Facilitated sulfate transfer across the nitrobenzene-water interface as mediated by hydrogen-bonding ionophores.

Facilitated SO4(2-) transfers by hydrogen bond-forming ionophores are investigated across the nitrobenzene (NB)-water interface by using polarography with a dropping electrolyte electrode. Bis-thiourea 1, alpha,alpha'-bis(N'-p-nitrophenylthioureylene)-m-xylene, is found to significantly facilitate the transfer of the highly hydrophilic SO4(2-) whereas its counterpart, N-(p-nitrophenyl)-N'-propylthiourea (ionophore 2), cannot. In contrast to the predominant formation of a 1:1 complex with SO4(2-) in the bulk NB phase, the SO4(2-) transfer assisted by 1 is indeed based on the formation of a 1:2 complex between SO4(2-) and ionophore, even under the condition of [SO4(2-)]aq > [1]org. Such an exclusive formation of the 1:2 (SO4(2-) to ionophore) complex at the NB-water interface is not observed with structurally similar bis-thiourea 3, alpha,alpha'-bis(N'-phenylthioureylene)-m-xylene, where p-nitrophenyl moietes of bis-thiourea 1 are simply replaced by phenyl groups. The facilitated transfer of SO4(2-) with bis-thiourea 1 is further compared to that of HPO4(2-) and H2PO4- across the NB-water interface, which was previously shown to be assisted by 1 through the formation of the 1:1 and 2:1 (anion to ionophore) complexes, respectively. On the basis of these examinations, unique binding behaviors of hydrogen bond-forming ionophores at the NB-water interface are discussed, with a view towards development of ionophore-based anion-selective chemical sensors.     

A new route for the construction of the AB-ring core of Taxol

A new method for the construction of the AB-ring core of Taxol was developed utilizing a new skeletal transformation protocol as a pivotal step. The acid-catalyzed rearrangement of the cyclopentenone-allene photoadduct gave a bridged seven-membered ketone, which was easily transformed, using the intramolecular Suzuki reaction and the oxidative cleavage of the vicinal diol, to the bicyclic diketone.     

An unknotting theorem for delta and sharp edge‐homotopy

Two spatial embeddings of a graph are said to be delta (resp. sharp) edge‐homotopic if they are transformed into each other by self delta (resp. sharp) moves and ambient isotopies. We show that any two spatial embeddings of a graph are delta (resp. sharp) edge‐homotopic if and only if the graph does not contain a subgraph which is homeomorphic to the theta graph or the disjoint union of two 1‐spheres, or equivalently G is homeomorphic to a bouquet. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Critical exponent for semilinear damped wave equations in the N-dimensional half space

We generalize a previous result of Ikehata (Math. Methods Appl. Sci., in press), which studies the critical exponent problem of a semilinear damped wave equation in the one-dimensional half space, to the general N-dimensional half space case. That is to say, one can show the small data global existence of solutions of a mixed problem for the equation u_tt−Δu+u_t=|u|^p with the power p satisfying p∗(N)=1+2/(N+1)<p?N/[N−2]+ if we deal with the problem in the N-dimensional half space.     

Glycopolymeric inhibitors of β‐glucuronidase. III. Configurational effects of hydroxy groups in pendant glyco‐units in polymers upon inhibition of β‐glucuronidase

Two kinds of new glycopolymers, (P(VB‐1‐GlcaH‐co‐AAm), 9 ) and (P(VB‐1‐Glco‐co‐AAm), 10 ), were synthesized through the radical copolymerization of styrene derivatives bearing pendant D ‐glucaric and D ‐gluconic moieties, N‐(p‐vinylbenzyl)‐1‐D ‐glucaramide (VB‐1‐GlcaH, 7 ), and N‐(p‐vinylbenzyl)‐D ‐gluconamide (VB‐1‐Glco, 8 ), with acrylamide (AAm). Glycopolymer 9 bearing the pendant glucaric moiety at the first position inhibited the hydrolysis of a model compound for xenobiotics‐β‐glucuronide conjugates, p‐nitrophenyl β‐D ‐glucuronide, uncompetitively, in contrast to the competitive inhibition in the presence of the corresponding isomeric glycopolymer bearing the pendant D ‐glucaric unit at the sixth position (P(VB‐6‐GlcaH‐co‐AAm), 3 ) reported in our previous article. On the other hand, another copolymer 10 bearing the gluconic moiety was found not to inhibit the hydrolysis as well as the corresponding copolymer bearing pendant gulonic unit (P(VB‐6‐Glco‐co‐AAm), 4 ). These results indicate that the hydrolysis is influenced not only by existence of pendant carboxyl units but also by the direction on the linkage of the glyco‐units to the polymer frame. Therefore the configurational position of hydroxy groups in pendant glyco‐units in macromolecular inhibitors may be essential for the interaction with β‐glucuronidase. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4895–4903, 2006     

Plane curves whose singular points are cusps and triple coverings of ℙ2

We study a plane curve C whose singular points are cusps and the surface which is a triple covering of ² branched along C. As a result, especially we obtain an inequality for the sum of the Milnor numbers at the singularities of C and new surfaces of general type.     

