On the syntheses and some reactions of bis- and tris(methylthio)thiophenes

Reaction between various thienyllithium derivatives and dimethyl disulfide has been used for the preparation of 2,5-, 2,3-, and 3,4-bis(methylthio)thiophenes, as well as 2,3,4- and 2,3,5-tris(methylthio)thiophenes. Bromination of (methylthio)thiophenes with N-bromosuccinimide was found to be most convenient for the preparation of brominated (methylthio)thiophenes such as 3-bromo-2,5-bis(methylthio)- and 5-bromo-2,3-bis(methylthio)thiophene, 3,4-dibromo-2,5-bis(methylthio)-, 2,5-dibromo-3,4-bis(methylthio)- and 2,3-dibromo-4,5-bis(methylthio)thiophene as well as 3-bromo-2,4,5-tris(methylthio)thiophene. The reaction of methylthio substituted thienyllithium derivatives with methyl chloroformate was used for the syntheses of methyl methylthio substituted thiophenecarboxylates and using 1/3 of an equivalent for the direct preparation of methylthio substituted 3-thienylcarbinols as tris[2,4,5-tris(methylthio)-3-thienyl]carbinol.     

Synthesis,crystal structures and thermal decomposition kinetics of four new lanthanide complexes with 3,4-dimethylbenzoic acid and 1,10-phenanthroline

A new series of lanthanide complexes [Ln(3,4-DMBA)₃phen]₂ [Ln(III) = Nd(1), Sm(2), Tb(3) and Dy(4), 3,4-DMBA = 3,4-dimethylbenzoate, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline] have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectra and TG-DTG techniques. The single crystals of the complexes 3 and 4 have been obtained and their structures have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In the complexes 3 and 4, each Ln(III) ion is coordinated by four bidentate-bridging 3,4-DMBA ligands, one bidentate-chelating 3,4-DMBA group and one bidentate-chelating phen ligand, giving a coordination number of eight. The complex 3 shows bright green luminescence under ultraviolet light in the solid state. Thermal analysis of the complexes 1–4 are discussed by TG-DTG and IR techniques. The non-isothermal kinetics of the complexes 1–4 are investigated by using double equal-double step method. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔH ^≠ , ΔG ^≠ and ΔS ^≠ ) and kinetic parameters (activation energy E and the pre-exponential factor A) of the four complexes are also calculated.     

Alkylation of m-cresol with methanol and 2-propanol over calcined magnesium-aluminium hydrotalcites

Magnesium-aluminium hydrotalcites (MgAl-HTs) with Mg/Al atomic ratio 2,3 and 4 were synthesized bythe coprecipitation method. Vapour phase alkylation of m-cresol with methanol was carried out over these samples calcined at 723K in the temperature range 523–723K at atmospheric pressure. A mixture of O- and C- alkylated products, namely, 3-methyl anisole (3MA), 2,5- and 2,3-dimethylphenols (DMP) and 2,3,6-trimethylphenol (2,3,6-TMP) were obtained. The selectivity of these products depends on the m-cresol/methanol feed ratio, temperature and contact times. The catalytic activity of these catalysts are in the order MgAl 3.0-CHT>MgAl 2.0-CHT>MgAl 4.0-CHT. MgAl 3.0-CHT showed ∼30% selectivity for 2,5-DMP and 40% selectivity for 2,3,6-TMP with ∼40% conversion at 623K or ∼70% conversion at 723K. The alkylation of m-cresol with 2-propanol over MgAl 3.0-CHT at 673K offered nearly 80% selectivity towards thymol with nearly 40% m-cresol conversion.     

