Method for the Calculation of the Hamaker Constants of Organic Materials by the Lifshitz Macroscopic Approach with Density Functional Theory.

The Hamaker constants, which are coefficients providing quantitative information on intermolecular forces, were calculated for a number of different materials according to the Lifshitz theory via simple DFT calculations without any experimental measurements being performed. The physical properties (polarizability, dipole moment, molecular volume, and vibrational frequency) of organic molecules were calculated using the B3LYP density functional and the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. Values for the Hamaker constants were obtained using the approximation of the Lorentz-Lorenz equation and Onsager's equation with these properties. It was found that, in the case of "nonassociative" materials, such as hydrocarbons, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, esters, nitriles, and hydrosilanes, and halides, the calculated Hamaker constants were similar in value to their experimentally determined counterparts. Moreover, with this calculation method, it is easy to create the molecular model and the CPU time can be shortened.

Direct Imprinting of Liquid Silicon.

A polymeric precursor solution for semiconducting silicon called "liquid silicon" was synthesized and directly imprinted to form well-defined and fine amorphous silicon patterns. The spin-coated film was cured and imprinted followed by annealing at 380 °C to complete the polymer-to-silicon conversion. A pattern with dimensions of several hundreds of nanometers or less was obtained on a substrate. We demonstrated that the curing step before imprinting is particularly important in the imprinting process. A curing temperature of 140-180 °C was found to be optimal in terms of the film's deformability and molding properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis clarified that the cross-linking of the polymer due to the 1,2-hydrogen shift reaction was induced exponentially with the release of a large amount of SiH4/H2 gases at temperatures between 140 and 220 °C, leading to the solidification of the film. Consequently, the film completely lost its deformability at higher temperatures. Despite a volume shrinkage as large as 53-56% during the polymer-to-silicon conversion, well-defined angular patterns were preserved. Fine silicon patterns were formed via the direct imprinting of liquid silicon with high resolution and high throughput, demonstrating the usefulness of this technique for the future manufacturing of silicon electronics.

Fabrication of high-quality amorphous silicon film from cyclopentasilane by vapor deposition between two parallel substrates.

Cyclopentasilane converts into amorphous silicon film between two parallel substrates under atmospheric pressure by thermal decomposition at 350-400 °C, which combines the advantages of high throughput with cost reduction and high quality film formation.

Cp*RuCl-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloadditions of alpha,omega-diynes with electron-deficient carbon-heteroatom multiple bonds leading to heterocycles.

In the presence of a catalytic amount of Cp*RuCl(cod), 1,6-diynes were allowed to react chemo- and regioselectively with electron-deficient nitriles and heterocumulenes at 60-90 degrees C to afford heterocyclic compounds. The mechanism of the ruthenium-catalyzed regioselective formations of bicyclic pyridines and pyridones were analyzed on the basis of density functional calculations. Cyclocotrimerizations of ethyl propiolate with ethyl cyanoformate or propyl isocyanate gave rise to two of the four possible pyridine or pyridone regioisomers.

Ruthenium(II)-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes with tricarbonyl compounds.

In the presence of catalytic amounts of Cp*Ru(cod)Cl, unsymmetrical 1,6-diynes possessing a variety of functional groups reacted with electron-deficient tricarbonyl compounds at the ketone C=O double bonds to selectively afford dienones via electrocyclic ring opening of the expected alpha-pyrans. The intramolecular Michael addition of the cycloadducts having an acetyl and an alkylidenemalonate moiety gave bicyclo[3.3.0]octenone derivatives.

Ruthenium-catalyzed cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes with isothiocyanates and carbon disulfide: first transition-metal catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cocyclotrimerization involving C=S double bond.

In the presence of 10 mol % Cp*Ru(cod)Cl, 1,6-diynes with a tertiary center at 4-position reacted with various isothiocyanates at their C=S double bond to afford bicyclic (2H)-thiopyranimines in 35-88% yields. The (2H)-thiopyran structure was unequivocally determined by X-ray analysis. The cycloaddition of carbon disulfide with a diyne similarly gave the expected bicyclic dithiopyrone in 50% yield.