Absorption and fluorescence of a nonionic detergent in aqueous solution

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of a detergent, polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether, were measured in water at different concentrations. The absorption spectra had a peak at 275 mμ and a shoulder at 281 mμ. The spectra were independent of concentration below the critical micelle concentration, but the molar extinction coefficients of the peak and the shoulder increased with concentration above the critical micelle concentration. The critical micelle concentration value derived from the absorption data was in good agreement with those obtained by other methods. The fluorescence spectra of the detergent in water were independent of concentration in dilute solutions, if the intensities of the spectra were normalized at the peak at 302 mμ. At higher concentrations, a weak excimer band appeared at 345 mμ, whose intensity increased with concentration. The excimer band manifested itself at a concentration slightly lower than the critical micelle concentration. The main band decreased and the excimer band increased, as the temperature was raised. An excimer band was observed in the same region of the spectra for the pure detergent, either in the solid or liquid state. The equilibrium solid spectra exhibited a very strong excimer emission. It was concluded that the excimers were formed within micelles in the case of aqueous solutions.     

The sphere-rod transition of micelles of dodecyldimethylammonium bromide in aqueous NaBr solutions,and the effects of counterion binding on the micelle size,shape and structure

Micelle size and shape of dodecyldimethylammonium bromide have been determined by measurement of light scattering from its aqueous NaBr solutions. In water and in the presence of NaBr up to 0.07 M, the Debye plots give straight lines with positive slopes, and spherical micelles having molecular weight less than 30 000 are formed. At higher NaBr concentrations, the Debye plots decrease with increasing micelle concentration, indicating the aggregation of the primary spherical micelles into larger secondary micelles. The molecular weight and the radius of gyration of the secondary micelles increase with increasing NaBr concentration, and the relation between molecular weight and radius of gyration suggests that they are rodlike and flexible. Linear logarithmic relations between micelle molecular weight and ionic strength hold for spherical and rodlike micelles, respectively, and the threshold concentration of NaBr for the sphere-rod transition is located at 0.07 M. The spherical micelle of dodecyldimethylammonium ions has a size more than 20 surfactant ions larger in NaBr solutions than in NaCl solutions, and their rodlike micelle has a shorter length in NaBr solutions than in NaCl solutions, when compared at an identical aggregation number, indicating 2 more surfactant ions in its cross-section.     

Analysis of scintigrams using fuzzy theory

Textural features for phantom images were extracted. Texture parameters which represent RI distribution--skew, energy, entropy and angular second moment were used. But, it was difficult to analyse the images using discriminant analysis for textural features, because textural features had statistical noise. Therefore fuzzy reasoning was adapted to analyse the images. Textural features for six kinds of images were showed using membership function. The possibility to the image was evaluated using the value of membership function on each images. Fuzzy reasoning could be done easily using max-min composition formula. The reasoning was found more suitable to analyse the images than discriminant analysis and will be considered useful for analysis of clinical scintigrams.     

2,2′-Isopropylidenebis[(4S,5R)-4,5-di(2-naphthyl)-2-oxazoline] ligand for asymmetric cyclization-carbonylation of meso-2-alkyl-2-propargylcyclohexane-1,3-diols

The oxidative cyclization-carbonylation of meso-2-alkyl-2-propargylcyclohexane-1,3-diols mediated by Pd(II) with chiral bisoxazoline (box ligand) afforded bicyclic-β-alkoxyacrylates. Based on a ligand screening, 2,2′-isopropylidenebis[(4S,5R)-4,5-di(2-naphthyl)-2-oxazoline] ligand has been developed. The products with a chiral quaternary carbon were obtained in 71-100% yields with 85-95% ee.     

Multiple and irreversible binding of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) to human serum albumin and its effect on warfarin binding.

Irreversible bindings of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) to human serum albumin (HSA) were investigated in a pH 7.4 buffer containing 0.1 M NaCl at various molar ratios (cis-DDP/HSA) up to 60 over a 14 d period (37 degrees C). The metal binding seemed to reach a plateau when incubated at less than 10 times excess of cis-DDP. As the molar ratio increased, the reaction rate was relatively fast within the first day, followed by a moderate increase in the metal binding. When incubated at 60 times excess of cis-DDP, the metal bound as much as 20 mol per mol of HSA in 14 d. Fluorescence quenching of the metal-bound protein suggested that the tryptophan residue was gradually exposed to a hydrophilic environment as the metal binding increased. Furthermore, cis-DDP cleaved disulfide bonds at the ratio of 1 mol of disulfide bond per 5.3 mol of the metal binding. It was therefore suggested that the metal binding also occurred at several sites other than the disulfide bond. Warfarin binding to the metal-bound protein, examined by fluorescence changes, also decreased with increasing metal binding or cleavage of the disulfide bonds. Thus, cis-DDP bound to multiple sites in addition to the lone sulfhydryl group (Cys-34), suggesting that massive conformational changes of the protein took place.     

