XPS analysis of NH3 plasma-treated polystyrene films utilizing gas phase chemical modification

Gas phase chemical modification (GCM) is found to be more preferable as a pretreatment for the XPS surface analysis of polymer materials than the conventional liquid phase treatment because it can circumvent problems such as solvent contamination and swelling. We have tried the quantification of the surface composition successfully by estimating the yield of the reaction from model samples. GCM was then applied to correlate the surface composition of NH₃ plasma-treated polystyrene films with their cell-affinity. The amount of primary-amine and that of carboxylic acid were directly determined by GCM. Although the amount of primary-amine, 15–20% of total nitrogen, did not depend on the treatment intensity, the total amine content for the treated samples increased with the plasma treatment intensity. The quantity of carboxylic acid generated was found to be very small. All treated samples had better cell-affinity than the control. The sample N2 (of medium treatment) showed the best cell-affinity. The most strongly treated sample N3, with larger amine content than N2, showed worse cell-affinity because of the interference by the sputtered SiO₂ on the surface.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed cycloaddition of propargylic alcohols with phenol derivatives via allenylidene intermediates: catalytic use of the allenylidene ligand as the C(3) unit

Novel ruthenium-catalyzed cycloaddition of propargylic alcohols with 2-naphthols and phenols bearing electron-donating groups via allenylidene intermediates has been developed to give the corresponding 1H-naphtho[2,1-b]pyrans and 4H-1-benzopyrans, respectively, in moderate to excellent yields with complete regioselectivity.     

Functionalization of cyclodextrins via reactions of 2,3-anhydrocyclodextrins

Three types of reactions of 2,3-anhydro-beta-cyclodextrins, namely nucleophilic ring-opening, reduction to 2-enopyranose, and reduction to 3-deoxypyranose, have been investigated to regio- and stereoselectively functionalize the secondary face of beta-cyclodextrin. Upon treatment with various nucleophiles, both 2,3-mannoepoxy and 2,3-alloepoxy-beta-cyclodextrins are found to undergo nucleophilic ring-opening reaction generating 3- and 2-modified cyclodextrin derivatives. In each case, the 3-position is more easily accessible than the 2-position. By using these ring-opening reactions, imidazolyl, iodo, azido, and benzylmercapto groups are selectively introduced to the secondary face of beta-cyclodextrin in place of the 2- or 3-hydroxyl groups. The functionalized cyclodextrins have either modified glucosidic subunits or modified altrosidic subunits that make the hydrophobic cavity slightly distorted from that of native beta-cyclodextrin. Thiourea also reacts with the cyclodextrin epoxides. In this case, thiirane and olefin species are generated instead of any ring-opening products. By ameliorating the reaction condition, cyclodextrin olefin, diene, and triene derivatives are prepared in moderate to good yields. Reduction of per[6-(tert-butyldimethyl)silyl]-beta-cyclodextrin permannoepoxide with lithium aluminum hydride produces the per(3-deoxy)-beta-cyclomannin. All these chemically modified cyclodextrins are structurally well characterized and most of them are expected to serve as versatile scaffolds for diverse purposes such as the construction of catalysts and development of synthetic receptors and molecular containers.     

Perfluoropentacene: high-performance p-n junctions and complementary circuits with pentacene

We report the synthesis and characterization of perfluoropentacene as an n-type semiconductor for organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Perfluoropentacene is a planar and crystalline material that adopts a herringbone structure as observed for pentacene. OFETs with perfluoropentacene were constructed using top-contact geometry, and an electron mobility of 0.11 cm2 V-1 s-1 was observed. Bipolar OFETs with perfluoropentacene and pentacene function at both negative and positive gate voltages. The improved p-n junctions are probably due to the similar d-spacings of both acenes. Complementary inverter circuits were fabricated, and the transfer characteristics exhibit a sharp inversion of the output signal with a high-voltage gain.     

Determination of fluvoxamine in rat plasma by HPLC with pre-column derivatization and fluorescence detection using 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole

A sensitive, simple and reliable method using high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay of fluvoxamine (FLU), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), in rat plasma after pre-column derivatization with 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F) was developed in this study. Extracted plasma samples were mixed with NBD-F at 60 degrees C for 5 min and injected into HPLC. Retention times of FLU and an internal standard (propafenone) derivative were 15.5 and 13.5 min, respectively. The calibration curve was linear over the range 0.015-1.5 microg/mL (r2 = 0.9985) and the lower limits of detection and quantification of FLU were 0.008 and 0.015 microg/mL, respectively, in 100 microL of plasma. The derivative sample was stable at 4 degrees C for 1 day. The coefficients of variation for intra-day and inter-day assay of FLU were less than 8.3 and 9.6%, respectively. Other SSRIs and centrally acting drugs did not interfere with the peak of the FLU derivative. The method was applied for analysis of the plasma samples from rats treated with FLU. These results indicate that the method presented is useful to determine the FLU levels in rat plasma of volumes as small as 100 microL and can be applied to pharmacokinetic studies.     

Furopyridines. XX. Wittig-horner reaction of a phosphonate of reissert analogues of furo[3,2-c]-, -[2,3-c]- and -[3,2-b]pyridines

Furo[3,2-c]-( 1a ), -[2,3-c]- ( 1b ) and -[3,2-b]pyridine ( 1c ) were reacted with isopropyl chloroformate and trimethyl phosphite to give dimethyl 5-isopropoxycarbonyl-4,5-dihydrofuro[3,2-c]pyridine-4-phosphonate ( 2a ), dimethyl 6-isopropoxycarbonyl-6,7-dihydrofuro[2,3-c]pyridine-7-phosphonate ( 2b ) and dimethyl 4-isopropoxycarbonyl-4,7-dihydrofuro[3,2-b]pyridine-7-phosphonate ( 2c ) as unstable syrups. Reaction of 2b and 2c with n-butyllithium and then with benzaldehyde, p-methoxybenzaldehyde, p-cyanobenzalde-hyde or propionaldehyde afforded the normal Wittig reaction products 5b-H, 5b-OMe, 5b-CN, 5b-Et, 5c-H, 5c-H, 5c-OMe and 5c-CN , except for 2b with propionaldehyde. While, the same reactions of compound 2a and the reaction of 2b with propionaldehyde afforded the unexpected products, 5-isopropoxycar-bonylfuro[3,2-c]pyridinio-4-aryl-(or ethyl)methoxides 3a-H, 3a-OMe, 3a-CN and 3a-Et , 4-(1′-aryl(or ethyl)-1′-hydroxymethyl)furo[3,2-c]pyridines 4a-H, 4a-OMe, 4a-CN and 4a-Et accompanying formation of the normal products. Treatment of the normal Wittig reaction products with lithium diisopropylamide and then with acetone gave the derivatives alkylated at the 2-or the benzylic positions.     

Mono(sulfido)-bridged mixed-valence nitrosyl complex: protonation and oxidative addition of iodine across the Ir(II)-Ir(0) bond

Treatment of [Cp*IrH(SH)(PMe3)] (Cp* = eta5-C5Me5) with [IrCl2(NO)(PPh3)2] in the presence of triethylamine yielded the sulfido-bridged Ir(II)Ir0 complex [Cp*Ir(PMe3)(mu-S)Ir(NO)(PPh3)], which further reacted with I2 and triflic acid to give the diiodo complex [Cp*Ir(PMe3)(mu-I)(mu-S)IrI(NO)(PPh3)] and the hydrido complex [Cp*Ir(PMe3)(mu-H)(mu-S)Ir(NO)(PPh3)][OSO2CF3], respectively.