Solvent effect on NMR spectra of poly(methyl methacrylate)

The NMR spectra of stereoblock poly(methyl methacrylate) in several solvents were measured. It is concluded from the following experimental results that the solute–solvent complexes are formed in benzene solution: the chemical shifts measured in C₆H₆ go to a lower field than do those in CDCl₃, except those of the ester methyl group, which splits into three resonances, and the shifts in the aromatic solvents are so different from those in the aliphatic solvents that Buckingham's theory cannot be applied to the results. The analysis of the temperature dependence of the chemical shifts of PMMA in benzene solution gave the heat of formation of the complex: ΔH = 2.8 ± 0.5 kcal./mole.     

Remote asymmetric induction with vinylketene silyl n,o-acetal

A highly regio- and diastereoselective TiCl4-mediated vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction using the chiral vinylketene silyl N,O-acetal has been developed. The present vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction provides a unique and effective means of controlling remote asymmetric induction. The methyl group at the alpha-position is important in achieving a high level of stereoselectivity. From a synthetic point of view, this methodology can provide a one-step construction of delta-hydroxy-alpha,gamma-dimethyl-alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl unit that is seen in many natural polyketide products.     

Reliability of mean transit time obtained using perfusion-weighted MR imaging; comparison with positron emission tomography

The purpose of this project was to assess the reliability of the cerebral mean transit time (MTT) obtained using perfusion-weighted MR imaging by comparing it with the MTT obtained when performing positron emission tomography (PET). Ten patients with chronic occlusive cerebrovascular disease were investigated. They had either unilateral internal carotid artery occlusion or middle cerebral artery occlusion. The regions-of-interest were placed in non-infarcted areas within the territory of the middle cerebral artery on the affected side. Control regions-of-interest were placed in mirrored regions of the contralateral side. Linear regression analyses were performed using the parameters of the MTT obtained with perfusion-weighted MR imaging and the MTT, cerebral blood flow, vascular reactivity, and oxygen extraction fraction obtained with PET. The respective MTTs of the affected and non-affected sides obtained with perfusion-weighted MR imaging versus those with PET were 7.3 +/- 2.2 s and 6.0 +/- 1.2 s versus 8.2 +/- 3.0 s and 6.4 +/- 1.7 s. The MTT obtained using perfusion-weighted MR imaging and PET demonstrated statistically significant correlation (r = 0.87, p < 0.0001). The MTT obtained with perfusion-weighted MR imaging correlated statistically with cerebral blood flow (r = -0.74, p < 0.001), vascular reactivity (r = -0.73, p < 0.001) and oxygen extraction fraction (r = 0.61, p < 0.01). Similarly, the MTT obtained using PET statistically correlated with cerebral blood flow (r = -0.78, p < 0.0001), vascular reactivity (r = -0.51, p < 0.05) and oxygen extraction fraction (r = 0.68, p < 0.01). The reliability of the MTT obtained using perfusion-weighted MR imaging appears to be approximately equal to that obtained with positron emission tomography.     

N-Alkylation of carbamates and amides with alcohols catalyzed by a CpIr complex

New atom-economical catalytic systems consisting of [Cp^∗IrCl₂]₂/NaOAc (Cp^∗=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) for the N-alkylation of carbamates and amides using alcohols as alkylating agents under solvent-free conditions have been developed. For example, the reaction of n-butyl carbamate with benzyl alcohol in the presence of [Cp^∗IrCl₂]₂ (5.0 mol % Ir) and NaOAc (5.0 mol %) at 130 °C under the absence of solvent gives n-butyl N-benzylcarbamate in the yield of 94%. The present catalytic system is applicable to not only carbamates but also amides, and only harmless water is produced as co-product.     

Anisotropic catalytic activity of the orientation controlled Nd2NiO4 + δ/YSZ hetero-epitaxial system for SOFC cathode

Electrode–electrolyte hetero-epitaxial systems for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with two different configuration of Nd₂NiO_4 + δ(110)//YSZ(100) and Nd₂NiO_4 + δ(100)//YSZ(110) were successfully fabricated by pulsed laser deposition. Thin films of Nd₂NiO_4 + δ approximately 20 nm thick were grown on a commercial single crystal of YSZ. The preferred two-dimensional diffusion paths of the oxide ions were perpendicular to the substrate for both configurations and showed oxygen reduction capability different from each other. This opens up new research direction focusing on the details of anisotropic catalytic activity of SOFC cathode depending on the crystalline surface.     

