Star-Shaped Ruthenium Complexes as Prototypes of Molecular Gears

The design and synthesis of two families of molecular-gear prototypes is reported, with the aim of assembling them into trains of gears on a surface and ultimately achieving controlled intermolecular gearing motion. These piano-stool ruthenium complexes incorporate a hydrotris(indazolyl)borate moiety as tripodal rotation axle and a pentaarylcyclopentadienyl ligand as star-shaped cogwheel, equipped with five teeth ranging from pseudo-1D aryl groups to large planar 2D paddles. A divergent synthetic approach was followed, starting from a pentakis(p-bromophenyl)cyclopentadienyl ruthenium(II) complex as key precursor or from its iodinated counterpart, obtained by copper-catalyzed aromatic Br/I exchange. Subsequent fivefold cross-coupling reactions with various partners allowed high structural diversity to be reached and yielded molecular-gear prototypes with aryl-, carbazole-, BODIPY- and porphyrin-derived teeth of increasing size and length.     

Solvent-Free Condensation of Methyl Pyridinium and Quinolinium Salts with Aldehydes Catalyzed by DBU

Methylpyridinium and methylquinolinium salts were condensed under solvent-free conditions with aromatic aldehydes in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.]undec-7-ene (DBU) as catalyst, by grinding at room temperature. The products are dyes or useful intermediates. The DBU can be easily recycled and reused.     

An Improved Synthesis of 4-Hydroxypropranolol

An improved synthesis of 4-hydroxypropranolol(4) is described.     

Elimination of autofluorescence background from fluorescence tissue images by use of time-gated detection and the AzaDiOxaTriAngulenium (ADOTA) fluorophore

Sample autofluorescence (fluorescence of inherent components of tissue and fixative-induced fluorescence) is a significant problem in direct imaging of molecular processes in biological samples. A large variety of naturally occurring fluorescent components in tissue results in broad emission that overlaps the emission of typical fluorescent dyes used for tissue labeling. In addition, autofluorescence is characterized by complex fluorescence intensity decay composed of multiple components whose lifetimes range from sub-nanoseconds to a few nanoseconds. For these reasons, the real fluorescence signal of the probe is difficult to separate from the unwanted autofluorescence. Here we present a method for reducing the autofluorescence problem by utilizing an azadioxatriangulenium (ADOTA) dye with a fluorescence lifetime of approximately 15 ns, much longer than those of most of the components of autofluorescence. A probe with such a long lifetime enables us to use time-gated intensity imaging to separate the signal of the targeting dye from the autofluorescence. We have shown experimentally that by discarding photons detected within the first 20 ns of the excitation pulse, the signal-to-background ratio is improved fivefold. This time-gating eliminates over 96 % of autofluorescence. Analysis using a variable time-gate may enable quantitative determination of the bound probe without the contributions from the background.     

Efficient Synthesis of New Nucleoside Analogues with a Methylenecyclobutane Unit

Synthesis of eight nucleoside analogues 4–11 with a methylenecyclobutane unit is described. Wittig reaction with 2‐hydroxymethylcyclobutanone 12 gave a mixture of Z (13) and E (14) derivatives, which was separated before functional modifications. The heterocyclic moieties were introduced via a Mitsunobu reaction either on the saturated chain or on the unsaturated chain. When adenine was used in this reaction, only the N‐9 substitution products were obtained. Removal of the protecting groups provided the target products.     

Synthesis of a New C-15 Phosphorus Ylide Used for the Preparation of Some β-End-Group Retinoid Derivatives

A synthesis of a new C-15 phosphorus ylide from a C-14 enaminone is reported. This reagent, which undergoes selective 1,2- or 1,4-additions with saturated and unsaturated aldehydes, may find some synthetic use for the preparation of β-end-group retinoid derivatives.     

Synthesis and fluorescence properties of DMCX+—a stable oxygen-bridged [4]helicenium dye

A one-step synthesis of the stable [4]helicenium dye, 1,13-dimethoxy-chromeno[2,3,4-kl]xanthenium hexafluorophosphate (DMCX⁺) from the readily available tris(2,6-dimethoxyphenyl)carbenium ion is reported. The crystal structure, the chemical stability, and dye properties of the DMCX⁺ helicenium system are described.