Facile synthesis of unsymmetrical benzotetrathiafulvalenes via cleavage of the corresponding hexathioorthooxalates

Unsymmetrical hexathioorthooxalates of types ($\text{1}$) and ($\text{2}$) undergo elimination of dialkyl disulfide on heating in an organic solvent; the reaction, which is catalyzed by acid, proceeds without fission of the central C:C bond and provides the first general, high yield synthesis of unsymmetrical benzotetrathiafulvalenes of types ($\text{3}$) and ($\text{4}$).     

Chemistry of the phenoxathiins and isosterically related heterocycles. XXII. 6,7,9-trimethyl-4-azaphenoxathiin: First reported synthesis of an analog of the 4-azaphenoxathiin ring system

The reaction of 2-chloro-3-thiocyanatopyridine with a substituted spiroepoxycyclohexadienone, which served as a masked phenol with reversed polarity, led to the first reported synthesis of an analog of the 4-azaphenoxathiin ring system. Confirmation of the structure was obtained from the assignment of the ¹³C-nmr spectrum.     

Complete curve fitting of extraction profiles for estimating uncertainties in recovery estimates

This paper reports the use of improved numerical approaches to modelling extraction profiles, and shows that the approach substantially reduces statistical prediction uncertainties compared to those obtained on the basis of a three-point extrapolation from the later part of the extraction curve. Numerical fitting of manually obtained polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon extraction data to a spherical particle diffusion model showed uncertainties typically reduced by a factor of three (with extremes at 1.02 and 770). Application to pressurised fluid extraction study of pelletised poly(vinylchloride) containing 30 mass% di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate also showed good improvements. However, this high precision data showed small but significant lack of fit resulting in residual correlation and visibly biased prediction (more so than simple extrapolation). Re-fitting and uncertainty estimation using a first-order autoregression approximation to the covariance matrix produced more realistic uncertainty estimates and closer parameter estimates and is accordingly recommended for treating residual correlation from other causes, but did not entirely alleviate the problem. Different shape models (spherical, plane sheet and cylindrical) were applied without accounting fully for fitting error, and particle size effects were eliminated by modelling a simple size distribution. However, an approximate model based on linearly concentration-dependent diffusion coefficient showed excellent fit, confirming concentration-dependence as the most likely cause. This semiempirical model led to an uncertainty in total extractable material, at 0.2% of the total extractable value (with allowance for correlation). This is potentially good enough for recovery estimation and correction in certification of reference materials for validation purposes.     

Effect of ion pairing on steady-state voltammetric limiting currents at microelectrodes Part I. Theoretical principles

Voltammetric studies in solutions of high resistivity are facilitated by the use of microelectrodes under steady-state conditions. Such solutions are encountered with solvents of low permittivity because of the very sparing solubility of electrolytes. Moreover, in such media the supporting electrolyte, as well as the electroactive ionic species, is usually extensively ion paired. Here we predict the limiting current that will flow in these circumstances, when a monovalent ion undergoes a one-electron transfer at a hemispherical microelectrode to form a neutral product. The ion pairing equilibria are assumed to be fast but all diffusion coefficients are treated as distinct. An analytical solution is elusive in the general case, but a simple numerical procedure allows the limiting current to be predicted for any combination of the system parameters. Several special cases are also discussed, some of which yield explicit formulae for the limiting current. In a companion paper, experimental data are compared with the theoretical predictions.     

Predicting the performance of molecularly imprinted polymers: Selective extraction of caffeine by molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction

A rational design approach was taken to the planning and synthesis of a molecularly imprinted polymer capable of extracting caffeine (the template molecule) from a standard solution of caffeine and further from a food sample containing caffeine. Data from NMR titration experiments in conjunction with a molecular modelling approach was used in predicting the relative ratios of template to functional monomer and furthermore determined both the choice of solvent (porogen) and the amount used for the study. In addition the molecular modelling program yielded information regarding the thermodynamic stability of the pre-polymerisation complex. Post-polymerisation analysis of the polymer itself by analysis of the pore size distribution by BET yielded significant information regarding the nature of the size and distribution of the pores within the polymer matrix. Here is proposed a stepwise procedure for the development and testing of a molecularly imprinted polymer using a well-studied compound—caffeine as a model system. It is shown that both the physical characteristics of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) and the analysis of the pre-polymerisation complex can yield vital information, which can predict how well a given MIP will perform.     

