Vaporization thermodynamics of thorium tetrafluoride

The thermal decomposition kinetics of Pr₂(SO₄)₃ to Pr₂O₂SO₄ have been studied by isothermal weight change determination. The reaction was found to obey a linear law up to α = 0.5; beyond α = 0.5 it could be described as a phase-boundary controlled process. A dependence of the activation energy upon the sample weight was observed. The changes in surface area and density which occur during the decomposition are also given.     

Phonon spectroscopy of photochemical reactions in organic solids: Photodimerization of 2,6-dimethyl-p-benzoquinone

The Raman phonon spectroscopic study shows that the photodimerization of 2,6-dimethyl-p-benzoquinone. In the solid state is initially a homogeneous reaction but later becomes heterogeneous as the product accumulates. The Ion-temperature electronic absorption spectrum reveals that the reaction is phonon assisted by a polaron formed due to a strong electron- phonon coupling in the cxcited ¹nπ^* state.     

Synthesis of 2-aryl-4-hydroxy-5-thio substituted 1,3-thiazin-6-ones via sulfenylation of 2-aryl-4-hydroxy-[1,3]thiazin-6-ones with sulfenyl chlorides

A series of 2-aryl-4-hydroxy-5-thio substituted 1,3-thiazin-6-ones were synthesized for human immunodeficiency virus-1 protease inhibition. These compounds were synthesized by the treatment of 4-hydroxy-5-thio substituted-1,3-thiazin-6-ones with the corresponding sulfenyl chlorides. The products were obtained in good isolated yields, inspite of the presence of bulkyl substitutents at the ortho position of phenyl sulfenyl chloride portion.     

Synthèse de céphalosporine-lactones

Condensation of azetidinones 2a and 2b with mercaptan 3 gave respectively compound 10 or a 1:1 mixture of 17 and 17 ′. Bromination of 10 , afforded cis and trans-bromohydrins 13a and of 17 and 17 ′ cis and trans-bromohydrins 18a . Acetylation and reduction with zinc and acetic acid of these bromohydrins gave cephems 4a or 4b and 4b ′ respectively.     

Electrolytic destruction of organic matter in urine

A novel electrolytic method has been developed for destroying organic matter in urine. A combination of potassium permanganate, sulfuric acid and nitric acid has yielded about 99% destruction in initial organic content of urine within two hours when electrolysis is carried out with an applied voltage of about 2.5 V, while maintaining a current density of 8.23 mA/cm² at 373 K.     

Determination of enterostatin in human cerebrospinal fluid by capillary electrophoresis with laser induced fluorescence detection

A capillary electrophoresis (CE) method with laser induced fluorescence (LIF) detection is described for quantification of enterostatin (Val-Pro-Asp-Pro-Arg), a pentapeptide involved in appetite regulation and insulin secretion. Enterostatin and two other pentapeptides belonging to the enterostatin family (i.e. Ala-Pro-Gly-Pro-Arg and Val-Pro-Gly-Pro-Arg) were well separated from each other. The peptides were fluorescently tagged with naphthalene-2,3- dicarboxaldehyde (NDA) and separated by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) in the presence of methanol as an organic modifier. Coupled with LIF detection, the method had a detection limit of 4.8 x 10(-6) M for enterostatin. The relative standard deviation was to be 4.0% from five determinations of enterostatin at 37.2 microM in a human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample. Twenty-three human CSF samples were analyzed. The level of enterostatin ranged from 24 microM to 51 microM with a mean (+/- SEM) value of 41.7 +/- 2.0 microM.     

