Reversible collapse of brushlike macromolecules in ethanol and water vapours as revealed by real-time scanning force microscopy

Environment-controlled scanning force microscopy allowed us to study adsorption and desorption of single poly(methacrylate)-graft-poly(n-butyl acrylate) brush molecules on mica in real time. The molecules transform reversibly from a two-dimensional, extended wormlike state to a compact globular state. The dynamics of the conformational transition was sufficiently slow in order to allow its observation by scanning force microscope in real time. The reversible transformation is effected by coadsorption of water or ethanol, the latter introduces the collapse. Adsorbing ethanol and water from the vapour atmosphere results in a change of the surface properties of mica, either favouring adsorption or desorption of the graft polymer. When the extended, tightly adsorbed poly(n-butyl acrylate) brush molecules are exposed to ethanol vapour, the macromolecules swell and contract to form compact globules. Exchanging the ethanol vapour to a humid atmosphere caused the molecules to extend again to a wormlike two-dimensional conformation. Coexistence of collapsed and extended strands within the same molecule indicates a single-molecule first-order transition in agreement with observations on Langmuir films previously reported.     

Liquid exclusion-adsorption chromatography: a new technique for isocratic separation of non-ionic surfactants. V. Two-dimensional separation of fatty acid polyglycol ethers

Fatty acid polyglycol esters can be fully characterized using two-dimensional liquid chromatography with liquid chromatography under critical conditions (LCCC) as the first and liquid exclusion-adsorption chromatography (LEAC) as the second dimension. LEAC is run under isocratic conditions, which allows the use of the refractive index detector, and thus accurate quantitation. Fractions from LCCC are transferred to LEAC using the full adsorption-desorption technique, by which they are focussed and reconcentrated before injection into the second dimension. This is achieved by increasing the water content of the mobile phase behind the LCCC column. Monoester oligomers of up to 20 oxyethylene units can be resolved to the baseline. Diester oligomers are partially separated in the first dimension (LCCC).     

Design of cerebellar and nontegmental rhombencephalic microvascular bed in the sterlet, Acipenser ruthenus: a scanning electron microscope and 3D morphometry study of vascular corrosion casts.

The design of the microvasculature of cerebellum and nontegmental rhombencephalic areas was studied in eight adult Acipenser ruthenus L. by scanning electron microscopy of vascular corrosion casts and three-dimensional morphometry. Gross vascularization was described and diameters and total branching angles of parent and daughter vessels of randomly selected arterial and capillary bifurcations (respectively, venous mergings) were measured. With diameters ranging from 15.9 +/- 1.9 microm (cerebellum; mean +/- S.D.) to 15.9 +/- 1.7 mm (nontegmental rhombencephalon; mean +/- S.D.) capillaries in Acipenser were significantly (p > or = .05) smaller than in cyclostomes (18-20 microm) but significantly thicker than in higher vertebrates and men (6-8 microm). With the exception of the area ratio beta (i.e., sum of squared daugther diameters divided by squared diameter of parent vessel) of the venular mergings in the nontegmental rhombencephalon, no significant differences (p > or = .05) existed between the two brain areas. Data showed that arteriolar and capillary bifurcations and venular mergings are optimally designed in respect to diameters of parent vessel to daughter vessels and to branching (merging) angles. Quantitative data are discussed both in respect to methodical pitfalls and the optimality principles possibly underlying the design of vascular bifurcations/mergings in selected brain areas of a nonteleost primitive actinopterygian fish.     

Geometry and cooperativity effects in adenosine-carboxylic acid complexes

NMR experiments and theoretical investigations were performed on hydrogen bonded complexes of specifically 1- and 7-15N-labeled adenine nucleosides with carboxylic acids. By employing a freonic solvent of CDClF2 and CDF3, NMR spectra were acquired at temperatures as low as 123 K, where the regime of slow hydrogen bond exchange is reached and several higher-order complexes were found to coexist in solution. Unlike acetic acid, chloroacetic acid forms Watson-Crick complexes with the proton largely displaced from oxygen to the nitrogen acceptor in an ion pairing structure. Calculated geometries and chemical shifts of the proton in the hydrogen bridge favorably agree with experimentally determined values if vibrational averaging and solvent effects are taken into account. The results indicate that binding a second acidic ligand at the adenine Hoogsteen site in a ternary complex weakens the hydrogen bond to the Watson-Crick bound carboxylic acid. However, substituting a second adenine nucleobase for a carboxylic acid in the trimolecular complex leads to cooperative binding at Watson-Crick and Hoogsteen faces of adenosine.     

