Furopyridines. XXXI. Birch reduction of furopyridines

Birch reduction of four furopyridines 1a‐d effected the characteristic cleavage of the furan ring, giving ethnylpyridinols 2a‐d , vinylpyridinols 3b,d , and ethylpyridinols 4a‐d , and the reduction of the furan ring, giving dihydrofuropyridine 5c,d.     

In VivoLongitudinally Detected ESR Measurements at Microwave Regions of 300, 700, and 900 MHz in Rats Treated with a Nitroxide Radical

A signal detector of longitudinally detected ESR (LODESR) is independent of the resonant frequency. We developed anin vivoLODESR spectrometer operating in the regions of 300, 700, and 900 MHz. Using this apparatus, we estimated signal intensities at different operating frequencies obtained from non- or high-dielectric loss phantoms that contained nitroxide radical solutions and from live rats that had received a nitroxide radical. Our result, higher signal intensities in the high-dielectric loss samples (such as physiological saline solution and animals) at a lower frequency, shows that the influence of a decrease in dielectric loss dominates over the signal reduction caused by smaller Zeeman splitting. We believe that this finding strongly supports anin vivoESR resonant frequency that tends to be low.     

Cyclic flow-injection analysis for the repetitive determination of zinc with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-[N-n-propyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl)amino]phenol and EDTA.

A circulatory flow-injection method (cyclic FIA) for the repetitive determination of zinc has been proposed. The procedure involves the use of 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-[N-n-propyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl)amino]phenol (5-Br-PAPS) together with EDTA as a reagent carrier solution, which is recycled in a single-line flow system via a reservoir. The formed 5-Br-PAPS-Zn(II) complex was measured spectrophotometrically at 552 nm, and the signal intensity corresponded to the zinc concentration. After passing through a flow-through cell, the carrier stream then returned to the reservoir, and the main reagent, 5-Br-PAPS, was successfully regenerated by a ligand-exchange reaction with EDTA, allowing the repetitive determination of zinc. The calibration curve for zinc was linear in the concentration range from 0.4 to 10.0 mg dm(-3) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9995 (n = 6). The detection limit of this method was 0.02 mg dm(-3) (S/N= 3). This method allowed as many as 300 repetitive determinations of 2.0 mg dm(-3) zinc solution with only 100 cm3 of the circulating carrier solution, providing a reduction in the consumption of reagents and an elimination of waste, an important approach towards clean chemistry.     

Parametric analysis of lugged wheel performance for a lunar microrover by means of DEM

The purpose of this study was to develop a numerical tool to simulate the performance of lugged wheels designed for a lunar microrover. The performance was analyzed using a Discrete Element Method (DEM) whose accuracy was validated for interactions between lugged wheels and soil. DEM analysis indicated that, on flat horizontal lunar surfaces, wheels with 18 10-mm-high lugs would provide less net traction than would wheels with 36 5-mm-high lugs.     

Simultaneous Determination of Imidazole Amino Acids, Aromatic Amino Acids, and Creatinine by Dual-Mode Gradient HPLC Using a Low-Capacity Sulfo-Functionalized Poly(Ethylstyrene-Divinylbenzene) Resin Column

This paper presents a low-capacity cation-exchange chromatography method for the analysis of UV-absorbing dipeptides and amino acids. A newly marketed low-capacity cation-exchange column packed with sulfo-functionalized highly cross-linked macroreticular poly(ethylstyrene-divinylbenzene) copolymer was used for the simultaneous determination of imidazole amino acids, aromatic amino acids, and creatinine in urine samples. A dual-mode binary gradient chromatography method was established using two solvents, A: 15 mM H₃PO₄/5 mM ethylenediamine and B: 15 mM H₃PO₄/5 mM ethylenediamine/40 (v/v) % CH₃CN at 40 °C, with an optimized time program for changing the delivery ratio of A/B and the flow rate. Good chromatograms were obtained within an acceptable cycle time of 25 min. The quantification data were satisfactory for all analytes, showing the relative standard deviations (RSD) of retention times between 0.08 and 1.68 %; RSDs of area intensities between 0.23 and 2.60 %; and linear regression lines with r ² more than 0.9994. The method could determine the creatinine ratios of the diagnostic markers on the single chromatographic run, which enabled to discriminate disease from health. For example, the creatinine ratios for phenylketonuria were significantly higher than those for controls. The method can provide highly cost-efficient information or useful knowledge for clinical and pharmaceutical studies.     

Cobalt oxide supported gold nanoparticles as a stable and readily-prepared precursor for the in situ generation of cobalt carbonyl like species

A treatment of cobalt oxide supported gold nanoparticles (Au/Co₃O₄) under syngas atmosphere effectively generated a cobalt carbonyl-like active species in the reaction vessel. The preparation of Au/Co₃O₄ was quite simple and the in situ generated cobalt species could be used as a stable and easy handling alternative for dicobalt octacarbonyl without bothersome purification prior to use. The reactions, which are sensitive to the purity of the dicobalt octacarbonyl, such as the alkoxycarbonylation of epoxides and the Pauson-Khand reaction, smoothly progressed with Au/Co₃O₄.     

Synthesis of hollow CaCO3 nanospheres templated by micelles of poly(styrene-b-acrylic acid-b-ethylene glycol) in aqueous solutions

An asymmetric triblock copolymer, poly(styrene-b-acrylic acid-b-ethylene glycol) (PS-b-PAA-b-PEG), was synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer controlled radical polymerization. Micelles of PS-b-PAA-b-PEG with PS core, PAA shell, and PEG corona were then prepared in aqueous solutions, followed by extensive characterization based on dynamic light scattering, zeta-potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. The well-characterized micelles were used to fabricate hollow nanospheres of CaCO(3) as a template. It was elucidated from TEM measurements that the hollow nanospheres have a uniform size with cavity diameters of ca. 20 nm. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a high purity and crystallinity of the hollow nanospheres. The hollow CaCO(3) nanospheres thus obtained have been used for the controlled release of an anti-inflammatory drug, naproxen. The significance of this study is that we have overcome a previous difficulty in the synthesis of hollow CaCO(3) nanospheres. After mixing of Ca(2+) and CO(3)(2-) ions, the growth of CaCO(3) is generally quite rapid to induce large crystal, which prevented us from obtaining hollow CaCO(3) nanospheres with controlled structure. However, we could solve this issue by using micelles of PS-b-PAA-b-PEG as a template. The PS core acts as a template that can be removed to form a cavity of hollow CaCO(3) nanospheres, the PAA shell is beneficial for arresting Ca(2+) ions to produce CaCO(3), and the PEG corona stabilizes the CaCO(3)/micelle nanocomposite to prevent secondary aggregate formation.