OH-terminated cyanopropyl silicones

Due to their high polarity and unique selectivity, cyanopropyl silicones are basic stationary phases for high resolution capillary gas chromatography. Different OH-terminated cyanopropyl silicones, containing a high cyanopropyl content, were synthesized and chromatographically evaluated. Special attention was paid to the degree of immobilization of the phases in FSOT columns. Depending on the problem at hand, a choice has to be made between immobilization and maximum selectivity.     

Microwave-assisted intramolecular [2 + 2] Allenic cycloaddition reaction for the rapid assembly of bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,6-dienes and bicyclo[5.2.0]nona-1,7-dienes

Microwave irradiation of alkynyl allenes affords an intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction. This cycloaddition provides an efficient route to bicyclomethylenecyclobutenes. The reaction occurs with complete regioselectivity for the distal double bond of the allene for the selective formation of a variety of hetero- and carbocyclic substrates. Bicyclo[4.2.0]octadienes and bicyclo[5.2.0]nonadienes have been prepared in high yield. [reaction: see text]     

Synthesis and structural characterization of new oxorhenium and oxotechnetium complexes with XN2S-tetradentate semi-rigid ligands (X = O, S, N)

Twelve novel oxo-technetium and oxo-rhenium complexes based on N2S2-, N2SO- or N3S-tetradentate semi-rigid ligands have been synthesised and studied herein. By reacting the ligands with a slight excess of suitable [MO]3+ precursor (ReOCl3(PPh3)2 or [NBu4][99gTcOCl4]), the monoanionic complexes of general formula [MO(Ph-XN2S)]- could be easily produced in high yield. The complexes have been characterized by means of IR, electrospray mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, NMR and conductimetry. The crystal structures of [PPh4][ReO(Ph-ON2S)] 1b and [NBu4][99gTcO(Ph-ON2S)] 1c have been established. The [MO]3+ moiety was coordinated via the two deprotonated amide nitrogens, the oxygen and the terminal sulfur atoms in 1b and 1c. In both compounds, the ON2S coordination set is in the equatorial plane, and the complexes adopted a distorted square-pyramidal geometry with an axial oxo-group. The chemical and structural identity of the different prototypic complexes (rhenium, 99gTc complexes and their corresponding 99mTc radiocomplexes) have been also established by a comparative HPLC study.     

Electrochemically switchable hydrogen-bonded molecular shuttles

A series of [2]rotaxanes containing succinamide and naphthalimide hydrogen-bonding stations for a benzylic amide macrocycle is described. Electrochemical reduction and oxidation of the naphthalimide group alters its ability to form hydrogen bonds to the macrocycle to such a degree that redox processes can be used to switch the relative macrocycle-binding affinities of the two stations in a rotaxane by over 8 orders of magnitude. The structure of the neutral [2]rotaxane in solution is established by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and shows that the macrocycle exhibits remarkable positional integrity for the succinamide station in a variety of solvents. Cyclic voltammetry experiments allow the simultaneous stimulation and observation of a redox-induced dynamic process in the rotaxane which is both reversible and cyclable. Model compounds in which various conformational and co-conformational changes are prohibited demonstrate unequivocally that the redox response is the result of shuttling of the macrocycle between the two stations. At room temperature in tetrahydrofuran the electrochemically induced movement of the macrocycle between the two stations takes approximately 50 micros.     

Cross-correlated relaxation enhanced 1H[bond]13C NMR spectroscopy of methyl groups in very high molecular weight proteins and protein complexes

A comparison of HSQC and HMQC pulse schemes for recording (1)H[bond](13)C correlation maps of protonated methyl groups in highly deuterated proteins is presented. It is shown that HMQC correlation maps can be as much as a factor of 3 more sensitive than their HSQC counterparts and that the sensitivity gains result from a TROSY effect that involves cancellation of intra-methyl dipolar relaxation interactions. (1)H[bond](13)C correlation spectra are recorded on U-[(15)N,(2)H], Ile delta 1-[(13)C,(1)H] samples of (i) malate synthase G, a 723 residue protein, at 37 and 5 degrees C, and of (ii) the protease ClpP, comprising 14 identical subunits, each with 193 residues (305 kDa), at 5 degrees C. The high quality of HMQC spectra obtained in short measuring times strongly suggests that methyl groups will be useful probes of structure and dynamics in supramolecular complexes.     

