Nickel-catalyzed alkylation of aldehydes with trialkylboranes

[reaction: see text] Nickel-catalyzed alkylation of aldehydes with trialkylboranes proceeds smoothly in the presence of a catalytic amount of 5-allyl-1,2,3,4,5-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene or an excess of cesium carbonate to afford the corresponding secondary alcohols.     

Synthesis of meso-Free Decaphyrin(1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1) by a Hydrodebromination Protocol; Aromaticity and Solvent-Polarity Dependent Conformational Change

A meso-free β-bromodecaphyrin has been constructed by [2+3+2+3] type acid-catalyzed cross-condensation and subsequent oxidation. Hydrodebromination of this tetrabromodecaphyrin with NaBH₄ in the presence of TMEDA and palladium catalyst afforded β-unsubstituted doubly meso-free [46]decaphyrin(1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1) as the first example of β-unsubstituted meso-free regular expanded porphyrins with the number of pyrrole units larger than eight. It exhibits distinct aromaticity originating from its 46π-conjugated electronic circuit and flexible conformational change between non-twisted and doubly twisted forms depending on the solvent-polarity. Their distinct conformations have been analyzed by combined experimental and theoretical investigations.     

Crystal structures of cyclodextrin complexes with chiral molecules

The chiral recognition by cyclodextrins and permethylated cyclodextrins have been investigated on the basis of the X-ray data of crystalline inclusion complexes. The macrocyclic ring of - and -cyclodextrin shows a round and symmetrical structure. -Cyclodextrin includes racemic 1-phenylethanol with the statistical disorder of the hydroxyl group. A pair of the R- and S-isomers of flurbiprofen are included within the cylindrical cavity formed by dimeric -cyclodextrin molecules with a head-to-head arrangement. The macrocyclic ring of permethylated cyclodextrins is remarkably distorted from the regular polygonal symmetry and has more flexibility in the conformational change than cyclodextrins. Owing to the distorted conformation and steric hindrance involving methyl groups, permethylated cyclodextrins do not equally include both isomers, as demonstrated by the permethylated -cyclodextrin complexes with mandelic acids. Permethylated -cyclodextrin binds D-mandelic acid more tightlyvia a host-guest hydrogen bond and induced-fit conformational change. Permethylated -cyclodextrin forms a hydrated crystalline complex with R-flurbiprofen, but S-flurbiprofen forms a non-hydrated crystalline complex. Significant differences between the two complexes are found in the orientation of the phenyl group and hydrogen-bond formation involving the carboxyl group.     

Acyclic stereocontrolled synthesis of (−)-detoxinine

Allylic oxidation of (2S)-N-$\text{t}$-butoxycarbonyl-2-amino-4-pentenoic acid methyl ester afforded, stereoselectively, a (2S,3R)-2-amino-3-hydroxyl derivative, which was converted to the unusual amino acid (?)-detoxinine $\text{via}$ a chelation controlled aldol condensation followed by a pyrrolidine ring formation.     

Synthesis of proton‐conducting block copolymer membranes composed of a fluorinated segment and a sulfonic acid segment

Diblock copolymer membranes having a fluorinated segment and a sulfonic acid segment were prepared by living radical polymerization, solution casting, and crosslinking, followed by heat treatment. Diblock copolymers of 2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorostyrene (PFS)/4‐(1‐methylsilacyclobutyl)styrene (SBS) and neopentyl styrenesulfonate (SSPen) (poly(PFS‐co‐SBS)‐b‐polySSPen)s were synthesized by nitoroxy‐mediated living radical polymerization. Self‐standing crosslinked membranes were obtained by casting a THF solution of the block copolymer with Pt catalyst. Heat treatment of the membrane at 230 °C induced decomposition of the neopentyl sulfonate esters to provide block copolymer membranes having a fluorinated segment and a free sulfonic acid segment. It was confirmed that the block copolymer with a high sulfonic acid content exhibited high ion exchange capacity and high proton conductivity as well as high thermal stability. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4479–4485, 2008     

Optically detected cyclotron resonance in a high mobility 2D electron gas

We study the properties of high mobility GaAs/GaAlAs quantum well structure by monitoring the microwave induced changes in the low-temperature photoluminescence of the 2DEG as a function of the external magnetic field. The most pronounced changes are observed at cyclotron resonance conditions, but weak features are also visible at cyclotron resonance replicas. Possible observation of microwave induced shift in the Landau-level structure of magneto-photoluminescence is reported in addition to the effects of carrier heating which are conventionally bracketed together with microwave irradiation.     

Energy distribution around 175 MeV Ar ion path in argon at the density of water

The ionization distribution in Ar gas by 175 MeV Ar ion was measured, and reduced to the energy density as a function of the radial distance in water. The energy density within the radial distance smaller than 294 nm decreased proportionally to the inverse of the square of the distance. Beyond this distance, however, the energy density decreased more steeply. The deposited energy except in the core region of the track amounts to 89% of linear energy transfer (LET).