Mechanistic Study of the Solvent-Dependent Formation of Extended and Stacked Supramolecular Polymers Composed of Bis(imidazolylporphyrinatozinc) Molecules

Bis(imidazolylporphyrinatozinc) molecules linked through a 1,3-butadiynylene moiety respond to the solvents they are dissolved in to afford exclusively extended (E) or stacked (S) supramolecular polymers. This system is expected to be a solvation/desolvation indicator. However, the principles underlying the solvent-dependent formation of the two types of polymers and the mechanism of the transformation between them are unclear. The formation of the polymers is considered to depend on the two types of complementary coordination bonds that can be formed and the π–π interactions between the porphyrins. In this study, the contributions and solvent dependence of both the coordination bonds and the π–π interactions have been investigated. The results clearly indicate that the coordination bonds are weakly or little solvent-dependent, and that the π–π interactions function effectively only in the inner porphyrins of the S-polymer and are strongly solvent-dependent. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the formation of the E- or S-polymer in solution is determined by the total energies and the type of solvent used. The transformation of the E- to S-polymer was investigated by gel permeation chromatography. The kinetics of the transformation were also determined. The role of the terminal imidazolylporphyrinatozinc moieties was also investigated: The results indicate that the transformation from the E- to S-polymer occurs by an exchange mechanism between the polymers, induced by attack of terminal free imidazolyl groups on a polymer to zinc porphyrins on other polymers.     

High Refractive-Index Microspheres as Optical Cavity Structure

Microspheres of refractive index of n_D > 2.0 have been investigated. The organic-inorganic hybrid microspheres of n_D = 1.72 were prepared by the vibrating orifice technique using titanium-tetra-n-butoxide (TTBu) and diphenyldimethoxysilane (DPhDMS). For lasing demonstration, Eu³⁺-doped microspheres were prepared using europium (III) thenoyltrifluoroacetonate [Eu(TTFA)₃] as the dopant. The particles have good spherical shape, smooth surface and high optical transparency. The diameters of the particles could be controlled to within 0.1 m. Subsequent heating of the microspheres at 550°C under oxygen atmosphere resulted in an increase in the refractive index up to n_D = 2.6 with retention of the spherical shape. Resonant emission was confirmed from Eu^{3 +}-doped microspheres after heating at 400–550°C, by pumping with the 514.5 nm line of a CW- Ar⁺laser.     

Dynamic coordination polymers with 4,4'-oxybis(benzoate): reversible transformations of nano- and nonporous coordination frameworks responding to present solvents

Reversible construction of a nanoporous framework from a nonporous framework has been found in the zinc(II) coordination polymer with 4,4'-oxybis(benzoate) (oba). [Zn(2)(oba)(2)(dmf)(2)].2DMF (1), which has 1 nm scale channels, transforms to the nonporous coordination polymer [Zn(oba)(H(2)O)] (2) with the loss of the open framework. Compound 2 on treatment with DMF reversibly yields nanoporous compound 1.     

Ni-catalyzed, ZnCl(2)-assisted domino coupling of enones, alkynes, and alkenes

A Ni(0)/ZnCl(2) system effectively promotes the coupling of enones and alkene-tethered alkynes. In the reaction with 1,6-enynes, the oxidative cyclization of Ni(0) species on enones across the alkyne part followed by ZnCl(2)-promoted cleavage generates alkenylnickel intermediates. Subsequent migratory insertion of the tethered alkene occurs with 5-exo-cyclization. When the resulting sigma-alkylnickel intermediates have beta-hydrogen atoms, the reaction terminates by beta-hydrogen elimination to provide cyclopentane derivatives. On the other hand, a sigma-alkylnickel intermediate that does not have beta-hydrogen atoms undergoes the insertion of a second alkene unit to cause a domino effect via a three-fold C-C bond formation process with and without the cleavage of one C-C bond.     