Halogenaustausch an Re3-Clustern: Ein neuer Syntheseweg für binäre und ternäre Rhenium(III)-bromide. Kristallstrukturen von Cs2[Re3Br11] und Cs3[Re3Br3Cl9]

Halogen Exchange at Re₃-Clusters: A New Synthetic Route to Binary and Ternary Rhenium(III) Bromides. Crystal Structures of Cs₂[Re₃Br₁₁] and Cs₃[Re₃Br₃Cl₉] The substitution of “inner” ligands in transition metal clusters in aqueous HX solutions is hitherto unknown. For the first time the substitution of bridging and terminal chloride for bromide ions was observed at rhenium clusters, [Re₃(μ-Cl^i,b)₃(Cl)(Cl^i,t)_(3?x)(H₂O^i,t)_x]^(3?x)? (x = 0–3), via the reaction of “ReCl₃ · 2 H₂O” in hot hydrobromic acid solution under an inert gas atmosphere. This establishes a new synthetic route to ternary Re(III) bromides as well as to ReBr₃. However, ternary Re(IV) bromides, A₂ReBr₆ (A = Rb, Cs), are dominating in the presence of oxygen, rhenium(III) bromides are only by-products. Dark brown rods of Cs₂[Re₃Br₁₁] are obtained from argon saturated, hot hydrobromic acid solutions of “ReCl₃ · 2 H₂O” and CsBr. The crystal structure (orthorhombic, Pnma (Nr. 62); a = 955.51(5); b = 1 610.29(10); c = 1 372.70(9); Z = 4; V_m = 318.0(2) cm³mol^?1; R = 0.084, R_w = 0.058) consists of defect clusters [Re₃BrBrBr□^i,t]^2? in which one in plane, terminal position is not occupied. The substitution of “inner” ligands has been observed in the case of chloride for bromide only, the Br^i,b and I^i,b ligands in ReBr₃ and ReI₃, respectively, are not substituted in hydrochloric acid even at temperatures as high as 100°C. Bordeaux red square pyramids of CsReBrCl₃ = Cs₃[Re₃(μ-Br^i,b)₃ClCl] are obtained from hot hydrochloric acid solutions of ReBr₃ · 2/3 H₂O upon evaporation. CsReBrCl₃ (orthorhombic, C2cm (Nr. 40); a = 1 419.0(1); b = 1 419.2(1); c = 1 080.30(8) pm; Z = 4; V_m = 327.6(3) cm³mol^?1; R = 0.033, R_w = 0.028) is isostructural to the corresponding chloride CsReCl₄.     

RuCl3/CeCl3/NaIO4: a new bimetallic oxidation system for the mild and efficient dihydroxylation of unreactive olefins

[reaction: see text] The catalytic dihydroxylation of olefins represents a unique synthetic tool for the generation of two C,O-bonds with defined relative configuration. Whereas OsO(4) has been established as a very general dihydroxylation catalyst within the past 30 years, the less expensive and toxic isoelectronic RuO(4) has found only limited use for this type of oxygen-transfer reaction. High catalyst loading and undesired side reactions were severe drawbacks in RuO(4)-catalyzed oxidations of C,C-double bonds. Recently, we were able to improve the RuO(4)-catalyzed dihydroxylation by addition of Bronsted acids to the reaction mixture. This protocol proved to be of general applicability, however, certain limitations were observed. To address these problematic functional groups a new Lewis acid accelerated oxidation was developed. The use of only 10 mol % of CeCl(3) allowed a further decrease in the catalyst concentration down to 0.25 mol % while broadening the scope of the reaction. Silyl ethers and nitrogen containing functional groups are now tolerated in this optimized protocol. Furthermore, competing scission reactions are supressed in the presence of Lewis acid allowing longer reaction times and the successful oxidation of electron-deficient tetrasubstituted double bonds that cannot be oxidized using known dihydroxylation protocols.     

