Microwave-assisted rapid synthesis of methyl 2,4,5-trimethoxyphenylpropionate, a metabolite of Cordia alliodora

Microwave assisted condensation of asaronaldehyde (2) with malonic acid in piperidine-AcOH provides 2,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid (3) in 87% yield within 4 min, which upon further reduction with PdCl2- HCOOH-aq. NaOH gives 3-(2,4,5-trimethoxy)phenyl propionic acid (4) in 88% yield within 3 min. Esterification of 4 with MeOH-H+ gives methyl 2,4,5-trimethoxyphenylpropionate (1), a metabolite of Cordia alliodora, in 94% yield within 3 min (overall 69% yield).     

Chemical Manipulation of Magnetic Ordering in Mn(1-x)Sn(x)Bi(2)Se(4) Solid-Solutions

Several compositions of manganese-tin-bismuth selenide solid-solution series, Mn(1-x)Sn(x)Bi(2)Se(4) (x = 0, 0.3, 0.75), were synthesized by combining high purity elements in the desired ratio at moderate temperatures. X-ray single crystal studies of a Mn-rich composition (x = 0) and a Mn-poor phase (x = 0.75) at 100 and 300 K revealed that the compounds crystallize isostructurally in the monoclinic space group C2/m (no.12) and adopt the MnSb(2)Se(4) structure type. Direct current (DC) magnetic susceptibility measurements in the temperature range from 2 to 300 K indicated that the dominant magnetic ordering within the Mn(1-x)Sn(x)Bi(2)Se(4) solid-solutions below 50 K switches from antiferromagnetic (AFM) for MnBi(2)Se(4) (x = 0), to ferromagnetic (FM) for Mn(0.7)Sn(0.3)Bi(2)Se(4) (x = 0.3), and finally to paramagnetic (PM) for Mn(0.25)Sn(0.75)Bi(2)Se(4) (x = 0.75). We show that this striking variation in the nature of magnetic ordering within the Mn(1-x)Sn(x)Bi(2)Se(4) solid-solution series can be rationalized by taking into account: (1) changes in the distribution of magnetic centers within the structure arising from the Mn to Sn substitutions, (2) the contributions of spin-polarized free charge carriers resulting from the intermixing of Mn and Sn within the same crystallographic site, and (3) a possible long-range ordering of Mn and Sn atoms within individual {M}(n)Se(4n+2) single chain leading to quasi isolated {MnSe(6)} octahedra spaced by nonmagnetic {SnSe(6)} octahedra.     

H-ZSM-5分子筛催化4-MBP与甲醇甲基化的反应机理

4,4?-二甲基联苯(4,4?-DMBP)是生产高性能聚合物材料的重要前驱体,可以通过4-甲基联苯(4-MBP)甲基化制得.本文采用“our own-N-layered integrated molecular orbital+molecular mechanics”(ONIOM)和密度泛函理论(DFT)方法研究H-ZSM-5分子筛孔内4-MBP和甲醇择形甲基化的反应机理,考虑了分步和协同反应机理.分步机理的活化能低于协同机理.在两种反应机理中,4,4?-DMBP为动力学优先生成产物.过渡态择形的特征也使甲基化更容易生成4,4?-DMBP.在分子筛孔内,4-MBP 异构化生成3-甲基联苯(3-MBP)的反应被抑制.在分子筛外表面,4-MBP异构化生成3-MBP比甲基化反应更有动力学优势,导致4,4?-DMBP选择性降低.对外表面进行改性将会抑制4-MBP异构化反应,并使反应在分子筛孔内进行,因此可以提高4,4?-DMBP的选择性. H-ZSM-5催化择形和非择形反应的计算结果与实验现象一致.     

Bimolecular reaction via the successive introduction of two substrates into the crystals of networked molecular cages

Two substrates, 4-hydroxydiphenylamine (3) and ethyl isocyanate (4), were successively introduced into the crystals of networked M(6)L(4) cages 1. Because of the encapsulation effect, most of the initially introduced substrate 3 remained within the crystals during immersion in a solution of 4. X-ray analysis revealed that before the reaction, the nucleophilic NH group of 3 is effectively protected by tight packing within the cage units while the OH group is exposed to the incoming second substrate. Successive introduction of 4 into the crystal results in the chemoselective acylation of 3 at the less nucleophilic OH group. The observed chemoselectivity is consistent with that exhibited by discrete M(6)L(4) cage 2 in solution.     

