A novel strategy towards the asymmetric synthesis of orthogonally funtionalised 2-N-benzyl-N-alpha-methylbenzylamino- 5-carboxymethyl-cyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid

The asymmetric synthesis of the orthogonally funtionalised compounds tert-butyl 2-N-benzyl-N-alpha-methylbenzylamino-5-methoxycarbonylmethylcyclopentane- 1-carboxylate and methyl 2-N-benzyl-N-alpha-methylbenzylamino-5-carboxymethylcyclo- pentane-1-carboxylate by a domino reaction of tert-butyl methyl (E,E)-octa-2,6- diendioate with lithium N-alpha-methylbenzyl-N-benzylamide initiated by a Michael addition, subsequent 5-exo-trig intramolecular cyclisation and posterior selective hydrolysis with trifluoroacetic acid is reported.     

Synthesis and properties of water-soluble gold colloids covalently derivatized with neutral polymer monolayers

Citrate-capped gold nanoparticles as well as planar gold surfaces can be efficiently grafted with a covalently attached polymer monolayer a few nanometers thick, by simple contact of the metal surface with dilute aqueous solutions of hydrophilic polymers that are end-capped with disulfide moieties, as shown by UV/vis absorption, dynamic light scattering, and surface plasmon resonance studies. The hydrophilic polymer-coated gold colloids can be freeze-dried and stored as powders that can be subsequently dissolved to yield stable aqueous dispersions, even at very large concentrations. They allow for applying filtrations, gel permeation chromatography, or centrifugation. They do not suffer from undesirable nonspecific adsorption of proteins while allowing the diffusion of small species within the hydrogel surface coating. In addition, specific properties of the original hydrophilic polymers are retained such as a lower critical solution temperature. The latter feature could be useful to enhance optical responses of functionalized gold surfaces toward interaction with various substrates.     

Estudios sobre ácidos hidroxámicos

Résumé On propose un procédé de microdosage des groupements méthoxyles dans les pectines, qui repose sur la libération de ces groupements par saponification de l'hydroxylamine alcoolique dans un appareil, sur leur transformation en formiates de méthyle et sur leur distillation. Le formiate de méthyle forme ainsi l'acide formhydroxamique que l'on dose par colorimétrie à l'état de chélate avec le fer-III.On réalise l'hydrolyse de la pectine à 100° C en tube scellé. On fait réagir avec l'acide formique en excès, une partie aliquote de l'hydrolysat dans le micro-appareil de distillation déjà décrit. Le procédé convient pour 1 à 3 mg de pectine et la durée des opérations est de deux heures et demies. Sa spécificité est satisfaisante bien que le groupe éthoxyle puisse gêner. Son action est d'ailleurs peu vraisemblable, puisqu'il ne fait pas partie de la molécule de pectine. Les résultats du procédé sont en générale un peu plus bas que ceux des méthodes volumétriques servant à ce dosage. On a étudié la reproductibilité pour les esters méthyliques et l'on a mis en évidence une erreur par défaut de 2 à 4%. Les plus petites quantités de groupes méthoxyles que l'on puisse doser sont de 20g. Le procédé recommandé est une application particulière de méthodes applicables de façon générale au dosage des esters méthyliques dans les substances organiques. Ce sera l'objet d'une autre communication de cette série.

