Photodissociation dynamics of the chromophores of the amino acid tyrosine: p-methylphenol, p-ethylphenol, and p-(2-aminoethyl)phenol

The photodissociation of p-methylphenol, p-ethylphenol, and p-(2-aminoethyl)phenol, chromophores of the amino acid tyrosine, was studied separately for each compound in a molecular beam at 248 nm using multimass ion imaging techniques. They show interesting side-chain size-dependent dissociation properties. Only one dissociation channel, that is, H atom elimination, was observed for both p-methylphenol and p-ethylphenol. The photofragment translational energy distributions and potential energy surfaces from ab initio calculation suggest that H atom elimination occurs from a repulsive excited state. On the other hand, the H atom elimination channel is quenched completely by internal conversion and/or intersystem crossing in p-(2-aminoethyl)phenol. Only C-C bond cleavage was observed from p-(2-aminoethyl)phenol. The photofragment translational energy distribution shows a slow component and a fast component. The fast component results from dissociation on an electronic excited state, but the slow component occurs only after the internal conversion to the ground electronic state. Comparison with the photodissociation of phenol and ethylbenzene is made.     

Linear solvation energy correlation of the solvatochromic response of amino acid functionalized chromophores

Solvatochromism of the long wavelength band in the electronic absorption spectra of N-(4-nitrophenyl)-L-proline, NLP, N-(4-nitrophenyl)-D-proline, NDP, and N-(4-nitro-phenyl)-trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline, NHP, was studied and quantitatively described with Kamlet-Taft solvent polarity parameters. To evaluate the environmental effects for NLP, NDP, and NHP, the UV-vis spectroscopic behavior of these compounds was also investigated as pure crystals, as a guest in 2,6-O-dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin, and also when adsorbed on Aerosil 300 silica particles from nonhydrogen-bond accepting solvents. Excellent Kamlet-Taft solvatochromic correlations were established for the three compounds in most solvents. Multiparameter correlations show the existence of specific solute-solvent interactions. A strong positive solvatochromic behavior was found for these compounds, indicating that their dipole moments were higher in the excited singlet state than in the ground state.     

A genetically encoded metallocene containing amino acid

Redox active amino acids, cofactors, and metal ions are involved in a large number of catalytic, electron transfer, and regulatory processes in biology. Consequently, the ability to engineer redox active centers at defined sites in proteins would facilitate both the study and manipulation of a wide range of biological processes. Recently, we demonstrated that the redox active amino acid 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine could be efficiently and selectively incorporated into proteins in Escherichia coli using a nonsense codon and a corresponding orthogonal tRNA/aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pair. We now report that ferrocene derivative 1 can be genetically encoded in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) in good yield in response to the amber codon, TAG.     

Phosphorylthioureas and phosphorylureas containing amino acid fragments

A series of (dialkoxyphosphoryl)thioureas and their 1,3,2-oxazaphosphinane analogs containing fragments of glycine, alanine, β-alanine, L-aspartic and L-glutamic acids, as well as phosphorylureas derived from glycine and β-alanine were synthesized in the search for potential biologically active compounds (including possible inhibitors of aspartate transcarbamoylase).     

Water-soluble cobalt phthalocyanines containing azo chromophores

Sulfo derivatives of 4-[(Z)-(R)-diazenyl]phthalonitriles were synthesized by diazotization and azo coupling of 4-aminophthalonitrile and used as precursors for the corresponding cobalt phthalocyanines. The latter were obtained by template synthesis in boiling polychlorinated benzenes. The spectral properties of the products were studied.     

Polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes containing photolabile diazosulfonate chromophores

Low-molar-mass surfactants (S) and polyelectrolytes (PE) containing diazosulfonate chromophores which are photo-labile and electrically charged were used for the formation of polyelectrolyte/surfactant complexes (PESC) in combination with commonly used polyelectrolytes and surfactants. The stable complexes are no longer water-soluble and were characterized by means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and in some cases by means of gel-permeation chromatography measurements. Complexes with a 1 : 1 stoichiomctry with respect to charge are formed. Ultraviolet irradiation of the photo-labile PESC resulted in the loss of the ionic interactions.     

