New approach to phosphinoalkynes based on Pd- and Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling of terminal alkynes with chlorophosphanes

[reaction: see text] The first example of direct phosphination of terminal alkynes with chlorophosphanes catalyzed by Ni or Pd complexes is described. Both aromatic and aliphatic terminal acetylenes undergo the coupling reaction to give corresponding coupling product in high yield.     

Controlled phase separations in solutions of soluble polyelectrolyte complex of DIVEMA (copolymer of divinyl ether and maleic anhydride)

Copolymer of divinyl ether and maleic anhydride (DIVEMA) is known to possess some anti-tumor and immune-stimulating activity and use as a drug carrier in anti-tumor drug delivery systems. Samples of DIVEMA of different degrees of polymerization were synthesized and characterized. Interaction of the hydrolyzed water-soluble DIVEMA polyanions with poly(N-ethyl-4-vinylpyridinium) cations (PEVP) has been studied. According to the potentiometry data, almost all carboxylic groups of the polyanions were able to form ion pairs with PEVP. In aqueous and water-salt solutions, formation of either soluble or insoluble polyelectrolyte complexes occurred depending on pH, ratio of the oppositely charged groups, and degree of polymerization of PEVP and/or DIVEMA. The phase separations followed general rules revealed by studying mixtures of PEVP and polycarboxylic acids. However in the case of DIVEMA, a significant broadening of the region for insoluble complexes at the expense of the region of soluble complexes was established. The data obtained demonstrate plausible advantages of the complex formation as the non-covalent modification of the polymeric carrier that endow DIVEMA with the ability for reversible soluble-insoluble transformation, in particular at physiological pH and ionic strength.     

Dual microband electrodes: current distributions and diffusion layer ‘titrations’. Implications for electroanalytical measurements

The simulation of transport to double microband electrodes in generator–collector mode is reported focusing especially on the ‘titration curve’ approach to electroanalysis in which a titrant is electrogenerated from a redox active precursor on the generator electrode and reacts homogeneously with the target analyte. The current on the detector electrode reflects the amount of titrant ‘surviving’ passage between the two electrodes. The form of the titration curve – plots of detector current as a function of generator current – is shown to be highly sensitive to the electrode kinetics of the redox couple driven at the generator electrode. Accordingly the naïve use of such methodology for analysis without accompanying simulation and kinetic analysis is fraught with danger. Use of the conformal mapping approach in combination with the ADI method for investigation of the ‘titration’ current distributions at the double band system gives fast and precise simulation of this and similar problems. Convergence analysis is described which allows for the automatic selection of the simulation grid size so as to obtain a chosen accuracy (for example 1%) of the current for all experimentally meaningful values of the geometrical and physico-chemical parameters of the system to be investigated.     

Eliminating positively charged lysine epsilon-NH3+ groups on the surface of carbonic anhydrase has no significant influence on its folding from sodium dodecyl sulfate

This study compares the folding of two polypeptides--bovine carbonic anhydrase (BCA) and peracetylated BCA (BCA-Ac(18))--having the same sequence of amino acids but differing by 18 formal units of charge, from a solution containing denaturing concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Acetylation of BCA with acetic anhydride converts all 18 lysine-epsilon-NH(3)(+) groups to lysine-epsilon-NHCOCH(3) groups and generates BCA-Ac(18). Both BCA and BCA-Ac(18) are catalytically active, and circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) suggests that they have similar secondary and tertiary structures. SDS at concentrations above approximately 10 mM denatured both proteins. When the SDS was removed by dialysis, both proteins were regenerated in native form. This study suggests that large differences in the net charge of the polypeptide have no significant influence on the structure, the ability to refold, or the rate of refolding of this protein from solutions containing SDS. This study reinforces the idea that charged residues on the surface of BCA do not guide protein folding and raises the broader question of why proteins have charged residues on their surface, outside of the region of the active site.     

