The cyclophanes 1a-d containing two benzo[b]furan rings connected by various bridges have been prepared and their binding behaviors with N-benzylphenethylammonium cation 2 were examined by NMR titration method. The successive alkylation reactions of 4-hydroxyl groups and then 2-hydroxyl groups of 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenonse gave macrocycles 5a-c. Photoirradiation of the macrocycles 5a-c with 350 nm mercury lamp followed by dehydration afforded the cyclophanes 1a-c. Hydrolysis of two ester groups pendant on a bridge of 1b produced the carboxyl group-containing cyclophane 1d. The cyclophane 1a having a p-xylene bridge showed 1 : 1 binding with 2 with the binding constant of $36{\pm}6M^{-1}$ in 3 : 1 $CDCl_3$/methanol-$d_4$ solvent, while 1b and 1c which have neutral flexible bridges exhibited no appreciable binding with 2. The disodium salt of 1d showed much higher binding affinity for 2 forming 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 complexes.

Several [2]- and [3]rotaxanes bearing some functional groups on their wheel components and spacers with different lengths between two ammonium centers on their dumbbell components were prepared in good yields from dibenzo-24-crown-8-ether derivatives and dumbbell-shaped bis(sec-ammonium salt)s having a centrally located disulfide linkage, by utilizing the reversible thiol-disulfide interchange reaction. The shuttling behaviors of the [2]rotaxanes were investigated by $^1H$ NMR by use of the spin polarization transfer-selective inversion recovery technique. It was found that the change in spacer length in the axle resulted in a drastic change in shuttling rate of the [2]rotaxanes, although the introduction of the functional groups to the wheels did not affect the shuttling behavior at all.

Potential energy surfaces for the reaction Al + $O_2{\to}$AlO + O have been calculated with the multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) method using molecular orbitals derived from the complete active space selfconsistent field (CASSCF) calculations. The end-on geometry is the most favourable for the reaction to take place. The small reaction barrier in the present calculation (0.11 eV) is probably an artefact related to the ionicneutral avoided crossing. The charge analysis implies that the title oxidation reaction occurs through a harpooning mechanism. Along the potential energy surface of the reaction, there are two stable intermediates of $AlO_2(C_{{\infty}v}$ and $C_{2v}$) at least 2.74 eV below the energy of reactants. The calculated enthalpy of the reaction (-0.07 eV) is in excellent agreement with the experimental value (-0.155 eV) in part due to the fortuitous cancellation of errors in AlO and $O_2$ calculations.

A set of unprecedented syndiospecific dimethyl- and diethylamino-functionalized polystyrenes was prepared by catalytically polymerizing the corresponding monomers using (pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)titanatrane/MMAO catalytic system. Dialkylamino-functionalized styrene monomers were synthesized by Wittig reaction from the corresponding aldehyde in high yield. The resulting polymers are soluble in polar organic solvents such as THF and show good thermal stability. The chemical transformation of the syndiospecific poly(4-diethylaminostyrene) also gave new polar polymers, namely syndiotactic poly(4-diethylaminostyrene hydrochloride), which is unattainable by traditional synthetic methods.

${\alpha},{\beta}$-Unsaturated aldehydes such as acrolein and crotonaldehyde were reacted with diols in the presence of conc. sulfuric acid to give products of which concomitant addition to C-C double bond and acetalization took place. Boron trifluoride etherate and titanium tetrachloride gave only acetalization products.

Several critical geometries associated with the rearrangement of $CH_3SNO_2\;to\;CH_3SONO$ are calculated with the density functional theory (DFT) method and compared with those of the ab initio molecular orbital methods. There are two probable pathways for this rearrangement, one involving the transition state of an oxygen migration and the other through the homolytic decomposition to radicals. The reaction barrier via the transition state is about 60 kcal/mol and the decomposition energy into radicals about 35 kcal/mol, suggesting that the reaction pathway via the homolytic cleavage to radical species is energetically favorable. Since even the homolytic cleavage requires large energies, the rearrangement reaction is unlikely without the aid of catalysts.

