Scandium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate catalyzed aromatic nitration with inorganic nitrates and acetic anhydride

The rare earth metal(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate (rare earth metal(III) triflate, RE(OTf)3) was found to be an efficient catalyst for aromatic nitration with carboxylic anhydride-inorganic nitrate as the nitrating agent. In the presence of a catalytic amount of RE(OTf)3, the nitration of substituted benzenes proceeded to afford the corresponding nitrobenzenes. Especially, scandium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate (scandium(III) triflate, Sc(OTf)3) is the most active catalyst among our tested Lewis acids. It was also found that acetic anhydride-Al(NO3).9H2O is the most active nitrating agent in this system.     

Illumination accelerates the decay of the O-intermediate of pharaonis phoborhodopsin (sensory rhodopsin II)

pharaonis phoborhodopsin (ppR, also called pharaonis sensory rhodopsin II [psRII]) is a member of the archaeal rhodopsin family and acts as a repellent phototaxis receptor of Natronobacterium pharaonis. Upon illumination, ppR is excited and undergoes a linear cyclic photoreaction, namely, a photocycle that constitutes photointermediates such as M- and O-intermediates (ppRM and ppRO, respectively). Under a constant background illumination (>600 nm) that irradiates ppRO, the decay rate of the flash-induced ppRO increased with an increase in the background light intensity, indicating the photoreactivity of ppRO. Azide did not influence the light-accelerated ppRO decay, but the time required for the cycle to be completed became shortened in an azide concentration-dependent manner because of acceleration of ppRM decay. Hence, the turnover rate of photocycling increased appreciably in the presence of both the background illumination and the azide. The observation reported previously (Schmies, G. et al. 2000, Biophys. J. 78:967-976) is discussed in connection with the present observations.     

Entrapment of organic solutes by the water cage in the nanochannel of MCM-41

The effect of MCM-41 on the ESR spectrum of an aqueous spin probe solution was observed. The sharp ESR spectrum turns into a rather broad characteristic one leaving a sharper signal as the minor component, immediately after the addition of MCM-41 powder to the system. This observation indicates that MCM-41 traps the solute molecule into the nanochannel by letting the solvent water form a rather stable molecular cage, since the ESR line shape indicates that the nitroxide radical undergoes anisotropic rotation without being adsorbed on the wall. Thermodynamic parameters for this process are estimated from the temperature dependencies of the trapping efficiency. This process is explained in terms of the surface enthalpy of the liquid specifically intensified in the nanospace.     

Wave front shape for a constrained cylindrically anisotropic elastic solid

The two-dimensional wave front shape caused by a point impulse excitation in a cylindrically anisotropic elastic solid is considered. The elastic parameters of the solid are constrained such that E = G This constraint allows the parametric equations of the wave front to be expressed exactly in terms of elementary transcendental functions. The precise location of double and cusp points on the front is treated in detail. Time histories of several wave front patterns are presented and an interesting feature of the front is generalized to the unconstrained solid.     

Application of nilvadipine solid dispersion to tablet formulation and manufacturing using crospovidone and methylcellulose as dispersion carriers

Nilvadipine (NIL) solid dispersion using crospovidone (Cross-linked-N-vinyl-2-pyrolidone, cl-PVP) and methylcellulose (MC) as carriers was applied to tablet formulation. Several grades of cl-PVP and MC were used, and their influence on tablet properties such as hardness, disintegration, dissolution and chemical stability were investigated. The agitation granulation method was used for preparation of solid dispersion granules, and the granules were compressed using a rotary tableting machine, and finally the obtained tablets were coated with film. As the particle size of cl-PVP decreased, hardness and apparent solubility were increased, while dissolution rate was lowered. When a higher viscosity grade of MC was used, hardness and dissolution rate were increased, and apparent solubility did not change. All batches of tablets were chemically stable at 40 degrees C, 75% relative humidity (R.H.) for six months. Finally, tablets with enhanced dissolution properties were obtained by using Polyplasdone XL-10 and Metolose SM-25 as the grades of cl-PVP and MC, respectively. These formulation tablets showed higher solubility and dissolution rate during storage as well as initial indicating good physical stability.     

Preparation of organic-inorganic composites containing rod-like phthalocyanine polymers

Sol-gel polymerization of tetraethoxysilane in the presence of amphiphilic phthalocyanine polymer 2 produced organic-inorganic composites with the rod-like phthalocaynine polymers incorporated within ordered hexagonal channels.     

Synthesis and antiviral activities of some 4,4'-dihydroxytriphenylmethanes

4,4'-Dihydroxytriphenylmethanes were synthesized using Br?nsted acid or Lewis acid in yields of 24-86% as target compounds for developing antiviral agents. Most of the 4,4'-dihydroxytriphenylmethanes showed significant activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (anti-HSV-1 activity) in a plaque reduction assay. Higher cytotoxicity was observed generally in halogenated 4,4'-dihydroxytriphenylmethanes (2a-d) than in non-halogenated derivatives. The non-halogenated derivative, 4,4',4"-trihydroxy-3"-methoxytriphenylmethane (3), showed remarkable antiviral activity with an EC(50) value of 1.8 microg/ml.     

Ionic diamine rhodium complex catalyzed hydroaminomethylation of 2-allylanilines

Ionic diamine rhodium complexes catalyze the hydroaminomethylation of 2-allylanilines. The reaction involves initial hydroformylation followed by reductive amination, which provides direct access to 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines and 2,3,4,5-1H-1-benzazepines.     

Instanton solution in tachyon cosmology

We find an exact classical solution in Euclidean gravity coupled to a scalar field with a particular form of potential commonly used in tachyon cosmology. This solution represents a tunneling between two vacua.     

Tin oxide coating on polytetrafluoroethylene films in aqueous solutions

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films were successfully coated with tin oxide in aqueous solutions. Tin oxide was crystallized in the solution and formed nanocrystal coatings on the polymer films. The coatings consisted of SnO₂ and SnO crystals. They were assemblies of tin oxide nanosheet of about 10 to 50 nm in size and about 5 nm in thickness. The nanocrystal films can be exfoliated from the PTFE substrates. Tin oxide nanocrystal films had a rough liquid surface and a dense substrate‐side surface. Transparency of PTFE films coated with tin oxide was same as that of bare PTFE films in the range from 400 to 800 nm. The PTFE films coated with tin oxide nanocrystals can be pasted on desired substrates. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.