Femtosecond intermolecular electron transfer in condensed systems

We have investigated the ultrafast intermolecular electron transfer (ET) from an electron-donating solvent (aniline (AN) or N, N-dimethylaniline (DMA)) to an excited dye molecule (oxazines (Nile blue and oxazine 1) or coumarins). A non-exponential time dependence was observed in AN and can be explained by solvent reorientation and nuclear motion of the reactants. However, in DMA, a single exponential process was observed for Nile blue (160 fs) and oxazine 1 (280 fs), which can be explained by assuming that the rate of ET is limited mainly by ultrafast nuclear motion. A clear substituent effect on intermolecular ET was observed for the 7-aminocoumarins. When the alkyl chain on the 7-amino group is extended and a hexagonal ring with the benzene moiety is formed, the rate of ET is reduced by three orders of magnitude. This effect can be explained by a change in the free energy difference of the reaction and by the vibrational motion of the amino group.     

Myoglobin-CO substate structures and dynamics: multidimensional vibrational echoes and molecular dynamics simulations

Spectrally resolved infrared stimulated vibrational echo data were obtained for sperm whale carbonmonoxymyoglobin (MbCO) at 300 K. The measured dephasing dynamics of the CO ligand are in agreement with dephasing dynamics calculated with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for MbCO with the residue histidine-64 (His64) having its imidazole epsilon nitrogen protonated (N(epsilon)-H). The two conformational substate structures B(epsilon) and R(epsilon) observed in the MD simulations are assigned to the spectroscopic A(1) and A(3) conformational substates of MbCO, respectively, based on the agreement between the experimentally measured and calculated dephasing dynamics for these substates. In the A(1) substate, the N(epsilon)-H proton and N(delta) of His64 are approximately equidistant from the CO ligand, while in the A(3) substate, the N(epsilon)-H of His64 is oriented toward the CO, and the N(delta) is on the surface of the protein. The MD simulations show that dynamics of His64 represent the major source of vibrational dephasing of the CO ligand in the A(3) state on both femtosecond and picosecond time scales. Dephasing in the A(1) state is controlled by His64 on femtosecond time scales, and by the rest of the protein and the water solvent on longer time scales.     

Preparation and photochromism of diarylethene covalently bonded onto layered sodium-magadiite surfaces

Diarylethene derivatives (DE) covalently bonded to silanol oxygens of layered silicate surfaces, i.e., magadiite (Mag), were synthesized and investigated for their photochromic behavior. The DE-Mag layered hybrids were found to undergo reversible color change by alternating UV and visible light irradiation. A more highly efficient, reproducible photochromic behavior was realized with DE-Mag than with a corresponding DE-Si possessing silyl substituents on DE in place of the Mag surface. Moreover, the present covalently bonded DE exhibited an improvement over DE hybrids incorporated in layered double hydroxide (LDH) clays, in which the repetitive photochromic behavior decreased during alternating irradiation, due to the accumulation of the photochemically inert parallel isomers of DE.     

Guest shape-responsive fitting of porous coordination polymer with shrinkable framework

In situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction patterns of porous coordination polymers [[Cu(2)(pzdc)(2)(bpy)].G] have been measured (pzdc = pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylate, bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine) (where G = H(2)O for CPL-2 superset H(2)()O, G = benzene for CPL-2 superset benzene, and G = void for the apohost). The structures of apohost and CPL-2 superset benzene were determined from Rietveld analysis. Adsorption of benzene in the channels induced a remarkable contraction in the crystal (b axis; 6.8%, volume; 4.9%), although the channels were occupied by the benzene molecules. This crystal transformation provides a new pore structure that is well suited for benzene molecules, and we denote it as a "shape-responsive fitting" transformation. This type of pore gives rise to a new guideline: frameworks can be composed of flexible motifs that are linked via strong bond and/or stiff motifs that are connected via weaker bonds.