Clorobiocin biosynthesis in Streptomyces: identification of the halogenase and generation of structural analogs

Clorobiocin (clo) and novobiocin (nov) are potent inhibitors of bacterial DNA gyrase. The two substances differ in the substitution pattern at C-8' of the aminocoumarin ring, carrying a chlorine atom or a methyl group, respectively. By gene inactivation, clo-hal was identified as the gene of the halogenase responsible for the introduction of the chlorine atom of clorobiocin. Inactivation of cloZ did not affect clorobiocin formation, showing that this ORF is not essential for clorobiocin biosynthesis. Expression of the methyltransferase gene novO in the clo-hal(-) mutant led to the very efficient formation of a hybrid antibiotic containing a methyl group instead of a chlorine atom at C-8'. Comparison of the antibacterial activity of clorobiocin analogs with -Cl, -H, or -CH(3) at C-8' showed that chlorine leads to 8-fold higher activity than hydrogen and to 2-fold higher activity than a methyl group.     

Study of the ESI-mass spectrometry ionization mechanism of Fischer carbene complexes

By means of deuterium-labeling experiments, we have carried out a systematic ESI-MS study to determine the mechanism of ESI ionization of alkenyl and alkynyl group 6 Fischer carbene complexes. These compounds can be ionized under ESI conditions only in the presence of additives such as hydroquinone (HQ) or tetrathiafulvalene (TTF). Our results demonstrate that in the ESI source an anion-radical is formed after the initial HQ- or TTF-mediated electron transfer to the metallic carbene complex. For alkenyl carbene complexes, this species evolves by extrusion of a hydrogen radical to form an allenylchromium anion that is detected as the [M - H](-) ion in the mass spectrum. The preference for this mechanistic pathway could be rationalized by DFT calculations. In the case of alkynyl carbene complexes, experiments combining deuterated substrate, additive, and solvent demonstrate that the previously proposed allene-anion carbene complex is not formed. Instead, the H transfer from the ethoxy group in the anion radical, followed by extrusion of a hydrogen radical, leads to an allenyl anion that is detected in the ESI-MS as [M - H - CO](-).     

The LOV2 domain of phototropin: a reversible photochromic switch

Light, oxygen, or voltage (LOV) domains constitute a new class of photoreceptor proteins that are sensitive to blue light through a noncovalently bound flavin chromophore. Blue-light absorption by the LOV2 domain initiates a photochemical reaction that results in formation of a long-lived covalent adduct between a cysteine and the flavin cofactor. We have applied ultrafast spectroscopy on the photoaccumulated covalent adduct state of LOV2 and find that, upon absorption of a near-UV photon by the adduct state, the covalent bond between the flavin and the cysteine is broken and the blue-light-sensitive ground state is regained on an ultrafast time scale of 100 ps. We thus demonstrate that the LOV2 domain is a reversible photochromic switch, which can be activated by blue light and deactivated by near-UV light.     

First Synthesis of 3-Mercapto-2(1H)-pyridinone, a Simple Disubstituted Pyridine Useful for Synthesis of the 4-Azaphenoxathiine Ring System and Its Novel Diazaphenoxathiine Analogs: 1,6-Diazaphenoxathiine and 2,6-Diazaphenoxathiine(1)

3-Mercapto-2(1H)-pyridinone (1) can be synthesized in three simple high-yielding steps from readily available 2-tert-butylthiazolo[4,5-b]pyridine (2). Its disodium salt condenses with o-chloronitrobenzene, 2-chloro-3-nitropyridine, and 3-chloro-4-nitropyridine 1-oxide to give respectively 4-azaphenoxathiine (10), 1,6-diazaphenoxathiine (12), and 2,6-diazaphenoxathiine 2-oxide (14) which reduces to 2,6-diazaphenoxathiine (15). The structures of these previously unreported azaphenoxathiine systems were confirmed by assignment of their respective (13)C NMR spectra.