Macrocyclic Oligothiophene with Stereogenic [2.2]Paracyclophane Scaffolds: Chiroptical Properties from π-Transannular Interactions.

The enantiomers of a new cyclic oligothiophene, bridged by two pseudo-ortho[2.2]paracyclophanes, were synthesized as a new class of the chiral π-conjugated system. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a twisted structure for these oligothiophenes induced by a torsion of the cyclophane moieties. The embedding oligothiophenes into the inherent planar chirality provided a significant enhancement in circular dichroism (CD) spectra thanks to the large magnetic/electric transition dipole moments. In the dicationic state, an intramolecular π dimer was formed due to the strong interactions of the oligothiophenes. We further recorded unprecedented wide ranges of CD spectra in 250-1800 nm region. The transitions are reasonably described by the exciton coupling of the oligothiophenes.

Difference in protein adsorption onto polymer films with or without thermal annealing.

Protein adsorptions onto non-annealed (NA) and thermally annealed (TA) polyetherimide films were examined by surface plasmon resonance measurements. Proteins adsorbed onto the NA films with smaller adsorption constants in comparison with the TA films. Neutron reflectivity measurements of the two films suggested that the outermost region of the NA films swelled with larger amounts of water molecules than the TA films. It is plausible that the aforementioned difference in the protein adsorption properties is derived from the difference in the interfacial aggregation structures of the two films.

Chiroptical properties and the racemization of pyrene and tetrathiafulvalene-substituted allene: substitution and solvent effects on racemization in tetrathiafulvalenylallene.

Dissymmetric 1,3-diphenylallene derivative 3 connected with 4,5-bis(methyl-thio)tetrathiafulvalenyl and 1-pyrenyl substituents was prepared and characterized. The molecular structure was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Optical resolution was accomplished using a recycling chiral HPLC, and its chiroptical properties were examined with optical rotation and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. The title compound underwent photoracemization under daylight. This behavior was investigated in various solvents and compared with that of 1,3-bis(tetrathiafulvalenyl)allene (bis-TTF-allene) derivative 2. The first-order rate plot of the intensity of the ECD spectra at a given time interval gave the rate of racemization. Mild racemization was observed in polar solvents, whereas a relatively fast rate was obtained in less polar solvents. In addition, the TTF groups of the allene also accelerate the racemization rate. These results suggest that the racemization mechanism occurs via a non-polar diradical structure.

Effect of cholesterol and other additives on viscosity, self-diffusion coefficient, and intramolecular movements of oleic acid.

It has been empirically known that cholesterol largely increases the viscosity of oleic acid. To clarify the mechanism of the effect of cholesterol on the intermolecular and the intramolecular (segmental) movements of oleic acid in the liquid state, we measured density, viscosity, IR, 1H NMR chemical shift, self-diffusion coefficient, and 13C NMR spin-lattice relaxation time for the liquid samples of oleic acid containing a small amount of cholesterol. Furthermore, the above measurements were also carried out for the samples of oleic acid containing a small amount of cholestanol, cholestane, cholesteryl oleate, ethanol, or benzene. Cholesterol, possessing one OH group and one double bond in its molecular structure, largely increased the viscosity and reduced the self-diffusion and the intramolecular movement of oleic acid. Cholestanol, possessing one OH group but not a double bond, and cholesteryl oleate, not possessing an OH group, also reduced the self-diffusion and the intramolecular movement; cholestane, not possessing an OH group, slightly reduced the self-diffusion and the intramolecular movements. In contrast with these sterols, ethanol and benzene reduced the viscosity and increased the self-diffusion and the intramolecular movements. In addition, cholesterol and ethanol, both having one OH group, promoted the upfield shift of the 1H NMR signal of the carboxyl group of oleic acid; IR difference spectra for the cholesterol/oleic acid system quite resemble those for the ethanol/oleic acid system. These results suggest that oleic acid makes a complex with cholesterol as well as with ethanol. On the basis of the formation of the complex, we have revealed the role and the functional mechanism of cholesterol to the intermolecular and the intramolecular movements of oleic acid in the liquid state.

Maintaining of the Green Fluorescence Emission of 9-Aminoanthracene for Bioimaging Applications.

