Preliminary communicationPalladium-catalyzed carboxylation of aromatic compounds with carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide has been found to react with aromatic compounds such as benzene, anisole, furane, and thiophene to give aromatic acids in modest yields with palladium(II) salts as catalysts. The addition of t-BuOOH increases the yield.     

Photon-echo profile in the ultrashort time region for pentacene molecules in crystals

Photon-echo behavior in the ultrashort time region is studied for pentacene molecules in p-terphenyl crystals at 1.7 K by means of the accumulated three-pulse echo. We show highly resolved echo spectra with a parameter of time separation and also time behavior of echo intensity as a function of pulse separation measured at various frequencies near the peak position of the absorption line of the S₀–S₁ transition. We demonstrate various features of echo profile in both time and frequency domains, which are dependent on the time region of observation.     

Role of hydroxyl groups in the stereochemistry of hydrogen transfer from chiral NAD(P)H model to carbonyl

Asymmetric reduction of α-ketoester with a chiral dihydronicotinamide was significantly affected by chiral aromatic additives, capable of exerting an attractive interaction with dihydropyridine ring, which was further consolidated through with magnesium.     

Decomposition of 1/f noise in Al(x)Ga(1-x)As/GaAs Hall devices

We present a systematic study of the low-frequency noise in micron and submicron Hall devices made from Al(x)Ga(1-x)As/GaAs heterostructures. In a sample with feature size as small as 0.45 microm we observe a nonmonotonic temperature dependence of the noise power spectral densities (PSD's) at temperatures where surface states and deep-level excitations are frozen out. Near the temperature where the noise peaks, the PSD's can be described by a thermally activated two-level random telegraph signal, i.e., the 1/f noise originating from switching events in the highly doped Al(x)Ga(1-x) layer is resolved into a single Lorentzian spectrum.     

In situ and real-time visualisation of oxygen distribution in DMFC using a porphyrin dye compound

A luminescent porphyrin dye film has been coated onto a transparent separator on the cathode side of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) to visualise clearly oxygen distribution under operating conditions by analysing emission from the dye.     

Determination and purification of sesamin and sesamolin in sesame seed oil unsaponified matter using reversed‐phase liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array and tandem mass spectrometry and high‐speed countercurrent chromatography

In Asian countries, sesame seed oil unsaponified matter is used as a natural food additive due to its associated antioxidant effects. We determined and purified the primary lignans sesamin and sesamolin in sesame seed oil unsaponified matter using reversed‐phase liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array and tandem mass spectrometry and high‐speed countercurrent chromatography. Calibration curves showed good correlation coefficients (r² > 0.999, range 0.08 and/or 0.15 to 5 μg/mL) with a limit of detection (at 290 nm) of 0.02 μg/mL for sesamin and 0.04 μg/mL for sesamolin. Sesame seed oil unsaponified matter contained 2.82% sesamin and 2.54% sesamolin, respectively. Direct qualitative analysis of sesamin and sesamolin was achieved using quadrupole mass spectrometry with positive‐mode electrospray ionization. Pure (>99%) sesamin and sesamolin standards were obtained using high‐speed countercurrent chromatographic purification (hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water; 7:3:7:3). An effective method for determining and purifying sesamin and sesamolin from sesame seed oil unsaponified matter was developed by combining these separation techniques for standardized food additives.     

Palladium(II)-catalyzed carboxylation of benzene and other aromatic compounds with carbon monoxide under very mild conditions

Aromatic compounds such as benzene, toluene, chlorobenzene, anisole, and naphthalene were carboxylated by palladium(II) acetate catalyst with carbon monoxide in the presence of potassium peroxodisulfate in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The aromatic carboxylic acids were formed in good yields; for example, the carboxylation of benzene with carbon monoxide proceeds quantitatively under the optimal conditions.