O-(N-succinimidyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluronium tetrafluoroborate-N-hydroxysuccinimide-CuCl2: a facile and reliable system for racemization-free coupling of peptides having a carboxy-terminal N-methylamino acid

Simultaneous use of N-hydroxysuccinimide (HOSu) and CuCl2 with a HOSu-based uronium coupling reagent, O-(N-succinimidyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluronium tetrafluoroborate, has been found to eliminate the racemization of the carboxy-terminal N-methylamino acid residue during the segment condensation.     

Stereoselective reduction of bicyclic acetals. A method for reductive generation of heterocyclic ring systems

A new synthetic process for the construction of oxygen-containing heterocyclic systems starting from bicyclic acetals is described.     

Effect of ultraviolet irradiation on the antitumor activity of bleomycin.

The effect of bleomycin (BLM) on the growth of the tumor, murine B16 melanoma, implanted onto the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryo was examined. The inhibition ratio of BLM was about 30% at 3 micrograms/egg. This inhibitory effect of BLM on the growth of the tumor was enhanced by an appropriate dose of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The inhibition ratios of BLM irradiated for 10, 30 and 60 min were in order of about 50, 30 and 30% at 3 micrograms/egg. However, when these BLMs pretreated with 1 mM 1,2-benzenediol (catechol) were administrated, the inhibition ratios of BLM irradiated for 0, 10, 30 and 60 min were about 30, 20, 10 and 10%, respectively. On the other hand, the direct cytotoxicity of BLM to cultured murine B16 melanoma cells was depressed with UV irradiation and its toxic activity was further decreased by treatment with catechol after irradiation. These findings show that, although the antitumor activity of BLM is enhanced by UV irradiation, the activity of UV-irradiated BLM is inhibited by catechol. Moreover, it seems to show that the present results may provide a useful manner for the in vivo activation of BLM.     

Preparation of visible-light-responsive TiO2-xNx photocatalyst by a sol-gel method: analysis of the active center on TiO2 that reacts with NH3

Active reaction centers for ammonia on titanium oxyhydroxide were explored to direct the search for an efficient sol-gel method for the synthesis of a titanium oxynitride (TiO2-xNx) sample with an efficient responsiveness to the visible light constituting a main part of the solar spectrum. The results lead to the conclusion that the site giving IR bands at around 2195 cm(-1) for the adsorbed CO molecules at 300 K is a reactive site and behaves as Lewis acid site in the coordination environment of distorted five-coordinate Ti4+ ions. Ammonia molecules are adsorbed on such a site to form -NH2 and -OH species during the heat treatments at a temperature above 373 K, and they are ultimately incorporated into the TiO2 lattice as nitride through the dehydration at higher temperatures of up to 723 K, resulting in the formation of an anatase type of TiO2-xNx.     

Formic acid reduction—XVII : Kinetic studies on the formic acid reduction of N-benzylideneaniline

The formic acid reduction of azomethine which has been reported² to proceed nearly quantitatively by the use of the formate reagent, 5HCO₂H·2NEt₃, was kinetically investigated by the carbon dioxide trapping and UV spectroscopic methods, using N-benzylideneaniline as a representative. Rate data gave the rate equation, v = (k + k′ [NEt₃])[N-benzylideneaniline][HCO₂H], indicating two-path mechanism. By the technique of using deuterated formic acids, it was found that the hydrogen bound to the carbon of formic acid is transferred as hydride to the carbon of the CN double bond in the rate determining step. The reaction is facilitated by the electron-releasing substituents of the two benzene rings of N-benzylideneaniline. On the bases of these results a possible mechanism is proposed.     

Total synthesis of prostaglandin F2alpha using nickel-catalyzed stereoselective cyclization of 1,3-diene and tethered aldehyde via transmetalation of nickelacycle with diisobutylaluminum acetylacetonate

Total synthesis of prostaglandin F2alpha utilizing a nickel(0)-catalyzed cyclization of 1,3-diene and tethered aldehyde was achieved. The cyclization proceeded via a transmetalation of nickelacycle with diisobutylaluminum acetylacetonate (iBu2-ALAC). Thus, the reaction of 19, having a side chain corresponding to the alpha-chain in PGF2alpha with Ni(cod)2 (10 mol %), PPh3 (20 mol %), and 1,3-cyclohexadiene (25 mol %) in the presence of iBu2-ALAC (1.5 eq) proceeded stereoselectively to give the cyclized product 26 in 54% yield. During the cyclization of 19, the Z-olefin at C-5 in the side chain completely retained its geometry, and the four contiguous chiral carbon centers in PGF2alpha were stereoselectively constructed. Transformation of the key intermediate 19 into PGF2alpha was successfully achieved.     

Application of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with pendent β-cyclodextrin to separation of a guest substance in an aqueous solution

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with pendent β-cyclodextrin (PNI-PAAm-CD) was prepared by copolymerization of acryloyl-β-CD and NIPAAm. During the temperature-induced phase separation of an aqueous solution of PNIPAAm-CD, Toluidine Blue dye in the solution was separated into the precipitate of PNIPAAm-CD by way of inclusion complex formation.     

Rapid speciation analysis of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection

A simple and rapid method is developed for the simultaneous determination of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) based on the formation of their different complexes with ammonium pyrrolidine-dithiocarbamate (APDC). Separation is performed using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV detection. The conditions for complex formation and speciation are determined, such as solution pH, amount of APDC, temperature, and type of mobile phase. In order to substantially reduce the analysis time, the separation is carried out without extraction of chromium-APDC complexes from the mother liquor. Under the optimum analysis conditions, the chromatograms obtained show good peak separation, and the absolute detection limits (3s) are 2.2 microg/L for Cr(VI) and 4.5 microg/L for Cr(III). The calibration curves are linear from 3 to 5000 microg/L for Cr(VI) and 5 to 3000 microg/L for Cr(III). The relative standard deviations of peak areas in five measurements using a sample solution of 200 microg/L are less than 2% for Cr(VI) and 4% for Cr(III), indicating good reproducibility for this analytical method. Furthermore, simultaneous determination of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) is successful with the application of the proposed procedure in the synthetic wastewaters containing common heavy metal ions: Fe(III), Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II).