Acidity of a Cu-bound histidine in the binuclear center of cytochrome C oxidase

Cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) is a crucial enzyme in the respiratory chain. Its function is to couple the reduction of molecular oxygen, which takes place in the Fea3-CuB binuclear center, to proton translocation across the mitochondrial membrane. Although several high-resolution structures of the enzyme are known, the molecular basis of proton pumping activation and its mechanism remain to be elucidated. We examine a recently proposed scheme (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 1858; FEBS Lett. 2004, 566, 126) that involves the deprotonation of the CuB-bound imidazole ring of a histidine (H291 in mammalian CcO) as a key element in the proton pumping mechanism. The central feature of that proposed mechanism is that the pKa values of the imidazole vary significantly depending on the redox state of the metals in the binuclear center. We use density functional theory in combination with continuum electrostatics to calculate the pKa values, successively in bulk water and within the protein, of the Cu-bound imidazole in various Cu- and Cu-Fe complexes. From pKas in bulk water, we derived a value of -266.34 kcal.mol(-1) for the proton solvation free energy (Delta). This estimate is in close agreement with the experimental value of -264.61 kcal.mol(-1) (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 7314), which reinforces the conclusion that Delta is more negative than previous values used for pKa calculations. Our approach, on the basis of the study of increasingly more detailed models of the CcO binuclear center at different stages of the catalysis, allows us to examine successively the effect of each of the two metals' redox states and of solvation on the acidity of imidazole, whose pKa is approximately 14 in bulk water. This analysis leads to the following conclusions: first, the effect of Cu ligation on the imidazole acidity is negligible regardless of the redox state of the metal. Second, results obtained for Cu-Fe complexes in bulk water indicate that Cu-bound imidazole pKa values lie within the range of 14.8-16.6 throughout binuclear redox states corresponding to the catalytic cycle, demonstrating that the effect of the Fe oxidation states is also negligible. Finally, the low-dielectric CcO proteic environment shifts the acid-base equilibrium toward a neutral imidazole, further increasing the corresponding pKa values. These results are inconsistent with the proposed role of the Cu-bound histidine as a key element in the pumping mechanism. Limitations of continuum solvation models in pKa calculations are discussed.     

The application of "click chemistry" for the decoration of 2(1H)-pyrazinone scaffold: generation of templates

The "click chemistry" approach has been explored on the 2-(1H)-pyrazinone scaffold for the generation of pharmacologically interesting heterocyclic moieties. Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition has been evaluated as the key step for the construction of the 1,2,3-triazole ring at the C-3 position of 2-(1H)-pyrazinones. Two different pathways have been successfully evaluated: (1) via C-C or C-O linkage of the acetylenic part to the C-3 position of the 2-(1H)-pyrazinone scaffold or (2) via azide introduction in the C-3 position. The subsequent application of "click chemistry" resulted in the formation of hitherto unknown skeletons. Microwave irradiation has successfully been applied in different steps of the sequence.     

Stability of lyophobic sols

The coagulation of positively charged sol of hydrous ferric oxide of different average sizes for potassium sulphate has been studied in the presence of glucose and urea which stabilise the sol. The degree of stabilisation increases with the fineness of dispersed particles. It has been concluded that the adhesive tendency of the surface of dispersed particles decreases in the presence of said non-electrolytes leading to a decrease in the frequency of collisions resulting in stabilisation. The stability ratioW increases in the presence of glucose and urea for the same amount of the coagulant.

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Zusammenfassung Die Koagulation positiv geladener Sole von wäßrigem Ferrioxid verschiedener mittlerer Partikelgrößen mit Kaliumsulfat wird in Gegenwart von Glykose und Harnstoff, die beide das Sol stabilisieren, untersucht. Der Grad der Stabilisierung hängt von der Teilchengröße ab. Es wird geschlossen, daß die Adhäsionstendenz der Oberflächen der dispergierten Partikel in Gegenwart besagter Nichtelektrolyte abnimmt und so zur Abnahme der Kollisionshäufigkeit und damit zur Stabilisierung führt. Das StabilisierungsverhältnisW wächst in Anwesenheit von Glykose und Harnstoff für gleiche Beträge des Koagulators.

     

Hydrophobicity dependence of oxidation of tetrapeptides of elastin sequences with Mn(III): Synthesis,characterization, kinetics,and mechanistic study

The analogues of elastin sequences, glycyl‐glycyl‐alanyl‐proline (GGAP), glycyl‐glycyl‐phenylalanyl‐proline (GGFP), and glycyl‐glycyl‐isoleucyl‐proline (GGIP) were synthesized by classical solution phase method and characterized. The kinetics of oxidation of these tetrapeptides (TETP) by Mn(III) has been studied in the presence of sulphate ions in acidic solution at 25°C. The reaction was followed spectrophotometrically at λ_max = 500 nm. A first‐order dependence of rate on both [Mn(III)] and [TETP] was observed. The rate is independent of the concentration of the reduction product, Mn(II), and hydrogen ions. The effects of varying the dielectric constant of the medium and addition of anions such as sulphate, chloride, or perchlorate were studied. Activation parameters have been evaluated using Arrhenius and Erying plots. The oxidation products were isolated and characterized. A mechanism involving the reaction of TETP with Mn(III) in the rate‐limiting step is suggested. An apparent correlation was noted between the rate of oxidation and the hydrophobicity of these sequences, where increased hydrophobicity results in increased rate of oxidation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 39–48, 2002