The green fluorescence emission of 9-aminoanthracence (9AA) was maintained by controlling the oxidation of 9AA with oxygen in the solid state and in solution. The solid-state fluorescence of 9AA was maintained for a longer time when lauric acid was used because the equilibrium between 9AA and 9-anthrylammonium salt (9AAH + ) inclines toward the right-hand side in the presence of an acid. A solution of 9AA in CDCl3, to which nitrogen had been bubbled through for 5 min, continued to emit green fluorescence for more than 3 days, whereas the fluorescence emission disappeared within 3 days for the solution that had been bubbled with oxygen for 5 min. 9AA is oxidized by oxygen in MeOH under dark conditions to give almost nongreen fluorescent anthraquinone monoimine (AQNH), whereas dimerization of 9AA occurs under UV irradiation at 365 nm, much faster than the generation of AQNH. These results suggest that 9AA is oxidized by the triplet rather than the singlet oxygen in MeOH. Some of the organic molecules, proteins, and biological tissues were successfully stained with 9AA on microscope slides within 10 min because the green fluorescence emission of 9AA was successfully maintained in the presence of an acid and under hypoxic conditions of the used materials.

Dynamical dimer structure and liquid structure of fatty acids in their binary liquid mixture: decanoic/octadecanoic acid and decanoic/dodecanoic acid systems.

Dimer structure and liquid structure of fatty acids in their binary mixtures such as decanoic acid (DA)/octadecanoic acid (SA) and DA/dodecanoic acid (LA) were studied through the measurements of self-diffusion coefficient (D), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), density and viscosity. The obtained phase diagrams showed that DA and SA form a eutectic in the solid state but partly a solid solution in the SA-rich region; DA and LA form an incongruent-melting compound which forms a eutectic with DA. In the liquid mixture of DA and SA, the D of DA is larger than that of SA over the entire range of compositions and tends to approach the D of SA with increasing SA-mole fraction; the D of DA in the DA/LA system is also larger than that of LA especially in the LA-poor region and steeply approaches that of LA with increasing LA-mole fraction. These D values and phase diagrams were compared with those for the binary mixtures of n-alkanes (C14/C20, C19/C20 and C20/C24); it is concluded that the two kinds of fatty acids always form their individual homodimers in their liquid mixtures regardless of their compositions and temperatures.

Dynamical dimer structure and liquid structure of fatty acids in their binary liquid mixture: dodecanoic and 3-phenylpropionic acids system.

Dimer structure and liquid structure of fatty acids in the binary liquid mixture of dodecanoic (LA) and 3-phenylpropionic acids (PPA) were studied through the measurements of DSC, self-diffusion coefficient (D), density, viscosity, 13C NMR spin-lattice relaxation time, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The phase diagram of LA/PPA mixture exhibited a typical eutectic pattern, which means that LA and PPA are completely immiscible in solid phase. In the liquid phase of the LA/PPA mixture, D of LA always differed from that of PPA irrespective of their compositions. This exhibited that, in the liquid phase of the binary mixture of fatty acids giving a complete eutectic in the solid phase, the fatty acid dimers are composed of the same fatty acid species irrespective of their compositions. The liquid structure of the LA/PPA mixture was clarified through the SAXS and also the SANS measurements.

Dimeric tetrathiafulvalene linked to pseudo-ortho-[2.2]paracyclophane: chiral electrochromic properties and use as a chiral dopant.

A dimeric tetrathiafulvalene installed into a chiral pseudo-ortho-[2.2]paracyclophane framework was synthesized as a novel chiral electrochromic material. This compound exhibited pronounced chiroptical properties in the UV-Vis-NIR range depending on its redox states without racemization. Each enantiomer was examined as a chiral dopant for nematic liquid crystals (LCs), and the induced helicity of the LC solvent was in accord with that of the tetrathiafulvalene compound.

Tetrathiafulvalenylallene: a new class of donor molecules having strong chiroptical properties in neutral and doped states.

A chiral tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) dimer bridged by an allene framework (1) was synthesized. An X-ray analysis of 1 revealed an effective conjugation between TTF and the allene backbone. Allene 1 was resolved into both enantiomers, which showed strong chiroptical electrochromic properties. Absolute configuration of the allene was validated by theoretical study of the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectrum. ECD spectra of cationic species 1(2+) and 1(4+) exhibited intense Cotton Effects over the visible region.

CH/pi interaction between benzene and hydrocarbons having six carbon atoms in their binary liquid mixtures.