Microwave-Assisted Minutes Synthesis of Bioactive Phenylbutanoids Occurring in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zingiber cassumunar</Emphasis>

Microwave-assisted condensation of benzaldehyde (3a,b) with acetone in aqueous sodium hydroxide adsorbed on basic alumina provides phenylbutenone (4a–4b) in 68–71% yield within 4 min, which upon further reduction with sodium borohydride and basic alumina gives phenylbutenol (5a,b) in 91–94% yield within 2 min. Dehydration of 5 with anhydrous copper (II) sulfate gives phenylbutadiene (1a,b), a metabolite of Zingiber cassumunar, within 3 min in 42–48% yield, respectively. All the steps involve environmental friendly solvents and reagents, mild reaction conditions, and overall formation of product 1a,b from 3a,b in 34–38% yield within 9 min under microwave irradiation. __________ Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 300–302, July–August, 2005.     

Active-site structure of a β-hydroxylase in antibiotic biosynthesis

X-ray absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopies show that CmlA, the β-hydroxylase of the chloramphenicol biosynthetic pathway, contains a (μ-oxo)-(μ-1,3-carboxylato)diiron(III) cluster with 6-coordinate iron centers and 3 - 4 His ligands. This active site is found within a unique β-lactamase fold and is distinct from those of soluble methane monooxygenase and related enzymes that utilize a highly conserved diiron cluster with a 2-His-4-carboxylate ligand set within a 4-helix bundle motif. These structural differences may have an impact on the nature of the activated oxygen species of the reaction cycle.     

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopic studies of diffusion within the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) measurements have been performed in order to determine the translational diffusion coefficients of three differently charged fluorescent probes (cationic: rhodamine 6G, neutral: 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-p-dimethylaminostyryl-4-H-pyran, DCM, and anionic: fluorescein) dissolved within the common room temperature ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [bmim][PF6]. These experiments demonstrate that FCS is a rapid, sensitive, precise (typical RSD from 4-8%), and low-consumption screening tool for the determination of analyte mobility within microliter ionic liquid samples.     

Calculation of the A term of magnetic circular dichroism based on time dependent-density functional theory I. Formulation and implementation

A procedure for calculating the A term and the A/D ratio of magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) within time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) is described. Utilizing an implementation of the MCD theory within the Amsterdam Density Functional program, the A term contributions to the MCD spectra of MnO(4) (-), CrO(4) (2-), VO(4) (3-), MoO(4) (2-), VO(4) (3-), MoS(4) (2-), Se(4) (2+), Te(4) (2+), Fe(CN)(6) (4-), Ni(CN)(4) (2-), trichlorobenzene, hexachlorobenzene, tribromobenzene, and hexabromobenzene are calculated. For the most part, agreement between theory and experiment for A/D ratios and the relative magnitude of A terms is found to be good, leading to simulated spectra that are similar in appearance to those derived from measurements. The A terms are found to be too small whenever comparison with experiment was possible, probably due to the neglect of environment effects on the incident radiation and the relative low accuracy of dipole strengths calculated within TD-DFT.     

Isolation of ammonium-N as 1-sulfonato-iso-indole for measurement of delta15N

The conversion of ammonium (NH(4) (+)) to 1-sulfonato-iso-indole has been examined as a method for natural abundance measurement of delta(15)N of NH(4) (+). The reaction is complete within 2 h and is based on the derivatisation of NH(4) (+) by o-phthaldialdehyde and sodium sulfite at a high pH, 11.2. The product is readily concentrated from dilute solutions by reverse-phase solid-phase extraction (SPE). The method is compound-specific despite partial derivatisation of potentially interfering amino acids, as their derivatives are not extracted by SPE. delta(15)N values of NH(4) (+) in KCL soil extracts can be measured within 48 h by automated continuous-flow IRMS with a precision of 0.23 per thousand (1 SD). Parallel measurements of NH(4) (+) standards of known delta(15)N are made to allow correction for the isotopic dilution by non-sample NH(4) (+). The practicality of this method is demonstrated by measuring the changes in NH(4) (+) concentration and delta(15)N following the addition of urea as a nitrogen source to inorganic N-depleted soil.     

Coexistence of magnetic and electric orderings in the metal-formate frameworks of [NH4][M(HCOO)3

A family of three-dimensional chiral metal-formate frameworks of [NH(4)][M(HCOO)(3)] (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Zn) displays paraelectric to ferroelectric phase transitions between 191 and 254 K, triggered by disorder-order transitions of NH(4)(+) cations and their displacement within the framework channels, combined with spin-canted antiferromagnetic ordering within 8-30 K for the magnetic members, providing a new class of metal-organic frameworks showing the coexistence of magnetic and electric orderings.     

