Does a sterically bulky group occupy the equatorial site in trigonal bipyramidal phosphorus?

[structure: see text] The sterically bulky tert-butyl group occupies an apical position in trigonal bipyramidal phosphorus in the compound [CH2(6-t-Bu-4-Me-C6H2O)2]P(t-Bu)(1,2-O2C6Cl4) in contrast to the occupation of an equatorial position by the small methyl group in [CH2(6-t-Bu-4-Me-C6H2O)2]P(Me)(1,2-O2C6Cl4); this observation contradicts the familiar "apicophilicity rules" for trigonal bipyramidal phosphorus. Low-temperature solution 31P NMR spectra of [CH2(6-t-Bu-4-Me-C6H2O)2]P(R)(1,2-O2C6Cl4) (R = Me, Et, and n-Bu) show the presence of more than two isomers.     

Is fullerene C60 large enough to host a multiply bonded dimetal?

Some dimetal fullerenes M 2@C 60 (M = Cr, Mo, W) have been studied with computational quantum chemistry methods. The transition metal diatomic molecules Cr 2, Mo 2, W 2 form exohedral complexes with C 60, while U 2 forms a highly symmetric endohedral compound and it is placed in the center of the C 60 cavity. This highly symmetric structure is an artifact due to the small size of the C 60 cavity, which constrains U 2 at the center. If a larger cavity is used, like C 70 or C 84, U 2 preferentially binds the internal walls of the cavity and the U-U bond no longer exists.     

Is the ether group hydrophilic or hydrophobic?

A series of six surfactants, each with two ether oxygens within otherwise all-hydrocarbon chains, were synthesized and examined for their colloidal properties. Since an ether oxygen is sterically and conformationally similar to the methylene group it has replaced, the ether effect on micellization should stem mainly from solvation of the oxygen and, possibly, disrupted hydrophobicity of its adjacent carbons. It was found that critical aggregation values among the surfactants differ only modestly despite the total length of the ether-separated carbon segments ranging from 12 to 18. Shorter ether surfactants with only 12 or 14 total carbons appear to form small, loose aggregates owing, presumably, to a mild hydrophilicity of the ether groups. A surfactant with 18 chain carbons has a greater tendency to associate hydrophobically, but this is counterbalanced by a relatively water-free environment encountered by the ether groups within a more conventional micelle interior. The result is a leveling effect in which the critical aggregation concentration (cac) loses it sensitivity to chain length. Above their cac's, none of the ether surfactants is a good solubilizer of tetramethysilane or mesitylene. This is not necessarily a predictable finding since it was conceivable that the presence of interior ether groups might actually enhance solubilization (much as ether is a better solvent than hexane). Foamability and solid adsorption studies also indicate that the ethers impair surface activity. In response to the question posed in the paper's title, two ether groups are not sufficiently hydrophilic to prevent aggregation, but they do manage to alter the micelles' morphology and properties considerably.     

Thermodynamic Properties of Dibenzo-24-crown-8 in the Range from T → 0 to 500 K

The temperature dependence of the heat capacity of dibenzo-24-crown-8 in the range 6-500 K was measured by adiabatic vacuum and dynamic calorimetry with an accuracy of 0.2-0.5%. The physical transformations of the title compound occurring on its heating and cooling within the above temperature range were revealed and characterized. From the experimental data obtained for dibenzo-24-crown-8, its thermodynamic functions C _4p ⁰(T), H ⁰(T) - H ⁰(0), S ⁰(T) - S ⁰(0), and G ⁰(T) - H ⁰(0) were calculated for the range from T 0 to 500 K; the standard entropy of formation from the elements, _s S ⁰, at T 298.15 K was also calculated. The fractal dimensions D in the heat capacity function of the multifractal version of the Debye heat capacity theory, characterizing the heterodynamic characteristics of the title compound, were calculated.     

Is there a carboxylic group in the sodium channel of excitable biomembranes?

