Rational Design for Rotaxane Synthesis through Intramolecular Slippage: Control of Activation Energy by Rigid Axle Length

We describe a new concept for rotaxane synthesis through intramolecular slippage using π‐conjugated molecules as rigid axles linked with organic soluble and flexible permethylated α‐cyclodextrins (PM α‐CDs) as macrocycles. Through hydrophilic–hydrophobic interactions and flipping of PM α‐CDs, successful quantitative conversion into rotaxanes was achieved without covalent bond formation. The rotaxanes had high activation barrier for their de‐threading, so that they were kinetically isolated and derivatized even under conditions unfavorable for maintaining the rotaxane structures. ¹H NMR spectroscopy experiments clearly revealed that the restricted motion of the linked macrocycle with the rigid axle made it possible to control the kinetic stability by adjusting the length of the rigid axle in the precursor structure rather than the steric bulkiness of the stopper unit.     

A novel method for determination of inorganic oxyanions by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry using dehydration reactions

Novel methods for the determination of inorganic oxyanions by electrospray (ES) ionization mass spectrometry have been developed using dehydration reactions between oxyanions and carboxylic acids at the ES interface. Twelve oxyanions (VO₃^?, CrO₄^2?, MoO₄^2?, WO₄^2?, BO₃^3?, SiO₃^2?, SiO₄^4?, AsO₄^4?, AsO₂^?, SeO₄^2?, SeO₃^2? and NO₂^?), out of 16 tested, reacted with at least one of four aminopolycarboxylic acids, i.e. iminodiacetic acid (IDA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), trans‐1,2‐diaminocyclohexane‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetic acid and triethylenetetramine‐N,N,N′,N″,N′″,N′″‐hexaacetic acid, at the ES interface to produce the dehydration products that gave intense mass ion responses, sufficient for trace analysis. As examples, trace determinations of Cr^VI and silica in water samples were achieved after online ion exchange chromatography, where the dehydration product of CrO₄^2? and NTA (m/z 290) and that of SiO₄^4? and IDA (m/z 192) were measured. The limits of detection of the respective methods were 17 nM (0.83 ng Cr/ml) for Cr^VI and 0.17 μM (4.8 ng Si/mL) for SiO₄^4?. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Efficient biocatalysis for the production of enantiopure (S)-epoxides using a styrene monooxygenase (SMO) and Leifsonia alcohol dehydrogenase (LSADH) system

Herein we report the production of enantiopure epoxides through biocatalysis using recombinant Escherichia coli cells expressing Rhodococcus sp. ST-10 styrene monooxygenase (SMO) and Leifsonia sp. S749 alcohol dehydrogenase (LSADH) genes are described. Rhodococcus sp. ST-10 SMO catalyzed the epoxidation of various alkenes, including styrene derivatives, vinyl pyridines, and linear alkenes, to give (S)-epoxides. NADH was regenerated by the reduction of NAD⁺ by LSADH with 2-propanol. The E. coli biocatalyst was used in an aqueous/organic biphasic reaction system and the reaction conditions were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, 170 mM of (S)-styrene oxide was obtained from styrene in the organic phase with excellent enantiomeric excess (99.8%). This biocatalytic process was used to synthesize various (S)-epoxides.     

Critical values for higher rank numerical ranges associated with roulette curves

In this paper the critical value is determined for the higher rank numerical ranges of matrices associated with a parameter of roulette curves, for which the higher rank numerical range is a regular polygon for every parameter less than or equal to the critical value.