(E)‐,(Z)‐Parallel Preparative Methods for Stereodefined β,β‐Diaryl‐ and α,β‐Diaryl‐α,β‐unsaturated Esters: Application to the Stereocomplementary Concise Synthesis of Zimelidine

Parallel and practical methods for the preparation of both (E)‐ and (Z)‐β‐aryl¹‐β‐aryl²‐α,β‐unsaturated esters 1 and (E)‐ and (Z)‐α‐aryl¹‐β‐aryl²‐α,β‐unsaturated esters 2 are described. These methods involve accessible, robust, stereocomplementary N‐methylimidazole (NMI)‐mediated enol tosylations (14 examples, 70–99 % yield), as well as stereoretentive Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐couplings (36 examples, 64–99 % yield). The highlighted feature of the present protocol is the use of parallel and stereocomplementary approaches to obtain highly (E)‐ and (Z)‐pure products 1 and 2 by utilizing sequential enol tosylations and cross‐coupling reactions. An expeditious and parallel synthesis of (E)‐ and (Z)‐zimelidine ( 3 ), which is a highly representative selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), was performed by utilizing the present methods.     

Effect of Head Size in Head‐Tail‐Type Polycations on their in vitro Performances as Nonviral Gene Vectors

Three kinds of head‐tail‐type block copolymers composed of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendron heads and poly(L ‐lysine) (PLL) tail blocks (PAMAM dendron‐PLL), having PAMAM dendrons with different generations (G2.5‐PLL, G3.5‐PLL and G4.5‐PLL) were synthesized. Some of the dendron heads were located at polyplex surface, and G2.5‐PLL and G3.5‐PLL could form small polyplexes (less than 150 nm in size). G2.5‐PLL and G3.5‐PLL polyplexes were taken up into the cells more effectively. PAMAM dendron‐PLL that had a larger dendron head could show a more‐effective buffering effect. The in vitro performance of the PAMAM dendron‐PLL polyplexes was controlled by the balance of cellular uptake and endosomal escape by a buffering effect.

     

Cyano-phosphorylation of aldehydes catalyzed by a nucleophilic N-heterocyclic carbene

The first method for cyano-phosphorylation of aldehydes with diethyl cyanophosphonate in the presence of N-heterocyclic carbene prepared from 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazolium chloride and KOt-Bu, as a nucleophilic catalyst, is described.     

Does bulk metallic glass of elemental Zr and Ti exist?

To verify the high-pressure formation of the bulk metallic glass in elemental Zr and Ti, which Zhang and Zhao [Nature (London) 430, 332 (2004)] and Y. Wang et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 155501 (2005)] recently reported, the high-pressure states were investigated by our newly developed in situ angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction using a two-dimensional detector and x-ray transparent anvils. Despite the disappearance of all the Bragg peaks in the one-dimensional energy-dispersive data, two-dimensional angle-dispersive data showed several intense Bragg spots even at the conditions where the amorphization was reported. This finding suggests that Zr and Ti do not transform into an amorphous state, but that their grain size becomes large, which causes the missing Bragg peaks in energy-dispersive data.     

Unusual amino acid derivatives from the mushroom Pleurocybella porrigens

Three new amino acid derivatives (1-3) and three known ones (4-6) were isolated from the mushroom Pleurocybella porrigens. The structures of 1-6 were determined by the interpretation of spectroscopic data. Compounds 1, 3, 4, and 5 were toxic to mouse cerebrum glial cells.     

A new class of rhodamine luminophores: design, syntheses and aggregation-induced emission enhancement

A new class of rhodamine luminophores, 3',3'-bis(oxospiroisobenzofuran)-3,7-bis(dialkylamino)benzopyrano-xanthene derivatives (ABPX), have been successfully developed. The emission behavior of ABPX series is directly opposite to the concentration quenching of conventional rhodamine dyes. ABPX series exhibit aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE).     

Photochemical electron transfer through [corrected] the interface of hybrid films of titania nano-sheets and mono-dispersed spherical mesoporous silica particles

Photochemical Electron Transfer (ET) between an organic dye, the porphyrin derivative TMPyP, and an electron acceptor, methyl viologen MV2+, have been investigated at the interface of two different inorganic films, i.e., layered titania nano-sheets (TNS) and a monolayer film of spherical and mono-dispersed mesoporous silica (sMPS) particles (ca. 0.5 microm). TMPyP ions were intercalated within the sMPS nano-cavities to form (TMPyP-sMPS) while MV2+ ions were intercalated into the TNS interlayers to form (MV2+-TNS). The (TMPyP-sMPS) and (MV2+-TNS) films were then stacked on a silica substrate in this order to form a (MV2+-TNS)/(TMPyP-sMPS) film and, upon UV light irradiation, ET could be induced. However, when this film was stacked inversely, i.e., for the (TMPyP-sMPS)/(MV2+-TNS) films on a silica substrate, no photoinduced ET were observed. Interestingly, however, even for this photo-inactive inversely stacked film, ET could be generated by inserting a gold vapor-deposited layer between the (MV2+-TNS) and (TMPyP-sMPS) films. The conjugation conditions at the interface of the inversely stacked (TMPyP-sMPS)/(MV2+-TNS) hybrid film were, thus, confirmed to strongly affect the photoinduced electron transfers and their efficiencies.     

Physarigins A-C, three new yellow pigments from a cultured myxomycete Physarum rigidum

Physarigins A-C (1-3), three new pigments have been isolated from a cultured plasmodium of myxomycete Physarum rigidum and their structures were elucidated by spectral data.     

Light-driven open-close motion of chiral molecular scissors

The first example of "light-driven chiral molecular scissors" (1), which consists of 1,1',3,3'-tetraarylferrocene as a pivot part and azobenzene as a driving part, was synthesized. Absorption, circular dichroism (CD), and 1H NMR spectral studies on the photoinduced isomerization process of an enantiomer of 1 agreed well with a prediction by a DFT calculation, where a motion of the handles via light-driven contraction/expansion of the connecting azobenzene strap was transformed, through a pivotal motion of the ferrocene unit, into an open-close motion of the blade parts.