Cobalt-catalyzed Heck-type reaction of alkyl halides with styrenes

A cobalt complex, CoCl2[1,6-bis(diphenylphosphino)hexane], catalyzes an alkylation reaction of styrenes in the presence of Me3SiCH2MgCl in ether to yield beta-alkylstyrenes. A variety of alkyl halides including alkyl chlorides can be employed as an alkyl source. A radical mechanism is strongly suggested for this alkylation reaction.     

Reactivity of hydroperoxide bound to a mononuclear non-heme iron site

The first isolation and spectroscopic characterization of the mononuclear hydroperoxo-iron(III) complex [Fe(H(2)bppa)(OOH)](2+) (2) and the stoichiometric oxidation of substrates by the mononuclear iron-oxo intermediate generated by its decomposition have been described. The purple species 2 obtained from reaction of [Fe(H(2)bppa)(HCOO)](ClO(4))(2) with H(2)O(2) in acetone at -50 degrees C gave characteristic UV-vis (lambda(max) = 568 nm, epsilon = 1200 M(-1) cm(-1)), ESR (g = 7.54, 5.78, and 4.25, S = (5)/(2)), and ESI mass spectra (m/z 288.5 corresponding to the ion, [Fe(bppa)(OOH)](2+)), which revealed that 2 is a high-spin mononuclear iron(III) complex with a hydroperoxide in an end-on fashion. The resonance Raman spectrum of 2 in d(6)-acetone revealed two intense bands at 621 and 830 cm(-1), which shifted to 599 and 813 cm(-1), respectively, when reacted with (18)O-labeled H(2)O(2). Reactions of the isolated (bppa)Fe(III)-OOH (2) with various substrates (single turnover oxidations) exhibited that the iron-oxo intermediate generated by decomposition of 2 is a nucleophilic species formulated as [(H(2)bppa)Fe(III)-O*].     

α-Carboxylation reaction of carbonyl compounds with bromomagnesium ureide-carbon dioxide adducts

Bromomagnesium ureide-carbon dioxide adducts, models of the carboxylated biotin complex, undergo caboxylation of a variety of carbonyl compounds in good yield.     

Oligothiophene-containing coumarin dyes for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

We have developed oligothiophene-containing coumarin dyes fully functionalized for dye-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO(2) solar cells (DSSCs). DSSCs based on the dyes gave good performance in terms of incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) in the range of 400-800 nm. A solar energy-to-electricity conversion efficiency (eta) of 7.4% was obtained with a DSSC based on 2-cyano-3-[5'-(1,1,6,6-tetramethyl-10-oxo-2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-1H,4H,10H-11-oxa-3a-aza-benzo[de]anthracen-9-yl)-[2,2']bithiophenyl-5-yl]acrylic acid (NKX-2677) under simulated AM 1.5G irradiation (100 mW cm(-2)) with a mask: short-circuit current density (J(sc)) = 13.5 mA cm(-2); open-circuit voltage (V(oc)) = 0.71 V; fill factor (FF) = 0.77. Transient absorption spectroscopy measurements indicated that electron injection from NKX-2677 to the conduction band of TiO(2) is very rapid (<100 fs), which is much faster than the emission lifetime of the dye (1.0 ns), giving a highly efficient electron injection yield of near unity.     

Theoretical study of quinolines-I(2) intermolecular interaction and implications on dye-sensitized solar cell performance

The monomer and intermolecular charge-transfer complexes of 13 different quinoline derivatives with diiodine were studied using ab initio molecular orbital (MO) and density functional theory (DFT) methods. Calculations revealed that the sigma* orbital of iodine interacts with the nitrogen lone pair in the quinoline ring. The open-circuit photovoltage (V(oc)) values of an Ru(II) complex dye-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO(2) solar cell with an I(-)/I(3) (-) redox electrolyte in acetonitrile using quinoline additives were compared to the computational calculations on the intermolecular interaction between quinolines and I(2). The optimized geometries, frequency analyses, Mulliken population analyses, natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses, and interaction energies indicate that the V(oc) value of the solar cell is higher when quinoline complexes more favorably interact with I(2). Therefore, the interaction between the quinoline additives and iodine redox electrolyte is an important factor for controlling dye-sensitized solar cell performance.     

Catalytic Activity of Molecular Rhenium Sulfide Clusters [Re6S8(OH)6−n (H2O) n ](4−n)− (n = 0, 2, 4, 6) with Retention of the Octahedral Metal Frameworks: Dehydrogenation and Dehydration of 1,4-Butanediol

