Total Synthesis of (−)‐Isoschizogamine

The total synthesis of (?)‐isoschizogamine was accomplished, featuring the construction of the quaternary carbon center by the modified Johnson–Claisen rearrangement in basic media and the facile assembly of the key tetracyclic quinolone intermediate through a cascade cyclization. The characteristic cyclic aminal was constructed by late‐stage C?H functionalization at the position adjacent to the lactam nitrogen using a combination of CrO₃ and nBu₄NIO₄ and subsequent Bi(OTf)₃‐mediated cyclization.     

Use of Aggregation‐Induced Emission for Selective Detection of Phase Transformation during Evaporative Crystallization of Hexaphenylsilole

Crystallization of organic molecules is quite complicated because the crystallization process is governed by weak intermolecular interactions. By exploiting aggregation‐induced emission (AIE), we attempted to realize the selective detection of phase transformation during the evaporative crystallization of hexaphenylsilole (HPS), which shows different fluorescent colors in the amorphous and crystalline phases. No fluorescence emission was observed in the HPS solution immediately after dropping on the glass substrate due to the non‐radiative deactivation induced by intramolecular rotational or vibrational motion, suggesting that HPS exists as a monomer in solution. As time elapsed after dropping, green emission first appeared, which changed to blue after solvent evaporation, because of phase transformation from the amorphous state to the crystalline state. This phenomenon supports not only the two‐step nucleation model involving an intermediate such as a liquid‐like cluster prior to nucleation but also the real‐time detection of Ostwald's rule of stages during evaporative crystallization.     

Formal total synthesis of fostriecin via 1,4-asymmetric induction using cobalt-alkyne complex

The synthesis of a protected dephosphofostriecin, and thereby a formal synthesis of fostriecin, has been accomplished. Two of the four chiral centers are controlled by an external chiral auxiliary and the other two are synthesized stereoselectively, one by a novel 1,4-asymmetric induction using cobalt-alkyne complex, and the other by 1,3-asymmetric induction.     

Improved cross-axis synchronous flow-through coil planet centrifuge for performing counter-current chromatography. II. Studies on retention of stationary phase in short coils and preparative separations in multilayer coils

Performance of the apparatus was evaluated in terms of stationary phase retention, partition efficiency and sample loading capacity. Preliminary studies with short coils revealed high retention of the stationary phase under a proper combination of the head-tail elution and planetary motion. Preparative capability of the apparatus was successfully demonstrated on efficient multigram separations of 2,4-dinitrophenyl amino acids, indole auxins, and bacitracin in a pair of large multilayer coils with a total capacity of 1.5 l.     

Study of Si(0 0 1)4 × 2-Ga structure by scanning tunneling microscopy and ab initio calculation

We have studied Si(0 0 1)-Ga surface structures formed at Ga coverages of slightly above 0.50 monolayer (ML) at 250 °C by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). 4 × 2-, 5 × 2-, and 6 × 2-Ga structures were observed in a local area on the surface. The 4 × 2-Ga structure consists of three protrusions, as observed in filled- and empty-state STM images. The characters of these structures are clearly different from those of other Si(0 0 1)-Ga structures. We also performed an ab initio calculation of the energetics for several possible models for the 4 × 2-Ga structure, and clarified that the three-orthogonal-Ga-dimer model is the most stable. Also, the results of comparing the simulated STM images and observation images at various bias voltages indicate that this structural model is the most favorable.     

Ellipticity dependence of high-order harmonic generation from aligned molecules

We report ellipticity dependence of high-order harmonic generation (HHG) from aligned N2, O2, and CO2 molecules. Experimentally, we find that the ellipticity dependence is sensitive to molecular alignment and to the shape and symmetry of the valence orbitals. It is also found that the destructive interference in the recombination process affects the ellipticity dependence. Theoretically, we extend the original Lewenstein model to a more generalized model, which can be applicable to HHG from molecules, by introducing an electron acceleration parameter xi(theta) and by combining the molecular orbital method. The present observations are successfully explained by our model.     

Application of ion-exchange cartridge clean-up in food analysis. II. Determination of benzylpenicillin, phenoxymethylpenicillin, oxacillin, cloxacillin, nafcillin and dicloxacillin in meat using liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.

A multiresidue analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of benzylpenicillin (PCG), phenoxymethylpenicillin (PCV), oxacillin (MPIPC), cloxacillin (MCIPC), nafcillin (NFPC) and dicloxacillin (MDIPC) in meat. The method involves the use of an ion-exchange cartridge for sample clean-up followed by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The recoveries of PCG, PCV, MPIPC, MCIPC, NFPC and MDIPC from pork muscle spiked at levels of 0.5, 0.1 and 0.05 mg/kg were in the range of 77-90, 73-95 and 80-93% with coefficients of variation of 0.5-1.7, 1.6-4.4 and 3.2-6.6%, respectively. For beef muscle spiked at levels of 0.5, 0.1 and 0.05 mg/kg, the recoveries of these compounds were 83-92, 71-86 and 77-90% with coefficients of variation of 1.7-4.4, 2.6-7.0 and 3.9-6.4%, respectively. The detection limits for each penicillin were 0.02 mg/kg in meat.     

Noble Metal Sintering Suppression Technology in Three-way Catalyst: Automotive Three-way Catalysts with the Noble Metal Sintering Suppression Technology Based on the Support Anchoring Effect

This paper reviews the progress in our development of the three-way catalyst with a noble metal sintering suppression technology based on the support anchoring effect. The catalytic activity on this catalyst is far superior to the conventional catalyst, but with lower noble metal loading.     

Theoretical and computational studies of organometallic reactions: successful or not?

Theoretical and computational methods are powerful in studying transition metal complexes. Our theoretical studies of C–H σ‐bond activation of benzene by Pd(II)–formate complex and that of methane by Ti(IV)‐imido complex successfully disclosed that these reactions are understood to undergo heterolytic σ‐bond activation and the driving force is the formation of strong O–H and N–H bonds in the former and the latter, respectively. Orbital interactions are considerably different from those of σ‐bond activation by oxidative addition. The transmetallation, which is a key process in the cross‐coupling reaction, is understood to be heterolytic σ‐bond activation. Our theoretical study clarified how to accelerate this transmetallation. Also, we wish to discuss weak points in theoretical and computational studies of large systems including transition metal elements, such as the necessity to incorporate solvation effect and to present quantitatively correct numerical results. The importance of solvation effects is discussed in the oxidative addition of methyliodide to Pt(II) complex which occurs in a way similar to an S_N2 substitution. To apply the CCSD(T) (coupled cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples correction) method, which is the gold standard of electronic structure theory, to large system, we need to reduce the size of the system by employing a small model. But, such modeling induces neglects of electronic and steric effects of substitutents which are replaced in the small model. Frontier‐orbital‐consistent quantum‐capping potential (FOC‐QCP) was recently proposed by our group to incorporate the electronic effects of the substituents neglected in the modeling. The CCSD(T) calculation with the FOC‐QCP was successfully applied to large systems including transition metal elements. © 2010 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 10: 000–000; 2010: Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ) DOI 10.1002/tcr.200900019