Photothermal Oxidation of Cinnamyl Alcohol with Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed by Gold Nanoparticle/Antimony-Doped Tin Oxide Nanocrystals

Gold nanoparticles with different mean sizes were formed on antimony-doped tin oxide nanocrystals by the temperature-varied deposition-precipitation method (Au/ATO NCs). Au/ATO NCs possess strong absorption in the near-infrared region due to Drude excitation in addition to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of AuNPs around 530 nm. Au/ATO NCs show thermally activated catalytic activity for the oxidation of cinnamyl alcohol to cinnamaldehyde by hydrogen peroxide. The catalytic activity increases with a decrease in the mean Au particle size (d_Au) at 5.3 nm≤d_Au≤8.2 nm. Light irradiation (λ_ex >660 nm, ∼0.5 sun) of Au/ATO NCs increases the rate of reaction by more than twice with ∼95 % selectivity. Kinetic analyses indicated that the striking enhancement of the reaction stems from the rise in the temperature near the catalyst surface of ∼30 K due to the photothermal effect of the ATO NCs.     

D3h‐Symmetric Porphyrin‐Based Rigid Macrocyclic Ligands for Multicofacial Multinuclear Complexes in a One‐Nanometer‐Sized Cavity

The one‐step synthesis of D_3h‐symmetric cyclic porphyrin trimers 1 composed of three 2,2′‐[4,4′‐bis(methoxycarbonyl)]bipyridyl moieties and three porphyrinatozinc moieties was achieved from a nickel‐mediated reductive coupling of meso‐5,15‐bis(6‐chloro‐4‐methoxycarbonylpyrid‐2‐yl)porphyrinatozinc. Although cyclic trimers 1 were obtained as a mixture that included other cyclic and acyclic porphyrin oligomers, an extremely specific separation was observed only for cyclic trimers 1 when using columns of silica gel modified with pyrenylethyl, cyanopropyl, and other groups. Structural analysis of cyclic trimers 1 was carried out by means of NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. Treatment of an η³‐allylpalladium complex with a cyclic trimer gave a tris(palladium) complex containing three η³‐allylpalladium groups inside the space, which indicated that the bipyridyl moieties inside the ring could work as bidentate metalloligands.     

Kinetic study of the crosslinking reaction of 1,2‐polybutadiene with dicumyl peroxide in the absence and presence of vinyl acetate

The crosslinking reaction of 1,2-polybutadiene (1,2-PB) with dicumyl peroxide (DCPO) in dioxane was kinetically studied by means of Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FTNIR). The crosslinking reaction was followed in situ by the monitoring of the disappearance of the pendant vinyl group of 1,2-PB with FTNIR. The initial disappearance rate (R₀) of the vinyl group was expressed by R₀ = k[DCPO]^0.8[vinyl group]^−0.2 (120 °C). The overall activation energy of the reaction was estimated to be 38.3 kcal/mol. The unusual rate equation was explained in terms of the polymerization of the pendant vinyl group as an allyl monomer involving degradative chain transfer to the monomer. The reaction mixture involved electron spin resonance (ESR)-observable polymer radicals, of which the concentration rapidly increased with time owing to a progress of crosslinking after an induction period of 200 min. The crosslinking reaction of 1,2-PB with DCPO was also examined in the presence of vinyl acetate (VAc), which was regarded as a copolymerization of the vinyl group with VAc. The vinyl group of 1,2-PB was found to show a reactivity much higher than 1-octene and 3-methyl-1-hexene as model compounds in the copolymerization with VAc. This unexpectedly high reactivity of the vinyl group suggested that an intramolecular polymerization process proceeds between the pendant vinyl groups located on the same polymer chain, possibly leading to the formation of block-like polymer. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4437–4447, 2004     

Collection of iron(III) from homogeneous aqueous solutions on membrane filters using Chromazurol B with Triton X-100.