A series of molecular rhenium sulfide clusters [Re₆S₈(OH)_6?n (H₂O) _n ]^(4?n)? (n = 0, 2, 4, 6) catalyze dehydrogenation of alcohols, and hydrogenation of ketones and olefins in a hydrogen stream at 350 °C. The catalytic activities of the dianionic and neutral clusters (n = 2, 4) are lower than those of tetraanionic and dicationic clusters (n = 0, 6) for all the reactions. When 1,4-butanediol is allowed to react over K₄[Re₆S₈(OH)₆], dehydrogenation proceeds to yield 2-hydroxytetrahydrofuran and successively γ-butyrolactone above 300 °C. Over [Re₆S₈(H₂O)₆]SO₄ dehydration proceeds to yield tetrahydrofuran above 250 °C. The thermal activation mechanisms of these clusters were studied by powder X-ray diffraction analyses, Raman spectrometry, extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectrometry, thermogravimetry, and differential thermal analyses. The catalytically active site of K₄[Re₆S₈(OH)₆] is an uncoordinated metal site (Lewis acid site) developed by the loss of a water molecule from two hydroxo ligands. The active site of [Re₆S₈(H₂O)₆]SO₄ is a Brønsted acid site; the anhydrous aqua cluster dication disproportionates to a hydroxo cluster monocation and a proton. Both of the octahedral cluster frameworks are retained up to 500 °C.     

Phloroglucinol derivatives and a chromone glucoside from the leaves of Myrtus communis

Seven new phloroglucinol derivatives, myrtucommunins A–D (1–4), 6-methylisomyrtucommulone B (5), 4-methylmyrtucommulone B (6), and 2-isobutyryl-4-methylphloroglucinol 1-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (7), and one new chromone derivative, undulatoside A 6′-O-gallate (8), were isolated from the leaves of Myrtus communis (Myrtaceae). Myrtucommunins A–D (1–4) were conjugates of polymethylated acylphloroglucinol and flavonol rhamnoside. The absolute configurations of the rhamnosyl moieties for 1–4 were confirmed to be l in each case by HPLC analyses, while those of the aglycones were assigned by comparisons of the experimental and TDDFT calculated ECD spectra. 6-Methylisomyrtucommulone B (5) and 4-methylmyrtucommulone B (6) were assigned as 6/6/6 tricyclic acylphloroglucinol derivatives with a racemic nature. Antimicrobial activities of 1–8 and related known compounds were evaluated.     

Double percolation effect on the electrical conductivity of conductive particles filled polymer blends

Electrical conductivity of carbon black (CB) filled polymer blends which are incompatible with each other was studied as a function of the polymer's blend ratio. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis shows that CB distributes unevenly in each component of a polymer blend. TEM photographs of phase structure of solvent extracted HDPE/PMMA blend and solvent extraction experiments of PMMA/PP blend detect the blend ratio at which the structural continuity of filler rich phase is formed. The electrical conductivity of polymer blends is found to be determined by two factors. One is the concentration of CB in the filler rich phase and the other is the structural continuity of this phase. This double percolation affects the conductivity of conductive particle filled polymer blends.     

Sensing lymphoma cells based on a cell-penetrating/apoptosis-inducing/electron-transfer peptide probe

To electrochemically sense lymphoma cells (U937), we fabricated a multifunctional peptide probe that consists of cell-penetrating/apoptosis-inducing/electron-transfer peptides. Electron-transfer peptides derive from cysteine residue combined with the C-terminals of four tyrosine residues (Y₄). A peptide whereby Y₄C is bound to the C-terminals of protegrin 1 (RGGRLCYCRRRFCVCVGR-NH₂) is known to be an apoptosis-inducing agent against U937 cells, and is referred to as a peptide-1 probe. An oxidation response of the peptide-1 probe has been observed due to a phenolic hydroxyl group, and this response is decreased by the uptake of the peptide probe into the cells. To improve the cell membrane permeability against U937 cells, the RGGR at the N-terminals of the peptide-1 probe was replaced by RRRR (peptide-2 probe). In contrast, RNRCKGTDVQAWY₄C (peptide-3 probe), which recognizes ovalbumin, was constructed as a control. Compared with the other probes, the change in the peak current of the peptide-2 probe was the greatest at low concentrations and occurred in a short amount of time. Therefore, the cell membrane permeability of the peptide-2 probe was increased based on the arginine residues and the apoptosis-inducing peptides. The peak current was linear and ranged from 100 to 1000 cells/ml. The relative standard deviation of 600 cells/ml was 5.0% (n = 5). Furthermore, the membrane permeability of the peptide probes was confirmed using fluorescent dye.     

meso–meso‐Linked Diarylamine‐Fused Porphyrin Dimers

A meso–meso‐linked diphenylamine‐fused porphyrin dimer and its methoxy‐substituted analogue were synthesized from a meso–meso‐linked porphyrin dimer by a reaction sequence involving Ir‐catalyzed β‐selective borylation, iodination, meso‐chlorination, and S_NAr reactions with diarylamines followed by electron‐transfer‐mediated intramolecular double C?H/C?I coupling. While these dimers commonly display characteristic split Soret bands and small oxidation potentials, they produced different products upon oxidation with tris(4‐bromophenyl)aminium hexachloroantimonate. Namely, the diphenylamine‐fused porphyrin dimer was converted into a dicationic closed‐shell quinonoidal dimer, while the methoxy‐substituted dimer gave a meso–meso, β‐β doubly linked porphyrin dimer.