Coibacins A-D, Antileishmanial Marine Cyanobacterial Polyketides with Intriguing Biosynthetic Origins

Four unsaturated polyketide lactone derivatives, coibacins A-D, were isolated from a Panamanian marine cyanobacterium, cf. Oscillatoria sp. The two different types of termini observed in these co-occurring metabolites, either a methyl cyclopropyl ring as seen in curacin A or a methyl vinyl chloride similar to that observed in the jamaicamides, suggest an intriguing flexibility in the "beta branch" forming biosynthetic process. The coibacins possess selective antileishmanial activity as well as potent anti-inflammatory activity.     

Synthesis of the Polyketide (E)-Olefin of the Jamaicamides

The jamaicamides, isolated in Jamaica from the cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula, are new mixed polyketide-peptides that are known to be sodium channel blockers. The polyketide moiety contains an (E)-vinyl chloride, an undetermined methyl stereocenter (C9), and an (E)-olefin. Herein, we report the synthesis of the (E)-olefin moiety of the polyketide of the jamaicamides utilizing a Kocienski–Julia coupling.

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Multi-stage chromatographic procedure for the isolation of a single oligomeric species (vinyl chloride tetramer) from poly(vinyl chloride) resin used for food packaging applications

A multi-stage chromatographic procedure is described whereby low-molecular-weight material initially obtained by soxhlet diethyl ether extraction from food grade poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) resin, is fractionated to yield firstly a mixture of vinyl chloride oligomers and then a single species free from other impurities. A number of column chromatographic procedures were evaluated, and a combination of high-performance size exclusion columns using initially tetrahydrofuran solvent followed by toluene solvent were shown to produce the most effective separation. The isolation and purification of a vinyl chloride tetramer was monitored by capillary column gas chromatography with specific chlorine detection (Hall electrolytic conductivity detector) and the identification confirmed by mass spectrometry. Using this newly developed procedure 0.5 mg of vinyl chloride tetramer was isolated from a PVC base resin.     

聚氯乙烯(PVC)管材中氯乙烯单体的溶解沉淀-顶空-气相色谱法测定

建立了聚氯乙烯(PVC)管材中氯乙烯单体的溶解沉淀-顶空-气相色谱法。选择HP-Wax毛细管柱为分离色谱柱,4mL含水量为37.5%(体积分数)的N,N-二甲基乙酰胺(DMA)溶液溶解PVC管材,在75℃平衡35min的条件下顶空进样进行气相色谱分析。结果显示,氯乙烯在0.025～2.50mg/L范围内线性关系良好,相关系数r=0.9993。以3倍信噪比计算,该方法的检出限为4.75μg/L。对样品加标测定6次,加标回收率为90%～96%,相对标准偏差(RSD)小于6.0%。该方法比常规的顶空进样方法的灵敏度提高了近9倍,具有操作简单、快速、灵敏度高、准确度和精密度好等优点,适合于PVC管材中氯乙烯单体的检测。     

The Role of Halogens in the Plasma Polymerization of Hydrocarbons

Vinyl chloride, vinyl fluoride, and tetrafluoroethylene were polymerized in a radio frequency electric glow discharge. It was found that when compared with the unhalogenated simple hydrocarbons, the rates of polymer deposition are in the order vinyl chloride, acetylene, tetrafluoroethylene, vinyl fluoride, ethylene. This observation can be rationalized by considering the ease with which free radical and unsaturated species can be formed in the plasma. IR spectra show that the structures of plasma-polymerized vinyl chloride and vinyl fluoride are in many respects similar to the plasma-polymerized hydrocarbon. The spectrum of plasma-polymerized tetrafluoroethylene, however, does not resemble that of conventional polytetrafluoroethylene. Addition of dichlorodifluoromethane to the monomer stream dramatically increased the polymer deposition rate; the effect is more subdued for chloromethane and is negligible for tetrafluoromethane. Elemental analysis indicates that little of the added halogens is present in the resultant polymers. Thus the halogenated compounds appear to act as a gas phase catalyst for the plasma polymerization of hydrocarbons.     

