New Homoaporphine Base from Merendera robusta

The alkaloid composition of the bulb casing of Merendera robusta Bge. (Liliaceae) was investigated. The tropolone alkaloid colchicine was identified. A new homoaporphine base for which the structure methylmerenderine hydroxide was established by spectral and chemical methods was isolated.     

Structure,spectroscopic, and magnetic properties of a new cobalt(II) complex with 5-sulfoisophthalic anion

A complex of [Co(H₂SIP)(Phen)(H₂O)₃] ? H₂O (H₂SIP = 5-sulfoisophthalic anion, Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) has been synthesized by hydrothermal reaction. Crystal structure determination revealed that the complex crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c, in which Co(II) is distorted octahedral coordinating with one carboxylate sulfonate ligand, one phen, and three coordinated waters. Molecules of [Co(H₂SIP)(Phen)(H₂O)₃] ? H₂O are connected to form a 3-D structure by intermolecular hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions. IR spectra, UV-Vis spectra, and magnetic susceptibilities have been analyzed to obtain values of the ligand field and magnetic parameters: Α = 1.33, λ = ?102.3 cm^?1, κ = 0.96, and Δ = 252.2 cm^?1.     

Synthesis,crystal structure and topological analysis of a three‐dimensional polymeric network based on zinc(II), potassium and 5‐sulfobenzene‐1,3‐dicarboxylate (SIP)

Aromatic polycarboxylate linkers provide structural rigidity and strong interactions among the metal centre and the carboxylate O atoms. A new three‐dimensional coordination polymer namely, catena‐poly[potassium [tetraaqua(μ‐5‐sulfobenzene‐1,3‐dicarboxylato)zinc(II)]], {K[Zn(C₈H₃O₇S)(H₂O)₄]}_n or {K[Zn(SIP)(H₂O)₄]}_n, where SIP is 5‐sulfobenzene‐1,3‐dicarboxylate or 5‐sulfoisophthalate, was obtained and characterized by elemental analysis and IR vibrational spectroscopy, and the single‐crystal structure was determined by X‐ray diffraction analysis. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n with Z = 4. Topological analysis revealed that K—O interactions form a two‐dimensional network, which is uninodal 4‐connected and can be described with a point symbol (4⁴.6²), and this plane network is classified as sql/Shubnikov . The layers are connected by Zn²⁺ ions coordinated to the SIP linker, forming a three‐dimensional network. This net is a trinodal (3,5,6)‐connected system with point symbol (3.4⁴.5².6².7³.8³).(3.4⁴.5².6².7).(3.7²).     

Authentication of Gentiana straminea Maxim. and its substitutes based on chemical profiling of iridoids using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–ion‐trap mass spectrometry (MSⁿ) method was established and applied for authentication of Gentiana straminea from the four substitutes, G. tibetica, G. lhassica, G. waltonii and G. robusta, based on chemical profiling of the principal iridoid glucosides aided by a quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The fragmentation pathways of the three representative iridoid glucosides, loganic acid, gentiopicroside and sweroside, were investigated by MSⁿ analysis in negative ion mode, which assisted the characterization of analogs detected in the chromatographic profiling of the tested Gentiana species. In total, 25 iridoids were identified or tentatively characterized from G. straminea and four substitutes, in which 7‐O‐(4′′‐O‐glucosyl)coumaroyl‐loganic acid and 7‐O‐coumaroyl‐loganic acid are diagnostic in G. straminea and can serve as the proposed chemical markers to discriminate it from morphologically similar substitutes.     

Enhanced Metallophilicity in Metal–Carbene Systems: Stronger Character of Aurophilic Interactions in Solution

Metallophilicity is an essential concept that builds upon the attraction between closed shell metal ions. We report on the [M₂(bisNHC)₂]²⁺ (M=Au^I, Ag^I; NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene) systems, which display almost identical features in the solid state. However, in solution the Au₂ cation exhibits a significantly higher degree of rigidity owed to the stronger character of the aurophilic interactions. Both Au₂ and Ag₂ cationic constructs are able to accommodate Ag⁺ ions via M–M interactions, despite their inherent Coulombic repulsion. When electrostatic repulsion between host and guest is partially diminished, M–M distances are substantially shortened. Quantum chemical calculations estimate intermetallic bond orders up to 0.2. Although at the limit of (or beyond) the van der Waals radii, metallophilic interactions are responsible for their behavior in solution.     

