Immobilized lectin columns: useful tools for the fractionation and structural analysis of oligosaccharides.

Elucidation of the binding specificity of a concanavalin A-Sepharose column led to the possibility of the affinity chromatography of oligosaccharides and glycopeptides with the use of immobilized lectin columns. Subsequent addition of immobilized erythroagglutinating phytohaemagglutinin, Aleuria aurantia lectin, Datura stramonium agglutinin, Ricinus communis agglutinin and Allomyrina dichotoma agglutinin to the range of well characterized lectin columns has afforded a way to fractionate a mixture of N-linked oligosaccharides even to a single component.     

Indium triflate-catalyzed vinylation of beta-ketoesters with acetylene gas

[reaction: see text]. An In(OTf)(3)-catalyzed addition of a beta-ketoester to acetylene in the presence of molecular sieves produces a alpha-vinylated ketoester in good to excellent yield. The vinylation reaction proceeds without any loss of elements in starting molecules under solvent-free conditions and allows the use of welding-grade acetylene, providing a practical method for synthetic utilization of acetylene gas.     

Interpretation of structure formation during the sol-gel transition of a resorcinol-formaldehyde solution by population balance

Growth of colloidal particles formed during the sol-gel transition of a resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) solution was simulated based on the population balance equation by using the discrete-sectional model (DSM). During the early stage of the sol-gel transition, the transient change of sizes of colloidal particles estimated by this method agreed well with the previous experimental observation by dynamic light scattering (DLS), which confirmed the influence of the catalyst concentration of a starting RF solution on the growth rate of the particles. From the size distribution of colloidal particles predicted at the gelation time, the surface area of a RF hydrogel after the completion of the sol-gel transition was estimated, which coincided with the BET surface area of a RF aerogel because the porous structure of a hydrogel was maintained and few micropores were formed during supercritical drying.     

Stark and Zeeman spectroscopies of 4f 66s6p 7G1-6 levels in Sm I under external electric and magnetic fields

Systematic study of hyperfine structures, Zeeman and Stark effects in Sm I is performed for the lowest ⁷G_1-6 levels belonging to the configuration 4f ⁶6s6p by atomic-beam laser spectroscopy with fluorescence detection. The hyperfine coupling constants of ⁷G_2-6 levels are determined. From the Zeeman splittings for the 4f ⁶6s ^{2 7}F_2-6 ? 4f ⁶6s6p ⁷G_2-6 transitions, g-values are determined for the ⁷G_2.6 levels and the precision is improved by several orders of magnitude. From the Stark splittings for the ⁷F_0-3 ? ⁷G_1-3 transitions, tensor polarizabilities α ₂(J) are determined for the upper ⁷G_1-3 levels. Particularly for the ⁷G₁ level (15 650.55 cm^?1) which has close-lying opposite-parity level, the isotope dependence of α ₂(J) is clearly observed for the first time.     

Liquid-liquid extraction of copper (I) and copper (II) as ion-paired complexes with acyclic 2-thienyl-containing polythioether and triphenylmethane dye anion

Three acyclic polythioethers containing 2-thienyl units at both ends were synthesized and the effect of substituent on the extraction of copper(II) was studied. The methyl groups in the terminal thiophene ring have imparted an appreciable degree of increase in the percent extraction of copper(II), while the introduction of chlorine atoms into the 2-thienyl unit resulted in the reverse effect. Among the counter dye anions examined, tetrabromophenolphthalein ethylester was the best one for copper(II) extraction. The composition of extracted species was evaluated to be 122 (Cu(II)/polythioether/dye anion). Quantitative extraction of copper(I) was attained as complexes with various triphenylmethane dyes, i.e., bromocresol green, bromothymol blue, bromo-phenol blue and pyrogallol red. Copper(I) in organic phase was completely back-extracted with 2 mole/l sulfuric acid containing 10% hydrogen peroxide.     

Key aspects of crystalline Mo-V-O-based catalysts active in the selective oxidation of propane

Mo-V-O-based complex metal oxide catalysts were synthesized hydrothermally for the first time, characterized structurally and tested in the selective oxidation of propane to acrylic acid, and the results obtained were compared on the basis of catalyst crystal structures in order to clarify key aspects of alkane selective oxidation over multifunctional metal oxide catalysts. The catalysts tested were black solids of rod-shaped crystals, which had a layer structure in the direction of fiber axis and various high dimensional arrangements of metal octahedra in the cross-section plane. A strong dependency on the octahedra arrangements and a facet dependency were observed, and the roles of metal elements in the course of selective oxidation of propane were clarified by comparing the catalytic performance of various Mo-V-O-based catalysts. We discuss the multi-functional character derived from high dimensional structures of the catalysts and mechanism of the selective oxidation of propane.     

Transformation of indole alkaloids—I : Conversion of oxindole alkaloids into indole alkaloids

Chemical conversion of some natural oxindoles (pteropodine, isopteropodine and isorhynchophylline) into the corresponding indole alkaloids has been made by way of a sequence of reactions which include formation of iminoethers of the natural oxindoles with Meerwein's reagent, reduction of the iminoethers to 2,3-seco-indoles and cyclization of 2,3-seco-indoles to the desired natural indole alkaloids. Sodium borohydride in acetic acid was found to be a specific reagent for the reduction of oxindole-iminoethers to 2,3-seco-indoles which were the key intermediates in these transformations. Yohimbine-oxindole iminoether was similarly converted to yohimbine and pseudoyohimbine. A number of by-products were obtained and their structures were elucidated.