The Mass-Richness Relation of MaxBCG Clusters from Quasar Lensing Magnification using Variability

Accurate measurement of galaxy cluster masses is an essential component not only in studies of cluster physics, but also for probes of cosmology. However, different mass measurement techniques frequently yield discrepant results. The SDSS MaxBCG catalog's mass-richness relation has previously been constrained using weak lensing shear, Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ), and X-ray measurements. The mass normalization of the clusters as measured by weak lensing shear is >~25% higher than that measured using SZ and X-ray methods, a difference much larger than the stated measurement errors in the analyses. We constrain the mass-richness relation of the MaxBCG galaxy cluster catalog by measuring the gravitational lensing magnification of type I quasars in the background of the clusters. The magnification is determined using the quasars' variability and the correlation between quasars' variability amplitude and intrinsic luminosity. The mass-richness relation determined through magnification is in agreement with that measured using shear, confirming that the lensing strength of the clusters implies a high mass normalization, and that the discrepancy with other methods is not due to a shear-related systematic measurement error. We study the dependence of the measured mass normalization on the cluster halo orientation. As expected, line-of-sight clusters yield a higher normalization; however, this minority of haloes does not significantly bias the average mass-richness relation of the catalog.Comment: 9 pages. Accepted for publication in Ap

The QUEST Data Processing Software Pipeline

A program that we call the QUEST Data Processing Software Pipeline has been written to process the large volumes of data produced by the QUEST camera on the Samuel Oschin Schmidt Telescope at the Palomar Observatory. The program carries out both aperture and PSF photometry, combines data from different repeated observations of the same portion of sky, and produces a Master Object Catalog. A rough calibration of the data is carried out. This program, as well as the calibration procedures and quality checks on the output are described.Comment: 17 pages, 1 table, 8 figure

Asymmetric Synthesis of (-)-Incarvillateine Employing an Intramolecular Alkylation via Rh-Catalyzed Olefinic C-H Bond Activation

An asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-incarvillateine, a natural product having potent analgesic properties, has been achieved in 11 steps and 15.4% overall yield. The key step is a rhodium-catalyzed intramolecular alkylation of an olefinic C-H bond to set two stereocenters. Additionally, this transformation produces an exocyclic, tetrasubstituted alkene through which the bicyclic piperidine moiety can readily be accessed

The Stereoselective Formation of Bicyclic Enamines with Bridgehead Unsaturation via Tandem C-H Bond Activation/Alkenylation/Electrocyclization

Rhodium-catalyzed intermolecular C-H activation of {alpha}, {beta}-unsaturated imines in the presence of alkynes leads to a tandem process in which coupling to the alkyne occurs at the {beta}-C-H bond of the imine, followed by electrocyclization of the resulting azatriene intermediates to give dihydropyridines (eq 1). Consideration of the intramolecular version of this overall transformation (Scheme 1) raises interesting regiochemical issues. For example in a compound such as 1, where the nitrogen and alkyne are connected by a 4-carbon tether, the presumed first-formed hydrido(vinyl)rhodium function can add to the triple bond in a 1,2-fashion, producing complex 2 with a new endocyclic double bond. Alternatively, addition might occur in a 2,1-fashion, leading to product 4 with an exocyclic double bond. We now wish to report that this intramolecular cyclization occurs smoothly at 100 C, and the exocyclic double bond route is exclusively followed. Remarkably, products such as 4 do not resist further cyclization. Even though both the transition state for this process and the resulting product are presumably strained, the overall transformation leads to good yields of unusual bridgehead doubly-bonded enamines such as 5. The unique chemistry of conjugated enamine 5 is consistent with the increased strain of this molecule as well as with inhibited conjugation between the nitrogen lone pair and the adjacent double bond (vida infra). We began our investigation into the C-H activation/cyclization of alkyne-tethered imine 1 by extensive screening of transition metal catalysts for this process. Rhodium-based catalysts were found to be the most efficient (Table 1), leading exclusively to the bridgehead dienamine; none of the catalysts that were employed in the screening led to quinolizidine 3 or to the product of intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction. The optimized reaction conditions employ the electron-rich monophosphine ligand (p-NMe{sub 2})PhPEt{sub 2} in 1:1 ratio relative to the metal (entry 6). Other phosphine ligands also provided product 5, but lower yields were observed. Of particular note, the commercially available phosphine, PCy{sub 3}, gave yields that were nearly identical to those obtained using the optimized conditions (entry 4). Monitoring the progress of the reaction by NMR showed that the nine-membered ring aza-triene intermediate 4 was observed to form initially, as is proposed in Scheme 1. This intermediate undergoes spontaneous electrocyclization to form 5. In the Rh-H addition step, the geometry of the alkyne-tethered imine substrate presumably guides H-transfer to the less hindered site of the tethered alkyne. We also investigated the chemistry of 5 due to its novel structure. Upon treatment with Me{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, 5 was converted exclusively to N-methylated product 6, a regioselectivity that is opposite to that observed with acyclic and monocyclic enamines, which usually give C-alkylation (eq 2). Crystals of 6 suitable for X-ray analysis were obtained, and the resulting crystal structure (Figure 1) confirmed the structure for 5 proposed above. The bridgehead double bond of 6 is found to be significantly nonplanar (twist). The deviation from the optimal planar geometry caused by the bicyclic structure in 5 presumably also results in poor delocalization of the nitrogen lone pair electrons into the adjacent diene orbitals, which would account for the observation of N-alkylation