Evaluation of the use of consensus values in proficiency testing programmes

Proficiency testing (PT) is an essential tool used by laboratory accreditation bodies to assess the competency of laboratories. Because of limited resources of PT providers or for other reasons, the assigned reference value used in the calculation of z-score values has usually been derived from some sort of consensus value obtained by central tendency estimators such as the arithmetic mean or robust mean. However, if the assigned reference value deviates significantly from the ‘true value’ of the analyte in the test material, laboratories’ performance will be evaluated incorrectly. This paper evaluates the use of consensus values in proficiency testing programmes using the Monte Carlo simulation technique. The results indicated that the deviation of the assigned value from the true value could be as large as 40%, depending on the parameters of the proficiency testing programmes under investigation such as sample homogeneity, number of participant laboratories, concentration level, method precision and laboratory bias. To study how these parameters affect the degree of discrepancy between the consensus value and the true value, a fractional factorial design was also applied. The findings indicate that the number of participating laboratories and the distribution of laboratory bias were the prime two factors affecting the deviation of the consensus value from the true value.     

A novel MCR of isocyanates, aldehydes, and dienophiles

[reaction: see text] A novel one-pot procedure for the three-component coupling reaction of isocyanates, aldehydes, and dienophiles (IAD reaction) has been developed. Condensation of isocyanates and aldehydes and subsequent Diels-Alder reactions with electron-deficient dienophiles furnishes endo-selective amino-substituted cyclohexenes in good yield.     

A comparison of crystalline- and graft polymer-based chemosensors

Herein, we report a highly sensitive luminescent thin film chemosensor constructed out of a small-molecule donor/acceptor system. Two types of films were compared: one using a small-molecule crystalline donor/acceptor pair and the other using a donor-graft polymer/small-molecule acceptor pair. The acceptor selected for this proof of concept responds to acid, causing its absorption and emission bands to red-shift, which increases spectral overlap with the donor. This increase in overlap greatly enhances energy transfer from the acceptor to the donor. Signal amplification was ascertained by measuring the ratio of acceptor fluorescence when the donor was excited versus direct excitation of the acceptor. Both types of films exhibited large amplification. For the polymeric system, the mechanism of energy migration was investigated by the use of steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. The mechanism was determined to be dominated by an exciton-hopping process.     

Deuterium spin probes of side-chain dynamics in proteins. 2. Spectral density mapping and identification of nanosecond time-scale side-chain motions

In the previous paper in this issue we have demonstrated that it is possible to measure the five different relaxation rates of a deuteron in (13)CH(2)D methyl groups of (13)C-labeled, fractionally deuterated proteins. The extensive set of data acquired in these experiments provides an opportunity to investigate side-chain dynamics in proteins at a level of detail that heretofore was not possible. The data, acquired on the B1 domain of peptostreptococcal protein L, include 16 (9) relaxation measurements at 4 (2) different magnetic field strengths, 25 degrees C (5 degrees C). These data are shown to be self-consistent and are analyzed using a spectral density mapping procedure which allows extraction of values of the spectral density function at a number of frequencies with no assumptions about the underlying dynamics. Dynamics data from 31 of 35 methyls in the protein for which data could be obtained were well-fitted using the two-parameter Lipari-Szabo model (Lipari, G.; Szabo, A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1982, 104, 4546). The data from the remaining 4 methyls can be fitted using a three-parameter version of the Lipari-Szabo model that takes into account, in a simple manner, additional nanosecond time-scale local dynamics. This interpretation is supported by analysis of a molecular dynamics trajectory where spectral density profiles calculated for side-chain methyl sites reflect the influence of slower (nanosecond) time-scale motions involving jumps between rotameric wells. A discussion of the minimum number of relaxation measurements that are necessary to extract the full complement of dynamics information is presented along with an interpretation of the extracted dynamics parameters.     

Stereospecific NMR assignments of prochiral methyls, rotameric states and dynamics of valine residues in malate synthase G

Near complete stereospecific assignments of the prochiral methyl carbons of Leu and Val residues in malate synthase G, a 723 residue enzyme, are reported. Assignments were obtained on the basis of a 10% fractional (13)C-labeling strategy developed by Wüthrich and co-workers [Neri, D; Szyperski, T; Otting, G; Senn, H; Wüthrich, K. Biochemistry 1989, 28, 7510-7516] and, in the case of Val residues, supplemented with results from a series of new methyl-TROSY quantitative J experiments for measuring (3)J(C)(gamma)(N) and (3)J(C)(gamma)(C)' couplings. The measured (3)J couplings were also used to probe Val side chain dynamics. A strong correlation is observed between rotamer averaging established on the basis of the couplings and side chain millisecond time scale dynamics measured using methyl-TROSY based (1)H-(13)C multiple quantum relaxation dispersion experiments.