Regioselective synthesis of trisubstituted 2,3-dihydrofurans from donor-acceptor cyclopropanes or from reaction of the Corey ylide with alpha-sulfenyl-, alpha-sulfinyl-, or alpha-sulfonylenones

[reactions: see text] Regioselective synthesis of 2,4,5- or 3,4,5-trisubstituted 2,3-dihydrofurans has been realized by using donor-acceptor cyclopropanes or by a Corey ylide reaction with alpha-sulfenyl-, alpha-sulfinyl-, or alpha-sulfonylenones. The method allowed a straightforward synthesis of the natural product calyxolane B.     

Zirconocene-mediated intermolecular coupling of Si-tethered diynes with alkynes, ketones, aldehydes, and isocyanates by means of novel skeletal rearrangement of zirconacyclobutene-silacyclobutene and zirconacyclohexadiene-silacyclobutene fused-ring intermediates

Bis(alkynyl)silanes react with low valent zirconocene species to afford zirconacyclobutene intermediates. These in situ generated reactive organometallic intermediates can react with alkynes, ketones, aldehydes, and isocyanates by means of a novel skeletal rearrangement. When a zirconacyclobutene intermediate was treated with an alkyne, an alpha-alkynylsilyl zirconacyclopentadiene was formed. Addition of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) and CuCl resulted in one-pot formation of an alkynylsilyl-benzene derivative from three different alkynes. At a higher temperature, the alpha-alkynylsilylzirconacyclopentadiene was transformed by means of an intramolecular skeletal rearrangement to a zirconacyclohexadiene-silacyclobutene fused-ring compound, which reacted with DMAD in the presence of CuCl affording the same alkynylsilyl-benzene derivative. When treated with a ketone, an aldehdye, or an isocyanate, the zirconocyclobutene intermediate also underwent the above-mentioned skeletal rearrangement, generating zirconocene-mediated cross-coupling products.     

A modified strategy for Pictet-Spengler reaction leading to the synthesis of imidazoquinoxalines on solid phase

An alternative strategy for Pictet-Spengler reaction involving an N-1 linked aromatic amine of imidazole and aldehydes is described. This is in contrast to a typical Pictet-Spengler reaction, which involves an aliphatic amine attached to the carbon of an activated aromatic nucleus and an aldehyde. Our strategy commences with the nucleophilic replacement of fluorine in resin-bound o-fluoro-nitrobenzoic acid with mono- or disubstituted imidazole, followed by reduction of the nitro group to give an N1 linked aromatic amine of the resin-bound imidazole. This was subsequently treated with an aldehyde in toluene at 80 degrees C and then oxidized in the presence of DDQ to give resin-bound imidazoquinoxalines. Finally, acidolytic cleavage furnished the desired compounds in high yields and purities.     

Facile, efficient, and enantiospecific syntheses of 1,1'-N-linked pseudodisaccharides as a new class of glycosidase inhibitors

This article describes an efficient synthesis of a potent trehalase inhibitor, 1,1'-N-linked pseudodisaccharide 1 (consisting of two valienamines), in 14 steps with an overall yield of 12% and a first synthesis of 2 (consisting of two 2-epi-valienamines) in 15 steps with an overall yield of 24% from (-)-quinic acid. The synthesis involves a stereospecific palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction between an allylic amine and an allylic chloride as the crucial step. The acetonide blocking groups were shown to be the best hydroxyl protecting groups, compatible with the palladium-catalyzed allylic amination reaction that afforded high yields of the 1,1'-N-linked pseudodisaccharides with a minimum amount of an elimination diene side product.     

Synthesis of triazolyl-alkylphosphonate starting from ω-azidoalkylphosphonates or ω-alkynylphosphonates

1,2,3-Triazolyl-alkylphosphonates are synthesised according to a Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition catalysed by copper salts. The cycloaddition of either an alkynylphosphonate with an azidoalkane or an azido-phosphonate with an alkyne is achieved in high yield and regiospecifically. As an illustration of the functionalisation of aromatic ligands by using the catalytic version of the Huisgen reaction, the coupling of 3-ethynyl-1,10-phenanthroline with azidoalkylphosphonate is reported.     