A model describing the effects of H⁺, Ca²⁺ and Cd²⁺ ions on the sodium channels of excitable membranes was developed. On the basis of this model, it was shown that the decrease in the amplitude of the sodium current in the membrane of the neurones of the mollusc Helix pomatia caused by extracellular Cd²⁺, Ca²⁺ and H⁺ ions is related to the change in the near-membrane concentration of sodium ions due to a decrease of the outer surface membrane potential. The data obtained allow us to suggest that the sodium channel, contrary to the calcium channel, does not contain the carboxylic group in its selectivity filter.     

Is phenyl a good migrating group in the rearrangement of organoborates generated from sulfur ylides?

Calculations show that the unexpected low phenyl migratory aptitude observed in reactions of mixed alkyl-aryl boranes with benzylic sulfur ylides can be attributed to (1) a conformational issue, (2) the reduction of the usual neighbouring effect of the phenyl in the transition state by the benzylic nature of the migrating terminus, (3) steric hindrance suffered by the larger phenyl group migrating to the hindered migrating terminus and this despite (4) the increase in the barrier to alkyl migration by the presence of a 'non-migrating' phenyl on the boron atom.     

Cationic polymerization of dienes VIII: Is the elimination of cross-linking by a bulky electron donor a general behavior in the presence of aluminium trichloride?

Previous works on the polymerization of 1,3-pentadiene initiated by aluminium trichloride in non polar solvent at room temperature in the presence of bulky electron donor (ED) as tri-p-tolylamine have highlighted a stabilization of the polymerizing actives centres by ED, which allowed a reduction of some side reactions and the formation of more precisely defined polypentadienes than ever by cationic polymerization in non polar medium. The aim of this research was to investigate the role of bulky EDs such as tri-p-tolylamine and similar compounds in polar medium in order to obtain if possible a complete control of the polymerization of isoprene and 1,3-pentadiene. The beneficial effect of tri-p-tolylamine was shown in the case of isoprene polymerization at room temperature, with an important reduction of the cross-linked fraction for long reaction times and strong reduction of termination reactions. At −30 °C in the presence of tri-p-tolylamine, polypentadienes more controlled than in non polar solvent could be obtained, with a nearly complete elimination of the cross-linked fraction, while keeping the microstructure approximately constant.     

Is the dynamical polarization a significant part of the contribution of the triples to the correlation energy?

One may call dynamical polarization of doubly excited configurations the energy lowering of these configurations under the response of the other electrons to the so-created fluctuation of the electric field. This contribution of triply excited configurations may be identified and calculated through a computation that only requires a computation time proportional to the sixth power of the number of molecular orbitals (MOs), instead of the seventh power for the total contribution of the triples. Its amplitude depends on the choice of the MOs and becomes important when localized MOs are used.     

How big is a Cp? Cycloheptatrienyl zirconium complexes with bulky cyclopentadienyl and indenyl ligands

A combination of phase-transfer and traditional alkylation strategies has been employed to synthesise sterically encumbered 1,3-di(cyclohexyl) and 1,3-di(tert-butyl) substituted indenes in multi-gram quantities. These indenyl ligands and sterically demanding alkyl cyclopentadienyl ligands have been used to prepare a series of [(η(7)-C(7)H(7))Zr(η(5)-L)] (L = Cp and Ind) complexes by straightforward salt metathesis between [(η(7)-C(7)H(7))ZrCl(tmeda)] and the corresponding sodium indenide or cyclopentadienide. All of these Zr complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The structural information derived from these studies was employed to evaluate the steric demand of these ligands in a realistic manner.     

Organoaluminium complexes with sterically demanding oximato ligands: does a bulky and rigid ligand backbone change the aggregation motif?