Novel copolymers via nitroxide mediated controlled free radical polymerization of vinyl chloride

Controlled free radical polymerization (CFRP) of vinyl chloride (VCM) and copolymerization with several comonomers have been studied in aqueous suspension. Therefore di-tert-butylnitroxide and three novel nitroxyl radicals were used as mediating agents. Copolymerization of VCM with styrene, partly combined with acrylonitrile, maleic acid anhydride and maleic acid imide as well as methyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate and butadiene have been achieved, demonstrating an efficient route for novel vinyl chloride copolymer architecture.     

Colloidal titration of aqueous zirconium solutions with poly(vinyl sulfate) by potentiometric endpoint detection using a toluidine blue selective electrode.

Zirconium oxy-salts were hydrolyzed to form positively charged polymer or cluster species in acidic solutions. The zirconium hydrolyzed polymer was found to react with a negatively charged polyelectrolyte, such as poly(vinyl sulfate), and to form a stoichiometric polyion complex. Thus, colloidal titration with poly(vinyl sulfate) was applied to measure the zirconium concentration in an acidic solution by using a Toluidine Blue selective plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membrane electrode as a potentiometric end-point detecting device. The determination could be performed with 1% of the relative standard deviation. The colloidal titration stoichiometry at pH < or = 2 was one mol of zirconium per equivalent mol of poly(vinyl sulfate).     

Effect of hydrophobicity of marker anions on the sensitivity of end-point detection for potentiometric titrations of anionic polyelectrolytes

A potentiometric titration method is described for the determination of anionic polyelectrolytes using a marker anion and a plasticized poly (vinyl chloride) membrane electrode sensitive to this marker anion. A solution of an anionic polyelectrolyte, such as potassium poly (vinyl sulfate) (PVSK) added the marker ion has been titrated with a solution of poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (Cat-floc). The end-point has been detected as a sharp potential change due to the rapid decrease in the concentration of the marker ion caused by its association with the titrant, Cat-floc. The sharpness of the endpoint of the titration curve has been compared for several marker ions and the dodecylbenzenesulfonate ion was found to be the best among the marker anions studied.     

Copolymers of vinyl chloride with the vinyl esters and acrylates of low molecular weight polyesters of hydroxyacids

Vinyl esters and acrylates of polyesters derived from C₁₀?C₁₈ hydroxyacids have been synthesized and copolymerized with vinyl chloride with the hope of achieving an internally plasticized poly(vinyl chloride). Copolymers containing 10–30% polyester are film-forming materials, and the films cast from THF solutions are generally flexible. A number of these vinyl chloride copolymers with polyesters at approximately 15 and 25% level have been tested for various properties. The internal plasticization is not extensive.     

Synthesis of the peptide moiety of the jamaicamides

The jamaicamides, isolated from cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula in Jamaica, are unique mixed polyketide-peptides that are reported to be blockers of the sodium channels. The peptide moiety contains a pyrrolinone ring and a β-methoxy enone functionality. Herein, we report the stereoselective synthesis of the N-(Boc)₂-protected peptide moiety of the jamaicamides by utilizing Meldrum’s acid starting from l-alanine and N-Boc-β-alanine.     

Polymers of the vinyl esters of perchlorocyclopentadiene adducts of petroselinic and oleic acids

Homopolymers of vinyl 5-(1,4,5,6,7,7-hexachloro-3-undecylbicyclo [2.2.1]5-hepten-2-yl)-pentanoate and vinyl 8-(1,4,5,6,7,7-hexachloro-3-octylbicyclo [2.2.1]5-hepten-2-yl)-octanoate were prepared, as well as their copolymers with a vinyl tetrahydroabietate—tetrahydropimarate mixture, vinyl 12-hydroxystearate, and vinyl chloride. The vinyl octanoate—12-hydroxystearate copolymer gave light-weight urethane foams with practically no volume change upon humid aging. The vinyl pentanoate and vinyl octanoate monomers lose hydrogen chloride during polymerization. The vinyl pentanoate homopolymer was hydrolyzed in an attempt to establish the position of the loss of hydrogen chloride. Fractionation of vinyl chloride copolymers of the vinyl petanoate and the vinyl octanoate derivatives showed that they possessed a rather homogeneous composition. Incorporation of the vinyl pentanoate monomer in a poly(vinyl chloride) copolymer imparted some internal plasticization with serious loss of tensile strength.     