单硝基甲苯和多硝基甲苯偶极矩的理论计算和实验测定

用 MINDO/3和 CNDO/2法对单硝基甲苯和多硝基甲苯的平衡几何构型进行了全优化和 SCF 计算,求得了o,m,p-MNT,2,3-,2,4-,2,5-,2,6-,3,4-,3,5-DNT 和2,3,4-,2,3,5-,2,3,6-,2,4,5-,2,4,6-以及3,4,5-TNT 的“气相”偶极矩。用折射法实测了 MNT 和 DNT 共9种化合物在 CCl_4溶液中的偶极矩。计算值和实测值之间存在良好的线性关系。以甲苯和硝基苯的计算值通过“向量加和”近似地估算了 MNT,DNT 和 TNT的偶极矩,估算值与上述实验值和量子化学计算值之间也线性相关。     

Transformation of textile dyes by white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor

We have investigated transformation of eight industrial dyes by a whiterot fungus, Trametes versicolor. The fungus was found to decolorize Reactive Golden Yellow R, Procion Red, Reactive Violet 5, Reactive Blue 28, and Ponceau Red 4R at an initial dye concentration of 80 ppm within 72 h of incubation, whereas it took 5 d to completely decolorize Reactive Black 5 (40 ppm). However, it did not significantly decolorize Reactive Red 152 and Novatic Blue BC S/D. During decolorization in liquid medium, laccase and manganese-independent peroxidase (MiP) activities were detected in culture filtrate of T. versicolor. Dye-decolorizing activity of the culture was found to be associated with H₂O₂-dependent activity of the culture filtrate. Furthermore, dye-decolorizing activity of the culture filtrate was not influenced by Mn²⁺ or veratryl alcohol, thus suggesting a role of extracellular MiP in decolorization of synthetic dyes by T. versicolor.     

Mechanistic studies on the effect of veratryl alcohol on the lignin peroxidase catalyzed oxidation of pyrogallol red in reversed micelles

The lignin peroxidase (LiP) catalyzed oxidation of pyrogallol red (PR) in the absence and presence of veratryl alcohol (3,4-dimethoxybenzyl alcohol, VA) was carried out in bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate sodium (AOT)/ polyoxyethylene lauryl ether (Brij30) reversed micelles to elucidate the role of VA. Results indicated that VA could accelerate the LiP catalyzed oxidation of PR, especially at low H₂O₂ concentrations. Unlike in bulk aqueous medium, the protection of LiP by VA in the present medium was relatively unsubstantial, even at high H₂O₂ concentrations. Analysis of data from a series of experiments showed that the enhancement of the PR oxidation caused by VA was mainly due to the indirect oxidation of PR by VA^+∙ from the LiP catalyzed oxidation of VA. It was also found that at the same protector concentration (40 μM), VA (the physiological substrate of LiP) was less effective than PR (a phenolic compound) in protecting LiP from the H₂O₂ derived inactivation. This novel phenomenon deserves further study.      

Vibrational analysis of substituted nitrobenzenes. I—Vibrational spectra,normal coordinate analysis and transferability of force constants of some chlorinated nitrobenzenes

The Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectra of 2,3-dichloro-, 2,4-dichloro-, 2,5-dichloro-, 3,4-dichloro-, 3,5-dichloro-, 2,3,4-trichloro-, 2,4,5-trichloro-, 2,4,6-trichloro-, 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro- and pentachloronitrobenzene were recorded. Raman polarization measurements were made wherever possible. A normal coordinate analysis was carried out for both the in-plane and out-of-plane vibrations of these molecules using a 59-parameter modified valence force field. The force constants were refined using an Overlay least-squares technique employing 352 frequencies of 10 molecules. The reliability of the force constants so obtained was tested by making a zero-order calculation for p-, m- and o-dinitrobenzenes, 1-fluoro-, 1-chloro- and 1-bromo-, 2,4-dinitrobenzenes, 2,4-difluoro- and 2,5-difluoro- and 2,5-dibromonitrobenzenes. Unambiguous vibrational assignments of all the fundamentals were made using the potential energy distribution and eigen vectors.     

