A transparent and photo-patternable superhydrophobic film

A transparent superhydrophobic TiO2 film, prepared by spin-coating a TiO2 slurry on a glass substrate and modifying the resultant TiO2 film with fluoroalkylsilane molecules, was patterned by illumination with ultraviolet light through a photomask, producing a superhydrophobic/superhydrophilic surface micropattern with very small superhydrophilic areas, which we were able to selectively fill with alginate hydrogel.     

Soft-to-hard transformation of the mechanical properties of dynamic covalent polymers through component incorporation

The mechanical properties of acylhydrazone dynamic polymers may be converted from soft to hard by the incorporation of rigid monomeric components into the original soft polymer backbone, taking advantage of acylhydrazone bond exchange.     

Salviskinone A, a diterpene with a new skeleton from Salvia przewalskii

A novel compound, named salviskinone A (1), was isolated from Salvia przewarskii. The compound has a rearranged carbon skeleton with a methyl unit at C-5 from abietane-type diterpene. Its structure and relative stereochemistry were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analysis, including HREIMS and 2DNMR (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY) spectra.     

Syntheses and reactivities of non-symmetrical "active ester" bi-dentate cross-linking reagents having a phthalimidoyl and acid chloride, 2-benzothiazole, or 1-benzotriazole group

We have newly synthesized the non-symmetrical "phthalimidoyl active ester" bi-dentate cross-linking reagents having an acid chloride, 2-benzothiazole, or 1-benzotriazole group (i.e., 9, 15, and 16) on the basis of the reactivity study of the "active ester" model compounds, 11-14, toward the various nucleophiles and examined their reaction selectivity towards the same nucleophiles. Then, we applied for the modification of cholesterol at the more reactive site of the bi-dentate linkers to give 3β-cholesteryl 4-(phthalimidoyloxycarbonyl)butyrate (39), and the subsequent reaction of 39 with several amines, such as benzylamine, 4-chlorobenzylamine, 2-phenylethylamine, L-phenylalanine methyl ester, or diphenylalanine benzyl ester as a protein model of the cholesterol antigen.     

Self-assembling imidazolium-based ionic liquid in rigid nanopores induces anomalous CO2 adsorption at low pressure

An alkylimidazolium-based long-chain ionic liquid (LCIL) was immobilized in silica nanopores via a supramolecular assembly approach. To discuss the characteristic features of LCIL in a confined nanospace, except for the characteristics of the host materials, we have prepared the silica host with monodisperse morphology and a nanostructured system to immobilize LCIL. The nanostructure is composed of three distinct regions: the silica framework, the hydrophobic interior of the alkyl chains, and the organic-inorganic ionic interface. Anomalous CO(2) adsorption sites were found to be well-ordered locations on the ionic interface fabricated by the π-π-stacked imidazolium heads containing inorganic anions and polar silica surfaces.     

5 + 2] Cycloaddition reaction of 2-vinylaziridines and sulfonyl isocyanates. Synthesis of seven-membered cyclic ureas

The [5 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of 2-vinylaziridines with sulfonyl isocyanates proceeded smoothly under mild conditions, and various cyclic ureas were isolated in high yields. The remarkable solvent effect on the reaction was observed, and the preferential formation of the seven-membered ring occurred when the reaction was carried out in CH(2)Cl(2). The scope and limitation were studied, and the mechanism of this reaction was discussed. This study provides a new and simple method for the synthesis of seven-membered cyclic ureas.     

A CuBr-mediated aerobic reaction of 2-alkynylbenzaldehydes and primary amines: synthesis of 4-bromoisoquinolones

A method for synthesis of 4-bromoisoquinolones has been developed starting from 2-alkynylbenzaldehydes and primary amines mediated by CuBr under an O(2) atmosphere, where CuBr plays multiple roles to facilitate the present reactions.     

Reciprocating Motion of a Self‐Propelled Object on a Molecular Layer

The mode change of a simple autonomous motor depending on the nature of a monolayer on water is investigated. A camphor disk is floated on a molecular layer of N‐stearoyl‐p‐nitroaniline (C₁₈ANA), which gives a surface‐pressure (π)–area per molecule (A) isotherm with a local maximum and a local minimum. The nature of the camphor motion changes depending on A, and in particular, reciprocating motion is observed at a lower A while cutting out its own trajectory of motion. The characteristic motion of a camphor disk depending on A is discussed in relation to the π–A isotherm of C₁₈ANA and the influence of the molecular interaction between molecules on the driving force of motion.     

CO2 hydrogenation on a metal hydride surface

The catalytic hydrogenation of CO(2) at the surface of a metal hydride and the corresponding surface segregation were investigated. The surface processes on Mg(2)NiH(4) were analyzed by in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) combined with thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) and mass spectrometry (MS), and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). CO(2) hydrogenation on the hydride surface during hydrogen desorption was analyzed by catalytic activity measurement with a flow reactor, a gas chromatograph (GC) and MS. We conclude that for the CO(2) methanation reaction, the dissociation of H(2) molecules at the surface is not the rate controlling step but the dissociative adsorption of CO(2) molecules on the hydride surface.