Synthesis of Dihydropyridines and Pyridines from Imines and Alkynes via C-H Activation

A convenient one-pot C-H alkenylation/electrocyclization/aromatization sequence has been developed for the synthesis of highly substituted pyridine derivatives from alkynes and {alpha},{beta}-unsaturated N-benzyl aldimines and ketimines that proceeds through dihydropyridine intermediates. A new class of ligands for C-H activation was developed, providing broader scope for the alkenylation step than could be achieved with previously reported ligands. Substantial information was obtained about the mechanism of the reaction. This included the isolation of a C-H activated complex and its structure determination by X-ray analysis; in addition, kinetic simulations using the Copasi software were employed to determine rate constants for this transformation, implicating facile C-H oxidative addition and slow reductive elimination steps

Enantioselective Intramolecular Hydroarylation of Alkenes via Directed C-H Bond Activation

Highly enantioselective catalytic intramolecular ortho-alkylation of aromatic imines containing alkenyl groups tethered at the meta position relative to the imine directing group has been achieved using [RhCl(coe){sub 2}]{sub 2} and chiral phosphoramidite ligands. Cyclization of substrates containing 1,1- and 1,2-disubstituted as well as trisubstituted alkenes were achieved with enantioselectivities >90% ee for each substrate class. Cyclization of substrates with Z-alkene isomers proceeded much more efficiently than substrates with E-alkene isomers. This further enabled the highly stereoselective intramolecular alkylation of certain substrates containing Z/E-alkene mixtures via a Rh-catalyzed alkene isomerization with preferential cyclization of the Z-isomer

Rh(I)-Catalyzed Direct Arylation of Pyridines and Quinolines

The pyridine and quinoline nuclei are privileged scaffolds that occupy a central role in many medicinally relevant compounds. Consequently, methods for their expeditious functionalization are of immediate interest. However, despite the immense importance of transition-metal catalyzed cross-coupling for the functionalization of aromatic scaffolds, general solutions for coupling 2-pyridyl organometallics with aryl halides have only recently been presented. Direct arylation at the ortho position of pyridine would constitute an even more efficient approach because it eliminates the need for the stoichiometric preparation and isolation of 2-pyridyl organometallics. Progress towards this goal has been achieved by activation of the pyridine nucleus for arylation via conversion to the corresponding pyridine N-oxide or N-iminopyridinium ylide. However, this approach necessitates two additional steps: activation of the pyridine or quinoline starting material, and then unmasking the arylated product. The use of pyridines directly would clearly represent the ideal situation both in terms of cost and simplicity. We now wish to document our efforts in this vein, culminating in an operationally simple Rh(I)-catalyzed direct arylation of pyridines and quinolines. We recently developed an electron-rich Rh(I) system for catalytic alkylation at the ortho position of pyridines and quinolines with alkenes. Therefore, we initially focused our attention on the use of similarly electron-rich Rh(I) catalysts for the proposed direct arylation. After screening an array of electron-rich phosphine ligands and Rh(I) salts, only marginal yields (<20%) of the desired product were obtained. Much more efficient was an electron-poor Rh(I) system with [RhCl(CO){sub 2}]{sub 2} as precatalyst (Table 1). For the direct arylation of picoline with 3,5-dimethyl-bromobenzene, addition of P(OiPr){sub 3} afforded a promising 40% yield of the cross coupled product 1a (entry 1). The exclusion of phosphite additive proved even more effective, with the yield of 1a improving to 61% (entry 2). Further enhancement in yield was not observed upon the inclusion of other additives such as MgO (entry 3), various organic bases (entries 4, 5), or a protic acid source (entry 6). Absolute concentration proved very important, with the best results being obtained at relatively high concentrations of the aryl bromide (compare entries 7 and 8). A marginal improvement was observed upon running the reaction with 6 equivalents of 2-methyl pyridine (entry 9). The reaction temperature could also be increased to 175 or 190 C while maintaining reaction yield, to enable the reaction time to be reduced to 24 h (entries 10 and 11). In summary, we have developed a Rh(I)-catalyzed strategy for the direct arylation of pyridines and quinolines. The heterocycle is used without the need for prefunctionalization, and all reaction components are inexpensive and readily available. The strategy represents an expeditious route to an important class of bis(hetero)aryls and should be of broad utility

Real-Time, Single-Step Bioassay Using Nanoplasmonic Resonator With Ultra-High Sensitivity

A nanoplasmonic resonator (NPR) comprising a metallic nanodisk with alternating shielding layer(s), having a tagged biomolecule conjugated or tethered to the surface of the nanoplasmonic resonator for highly sensitive measurement of enzymatic activity. NPRs enhance Raman signals in a highly reproducible manner, enabling fast detection of protease and enzyme activity, such as Prostate Specific Antigen (paPSA), in real-time, at picomolar sensitivity levels. Experiments on extracellular fluid (ECF) from paPSA-positive cells demonstrate specific detection in a complex bio-fluid background in real-time single-step detection in very small sample volumes

Asymmetric Intramolecular Alkylation of Chiral Aromatic Imines via Catalytic C-H Bond Activation

The asymmetric intramolecular alkylation of chiral aromatic aldimines, in which differentially substituted alkenes are tethered meta to the imine, was investigated. High enantioselectivities were obtained for imines prepared from aminoindane derivatives, which function as directing groups for the rhodium-catalyzed C-H bond activation. Initial demonstration of catalytic asymmetric intramolecular alkylation also was achieved by employing a sterically hindered achiral imine substrate and catalytic amounts of a chiral amine