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.     

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     

Expedient synthesis of substituted imidazoles from nitriles

Expedient and practical new methodology for the synthesis of substituted imidazoles was developed to provide a rapid access to a variety of 2-substituted, 1,2-disubstituted and 1,2,4-trisubstituted imidazoles by the direct CuCl-mediated reaction of nitriles with α-amino acetals in an intermolecular as well as intramolecular fashion.     

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.     

Mass spectral investigations on trichothecene mycotoxins. III. Synthesis, characterization and applications of pentafluoropropionyl and trifluoroacetyl esters of simple trichothecenes

The pentafluoropropionyl, (PFP) and trifluoroacetyl (TFA) esters of several naturally occurring and synthetically modified simple trichothecenes were synthesized in nanogram amounts and characterized. Optimum conditions for the gas chromatographic (GC) separation of these derivatives and their analysis by negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) mass spectrometric technique were determined. These perfluoroacyl derivatives under the NICI conditions undergo limited but characteristic fragmentations similar to the fragmentations of heptafluorobutyryl esters of trichothecenes under the same conditions. Characteristic ions for the specific detection and accurate quantification of these PFP and TFA derivatives were chosen. Preliminary results indicated that the PFP derivatives are better suited for the analysis of simple trichothecenes by GC-NICI-MS technique. Ultra trace (0.5-2.0 pg) amounts of these PFP derivatives were detected by the developed procedure.     

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.     

A practical synthesis of 2-(N-substituted)-aminobenzimidazoles utilizing CuCl-promoted intramolecular cyclization of N-(2-aminoaryl)thioureas

A practical protocol for synthesis of 2-(N-substituted)-aminobenzimidazoles was developed. N-(2-Aminoaryl)thioureas undergo a CuCl-promoted intramolecular cyclization to give the corresponding 2-(N-substituted amino)benzimidazoles in good to excellent isolated yields.     

Synthetic,spectroscopic, and structural Studies on Lanthanide Complexes of Diphosphazane Dioxide Ligands

Lanthanide nitrate complexes of diphosphazane dioxides Ph₂P(O)N(Prⁱ)P(O)Ph₂ ( 1 ) and (PhO)₂P(O)N(Me)P(O)(OPh)₂ ( 2 ) have been synthesised and studied by conductometry, IR, multinuclear NMR spectroscopic methods and X-ray diffraction. Ligand 2 is accessible by two different methods, viz., by direct oxidation of the phosp(III)azane ligand or by starting from phosph(V)azane chloro precursor. The structure of 2 is confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Crystallographic data for 2 : Triclinic, Space group P1 , a = 10.078(1), b = 10.575(3), c = 12.364(4) Å, α = 75.70(2)°, α = 75.56(1)°, γ = 77.68(1)°, Z = 2, V = 1 220 ų; structure refined to R_F = 0.0459 on 3 495 data with F > 3σ(F). The diphosphazane dioxide ligand exhibits trans geometry in the solid state. The structure of a lanthanide complex, [Pr(NO₃)₃( 2 )₂] ( 14 ) is also determined by X-ray diffraction. Crystallographic data for 14 : Trigonal, Space group P3₂, a = b = 15.710(2), c = 40.067(2) Å, Z = 6, V = 8 564 ų; structure refined to R_F = 0.0430 on 8 077 data with F > 5σ(F). The two diphosphazane dioxide ligands and the nitrate groups are coordinated to praseodymium in a bidentate chelate fashion. The geometry around the ten coordinated metal is distorted bicapped square antiprism.     

Studies of phosphazenes. Aminolysis reactions of pentachloro(2′, 2′, 2′-triphenyl-phosphazen-1′-yl) cyclotriphosphazene,N3P3Cl5(NPPh3)

The reactions of pentachloro(2′, 2′, 2′-triphenylphosphazen-1′-yl)cyclotriphosphazene, N₃P₃Cl₅(NPPh₃), with primary and secondary amines have been investigated using diethyl ether, methyl cyanid or benzene as the solvent. The structures of the products obtained, N₃P₃Cl_5minus;nR_n(NPPh₃) [n = 1, R = NHMe, NHBu^t, NMe₂, NC₅H₁₀, NEt₂; n = 2, R = NMe₂, NC₅H₁₀, NEt₂; n = 3, R = NMe₂, NHBu^t; n = 5, R = NMe₂] are elucidated by ¹H and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. The ? NPPh₃ substituent exerts a pronounced geminal directing influence on incoming secondary amino nucleophiles; compounds containing a ≡ PCl(NPPh₃) group are not formed at the bis and subsequent stages of chlorine replacement. The reactions that involve primary amines follow the pattern established for the analogous reactions of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene. The effect of solvent and possible mechanism(s) are discussed.