Novel laccase redox mediators

The screening of potential redox mediators for laccase was performed using homogeneous enzyme preparations from Coriolus hirsutus and Coriolus zonatus. It was discovered that derivatives of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-pyrazolones were efficient substrates for the laccases. The characterization of two representatives of the 1-phenyl-pyrazolone class, sodium 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-methylamino-pyrazolone-5-N(4)-methanesulfonate and 1-(3′-sulfophenyl)-3-methylpyrazolone-5, in the reaction catalyzed by laccase was carried out using spectral, electrochemical, and enzyme kinetics methods. The kinetic parameters for the oxidation of the newly discovered substrates were comparable with those for 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) oxidation by laccase. Electrochemical experiments demonstrated that oxidation of these compounds yielded two high-potential intermediates capable of oxidizing veratryl alcohol, which was used as a lignin model substrate, to the corresponding aldehyde and acid. 1-(3′-Sulfophenyl)-3-methylpyrazolone-5 was about 30–40% as effective in degrading veratryl alcohol compared to ABTS as judged from high-performance liquid chromatography kinetic studies. 1-Phenyl-3-methyl-pyrazolones may be of commerical interest for oxidoreductase-catalyzed biodegradation of organic compounds.     

The role of tryptophan residues in radiation sensitivity of enzymes as exemplified in horseradish peroxidase

The stability of recombinant wild-type horseradish peroxidase and its tryptophan-less mutant Trp117Phe toward γ-radiation was studied. The absence of tryptophan in the enzyme molecule results in a certain stabilization, which is manifested as the absence of the initial drop in activity and appearance of a lag period for doses of up to 45 Gy. Contrary to the wild-type enzyme, the dose response of the mutant is almost independent of the nature of the substrate used to measure the catalytic activity; this indirectly indicates that Trp117 participates in the oxidation of substrates. Pretreatment of the wild-type recombinant enzyme with hydrogen peroxide destabilizes the enzyme towards irradiation, while the same procedure for the mutant enzyme has virtually no effect on the dose response curve. This suggests the modification of Trp117 in the oxidation of the native enzyme with H₂O₂ in the absence of electron-donor substrates, which is the modification of Trp171 in the recombinant lignin peroxidase. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2355–2358, December, 1999.     

Oxidation of crocein orange G by lignin peroxidase isoenzymes

The ligninolytic enzyme system ofPhanerochaete chrysosporiun is able to decolorize several recalcitrant dyes. Three lignin peroxidase isoenzymes, LiP 3.85, LiP 4.15, and LiP 4.65, were purified by preparative isoelectric focusing from the carbon-limited culture medium ofP. chrysosporium. Based on amino terminal sequences, the purified isoenzymes correspond to the isoenzymes H8, H6, and H2, respectively, from theN-limited culture. The purified isoenzymes were used for decolorization of an azo dye, Crocein Orange G (COG). According to the kinetic data obtained, the oxidation of COG by lignin peroxidase appeared to follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Kinetic parameters for each isoenzyme were determined. The inactivating effect of ascending H₂O₂ concentrations on COG oxidation is shown to be exponential within the used concentration range. The best degree of decolorization of 100 μM COG was obtained when the H₂O₂ concentration was 150 μM. This was also the lowest H₂O₂ concentration for maximal decolorization of 100 μM COG, regardless of the amount of lignin peroxidase used in the reaction.     

Novel Copolymers of Styrene. 8. Ring-Trisubstituted 2-Cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenamides

Novel trisubstituted ethylenes, ring-trisubstituted 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenamides, RC₆H₂CH?C(CN)CONH₂ (where R is 2,4,6-trimethyl, 2,3-dimethyl-4-methoxy, 2,3,4-trimethoxy, 2,4,5-trimethoxy, 2,4,6-trimethoxy, and 3,4,5-trimethoxy) were synthesized by potassium hydroxide catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-trisubstituted benzaldehydes and cyanoacetamide and characterized by CHN elemental analysis, IR, ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR. Novel copolymers of the ethylenes and styrene were prepared at equimolar monomer feed composition by solution in the presence of a radical initiation (AIBN) at 70°C. The composition of the copolymers was calculated from nitrogen analysis, and the structures were analyzed by IR, ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR, GPC, DSC, and TGA. Thus, the order of relative reactivity (1/r1) and the tendency toward alternation of monomer units in the copolymer for the monomers is 2,4,6-(CH₃)₃ (0.71) > 2,3-(CH₃)₂-4-CH₃O (0.52) > 2,3,4-(CH₃O)₃ (0.34) > 2,4,5-(CH₃O)₃ (0.30) > 3,4,5-(CH₃O)₃ (0.15) > 2,4,6-(CH₃O)₃ (0.12). High T_g of the copolymers in comparison with that of polystyrene indicates a substantial decrease in chain mobility of the copolymer due to the high dipolar character of the trisubstituted ethylene monomer unit. Decomposition of the copolymers in nitrogen occurred in two steps, first in the 200–500°C range with residue (2.9–9.9 wt%), which then decomposed in the 500–800°C range.     