Guanidiniocarbonyl-pyrrole-aryl conjugates as nucleic acid sensors: switch of binding mode and spectroscopic responses by introducing additional binding sites into the linker

Two novel guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole-pyrene conjugates 3 and 4 as spectroscopic probes for ds-polynucleotides were synthesized and their interaction with different ds-DNAs/RNAs studied. Compared to a previously reported first set of conjugates (1 and 2) the significant extension and increased rigidity of the central part of the structure resulted in a switch of DNA binding mode from intercalative (previously studied derivatives 1 and 2 with a nonbinding and flexible linker) to minor groove binding of the two novel guanidiniocarbonyl-pyrrole-pyrene conjugates 3 and 4. These two compounds interact strongly with ds-DNAs, but only weakly with ds-RNA. The newly incorporated heterocyclic moieties within the central part of the structure of 3 and 4 were able to control by steric and hydrogen-bonding effects the alignment of the molecules within various, structurally different forms of DNA minor grooves, whereby even small differences in the position of the attached pyrene within the groove were reflected in different fluorimetric responses. In addition, 3 and 4 revealed intriguing in vitro selectivity among various human tumour cell lines.     

Unusual oxidation state distributions observed for two mixed-valence heptanuclear manganese disc-like clusters

The synthesis, structures and magnetic properties of two new mixed-valence heptanuclear manganese clusters are described. Both complexes utilize triethanolamine (teaH(3)) as a bridging ligand, displaying near planar, disc-like metal topologies and are of formulae [Mn(II)(4)Mn(IV)(3)(tea)(teaH(2))(3)(peolH)(4)](BF(4))(2)·solv (1) and [Mn(II)(4)Mn(III)(3)F(3)(tea)(teaH)(teaH(2))(2)(piv)(4)(Hpiv)(chp)(3)]·0.5MeCN (2). Compound 1 is a rare mixed-valence compound containing Mn(II) and Mn(IV) ions only and is the first example of a heptanuclear disc with a {Mn(II)(4)Mn(IV)(3)} oxidation state distribution. Compound 2 is a {Mn(II)(4)Mn(III)(3)} complex and displays a unique arrangement of oxidation states within the disc, when compared to other known {Mn(II)(4)Mn(III)(3)} examples. Variable temperature DC and AC magnetic susceptibility studies were carried out for 1 and 2 in the 2-300 K temperature range. Compound 1 displayed an increase in the χ(M)T susceptibility values as the temperature is decreased indicating dominant ferromagnetic interactions are present within the cluster. Fits of the χ(M)T vs. T data reveals an S = 23/2 ground state, with several close lying excited states within 1 cm(-1). Compound 2 displays an overall decrease in the χ(M)T value as the temperature is decreased down to 2 K indicating dominant antiferromagnetic interactions present with a probable S = 4 ground state as determined from the DC and AC susceptibility data.     

An unprecedented 8-fold interpenetrating diamondoid-like coordination polymer containing a Cu+(4)(RCO2)(4) cluster as connecting node

The reaction of Cu(I)(CH(3)CN)(4)BF(4) with 4-pyridylacrylic acid (4-HPYA) affords an unprecedented 8-fold interpenetrating diamondoid-like coordination polymer network [Cu(I)(3)(4-PYA)(2)(H(2)O)(BF(4)) ] (1) with a Cu(+)(4)(CO(2))(4) cluster as connecting node. The interpenetration in metal coordination polymers is the highest degree ever found within diamondoid nets containing a cluster as connecting note. Its fluorescent property was also reported.     

Investigation of Hydrogen Bonded Interpolymer Complexes Based on Poly (n-butyl methacrylate–co-methacrylic acid) and Poly (n-butyl methacrylate -co-4-vinyl pyridine). Temperature Effect

Summary: Two kinds of interpolymer complexes as soluble or precipitate of different structures were obtained in both THF and butan-2-one as common solvents by monitoring the hydrogen-bonding density within homoblends of poly(n-butyl methacrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine) (BM4VP) and poly(n-butyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (BMMA). A viscometry study confirmed such differences between these two types of interpolymer complexes from the behavior of the reduced viscosity of their blend solutions with feed blend composition. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the interactions that occurred between these copolymers of relatively bulky side chain length containing various amounts of methacrylic acid and 4-vinylpyridine were carried out by FTIR. The fraction of associated pyridine groups to the carboxylic groups of the BMMA increases as the content of these latter increases in the BMMA/BM4VP blends. The obtained results also showed that the fractions of associated pyridine within the BMMA25/BM4VP26 blends are higher than those within BMMA18/BM4VP19 or BMMA8/BM4VP10. The FTIR analysis of a selected BMMA18/BM4VP19 1:1 ratio, carried out from 80 °C to 160 °C, above the glass transition temperatures of the two constituents of the blend, confirms the presence of strong hydrogen bonding interactions between the pyridine and the carboxylic groups within these blends even at 160 °C. A LCST is expected to occur at higher temperature as shown from the progressive decrease of the fraction of the associated pyridine.     

