MECHANISM OF PHOTOOXYGENATION OF THE CD (II) COMPLEX OF PYROPHEOPHORBIDE A METHYL ESTER

Photooxygenation of (pyropheophorbidato a methyl ester)cadmium (II) was studied using ^18,18O₂ labeling of the molecular oxygen required for cleavage of the macrocycle. After reductive demetallation of the primary oxidation product (4,5-dioxo-4,5-secopyropheophorbidato a methyl ester)cadmium (II), the isotope content of formylbilinone 4a was analyzed by repeated-scan fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Comparison of the spectroscopic data of the labeled pigment 4a with the statistical probabilities of¹⁸ O isotope incorporation calculated for four possible reaction mechanisms clearly proves that photooxidative ring cleavage occurred by the one-molecule mechanism, i.e. the terminal oxygen atoms of 4a were derived from one oxygen molecule. Furthermore, a study of the exchange of the¹⁸ O-labeled atoms revealed that no exchange occurs within the pH 4.5–9.5 range. In stronger alkaline or acidic solutions, only the oxygen atom of the formyl group is exchanged. Hydrolysis of the methyl ester group of 4a was achieved, without loss of the¹⁸ O label on the formyl group, at pH 7.2 in the presence of pig liver esterase.     

Synthesis of coumarins by ring-closing metathesis using Grubbs’ catalyst

A novel generally applicable synthesis of coumarins from phenolic substrates utilizing ring-closing metathesis is described. This sequence involves O-allylation of phenols followed by ortho-Claisen rearrangement, subsequent based-induced isomerization affording 2-(1-propenyl)phenols, acylation with acryloyl chloride, and finally ring-closing metathesis (RCM) with Grubbs’ second generation catalyst.     

Synthesis and properties of allenic natural products and pharmaceuticals

Nowadays, about 150 natural products comprising an allenic or cumulenic structure are known. The chemistry of these compounds has turned out to be a very attractive and prolific area of interest: advances in the isolation and characterization of new allenic natural products have led to the establishment of efficient synthetic procedures which in many cases also open up an access to enantiomerically pure target molecules. Inspired by the intriguing biological activities of many allenic natural products, allene moieties are now systematically introduced in pharmacologically active classes of compounds (steroids, prostaglandins, amino acids, nucleosides). The functionalized allenes thus obtained often exhibit impressive activities as mechanism-based enzyme inhibitors, cytotoxic, or antiviral agents. A prerequisite for further developments in this field is the efficient stereoselective synthesis of allene derivatives.     

Evaluation of a passive sampler for airborne formaldehyde

Summary A diffusive sampler for the large scale routine determination of airborne formaldehyde was developed. Formaldehyde is sampled in a badge-type passive sampler containing a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine-coated filter paper as sampling layer. Formaldehyde is immediately converted to the corresponding hydrazone, which, after desorption with acetonitrile, is separated and quantified by gradient HPLC using UV detection at 345 nm. Calibration was done via an active sampling method and showed an excellent, time- and concentration-independent linear performance of the diffusive samplers. A detection limit of about 0.05 ml/m³·h (ppm·h) and a relative standard deviation of about 10% ensured a good analytical reliability. By testing the influence of air movements at the sampler surface, a minimum air velocity of 10 cm/s was found necessary to ensure representative sampling.     

Correlating second harmonic optical responses of single Ag nanoparticles with morphology

Femtosecond laser excited second harmonic (SH) activity from single Ag nanoparticles is reported. A correlation of SH single-particle measurements with high-resolution imaging of particle morphology by TEM was achieved by creating position markers on an optical and electron transparent substrate (Si3N4 thin film, approximately 100 nm). We compared the SH activity of single Ag nanoparticles (nanospheres versus nanorods) and cluster structures (composed of two or multiple particles, e.g., dimers and trimers). The direct correlation of single-particle structures and SH activity, spectral and power dependence, strongly suggests one-photon resonant driven nonlinear oscillator response mechanism.     

Kraftfeldrechnungen an linearen Oligopyrrolen: 2,2′-Bipyrrol, 2,2′-Furylpyrrol und Prodigiosen

Using a specific force field model, relative stabilities of 2,2-bipyrrole and 2,2-furylpyrrole conformers as well as of prodigiosene tautomers, configurations, and conformations, are studied. 2,2-Bipyrrole adopts anantiperiplanar conformation in accord with other theoretical calculations and experimental findings. Its rotational barrier calculated by this method compares favourably to the one derived by other means. For the parent prodigiosene the (Z)sp,sp arrangement is found to be the most stable one. The two possible tautomers within its dipyrrin fragment do not show a significant energy difference.

     

Organoaluminium and -gallium compounds with N,N-diisopropylaminomethyl groups

The N,N-diisopropylaminomethyl aluminium compound [tBu2AlCH2NiPr2 x LiCl]2(1) and the gallium compounds Li[tBu2Ga(CH2NiPr2)2](2) and [tBu2GaCH2N(H)iPr2]Cl x tBu3Ga (3) were prepared by transmetallation of N,N-diisopropylaminomethyllithium LiCH2NiPr2 with di-tert-butylaluminium or -gallium chloride, and characterised by elemental analyses, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, 27Al, 7Li) and IR spectroscopy. The crystal structures have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound aggregates as a centrosymmetric dimer, with two Al-C-N units connected by a frame of two LiCl molecules [Al-Cl 2.367(1), Cl-Li 2.339(4) and 2.374(4), Li-N 1.977(4)A]. Compound 2 is a lithium organogallate with two weak LiN bonds [1.965(7) and 1.937(7)A]. Compound 3 contains two different moieties: tBu3Ga and a [tBu2GaCH2N(H)iPr2]+ cation, which are bridged by a Cl- anion [Ga-Cl 2.445(1) and 2.579(1), HCl 2.362(3)A].