Photoinduced rotational isomerization mechanism of 2-chlorobenzaldehyde in low-temperature rare-gas matrices by vibrational and electronic spectroscopies

Rotational isomerization of 2-chlorobenzaldehyde in low-temperature rare-gas matrices has been investigated by vibrational and electronic spectroscopies with aids of the density functional theory (DFT) and configuration interaction single (CIS) calculations. Infrared spectrum of the less stable O-cis isomer, produced from the more stable O-trans isomer upon UV irradiation, is measured with an FT-IR spectrophotometer. The enthalpy difference between the O-cis and O-trans isomers is estimated to be 9.7±0.2 kJ mol⁻¹ from the temperature dependence of the infrared band intensities. Analyses of the infrared and electronic absorption spectral changes after UV irradiation and the phosphorescence spectra measured at various excitation wavelengths suggest that the rotational isomerization occurs via the intersystem crossing from S₁ to T₁.     

Analysis of reaction products of cocaine and hydrogen peroxide by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

The change of chemical structure of cocaine in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, a main component of hair dye and decolorant treatments, was studied. High-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) was used for the separation and identification of cocaine derivatives. After a mixture of cocaine and hydrogen peroxide solutions was incubated at 39 degrees C (this temperature is commonly used when the hair is treated with hair dye or decolorant) for 24 h, six reaction products were detected by LC/MS. Two of them were ecgonine methyl ester and benzoylecgonine, which are metabolites of cocaine. The other reaction products were assumed to be ortho-, meta- and para-hydroxycocaines and dihydroxycocaine, in each of which the benzene ring was hydroxylated by the reaction. These five reaction products (except for dihydroxycocaine) were found immediately after mixing cocaine and hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, the above reaction products might be present in the hair of cocaine users that had treated their hair with hair dye or decolorant.     

Total synthesis and biological evaluation of pacidamycin D and its 3'-hydroxy analogue

Full details of the total synthesis of pacidamycin D (4) and its 3'-hydroxy analogue 32 are described. The chemically labile Z-oxyacyl enamide moiety is the most challenging chemical structure found in uridylpeptide natural products. Key elements of our approach to the synthesis of 4 include the efficient and stereocontrolled construction of the Z-oxyvinyl halides 6 and 7 and their copper-catalyzed cross-coupling with the tetrapeptide carboxamide 5, a thermally unstable compound containing a number of potentially reactive functional groups. This synthetic route also allowed us to easily prepare 3'-hydroxy analogue 32. The assemblage by cross-coupling of the Z-oxyvinyl halide 6 and the carboxamide 5 at a late stage of the synthesis provided ready access to a range of uridylpeptide antibiotics and their analogues, despite their inherent labile nature with potential epimerization, simply by altering the tetrapeptide moiety.     

Mode change in the self-motion of a benzoquinone disk coupled with a NADPH system

The self-motion of a benzoquinone (BQ) disk on NADPH was investigated as the coupling of an autonomous motor and an enzyme reaction. In the absence of the enzyme reaction, features of motion changed depending on the concentration of NADPH, that is, continuous motion→ intermittent oscillatory motion→ no motion. When the reverse reaction from NADP(+) to NADPH was introduced into the system with the addition of an enzyme reaction, continuous motion changed to intermittent oscillatory motion with small amplitude. The mechanism of this mode change is discussed in relation to the surface tension as a driving force and the time course of UV spectra as a window to the progress of the reaction. Characteristic features of the mode change were qualitatively reproduced by a numerical calculation.     

