Fullerene C 60 and its derivatives are widely used in molecular electronics, photovoltaics, and battery materials, because of their exceptional suitability as electron acceptors. In this context, single-electron transfer on C 60 generates the C 60 • − radical anion. However, the short lifetime of free C 60• − hampers its investigation and application. In this work, we dramatically stabilize the usually short-lived C 60• − species within a self-assembled M 2 L 4 coordination cage consisting of a triptycene-based ligand and Pd(II) cations. The electron-deficient cage strongly binds C 60 by providing a curved inner π-surface complementary to the fullerene's globular shape. Cyclic voltammetry revealed a positive potential shift for the first reduction of encapsulated C 60 , which is indicative of a strong interaction between confined C 60• − and the cationic cage. Photochemical one-electron reduction with 1benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide allows selective and quantitative conversion of the confined C 60 molecule in millimolar acetonitrile solution at room temperature. Radical generation was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance, ultraviolet−visible−near-infrared spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The lifetime of C 60• − within the cage was determined to be so large that it could still be detected after one month under an inert atmosphere.

BackgroundCongenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) cause life-threatening adrenal crisis. It also affects fetal sex development and can result in incorrect sex assignment at birth. In 1989, a newborn screening program for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) was introduced in Tokyo. Here we present the results of this screening program in order to clarify the efficiency of CAH screening and the incidence of CAH in Japan.MethodFrom 1989 to 2013, a total of 2,105,108 infants were screened for CAH. The cutoff level for diagnosis of CAH was adjusted for gestational age and birth weight.ResultsA total of 410 infants were judged positive, and of these, 106 patients were diagnosed with CAH, indicating a positive predictive value (PPV) of 25.8 %. Of the 106 patients, 94 (88.7 %) were diagnosed with 21-OHD. Of these 94 patients, 73 were diagnosed with the salt wasting form, 14 with the simple virilising form and 7 with the nonclassical form (NC21OHD). The mean birth weight and gestational age were 3192 ± 385 g and 38.9 ± 1.38 weeks. 11 out of 44 female patients were assigned as female according to their screening result.ConclusionsThese data suggest that the newborn screening in Tokyo was effective, especially for sex assignment and preventing fatal adrenal crisis. The incidence of CAH was similar to that measured in previous Japanese screening studies, and it was also similar to that of western countries. The incidence of NC21OHD in Japan in the present study was lower than that in western countries as previous studies reported. The screening program achieved higher PPV than previous CAH screening studies, which might be due to the use of variable cutoffs according to gestational age and birth weight. However, most of the neonates born at 37 weeks or less that were referred to hospital were false-positives. Further changes are needed to reduce the number of false positive preterm neonates.

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A reactive radical species, nitric oxide (NO), was encapsulated in a unimolecular form inside an open-cage fullerene derivative under high-pressure conditions in the solid state. Surprisingly, the molecular complex showed sharp H NMR signals despite the existence of the paramagnetic species inside the carbon cage. Owing to the paramagnetic shifts, the escape rate of the NO was determined experimentally. After constructing a stopper on the rim of the opening, the NO was found to stay inside the cage even at 50 °C. The ESR measurements of the powdery sample showed paramagnetic properties at low temperature. The single-crystal X-ray structure analysis clearly demonstrated the existence of the encapsulated NO molecule, suggesting rapid rotation inside the cage. The H NMR chemical shifts displayed a large temperature dependence owing to the paramagnetic effects.