13C NMR spectral assignments for nematic liquid crystals by 2D chemical shift gamma-encoding NMR

A novel method to accomplish 13C NMR spectral assignments for nematic liquid crystals is proposed. The two-dimensional (2D) isotropic/anisotropic chemical shift correlation spectrum is observed in which the anisotropic shift parameters are represented as sharp lines by gamma-encoding. The 13C spectral assignments can be made from the 2D spectrum with the aid of the 13C isotropic shift assignments for the same compound in the isotropic liquid state. The experiments were performed on p-methoxybenzilidene-p-n-butylaniline.     

Pile-up glass microreactor

We made a 'pile-up' microreactor in which ten levels of microchannel circuits were integrated to form a single glass entity. Solutions were distributed to each layer via cylindrical holes with a diameter much larger than that of the microchannel. Fabrication of the pile-up reactor was completed using only conventional photolithography, wet etching and thermal bonding techniques, and no special facilities or instruments were required. An amide formation reaction between amine in aqueous solution and acid chloride in organic solution was carried out using the pile-up reactor. The yield of the amide formation reaction is dependent on the size of the specific surface area between the two solutions, and the small space inside the microchannels is good for acquiring a large specific surface area without any stirring processes. The maximum throughput for the ten-layered pile-up reactor was ten times larger than that of a single-layered one, yet the reaction yield was still high. Productivity of the pile-up reactor for the reaction was as high as on a gram per hour scale. This value suggests that many conventional plants producing fine chemicals can be replaced by microreactors through the numbering-up technology.     

Novel molecular recognition via fluorescent resonance energy transfer using a biotin-PEG/polyamine stabilized CdS quantum dot

A novel functionally PEGylated quantum dot (QD) was prepared by a coprecipitation method in the presence of the biotin-PEG/polyamine block copolymer. When CdCl2 and Na2S were mixed in aqueous media in the presence of the biotin-PEG-b-poly(2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) [biotin-PEG/PAMA], a CdS QD with a size of ca. 5 nm was prepared. The polyamine segment was anchored on the surface of the formed CdS nanoparticle, whereas the PEG segment was tethered on the surface to form a hydrophilic palisade, thus improving the dispersion stability in aqueous media even under a high salt concentration condition. An effective fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) was observed by the specific interaction of the biotin-PEG/PAMA stabilized CdS QD with TexasRed-labeled streptavidin of the physiological ionic strength of 0.15 M. The extent of the energy transfer was in proportion to the concentration of the TexasRed-streptavidin. This FRET system using the PEGylated CdS QD coupled with fluorescent-labeled protein can be utilized as a highly sensitive bioanalytical system.     

Enhanced diastereoselectivity via confinement: diastereoselective photoisomerization of 2,3-diphenyl-1-benzoylcyclopropane derivatives within zeolites

Photochemistry of optically pure trans-2,3-diphenyl-1-benzoylcyclopropane has been examined in isotropic solution and within zeolites. Results suggest that it isomerizes by cleavage of either the C1-C2 or C1-C3 bond. From the perspective of chiral induction, photoisomerization of cis-2,3-diphenyl-1-benzoylcyclopropane derivatives with chiral auxiliaries placed at the meta and para positions of the benzoyl group have been examined both in isotropic solution and within zeolites. Whereas in isotropic solution the chiral auxiliaries placed at the meta position exhibit very little influence during the conversion of triplet cis-2,3-diphenyl-1-benzoylcyclopropane derivatives, they have significant influence within zeolites. For example, alpha-methyl benzylamine placed at the meta position of the benzoyl group (via an amide bond) yields the trans isomer with a diastereoselectivity (de) of 71% within NaY zeolite, whereas in solution no de is obtained. The chiral induction process within zeolites depends on the nature of the alkali ion and on the presence of water. Results suggest that the chiral auxiliary is able to control the bond being cleaved (C1-C2 vs. C1-C3 bond) within a zeolite, but it is unable to do so in an isotropic solution.     

