Synthesis of Small‐Sized,Porous, and Low‐Toxic Magnetite Nanoparticles by Thin POSS Silica Coating

In this communication, we report the synthesis of small‐sized (<10 nm), water‐soluble, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coated with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS), which contain either polyethylene glycol (PEG) or octa(tetramethylammonium) (OctaTMA) as functional groups. The POSS‐coated MNPs exhibit superparamagnetic behavior with saturation magnetic moments (51–53 emu g^?1) comparable to silica‐coated MNPs. They also provide good colloidal stability at different pH and salt concentrations, and low cytotoxicity to MCF‐7 human breast epithelial cells. The relaxivity data and magnetic resonance (MR) phantom images demonstrate the potential application of these MNPs in bioimaging.     

Another independent self-dual basis for the trivial variety

We give a new independent self-dual 3-basis for the trivial variety with two binary operations. Received October 24, 2006; accepted in final form January 25, 2007.     

Uncertainty principle and the horizon size of our universe

Quantum uncertainties prevent simultaneous measurement of the expansion factor S(t) and its time derivative . Consequently the Hubble size has an inherent uncertainty in the quantum state that describes the semiclassical evolution of the universe. We show that the quantum uncertainty in the Hubble size of the universe is amplified to unacceptably large values in any inflationary process.This essay received an honorable mention from the Gravity Research Foundation, 1986-Ed.     

Aromatic-aromatic interactions in crystal structures of helical peptide scaffolds containing projecting phenylalanine residues

Aromatic-aromatic interactions between phenylalanine side chains in peptides have been probed by the structure determination in crystals of three peptides: Boc-Val-Ala-Phe-Aib-Val-Ala-Phe-Aib-OMe, I; Boc-Val-Ala-Phe-Aib-Val-Ala-Phe-Aib-Val-Ala-Phe-Aib-OMe, II; Boc-Aib-Ala-Phe-Aib-Phe-Ala-Val-Aib-OMe, III. X-ray diffraction studies reveal that all three peptides adopt helical conformations in the solid state with the Phe side chains projecting outward. Interhelix association in the crystals is promoted by Phe-Phe interactions. A total of 15 unique aromatic pairs have been characterized in the three independent crystal structures. In peptides I and II, the aromatic side chains lie on the same face of the helix at i/i + 4 positions resulting in both intrahelix and interhelix aromatic interactions. In peptide III, the Phe side chains are placed on the opposite faces of the helix, resulting in exclusive intermolecular aromatic interactions. The distances between the centroids of aromatic pair ranges from 5.11 to 6.86 A, while the distance of closest approach of ring carbon atoms ranges from 3.27 to 4.59 A. Examples of T-shaped and parallel-displaced arrangements of aromatic pairs are observed, in addition to several examples of inclined arrangements. The results support the view that the interaction potential for a pair of aromatic rings is relatively broad and rugged with several minima of similar energies, separated by small activation barriers.     

Electron impact and chemical ionization mass spectra of 2,2-diphenyl-3-arylcyclobutanone oximes. Formation of ion m/z 167

The electron impact (EI) and chemical ionization (CI) spectra of 2,2-diphenyl-3-aryl cyclobutanone oximes (1–5) are reported. Formation of diphenylmethyl cation at m/z 167 is a major fragmentation process in both EI and CI spectra. Labelling studies established that the hydrogen involved in this rearrangement transfers from the NOH group and not from cyclobutane ring positions. The [M + 3]⁺ ions are formed under CI conditions as a result of C?N double bond reduction. An interesting secondary kinetic isotope effect is observed in the formation of ion e at m/z 183 in both EI and CI spectra. Other characteristic fragmentation pathways occurring in the EI and CI spectra of these compounds are outlined.     

Regio- and stereoselective synthesis of E-1,3-enynes via coupling of nucleophiles with 1-[(alkynyl) dicobalt hexacarbonyl]allyl cations

Reactions of the title complexes with the nucleophiles anisole, allyl silanes, isopropenyl acetate, and ethanol have been examined. The carbon nucleophiles react regio- and stereoselectively to give $\text{E}$-1,3-enyne derivatives.     

