Synthesis of pyrroloazepines. Facile synthesis of 2-substituted pyrrole derivatives by the phosgene method

A highly convenient method for the synthesis of 2-substituted pyrrole derivatives 7a-c from pyrrole using phosgene was developed. Successively, 7-methyl-6,7-dihydro-1H,5H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]azepine-4,8-dione 1a and 6,7-dihydro-1H,5H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]azepine-4,8-dione 1b (aldisin) were synthesized by phosphorus pentoxide/methanesulfonate and polyphosphoric acid cyclization.     

Quenched auto-ligating DNAs: multicolor identification of nucleic acids at single nucleotide resolution

We describe the synthesis and study of multicolor quenched autoligating (QUAL) probes for identification and discrimination of closely related RNA and DNA sequences in solution and in bacteria. In these probes, a dabsyl quencher doubles as an activator in the oligonucleotide-joining reaction. The oligonucleotides remain dark until they bind at adjacent sites, and "light up" on nucleophilic displacement of the dabsyl probe by the phosphorothioate probe. Four fluorescent dye conjugates were prepared and tested with probes and targets that differ by one nucleotide. Experiments on polymer beads show clear color-based discrimination of DNAs added in solution. Two-color quenched probe pairs were then tested in the discrimination of 16S rRNA sequences in Escherichia coli. Single nucleotide resolution was achieved in the cells with green/red QUAL probes, allowing identification of a one-base sequencing error in the 16S rRNA database. Finally, QUAL probes were successfully applied in live bacterial cells. The method requires only incubation followed by fluorescence imaging, and requires no enzymes, added reagents, cross-linking, fixing, or washes. Because probes must bind side-by-side to generate signal, there is little or no interference from unintended protein binding, which can occur with other probe types. The results suggest that QUAL probes may be of general use in the detection and identification of sequences in solution, on microarrays, and in microorganisms.     

Successive determination of copper and iron by a flow injection-catalytic photometric method using a serial flow cell.

A flow injection-catalytic spectrophotometric method using a serial flow cell was proposed for the successive determination of trace amounts of copper and iron. This method is based on the oxidation coupling of p-anisidine with N,N-dimethylaniline in the presence of hydrogen peroxide to form a dye, which has an absorption maximum at 740 nm. In this indicator reaction, ligands such as 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and diphosphate were achieved to improve the sensitivity and selectivity. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the determinable ranges were 0.05-5 ppb for copper and 0.5 - 100 ppb for iron, respectively. The RSDs (n = 10) were 0.78% for 0.5 ppb copper(II) and 0.5% for 200 ppb iron(III). The sample throughput was 30 h(-1). The present flow-injection method was applied to the determination of copper and iron in standard river water, tap water, and other natural water samples, and also to the analysis of labile and inert complexes in synthesized samples containing humic acid with copper(II) or iron(III).     

Oriented and low‐density tin dioxide film by sol–gel mineralizing tin‐contained hydroxypropyl cellulose lyotropic liquid crystal for laser‐induced extreme ultraviolet emission

A series of tin‐doped hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) lyotropic liquid crystal (LC) was synthesized using a simple process and their properties were characterized using selective reflection, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and the band texture observed under polarized optical microscope. The present preparation is applicable for mass production using large substrate with low cost HPC. A cholesteric lyotropic LC phase was observed for the hybrid solution with higher than 40 wt % HPC. After sol–gel condensation, the HPC‐Sn hybrid LC films were calcined at 400 °C and the as‐prepared product was determined to obtain tin dioxide (SnO₂) which was characterized using WAXD. The iridescent color and ～2 nm structure seen after the condensation disappeared in the as‐prepared SnO₂. Scanning electronic microscope images of the SnO₂ showed that the HPC content in the HPC‐Sn hybrid played an important role in controlling the SnO₂ morphology. A spectrum of relatively monochromatic extreme ultraviolet (13.5 nm) emission was measured in the as‐prepared SnO₂ in comparison with bulk tin and inverse opal SnO₂. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4566–4576, 2009     

Rapid detection of ketamine and norketamine in rat hair using micropulverized extraction and ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A new method for the rapid and simultaneous detection of ketamine and its major metabolite, norketamine, in rat hair has been developed by combining micropulverized extraction and ultraperformance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. By using reversed‐phase UPLC, ketamine and norketamine were well separated within 2 min. Using ketamine‐dosed rat hair, the conditions for micropulverized extraction were optimized, and the limits of detection and quantification of the developed method were found to be 1.7 and 5.7 pg/mg hair for ketamine, respectively. The precisions achieved with this method were slightly better than that obtained with conventional acidic methanol extraction method. Using this proposed method, analysis of the washed rat hair could be completed within 16–17 min. This method is expected to be applied for the analysis of the hair samples of not only rats but also ketamine abusers. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of a simultaneous measurement system of x‐ray diffraction and raman spectra: Application to structural study of crystalline‐phase transitions of chain molecules

The development of a bench‐top‐type system for simultaneous measurement of X‐ray diffraction and Raman spectra has been made to investigate structural changes in the phase transitions of chain molecules such as polyethylene, n‐alkane, and so forth from various viewpoints. For the X‐ray diffraction measurement an imaging plate or a charge‐coupled device camera was used as a two‐dimensional detector. For the Raman spectral measurement a miniature Raman spectrometer was used with optical fibers for the irradiation of incident laser beams and collection of scattered signals. For example, in the heating process of the n‐C₃₀H₆₂ sample, the phase transition from orthorhombic‐to‐hexagonal lattices could be detected clearly by the X‐ray and Raman measurements. By comparing these two different types of data in detail, an intimate relationship between conformational disordering and rotational motion of molecular chains is detected more clearly than before. Also, similar discussion can be made for the orthorhombic‐to‐hexagonal phase transition of the geometrically constrained polyethylene sample occurring immediately below the melting point. Another example concerns the structural change in the photoinduced solid‐state polymerization of cis,cis‐diethylmuconate single crystal. From the shifts in the X‐ray reflection position and Raman frequency characteristic of the produced polymer, it was found that the molecular deformation of the polymer chains and lattice strain was induced in the early stage of the polymerization reaction. For the ferroelectric‐phase transition of vinylidene fluoride copolymer, the simultaneous measurement was made for collecting triple information of small‐angle and wide‐angle X‐ray scatterings and Raman spectra to know the relationship between the structural change in the crystal lattice and the morphological change in the lamellar stacking mode. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 495–506, 2002; DOI 10.1002/polb.10112     

Mimocin,a new isoquinolinequinone antibiotic

A new isoquinolinequinone antibiotic, mimocin(2), has been isolated from the strain of Streptomyces lavendulae. The structure of mimocin has been deduced from mass and PMR spectral data and confirmed by its synthesis.     

Coexistence of two different anion states in polyacene nanocluster anions

Two types of anion states are shown to coexist in nanometer-scale polyacene cluster anions. Naphthalene and anthracene nanoclusters having a single excess electron were produced in the gas-phase. Photoelectron spectra of size-selected cluster anions containing 2 to 100 molecules revealed that rigid "crystal-like" cluster anions emerge, greater than approximately 2 nanometers in size, and coexist with the "disordered" cluster anion in which the surrounding neutral molecules are reorganizing around the charge core. These two anion states appear to be correlated to negative polaronic states formed in the corresponding crystals.