Sequential arrangement of gamma-valerolactone enantiomers enclathrated in cholic acid channels as studied by 13C solid-state NMR: elucidation of the optical resolution mechanism

The mechanism of the optical resolution of gamma-valerolactone (VAL) enantiomers by enclathration in cholic acid (CA) channels was investigated. 13C cross-polarization magic-angle spinning spectra of CA/VAL inclusion compounds show four methyl 13C peaks of VAL with different intensities depending on the enantiomeric ratios. The four peaks were assigned to the inner and end (S)-(-)-enantiomers (S) in the S domain and the inner and end (R)-(+)-enantiomers (R). The relative intensities of the four methyl 13C peaks cannot be explained by the random process model for inclusion but are successfully reproduced by assuming the first-order Markov process, in which the inclusion probabilities of S and R depend on which enantiomer has precedingly entered the CA channel. The probability p(S/S) that two S enantiomers successively enter a channel is thus found to be 83%, and p(R/R) is 50%. The large probability of p(S/S) indicates that once an S enantiomer enters a channel, it become easy for other S enantiomers to successively enter the channel, and thus the large enantiomeric excess of S is obtained. The inclusion probabilities of S and R were confirmed by 1D 13C-13C polarization-transfer experiments among the four methyl carbons of VAL in the CA channel. Further, we found that the 13C line widths and peak positions of the CA tail group change depending on the enantiomeric ratio. We concluded that once S is included, it changes the conformation of the CA tail group so that other S enantiomers become easy to successively enter the channel.     

Diastereoselective [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of stilbene to chiral fumarate. Direct versus charge-transfer excitation

The selective excitation of the charge-transfer (CT) complex and the direct excitation of the substrate gave distinctly different product ratios and diastereomeric excesses (de's), as well as their temperature dependencies, in [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of (E)-stilbene to bis((R)-1-methylpropyl) fumarate, clearly demonstrating that the excited CT complex and the conventional exciplex differ in structure and reactivity. This conclusion is supported by the contrasting fluorescence behavior exhibited by the relevant excited species, particularly at low temperatures.     

Superconductivity of the Sr2Ca12Cu24O41 spin-ladder system: are the superconducting pairing and the spin-gap formation of the same origin?

Pressure-induced superconductivity in a spin-ladder cuprate Sr2Ca12Cu24O41 has not been studied on a microscopic level thus far although the superconductivity was already discovered in 1996. We have improved the high-pressure technique using a large high-quality crystal, and succeeded in studying the superconductivity using 63Cu nuclear magnetic resonance. We found that the anomalous metallic state reflecting the spin-ladder structure is realized and the superconductivity possesses an s-wave-like character in the meaning that a finite gap exists in the quasiparticle excitation: At a pressure of 3.5 GPa, we observed two excitation modes in the normal state from the relaxation rate T-11. One gives rise to an activation-type component in T-11, and the other T-linear component linking directly with the superconductivity. This gapless mode likely arises from free motion of holon-spinon bound states appearing by hole doping, and the pairing of them likely causes the superconductivity.     

A facile route to 4,5,6,7-tetrahydrothiophenes and benzothiophenes

2-Substituted tetrahydro- and cyclopentathiophenes 2 were produced in high yields by treatment of the semi-cyclic trisubstituted 1,4-diketones 1 such as 2-phenacylcyclohexan-1-one, 2-acetonylcyclohexan-1-one, and 2-phenacylcyclopentan-1-one, with Lawesson's reagent.     

Solid-state photodimerization of 9-methylanthracene as studied by solid-state NMR

The locus of the photodimerization reaction of 9-methylanthracene in the crystal was examined by high-resolution solid-state NMR techniques. Examination of the spectra of the products showed that only the trans dimer is formed by the solid state photodimerization, while both trans and cis dimers are formed by the photodimerization in benzene solution. The T₁ relaxation curves for the monomer and the dimer at various exposure times were separately observed via well-resolved peaks. The two T₁ curves exhibit characteristic features for relaxation of a weakly coupled two-spin system. By analyzing the T₁ curves, the spin diffusion rates between the monomer and the dimer and the fraction of the dimer were obtained for various exposure times. From the result, the maximum domain size of the minor component during the photodimerization process was estimated to be ca. 0.3 μm. The heterogeneous domain structure generated by the photodimerization indicates that the reaction takes place at defects of the crystal in the monomer.     

Magnetic Interactions in Insulating BEDT-TTF Salts

Inter-dimer magnetic interactions J in BEDT-TTF (bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene) salts in the Mott insulator regime are estimated from the intermolecular overlap integrals. The estimated J values are compared with the experimental results, and the stable spin alignment and the dimensionality of the spin systems are discussed.