Quartz crystal microbalance study of the kinetics of surface initiated polymerization

Surface initiated polymerization (SIP) is a valuable tool in synthesizing functional polymer brushes, yet the kinetic understanding of SIP lags behind the development of its application. We apply quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to address two issues that are not fully addressed yet play a central role in the rational design of functional polymer brushes, namely quantitative determination of the kinetics and the initiator efficiency (IE) of SIP. SIP are monitored online using QCM. Two quantitative frequency-thickness (f-T) relations make the direct determination and comparison of the rate of polymerization possible even for different monomers. Based on the bi-termination model, the kinetics of SIP is simply described by two variables, which are related to two polymerization constants, namely a = 1/(k _p,s,app−[M][R·]₀) and b = k _t,s,app/(k _p,s,app[M]). Factors that could alter the kinetics of SIP are studied, including (i) the molecular weight of monomers, (ii) the solvent used, (iii) the initial density of the initiator, (iv) the concentration of monomer, [M], and (v) the catalyst system (ratio among the ingredients, metal, ligands, and additives). The dynamic nature of IE is also described by these two variables, IE = a/(a + bt). Instead of the molecular weight and the polydispersity, we suggest that film thickness, the two kinetic parameters (a and b), and the initial density of the initiator and IE be the parameters that characterize ultra-thin polymer brushes. Besides the kinetics study of SIP, the reported method has many other applications, for example, in the fast screening of catalyst system for SIP and other polymerization systems.     

Quantum chemical study of the nature of the interaction between the proton and phosphoryl compounds in the H+ ...OPX3 complex

Based on CNDO/2 (spd basis) quantum chemical calculations of the proton affinity, we propose a model describing the nature of the interaction between the proton and the molecule of phosphoryl compounds in the monocation X₃POH⁺. We have established that in the series of phosphoryl compounds, the change in the proton affinity is subject to two effects: the shift in electron density from the base to the proton, and the ionic interaction between the proton complexing agent and the phosphorus atom and substituents; and in the latter case we observe electrostatic repulsion for the substituents R, OR, NR₂ and attraction for F.A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Heteroorganic Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117813 Moscow. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2579–2583, November, 1992.     

Analyses of lepidopteran sex pheromones by mass spectrometry

Lepidoptera, including about 150,000 species in the world, comprise the second largest insect group, and sex pheromones have been identified from virgin female moths of more than 600 species. The chemical structures are simple, but diverse, because species-specific pheromones play an important role in the reproductive isolation of each species. The pheromone content in each female is quite low, and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is most frequently utilized to reveal the chemical structure. Almost all pheromone components are straight-chain compounds and are classified into two major groups [i.e. unsaturated C₁₀-C₁₈ fatty alcohols and their derivatives (Type I) and C₁₇-C₂₃ polyenyl hydrocarbons and their epoxides (Type II)]. In addition to the unbranched compounds, some species secrete methyl-branched compounds (e.g., 2-ketones). For the identification of these compounds, determining the positions of the double bond, the epoxy ring, and the methyl group is an important key step. Copious spectral information measured by electron-impact ionization (70 eV) has been accumulated for these compounds. This review therefore deals with their spectral characteristics, namely, diagnostic ions, to apply them to pheromone studies on new target insects.     

15N-, 1H-, and 13C-NMR chemical shifts and electronic properties of aromatic diamines and dianhydrides

We measured the ¹⁵N-, ¹H-, and ¹³C-NMR chemical shifts for a series of aromatic diamines and aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides dissolved in DMSO-d₆, and discuss the relationships between these chemical shifts and the rate constants of acylation (k) as well as such electronic-property-related parameters such as ionization potential (IP), electronic affinity (EA), and the energy ε of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). The ¹⁵N chemical shifts of the amino group of diamines (δ_N) depend monotonically on the logarithm of k (log k) and on IP. We inferred the reactivities of diamines whose acylation rates have not been measured from their δ_N, and we propose an arrangement of diamines in the order of their reactivity. The ¹H chemical shift of amino hydrogens (δ_H) and the ¹³C chemical shift of carbons bonded to nitrogen (δ_C) are roughly proportional to δ_N, but these shifts are not as closely correlated with log k and IP. Although the ¹³C chemical shifts of the carbonyl carbon of dianhydrides (δ_C,) varies much less than the δ_C and δ_N of diamines, δ_C, can be an index of acylation reactivity for dianhydrides because it is closely correlated with ε_LUMO. These facts indicate that the chemical shifts of diamines and dianhydrides are displaced according to their electron-donor and electron-acceptor properties, and that these chemical shifts can be used as indices of the electronic properties of monomers. Changes in reactivity caused by the introduction of trifluoromethyl groups into diamines and dianhydrides are inferred from the displacements of δ_N and δ_C © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Tetraaryl-methane analogues in group 14—V. Distortion of tetrahedral geometryin terms of through-space π–π and π–σ interactions andNMR sagging in terms of π–σcharge transfer

