Computational study of the reaction of N(2D) atoms with CH2F radicals: an example of a barrier-free reaction involving very high internal energies

The singlet potential-energy surface for the N(2D)+CH2F(2A') reaction has been studied employing both second-order M?ller-Plesset and density-functional theories. The energies of the involved species have been refined using the Gaussian-2, complete basis set, and coupled-cluster singles and doubles (triples) methods. The reaction proceeds through the formation of an initial intermediate, which does not involve any activation barrier. Based on the energy profile for the singlet potential-energy surface, the preferred product should be the most exothermic one, namely, HCN+HF, followed by HNC+HF and FCN+H2. This result seems in contradiction with a computational study of the kinetics of the title reaction in terms of the statistical theories, which leads to the prediction that the production of HNC+HF should be the dominant channel. Consequently, a limited molecular-dynamics study has been carried out, concluding that in fact the system behaves in a nonstatistical way. According to the molecular-dynamics study, the most exothermic channel, HCN+HF, should be the dominant one. An analysis of the possible role of the singlet surface in the reaction of N(4S) with CH2F(2A') has also been carried out. The computational study shows that the microcanonical coefficients for the nonadiabatic channels are much smaller than the competing adiabatic ones. Therefore, the reaction of N(4S) with CH2F(2A') should proceed on the triplet surface without spin change.     

New phosphite-oxazoline ligands for efficient Pd-catalyzed substitution reactions

We have designed and synthesized a new family of readily available highly modular phosphite-oxazoline ligands for the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions. The introduction of a pi-acceptor flexible bulky biphenyl phosphite moiety in the ligand design is highly adventitious in the product outcome. Thus, this ligand series affords excellent reaction rates (TOF's up to >2400 mol.(mol.h)-1) and enantioselectivities (ee's up to >99%) and, at the same time, shows a broad scope for different substrate types.     

Application of fluorescence reactions in the ring oven segment technique

Summary The ring oven segment technique already described earlier has been applied to the determination of ng- tog-amounts of organic and inorganic substances using fluorescence reactions. The methods proposed here are based either on self-fluorescence or on appearance or disappearance of fluorescence following a chemical reaction.

---

Anwendung von Fluoreszenzreaktionen in der Ringofen-Segmenttechnik

Zusammenfassung Die bereits früher beschriebene Ringofen-Segmenttechnik wurde auf die Bestimmung organischer und anorganischer Substanzen im ng- bisg-Bereich mit Hilfe von Fluoreszenzreaktionen angewendet. Die hier vorgeschlagenen Methoden beruhen entweder auf Eigenfluoreszenz oder aber auf der Bildung bzw. dem Verschwinden von Fluoreszenz nach einer chemischen Reaktion.

     

The molecular structure of 2-methylbenzotriazole (2MeBzTr) in connection with the x-ray structure of 2MeBzTr.HBF4.H2O

The fluoroborate of 1H-2-methylbenzotriazolium monohydrate crystallizes in the Pbca space group [Z = 8, a = 16.734(3), b = 19.153(9), c = 6.937(1) Å], The hydrogen bond network between the three molecules, 2MeBzTr, HBF₄ and H₂O, corresponds to a situation intermediate between the fluoroborate of a protonated benzotriazole (BF4^?.2MeBzTrH⁺) and a neutral benzotriazole hydrogen-bonded to fluoroboric acid (HBF₄,2MeBzTr). The behaviour of the title compound in solution is also intermediate between these two extreme situations. Thus, the present compound is one of the rare examples of a proton solvated only by very weak hydrogen bond acceptors.     

Detection of chiral perturbations in ferroelectric liquid crystals induced by an atropisomeric biphenyl dopant