Development of a monitoring system for vinyl chloride gas in air by using an HCl monitoring tape and pyrolyzer

A continuous monitoring system for vinyl chloride gas in air has been developed using an HCl monitoring tape and pyrolyzer consisting of a heater around a quartz tube. It is based on the color change of the tape by reaction with HCl gas produced by decomposition of vinyl chloride gas in the heated quartz tube. The conversion efficiency of vinyl chloride into HCl depends on the temperature of the pyrolyzer. The tape impregnated with a coloring solution that includes Metanil Yellow (pH indicator; pH 1.2-2.3, red-yellow), glycerin and methanol is a highly sensitive means of detecting HCl gas. When vinyl chloride gas was passed through the heated quartz tube (910 degrees C) and the HCl gas produced was passed through the tape, the color of the tape changed from yellow to red. The degree of color change was proportional to the concentration of vinyl chloride gas with a constant sampling time and flow rate. The degree of color change could be recorded by measuring the intensity of reflecting light (555 nm). This method is scarcely affected by other gases with the exception of chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene and chloroform or strong acids such as HCl gas. Reproducibility tests showed that the relative standard deviation of the relative intensity (n = 10) was 4.5 for 5 ppm vinyl chloride. The detection limit was 0.4 ppm for vinyl chloride with a sampling time of 40 s and a flow rate of 300 ml min (-1).     

Biosynthesis of the antitumor chromomycin A3 in Streptomyces griseus: analysis of the gene cluster and rational design of novel chromomycin analogs

The biosynthetic gene cluster of the aureolic acid type antitumor drug chromomycin A3 from S. griseus subsp. griseus has been identified and characterized. It spans 43 kb and contains 36 genes involved in polyketide biosynthesis and modification, deoxysugar biosynthesis and sugar transfer, pathway regulation and resistance. The organization of the cluster clearly differs from that of the closely related mithramycin. Involvement of the cluster in chromomycin A3 biosynthesis was demonstrated by disrupting the cmmWI gene encoding a polyketide reductase involved in side chain reduction. Three novel chromomycin derivatives were obtained, named chromomycin SK, chromomycin SA, and chromomycin SDK, which show antitumor activity and differ with respect to their 3-side chains. A pathway for the biosynthesis of chromomycin A3 and its deoxysugars is proposed.     

Reactions of Cationic Gold(I) with Allenoates: Synthesis of Stable Organogold(I) Complexes and Mechanistic Investigations on Gold‐Catalyzed Cyclizations

The reaction of allenoates with cationic gold(I)—generated in situ from a phosphine gold chloride and a silver salt—formed unusual, room temperature stable vinyl gold(I) lactones under very mild conditions. The scope and limitations for the synthesis of this novel organogold complex was investigated. DFT calculations on the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) of allenoates and the natural bond orbital (NBO) charge densities provided an explanation for the limitations. A plausible mechanism for its formation was proposed based on in situ ¹H and ³¹P NMR spectroscopic analyses. Controlled experiments for the cleavage of the gold–carbon bond by electrophiles indicated that this vinyl gold(I) complex is the likely intermediate in the gold‐catalyzed reaction of carbon–carbon multiple bonds.     

Novel method for the preparation of anionic surfactant-selective electrodes

A simple one-step synthesis is described for the functionalization of poly(vinyl chloride) used for the preparation of anionic surfactant-selective membrane electrodes. The method is based on the nucleophilic substitution of a fraction of the chlorine atoms bound to the poly(vinyl chloride) backbone by trimethylamine. The prepared slightly charged polymer gave rise to high-quality surfactant-selective electrode membranes, which had a Nernstian response, short response time, and appropriate stability.     

New polyacrylate-based lead(II) ion-selective electrodes

A novel polyacrylate-based matrix for potentiometric ion-selective electrodes has been developed. Isododecyl acrylate, acrylonitrile and hexanedioldiacrylate co-monomers along with the thermo-initiator 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone were used as polymeric matrix components. A lead(II)-selective electrode (Pb-ISE) was constructed using the above matrix. The electrode showed comparable analytical performance in the micromolar range to Pb-ISEs with conventional poly(vinyl chloride)-based membranes containing neutral ionophore and with solid-state membranes containing a mixture of lead sulphide and silver sulphide. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies revealed much lower ion mobility in the polyacrylate membrane than in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membranes. This result additionally indicates the possibility of obtaining a lower detection limit for ISEs using the new acrylate matrix.     

