Vanadium(III) chloride catalyzed Biginelli condensation: solution phase library generation of dihydropyrimidin-(2H)-ones

The three component condensation of an aldehyde, a β-keto ester and urea (thiourea) in the presence of a catalytic amount of VCl₃ is disclosed for the solution phase synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones. The ease of synthesis and work-up allowed the parallel synthesis of a 48-membered library of dihydropyrimidinones quickly and efficiently in good yields.     

Pentopyranosyl Oligonucleotide Systems. 9th Communication

Pyranosyl‐RNA (‘p‐RNA’ ) is an oligonucleotide system isomeric to natural RNA and composed of the very same building blocks as RNA. Its generational, chemical, and informational properties are deemed to be those of an alternative nucleic acid system that could have been a candidate in Nature's evolutionary choice of the molecular basis of genetic function. We consider the study of the chemistry of p‐RNA as etiologically relevant in the sense that knowledge of its structural, chemical, and informational properties on the chemical level offers both a perspective and reference points for the recognition of specific structural assets of the RNA structure that made it the (supposedly) superior system among possible alternatives and, therefore, the system that became part of biology as we know it today. The paper describes the chemical synthesis of β‐d‐ (and L )‐ribopyranosyl‐(4′→2′)‐oligonucleotide sequences, presents a resume of their structural and chemical properties, and cautiously discusses what we may and may not have learned from the pyranosyl isomer of RNA with respect to the conundrum of RNA's origin.     

The Ulam number of infinite graphs

The following is a conjecture of Ulam: In any partition of the integer lattice on the plane into uniformly bounded sets, there exists a set that is adjacent to at least six other sets. Two sets are adjacent if each contain a vertex of the same unit square. This problem is generalized as follows. Given any uniformly bounded partitionP of the vertex set of an infinite graphG with finite maximum degree, letP (G) denote the graph obtained by letting each set of the partition be a vertex ofP (G) where two vertices ofP (G) are adjacent if and only if the corresponding sets have an edge between them. The Ulam number ofG is defined as the minimum of the maximum degree ofP (G) where the minimum is taken over all uniformly bounded partitionsP. We have characterized the graphs with Ulam number 0, 1, and 2. Restricting the partitions of the vertex set to connected subsets, we obtain the connected Ulam number ofG. We have evaluated the connected Ulam numbers for several infinite graphs. For instance we have shown that the connected Ulam number is 4 ifG is an infinite grid graph. We have settled the Ulam conjecture for the connected case by proving that the connected Ulam number is 6 for an infinite triangular grid graph. The general Ulam conjecture is equivalent to proving that the Ulam number of the infinite triangular grid graph equals 6. We also describe some interesting geometric consequences of the Ulam number, mainly concerning good drawings of infinite graphs.     

Colossal magnetoresistance manganites: A new approach

Manganites of the LA_1−x Ca _x MnO₃ family show a variety of new and poorly understood electronic, magnetic and structural effects. Here we outline a new approach recently proposed by us, where we argue that due to strong Jahn-Teller (JT) coupling with phonons the twofold degeneratee _g states at the Mn sites dynamically reorganize themselves into localised, JT polaronsl with exponentially small inter-site hopping, and band-like, nonpolaronic statesb, leading to anew 2-band model for manganites which includes strong Coulomb and Hund’s couplings. We also discuss some results from a dynamical mean-field theory treatment of the model which explains quantitatively a wide variety of experimental results, including insulator-metal transitions and CMR, in terms of the influence of physical conditions on the relative energies and occupation of thel andb states. We argue that this microscopic coexistence of the two types of electronic states, and their relative occupation and spatial correlation is the key to manganite physics. Dedicated to Professor C N R Rao on his 70th birthday     

Broadband and band-selective IMPRESS-gHMBC: compensation of refocusing inefficiency with synchronized inversion sweep

Compensation of refocusing inefficiency in a gHMBC experiment by replacing the rectangular pi pulse with a pair of adiabatic pulses with synchronized inversion sweep (CRISIS) significantly improves the performance of the gHMBC experiment. The CRISIS-gHMBC experiment retains the pure absorptive shapes in F1 and hence results in better lineshape and higher resolution than the current versions of magnitude mode gHMBC spectra. When used as a broadband experiment, CRISIS-gHMBC, owing to better refocusing efficiency of the adiabatic pulse pairs, gives improved performance across the 13C spectral width. Moreover, it is shown that CRISIS-gHMBC is a robust and improved alternative and when used along with the IMPRESS (Improved Resolution using Symmetrically Shifted pulses) technique further increases the sensitivity and resolution without additional experimental time. The IMPRESS-CRISIS combination is demonstrated for broadband gHMBC and band-selective gHMBC experiments. The ICbs-gHMBC [IMPRESS-CRISIS-band-selective gHMBC] experiment is an attractive and better alternative to individual band-selective gHMBC.     

Oxidative transformation of ciprofloxacin by alkaline permanganate – A kinetic and mechanistic study

This spectroscopic study presents the kinetics and degradation pathways of oxidation of ciprofloxacin by permanganate in alkaline medium at constant ionic strength of 0.04 mol⁻³. Orders with respect to substrate, oxidant and alkali concentrations were determined. Effect of ionic strength and solvent polarity of the medium on the rate of the reaction was studied. The oxidation products were identified by LC-ESI-MS technique. Product characterization of ciprofloxacin reaction mixtures indicates the formation of three major products corresponding to m/z 263, 306, and 348 (corresponding to full or partial dealkylation of the piperazine ring). The piperazine moiety of ciprofloxacin is the predominant oxidative site to KMnO₄. Product analyses showed that oxidation by permanganate results in dealkylation at the piperazine moiety of ciprofloxacin, with the quinolone ring essentially intact. The reaction kinetics and product characterization point to a reaction mechanism that likely begins with formation of a complex between ciprofloxacin and the KMnO₄, followed by oxidation at the aromatic N1 atom of piperazine moiety to generate an anilinyl radical intermediate. The radical intermediates subsequently undergo N-dealkylation. Investigations of the reaction at different temperatures allowed the determination of the activation parameters with respect to the slow step of proposed mechanism. The proposed mechanism and the derived rate laws are consistent with the observed kinetics.     

A highly efficient and general N-monomethylation of functionalized primary amines via formylation--borane:methyl sulfide reduction

Formylation of functionalized primary aromatic and aliphatic amines with acetic formic anhydride (AFA) followed by borane:methyl sulfide reduction in the same pot affords the corresponding $\text{N}$-methylamines in excellent isolated yields, uncontaminated bybis alkylation; the reaction sequence is applicable to even very weakly basic and sterically hindered amines.     

Oxidation of L-lysine by diperiodatocuprate (III) in aqueous alkaline medium by the stopped flow technique

The kinetics of oxidation of L-lysine by diperiodatocuprate (III) (DPC) in alkaline medium at a constant ionic strength of 0.15 mol/dm³ was studied spectrophotometrically. The reaction between DPC and L-lysine in an alkaline medium had a 1: 2 stoichiometry (L-lysine: DPC). The reaction was first order in [DPC] and less than first order in [L-lysine] and [alkali]. The addition of periodate had no effect on the rate of the reaction. The intervention of free radicals was observed in the reaction. The oxidation reaction in alkaline medium was shown to proceed via a DPC-L-lysine complex. The main products were identified by spot test and spectral studies. The reaction constants involved in different steps of the mechanism were calculated. The activation parameters with respect to the slow step of the mechanism were computed and discussed, and thermodynamic values were also determined. The article is published in the original.