Screening of laccase, manganese peroxidase, and versatile peroxidase activities of the genus Pleurotus in media with some raw plant materials as carbon sources

Species of the genus Pleurotus are among the most efficient natural species in lignin degradation belonging to the subclass of ligninolytic organisms that produce laccase (Lac), Mn-dependent peroxidase (MnP), versatile peroxidase (VP), and the H₂O₂-generating enzyme aryl-alcohol oxidase, but not lignin peroxidases. Production of Lac and oxidation of 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (DMP) in the presence and absence of Mn²⁺ were detected both in submerged fermentation (SF) of dry ground mandarine peels and in solid-state fermentation (SSF) of grapevine sawdust in all investigated Pleurotus species and strains. Evidence of cultivation methods having a distinct influence on the level of enzyme activities has been demonstrated. Most of the species and strains had higher Lac activity under SSF conditions than under SF conditions. DMP oxidation in the presence and absence of Mn²⁺ was detected in all investigated species and strains, but was lower under SF conditions than under SSF conditions for most of them. However, relative activities of DMP oxidation in the absence of Mn²⁺, as percentages of activity agasint DMP in the presence of Mn²⁺, were higher under conditions of SF than in SSF cultures in most of the investigated species and strains. The obtained results showed that strains of different origins have different efficiently ligninolytic systems and that conditions of SSF are more favorable for ligninolytic activity than those in SF owing to their similarity to natural conditions on wood substrates.     

Purification and Partial Characterization of Lignin Peroxidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acinetobacter calcoaceticus</Emphasis> NCIM 2890 and Its Application in Decolorization of Textile Dyes

Lignin peroxidase was purified (72-fold) from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus NCIM 2890. The purified lignin peroxidase (55–65 kDa) showed dimeric nature. The maximum enzyme activity was observed at pH 1.0, between a broad temperature range of 50 and 70°C, at H₂O₂ concentration (40 mM) and the substrate concentration (n-propanol, 100 mM). Purified lignin peroxidase was able to oxidize a variety of substrates including Mn²⁺, tryptophan, mimosine, l-Dopa, hydroquinone, xylidine, n-propanol, veratryl alcohol, and ten textile dyes of various groups indicating as a versatile peroxidase. Most of the dyes decolorized up to 90%. Tryptophan stabilizes the lignin peroxidase activity during decolorization of dyes.     

Depolymerization of water soluble coal polymer from subbituminous coal and lignite by lignin peroxidase

Coal polymers, water soluble at pH 3.5, were prepared from North Dakota lignite and German subbituminous coal in 35–61% yield. Gel permeation chromatography showed a major component of relatively narrow molecular weight range >75,000. The material did not dialyze through a 12,000-14,000 MW cutoff membrane under several conditions. Minor amounts of smaller fragments were present, but monomeric components were not detected. Incubation of soluble polymer with lignin peroxidase ofPhanerochaete chrysosporium caused substantial disappearance of the high molecular weight polymer and formation of smaller amounts of both higher and lower molecular weight components, but not of monomeric compounds. Addition of veratryl alcohol enhanced depolymerization. Coal polymer competitively inhibited veratryl alcohol oxidation by lignin peroxidase.

