Microwave-assisted solid-phase synthesis of pseudopeptides containing reduced amide bond

Procedures were developed for reducing the reaction time and improving the yield of reductive alkylation in solid phase pseudopeptide synthesis by utilizing microwave irradiation. We chose dipeptides containing the reduced amide bond ψ[CH₂NH] as a model system and optimized the microwave assisted reductive alkylation reaction in solid phase pseudopeptide synthesis using Fmoc chemistry. Under the optimized condition, the reductive alkylation reaction used for incorporating the reduced amide bond into the dipeptides was completed in only 8.5 min, whereas the normal reductive alkylation reaction required a total of 300 min. The purity and yield of the various dipeptides containing the reduced amide bond synthesized in this way are better than those achieved using the reductive alkylation method without microwave irradiation. We chose α helical peptides, which are known as a difficult sequence to synthesize, and incorporated the reduced amide bond by the microwave-assisted reductive alkylation reaction. We successfully synthesized pseudopeptides containing the reduced amide bond as a major product by using the novel microwave-assisted method, whereas the same products were obtained as a minor product when using the reductive alkylation method without microwave irradiation.     

Structure and dynamics of metallomacrocycles: recognition of zinc xylyl-bicyclam by an HIV coreceptor

As platforms for the design of metal-based therapeutic and diagnostic agents, macrocycles are rigid enough to provide strong metal binding sites and orient functional groups stereoselectively, yet flexible enough to accommodate structural changes required for induced-fit recognition of biological targets. We consider the recognition of the Zn(II) complex of the bis-tetraazamacrocycle xylyl-bicyclam, a potent anti-HIV agent, by the coreceptor CXCR4, a G-protein-coupled receptor used by HIV for membrane fusion and cell entry. NMR studies show that the macrocycles of Zn(II)(2)-xylyl-bicyclam perchlorate exist in aqueous solution as two major configurations, trans-I (nitrogen chirality R,S,R,S), and trans-III (S,S,R,R). Acetate addition induced a major structural change. X-ray crystallography shows that the acetate complex contains the unusual cis-V cyclam configuration (R,R,R,R and folded) with bidentate coordination of acetate to Zn(II) plus second-coordination-sphere double H-bond formation between diagonal NH protons on the opposite cyclam face and acetate carboxylate oxygens. Detailed 1D and 2D NMR studies show that the major configuration of Zn(II)(2)-xylyl-bicyclam acetate in aqueous solution is cis-V/trans-I. Molecular modeling shows that an analogous cis-V site can be formed when Zn(II)(2)-xylyl-bicyclam binds to CXCR4, involving the carboxylate groups of Asp262 (Zn(II) coordination) and Glu288 (double H-bonding). The second cyclam can adopt the trans-I (or trans-III) configuration with Zn(II) binding to Asp171. These interactions are consistent with the known structure-activity relationships for bicyclam anti-HIV activity and receptor mutation. Consideration of the anti-HIV activity of xylyl-bicyclam complexes of other metal ions suggests that affinity for carboxylates, configurational flexibility, and kinetic factors may all play roles in receptor recognition. For example, Pd(II) cyclam complexes interact only weakly with axial ligands and are inflexible and inactive, whereas Co(III) cyclams bind carboxylates strongly, are configurationally flexible, and yet have low activity. Our findings should aid the design of new generations of active macrocycles including highly specific chemokine receptor antagonists.     

XPS analysis of the effect of Pt addition to Pd catalysts for complete benzene oxidation

Pt-Pd bimetallic catalysts were prepared in order to develop and investigate catalysts having excellent activity and stability for benzene destruction. The effect of Pt addition to Pd catalysts is studied by XPS analysis. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Immobilized cobalt/rhodium heterobimetallic nanoparticle-catalyzed silylcarbocylization and carbonylative silylcarbocyclization of 1,6-enynes

Reaction of 1,6-enynes with a hydrosilane in the presence of immobilized cobalt/rhodium bimetallic nanoparticles gives 2-methyl-1-silylmethylidene-2-cyclopentanes in the absence of carbon monoxide and 2-formylmethyl-1-silylmethylidene-2-cyclopentanes under 1 atm of carbon monoxide, respectively. [reaction: see text]     

Preparation and characterization of self-assembled nanoparticles based on glycol chitosan bearing adriamycin

An anthracycline drug, adriamycin, was chemically conjugated onto the backbone of glycol chitosan via an acid-labile cis-aconityl linkage. The physicochemical characteristics of the glycol chitosan–adriamycin (GC–ADR) conjugates were investigated by dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The GC–ADR conjugates were capable of forming nano-sized self-aggregates in an aqueous medium, when the adriamycin content in the conjugate was in the range of 2.0–5.0 wt.%. The self-aggregates were spherical in shape, and had mean diameters of 238–304 nm, depending on the adriamycin content. The critical aggregation concentrations of the conjugates, estimated by the fluorescence quenching method, were as low as 1.0–2.5×10⁻² mg/ml. The size of self-aggregates was not affected by the polymer concentration in the range from 50 to 2,000 μg/ml, and was maintained up to 8 days in phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.4), indicating high colloidal stability. The release of adriamycin from self-aggregates was significantly dependent on the pH of the medium due to the cis-aconityl linkage; e.g., the amount of adriamycin released for 4 days was 7.3±0.3% at pH 7, whereas it was 29.3±1.9% at pH 4. The cell viability results demonstrated that free adriamycin shows more potent cytotoxicity than the conjugates, primarily attributed to the sustained release of adriamycin from self-aggregates. In conclusion, the self-aggregates, formed by GC–ADR conjugates, might be useful for the site-specific delivery of adriamycin in a sustained manner.     