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Summary A micromethod is given for determining methoxyl groups in pectins. It is based of the liberation of these groups by saponification, conversion into methyl formate, and distillation of the latter into a receiver containing alcoholic hydroxylamine. The methyl formate reacts to give formhydroxamic acid, which is determined colorimetrically as iron(III) chelate.The hydrolysis of the pectin is conducted at 100° C in a sealed tube. An aliquot part of the hydrolysate is brought into reaction with excess formic acid in a microdistillation apparatus that was described previously. The procedure is suitable for 1 to 3 mg pectin and requires 21/2 hours for all partial operations. The specificity is satisfactory, even though ethoxyl may interfere. However, this latter is not likely to be encountered since ethoxyl has not been shown to be a constituent of the pectin molecule. The results given by the procedure are in general inferior to those of volumetric methods. The reproducibility was tested on methyl esters and showed a minus error of 2 to 4%. The smallest amount of methoxyl which can be determined in this way is 20g. The method proposed here is a special application of a method which can be applied in general to the determination of methyl esters in organic substances, which will be the subject of a later paper in this series.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird ein Mikroverfahren zur Bestimmung der Methoxylgruppen in Pektinen angegeben, das auf der Freisetzung dieser Gruppen durch Verseifung, deren Umwandlung in Methylformiat und dessen Destillation in eine Vorlage von alkoholischem Hydroxylamin beruht. Das Methylformiat bildet damit Formhydroxamsäure, die als Eisen(III)-chelat kolorimetrisch bestimmt wird.Die Hydrolyse des Pektins wird bei 100° C in einem verschlossenen Rohr ausgeführt. Einen aliquoten Teil des Hydrolysates läßt man in einem schon früher beschriebenen Mikrodestillationsapparat mit überschüssiger Ameisensäure reagieren. Das Verfahren eignet sich für 1 bis 3 mg Pektin und erfordert für alle Teiloperationen 2^1/2 Stunden. Seine Spezifität ist befriedigend, obwohl Äthoxyl stören kann. Dessen Einwirkung ist jedoch wenig wahrscheinlich, da es nicht als Bestandteil des Pektinmoleküls nachgewiesen ist. Die Ergebnisse des Verfahrens sind im allgemeinen niedriger als die Resultate volumetrischer Methoden. Die Reproduzierbarkeit wurde an Methylestern überprüftund zeigte einen Minusfehler von 2 bis 4%. Die Mindestmenge bestimmbares Methoxyl beträgt 20g. Das vorgeschlagene Verfahren ist eine spezielle Anwendung einer allgemein für die Bestimmung von Methylestern in organischen Substanzen anwendbaren Methode, die Gegenstand einer weiteren Mitteilung dieser Serie sein wird.

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Resumen Se indica una microtécnica de valoración de metoxilos en pectinas, basada en la liberación del radical metilo éster por saponificación; en su conversion en formiato de metilo y en su simultanea destilación y recepción en hidroxilamina alcalinizada. El formiato de metilo se transforma así en ácido formohidroxámico, cuya determinación fotocolorimétrica se realiza como quelato férrico.Estas operaciones requieren efectuar la hidrólisis de la pectina en tubo cerrado y a 100° C, y en tomar una alícuota del hidrolizado, que se pasa con un exceso de ácido fórmico al aparato de microdestilación, detallado en comunicaciones anteriores. El método permite operar con 1 a 3 mg de pectina y todas las operaciones insumen unas dos y media horas. La técnica presenta condiciones satisfactorias de especificidad, pudiendo interferir los radicales etoxilos, cosa poco probable, pues no son reconocidos como componente de la molécula de pectina. Los resultados obtenidos, comparados con los del método titrimétrico, son por lo general inferiores a éste y su reproducibilidad, verificada con ésteres metílicos, tiene errores por defecto de un 2 a 4%. La cantidad mínima de metoxilo valorado alcanza a 20g. La técnica que se indica, es una aplicacion particular de otra de carácter general, aplicable a la valoración de ésteres metílicos en sustancias orgánicas, que será motivo de otra futura comunicación de esta serie.

     

Square-wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry of menadione (vitamin K(3))

Menadione (vitamin K₃) undergoes a reversible two-electron transfer involving the quinone structure in acidic medium. As demonstrated by using cyclic voltammetry, the reduced form is more strongly adsorbed than the oxidized one. Stripping voltammetry of an adsorbed layer has been applied to the determination of this molecule after preconcentration of the reduced compound and scanning the potential towards less negative values. Adsorption, which is highly effective when stirring is used, approaches an equilibrium process in quiescent solution, as evidenced by a loss of part of the adsorbed material when stirring is stopped. A square-wave mode has been selected owing to its high sensitivity (the current is 20 times that for the differential pulse mode), but also to its high scan-rate, which minimizes the slow desorption process occurring during the scan. A concentration range from 2 × 10⁻¹⁰ to 5 × 10⁻⁷ M is easily investigated, the detection limit being 1.3 × 10⁻¹⁰ M. The influence of several operational parameters has also been considered.     