Complex formation of vanadium(IV) with 1,3,5-triamino-1,3,5-trideoxy-cis-inositol and related ligands

The complex formation of vanadium(IV) with 1,3,5-triamino-1,3,5-trideoxy-cis-inositol (taci) and 1,3,5-trideoxy-1,3,5-tris(dimethylamino)-cis-inositol (tdci) was studied in aqueous solution and in the solid state. The formation constants of [V(IV)O(taci)](2+), [V(IV)O(tdci)](2+), and [V(IV)(tdci)(2)](4+) and of the deprotonation product [V(IV)(tdci)(2)H(-)(1)](3+) were determined (25 degrees C, 0.1 M KNO(3)). Cyclic voltammetry measurements established a reversible one-electron transfer for the [V(IV)(tdci)(2)H(-)(m)]((4)(-)(m))/[V(III)(tdci)(2)H(-)(n)]((3)(-)(n)) couple (0 相似文献   

Synthesis and crystal structure of cyclopentadienyl(1,4-dimethyl-1,4-dibora-2,5-cyclohexadiene)cobalt

The synthesis of the organometallic derivative cyclopentadienyl(1,4-dimethyl-1,4-diboracyclohexa-2,5-diene)cobalt is described. This complex, [(CH₃BC₄H₄BCH₃)Co(η-C₅H₅)], forms red-oranged monoclinic crystals, space group P2₁/a with Z = 4 in a unit cell of dimensions a 11.362(7), b, 7.467(7), c 13.290(12) Å, β 103.76(6)°. The structure has been elucidated by heavy-atom methods from 1732 reflections (I > 2σ(I)) measured on a Syntex P2₁ four-circle diffractometer and refined to R = 0.055. In the coordination complex all six atoms of the cyclohexadiene ring are within bonding distance of the metal atom, but the two boron atoms bend away from the metal atom, and the ring elongates slightly in the B---B direction. As a standard of comparison the known geometry of the free ligand [1,4-difluoro-1,4-dibora-2,3,5,6-tetramethylcyclohexa-2,5-diene] is used. The terminal methyl groups on the boron atoms, by contrast, bend slightly back towards the metal atom. The cyclopentadienyl ring remains planar but is positionally disordered.     

Production of Hemicellulose- and Cellulose-Degrading enzymes by various strains ofSclerotium Rolfsii

A number of wild-type isolates ofSclerotium rolfsii were screened for their capacity to produce lignocellulolytic enzymes when grown on a cellulose-based medium.S. rolfsii proved to be an efficient producer of hemicellulolytic enzymes under the conditions selected for this screening, although there was a great variability in enzyme activities formed by the different isolates. In addition to xylanase and mannanase, which were produced in remarkably high levels, a number of accessory enzymes, which are important for the complete degradation of substituted hemicelluloses and include a-arabinosidase, acetyl esterase, and a-galactosidase, are formed byS. rolfsii. Efficient production of xylanase and mannanase was achieved when cellulose-based media were used for growth. Under these conditions, enhanced levels of endoglucanase were formed as well. Formation of xylanase and mannanase could be more specifically induced when using xylan or mannan as growth substrates, although the enzyme activities thus obtained were significantly lower compared to cultivations on cellulose as main inducing substrate.

     

Cyclodextrin- and sugar-derivatives as stationary phases for the gas chromatography of semivolatiles

Cyclodextrins as cyclic hexa-() to octa-() saccharides are widely and successfully used after esterification or etherification as stationary phases in gas chromatography for the separation of chiral compounds. Their basic potential as thermostable stationary phases as such or after derivatisation offers a unique spectrum of interactions ranging from hydrogen bonding to shape selectivity. Similar properties as thermostable stationary phases are shown by long-chain saccharide ethers (chain-length C8–C20), which are normally used as non-ionic detergents.