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition reaction of phenanthridinium N-imines and N-benzoylimine with acetylenic compounds

N-Aminophenanthridinium salt reacted with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate in the presence of potassium carbonate to give a 3,3a-dihydropyrazolo[1,5-f]phenanthridine but with mono-substituted acetylenes (ethyl propiolate and benzoylacetylene) it produced aromatized pyrazolo-[1,5-f]phenanthridines (XII and XIII). The reaction of the N-benzoylimine with di-substituted acetylenes (dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and methyl phenylpropiolate) and mono-substituted acetylenes (ethyl propiolate and benzoylacetylene) yielded 1,3a-dihydropyrazolo[1,5-f]phenanthridines and the aromatized products (XII and XIII), respectively.     

Extraction of Catecholamines by Calixarene Carboxylic Acid Derivatives

Extraction behaviors of catecholamines with a series of calixarene carboxylic acid derivatives were investigated. Relatively large calix[6]arene and calix[8]arene extract catecholamines into the organic solution, while smaller calix[4]arene and the monomer analog do not. The calix[6]arene, which has a cavity that fits a protonated amino group well, selectively extracts a primary amino compound dopamine over other catecholamines. Slope analysis and Job’s method confirmed formation of a 1:1 complex between the calix[6]arene and dopamine. On the other hand, the calix[8]arene extracts both dopamine and adrenaline, due to the large cavity for induced-fit recognition. Dopamine extracted with the calixarene is quantitatively stripped by contacting the organic solution with a fresh acidic solution.     

Highly regioselective nucleophilic carbon-carbon bond formation on furans and thiophenes initiated by pummerer-type reaction

[reaction: see text] The reactions of (phenylsulfinyl)furans or -thiophenes with carbon nucleophiles in the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride allowed the nucleophilic installation of carbon functional groups on the furan and thiophene nuclei with complete regioselectivity.     

Self-organized glycoclusters along DNA: effect of the spatial arrangement of galactoside residues on cooperative lectin recognition

We describe herein the relationship between the spatial arrangement of self-organized galactose clusters and lectin recognition. beta-Galactose-modified deoxyuridine phosphoramidite was synthesized and applied to solid-phase synthesis to provide 18-, 20-, and 22-mers of site-specifically galactosylated oligodeoxynucleotides (Gal-ODNs). These Gal-ODNs were self-organized through hybridization with the corresponding 18-, 20-, and 22-mers of half-sliding complementary ODNs (hsc-ODNs) to give periodic galactoside clusters. The self-organization of ODNs was confirmed by size exclusion chromatography and gel electrophoresis. The binding of the Gal-clusters to the FITC-labeled RCA(120) lectin was analyzed by monitoring the change in fluorescence intensity. The assembly of 20-mer Gal-ODN with the 20-mer hsc-ODN was strongly and cooperatively recognized by the lectin. The 18-mer assembly was bound more weakly and less cooperatively, and the 22-mer assembly was minimally bound to the lectin. RCA(120) lectin recognized not only the density of galactoside residues, but also the spatial arrangement. The size of the Gal cluster was estimated from the association constant of Gal-ODN with hsc-ODN. The relationship between lectin-recognition and Gal-cluster size is also discussed.     

Facile deposition of [60]fullerene and carbon nanotubes on ITO electrode by electrochemical oxidative polymerization of ethylenedioxythiophene

It was found that [60]fullerene encapsulated in p-sulfonatocalix[8]arene and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) solubilized by sodium dodecylsulfate can be readily deposited on the ITO electrode by electrochemical oxidative polymerization of ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) without chemical modification of these carbon clusters. The driving force for the deposition is an electrostatic interaction between the anionic complexes and the cationic charges of poly(EDOT) formed in the oxidative polymerization process. The surface morphology was thoroughly characterized by scanning electron micrograph: the [60]fullerene/poly(EDOT) film is covered by nano-particles with 20-100 nm diameters whereas the SWNTs/poly(EDOT) film is covered by nanorods with several microm length and ca. 100 nm diameter. The results indicate that the anionic complexes act as nuclei for the polymer growth in the oxidation polymerization. Interestingly, when these modified ITO electrodes were photoirradiated, the appearance of a photocurrent wave was observed. The action spectra showed that the photoexcited energy of [60]fullerene or SWNTs is efficiently collected by the electroconductive poly(EDOT) film and transferred to the ITO electrode.