Electroless galvanic inks on inorganic WO3/Al boards

A tungsten trioxide (WO(3)) coated aluminium (Al) substrate exhibits a reversible color change without light irradiation or an electric power supply. The sample turns blue upon exposure to an aqueous acid solution, but exposure to oxygen restores the original light yellow color. This color change is due to the galvanic redox reaction between WO(3) and Al.     

Analytic energy gradient for second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory based on the fragment molecular orbital method

The first derivative of the total energy with respect to nuclear coordinates (the energy gradient) in the fragment molecular orbital (FMO) method is applied to second order M?ller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2), resulting in the analytic derivative of the correlation energy in the external self-consistent electrostatic field. The completely analytic energy gradient equations are formulated at the FMO-MP2 level. Both for molecular clusters (H(2)O)(64) and a system with fragmentation across covalent bonds, a capped alanine decamer, the analytic FMO-MP2 energy gradients with the electrostatic dimer approximation are shown to be complete and accurate by comparing them with the corresponding numeric gradients. The developed gradient is parallelized with the parallel efficiency of about 97% on 32 Pentium4 nodes connected by Gigabit Ethernet.     

Hierarchical micro/nano structures of carbon composites as anodes for microbial fuel cells

We demonstrate the utility of hierarchical micro/nano structures of electrically conductive carbon composites as anodes for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). To construct the hierarchical structures, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were directly grown on micro-porous graphite felts at high densities. Using the CNT-modified felts as anodes, power outputs from MFCs were increased ～7 fold compared to those with bare graphite-felt anodes. We also show that this power improvement is sustainable even in MFCs operated with naturally occurring microbial communities. These results suggest the wide utility of the hierarchical micro/nano structures of conductive carbon composites for bio-electrochemical processes.     

Synthesis, structures, and properties of group 9- and group 10-group 6 heterodinuclear nitrosyl complexes

The reaction of the group 9 bis(hydrosulfido) complexes [Cp*M(SH)2(PMe3)] (M=Rh, Ir; Cp*=eta(5)-C 5Me5) with the group 6 nitrosyl complexes [Cp*M'Cl2(NO)] (M'=Mo, W) in the presence of NEt3 affords a series of bis(sulfido)-bridged early-late heterobimetallic (ELHB) complexes [Cp*M(PMe3)(mu-S)2M'(NO)Cp*] (2a, M=Rh, M'=Mo; 2b, M=Rh, M'=W; 3a, M=Ir, M'=Mo; 3b, M=Ir, M'=W). Similar reactions of the group 10 bis(hydrosulfido) complexes [M(SH)2(dppe)] (M=Pd, Pt; dppe=Ph 2P(CH2) 2PPh2), [Pt(SH)2(dppp)] (dppp=Ph2P(CH2) 3PPh2), and [M(SH)2(dpmb)] (dpmb=o-C6H4(CH2PPh2)2) give the group 10-group 6 ELHB complexes [(dppe)M(mu-S)2M'(NO)Cp*] (M=Pd, Pt; M'=Mo, W), [(dppp)Pt(mu-S)2M'(NO)Cp*] (6a, M'=Mo; 6b, M'=W), and [(dpmb)M(mu-S)2M'(NO)Cp*] (M=Pd, Pt; M'=Mo, W), respectively. Cyclic voltammetric measurements reveal that these ELHB complexes undergo reversible one-electron oxidation at the group 6 metal center, which is consistent with isolation of the single-electron oxidation products [Cp*M(PMe3)(mu-S)2M'(NO)Cp*][PF6] (M=Rh, Ir; M'=Mo, W). Upon treatment of 2b and 3b with ROTf (R=Me, Et; OTf=OSO 2CF 3), the O atom of the terminal nitrosyl ligand is readily alkylated to form the alkoxyimido complexes such as [Cp*Rh(PMe3)(mu-S)2W(NOMe)Cp*][OTf]. In contrast, methylation of the Rh-, Ir-, and Pt-Mo complexes 2a, 3a, and 6a results in S-methylation, giving the methanethiolato complexes [Cp*M(PMe3)(mu-SMe)(mu-S)Mo(NO)Cp*][BPh 4] (M=Rh, Ir) and [(dppp)Pt(mu-SMe)(mu-S)Mo(NO)Cp*][OTf], respectively. The Pt-W complex 6b undergoes either S- or O-methylation to form a mixture of [(dppp)Pt(mu-SMe)(mu-S)W(NO)Cp*][OTf] and [(dppp)Pt(mu-S) 2W(NOMe)Cp*][OTf]. These observations indicate that O-alkylation and one-electron oxidation of the dinuclear nitrosyl complexes are facilitated by a common effect, i.e., donation of electrons from the group 9 or 10 metal center, where the group 9 metals behave as the more effective electron donor.     

