We describe the preparation and catalytic reactions of new CCN pincer Rh and Ru complexes containing NCH-oxazoline hybrid ligands. Oxazolinyl-phenyl-imidazolium derivatives (3) were suitable ligand precursors for the CCN pincer scaffold. C−H bond activation of 3 with RhCl 3 • 3H 2 O in the presence of NEt 3 yielded the desired CCN pincer Rh complexes 5 in 13−27% yields. The related CCN pincer Ru complexes 8−10 were synthesized in good yields by C−H bond activation of p-cymene Ru complexes 7 in the presence of NaOAc in DMF. The chiral complexes 8 and 9 had two diastereomers according to the coordination of CO and OAc ligands.The CCN Rh complexes showed catalytic activity for conjugate reduction of ethyl β-methylcinnamate with hydrosilane, with moderate enantioselectivity. The CCN Ru complexes were found to be active in the hydrogenation of aromatic ketones. In particular, hydrogenation of 9-acetylanthracene took place at not only the CO bond but also the anthracene ring. The Ru complexes were also used as catalysts in the transfer hydrogenation of 9-acetylanthracene with 2-propanol; again, both the CO bond and the anthracene ring were hydrogenated.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was isolated from young green leaves of rice plants. DNA fragments were cloned into lambda DNA, and clones that hybridized to mitochondrial genes from other plants were selected. Distal restriction fragments of these clones were used as probes for the selection of overlapping clones. A genetic map was finally created from the library by "walking" along the genome. The mitochondrial genome consists of five basic circles, with each circle sharing homologous sequences with one or two other circles. A master circle was constructed from the results of recombination across repeated sequences, and its size was estimated to be 492 kb. A physical map and a bank of overlapping clones were also constructed.