Convenient synthesis of highly optically active 2,3,4,6-tetrasubstituted tetrahydropyrans via Prins cyclization reaction (PCR) of optically active homoallylic alcohols with aldehydes

Prins cyclization reaction (PCR) of optically active homoallylic alcohols, R^aC^*H(OH)CH₂CHCHCH₃ (1-substituted but-2-en-1-ol), with aldehydes (R^bCHO) in the presence of an acid-catalyst (HX) affords (2-R^b,3-CH₃,4-X,6-R^a)-tetrasubstituted tetrahydropyrans highly stereoselectively in good yields.     

Kondo effect in a quantum antidot

We report Kondo-like behavior in a quantum antidot (a submicron depleted region in a two-dimensional electron gas) in the quantum-Hall regime. When both spins of the lowest Landau level are present all around the antidot, the resonances between extended edge states via antidot bound states show an abnormal feature in alternate Coulomb-blockaded regions. The feature becomes suppressed when the temperature or source-drain bias is raised as for Kondo resonances in quantum dots. Although the exact mechanism is unknown, Kondo-like correlated tunneling may arise from a Skyrmion-type edge reconstruction. This observation demonstrates the generality of the Kondo phenomenon.     

Transverse instability of solitary waves in the generalized kadomtsev-petviashvili equation

The linear stability of planar solitary waves with respect to long-wavelength transverse perturbations is studied in the framework of the generalized Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation. It is newly discovered that for some nonlinearities in this family, the solitary waves could be transversely unstable even in a medium with negative dispersion. In the case of positive dispersion, they are found to be always unstable.     

Switching by pulse electric field of the elevated enzymatic reaction in the core of polyion complex micelles

Polyion complex micelles entrapping enzyme molecules in the core provide a unique reaction field inducing a remarkable elevation of enzymatic reactivity through a drastic change in the binding specificity between the enzyme and substrate. On-off switching of this enhanced effect was achieved through the destabilization of the core domain by applying a pulse electric field.     

New bis- and tris-annulation reagents for the syntheses of CD rings of steroids,bearing a functionalized 18-methyl group,by the palladium-catalyzed cyclization

2-Substituted 2-alkoxycarbonyl-3-vinylcyclopentanones (2), easily prepared by the palladium-catalyzed cyclization of 2-substituted 3-oxo-8-phenoxy-6-octenoates (1), are very suitable building blocks for CD rings of steroids, bearing particularly a functionalized 18-methyl group.