The four organoaluminium ketoximates [(2,4-dimethylpentane-3-one oximato)AlMe(2)](2) (1), (meso)-[(norcamphor oximato)AlMe(2)](2) (2), {[(R,R)-camphor oximato]AlMe(2)}(3) (3) and {[(R,S)-fenchone oximato]AlMe(2)}(2) (4) have been prepared by the reactions of the corresponding oximes with trimethylaluminium. All compounds have been fully characterized by means of IR, mass and multi-nuclear NMR spectroscopy ((1)H, (13)C, (27)Al) and by elemental analyses. The crystal structures of three of these compounds (2, 3 and 4) were determined, revealing the aggregation motif of organometallic group 13 oximates to vary from the hitherto predominant six-membered dimeric M(2)N(2)O(2) array to others (six-membered M(3)O(3) core ring in the case of the camphor derivative; five-membered M(2)NO(2) core ring in the case of the fenchone derivative) so far only found e.g. in hydroxylamino complexes of group 13 metals. Furthermore, complexes 3 and 4 exhibit an unusual behaviour in solution, as indicated by upfield-shifted additional signals in their (27)Al NMR spectra, pointing at aluminium atoms in penta- or hexacoordination, respectively.     

Is it safe to have a laboratory test?

A recent US Institute of Medicine report indicated that up to 98,000 deaths and more than 1 million injuries occur each year in the United States due to medical errors. These include diagnostic errors, such as an error or delay in diagnosis, failure to employ indicated tests and the use of outmoded tests. Laboratory tests provide up to 80% of the information used by physicians to make important medical decisions, therefore it is important to determine how often laboratory testing mistakes occur, whether they cause patient harm, where they are most likely to occur in the testing process, and how to prevent them from occurring. A review of the literature and a US Quality Institute Conference in 2003 indicates that errors in laboratory medicine occur most often in the pre-analytical and post-analytical steps in the testing process, but most of the quality improvement efforts focus on improving the analytical process. Measures must be developed and employed to reduce the potential for mistakes in laboratory medicine, including better indicators for the quality of laboratory service. Users of laboratory services must be linked with the laboratorys information system to assist them with decisions about test ordering, patient preparation, and test interpretation. Quality assessment efforts need to be expanded beyond external quality assessment programs to encompass the detection of non-analytical mistakes and improving communication between the users of and providers of laboratory services. The actual number of mistakes in laboratory testing is not fully recognized, because no widespread process is in place to either determine how often mistakes occur or to systematically eliminate sources of error. We also tend to focus on mistakes that result in adverse events, not the near misses that cause no observable harm. The users of laboratory services must become aware of where testing mistakes can occur and actively participate in designing processes to prevent mistakes. Most importantly, healthcare institutions need to adopt a culture of safety, which is implemented at all levels of the organization. This includes establishing closer links between providers of laboratory services and others in the healthcare delivery system. This was the theme of a 2003 Quality Institute Conference aimed at making the laboratory a key partner in patient safety. Plans to create a permanent public–private partnership, called the Institute for Quality in Laboratory Medicine, whose mission is to promote improvements in the use of laboratory tests and laboratory services are underway.Presented at the 9th Conference on Quality in the Spotlight, 18–19 March 2004, Antwerp, Belgium.     

Is the tert-butyl chloride solvolysis the most misunderstood reaction in organic chemistry? Evidence against nucleophilic solvent participation in the tert-butyl chloride transition state and for increased hydrogen bond donation to the 1-adamantyl chloride solvolysis transition state.