Photochemical activation of ruthenium(II)-pyridylamine complexes having a pyridine-N-oxide pendant toward oxygenation of organic substrates

Ruthenium(II)-acetonitrile complexes having η(3)-tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPA) with an uncoordinated pyridine ring and diimine such as 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) and 2,2'-bipyrimidine (bpm), [Ru(II)(η(3)-TPA)(diimine)(CH(3)CN)](2+), reacted with m-chloroperbenzoic acid to afford corresponding Ru(II)-acetonitrile complexes having an uncoordinated pyridine-N-oxide arm, [Ru(II)(η(3)-TPA-O)(diimine)(CH(3)CN)](2+), with retention of the coordination environment. Photoirradiation of the acetonitrile complexes having diimine and the η(3)-TPA with the uncoordinated pyridine-N-oxide arm afforded a mixture of [Ru(II)(TPA)(diimine)](2+), intermediate-spin (S = 1) Ru(IV)-oxo complex with uncoordinated pyridine arm, and intermediate-spin Ru(IV)-oxo complex with uncoordinated pyridine-N-oxide arm. A Ru(II) complex bearing an oxygen-bound pyridine-N-oxide as a ligand and bpm as a diimine ligand was also obtained, and its crystal structure was determined by X-ray crystallography. Femtosecond laser flash photolysis of the isolated O-coordinated Ru(II)-pyridine-N-oxide complex has been investigated to reveal the photodynamics. The Ru(IV)-oxo complex with an uncoordinated pyridine moiety was alternatively prepared by reaction of the corresponding acetonitrile complex with 2,6-dichloropyridine-N-oxide (Cl(2)py-O) to identify the Ru(IV)-oxo species. The formation of Ru(IV)-oxo complexes was concluded to proceed via intermolecular oxygen atom transfer from the uncoordinated pyridine-N-oxide to a Ru(II) center on the basis of the results of the reaction with Cl(2)py-O and the concentration dependence of the consumption of the starting Ru(II) complexes having the uncoordinated pyridine-N-oxide moiety. Oxygenation reactions of organic substrates by [Ru(II)(η(3)-TPA-O)(diimine)(CH(3)CN)](2+) were examined under irradiation (at 420 ± 5 nm) and showed selective allylic oxygenation of cyclohexene to give cyclohexen-1-ol and cyclohexen-1-one and cumene oxygenation to afford cumyl alcohol and acetophenone.     

Molecular Design of Polyoxometalate-Based Compounds for Environmentally-Friendly Functional Group Transformations: From Molecular Catalysts to Heterogeneous Catalysts

This review article summarizes our recent researches for molecular design of polyoxometalates (POMs) and their related compounds for environmentally-friendly functional group transformations. The divacant POM [γ-SiW₁₀O₃₄(H₂O)₂]⁴⁻ exhibits high catalytic performance for mono-oxygenation-type reactions including epoxidation of olefins and allylic alcohols, sulfoxidation, and hydroxylation of organosilanes with H₂O₂. We have successfully synthesized several POM-based molecular catalysts (metal-substituted POMs) with controlled active sites by the introduction of metal species into the divacant POM as a “structural motif”. These molecular catalysts can efficiently activate H₂O₂ (vanadium-substituted POM for epoxidation) and alkynes (copper-substituted POM for click reaction and oxidative homocoupling of alkynes). The aluminum-substituted POM exhibits Lewis acidic catalysis for diastereoselective cyclization of (+)-citronellal to (−)-isopulegol. In addition, we have developed POM-based “molecular heterogeneous catalysts” by the “solidification” and “immobilization” of catalytically active POMs.     