分子动力学模拟研究纳米碳管中甲醇-水混合溶液的结构与输运性质

利用分子动力学模拟方法,对比考察了平衡条件、外压作用、梯度电场作用下,摩尔比为1:1的甲醇-水混合溶液在纳米碳管(CNT)中的静态结构以及输运行为.研究发现:在平衡体系与外压作用下,纳米碳管内甲醇与水呈现出明显的不混溶现象,甲醇主要分布于管壁附近,水分子主要分布于纳米碳管轴心附近;而在梯度电场作用下,纳米碳管由疏水性向亲水性转变,更多的水分子分布于管壁,导致纳米碳管内甲醇-水的不混溶现象消失.另一方面,在外压作用下,纳米碳管内甲醇与水呈现单向移动;而在梯度电场下,甲醇与水呈现快速的双向移动,其流通量较相应外压作用体系高出近一个数量级,但由于双向的流通量大小相近,导致净流通量与外压作用下的净流通量差异不大.     

Devices for Assisting Human Olfaction: Some Fundamental Experiments

Olfactory assist systems that allow the user to sense smells with amplified sensitivities are reported. We have developed two types of systems. The first system, an olfaction augmenter, detects the presence of a volatile organic compound in the air using a gas sensor, and presents an odor with an amplified intensity to the user using an odor generator. The second system, an olfactory concentrator, collects odor molecules in the air using an adsorbent, and presents the concentrated odor to the user. Results of our initial experiments on a prototype concentrator are reported.     

Diffusion of ionic species in bentonite

We present a macroscopic model of ionic diffusion in bentonites including the effect of the hydraulic-electrical-chemical couplings expected in such charged porous medium. The anomalous concentrations of the ions in the pore water of the bentonite are modeled with a modified Donnan model in which we account for the partition of the counterions between the Stern and Gouy-Chapman layers. This is accomplished using an electric triple layer (TLM) model combined with an explicit complexation model at the mineral/water interface. The porosity entering into the determination of the formation factor of the medium is an effective porosity obtained by removing the fraction of hydration water covering the surface of the clay minerals. We investigate two different cases of diffusion. In the first case, we consider a salinity gradient between two reservoirs in contact with a cylindrical sample of bentonite. The model predicts an increase of the diffusivity of the salt with the salinity of the solution in contact with the bentonite in agreement with experimental data. In the second case, we analyze a self-diffusion experiment of an ionic tracer. The model predicts an increase of the diffusivity of anions with the effective porosity and with the ionic strength. This is also in good agreement with experimental data.     

Oligo(ethylene imine)-grafted glycidyl methacrylate linear and star homopolymers: Odd–even correlated transfection efficiency

The present study aims to investigate an odd–even effect of the number of ethylene imine units in the side-groups of totally abiotic synthetic polymers on their efficiency in DNA transfection. A library of fifteen polymers was fabricated. Two star homopolymers and one linear homopolymer based on glycidyl methacrylate were synthesized and used as precursors to which five linear oligo(ethylene imine)s (OEI) were grafted. The number of ethylene imine groups of the OEIs was varied. Specifically, ethylene diamine, diethylene triamine, triethylene tetramine, tetraethylene pentamine, and pentaethylene hexamine were used. Each of these fifteen OEI-grafted polymers was evaluated in terms of their efficiency to transfer plasmid DNA encoding firefly luciferase in C2C12 mouse myoblast cells. The transfection efficiency displayed an odd-even pattern, with all OEI-grafted polymers with an odd number of ethylene imine repeating units exhibiting higher transfection efficiency compared with those possessing an even number of ethylene imine repeating units. The odd–even effect was more pronounced for the star polymers with longer arms (degree of polymerization, DP = 100), while in case of the linear polymers, the odd–even effect was only observed for the lowest polymer loading. The cytotoxicity of the OEI-grafted polymers also followed an odd–even pattern, with the OEI-grafted star polymers with an arm DP of 100 and the linear polymers clearly presenting an odd-even effect, while the cytotoxicity of the OEI-grafted star polymers with an arm DP of 20 slightly increased with the number of ethylene imine repeating units.     

