and triplet states, which is predicted to be associated with a modification of the balance between the positive and negative contributions to γ. The present study paves the way toward designing a variety of open-shell NLO supermolecular systems composed of phenalenyl radical building blocks.     

Spectroscopic and computational characterization of CuII-OOR (R = H or cumyl) complexes bearing a Me6-tren ligand

A copper(II)-hydroperoxo complex, [Cu(Me(6)-tren)(OOH)](+) (2), and a copper(ii)-cumylperoxo complex, [Cu(Me(6)-tren)(OOC(CH(3))(2)Ph)](+) (3), were synthesized by reacting [Cu(Me(6)-tren)(CH(3)CN)](2+) (1) with H(2)O(2) and cumyl-OOH, respectively, in the presence of triethylamine. These intermediates, 2 and 3, were successfully characterized by various physicochemical methods such as UV-vis, ESI-MS, resonance Raman and EPR spectroscopies, leading us to propose structures of the Cu(II)-OOR species with a trigonal-bipyramidal geometry. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations provided geometric and electronic configurations of 2 and 3, showing trigonal bipyramidal copper(II)-OOR geometries. These copper(II)-hydroperoxo and -cumylperoxo complexes were inactive in electrophilic and nucleophilic oxidation reactions.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed conversion of sp3 C-O bonds in ethers to C-C bonds using triarylboroxines

Catalytic conversion of unreactive sp(3) C-O bonds in alkyl ethers to C-C bonds is described. Alkyl ethers bearing 2- or 4-pyridyl groups were coupled with triarylboroxines in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst. Triarylboroxines bearing a variety of functional groups including electron-withdrawing and -donating groups can be used for the reaction. No additional base was required for the coupling with the organoboron reagents, and base-sensitive groups can be tolerated. The reaction is considered to proceed via dehydroalkoxylation followed by addition of triarylboroxines to form C-C bonds.     

Synthesis of the ABC ring system of Jiadifenin via Pd-catalyzed cyclizations

An efficient route toward the central ABC system of jiadifenin has been developed using two key Pd-catalyzed cyclizations. A protic solvent-activated Mizoroki-Heck reaction was used to construct the C(9) quaternary carbon and the A ring. A cascading Tsuji-Trost cyclization/lactonization sequence was employed to establish the BC ring system and the C(5,6) stereochemistry.