Synthesis of star-shaped metallo-polymeric chromophores by atom transfer radical polymerization

The synthesis of bromoester-functionalized dialkylaminostyryl-2,2′-bipyridyl ligands and of the corresponding tris[dialkylaminostyryl-2,2′-bipyridine] metal(II) complexes are reported (M = Fe, Ru, Zn). These complexes are used as multifunctional metallo-initiators for the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate. The resulting new star-shaped polymers combine the optical (UV–visible and luminescence) properties of the monomers with good processability, which allow to build high optical quality thin films by the spin-coating technique. To cite this article: L. Viau et al., C. R. Chimie 8 (2005).     

Synthesis of 1,2-azaphospholanes containing an amino acid fragment

2-Oxo-1,2-azaphospholanes and 1,2-azaphospholanium salts containing an amino acid fragment were synthesized by intramolecular P-alkylation of N-3-chloropropyl-substituted tricoordinate phosphorus amides. Hydrolysis of 2-oxo-1,2-azaphospholanes at the P-N bond gives rise to γ-aminopropylphosphonic acid derivatives. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2557–2562, November, 2005.     

Efficient copper-catalyzed synthesis of poly-N-heterocycles containing amino acid residues

An efficient copper-catalyzed method has been developed for the synthesis of poly-N-heterocycles containing amino acid residues. The protocol uses readily available 2-halobenzamides containing amino acids and their methyl esters, substituted phenylacetonitriles, and malononitrile as the starting materials and the reactions were performed well under mild conditions. The method should provide a novel and useful strategy for synthesis of N-heterocyclic compounds.     

Synthesis of modified amino acids containing nucleic acid purine bases

The reaction of hydrazides of adenylyl- or hypoxanthinyl-9-alkylcarboxylic acids with sodium nitrite in acid media gives reactive azides of purinyl-9-alkylcarboxylic acids which condense with ()-aminocarboxylic and ,-diaminocarboxylic acids to give N(N)-(adenylyl-9-alkanoyl) aminocarboxylic, N-(adenylyl-9-)- and N-(hypoxanthinyl-9-alkanoyl)-,-diaminocarboxylic acids. The deamination of N-(adenyl-yl-9-alkanoyl)aminocarboxylic acids gives N-(hypoxanthinyl-9-alkanoyl)aminocarboxylic acids.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 126–130, January, 1985.     

Biological applications of amide and amino acid containing synthetic macrocycles

ABSTRACT

Amino acid derived macrocycles with elaborate well-defined stereochemistry are a unique class of compounds that have been isolated from natural sources. Macrocycles like cyclosporine, octreotide, and valinomycin have been used in multiple applications, like drugs or ion sensors. Chemists have long been fascinated by the unique molecular recognition capabilities of these macrocycles and tried to design synthetic analogs with similar functions. This article is focused on reviewing current research on amide and amino acid containing macrocycles that have been developed in research laboratories for biological recognition, specifically for anion sensing, ion transport, carbohydrate sensing, and peptide sensing.     

Liquid crystal polymers containing permanent dipole azobenzene chromophores

Three photochromic monomers containing a permanent dipole photochromic azobenzene group spaced from the methacryloyl moiety by a polymethylene segment were synthesized in three steps starting from 4-cyanoaniline. The monomers were homopolymerized and copolymerized with an optically active monomer, (-)-menthyl methacrylate, in the presence of AIBN as a radical initiator. Structurally similar amphiphilic polymers were obtained by homopolymerization of analogous methacrylates in which oligo(oxyethylene) segments replaced the polymethylene spacers. The polymeric materials, having a molar content of photochromic units between 5 and 100% and molecular weights of about 15,000, were characterized by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, 1D and 2D NMR. Mobility and photochromic properties in solution were also investigated.     

Synthesis and characterization of photoswitchable lipids containing hemithioindigo chromophores

The synthesis of four lipids containing the hemithioindigo chromophore as part of the fatty acid is described. Heck reaction of bromophenyl thioacetate esters with acrylonitrile, followed by reduction, ester hydrolysis, and Friedel--Craft acylation--cyclization gave a substituted thioindoxyl that condensed with an alkoxy benzaldehyde to produce the hemithioindigo. "Solventless" nitrile hydrolysis followed by mixed anhydride coupling of the acid with glycerophosphocholine produced lipids bearing two hemithioindigo chromophores. The photochemistry of various hemithioindigo derivatives was studied to confirm the expected photoisomerization in both homogeneous organic solution, and in vesicle bilayer membranes. Characteristic changes in the UV--visible spectra are consistent with fully reversible Z--E photoisomerization. Chromatographic separation of the Z and E isomers of a compound containing a single hemithioindigo chromophore confirmed the spectroscopic analysis and provided a quantitative analysis of the compositions of Z--E isomer mixtures.     