44 members of thecompound series Ph_4−nMR_n (M=Si, Ge, Sn, Pb; R=o-, m-, p-Tol; n=0–4) were synthesized (15 newcompounds). The crystal structures of Ph₃Sn (o-Tol) and PhSn (o-Tol)₃ were determined and compared to 16 known structures. Subject to the distanced (M–C), an interplay between through-space π–π repulsion and π–σ attraction leads to either elongated or compressed tetrahedral geometry. ²⁹ Si-, ¹¹⁹ Sn- and ²⁰⁷ Pb-NMR chemical shifts were determined in solution and in the solid state. ⁷³ Ge chemical shifts were measured only in solution. Anupfield or downfield sagging of the chemical shifts along each series is rationalized in terms of a π–σcharge transfer which is constrained by torsion of the aromatic groups.     

Quantum‐chemical analyses of aromaticity,UV spectra,and NMR chemical shifts in plumbacyclopentadienylidenes stabilized by Lewis bases

We carried out a series of zeroth‐order regular approximation (ZORA)‐density functional theory (DFT) and ZORA‐time‐dependent (TD)‐DFT calculations for molecular geometries, NMR chemical shifts, nucleus‐independent chemical shifts (NICS), and electronic transition energies of plumbacyclopentadienylidenes stabilized by several Lewis bases, (Ph)₂(^tBuMe₂Si)₂C₄PbL₁L₂ (L₁, L₂ = tetrahydrofuran, Pyridine, N‐heterocyclic carbene), and their model molecules. We mainly discussed the Lewis‐base effect on the aromaticity of these complexes. The NICS was used to examine the aromaticity. The NICS values showed that the aromaticity of these complexes increases when the donation from the Lewis bases to Pb becomes large. This trend seems to be reasonable when the 4n‐Huckel rule is applied to the fractional π‐electron number. The calculated ¹³C‐ and ²⁰⁷Pb‐NMR chemical shifts and the calculated UV transition energies reasonably reproduced the experimental trends. We found a specific relationship between the ¹³C‐NMR chemical shifts and the transition energies. As we expected, the relativistic effect was essential to reproduce a trend not only in the ²⁰⁷Pb‐NMR chemical shifts and J[Pb‐C] but also in the ¹³C‐NMR chemical shifts of carbons adjacent to the lead atom. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Maculatic Acids—Sex Attractant Pheromone Components of Bald‐Faced Hornets

Yellowjackets in the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula are prevalent eusocial insects of great ecological and economic significance, but the chemical signals of their sexual communication systems have defied structural elucidation. Herein, we report the identification of sex attractant pheromone components of virgin bald‐faced hornet queens (Dolichovespula maculata). We analyzed body surface extracts of queens by coupled gas chromatographic–electroantennographic detection (GC‐EAD), isolated the compounds that elicited responses from male antennae by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and identified these components by GC mass spectrometry (MS), HPLC‐MS, and NMR spectroscopy. In laboratory olfactometer experiments, synthetic (2Z,7E)‐3,7‐dimethyldeca‐2,7‐diendioic acid (termed here maculatic acid A) and (2Z,7E)‐10‐methoxy‐3,7‐dimethyldeca‐10‐oxo‐deca‐2,7‐dienoic acid (termed here maculatic acid C) in binary combination significantly attracted bald‐faced hornet males. These are the first sex attractant pheromone components identified in yellowjackets.     

Stereochemical applications of mass spectrometry: 1—The utility of electron impact and chemical ionization mass spectrometry in the differentiation of stereoisomeric benzoin oximes and phenylhydrazones

A study of the electron impact and chemical ionization (H₂, CH₄, and iso-C₄H₁₀) mass spectra of stereoisomeric benzoin oximes and phenylhydrazones indicates that while the former can be distinguished only by their chemical ionization mass spectra the latter are readily distinguishable by both their electron impact and chemical ionization mass spectra. The electron impact mass spectra of the isomeric oximes are practically identical; however, the chemical ionization spectra show that the E isomer forms more stable [MH]⁺ and [MH? H₂O]⁺ ions than the Z isomer for which both the [MH]⁺ and [MH? H₂O]⁺ ions are relatively unstable. In electron impact the Z-phenylhydrazone shows a lower [M]⁺˙ ion abundance and more facile loss of H₂O than does the E isomer. This more facile H₂O loss also is observed for the [MH]⁺ ion of the Z isomer under chemical ionization conditions.     