Binding constant measurement by hyper-Rayleigh scattering: bilirubin-human serum albumin binding as a case study

In this paper, a new application of the hyper-Rayleigh scattering technique in determining multiple binding constants of a small molecule like bilirubin to a macromolecule like the protein human serum albumin has been demonstrated. Human serum albumin has two binding sites for bilirubin, and the binding constants have been measured by carrying out a second harmonic titration of the protein against bilirubin and vice versa. The measured binding constants K(1) = 1.5 +/- 0.43 x 10(7) M(-1) and K(2) = 1.01 +/- 0.16 x 10(6) M(-1) agree well with the reported values obtained by other methods.     

Design and construction of an open multistranded beta-sheet polypeptide stabilized by a disulfide bridge

The design and characterization of an open eight-stranded beta-sheet in a synthetic, 2-fold symmetric 70-residue peptide is described. The design strategy involves the generation of a 35-residue four-stranded beta-sheet peptide in which successive hairpins are nucleated by appropriately positioned (D)Pro-Xxx sequences. Oxidative dimerization using a single Cys residue positioned at the center of the C-terminal strand results in a disulfide-bridged eight-stranded structure. Nuclear Overhauser effects firmly establish an eight-stranded beta-sheet in methanol. In water, the outer strands are frayed, but a well-defined four-stranded beta-sheet stabilized by a disulfide bridge and a hydrophobic cluster is determined from NMR data. Comparison of the precursor peptide with the disulfide-bridged dimer reveals considerable enhancement of beta-sheet content in the latter, suggesting that the disulfide cross-link is an effective strategy for the stabilization of beta-sheets.     

Synthesis of 4,6-disubstituted-7-β-D-ribofuranosyl- and arabinofuranosylpyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines and certain related ribonucleosides

Several disubstituted pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine and thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidine ribonucleosides have been prepared as congeners of uridine and cytidine. Glycosylation of the trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivative of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6(1H,5H,7H)-dione ( 4 ) with 1-O-acetyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-D-ribofuranose ( 5 ) in the presence of TMS triflate afforded 7-(2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-ribofuranosyl)pyrazolo-[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6(1H,5H)-dione ( 6 ). Debenzoylation of 6 gave the uridine analog 7-β-D-ribofuranosylpyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6(1H,5H)-dione ( 3 ), identical with 7-ribofuranosyloxoallopurinol reported earlier. Thiation of 6 gave 7 , which on debenzoylation afforded 7-β-D-ribofuranosyl-6-oxopyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4(1H,5H)-thione ( 8 ). Ammonolysis of 7 at elevated temperature gave a low yield of the cytidine analog 4-amino-7-β-D-ribofuranosylpyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-6(1H)-one ( 11 ). Chlorination of 6 , followed by ammonolysis, furnished an alternate route to 11 . A similar glycosylation of TMS-4 with 2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-α-D-arabinofuranosyl chloride ( 12 ) gave mainly the N7-glycosylated product 13 , which on debenzylation provided 7-β-D-arabinofuranosylpyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6(1H,5H)-dione ( 14 ). 4-Amino-7-β-D-arabinofuranosyl-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-6(1H)-one ( 19 ) was prepared from 13 via the C4-pyridinium chloride intermediate 17 . Condensation of the TMS derivatives of 7-hydroxy- ( 20 ) or 7-aminopyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5(4H)-one ( 23 ) with 5 in the presence of TMS triflate gave the corresponding blocked nucleosides 21 and 24 , respectively, which on deprotection afforded 7-hydroxy- 22 and 7-amino-4-β-D-ribofuranosylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5-one ( 25 ), respectively. Similarly, starting either from 2-chloro ( 26 ) or 2-aminothiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidine-5,7-(4H,6H)-dione ( 29 ), 2-amino-4-β-D-ribofuranosylthiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidine-5,7(6H)-dione ( 28 ) has been prepared. The structure of 25 was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.