Molecular interactions between benzene and hydrocarbons having six carbon atoms, such as hexane, cyclohexane and 1-hexene in their binary liquid mixtures were studied through the measurements of density, viscosity, self-diffusion coefficient, (13)C NMR spin-lattice relaxation time and (1)H NMR chemical shift. CH/pi attraction between hexane and benzene in their binary mixture was observed in a relatively benzene rich region, whereas a special attractive interaction was not observed between cyclohexane and benzene. On the other hand, 1-hexene and benzene in their binary mixtures were characteristic in their self-diffusion coefficient behaviors: 1-hexene more strongly attract benzene not only by the CH/pi attraction but also probably by the p/p interaction between the double bond in 1-hexene and the p-electron in benzene ring.

Comparison of hydrogen bonding for chiral and racemic 1-monostearoylglycerols in solvent.

Comparison of the hydrogen bonding of racemic RS-1-monostearoylglycerol and chiral S-1-monostearoylglycerol in benzene was carried out through the NMR measurement. In addition, the concentration dependence of a chirality of S-1-monostearoylglycerol in hexane was studied though UV and circular dichroism (CD) measurements. The chemical shifts of OH protons of the S- and RS-1- monostearoylglycerols indicated that the hydrogen bonding between the R- and S-form molecules of RS-1-monostearoylglycerol is stronger than that between the S- and S-form molecules of S-1-monostearoylglycerol in the low concentration region and that the difference in the strength of hydrogen-bonding between them becomes small in the high concentration region. The chirality of the S-1-monostearoyglycerol in hexane decreased with increasing its concentration. This suggests that the association of chiral S-1-monoacylglycerol arising from its increasing concentration reduces the chirality of S-1-monostearoylglycerol.

Fluorescence anisotropy and rotational diffusion of two kinds of 4-n-alkyl-4'-cyanobiphenyls in glycerol.

Absorption and fluorescence spectra, fluorescence lifetimes, and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence anisotropies were measured for 4-methyl-4'-cynanobiphenyl (1CB) and 4-hexyl-4'-cynanobiphenyl (6CB) in glycerol at various temperatures. The energies and intensities of the absorption and emission spectra for 1CB and 6CB were almost equally observed, and the fluorescence lifetimes around 1.0 ns were also almost equally obtained and did not depend on temperature. However, the time-resolved fluorescence anisotropies measured in glycerol solution indicated that the molecules of 1CB rotate more rapidly than those of 6CB: the rigid-sphere radii for 1CB and 6CB obtained by using the pulsed exciting light were evaluated as 1.3x10(-10) m (1CB) and 1.8 x 10(-10) m (6CB) in the low temperature region (2-10 degrees C), whereas those evaluated in the high temperature regions (20-60 degrees C for 1CB and 30-60 for 6CB) were 2.7 x 10(-10) m (1CB) and 3.6 x 10(-10) m (6CB). These radii evaluated in the high temperature region were in good agreement with those obtained by using steady-state exciting light, 2.9 x 10(-10) m (1CB) and 3.4x10(-10) m (6CB). It is noted that the increase of radius was observed across an intermediate temperature region (10-30 degrees C for 1CB or 10-40 degrees C for 6CB), and was more remarkable for 6CB than for 1CB. This implies that the movements of hexyl-chain are much more enhanced at high temperature, and are effectively reflected to the increase in radius of rotational diffusion. The changing phenomenon of movements of peripheral alkyl-chain in liquid-crystal molecules is important for the phase transition between liquid crystal and isotropic liquid phases: the changing to less vigorous movements of the alkyl-chain in 6CB is thought enough to contribute to the liquid-crystal formation of 6CB molecule.

Intramolecular hydrogen bonding (proton transfer) of 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione.

Through the (1)H and (13)C NMR measurements for the symmetrical beta-diketones such as 2,4-pentanedione and 1,3-diphenyl-1,3-propanedione and unsymmetrical one such as 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione at various concentrations and temperatures, we confirmed that 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione in CDCl(3) exists as monomers in its relatively low concentration. In addition, the 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione in CDCl(3) exists not as a keto-form but as two kinds of cis-enol forms. The proton transfer between the two kinds of cis-enols for 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione was discussed thermodynamically; it is concluded that the OH proton of enol of 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione is considerably located near the oxygen atom attached to the carbon atom linking to a phenyl group.