Ruthenium and palladium bimetallic nanoparticles achieving functional parity with a rhodium cocatalyst for TiO-photocatalyzed ring hydrogenation of benzoic acid.

Our previous study showed that a rhodium (Rh) cocatalyst is indispensable for ring hydrogenation of benzoic acid over a titanium(IV) oxide (TiO) photocatalyst. In this study, we explored ring hydrogenation under an Rh-free condition by using two kinds of cocatalyst that were inactive for this reaction when used solely. Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid as the ring hydrogenation product was successfully obtained when ruthenium (Ru) and palladium (Pd) were simultaneously loaded on TiO, indicating that this bimetallic system can be used in place of an Rh cocatalyst in ring hydrogenation.

Convergence of multimodal sensory pathways to the mushroom body calyx in Drosophila melanogaster.

Detailed structural analyses of the mushroom body which plays critical roles in olfactory learning and memory revealed that it is directly connected with multiple primary sensory centers in Drosophila. Connectivity patterns between the mushroom body and primary sensory centers suggest that each mushroom body lobe processes information on different combinations of multiple sensory modalities. This finding provides a novel focus of research by Drosophila genetics for perception of the external world by integrating multisensory signals.