The atropisomeric dopant 2,2',6,6'-tetramethyl-3,3'-dinitro-4,4'-bis[(4-nonyloxybenzoyl)oxy]biphenyl (1) induces a ferroelectric SmC phase when doped into the SmC liquid crystal hosts 2-(4-butyloxyphenyl)-5-octyloxypyrimidine (PhP1) and (+/-)-4-[(4-methylhexyl)oxy]phenyl 4-decyloxybenzoate (PhB). The propensity of dopant 1 to induce a spontaneous polarization (polarization power) is much higher in PhP1 than in PhB (1555 nC/cm(2) vs <35 nC/cm(2)), which is attributed to a greater propensity of 1 to undergo chirality transfer via core-core interactions with PhP1. In previous work, we postulated that a chiral perturbation exerted by 1 in PhP1 amplifies the polarization power of the dopant by causing a chiral distortion of the mean field potential (binding site) constraining the dopant in the SmC host, as described by the Chirality Transfer Feedback (CTF) model. To test the validity of the CTF model, and to provide a more direct assessment of the chiral perturbation exerted by dopant 1 on surrounding host molecules, we measured the effect of 1 on the polarization power of other chiral dopants acting as probes. In one series of experiments, (S,S)-5-(2,3-difluorooctyl)-2-(4-octylphenyl)pyridine (MDW950) and (S)-4-(1-methylheptyloxy)phenyl 4-decyloxybenzoate (4), which mimic the structures of PhP1 and PhB, were used as probes. In another series of experiments, the atropisomeric dopant 2,2',3,3',6,6'-hexamethyl-4,4'-bis[(4-nonyloxybenzoyl)oxy]biphenyl (2) was used as probe in PhP1. The results of the probe experiments suggest that dopant 1 exerts a much stronger chiral perturbation in PhP1 than in PhB. More significantly, the results of experiments using 2 as probe show that the chiral perturbation exerted by 1 can amplify the polarization power of another atropisomeric dopant, thus providing the first experimental evidence of the CTF effect.     

Pseudoesters and derivatives. XXV. 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of diazomethane to 5-methoxy-3-pyrrolin-2-ones

Cycloaddition of diazomethane to pyrrolinones 1a,b,d,e affords only one regioisomer as a mixture of the epimeric pyrrolopyrazolines 2 and 2 ′,4-Halo derivatives 1f,g react with diazomethane to give the two possible regioisomers 2 and 3. The regio- and stereochemistry of the adducts is evidenced by the ¹H-nmr data. The primary adducts originated from the halopyrrolinones suffer dehydrohalogenation to give aromatized products, which by further methylation give derivatives of type 7, 8, 10 and 11.     

Protein-reactive natural products

Researchers in the post-genome era are confronted with the daunting task of assigning structure and function to tens of thousands of encoded proteins. To realize this goal, new technologies are emerging for the analysis of protein function on a global scale, such as activity-based protein profiling (ABPP), which aims to develop active site-directed chemical probes for enzyme analysis in whole proteomes. For the pursuit of such chemical proteomic technologies, it is helpful to derive inspiration from protein-reactive natural products. Natural products use a remarkably diverse set of mechanisms to covalently modify enzymes from distinct mechanistic classes, thus providing a wellspring of chemical concepts that can be exploited for the design of active-site-directed proteomic probes. Herein, we highlight several examples of protein-reactive natural products and illustrate how their mechanisms of action have influenced and continue to shape the progression of chemical proteomic technologies like ABPP.     

Synthèse facile de dérivés du diphényl-2,4-aza-3-bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane et du diphényl-7,8-aza-8-bicyclo[4.3.1]décane

Facile synthesis of derivatives of 2,4-diphenyl-3-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane and 7,9-diphenyl-8-azabicyclo[4.3.1]decane The facile synthesis of hydantoins, cyanhydrins and aminonitriles derived from 2,4-diphenyl-3-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanone and 7,9-diphenyl-8-azabicyclo[4.3.1]decanone is described. Configurations at C(9) or C(10) of the new compounds wth pharmaceutical and synthetical utility is deduced from their spectral properties.     

Rapid screening of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors in urine samples using solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

In this paper a solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME–GC–MS) method is proposed for a rapid analysis of some frequently prescribed selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI)—venlafaxine, fluvoxamine, mirtazapine, fluoxetine, citalopram, and sertraline—in urine samples. The SPME-based method enables simultaneous determination of the target SSRI after simple in-situ derivatization of some of the target compounds. Calibration curves in water and in urine were validated and statistically compared. This revealed the absence of matrix effect and, in consequence, the possibility of quantifying SSRI in urine samples by external water calibration. Intra-day and inter-day precision was satisfactory for all the target compounds (relative standard deviation, RSD, <14%) and the detection limits achieved were <0.4 ng mL^–1 urine. The time required for the SPME step and for GC analysis (30 min each) enables high throughput. The method was applied to real urine samples from different patients being treated with some of these pharmaceuticals. Some SSRI metabolites were also detected and tentatively identified.