Monodisperse chloromethyl-functionalized macroporous polymer particles by seeded polymerization in aqueous media

This study presents a method to produce monodisperse chloromethyl-functionalized macroporous poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) polymer particles by seeded polymerization in aqueous media. We observed that the molecular structure of polystyrene seed particles, the composition of the secondary monomer mixtures, and the type of solvents were very important factors that determine the morphology and porosity of the final particles. This study proposes that the molecular chemistry of polystyrene seed polymers, increasing molecular weight or crosslinking, is another factor that can control the porosity of the final particles. Also, the selection of a poor solvent was effective in forming the larger surface area. In this study, it was confirmed that the chloromethyl groups introduced on the surface of porous particles were quantified chemically and their effective incorporation had a close relationship with the surface area.     

Selective oxidation of hydrogen sulfide to ammonium thiosulfate and sulfur over vanadium-bismuth oxide catalysts

The selective oxidation of hydrogen sulfide containing excess water and ammonia was studied over vanadium-bismuth mixed oxide catalysts. The investigation was focused on understanding the complex reaction steps and the roles of each metal oxide. Therefore, supported V₂O₅/TiO₂, V-Bi-O/TiO₂ catalysts and a mechanical mixture of V₂O₅ + Bi₂O₃ were tested in the reaction. Ammonia reacted either with H₂S or SO₂, produced from the oxidation of H₂S. Water vapor promoted the reaction of ammonia and SO₂. Strong synergistic phenomena in catalytic activity were observed for the mechanically mixed catalyst of V₂O₅ and Bi₂O₃. V-Bi-O/TiO₂ catalyst showed very high H₂S conversion without any considerable emission of SO₂. Temperature-programmed studies (TPR and TPO), XRD and Raman analyses revealed that the high catalytic performance of V-BiO/TiO₂ catalyst originated from the high redox capacity of the bismuth vanadate phase.     

Multiplex amplified product-length polymorphism analysis of 36 mitochondrial single-nucleotide polymorphisms for haplogrouping of East Asian populations

We present a reliable, rapid, and economical multiplex amplified product-length polymorphism (APLP) method for analyzing the haplogroup-diagnostic mitochondrial single-nucleotide polymorphisms (mtSNPs) in East Asian populations. By examining only 36 haplogroup-specific mtSNPs in the coding region by using four 9-multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequent electrophoresis, we could safely assign 1815 individuals from 8 populations of Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Germans to 45 relevant haplogroups. This multiplex APLP analysis of coding-region mtSNPs for haplogrouping is especially useful not only for molecular phylogenetic studies but also for large-scale association studies due to its rapid and economical nature. This is the first panel of mtSNPs in the coding region to be used for haplogrouping of East Asian populations.     

Application of two-stage biofilter system for the removal of odorous compounds

Biofiltration is a biological process which is considered to be one of the more successful examples of biotechnological applications to environmental engineering, and is most commonly used in the removal of odoriferous compounds. In this study, we have attempted to assess the efficiency with which both single and complex odoriferous compounds could be removed, using one- or two-stage biofiltration systems. The tested single odor gases, limonene, α-pinene, and iso-butyl alcohol, were separately evaluated in the biofilters. Both limonene and α-pinene were removed by 90% or more EC (elimination capacity), 364 g/m³/h and 321 g/m³/h, respectively, at an input concentration of 50 ppm and a retention time of 30 s. The iso-butyl alcohol was maintained with an effective removal yield of more than 90% (EC 375 g/m³/h) at an input concentration of 100 ppm. The complex gas removal scheme was applied with a 200 ppm inlet concentration of ethanol, 70 ppm of acetaldehyde, and 70 ppm of toluene with residence time of 45 s in a one- or two-stage biofiltration system. The removal yield of toluene was determined to be lower than that of the other gases in the one-stage biofilter. Otherwise, the complex gases were sufficiently eliminated by the two-stage biofiltration system.     

The predictive accuracy for estimating infinite dilution activity coefficients by γ∞-based UNIFAC

The predictive accuracy for estimating infinite dilution activity coefficients by a modification of the UNIFAC method wherein the group interaction parameters were based on only data (referred to as -based UNIFAC) has been studied. Estimates and measured values were compared for six prototypical solutes in a series of homologous n-alkanes, l-alcohols and alkanenitrile solvents. Despite the fact that the interaction parameters were derived using only data, this approach still gave serious errors due to several inherent problems in the original UNIFAC model. Its performance is sometimes even poorer than that of the original UNIFAC method. For example for nitromethane in alcohols and p-dioxane in nitriles values predicted by the -based UNIFAC are essentially zero. The large errors for these systems are most likely due to inaccurate interaction parameters in the -based UNIFAC method.