Facile Synthesis of Dibenzopentalene Dianions and Their Application as New π‐Extended Ligands

Reduction of phenyl(silyl)ethynes with potassium followed by quenching with iodine gave dibenzopentalenes in moderate yields. The intermediates of the reactions, dipotassium dibenzopentalenides, were isolated. The first dibenzopentalene–transition‐metal complex was successfully synthesized. The ruthenium atoms are located above the six‐membered rings. However, X‐ray diffraction analysis and theoretical calculations revealed that the aromatic nature of the five‐membered rings was retained. The cyclic voltammetry of the Ru complex revealed two oxidation waves with relatively large separation.     

Two-dimensional networks based on Mn4 complex linked by dicyanamide anion: from single-molecule magnet to classical magnet behavior

Three two-dimensional (2D) network compounds based on Mn(III)/Mn(II) tetranuclear single-molecule magnets (SMMs) connected by dicyanamide (dcn-) linkers have been synthesized: [Mn4(hmp)4(Hpdm)2(dcn)2](ClO4)2 x 2 H2O x 2 MeCN (2), [Mn4(hmp)4Br2(OMe)2(dcn)2] x 0.5 H2O x 2 THF (3), [Mn4(hmp)6(dcn)2](ClO4)2 (4), where Hhmp and H2pdm are 2-hydroxymethylpyridine and pyridine-2,6-dimethanol, respectively. The [Mn4]/dcn- system appears very versatile, but enables its chemistry to be rationalized by a fine-tune of the synthetic conditions. The double cuboidal [Mn4] unit is preserved in the whole family of compounds, despite strong modifications of its Mn(II) coordination sphere. The chemical control of the coordination number of dcn- on the Mn(II) sites has been the key to obtain the following series of compounds: a discrete cluster, [Mn4(hmp)6(NO3)2(dcn)2] x 2 MeCN (1), 2D networks (2, 3, and 4), and the previously reported 3D compound, [Mn4(hmp)4(mu3-OH)2][Mn(II)(dcn)6] x 2 MeCN x THF. Direct current magnetic measurements show that both Mn2+-Mn3+ and Mn3+-Mn3+ intra-[Mn4] magnetic interactions are ferromagnetic leading to an S(T) = 9 ground state for the [Mn4] unit. Despite the very similar 2D lattices in 2-4, the two kinds of orientation of the [Mn4] unit (i.e., angle variations between the two easy axes) lead to different magnetic properties ranging from SMM behavior for 2 and 1 to a long-range canted antiferromagnetic order for 4. Compound 3 is more complicated as the magnetic measurements strongly suggest the presence of a canted antiferromagnetic order below 2.1 K, although the magnetization slow relaxation is simultaneously observed. Heat capacity measurements confirm the long-range magnetic order in 4, while in 3, the critical behavior is frozen by the slow relaxation of the anisotropic [Mn4] units.     

Regiocontrolled intramolecular cyclizations of carboxylic acids to carbon-carbon triple bonds promoted by acid or base catalyst

We systematically investigated, for the first time, the relationship between regioselectivity and acid/base effects in the cyclization reactions between carboxylic acids and carbon-carbon triple bonds. We found novel acid- and base-promoted cyclizations to selectively give isocoumarin or pyran-2(2H)-one and phthalide or furan-2(5H)-one skeletons, respectively, and established a catalytic version of regioselective heterocyclic ring synthesis. Density functional theory calculations and application to a short route to thunberginol A were also described. [reaction: see text].     

Novel synthesis of macrocycles with 1,1′-binaphthalene-2,2′-diol using intramolecular oxidative coupling

A new series of BINOL-based macrocycles with two phenolic protons have been synthesized via oxidative coupling reaction using CuCl(OH)-TMEDA.