Infrared spectra of Cs3CoCl5

The infrared spectra, transmittance, and polarized reflectance of Cs₃CoCl₅ are reported. The group theoretical analysis was executed and a vibrational assignment proposed on the basis of D_4h symmetry. Factor group and site effects are discussed.     

The reactant state for substrate-activated turnover of acetylthiocholine by butyrylcholinesterase is a tetrahedral intermediate

Secondary beta-deuterium kinetic isotope effects have been measured as a function of substrate concentration for recombinant human butyrylcholinesterase-catalyzed hydrolysis of acetyl-L3-thiocholine (L = 1H or 2H). The isotope effect on V/K is inverse, D3V/K = 0.93 +/- 0.03, which is consistent with conversion of the sp2 hybridized carbonyl carbon of the scissile ester bond of the E + A reactant state to a quasi-tetrahedral structure in the acylation transition state. In contrast, the isotope effect on Vmax under conditions of substrate activation is markedly normal, D3(betaVmax) = 1.29 +/- 0.06, an observation that is consistent with accumulation of a tetrahedral intermediate as the reactant state for catalytic turnover. Generally, tetrahedral intermediates for nonenzymatic ester hydrolyses are high-energy steady-state intermediates. Apparently, butyrylcholinesterase displays an unusual ability to stabilize such intermediates. Hence, the catalytic power of cholinesterases can largely be understood in terms of their ability to stabilize tetrahedral intermediates in the multistep reaction mechanism.     

The Electronic Structure of Vinyl Ethers and Sulfides with Interrupted Conjugation Examined by Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to examine the consequences of steric inhibition of conjugation in a distorted vinyl sulfide and vinyl ether. Based upon the degree of interaction a deviation from coplanarity of 70°–75° is calculated for 9-oxabicyclo[3.3.1]non-1-ene ( 3 ) and approximately 75°–80° for the sulfur analog 6 .     

Fabrication of polyelectrolyte multilayer films comprising nanoblended layers

Polyelectrolyte multilayer thin films were prepared via the alternate deposition of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and a blend of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS). When the pH of the blend solution was 3.5, the presence of PAA in this solution significantly increased the total film thickness. With only 10 wt % PAA in the blend adsorption solution, a large increase in film thickness was observed (92 nm cf. 18 nm). It was also demonstrated that the total amount of PSS adsorbed was enhanced by the presence of PAA in the blend solution, showing that the blend solution composition influenced that of the multilayer films. Thin films prepared with nanoblended layers also showed improved pH stability, because they exhibited reduced film rearrangement upon exposure to acidic conditions (pH = 2.5).     

Research Note

Formulas are derived for consistent evaluation of permutationally totally symmetric and determinantally antisymmetric powers of generalized combinations in which irreducible representations may occur with either positive or negative weights.     

On the Dynamics of

We investigate the existence of unbounded solutions and the period-two convergence of solutions of the equation in the title with the parameter γ positive, the remaining parameters nonnegative, and with nonnegative initial conditions.     

Synthesis of melicodenines C,D and E

A synthesis of the unusual cyclobutane-quinolinone alkaloids melicodenines C, D and E by intermolecular [2+2] cycloaddition is described.