Clove oil prevents glycyrrhizin gel formation in aqueous solution

One persistent problem with using therapeutic concentrations of glycyrrhizin (GZ) is that, at these high concentrations, it forms a gel in an aqueous solution. We previously solved this problem by dissolving GZ in a highly concentrated phosphate buffer. Unfortunately, the resulting GZ solution has a hyperosmotic pressure that renders it unsuitable for use in patients. The aim of this study was to prepare a highly concentrated GZ solution having an osmotic pressure ratio of 1 and a pH of 7.4. By adding small amounts of oil and using a 100 mM phosphate buffer, we achieved an emulsified GZ solution that is stable at room temperature and has a physiological osmotic pressure and pH. When clove oil was used as an emulsifier, the gel formation temperature of GZ solution decreased appreciably compared to that of GZ solution without clove oil. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we examined the detailed characteristics of GZ gels prepared from solutions with or without clove oil. SEM of cross sections of GZ gels revealed an irregular structure in gels prepared with clove oil, indicating that clove oil prevented the formation of the intermolecular GZ networks typically characterized by gels derived from pure GZ solutions.     

Cooperative C-F...Si interaction in optically active helical polysilanes

Cooperative amplification of the C-F...Si weak interaction between side chains and the main chain was found to afford rigid rodlike helical polysilanes with a preferential screw sense.     

High-pressure hydrothermal crystal growth and multiferroic properties of a perovskite YMnO3

Orthorhombic perovskites RMnO(3) are representative of spin-driven ferroelectrics. When the radius of the rare-earth ion R is smaller than that of Dy, for instance in YMnO(3), the orthorhombic phase becomes metastable at ambient pressure, which impedes the crystal growth; thus, the detailed magnetic and multiferroic properties of the metastable phase have not been characterized. In this work, we successfully obtained single crystals of orthorhombic YMnO(3) using quasi-hydrothermal conditions under a high pressure of 5.5 GPa. Magnetic and dielectric measurements under magnetic fields revealed that the magnetic ground state is the commensurate E-type antiferromagnetic, while a cycloidal spin phase likely coexists in the intermediate temperature range, which enhances the magnetoelectric response to external fields.     

Liquid crystal gels cross-linked with 1,3,5-tris-(ω-methacryloyloxyalkyloxy)benzenes

A mixture of ω-(4-cyanobiphenyl-4′-yloxy)alkyl methacrylate and 1,3,5-tris-(ω-methacryloyloxyalkyloxy)benzene was heated to 200 °C at 5–10 °C/min. A large, broad exothermic transition peak was observed by differential scanning calorimetry during the first heating process. The transition indicated the formation of a networked polymer, which was then immersed for 24 h in various nematic liquid crystals, such as 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl, to give liquid crystal gels. The networked polymers and their corresponding liquid crystal gels exhibited different liquid crystal-isotropic transitions. The swelling behaviors of the liquid crystal gels were compared with those of gels cross-linked with 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate, trimethylpropane trimethacrylate, and pentaerythritol tetraacetate. The characteristics of liquid crystal gels cross-linked with 1,3,5-tris-(ω-methacryloyloxyalkyloxy)benzenes were studied.     

Encapsulating property of ap-t-butylcalix[6]arene derivative: Formation of charge-transfer complexes of alkadienes with iodine in the presence of octopus-type calix[6]arene

This paper deals with the ability ofp-tert-butylcalix[6]arene derivative1, which has six 3,6,9-trioxadecyl substituents at the phenolic oxygens, to encapsulate CT complexes of alkadienes with iodine. By adding I₂ to alkadienes in CH₂Cl₂ in the presence of1, the absorbance at 363 nm, which was ascribed to I ₃ ^– ion, increased in the order: 1,5-hexadiene<1,9-decadiene 1,7-octadiene. The reactivity features of the CT complexes in the presence of1 are discussed.     

Thermal behavior of ternary Sm2Fe17Nx magnets

The Mössbauer spectra of Sm₂Fe₁₇N_x, prepared by the nitrogenation of Sm₂Fe₁₇ powders in an ammonia and hydrogen atmosphere, were observed at elevated temperatures to shed light on the thermal behavior of nitrogen in the compounds Sm₂Fe₁₇N_x. It was found that there were large differences in thermal behavior between the starting Sm₂Fe₁₇, crystalline Sm₂Fe₁₇N_x (x≈1.7) and amorphous Sm₂Fe₁₇N_x(x～7). The thermal decomposition behavior of Sm₂Fe₁₇N_3.2, developed as one of the most promising hard magnetic materials, was found to be different under different atmospheres.