Nickeladihydrofuran. Key intermediate for nickel-catalyzed reaction of alkyne and aldehyde

The formation of a nickeladihydrofuran by oxidative cyclization of an alkyne and an aldehyde with nickel(0) has been demonstrated; the transformation of the nickeladihydrofuran into an enone by decomposition, a lactone by carbonylation and an allylic alcohol by treatment with ZnMe(2) suggests that nickeladihydrofuran is an important key intermediate in a variety of catalytic reactions.     

Studies in the field of reactions of cyclene <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-oxides

The reaction of 1-methylcyclopentene oxide with alcohols (methanol, ethanol, n-propanol and isopropanol, n-butanol, and n-pentanol) in the presence of Na and of BF₃ etherate has been described. The addition of alcohols in an alkaline medium takes place with the formation of secondary ethers of 1-methylcyclopentane-1,2-diol. In an acid medium, tertiary ethers of 1-methylcyclopentane-1,2-diol possibly contaminated with the secondary ethers are formed. In an acid medium, not only does addition take place but the initial oxide isomerizes into a carbonyl compound and to some extent forms trans-1-methylcyclopentane-1,2-diol. With isopropanol, in an alkaline medium the initial oxide is recovered and in an acid medium only the isomerization product is formed.     

分子动力学模拟研究纳米碳管中甲醇-水混合溶液的结构与输运性质

利用分子动力学模拟方法,对比考察了平衡条件、外压作用、梯度电场作用下,摩尔比为1：1 的甲醇-水混合溶液在纳米碳管（CNT）中的静态结构以及输运行为. 研究发现：在平衡体系与外压作用下,纳米碳管内甲醇与水呈现出明显的不混溶现象,甲醇主要分布于管壁附近,水分子主要分布于纳米碳管轴心附近;而在梯度电场作用下,纳米碳管由疏水性向亲水性转变,更多的水分子分布于管壁,导致纳米碳管内甲醇-水的不混溶现象消失. 另一方面,在外压作用下,纳米碳管内甲醇与水呈现单向移动;而在梯度电场下,甲醇与水呈现快速的双向移动,其流通量较相应外压作用体系高出近一个数量级,但由于双向的流通量大小相近,导致净流通量与外压作用下的净流通量差异不大.     

Cyclic imides. XI. Bisimide charge-transfer polymers

Condensation of two equivalents of an aromatic cyclic anhydride with an aromatic diamine, or of two equivalents of an aromatic amine with an aromatic bisanhydride, results in the formation of an aromatic bisimide. Thirty-one such bisimides were prepared. The bisimides in which the two imide groups arc connected by a fully coplanar system show extremely low solubilities and high melting and decomposition temperatures. Many are also strongly colored. It is suggested that these properties may result from intermolecular charge-transfer effects in the solid slate, giving charge-transfer polymers.     

Extraction of water miscible organic dyes by reverse micelles of alkyl glucosides

The extraction of methyl orange or methylene blue from an aqueous phase to an organic phase of reverse micelles of alkyl glucosides was investigated. Dodecyl glucoside, a biodegradable and biocompatible surfactant, was employed as a kind of alkyl glucosides, since a stable Winsor II system consisting of the water-in-oil type microemulsion and aqueous phases was formed when an organic solution containing dodecyl glucoside was contacted with an aqueous solution. The water content in the reverse micellar organic phase increased with an increase in the concentration of dodecyl glucoside. The extraction ratio of dyes also increased with increasing the concentration of dodecyl glucoside. Furthermore, the extraction ratio of dyes was dramatically dependent upon the pH of an aqueous phase and temperature.     