Chemical Synthesis Elucidates the Immunological Importance of a Pyruvate Modification in the Capsular Polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 4

Carbohydrate modifications are believed to strongly affect the immunogenicity of glycans. Capsular polysaccharides (CPS) from bacterial pathogens are frequently equipped with a pyruvate that can be placed across the 4,6‐, 3,4‐, or 2,3‐positions. A trans‐2,3‐linked pyruvate is present on the CPS of the Gram‐positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 4 (ST4), a pathogen responsible for pneumococcal infections. To assess the immunological importance of this modification within the CPS repeating unit, the first total synthesis of the glycan was carried out. Glycan microarrays containing a series of synthetic antigens demonstrated how antibodies raised against natural ST4 CPS specifically recognize the pyruvate within the context of the tetrasaccharide repeating unit. The pyruvate modification is a key motif for designing minimal synthetic carbohydrate vaccines for ST4.     

Approximated dynamical symmetry of two-electron atoms

the eigenstates of a new set of approximate constants of the motion of two-electron atoms are very nearly those obtained by diagnolizing 1/r_ij within a complex. They easily obtained by reducing SO(4) × SO(4) to SO(4) in a novel way.     

Synthesis and characterization of cerium phosphate nanowires in microemulsion reaction media

Synthesis of CePO4 in water-in-oil microemulsions produces crystalline nanowires with uniform thickness (mean width = 3.7 nm) and straight or branched morphologies. The nanowires develop within a period of 1 month by surfactant-mediated slow crystallization from amorphous primary filaments with highly convoluted morphology. Electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering studies suggest that CePO4 crystallization occurs within the confined reaction spaces of preformed Ce(III)-containing rod-shaped micelles, rather than by mesophase aggregation and transformation of primary surfactant-coated nanoparticles.     

Making a difference on excited-state chemistry by controlling free space within a nanocapsule: photochemistry of 1-(4-alkylphenyl)-3-phenylpropan-2-ones

The free space within a reaction cavity plays a determining role during the excited-state reaction of 1-(4-alkylphenyl)-3-phenylpropan-2-ones included within a capsule formed by two molecules of a deep cavity cavitand. By controlling the free space within the reaction cavity through remote alkyl substitution on the reactant ketone it is possible to control the yield of the rearrangement product shown above.     

Self-association effects on phase behavior and thermal properties of poly(styrene-co-itaconic acid)/poly(butyl methacrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine) blends

Blends based on poly(styrene-co-itaconic acid) containing 11 or 27 mol % of itaconic acid (PSIA11, PSIA27) and poly(n-butyl methacrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine) containing 26 or 37 mol% of 4-vinylpyridine (PBM4VP26, PBM4VP37) were prepared. Their phase behavior and thermal properties were investigated by several techniques. Specific interactions that occurred between these copolymers were evidenced by FTIR from the appearance of characteristic new bands. The different T _g-composition behaviors of these systems evidenced by DSC and interpreted in terms of different types and strength of interactions that occurred within these blends, were analyzed by Kwei and “BCKV” (Brostow, Chiu, Kalogeras, Vassilikou-Dova) approaches. The positive deviation from the weight average of their constituent T _g’s, observed with the PSIA11/PBM4VP26 and PSIA11/PBM4VP37 systems, is due to the presence of strong specific interactions that occurred within this system while the practically similar S shaped curves obtained with PSIA27/PBM4VP26 and PSIA27/PBM4VP37 blends indicate that, due to self-association of carboxylic groups within PSIA27, a reduced number of efficient specific interactions occurred within these blends even though containing relatively higher amounts of interacting species. A thermogravimetric analysis confirmed improved thermal stability of these blends over the individual copolymers.     

Use of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone of glyoxylic acid for the determination of glyoxylic acid by the chromatographic-spectrophotometric method and by differential pulse polarography

Two different methods (one based on chromatography and spectrophotometry and the other on polarography) have been developed for the determination of glyoxylic acid in the form of a derivative with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH. GA). The TLC method allows the separation of two DNPH. GA isomers ("trans" and "cis"). Spectrophotometric measurements of the eluents of the separated compounds (lambda=360 nm) allow the determination of GA within the range from 4 to 30 microg. Using differential pulse polarography, the conditions of DNPH. GA formation were examined. The reduction peak of this derivative (E(P)=-0.430 V), observed by dpp, was used to develop a polarographic determination of GA within the concentration range from 1.10(-4) to 7.10(-4) mol/l.