A concept for bifocal contact‐ or intraocular lenses: liquid single crystal hydrogels (“LSCH”)

The synthesis of liquid single crystal hydrogels (“LSCH”) in suitable molds offers an innovative concept to realize bifocal contact‐ or intraocular‐lenses. LSCH combine the properties required for applications as bifocal ophthalmic lenses: the soft and water‐containing hydrogel enables oxygen permeation and exhibits high birefringence due to the liquid crystalline phase structure built up by rigid rod‐like amphiphiles. Via a photo‐initiated crosslinking reaction of aqueous solutions of monomeric lyotropic liquid crystalline amphiphiles in the macroscopically ordered liquid crystalline state, we obtain optically uniaxially ordered and transparent LSCH. The orientation process and the phase structure of the anisotropic hydrogel is analyzed by deuterium NMR‐spectroscopy. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Syntheses and characterizations of poly[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate]–poly(propylene oxide)–poly[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] ABA triblock copolymers

A novel, near‐monodisperse, well‐defined ABA triblock copolymer, poly[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate]‐b‐poly(propylene oxide)‐b‐poly[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate], was synthesized via oxyanion‐initiated polymerization. The initiator was a telechelic‐type potassium alcoholate prepared from poly(propylene glycol) and KH in dry tetrahydrofuran. The copolymers produced were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, ¹H NMR, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). GPC and ¹H NMR analyses showed that the products obtained were the desired copolymers, with narrow molecular weight distributions (ca. 1.09–1.11) very close to that of the original poly(propylene glycol). ¹H NMR, surface tension measurements, and dynamic light scattering all indicated that the triblock copolymer led to interesting aqueous solution behaviors, including temperature‐induced micellization and very high surface activity. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 624–631, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10144     

Tirucallane Triterpenoid Saponins from Munronia delavayi Franch

Four new tirucallane triterpenoid saponins, named munronosides I–IV ( 2 – 5 ), along with three known triterpenoids, sapelin B ( 1 ), melianodiol, and (3β)‐22,23‐epoxytirucall‐7‐ene‐3,24,25‐triol, were isolated from the EtOH extract of the whole plants of Munronia delavayi Franch by chromatographic methods. On the basis of spectroscopic evidences, the structures of 2 – 5 were elucidated as (20S,23R,24S)‐21,25‐epoxy‐29‐{{O‐β‐d‐ glucopyranosyl‐(1→3)‐O‐[α‐l‐ rhamnopyranosyl‐(1→6)]‐β‐d‐ glucopyranosyl}oxy}‐23,24‐dihydroxytirucall‐7‐ene‐3,21‐dione ( 2 ), (3β,20S,23R,24S)‐21,25‐epoxy‐29‐{{O‐β‐d‐ glucopyranosyl‐(1→3)‐O‐[α‐l‐ rhamnopyranosyl‐(1→6)]‐β‐d‐ glucopyranosyl}oxy}‐3,23,24‐trihydroxytirucall‐7‐en‐21‐one ( 3 ), (20S,23R,24S)‐24‐(acetyloxy)‐21,25‐epoxy‐29‐{{O‐β‐d‐ glucopyranosyl‐(1→3)‐O‐[α‐l‐ rhamnopyranosyl‐(1→6)]‐β‐d‐ glucopyranosyl}oxy}‐23‐hydroxytirucall‐7‐ene‐3,21‐dione ( 4 ), and (3β,20S,23R,24S)‐24‐(acetyloxy)‐21,25‐epoxy‐29‐{{O‐β‐d‐ glucopyranosyl‐(1→3)‐O‐[α‐l‐ rhamnopyranosyl‐(1→6)]‐β‐d‐ glucopyranosyl}oxy}‐3,23‐dihydroxytirucall‐7‐en‐21‐one ( 5 ).     

A potent and highly selective sulfotransferase inhibitor

In the present work, we have used a newly developed, fluorescence-based assay to screen a library of >30 000 compounds as potential beta-arylsulfotransferase-IV inhibitors. A total of 11 inhibitors were discovered. Most of the compounds discovered showed low micromolar inhibition, but one of the compounds showed potent inhibition (Ki = 96 nM). The most potent of these inhibitors was tested against a variety of other purine binding enzymes and showed remarkable specificity.     