Spatially intermittent polymerization

A novel reactor has been designed which permits the precise determination of absolute rate constants in photoinitiated free-radical vinyl polymerization. A solution of monomer and initiator flows through a dark tubular reactor past regularly spaced slots through which light shines. The alternating dark and light regions produce spatially intermittent polymerization (SIP) and make the system analogous to the well-known rotating-sector technique. However, the SIP reactor has the advantage of producing large volumes of reaction product, at low conversion, suitable for analysis of both conversion and molecular weight. This supplies the necessary data, from a single set of experiments, for the simultaneous determination of the rate constants for propagation and termination. Experimental data are reported at 25°C for methyl methacrylate which indicate that k_p = 315 I./mole-sec, independent of polymer molecular weight, and k_t is dependent on molecular weight especially at low molecular weight, approaching a lower value of k_t = 30 × 10⁶ I./mole-sec at a molecular weight of 10⁶. For styrene, measurements being made only at high molecular weight, k_p = 74 ± 5 and k_t = 37 ± 0.3 × 10⁶ l./mole-sec at 25°C.     

Investigating protein translocation in the presence of an electrolyte concentration gradient across a solid-state nanopore

Electrolyte chemistry plays an important role in the transport properties of analytes through nanopores. Here, we report the translocation properties of the protein human serum transferrin (hSTf) in asymmetric LiCl salt concentrations with either positive (C_trans/C_cis < 1) or negative chemical gradients (C_trans/C_cis > 1). The cis side concentration was fixed at 4 M for positive chemical gradients and at 0.5 M LiCl for negative chemical gradients, while the trans side concentration varied between 0.5 to 4 M which resulted in six different configurations, respectively, for both positive and negative gradient types. For positive chemical gradient conditions, translocations were observed in all six configurations for at least one voltage polarity whereas with negative gradient conditions, dead concentrations where no events at either polarity were observed. The flux of Li⁺ and Cl⁻ ions and their resultant cation or anion enrichment zones, as well as the interplay of electrophoretic and electroosmotic transport directions, would determine whether hSTf can traverse across the pore.     

Chemical composition of Helietta parvifolia and its in vitro anticholinesterase activity

The chemical composition of the essential oil and the n-hexane (Hex), Ethyl Acetate (EtOAc) and butanol (BuOH) extracts from the leaves of Helietta parvifolia were determined by detailed GC-MS analysis, spectroscopic and spectrometric data. Eighty-four compounds were identified, revealing a furoquinoline alkaloid-rich composition. The phytochemical analysis of the extracts allowed the isolation of eigth furoquinoline alkaloids. Retention indices in GC-MS for six of this alkaloids are reported for the first time. Furoquinoline alkaloids are acethylcholinesterase inhibitors. Thus, the essential oil and extracts were submitted to this in vitro assay. The EtOAc and BuOH extracts showed potent activity, with IC₅₀ of 9.7 and 12.9 μg mL^?1, respectively. Additionaly, a correlation of their chemical constituents, established by principal component analysis (PCA) demostrated a similar profile and a high content of alkaloids. It is for these reasons that we can assume that the alkaloid content in these extracts could be responsible for their anticholinesterase activity.     

Comment on “The Interplay between Steric and Electronic Effects in SN2 Reactions”

We respond to a paper by Fernández, Frenking, and Uggerud (FFU: Chem. Eur. J. 2009 , 15, 2166) in which they conclude that not steric hindrance but reduced electrostatic attraction and reduced orbital interactions are responsible for the S_N2 barrier, in particular in the case of more highly substituted substrates, for example, F^? + C(CH₃)₃F. We disagree with this conclusion, which we show is the result of neglecting geometry relaxation processes that are induced by increased Pauli repulsion in the sterically congested S_N2 transition state.     

A novel three‐dimensional coordination polymer constructed from pyrazine and copper(I): poly[[copper(I)‐di‐μ2‐pyrazine‐κ4N:N′] 3,5‐dicarboxybenzenesulfonate monohydrate]

In the title metal–organic framework complex, {[Cu(C₄H₄N₂)₂](C₈H₅O₇S)·H₂O}_n or {[Cu^I(pyz)₂](H₂SIP)·H₂O}_n (pyz is pyrazine and H₃SIP is 5‐sulfoisophthalic acid or 3,5‐dicarboxybenzenesulfonic acid), the asymmetric unit is composed of one copper(I) center, one whole pyrazine ligand, two half pyrazine ligands lying about inversion centres, one H₂SIP⁻ anion and one lattice water molecule, wherein each Cu^I atom is in a slightly distorted tetrahedral coordination environment completed by four pyrazine N atoms, with the Cu—N bond lengths in the range 2.017 (3)–2.061 (3) Å. The structure features a three‐dimensional diamondoid network with one‐dimensional channels occupied by H₂SIP⁻ anions and lattice water molecules. Interestingly, the guest–water hydrogen‐bonded network is also a diamondoid network, which interpenetrates the metal–pyrazine network.