Total synthesis of (±)-Δ9(12)-capnellene via iterative intramolecular type-I-“Magnesium-ene” reactions

The marine triquinane sesquiterpene Δ⁹(¹²)-capnellene ($\text{1}$) was synthesised from 2,2,5-trimethyl-5-hexenal ($\text{2}$) by a sequence of all synthetic operations in 5% overall yield. The key steps 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 involve two intramolecular type-I-“Mg-ene” processes.     

Equilibrium interaction of solid surfaces across a polymer melt

Forces across polymer melts are poorly understood despite their importance for adhesion and fabricating composite materials. Using an atomic force microscope (AFM), this interaction was measured for poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS). The structure of the polymer at the surface changed during the first approximately 10 h. Afterward, short-range attractive forces were observed with short-chain PDMS (M(w) = 4200 g/mol). Using PDMS with a molecular weight (M(w) = 18 000 g/mol) above the entanglement limit, we measured a monotonically decaying repulsive force, which indicates that a quasi-immobilized layer had formed at the solid surface. Due to the small radius of curvature of the tip, forces could be measured in equilibrium.     

Novel Variant of the Tricyclooctanone Approach to Cyclopentanoid Natural Products. Synthesis of (±)-Coriolin. Preliminary Communication

A total synthesis of the antitumor sesquiterpene coriolin ( 9 ; racemic) in 11 steps from 3,3,6-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-ene-2,5-dione ( 2a / 2b ) is described (yield 2a / 2b → 8: 28%). The sequence is unprecedentedly short and avoids difficult separation problems. The key step in the scheme is a novel facet of oxadi-π-methane photochemistry, i.e., the steering by subtle steric effects of the β,γ-unsaturated ?-diketone to undergo a regioselective photorearrangement involving one β,γ-enone partial chromophore. Furthermore, the overall phototransformation, which can be carried out at unusually high concentrations (≥20% solutions), involves also a Norrish type I process equilibrating the two epimeric starting enediones 2a and 2b in favour of the desired stereoisomer.     

Die Reaktion von Trithiazylchlorid mit Titantetrachlorid Die Kristallstruktur von (S4N5)2[Ti2Cl10]

Reaction of Trithiazyl Chloride with Titanium Tetrachloride. Crystal Structure of (S₄N₅)₂[Ti₂Cl₁₀] In the reaction of trithiazyl chloride with titanium tetrachloride, chlorine is abstracted and the brown-yellow adduct TiCl₄(N₂S₂) is obtained. In this compound — according to its i.r. spectrum — a N₂S₂ ring is bonded to the titanium via the N atoms, thus forming a polymer. As a by-product, brown crystalline (S₄N₅)₂[Ti₂Cl₁₀] forms. Its crystal structure was determined and refined with X-ray diffraction data (R = 0.042 for 812 reflexions). It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with two formula units per unit cell. The lattice constants are a = 670, b = 1 633, c = 1108 pm, β = 97.24°. The structure consists of S₄N₅^⊕ cations, which are nearly equal to those in [S₄N₅]Cl, and [Ti₂Cl₁₀]^2? anions, which are nearly identical with those in (PCl₄)₂[Ti₂Cl₁₀].     

Atom transfer radical polymerization of 1-phenoxycarbonyl ethyl methacrylate monomer

Atom transfer radical polymerization conditions with copper(I) bromide/2,2^′-bipyridine (Cu/2,2^′-bpy) as the catalyst system were employed for the homopolymerization and random copolymerization of 1-phenoxycarbonyl ethyl methacrylate (PCMA) with methyl methacrylate (MMA). Temperature studies indicated that the polymerizations occurred smoothly in bulk at 110 °C. Poly(PCMA)(polydispersity index=1.27) homopolymer was characterized and then used as macroinitiator for increasing its molecular weight. The homopolymerization of PCMA was also carried out under free radical conditions using 2,2^′-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator.The monomer and polymers were characterized by FT-IR and ¹H and ¹³C-NMR techniques. The glass transition temperatures, the solubility parameters and average-molecular weights of the polymers were determined. Thermal stabilities of the polymers were given as compared with each other by using TGA curves. Thermal degradation products of poly(PCMA)s obtained by ATRP and free radical polymerization were compared with each other by using ¹H-NMR technique.     

13C CPMAS spectroscopy of deuterated proteins: CP dynamics, line shapes, and T1 relaxation

(13)C CPMAS NMR has been investigated in application to protein samples with a variety of deuteration patterns. Samples were prepared with protons in either all hydrogen positions, only in the exchangeable sites, or in the exchangeable sites plus select methyl groups. CP dynamics, T(1) relaxation times, and (13)C line widths have been compared. Using ubiquitin as a model system, reasonable (1)H-(13)C CP transfer is observed for the extensively deuterated samples. In the absence of deuterium decoupling, the (13)C line widths observed for the deuterated samples are identical to those observed for the perprotio samples with a MAS rate of 20 kHz. Extensive deuteration has little effect on the T(1) of the exchangeable protons. On the basis of these observations, it is clear that there are no substantive compromises accompanying the use of extensive deuteration in the design of (1)H, (15)N, or (13)C solid-state NMR methods.     

Nylon 6/polyisocyanurate interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs)

Two component interpenetrating networks (IPNs) of the SIN type (simultaneous interpenetrating networks), composed of a polyisocyanurate network and a star-shaped nylon 6, were made. The overall polymerization rates and physical properties for reaction injection molding (RIM) have been studied by the quasi-adiabatic process. In order to model the actual rapid molding conditions, time versus temperature reaction profiles were measured, and the relative rates of polymerization subsequently determined from these data.     

Assignments of carbon NMR resonances for microcrystalline ubiquitin

Solid-state NMR 2D spectroscopy was used to correlate carbon backbone and side-chain chemical shifts for uniformly (13)C,(15)N-enriched microcrystalline ubiquitin. High applied field strengths, 800 MHz for protons, moderate proton decoupling fields, 80-100 kHz, and high magic angle sample spinning frequencies, 20 kHz, were used to narrow the most of the carbon line widths to 0.5-0.8 ppm. Homonuclear magnetization transfer was effected by matching the proton RF field to the spinning frequency, the so-called dipolar-assisted rotational resonance (DARR) (Takegoshi, K.; Nakamura, S.; Terao, T. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2001, 344, 631-637), and a mixing time of 20 ms was used to maximize the intensity of one-bond transfers between carbon atoms. This polarization transfer sequence resulted in roughly 14% transfer efficiencies for directly bonded carbon pairs and 4% transfer efficiencies for carbons separated by a third carbon. With this simple procedure, the majority of the one-bond correlations was observed with moderate transfer efficiencies, and many two-bond correlations were also observed with weaker intensities. Spin systems could be identified for more than half of the amino acid side chains, and site-specific assignments were readily possible via comparison with 400 MHz (15)N-(13)C-(13)C correlation spectroscopy (described separately).