Synthesis of end‐functionalized poly(methyl methacrylate) by ruthenium‐catalyzed living radical polymerization with functionalized initiators

A series of functionalized 2‐bromoisobutyrates and 2‐chloro‐2‐phenylacetates led to α‐end‐functionalized poly(methyl methacrylate)s in Ru(II)‐catalyzed living radical polymerization; the terminal functions included amine, hydroxyl, and amide. These initiators were effective in the presence of additives such as Al(Oi‐Pr)₃ and n‐Bu₃N. The chlorophenylacetate initiators especially coupled with the amine additive gave polymers with well‐controlled molecular weights (M_w/M_n = 1.2–1.3) and high end functionality (F_n ～ 1.0). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1937–1944, 2002     

1‐[(5‐tert‐Butyl‐2‐hydroxy­phen­yl)­imino­meth­yl]‐2‐napthol

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C₂₁H₂₁NO₂, strong N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds exist. The keto–amine form is favoured over the enol–imine form in the tautomerism. Six‐membered chelate rings formed by intra­molecular hydrogen bonds increase the stability of the whole mol­ecule. Inter­molecular hydrogen bonds link adjacent units together, forming an infinite one‐dimensional chain parallel to the a axis.     

A dimer of α‐ and β‐dihydro­arte­misinin: bis­(3,6,9‐trimethyl‐3,12‐epidioxy‐3,4,5,5a,6,7,8,8a,9,10‐deca­hydro‐12H‐pyrano[4,3‐j][1,2]­benzo­dioxepin‐10‐yl) ether

The title compound, C₃₀H₄₆O₉, prepared from a mixture of α‐ and β‐dihydro­artemisinin, has α‐ and β‐arteether moieties linked via an –O– bridge, so that the mol­ecule is asymmetric about the bridge. The endoperoxide bridges of the parent compounds have been retained in each half of the ether‐bridged dimer. The rings exhibit chair and twist–boat conformations.     

DNA recognition interfaces: the influence of interfacial design on the efficiency and kinetics of hybridization

The effect of the surface chemistry of DNA recognition interfaces on DNA hybridization at a gold surface was investigated using both electrochemistry and the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique. Different DNA recognition interfaces were prepared using a two-component self-assembled monolayer consisting of thiolated 20-mer probe single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) containing either a 3'-mercaptopropyl or a 3'-mercaptohexyl linker group and an alcohol-terminated diluent layer with 2-, 6-, or 11-carbon length. The influence of the interfacial design on the hybridization efficiency, the affinity constant (Ka) describing hybridization, and the kinetics of hybridization was assessed. It was found that the further the DNA was above the surface defined by the diluent layer the higher the hybridization efficiency and Ka. The kinetics of DNA hybridization was assessed using both a QCM and an electrochemical approach to ascertain the influence of the interface on both the initial binding of target DNA to the surface and the formation of a complete duplex. These measurements showed that the length of the diluent layer has a large impact on the time taken to form a perfect duplex but no impact on the initial recognition of the target DNA by the immobilized probe DNA.     

The Synthesis of Some New N‐[1‐(2,5‐Dichlorophenyl)‐5‐Methyl‐1,2,3‐Triazol‐4‐yl]‐Carbamic Acid Ester Derivatives

The synthesis of some new N‐[1‐(2,5‐dichlorophenyl)‐5‐methyl‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl]‐carbamic acid ester derivatives are reported in this paper. The yielded products 6a‐l were confirmed by Elemental analyses, NMR, MS, and IR spectra.     

Iron‐catalyzed living radical polymerization of acrylates: Iodide‐based initiating systems and block and random copolymerizations

A half‐metallocene iron iodide complex [Fe(Cp)I(CO)₂] induced living radical polymerization of methyl acrylate (MA) in conjunction with an iodide initiator [(CH₃)₂C(CO₂Et)I, 1 ] and Al(Oi‐Pr)₃ to give polymers of controlled molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions (MWDs) (M_w/M_n < 1.2). With the use of chloride and bromide initiators, the MWDs were broader, whereas the molecular weights were similarly controlled. Other acrylates such as n‐butyl acrylate (nBA) and tert‐butyl acrylate (tBA) can be polymerized with 1 /Fe(Cp)I(CO)₂ in the presence of Ti(Oi‐Pr)₄ and Al(Oi‐Pr)₃, respectively, to give living polymers. The 1 /Fe(Cp)I(CO)₂ initiating system is applicable for the synthesis of block and random copolymers of acrylates (MA, nBA, and tBA) and styrene of controlled molecular weights and narrow MWDs (M_w/M_n = 1.2–1.3). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2033–2043, 2002