Despite theoretical calculations to the contrary, it has been argued that the 1-adamantyl cation is more stable than the tert-butyl cation in media of high dielectric constant. This argument has been utilized to suggest that the higher rate of solvolysis of tert-butyl chloride in aqueous ethanol is evidence for nucleophilic solvent participation in this classic reaction. Further, in "more highly ionizing" solvents, the rate of 1-adamantyl chloride is nearly the same as that of tert-butyl chloride, which is interpreted as a manifestation of the relative stabilities of the cations. However, the evidence cited does not explain the increased sensitivity of the rate of solvolysis of 1-adamantyl chloride over tert-butyl chloride to solvents which are better able to donate hydrogen bonds. The hypothesis developed here is that 1-adamantyl chloride solvolysis is assisted by hydrogen bond donation departing chloride ion to a greater extent than that of tert-butyl chloride solvolysis, most likely due to lessened steric interactions in a developing pyramidal cation. This hypothesis is supported by multiparameter solvent effect factor analyses utilizing the KOMPH2 equation which, in addition, quantifies the important role of ground-state destabilization due to strong solvent-solvent interactions. An important result from the good correlation of free energies of transfer of the tert-butyl chloride solvolysis transition state is that there is no change in mechanism, and, in particular, no nucleophilic participation even in non-hydroxylic basic solvents. The equation is also applied to the case of dimethylsulfonium ion solvolyses where the tert-butyl salt reacts substantially faster than the 1-adamantyl salt in ethanol and the gas phase. The decreased rate of the former in hydrogen bond donating solvents relative to the gas phase is as yet unclear. Solvent N values that were generated to characterize solvent nucleophilicity are shown not to be correlated by measures of solvent basicity but rather by the negative of measures of solvent hydrogen bond donor ability.     

Is Curcumin the Answer to Future Chemotherapy Cocktail?

The rise in cancer cases in recent years is an alarming situation worldwide. Despite the tremendous research and invention of new cancer therapies, the clinical outcomes are not always reassuring. Cancer cells could develop several evasive mechanisms for their survivability and render therapeutic failure. The continuous use of conventional cancer therapies leads to chemoresistance, and a higher dose of treatment results in even greater toxicities among cancer patients. Therefore, the search for an alternative treatment modality is crucial to break this viscous cycle. This paper explores the suitability of curcumin combination treatment with other cancer therapies to curb cancer growth. We provide a critical insight to the mechanisms of action of curcumin, its role in combination therapy in various cancers, along with the molecular targets involved. Curcumin combination treatments were found to enhance anticancer effects, mediated by the multitargeting of several signalling pathways by curcumin and the co-administered cancer therapies. The preclinical and clinical evidence in curcumin combination therapy is critically analysed, and the future research direction of curcumin combination therapy is discussed.     

α-imino carbenium ions: Is the α-imino group really destabilizing?

According to ab initio calculations, there is good evidence that α-imino carbenium ions exist as bridged carbocations. Furthermore, the energy differences between planar and bridged structures are much larger than for the corresponding α-acyl carbenium ions. Compared to the other α-electron withdrawing groups studied, the α-imino group does not lead to a destabilized carbenium ion; α-imino carbenium ions would therefore seem to be possibly useful synthetic intermediates.     

<Superscript>133</Superscript>Cs NMR Study of Cs<Superscript>+</Superscript> Ion Complexes with Dibenzo-24-crown-8, Dicyclohexano-24-crown-8 and Dibenzo-30-crown-10 in Binary Acetonitrile-Nitromethane Mixtures

Complexation of the cesium ion with the macrocyclic ligands: dibenzo-24-crown-8 (DB24C8), dicyclohexano-24-crown-8 (DC24C8) and dibenzo-30-crown-10 (DB30C10) was studied in binary acetonitrile-nitromethane mixtures by ¹³³Cs NMR spectroscopy. The ¹³³Cs chemical shift data indicated that the cesium cation forms 1:1 cation:ligand complexes with DB24C8 and DB30C10 but forms 2:1, 1:1 and 1:2 cation:ligand complexes with DC24C8 in acetonitrile-nitromethane mixtures. The formation constants of the complexes were calculated from the computer fitting of the chemical shift mole ratio data. The results show that the complex formation constants with the Cs⁺ cation vary in the order DC24C8>DB24C8∼DB30C10. It was found that the stability of the resulting complexes increases with increasing nitromethane concentration in the solvent mixture.     

Is hydrophilic interaction chromatography with silica columns a viable alternative to reversed-phase liquid chromatography for the analysis of ionisable compounds?