Photodynamic activity of dibiotinylated aluminum sulfophthalocyanine in vitro and in vivo

The photodynamic activity of dibiotinylated aluminum sulfophthalocyanine was studied in vitro and in vivo. Dibiotinylated aluminum sulfophthalocyanine provided enhanced phototoxic action on OAT-75 cell monolayers as compared with the parent drug. Photodynamic therapy of mice with Ehrlich carcinoma using dibiotinylated aluminum sulfophthalocyanine (0.25 mg/kg) resulted in enhanced inhibition of tumor growth, pronounced vascular damage (thrombosis and destruction of vascular walls) and eventual tumor necrosis.     

Kinetic and mechanistic study of the quasiliving cationic polymerization of styrene with the 2-phenyl-2-propanol/AlCl3 · OBu2 initiating system

The cationic polymerization of styrene with the 2-phenyl-2-propanol (CumOH)/AlCl₃ · OBu₂ initiating system at various dibutyl ether concentrations in a mixture of 1,2-dichloroethane and n-hexane (55:45 v/v) at −15 °C was investigated. The experimental results showed that an increase in dibutyl ether concentration leads to a noticeable decrease in the polymerization rate as well as to the more controlled polymerization in terms of molecular weight (M_n) and molecular weight distribution (MWD) evolutions. The kinetic investigation revealed that the polymerization proceeds in two stages. The first stage is characterized by high polymerization rate and slow initiation relative to propagation. During this stage molecular weight decreases or does not change and MWD increases with conversion. In the second stage considerably slower quasiliving polymerization of styrene occurs. The quasiliving nature of the styrene polymerization by the CumOH/AlCl₃ · OBu₂ system is proved and mechanistic scheme of the polymerization is proposed.     

Oxidation of bridging groups by carboxylate coordinated ligands in palladium clusters

Thermolysis of tetranuclear palladium clusters Pd₄(-Q)₄ Pd₄(-Q)₄(-O₂CR)₄ (Q=CPh₂ or CO;R=Me, CMe₃, Ph, CH₂Cl or CF₃) has been found to involve innersphere oxidation of carbene or carbonyl ligands during which an oxygen atom transfer occurs from the carboxylate group to the carbene or carbonyl ligand. The thermolysis of the carbonyl clusters gives rise to the products of CO₂ insertion into the C–H bond of benzene or toluene used as solvents forming benzoic acid from benzene and a mixture of phenylacetic and toluic acids from toluene. The reaction of [Pd(OAc)₂(PPh₃)]₂ with HCO₂H includes the transfer of an O atom from formate ligand to the P atom and cleavage of the P-Ph bond accompanied by transfer of the Ph group from PPh₃ ligand to the palladium atom. The structure of the complex formed, [Pd(-O₂PPh₂)(C₆H₅)(PPh₃)]₂, has been resolved by X-ray analysis.     

Synthese und Kristallstruktur von Bis(1,2-dimethyl-5-nitro-imidazol)dichlorocobalt(II)

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Bis(1,2-dimetyl-5-nitro-imidazole)dichlorocobalt(II) Bis(1,2-dimethyl-5-nitro-imidazol)dichlorocobalt(II) was obtained by reaction of CoCl₂ · 6 H₂O with 1,2-dimethyl-5-nitro-imidazole in methanol. The compound forms blue crystals which were characterized by IR and UV-vis spectroscopy and by an X-ray crystal structure determination. Co(C₅H₇N₃O₂)₂Cl₂: tetragonal, space group I4 2d, Z = 8, a = 1142.1(1) pm, c = 2577.3(2) pm. R = 0.036 for 670 independent reflexions. The Co atom is tetrahedrally surrounded by two chlorine and two N atoms at distances of 222.8(2) and 203.5(4) pm.     

Synthesis and binding affinities of novel SRIF-mimicking beta-D-glucosides satisfying the requirement for a pi-cloud at C1

[reaction: see text] The synthesis of four bioactive analogues of the somatostatin (SRIF-14) mimetic, beta-d-glucoside (+)-2, in which the C1 indole side chain is replaced with indole surrogates, has been achieved. These congeners, possessing the naphthyl, benzothiophene, benzyl, and benzofuran substituents, were predicted to satisfy the electrostatic requirements of the tryptophan binding pocket of SRIF. Unlike the previously described C4 picolyl and pyrazinyl congeners, these ligands bind the hSST4 receptor.