The reaction of titanium tetraisopropoxide with 2 equiv of N,N-diethyl acetoacetamide affords Ti($O^iPr)_2(CH_3COCHCONEt_2)_2$ (1) as colorless crystals in 80% yield. Compound 1 is characterized by spectroscopic (Mass and $^1H/^{13}C$ NMR) and microanalytical data. Molecular structure of 1 has been determined by a single crystal X-ray diffraction study, which reveals that it is a monomeric, cis-diisopropoxide and contains a six coordinate Ti(IV) atom with a cis($CONEt_2$), trans($COCH_3$) configuration (1a) in a distorted octahedral environment. Variable-temperature $^1H$ NMR spectra of 1 indicate that it exists as an equilibrium mixture of cis, trans (1a) and cis, cis (1b) isomers in a 0.57 : 0.43 ratio at -20$^{\circ}C$ in toluene-$d_8$ solution. Thermal properties of 1 as a MOCVD precursor for titanium dioxide films have been evaluated by thermal gravimetric analysis and vapor pressure measurement. Thin films of pure anatase titanium dioxide (after annealing above 500$^{\circ}C$ under oxygen) have been grown on Si(100) with precursor 1 in the substrate temperature range of 350- 500$^{\circ}$ using a bubbler-based MOCVD method.

In DNA microarray produced by DNA-deposition technology, DNA-immobilization and -hybridization yields on a solid support are most important factors for its accuracy and sensitivity. We have developed a dendrimeric support using silylated aldehyde slides and polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers. An oligonucleotide array was prepared through a crosslinking between the dendrimeric support and an oligonucleotide. Both DNAimmobilization and -hybridization yields on the solid support increased by the modification with the dendrimers. The increase of the immobilization and hybridization efficiency seems to result from a threedimensional arrangement of the attached oligonucleotide. Therefore, our dendrimeric support may provide a simple and efficient solution to the preparation of DNA microarrays with high-density DNA-deposition and high hybridization efficiency.

A simple method for simultaneous recovery and reuse of $OsO_4$ and alkaloid ligand in the asymmetric dihydroxylation of olefins has been developed by using macroporous alkaloid resins bearing residual vinyl groups.

We demonstrate that wide-angle X-ray scattering pattern from photoactive yellow protein (PYP) in solution using a high flux third generation synchrotron X-ray source reflects not only the overall structure, but also fine structures of the protein. X-ray scattering data from PYP in solution have been collected in q ranges from 0.02 ${\AA}^{-1}$ to 2.8 ${\AA}^{-1}$. These data are sensitive to the protein structure and consistent with the calculation based on known crystallographic atomic coordinates. Theoretical scattering patterns were also calculated for the intermediates during the photocycle of PYP to estimate the feasibility of time-resolved wide-angle X-ray scattering experiments on such proteins. These results demonstrate the possibility of using the wide-angle solution X-ray scattering as a quantitative monitor of photo-induced structural changes in PYP.

Self-assembled systems with polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers combined with gold nanoparticles have been widely studied because of their potential applications in molecular electronics, catalyst carriers, chemical sensors, and biomedical devices. In our work, gold nanoparticle monolayers and multilayers with pure and ferrocene-tethered PAMAM dendrimers as cross-linking molecules were deposited on a mixed self-assembled monolayer of gold substrates. The various generations of PAMAM dendrimers can be covalently attached to mercaptoundecanoic acid mixed with a mercaptoundecanol self-assembled monolayer. Cyclic voltammograms show that redox peak currents on the alternate multilayers of gold nanoparticles and ferrocene-tethered PAMAM dendrimers increase as the number of layers increases. Fourier transform IR external reflection spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy support the results from electrochemical measurements.

Regioselectivity on the reactions of ${\alpha},{\beta}$--enones with organoindium such as in situ generated allylindium and allenylindium was systematically studied in the presence of TMSCl as an additive. Treatment of 2-cyclohexen-1-one, carvone, 2-cyclohepten-1-one, and chalcone with allylindium reagent produced 1,4-addition products in good yields, while 2-cyclopenten-1-one, 2-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one, 4,4-dimethylcyclohexen-1-one, 3-nonen-2-one, 4-hexen-3-one, and 4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one afforded 1,2-addition products. Indium reagent derived from indium and propargyl bromide in Grignard type gave addition products in good yields, under which the successive addition of ${\alpha},{\beta}$-enone and TMSCl were necessary. Although organoindium reagent derived from propargyl bromide produced propargylated compound in Grignard type except 2-cyclohepten-1-one, indium reagent obtained from 1-bromo-2-butyne having ${\gamma}$-methyl group gave allenylated product inBarbier type.