FT-Raman studies of langmuir-blodgett monolayer components containing absorbing chromophores

Structural studies of Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers and multilayers have revealed that both the hydrophilic and the hydrophobic parts of an amphiphilic molecule can influence the exent of 2-dimensional packing which occurs within a film. In particular, dye chromophores to which are appended long hydrocarbon tails will usually form films dominated by the interaction of the chromophores unless a small amount of hydrocarbon liquid is added. In this case the packing will be dominated by the intermolecular interaction of the hydrocarbon tails. FT-Raman studies of these amphiphilic molecules provides information about both parts of the molecule without resonance enhancement since the laser wavelength used for excitation is far removed from any absorption maxima of the dye chromophore. Specific examples of thiocyanine and merocyanine dyes will be discussed.     

Synthesis of optically active polymers bearing amino acid moieties by atom transfer radical polymerization

We report here an approach toward the synthesis of optically active polyacrylamide bearing amino acid moieties, poly[N- methacryloyl L-leucine methyl ester] (PMALM), with controlled average number molecular weight (Mn) and relatively narrow polydispersity index (PDI, Mw/Mn < 1.3) by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using initiating system methyl 2- bromopropionate/CuBr/tris(2-dimethylaminoethyl) amine. The optical properties of the resulting polymers were evaluated fromspecific optical rotation value and CD spectra.     

Thermally stable triaryl amino chromophores with high molecular hyperpolarizabilities

The synthesis of a series of high temperature triaryl amino chromophores with unprecedented hyperpolarizability values for potential EO applications is described. 4-(N,N-di-p-anisylamino)phenyl donors are for the first time bridged to powerful acceptors such as tricyanovinyldihydrofuran via vinyl thiophene linkages. The chromophores are readily soluble in common organic solvents, exhibit useful absorptions and high thermal decomposition temperatures (highest T_d=358 °C). Molecular hyperpolarizabilities (β) of the chromophores were measured by Hyper Rayleigh Scattering (HRS) at 1604 nm, which gave β values from 1000 to 20,000 × 10⁻³⁰ esu. The electrochemical behavior of the chromophores were studied by cyclic voltametry, and agree well with the intrinsic nonlinearities observed. These chromophores are of particular interest due to their large optical nonlinearities, transparency in the near IR, high thermal decomposition temperatures, and their potential to be incorporated into polymeric materials.     

Synthesis of an amino acid based phosphodiester linkage containing cryptand.

The synthesis of an amino acid based phosphodiester linkage containing cryptand is described. The macrocyclic ring is constructed using Boc-L-Ser(OBn)-OH, Boc-D-Ser(OBn)-OH, diethylene glycol and ethylene dioxydiacetic acid. The phosphodiester linkage was introduced employing 4-chlorobenzyl dichlorophosphite leading to the cryptand.     

Reaction of chlorodithiophosphoric acid pyridiniumbetaine with adamantane derivatives containing amino group

Reactions of chlorodithiophosphoric acid pyridiniumbetaine, py.PS₂Cl (I) with 1-aminoadamantane (amantadine, Am) and 1-amino-3,5-dimethyladamantane (memantine, Mem), 1-(adamant-1-yl)ethylamine (rimantadine, Rim), and 1-aminomethyladamantane (amAd) were studied. New compounds – N,N′,N′′,N′′′-tetrakis(adamant-1-yl)trithiophosphoric acic tetraamide (II), N,N′,N′′,N′′′-tetrakis(3,5-dimethyladamant-1-yl)trithiophosphoric acid tetraamide (III), chlorodithiophosphoric acid 1-(adamant-1-yl)ethylamide pyridiniumbetaine (IV), pyridinium salt of 1,3-bis(adamant-1-yl)ethane-2,4-mercapto-2,4-dithioxo-1,3-diaza-2λ⁵,4λ⁵-diphosphetidine (V), N,N′,N′′,N′′′-tetrakis(adamant-1-ylmethyl)trithiophosphoric acid tetraamide (VI), and pyridinium salt of 1,2-bis(adamant-1-ylmethane)-4-mercapto-2,4-dithioxo-1-aza-3-thia-2λ⁵,4λ⁵-diphosphetidine (VII) – were prepared and characterized either/or by ³¹P NMR and infrared spectroscopy, the substances II a IV by X-ray diffraction analysis, III, V, VI, VII by MALDI TOF MS.