Effects of plasticizers on novel electromechanical actuations with different poly(vinyl chloride) gels

Four different plasticizers were applied to make different poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) gels, poly(vinyl chloride)‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate (PVC‐DOP), poly(vinyl chloride)‐di‐n‐butylphthalate, poly(vinyl chloride)‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)adipate, and poly(vinyl chloride)‐tris(2‐ethylhexyl)trimellitate. In our previous work, we reported that PVC‐DOP gel exhibits novel and reversible deformations of creeping and jointlike bending induced by direct current electric fields. In this article, we scrutinize the effects of plasticizers on electromechanical actuations, that is, reversible creeping and bending actuation with four of the different aforementioned gels. We measured the relative creeping distance, creeping area, creeping velocity, current observed, and bending angle as a function of applied electric fields for different PVC gels and found significant differences among them. To explain these variations, we compared the utility of plasticizers on the basis of the properties of different PVC gels, such as plasticizer‐retention ability, bending modulus, elongation at break, and the dielectric constant. The mentioned properties of the PVC gels played vital roles on their electromechanical actuations. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2119–2127, 2003     

Polymerization of vinyl chloride in the presence of modified Ziegler–Natta catalysts comprising long chain organoaluminum compounds

Polymerization of vinyl chloride in the presence of systems containing a transition metal compound/Lewis base and an organoaluminum compound of a different length of carbon chain have been carried out. The influence of the structure and the concentrations of particular components on the polymerization yield and molecular weight of the products has been determined. The polymerization of vinyl chloride proceeds according to the free radical mechanism, and the effectiveness of such types of initiators decreases with an increase in the length of the substituent chain in the organoaluminum chain. When using ethyl derivatives, the maximum degree of vinyl chloride conversion is about 75%, and for polystyryl or polyisoprenylaluminum of an average polymerization degree of 50–100, the conversion did not exceed 0.5%. The maximum polymerization degree of vinyl chloride in block copolymers containing polyisoprenyl or polystyryl units was 90–300.     

Syntheses of vinyl polymers containing a large π-electron cloud in the side chain

Several novel vinyl polymers containing five fused benzene rings in side chains were synthesized either by polymerization of the appropriate vinyl monomers or by chemical modification of the appropriate polymer. Thus, 3-(α-acryloyloxy)ethylperylene was prepared from perylene by Friedel-Crafts acylation with acetyl chloride and subsequent hydrogenation, followed by the reaction of the resulting alcohol with acryloyl chloride. 3-Acrylamido- or methacrylaminoperylene was prepared by the nitration of perylene, reduction of the resulting 3-nitroperylene, and the reaction with acryloyl or methacryloyl chloride. p-Vinylbenzal-3-acetylperylene was prepared by the condensation and dehydration reaction between p-vinylbenzaldehyde and 3-acetylperylene under alkaline medium, and, in the same manner, p-vinylbenzal-3-aminoperylene was prepared from p-vinyl benzaldehyde and 3-aminoperylene. All these monomers were polymerized with α,α′-azobisisobutyronitrile as catalyst in solution to afford the corresponding vinyl polymers. A vinyl polymer containing perylene-3-acetyl side chain was also prepared by the acetalization of poly(vinyl alcohol) with 3-formylperylene.     

Poly(vinyl chloride) Nanocomposites

Poly(vinyl chloride) is one of the major thermoplastics beside other commodities polymers like polyethylene and polystyrene. However, some of its main characteristics such as plasticity, thermal and photo stability are inferior to other commodity polymers. Adding nano scale inorganic fillers to poly(vinyl chloride) or other polymers in view to obtain polymer nanocomposites with superior properties has drawn the attention of many researchers in the last decades. Poly(vinyl chloride) nanocomposites are obtained mainly by in situ polymerization, solution based or mixing techniques. The resulting products show improvement of most important properties of poly(vinyl chloride) such as thermal, mechanical, rheological, flammability, antibacterial, etc. This paper presents preparation ways of poly(vinyl chloride) nanocomposites using different nano fillers and the improved properties compared with those of virgin poly(vinyl chloride).