Aqueous Titanate Sols from Ti Alkoxide-α-Hydroxycarboxylic Acid System and Preparation of Titania Films from the Sols

Aqueous titanate sols were prepared by reactions of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TIP) with -hydroxycarboxylic acids in water. IR and Raman spectra, and elemental analyses of the precipitates obtained from the sols revealed that the carboxylates were chelated to titanium but the Ti species were polymerized to form a cluster that had a colloidal nature. Spin-coating of titania (TiO₂) thin films from these sols was also examined. Interestingly, it was found that (004) preferentially oriented anatase films with refractive index of 2.54 were obtained from TIP-lactic acid-NH₃ (1:1:1, molar ratio) aqueous sol. This crystallographic orientation was characteristic of the TIP-lactic acid-NH₃ (1:1:1) system, and was not affected by the kinds of substrates used and the heating rate of the film. TEM observation indicated that small anatase grains had already formed at 200°C. Therefore, the crystallographic orientation might depend strongly on the structure of the chemical species of the precursor solutions.     

Highly chemo- and regioselective phosphitylation of unprotected 2′-deoxyribonucleosides

We have developed the chemo- and regioselective phosphitylation of unprotected 2′-deoxyribonucleosides by the use of di-tert-butyl N,N-diethylphosphoramidite, a sterically hindered phosphoramidite. Both N/O- and primary hydroxy group-selectivities were simultaneously achieved, and the selectivity for the 5′-hydroxy groups was up to 97% regardless of the base moiety of the 2′-deoxyribonucleosides. The 3′-O-isomers and the 5′-O-isomers were easily separated by silica gel column chromatography or crystallization to give the pure 2′-deoxyribonucleoside 5′-phosphites in moderate to good yields.     

Highly sensitive automatic analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in indoor and outdoor air

A method for the quantitation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in indoor and outdoor air by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a spectrofluorometric detection and programmed excitation and emission wavelength pairs is proposed. The mobile phase is a linear gradient of methanol-water. The relative standard deviations (n = 5) are in the range 0.38-1.7% at concentration levels of 0.69-11.40 ng ml(-1). The determination limits (S N = 10 ) are 0.5-15.9 pg. The proposed method was successfully applied to quantitate 12 PAHs in gas phase and particulates in indoor and outdoor air. The recoveries of PAHs from gas phase and particulates were 95.7-117.5 and 94.8-112.4%, respectively. This highly sensitive automatic HPLC analysis for PAHs both in gas phase and particulates can be applied to indoor and outdoor survey.     

Synthesis of pyrido[1′,2′:1,2]imidazo[4,5-b]quinoxalines

Synthesis of pyrido[1′,2′:1,2]imidazo[4,5-b]quinoxalines by the facile cyclizations of 2,3-dichloroquinoxalines with 2-aminopyridines and of 2-amino-3-chloroquinoxalines with various substituted pyridines is described.     

Conjugate addition of grignard reagents to N-(α,β-unsaturated)acylpyrazoles. Diastereoselective β-alkylation using 3-phenyl-l-menthopyrazole

The conjugate additions of N-(α,β-unsaturated)acylpyrazoles were carried out by the treatment with Grignard reagents in the presence of cuprous halides. The reaction of 2-(α,β-unsaturated)acyl-3-phenyl-l-menthopyrazoles 3a-h occurred in higher chemical yields and with asymmetric inductions on β-position, where the addition of magnesium bromide as a Lewis acid influenced to the yields and the diastereoselectivities. In the case of α-methylated 2-(α,β-unsaturated)acyl-3-phenyl-l-menthopyrazoles 3i-n , the excellent asymmetric induction on the α-position was also observed through the diastereofacial protonation.     

Metallic Na formation in/on NaCl crystals with irradiation by electron or vacuum ultraviolet photons

Metallic Na was formed in/on NaCl single crystals by irradiating them with a variety of radiation sources, namely, 21 MeV electron pulses, an electron beam of 30 keV and photon fluxes in the VUV region. The physical states were analysed using several methods, optical absorption, lifetime measurement of positron annihilation, Auger electron spectroscopy and UV photoelectron spectroscopy. Metallic Na was obtained in different physical states; clusters were formed in bulk, thin layers (islands) and thick layers on the surface.     

Novel and efficient chiral sulfideoxathiane ligands for palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation

Easily prepared, chiral sulfideoxathiane ligands are described which give excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee) in the Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with a range of alkyl malonate nucleophiles.     

(2,7-Disubstituted-1,8-biphenylenedioxy)bis(dimethylaluminum) as bidentate organoaluminum Lewis acids: elucidation and synthetic Utility of the double electrophilic activation phenomenon

A series of (2,7-disubstituted-1,8-biphenylenedioxy)bis(dimethylaluminum) (2) has been readily prepared in situ by treatment of the requisite 2,7-disubstituted-1,8-biphenylenediol (1) with Me3Al (2 equiv) in CH2Cl2 at room temperature; this primarily relies on the successful establishment of a new synthetic procedure of 1 starting from inexpensive m-anisidine. Evaluation of 2 as a bidentate organoaluminum Lewis acid has been performed by the reduction of ketonic substrates using Bu3SnH as a hydride source in comparison to the conventional monodentate Lewis acid dimethylaluminum 2,6-xylenoxide (11), uncovering the significantly high activation ability of 2 toward carbonyl. Particularly, (2,7-dimethyl-1,8-biphenylenedioxy)bis(dimethylaluminum) (2a) exerted the highest reactivity, which has also been emphasized in the Mukaiyama aldol reaction. The structure of the bidentate Lewis acid 2 was unambiguously determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of 2g possessing a bulky 3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl substituent, revealing the rigid dimeric assembly in the solid state. The double electrophilic activation of carbonyl substrate by 2a has been supported by low-temperature 13C NMR analysis as well as theoretical study using the Gaussian 98 program. Moreover, unique stereoselectivity has been observed in the 2a-promoted Mukaiyama Michael addition, and highly chemoselective functionalization of carbonyl compounds in the presence of their acetal counterparts has been realized using 2a. Finally, the effectiveness of 2a for the activation of ether functionality has been demonstrated in the Claisen rearrangement of allyl vinyl ethers.