Cs[Ag4Zn2(SCN)9]

Caesium tetrasilver dizinc nona­thio­cyanate, Cs[Ag₄Zn₂(SCN)₉], forms a continuous structure, where the Ag atoms and the S atoms of the thio­cyanate groups form chains which run along [101]. These chains are bonded together through the Cs and Zn atoms. It is not possible to distinguish between space groups P1 and P, but, if the latter space group is correct, the structure contains a thio­cyanate group disordered across a centre of inversion. The structure is described in space group P, in which the Cs atom also lies on a centre of inversion.     

New PVC materials for medical applications—the release profile of PVC/polycaprolactone–polycarbonate aged in aqueous environments

Medical grade PVC plasticised with polycaprolactone–polycarbonate (PCL–PC) was subjected to aqueous environments at different temperatures. The release profile during ageing was determined by solid phase microextraction (SPME) and GC–MS. At the same time changes in the surface composition due to, for example, migration of PCL–PC from the blend were followed by FTIR. Almost no changes in the material or its surface composition were observed during 98 days at 37 °C in water or phosphate buffer. Only trace amount of 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid the final hydrolysis product of PCL–PC was detected in the GC–MS chromatograms and the weight loss was negligible. Even when the ageing temperature was raised to 70 °C only minor increase in the amount of 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid was observed and the weight loss after 98 days was under 1%. Changes in the FTIR spectra indicating migration of PCL–PC towards the surface of the PVC/PCL–PC tubing were observed first after 70 days at 70 °C. Large increase in the hydrolysis rate of PCL–PC and almost complete depletion of PCL–PC from the blend was observed when the ageing temperature was raised to 100 °C.     

Tetrachlorosilane-Sodium Azide System in the Synthesis of Tetrazole-Containing Amino Acid Derivatives

Treatment of N-acetyl-(RS)-phenylalanine and N-acetyl-(RS)-leucine methyl esters with the system tetrachlorosilane-sodium azide leads to formation of tetrazole-containing amino acid derivatives. The latter can be converted into -substituted 5-methyl-1-tetrazolylacetic acids and the corresponding bis-tetrazoles.     

Nucleophilic Substitution of Chlorine with Hydrazine,Methylhydrazine, and 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine in 5-Aryl-2-chloromethyl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles

The reactions of 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, methylhydrazine, and hydrazine hydrate with 5-aryl-2-chloromethyl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles were studied. The structures and compositions of the final products were confirmed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis.__________Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Khimii, Vol. 78, No. 3, 2005, pp. 470–473.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Baranov, Tsypin, Malin, Laskin.     

Synthesis and Acidity of 5-Phenyltetrazol-2-ylalkanoic Acids and the Corresponding 5-(5-Phenyltetrazol-2-ylalkyl)tetrazoles

We have obtained 5-phenyltetrazol-2-ylalkanoic acids and their derivatives containing terminal nitrile, amide, and tetrazol-5-yl groups. Tetrazolylalkanoic acids with two (pK _a 4.93) and three (pK _a 5.45) bridging methylene groups are weaker acids than the corresponding ditetrazoles pK _a 4.68 and 5.29 respectively). However, the acidity of 5-phenyltetrazol-2-ylacetic acid (pK _a 3.12), is higher than acidity of the corresponding ditetrazole (pK _a 3.27).     

Linear polynuclear tetrazole-containing compounds

Linear polynuclear tetrazole-containing compounds were synthesized. Alkylation of 5-[-(5-phenyl-2-tetrazolyl)alkyl]tetrazoles with ethyl bromoacetate and chloroacetamide gave the corresponding esters and amides. Treatment of the latter with tetrachlorosilane-sodium azide afforded compounds containing three tetrazole rings linked through polymethylene bridges. Acid ionization constants of the products possessing an NH-tetrazole ring (pK _a = 2.9–3.2) and the corresponding carboxylic acids (pK _a = 2.9–3.1) in aqueous methanol were determined by potentiometric titration.Translated from Zhurnal Organicheskoi Khimii, Vol. 40, No. 10, 2004, pp. 1580–1586.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Morozova, Komissarov, Esikov, Zubarev, Malin, Ostrovskii.     

On-line infrared detection in aqueous micro-volume systems

Mid infrared spectroscopy is a non-destructive technique that can provide detailed information on important, molecule-specific features such as the conformation and functional groups of a large range of compounds. Infrared spectroscopy is now an established and frequently used technique for qualitative analysis, i.e. the identification of chemical constituents in a sample. In addition, its use for quantitative purposes has grown dramatically in recent years. It is important to realise that the analytical problem defines the mode of operation and implementation of the FTIR technique. This Highlight article focuses on the advantages and scope of on-line FTIR detection strategies. However, in common with all techniques, on-line FTIR detection has a number of potential shortcomings, which are also discussed.     

Synthesis and photophysics of one mononuclear Mn(III) and one dinuclear Mn(III,III) complex covalently linked to a ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridyl) complex

The preparation of donor (D)-photosensitizer (S) arrays, consisting of a manganese complex as D and a ruthenium tris(bipyridyl) complex as S has been pursued. Two new ruthenium complexes containing coordinating sites for one (2a) and two manganese ions (3a) were prepared in order to provide models for the donor side of photosystem II in green plants. The manganese coordinating site consists of bridging and terminal phenolate as well as terminal pyridyl ligands. The corresponding ruthenium-manganese complexes, a manganese monomer 2b and dimer 3b, were obtained. For the dimer 3b, our data suggest that intramolecular electron transfer from manganese to photogenerated ruthenium(III) is fast, k(ET) > 5 x 10(7) s(-)(1).     

A top-down approach to protein structure studies using chemical cross-linking and Fourier transform mass spectrometry

In a preliminary communication we described a top-down approach to the determination of chemical cross-link location in proteins using Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FT-MS). We have since extended the approach to use a series of homobifunctional cross-linkers with the same reactive functional groups, but different cross-linker arm lengths. Correlating cross-linking data across a series of related linkers allows the distance constraint derived from a cross-link between two reactive side chains to be determined more accurately and increases the confidence in the assignment of the cross-links. In ubiquitin, there are seven lysines with primary amino groups and the amino terminus. Disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS, cross-linker arm length = 11.4 A), disuccinimidyl glutarate (DSG, cross-linker arm length = 7.5 A) and disuccinimidyl tartrate (DST, cross- linker arm length = 5.8 A) are homobifunctional cross-linking reagents that react specifically with primary amines. Using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) on the singly, internally cross-linked precursor ion of ubiquitin, we found cross-links with DSS and DSG between the amino terminus and Lys 6, between Lys 6 and Lys 11, and between Lys 63 and Lys 48. Using disuccinimidyl tartrate (DST), the shortest cross-linker in the series, only the cross-links between the amino terminus and Lys 6, and between Lys 6 and Lys 11 were observed. The observed cross-links are consistent with the crystal structure of ubiquitin, if the lysine side chains and the amino terminus are assumed to have considerable flexibility. In a separate study, we probed the reactivity of the primary amino groups in ubiquitin using the amino acetylating reagent, N-hydroxy succinimidyl acetate (NHSAc), and a top-down approach to localize the acetylated lysine residues. The reactivity order obtained in that study (M1 approximate, equals K6 approximate, equals K48 approximate, equals K63) > K33 > K11 > (K27, K29), shows that the cross-link first formed in ubiquitin by reaction with DSS and DSG occurs between the most reactive residues.