Mechanical Unfolding of a Homopolymer Globule: Applied Force versus Applied Deformation

We propose the quantitative mean-field theory of mechanical unfolding of a globule formed by long flexible homopolymer chain collapsed in poor solvent and subjected to an extensional force We show that with an increase in the applied force the globule unfolds as a whole without formation of an intermediate state. The value of the threshold force and the corresponding jump in the distance between chain ends increase with a deterioration of the solvent quality and / or with an increase in the degree of polymerization. This way of globule unfolding is compared with that in the D-ensemble, when the distance between chain ends is imposed.     

Scattering of light from spherulitic polymers: Effect of internal structure

The scattering from a two-dimensional spherulite is calculated on the basis of an assembly of anisotropic rods imbedded in an isotropic matrix and arranged in a spherulitic distribution. Provided the dimensions of the rods are small compared with the wavelength of the light, the scattering from such an assembly is shown to be identical with that from an internally uniform spherulite. The effective polarizabilities of this uniform spherulite in the radial and tangential directions are equal to the average polarizabilities in these directions of the constituent rods together with their surroundings.     

Exploring the chemistry of epoxy amides for the synthesis of the 2'-epi-diazepanone core of liposidomycins and caprazamycins

New synthetic strategies have been explored for the synthesis of the structural core of liposidomycins and caprazamycins, an intriguing class of complex nucleoside-type antibiotics. This structural core is comprised of a cyclic diazepanone system linked to an uridyl fragment. The various synthetic approaches have in common that they originate from an epoxy amide derived from uridine, obtained via reaction of uridyl aldehyde 19 with an amide-stabilized sulfur ylide. Two different strategies were shown to be efficient in constructing the diazepanone ring system: (a) a reductive amination of an epoxy aldehyde with N-methylamine with subsequent intramolecular oxirane ring opening and (b) a carbene insertion reaction of an acyclic diazoamine precursor.     

Rotational diffusion and alignment of short gold nanorods in an external electric field

We present measurements of the polarized extinction of gold nanorod suspensions exposed to an external electric field. By employing an amplitude modulated field in combination with lock-in detection we resolve changes in the optical density as low as 10(-6) in an integration time of 10 s. This sensitivity allows us to probe the partial alignment of small gold nanorods with an aspect ratio of 2.5 and a width ranging from 13 nm to 28 nm. The degree of orientation scales as the square of the electric field strength, as expected for an induced dipole moment in an external field. By varying the modulation frequency we measure the rotation diffusion constant of different samples, which are in excellent agreement with the calculated values for a short cylinder.     

Geometry-selective synthesis of E or Z N-vinyl ureas (N-carbamoyl enamines)

N-Vinyl ureas are emerging as a valuable class of compounds with both nucleophilic and electrophilic reactivity. They may be made by capturing the enamine tautomer of an imine with an isocyanate, a reaction which in general leads to the E isomer of the vinyl urea. Deprotonation of such a vinyl urea, or of an allyl urea, generates a dipole stabilized Z-allyl anion which may be protonated to return the Z-vinyl urea. Isomerization of an allyl urea with a Ru complex provides an alternative route to E-vinyl ureas.     

Preparation and in vivo studies of a new drug delivery system

Polyhexylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles have been prepared with vincamine as the model drug. These particles had an average size of 200 nm and adsorbed approximately 435 of vincamine. The adsorption of vincamine to nanoparticles modified the distribution of vincamine in tissues. After iv injection the distribution volumes were increased in comparison with an aqueous solution of drug. In comparison with an aqueous solution of drug, the absolute bioavailability of vincamine was also increased after an oral administration of nanoparticles.