A membrane filtration method was examined concerning the effective collection of iron(III) from a homogeneous aqueous solution with Chromazurol B (CAB), one of the triphenylmethane dyes, as a precipitating reagent in the presence of a non-ionic surfactant, polyethylene glycol mono[4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl]ether (Triton X-100). A formed blue Fe(III)-CAB complex was collected as a precipitate on a membrane filter by filtration under suction from a homogeneous aqueous solution in the pH range over about 2. The original solution was prepared at a concentration ratio of CAB to Fe(III) of to 10, and that of Triton X-100 to CAB of 10 to 100. It was then adjusted to a pH value of between 1.0 and 6.5. A linear relationship (r = 0.999) was obtained between the initial concentration and the found one of Fe(III) in the range of 2.0 x 10(-5) to 4.0 x 10(-4) mol dm(-3) at a fixed concentration ratio of CAB to Fe(III) of 3 and that of Triton X-100 to CAB of 20. This membrane filtration with CAB and Triton X-100 may be utilized for the separation of Fe(III) as a background species.     

Mesorbitolina (Cretaceous larger foraminifera) from the Yezo Group in Hokkaido,Japan and its stratigraphic and paleobiogeographic significance

In this paper, we describe an Aptian (Early Cretaceous) larger foraminiferal species Orbitolina (Mesorbitolina) parva from the limestone olistoliths in the lower part of the Yezo Group in the Yubari–Ashibetsu area, central Hokkaido and from limestone pebbles in the lowermost part of the Yezo Group in the Nakagawa area, northern Hokkaido. This is the first report of this species from the circum-North Pacific regions. Based on its occurrences, the shallow-marine carbonates, re-deposited in the lower part of the Yezo Group, are precisely assigned in age to the Late Aptian. Comparison of the lower part of the Yezo Group in central and northern Hokkaido indicates differences of the Aptian–Albian depositional history between the two areas. This study reveals that after Late Aptian, Mesogean key taxa (typical Cretaceous Tethyan biota) demised in the Northwest Pacific.     

Stability of a system of Volterra integro-differential equations

Using new and known forms of Lyapunov functionals, this paper proposes new stability criteria for a system of Volterra integro-differential equations.     

Preparation of a cyclodextrin dimer linked with a bis(picolinyl)cystine moiety and its intra- and intermolecular inclusion behavior

A novel cyclodextrin (CD) dimer linked with a bis(picolinyl)cystine (Cys) moiety was prepared by the coupling of Boc-protected Cys with amino-modified CDs, followed by deprotection of the Boc groups and bispicolinylation. The dimer showed less affinity to an organic guest molecule compared to that of a native CD monomer. It was attributed to an intramolecular inclusion of the pyridine moiety into CD cavity. The dimer caused significant increase of its organic guest affinity by an addition of a copper ion. The included pyridine group may come out of a CD cavity to bind the copper ion and the two CDs included cooperatively and intermolecularly a guest molecule with high affinity.     

A novel synthesis of (+)-biotin from L-cysteine

(+)-Biotin (1) was synthesized in 25% overall yield over 11 steps from L-cysteine. The contiguous asymmetric centers at C-3a and C-6a were formed through a novel and highly stereoselective Lewis base-catalyzed cyanosilylation of alpha-amino aldehyde 3 to provide anti-O-TMS-cyanohydrin 4 with high stereoselectivity and in high yield (anti/syn = 92:8, 96%). Treatment of 4 with a di-Grignard reagent, 1,4-bis(bromomagnesio)butane, followed by carbon dioxide, efficiently installed the 4-carboxybutyl chain at C-4 to give keto acid 5. The final cyclization to bicyclic compound 7b, a precursor to 1, was realized by a palladium-catalyzed intramolecular allylic amination of cis-allylic carbonate 6b that was elaborated from 5.     

Prenylated xanthones from Garcinia xanthochymus

A new prenylated xanthone, 1,3,5,6-tetrahydroxy-4,7,8-tri(3-methyl-2-butenyl)xanthone (1), was isolated from the wood of Garcinia xanthochymus together with a known xanthone, garciniaxanthone E (2). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1 (3 microM) and 2 (10 microM) elicited marked enhancement of nerve growth factor-mediated neurite outgrowth in PC12D cells.     

Total synthesis of gambierol

[structure: see text] The first total synthesis of gambierol, a marine polycyclic ether toxin, has been achieved. The synthesis features the Pd(PPh3)4/CuCl/LiCl-promoted Stille coupling for the stereoselective construction of the sensitive triene side chain that includes a conjugated (Z,Z)-diene moiety.