Three-dimensional scanning force/tunneling spectroscopy at room temperature

We simultaneously measured the force and tunneling current in three-dimensional (3D) space on the Si(111)-(7 × 7) surface using scanning force/tunneling microscopy at room temperature. The observables, the frequency shift and the time-averaged tunneling current were converted to the physical quantities of interest, i.e. the interaction force and the instantaneous tunneling current. Using the same tip, the local density of states (LDOS) was mapped on the same surface area at constant height by measuring the time-averaged tunneling current as a function of the bias voltage at every lateral position. LDOS images at negative sample voltages indicate that the tip apex is covered with Si atoms, which is consistent with the Si-Si covalent bonding mechanism for AFM imaging. A measurement technique for 3D force/current mapping and LDOS imaging on the equivalent surface area using the same tip was thus demonstrated.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of the potent anti-HIV nucleoside EFdA

A concise enantioselective total synthesis of 4'-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine (EFdA), an extremely potent anti-HIV agent, has been accomplished from (R)-glyceraldehyde acetonide in 18% overall yield by a 12-step sequence involving a highly diastereoselective ethynylation of an α-alkoxy ketone intermediate.     

Aerobic oxidation of organic compounds catalyzed by vanadium compounds

Aerobic oxidation of α-hydroxy ketones catalyzed by dichloroethoxyoxovanadium in ethanol causes a carbon–carbon bond cleavage that produces diesters or diketones. This reaction is highly chemoselective, and disecondary glycols do not react at all. However, ditertiary glycols effectively react with dichloroethoxyoxovanadium or trichlorooxovanadium to provide the corresponding ketones. Aerobic oxidation of α-hydroxy ketones catalyzed by dichloroethoxyoxovanadium or trichlorooxovanadium in aprotic solvents almost quantitatively affords the corresponding α-diketones. The reaction of tertiary cyclopropanol compounds with vanadyl acetylacetonate under an oxygen atmosphere causes fragmentation of the cyclopropane moiety to produce β-hydroxy ketones and β-diketones. For the 6-substituted bicyclo[4.1.0]heptanol derivatives, the endoperoxides are also obtained together with β-hydroxy ketones. Conversely, 2-ethoxycarbonylcyclopropyl silyl ethers produce γ-oxocarboxylate derivatives given the same reaction conditions. Monothioacetals are easily deprotected into carbonyls using a catalytic amount of trichlorooxovanadium in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol under an oxygen atmosphere. Thiols are converted into the corresponding disulfides by the aerobic oxidation catalyzed by trichlorooxovanadium in the presence of molecular sieves 3A. Polymer-supported vanadium compounds are synthesized by the reaction of vanadium oxytrichloride with polymers bearing hydroxyl moieties. The catalyst prepared from TentaGel S OH was highly active and reusable for the aerobic oxidations.     

Reaction of N-methyl-5-tributylstannyl-4-fluoro-1H-pyrazole and its application to N-methyl-chromeno[2,3-d]pyrazol-9-one synthesis

N-Methylation by sequential treatment of 5-tributylstannyl-4-fluoro-1H-pyrazole 1 with LDA and iodomethane regioselectively afforded the compound 2a in high yield. The addition reaction of 5-lithiated-4-fluoro-1H-pyrazole generated from 2a with a wide range of electrophiles allowed a facile introduction of different substituents at position 5 in good yields. The adduct 3d was efficiently converted to N-methyl-chromeno[2,3-d]pyrazol-9-one 9 in 3 steps.     

Optical fibers and fiber dispersion compensators for high-speed optical communication

In order to meet the requirements necessary for advanced optical fiber transmission schemes that enable larger transmission capacity, higher efficiency and/or lower transmission costs per bit, optical fiber technologies are still evolving toward ultimate performance. Recent developmental activities have realized a number of improved performance optical fibers, such as ultra-low loss or ultra-low nonlinearity fibers and various types of dispersion-modified fibers. Fiber-based dispersion compensators or dispersion compensating fibers have also become one of the most essential optical components that support high-speed large capacity optical transmission. Very recently, the dispersion compensating fibers have further evolved into dispersion-managed optical transmission lines, which are now being actually deployed in transoceanic submarine optical cable networks.     

Formation mechanism of element distribution in glass under femtosecond laser irradiation

We report on the formation mechanism of element distribution in glass under high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser irradiation. We simultaneously focused two beams of femtosecond laser pulses inside a glass and confirmed the formation of characteristically shaped element distributions. The results of the numerical simulation in which we considered concentration- and temperature-gradient-driven diffusions were in excellent qualitative agreement with the experimental results, indicating that the main driving force is the sharp temperature gradient. Since the composition of a glass affects its refractive index, absorption, and luminescence property, the results in this study provide a framework to fabricate a functional optical device such as optical circuits with a high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser.     

18O/16O-Encoding Strategy for Microscale Stereochemical Determination of Peptidic Natural Products

The demand for more efficient methods of establishing the undetermined stereochemistries of peptidic natural products continues unabated. A new method for microscale stereochemical determination was devised by integrating solid-phase synthesis, split-and-mix randomization, ¹⁸O/¹⁶O-encoding of d /l -configurations, tandem mass spectrometry, and biological evaluation. Here we applied gramicidin A as the molecule for a blind test. Gramicidin A and its 31 diastereomers were randomly prepared in microgram scale with ¹⁸O/¹⁶O-stereochemical encoding and subjected to MS/MS-structural determination and cytotoxicity assay. Only the parent gramicidin A was selected from among the 32 stereoisomers, validating the high reliability of the present strategy.     

Novel assembly of cyclic ethers by coupling alpha-chlorosulfides and alcohols

A novel protocol for assembling polycyclic ethers was developed and successfully applied to the synthesis of the EFGH ring system of ciguatoxin CTX3C. A key transformation involves construction of an O,S-acetal through coupling of alpha-chlorosulfide and a secondary alcohol under mild conditions. The method is highly applicable to use with sensitive substrates and will enable the synthesis of various natural and artificial polycyclic ethers. [reaction: see text]     

Illumination accelerates the decay of the O-intermediate of pharaonis phoborhodopsin (sensory rhodopsin II)

pharaonis phoborhodopsin (ppR, also called pharaonis sensory rhodopsin II [psRII]) is a member of the archaeal rhodopsin family and acts as a repellent phototaxis receptor of Natronobacterium pharaonis. Upon illumination, ppR is excited and undergoes a linear cyclic photoreaction, namely, a photocycle that constitutes photointermediates such as M- and O-intermediates (ppRM and ppRO, respectively). Under a constant background illumination (>600 nm) that irradiates ppRO, the decay rate of the flash-induced ppRO increased with an increase in the background light intensity, indicating the photoreactivity of ppRO. Azide did not influence the light-accelerated ppRO decay, but the time required for the cycle to be completed became shortened in an azide concentration-dependent manner because of acceleration of ppRM decay. Hence, the turnover rate of photocycling increased appreciably in the presence of both the background illumination and the azide. The observation reported previously (Schmies, G. et al. 2000, Biophys. J. 78:967-976) is discussed in connection with the present observations.