Superstructure in the Metastable Intermediate‐Phase Li2/3FePO4 Accelerating the Lithium Battery Cathode Reaction

LiFePO₄ is an important cathode material for lithium‐ion batteries. Regardless of the biphasic reaction between the insulating end members, Li_xFePO₄, x≈0 and x≈1, optimization of the nanostructured architecture has substantially improved the power density of positive LiFePO₄ electrode. The charge transport that occurs in the interphase region across the biphasic boundary is the primary stage of solid‐state electrochemical reactions in which the Li concentrations and the valence state of Fe deviate significantly from the equilibrium end members. Complex interactions among Li ions and charges at the Fe sites have made understanding stability and transport properties of the intermediate domains difficult. Long‐range ordering at metastable intermediate eutectic composition of Li_2/3FePO₄ has now been discovered and its superstructure determined, which reflected predominant polaron crystallization at the Fe sites followed by Li⁺ redistribution to optimize the Li? Fe interactions.     

Iron–Oxalato Framework with One‐Dimensional Open Channels for Electrochemical Sodium‐Ion Intercalation

Discovery of a new class of ion intercalation compounds is highly desirable due to its relevance to various electrochemical devices, such as batteries. Herein, we present a new iron–oxalato open framework, which showed reversible Na⁺ intercalation/extraction. The hydrothermally synthesized K₄Na₂[Fe(C₂O₄)₂]₃ ? 2 H₂O possesses one‐dimensional open channels in the oxalato‐bridged network, providing ion accessibility up to two Na⁺ per the formula unit. The detailed studies on the structural and electronic states revealed that the framework exhibited a solid solution state almost entirely during Na⁺ intercalation/extraction associated with the reversible redox of Fe. The present work demonstrates possibilities of the oxalato frameworks as tunable and robust ion intercalation electrode materials for various device applications.     

Stabilization mechanism of clarithromycin tablets under gastric pH conditions

It has been reported that tablets of clarithromycin (CAM), a 14-membered macrolide antibiotic, are especially stable under low pH conditions such as in gastric fluid, and showed excellent antibacterial efficiency even though CAM molecules themselves are rapidly decomposed. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the stabilization mechanism of CAM tablets under low pH conditions. From the results of stability and dissolution tests, the optimal decomposition rate constant (K(dec)) and dissolution rate constant (K(dis)) at various pH values were calculated by curve-fitting to consecutive reactions. Consequently, log(K(dec)) increased as pH decreased. On the other hand, log(K(dis)) increased as pH decreased from 3.0 to 1.5, but decreased as pH decreased from 1.5 to 1.0. In addition, the disintegration time of commercially available tablets at pH 1.0 and 1.2 was found to be delayed, resulting in a decrease of K(dis). Furthermore, from powder X-ray diffraction, HPLC and elemental analysis, the delay in disintegration time might be attributable to the formation of a transparent gel, formed by the reaction between CAM molecule and hydrochloric acid under low pH conditions, on the surface of CAM tablet. On the basis of these results, this report can be considered the first case where a transparent gel prevents gastric fluid from penetrating the tablet, resulting in reduced decomposition of CAM following oral administrating.     

Stereoselective vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction of α-haloenals

We have developed a high-yielding and stereoselective vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction (VMAR) of α-haloenals. Contrary to the simple α,β-unsaturated aldehyde, α-haloenals were found to be reactive affording the corresponding VMAR adducts in excellent yields. Some transformations of VMAR adducts by Pd-mediated cross-coupling were also examined in order to demonstrate the synthetic utility of VMAR of α-haloenals.     

Analytic Bethe ansatz for fundamental representations of Yangians

We study the analytic Bethe, ansatz in solvable vertex models associated with the YangianY(X _r ) or its quantum affine analogueU _q (X _r ⁽¹⁾ ) forX _r =B _r ,C _r andD _r . Eigenvalue formulas are proposed for the transfer matrices related to all the fundamental representations ofY(X _r ). Under the Bethe ansatz equation, we explicitly prove that they are pole-free, a crucial property in the ansatz. Conjectures are also given on higher representation cases by applying theT-system, the transfer matrix functional relations proposed recently. The eigenvalues are neatly described in terms of Yangian analogues of the semi-standard Young tableaux.