Isotherms of adsorption of aromatic compounds on cellulose from heptane-isopropanol solutions

The isotherms of adsorption of benzene, anisole, benzyl alcohol, and benzaldehyde on the surface of microspherical mesoporous crosslinked cellulose were calculated from the chromatographic peaks of these compounds with consideration given to the longitudinal smearing of the analyte zone under the action of adsorption forces. The solvents were n-heptane-isopropanol mixtures containing various amounts of isopropanol (up to 2 vol %). The adsorption isotherms were described using equations of the displacement adsorption theory. The mechanism of the sorption of aromatic compounds and the physical meaning of the constants entering into the adsorption isotherm equation were discussed.     

Utility of N‐[4‐(N‐Substituted Sulfamoyl)Phenyl] Cyanothioformamides in the Synthesis of Heterocyclic Compounds

The novel cyanothioformamides 2a‐d were prepared by treatment of isothiocyanatosulfonamides 1a‐d with potassium cyanide at room temperature. Cyclocondensation of compounds 2b,c with phenyl isocyanate as electrophile furnished the corresponding imidazolidines 3a,b . The reactivity of compound 3a towards some nitrogen nucleophiles was investigated. Thus, the thiosemicarbazone 4 and imidazo[4,5‐b]quinoxaline 6 were synthesized by condensation of compound 3a with thiosemicarbazide and o‐phenylenediamine, respectively. Treatment of 3a with hydrochloric acid afforded compound 7 . Our investigation was extended to include the reactivity of cyanothioformamide 2 towards o‐aminophenol, anthranilic acid, and o‐phenylenediamine and yielded the corresponding heterocycles 9 , 11 and 13 derivatives, respectively. Structures of the synthesized compounds were established by their elemental analysis and spectral data.     

In situ assembled ZIF superstructures via an emulsion-free soft-templating approach

Assembling well-defined MOF superstructures remains challenging as it requires easily removable hard templates or readily available immiscible solutions for an emulsion-based soft-template approach. In this work, a single-step emulsion-free soft templating approach is reported to spontaneously prepare hollow ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 colloidosomes with no further purification. These superstructures can load different enzymes regardless of the size and charge with a high encapsulation efficiency of 99%. We envisage that this work will expand the repertoires of MOF superstructures by the judicious selection of precursors and the reaction medium.

An emulsion-free approach for the preparation of hollow ZIF-8 superstructures in a single step is established based on metal sulfate hydrates in methanol.     

Erratum to: The Wigner—Ville distribution associated with the quaternion offset linear canonical transform

Analysis Mathematica -     

Optimizing constrained subtrees of trees

Given a treeG = (V, E) and a weight function defined on subsets of its nodes, we consider two associated problems. The first, called the rooted subtree problem, is to find a maximum weight subtree, with a specified root, from a given set of subtrees.The second problem, called the subtree packing problem, is to find a maximum weight packing of node disjoint subtrees chosen from a given set of subtrees, where the value of each subtree may depend on its root.We show that the complexity status of both problems is related, and that the subtree packing problem is polynomial if and only if each rooted subtree problem is polynomial. In addition we show that the convex hulls of the feasible solutions to both problems are related: the convex hull of solutions to the packing problem is given by pasting together the convex hulls of the rooted subtree problems.We examine in detail the case where the set of feasible subtrees rooted at nodei consists of all subtrees with at mostk nodes. For this case we derive valid inequalities, and specify the convex hull whenk 4.Research supported in part by Nato Collaborative Research Grant CRG 900281, Science Program SC1-CT91-620 of the EEC, and contract No 26 of the programme Pôle d'attraction interuniversitaire of the Belgian government.