     

Structure and Action Mechanism of Ligninolytic Enzymes

Lignin is the most abundant renewable source of aromatic polymer in nature, and its decomposition is indispensable for carbon recycling. It is chemically recalcitrant to breakdown by most organisms because of the complex, heterogeneous structure. The white-rot fungi produce an array of extracellular oxidative enzymes that synergistically and efficiently degrade lignin. The major groups of ligninolytic enzymes include lignin peroxidases, manganese peroxidases, versatile peroxidases, and laccases. The peroxidases are heme-containing enzymes with catalytic cycles that involve the activation by H₂O₂ and substrate reduction of compound I and compound II intermediates. Lignin peroxidases have the unique ability to catalyze oxidative cleavage of C–C bonds and ether (C–O–C) bonds in non-phenolic aromatic substrates of high redox potential. Manganese peroxidases oxidize Mn(II) to Mn(III), which facilitates the degradation of phenolic compounds or, in turn, oxidizes a second mediator for the breakdown of non-phenolic compounds. Versatile peroxidases are hybrids of lignin peroxidase and manganese peroxidase with a bifunctional characteristic. Laccases are multi-copper-containing proteins that catalyze the oxidation of phenolic substrates with concomitant reduction of molecular oxygen to water. This review covers the chemical nature of lignin substrates and focuses on the biochemical properties, molecular structures, reaction mechanisms, and related structures/functions of these enzymes. Reference to a company and/or products is only for purposes of information and does not imply approval of recommendation of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable. All programs and services of the US Department of Agriculture are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, or handicap.     

Utilization of Horticultural Waste for Laccase Production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trametes versicolor</Emphasis> Under Solid-State Fermentation

Horticultural waste collected from a landscape company in Singapore was utilized as the substrate for the production of laccase under solid-state fermentation by Trametes versicolor. The effects of substrate particle size, types of inducers, incubation temperature and time, initial medium pH value, and moisture content on laccase production were investigated. The optimum productivity of laccase (8.6 U/g substrate) was achieved by employing horticultural waste of particle size greater than 500 μm and using veratryl alcohol as the inducer. The culture was at 30 °C for 7 days at moisture content of solid substrate of 85% and initial pH 7.0. The decolorization was also investigated in order to assess the degrading capability of the ligninolytic laccase obtained in the above-mentioned cultures. The decolorization degree of a model dye, phenol red, was around 41.79% in 72 h of incubation. By far, this is the first report on the optimization of laccase production by T. versicolor under solid-state fermentation using horticultural waste as the substrate.     

Profiles of extracellular proteins produced byCoriolus versicolor under ligninolytic and nonligninolytic growth conditions

The wood-rotting basidiomyceteCoriolus versicolor has been grown under a variety of conditions ranging from stationary cultures on spruce wood chips or milled-wood lignin, known to be actively ligninolytic, to agitated submerged cultures, with glucose or carboxymethylcellulose as the main carbon source, that had no ligninolytic activity. Extracellular proteins have been recovered from the growth medium by ammonium sulfate precipitation and fractionated into their polypeptide components by a combination of ion exchange, affinity column chromatography, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, thus providing a “fingerprint” technique for different growth conditions. Characterization of some of the polypeptide components on the PAGE plates can be made by the use of selected staining techniques for proteins, glycoproteins, peroxidase activity, and heme-containing polypeptides. Variations in the “fingerprints” from different cultures can be demonstrated, in addition to showing the development of the extracellular protein population in an actively ligninolytic culture during the change from primary to secondary growth phases. The effect of some of the extracellular enzymes on polymeric lignin has been demonstrated. A crude protein extract isolated from rotting wood chips was incubated with milled-wood lignin extracted from spruce sapwood. Analysis of the lignin after 48 h incubation by UV and NMR spectroscopy showed there to be an increase in aromatic hydroxyl groups with a decrease in aliphatic hydroxyl groups in comparison with sound milled-wood lignin. There was also a small reduction in the mean molecular weight of the lignin, analyzed by HPLC size-exclusion chromatography. By contrast, lignin that had been incubated with purified laccase A showed a considerable increase in the mean molecular weight, almost doubling over a 48-h period of incubation.     

