Oxazinins from toxic mussels: isolation of a novel oxazinin and reassignment of the C-2 configuration of oxazinin-1 and -2 on the basis of synthetic models

The analysis of a batch of toxic mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from the Northern Adriatic Sea led to the isolation of a novel oxazinin, oxazinin-4. Its structure including the relative stereochemistry has been elucidated through extensive NMR analysis. A synthetic route to oxazinins has been crucial in establishing the absolute stereochemistry of oxazinin-4 and for reassigning the absolute C-2 configuration of oxazinin-1 and -2 previously isolated from toxic shellfish and stereostructurally characterized.     

The Kashiwara conjugation and wave-front sets of regular holonomic distributions on a complex manifold

Erratum

The Kashiwara conjugation and wave-front sets of regular holonomic distributions on a complex manifold     

Regioselective synthesis of the bridged tricyclic core of Garcinia natural products via intramolecular aryl acrylate cycloadditions

[reaction: see text] Two different routes to the tricyclic core of Garcinia-derived natural products are described. The first approach is based on a tandem Claisen/Diels-Alder rearrangement and delivers the desired lactone 14. The second approach, employing a Wessely oxidation/Diels-Alder protocol, leads to the same caged heterocycle, albeit with modified constitution.     

Wavelength dependence of the hyper Rayleigh scattering response from gold nanoparticles

The wavelength dependence of the quadratic hyperpolarizability of 11 nm diam gold nanoparticles, is reported as measured by hyper Rayleigh scattering. An important photoluminescence background underlying the hyper Rayleigh signal is observed, a contribution attributed to radiative electron-hole recombinations following multiphoton excitation favored by adsorbed organic compound like citrate on the surface of the nanoparticles. The absolute value of the quadratic hyperpolarizability of gold spherical nanoparticles is determined and a strong enhancement is observed for harmonic frequencies in resonance with the dipolar surface plasmon excitation. No contribution of the interband transition is observed. The absolute values reported, beta(C)=5.1x10(-26) esu at the second harmonic energy 2.39 eV, have been measured with femtosecond long laser pulse, and are 1 order of magnitude weaker that the one previously reported with nanosecond long pulses. This difference can be related to similar measurements performed on the second order hyperpolarizability of gold nanoparticles and may be attributed to different electronic relaxation regimes. Finally, the spectrum of the quadratic hyperpolarizability is compared to the theoretically expected one.     

Continuous flow in open microfluidics using controlled evaporation

This paper presents a method for programming the flow rate of liquids inside open microfluidic networks (MFNs). A MFN comprises a number of independent flow paths, each of which starts with an open filling port, has a sealed microchannel in which assays can be performed, and an open capillary pump (CP). The MFN is placed over Peltier elements and its flow paths initially fill owing to capillary forces when liquids are added to the filling ports. A cooling Peltier element underneath the filling ports dynamically prevents evaporation in all filling ports using the ambient temperature and relative humidity as inputs. Another Peltier element underneath the CPs heats the pumps thereby inducing evaporation in the CPs and setting the flow rate in the microchannels. This method achieves flow rates in the microchannels ranging from approximately 1.2 nL s(-1) to approximately 30 pL s(-1), and is able to keep 90% of a 0.6 microL solution placed in an open filling port for 60 min. This simple and efficient method should be applicable to numerous assays or chemical reactions that require small and precise flow of liquids and reagents inside microfluidics.     

Synthesis of stable analogues of thiamine di- and triphosphate as tools for probing a new phosphorylation pathway

Thiamine (vitamin B1) is an essential nutritional factor metabolized inside the body in its mono-, di-, and triphosphate forms. Although the action of thiamine and thiamine diphosphate have been intensely investigated, many questions remain unanswered and the role of thiamine triphosphate is still especially unknown. To probe recent hypotheses on the implication of thiamine triphosphate in a new phosphorylation pathway involving synaptic proteins, we synthesized a series of thiamine di- and triphosphate analogues that are resistant to both enzymatic and chemical hydrolyses. The key step in the preparation of the title compounds is the coupling of thiamine propyl disulfide with adequately protected methylenebis-phosphonic acid, the corresponding triphosphate analogue, and difluoromethylenebisphosphonic acid.     

Copper sorption on a straw lignin: experiments and EPR characterization

Spectroscopic and physicochemical data, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), solid-state (13)C cross-polarization magic-angle-spinning NMR, GC/MS, specific surface area, site density, and surface acidity constants have been recorded or determined for a ligno-cellulosic substrate (LS) extracted from straw. Its copper(II)-bound ability has also been studied. The LS solid that exhibits two types of binding sites, carboxylic and phenolic groups, has a great affinity for copper(II), with a maximum of adsorption at around 4 mg g(-1) as early as the pH reaches 6. The structural characterization of the Cu(II) surface complexes has been investigated using EPR spectroscopy. The CuO(4) chromophore of the inner-sphere surface complexes is a slightly distorted square. A surface oxidation occurred simultaneously, which leads to semiquinonic radicals. Furthermore, our empirical approach, which used a correlation between thermodynamics data and EPR parameters, has led to a surface complexation constant log beta equal to 12.6. This indicates that copper(II) surface complexes are relatively stable.     

Structure and properties of hydrophobically end-capped poly(ethylene oxide) solutions in the presence of monovalent and divalent cations

Hydrophobically modified poly(ethylene oxide), HMPEO, was studied in concentrated salt solutions. The influence of salts was compared to the effect of temperature on poly(ethylene oxide), PEO. As expected, the addition of monovalent cations (Na(+), K(+)) has the same effect as an increase in temperature in agreement with the thermodynamic properties of PEO: a decrease in solubility, micelle size, and viscosity was observed. Moreover, the intensity of neutron scattering peaks (characteristic of the semi-dilute solutions of these associative polymers) increases due to the collapse of PEO coronae in micelles. Very peculiar behavior was observed in the presence of divalent cations (Ca(2+), Mg(2+)): larger micelle aggregates and higher viscosities, relaxation times, and activation energies were observed by dynamic rheology. This behavior is attributed to interactions between divalent cations and oxygen in PEO backbones close to the micelle core, which may reinforce intermicellar bridges.     

Copper reagents: a new and efficient solution for the selective addition of metallated propargylic amines to aldehydes

[reaction: see text] Anti alpha-amino-homopropargylic alcohols are prepared by addition of metallated propargylic amines to aldehydes. Among the four organometallic (LI, Zn, Ti, Cu) derivatives used, the most effective are the copper reagents.     

Nonadiabatic alignment of asymmetric top molecules: rotational revivals

The rotational revival structure of asymmetric top molecules, following irradiation by an intense picosecond laser pulse, is explored theoretically and experimentally. Numerically we solve nonperturbatively for the rotational dynamics of a general asymmetric top subject to a linearly polarized intense pulse, and analyze the dependence of the dynamical alignment on the field and system parameters. Experimentally we use time-resolved photofragment imaging to measure the alignment of two molecules with different asymmetry, iodobenzene, and iodopentafluorobenzene. Our numerical results explain the experimental observations and generalize them to other molecules. The rotational revival structure of asymmetric tops differs qualitatively from the intensively studied linear top case. Potentially it provides valuable structural information about molecules.