Preparation of dibromopyridines having -(CH2)m-SO3Na groups as monomers for new polypyridines

Dibromopyridines or dibromopyridone with -(CH₂)_m-SO₃Na group(s) has been prepared via the reactions of the corresponding dibromopyridines with -OH and -NH₂ groups with sultone. These compounds were converted into polymers with the -(CH₂)_m-SO₃H groups via organometallic polycondensation. The polymer showed proton conducting properties and high stability toward oxidation.     

Facile synthesis of optically active oxindoles by copper-catalyzed asymmetric monotosylation of prochiral 1,3-diols

A facile synthetic method toward optically active 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles with excellent enantioselectivity was achieved using chiral copper-catalyzed desymmetrization of prochiral 1,3-diols. The monotosylated product was transformed into oxindole derivatives efficiently.     

Synthesis and properties of thermotropic liquid-crystalline polyesters containing 9,10-diphenylanthracene moiety in the main chain

We synthesized thermotropic liquid-crystalline polyesters in which 9,10-diphenylanthracene moieties are incorporated into the main chain type of polyester forming the chiral smectic C (Sm C*). The polymers were prepared by the isopropyltitanate-catalyzed reaction of biphenyldicarboxylic acid and the corresponding diols, with different ratios of diol of 9,10-diphenylanthracene moiety to the alkane diols (1, 5, and 10 mol %) under nitrogen atmosphere. The polymers exhibited thermotropic liquid crystals despite the presence of a bulky diphenylanthracene moiety in the main chain. The circular dichroism spectra revealed that a Sm C* phase was formed in the polymer with 1 mol % of anthracene moiety, although only an Sm A phase was formed in the other polymers. This is the first example of a Sm C* polyester containing a diphenylanthracene moiety in the main chain. Furthermore, we measured the optical properties of the polymers and found that they exhibited very high fluorescent efficiency. The fluorescence spectra of the thin film differed from that of a CH₂Cl₂ solution.     

Phase-locked laser system for a metastable states qubit in 40 Ca+

We describe the development of a phase-locked laser system tailored to an ion-trap-based quantum information processor with (40)Ca(+). Laser outputs from an extended cavity diode laser and a Ti:sapphire laser with output laser wavelengths of approximately 850 and 854 nm, respectively, were phase locked and used to excite a Raman transition between the D(3/2) and D(5/2) metastable states qubit. Development and the performance of the laser system are described. We also compare the characteristics and the benefits of the developed qubit coupling with those in the conventional approaches.     

New era for mucosal mast cells: their roles in inflammation,allergic immune responses and adjuvant development

To achieve immune homeostasis in such a harsh environment as the intestinal mucosa, both active and quiescent immunity operate simultaneously. Disruption of gut immune homeostasis leads to the development of intestinal immune diseases such as colitis and food allergies. Among various intestinal innate immune cells, mast cells (MCs) play critical roles in protective immunity against pathogenic microorganisms, especially at mucosal sites. This suggests the potential for a novel MC-targeting type of vaccine adjuvant. Dysregulated activation of MCs also results in inflammatory responses in mucosal compartments. The regulation of this yin and yang function of MCs remains to be elucidated. In this review, we focus on the roles of mucosal MCs in the regulation of intestinal allergic reaction, inflammation and their potential as a new target for the development of mucosal adjuvants.     

Thermodynamic study on the interaction of imidazolium salts and POE-type nonionic surfactant in the adsorbed film

The composition of the adsorbed film and the excess Gibbs energy of adsorption $ {\widehat{g}}^{\mathrm{H},\mathrm{E}} $ were evaluated from thermodynamic analysis of surface tensions for the 1-decyl-3-methylimidazoulium bromide (C₁₀mimBr)–tetraethylene glycol monooctyl ether (C₈E₄) and 1-decyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetrafluorobrorate (C₁₀mimBF₄)–C₈E₄ systems, where the counter anion of imidazolium salts is different from each other. The higher miscibility of two components compared to an ideal mixing and thus negative $ {\widehat{g}}^{\mathrm{H},\mathrm{E}} $ were observed in the former, which comes from the ion–dipole interaction between imidazolium cation and the oxyethylene group of C₈E₄. On the other hand, the lower miscibility and thus positive $ {\widehat{g}}^{\mathrm{H},\mathrm{E}} $ were observed for the latter. Such differences were attributed to that BF₄ ^? forms two hydrogen bonds and has stronger affinity with the cationic head group of C₁₀mim⁺ than Br^?. This results in that the ion–dipole interaction between C₈E₄ and C₁₀mim⁺ cation is diminished in the C₁₀mimBF₄–C₈E₄ system.     

Copper–Oxygen Dynamics in the Tyrosinase Mechanism

The dinuclear copper enzyme, tyrosinase, activates O₂ to form a (μ-η²:η²-peroxido)dicopper(II) species, which hydroxylates phenols to catechols. However, the exact mechanism of phenolase reaction in the catalytic site of tyrosinase is still under debate. We herein report the near atomic resolution X-ray crystal structures of the active tyrosinases with substrate l -tyrosine. At their catalytic sites, CuA moved toward l -tyrosine (CuA1 → CuA2), whose phenol oxygen directly coordinates to CuA2, involving the movement of CuB (CuB1 → CuB2). The crystal structures and spectroscopic analyses of the dioxygen-bound tyrosinases demonstrated that the peroxide ligand rotated, spontaneously weakening its O−O bond. Thus, the copper migration induced by the substrate-binding is accompanied by rearrangement of the bound peroxide species so as to provide one of the peroxide oxygen atoms with access to the phenol substrate's ϵ carbon atom.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed C−H Iodination of Arenes by Means of Sulfinyl Directing Groups

C?H iodination of aromatic compounds has been accomplished with the aid of sulfinyl directing groups under palladium catalysis. The reaction proceeds selectively at the peri‐position of polycyclic aryl sulfoxides or at the ortho‐position of phenyl sulfoxides. The iodination products can be further converted via iterative catalytic cross‐coupling at the expense of the C?I and C?S bonds. Computational studies suggest that peri‐C?H palladation would proceed via a non‐directed pathway, wherein neither of the sulfur nor oxygen atom of the sulfinyl group coordinates to the palladium before and at the transition state.     

Fiber-optic distributed measurement of polarization beat length using slope-assisted Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry

Optical Review - We demonstrate distributed measurement of the polarization beat length along single-mode optical fibers (SMFs) using slope-assisted Brillouin optical correlation-domain...