On the way to understand antioxidants: chromanol and dimethoxyphenols gas-phase acidities

Some antioxidant mechanisms displayed by several phenolic compounds relate with OH bond dissociation energy. One way for its determination, in the gas-phase, relies on acidity measurements. Gas-phase acidities were determined experimentally, applying the kinetic method, for chromanol and four dimethoxyphenols, and theoretically through quantum chemical DFT calculations for chromanol, six dimethoxyphenols and 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenol. The experimental acidity order, 2,3-dimethoxyphenol > 3,5-dimethoxyphenol > 2,6-dimethoxyphenol > 3,4-dimethoxyphenol ≈ phenol > chromanol shows good agreement with the theoretical acidity order, 2,5-dimethoxyphenol > 2,3-dimethoxyphenol > 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenol > 3,5-dimethoxyphenol ≈ 2,4-dimethoxyphenol > 2,6-dimethoxyphenol > 3,4-dimethoxyphenol > phenol > chromanol. These acidity trends were rationalized in terms of the substituent effects on the thermodynamic stabilities both of the parent phenols and the corresponding phenoxide ions. DFT calculations also evidenced the occurrence of intramolecular C-H···O hydrogen bonds whenever there are vicinal substituents (either OH, O(-) or OCH(3)) which induce further stabilization of the geometries.     

Novel Copolymers of 4-Fluorostyrene. 8. Some Ring-Trisubstituted 2-Phenyl-1,1-dicyanoethylenes

Novel copolymers of trisubstituted ethylene monomers, ring-substituted 2-phenyl-1,1-dicyanoethylenes, RC₆H₂CH=C(CN)₂ (where R is 2,4-(CH₃O)₂-3-CH₃, 2,3,4-(CH₃O)₃, 2,4,5-(CH₃O)₃, 2,4,6-(CH₃O)₃, 3,4,5-(CH₃O)₃, 6-Br-3,4-(CH₃O)₂), 2,3,5-Cl₃, 2,3,6-Cl₃ and 4-fluorostyrene were prepared at equimolar monomer feed composition by solution copolymerization in the presence of a radical initiator (ABCN) at 70°C. The composition of the copolymers was calculated from nitrogen analysis, and the structures were analyzed by IR, ¹H and ¹³C-NMR. The order of relative reactivity (1/r ₁) for the monomers is 3,4,5-(CH₃O)₃(10.6) > 2,4,6-(CH₃O)₃(9.3) > 2,4,5-(CH₃O)₃ (5.4) > 2,3,4-(CH₃O)₃ (4.4) > 6-Br-3,4-(CH₃O)₂ (3.2) > 2,3,5-Cl₃ (1.5) > 2,3,6-Cl₃ (1.0) > 2,4-(CH₃O)₂-3-CH₃ (0.7). High T _g of the copolymers, in comparison with that of poly(4-fluorostyrene) indicates a substantial decrease in chain mobility of the copolymer due to the high dipolar character of the trisubstituted ethylene monomer unit. Decomposition of the copolymers in nitrogen occurred in two steps, first in the 200–400°C range with residue, which then decomposed in the 400–800°C range.     

Novel copolymers of styrene. 13. Methyl and methoxy ring-trisubstituted butyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates

Novel electrophilic trisubstituted ethylenes, methyl and methoxy ring-trisubstituted butyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO₂C₄H₉ where R is 2,4,5-trimethyl, 2,4,6-trimethyl, 2,3-dimethyl-4-methoxy, 2,5-dimethyl-4-methoxy, 2,4-dimethoxy-3-methyl, 2,3,4-trimethoxy, 2,4,5-trimethoxy, 2,4,6-trimethoxy, 3,4,5-trimethoxy were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The monomers were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-trisubstituted benzaldehydes and butyl cyanoacetate, and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, ¹H and ¹³C-NMR. All the ethylenes were copolymerized with styrene (M₁) in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70°C. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis and the structures were analyzed by IR, ¹H and ¹³C-NMR. Decomposition of the copolymers in nitrogen occurred in two steps, first in the 200–500°C range with residue (2–5% wt), which then decomposed in the 500–800°C range.