Application of the Tris(acetylacetonato)iron(III)/(II) Redox Couple in p‐Type Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

An electrolyte based on the tris(acetylacetonato)iron(III)/(II) redox couple ([Fe(acac)₃]^0/1?) was developed for p‐type dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Introduction of a NiO blocking layer on the working electrode and the use of chenodeoxycholic acid in the electrolyte enhanced device performance by improving the photocurrent. Devices containing [Fe(acac)₃]^0/1? and a perylene–thiophene–triphenylamine sensitizer (PMI–6T–TPA) have the highest reported short‐circuit current (J_SC=7.65 mA cm^?2), and energy conversion efficiency (2.51 %) for p‐type DSSCs coupled with a fill factor of 0.51 and an open‐circuit voltage V_OC=645 mV. Measurement of the kinetics of dye regeneration by the redox mediator revealed that the process is diffusion limited as the dye‐regeneration rate constant (1.7×10⁸ M ^?1 s^?1) is very close to the maximum theoretical rate constant of 3.3×10⁸ M ^?1 s^?1. Consequently, a very high dye‐regeneration yield (>99 %) could be calculated for these devices.     

Diastereoselective addition of allyltitanocenes to cyclic enones

The reaction of allyltitanocenes with five- to seven-membered cyclic enones proceeded with good to high diastereoselectivity depending on the ring size of enones. The stereochemistry of the major isomers produced by the reaction of cinnamyltitanocene was opposite to that of crotyltitanocene.     

Electrostatic self-assembly of neutral and polyelectrolyte block copolymers and oppositely charged surfactant

We investigated the phase behavior and the microscopic structure of the colloidal complexes constituted from neutral/polyelectrolyte diblock copolymers and oppositely charged surfactant by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The neutral block is poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), and the polyelectrolyte block is negatively charged poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). In aqueous solution with neutral pH, PAA behaves as a weak polyelectrolyte, whereas PNIPAM is neutral and in good-solvent condition at ambient temperature, but in poor-solvent condition above approximately 32 degrees C. This block copolymer, PNIPAM-b-PAA with a narrow polydispersity, is studied in aqueous solution with an anionic surfactant, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB). For a low surfactant-to-polymer charge ratio Z lower than the critical value ZC, the colloidal complexes are single DTAB micelles dressed by a few PNIPAM-b-PAA. Above ZC, the colloidal complexes form a core-shell microstructure. The core of the complex consists of densely packed DTA+ micelles, most likely connected between them by PAA blocks. The intermicellar distance of the DTA+ micelles is approximately 39 A, which is independent of the charge ratio Z as well as the temperature. The corona of the complex is constituted from the thermosensitive PNIPAM. At lower temperature the macroscopic phase separation is hindered by the swollen PNIPAM chains. Above the critical temperature TC, the PNIPAM corona collapses leading to hydrophobic aggregates of the colloidal complexes.     

Total synthesis of borrelidin

The total synthesis of borrelidin has been achieved. The best feature of our synthetic route is macrocyclization at C11-C12 for the construction of an 18-membered ring after esterification between two segments. A detailed examination of the macrocyclization led us to the samarium(II) iodide-mediated intramolecular Reformatsky-type reaction as the most efficient synthetic approach. The two key segments were synthesized through regioselective methylation, directed hydrogenation, stereoselective Reformatsky-type reaction, and MgBr2.Et2O-mediated chelation-controlled allylation.     

Anthracene array-type porous coordination polymer with host-guest charge transfer interactions in excited states

Confinement of electron donor guests affords an efficient, photo-induced charge transfer (CT) with the anthracene moieties of a porous coordination polymer.     

Ultrafast structural dynamics of water induced by dissipation of vibrational energy

In the liquid phase, water molecules form a disordered fluctuating network of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Using both inter- and intramolecular vibrations as structural probes in ultrafast infrared spectroscopy, we demonstrate a two-stage structural response of this network to energy disposal: vibrational energy from individually excited water molecules is transferred to intermolecular modes, resulting in a sub-100 fs nuclear rearrangement that leaves the local hydrogen bonds weakened but unbroken. Subsequent energy delocalization over many molecules occurs on an approximately 1 ps time scale and is connected with the breaking of hydrogen bonds, resulting in a macroscopically heated liquid.