The separation of acidic, neutral and particularly basic solutes was investigated using a bare silica column, mostly under hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) conditions with water concentrations >2.5% and with >70% acetonitrile (ACN). Profound changes in selectivity could be obtained by judicious selection of the buffer and its pH. Acidic solutes had low retention or showed exclusion in ammonium formate buffers, but were strongly retained when using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) buffers, possibly due to suppression of repulsion of the solute anions from ionised silanol groups at the low (s)(s)pH of TFA solutions of aqueous ACN. At high buffer pH, the ionisation of weak bases was suppressed, reducing ionic (and possibly hydrophilic retention) leading to further opportunities for manipulation of selectivity. Peak shapes of basic solutes were excellent in ammonium formate buffers, and overloading effects, which are a major problem for charged bases in RPLC, were relatively insignificant in analytical separations using this buffer. HILIC separations were ideal for fast analysis of ionised bases, due to the low viscosity of mobile phases with high ACN content, and the favourable Van Deemter curves which resulted from higher solute diffusivities.     

On the preparation of bilirubins of the natural α series substituted with a propionic acid residue and a hydroxypropyl group

Summary The reduction of mesobiliverdin XIII propan-1,3-diyl diester with NaBH₄ affords mesobilirubin XIII propan-1,3-diyl diester. The same reduction of mesobiliverdin XIII methylen diester. The same reduction of mesobiliverdin XIII methylen diester affords 8-(2-carboxyethyl)-3,17-diethyl-12-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2,7,13,17-tetramethylbiladien-ac-1,19-(21H, 24H)-dione (MBR-mc). The UV/Vis and¹H NMR spectra ofMBR-mc show that its structure in solution is similar to that of the natural bilirubins of the series.

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Zur Herstellung von Bilirubinen der natürlichen -Reihe mit Propionsäure- und Hydroxypropylsubstituenten

Zusammenfassung Reduktion von Mesobiliverdin-XIII-propan-1,3-diyl-diester mit NaBH₄ liefert Mesobilirubin-XIII-propan-1,4-diyl-diester. Die analoge Reaktion des Mesobiliverdin-XIII-methylen-diesters führt zu 8-(2-Carboxyäthyl)-3,17-diäthyl-12-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2,7,13,17-tetramethylbiladien-ac-1,19-(21H,24H)-dion (MBR-mc).MBR-mc weist in Lösung (UV/Vis und 1H-NMR Spektren) eine ähnliche Struktur auf wie die der natürlichen Bilirubine der -Serie.

     

Is it possible to estimate the enantioselectivity of a chiral catalyst from its racemic mixture?

The evaluation of a racemic catalyst was investigated in the case of oxazaborolidine (OAB)-catalyzed borane reduction of 1,5-diphenyl-1,5-pentanedione, giving the corresponding diol. On the basis of the diastereoselectivity of the diols, it is possible to estimate the enantioselectivity (ee) of the first step, which correlates well with the ee in the reaction of the structurally similar phenyl n-pentyl ketone with enantiopure OAB catalyst. The measure of diastereoselectivity could be a tool for screening racemic catalysts without the need for resolving the individual enantiomers, if in the second step of the process there is no substrate control and no catalyst scrambling.     

Is the Reduction in Tracer Diffusivity under Nanoscopic Confinement Related to a Frustrated Segmental Mobility?

We developed an experimental method for the determination of the tracer diffusivity D_tr in ultrathin polymer films, and the changes in the segmental mobility of tracer molecules while they diffuse through matrices of different thickness and get adsorbed onto a target substrate. D_tr starts decreasing already at 120–150 nm and drops to 1% of its bulk value in films as thin as 7.5 nm. We discuss the results highlighting a strong decoupling between the reduction in mass transport at the nanoscale and the increase in the glass transition temperature determined via capacitive dilatometry together with a breakdown of the Stokes–Einstein relation between orientational and translational degrees of freedom.