Voltammetric studies on the α-tocopherol anion and α-tocopheroxyl (Vitamin E) radical in acetonitrile

The α-tocopheroxyl radical was generated voltammetrically by one-electron oxidation of the α-tocopherol anion (E ^r_1/2=−0.73 V versus Ag|Ag⁺) that was prepared by reacting α-tocopherol with Et₄NOH in acetonitrile (with Bu₄NPF₆ as the supporting electrolyte). Cyclic voltammograms recorded at variable scan rates (0.05–10 V s⁻¹), temperatures (−20 to 20°C) and concentrations (0.5–10 mM) were modelled using digital simulation techniques to determine the rate of bimolecular self-reaction of α-tocopheroxyl radicals. The k values were calculated to be 3×10³ l mol⁻¹ s⁻¹ at 20°C, 2×10³ l mol⁻¹ s⁻¹ at 0°C and 1.2×10³ l mol⁻¹ s⁻¹ at −20°C. In situ electrochemical-EPR experiments performed at a channel electrode confirmed the existence of the α-tocopheroxyl radical.     

A Novel Method for the Synthesis of α,β‐Unsaturated Amides Mediated by Samarium Diiodide

Promoted by Samarium diiodide (SmI₂), α,β‐unsaturated amides were formed from nitrogen anions (formed in situ by the reduction of nitro compounds) and α,β‐unsaturated esters. This reaction contrasts with the conjugate addition between amines and α,β‐unsaturated esters promoted by samarium triiodide (SmI₃) and provides an alternative attractive way to obtain α,β‐unsaturated amides using SmI₂.     

A Mild Isomerization Reaction for β,γ‐Unsaturated Ketone to α,β‐Unsaturated Ketone

A series of β,γ‐unsaturated ketones were isomerized to their corresponding α,β‐unsaturated ketones by the introduction of DABCO in iPrOH at room temperature. The endo‐cyclic double bond (β,γ‐position) on ketone was rearranged to exo‐cyclic double bond (α,β‐position) under the reaction conditions.     

Synthesis of new optically active α,α′,β‐trisubstituted‐β‐lactones as monomers for stereoregular biopolyesters

Various optically active (4R)‐alkyloxycarbonyl‐3,3‐dialkyl‐2‐oxetanones as monomers were synthesized from L‐(S)‐malic acid in six steps to prepare a new family of stereopolyesters for biomedical applications. The synthesis began with an esterification followed of a dialkylation in the aim to introduce hydrophobic groups as methyl or reactive group as allyl. Then, a saponification has permitted to obtain the corresponding diacids that reacted with appropriate alcohols to furnish different monoesters. The last and most important step was activation of hydroxyl group of monoesters with the asymmetric carbon configuration inversion according to the Mitsunobu reaction. Thus, this reaction has provided lactones from monoesters with 100% enantiomeric excess which was confirmed by ¹H NMR and by the synthesis of corresponding isotactic and semicrystalline homopolyesters. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2586–2597     

Synthesis of α,β-unsaturated ketone from α-iodo ketone using photoirradiation

Irradiation of α-iodo ketone in hexane under a nitrogen atmosphere with a high-pressure mercury lamp (λ>300nm) at room temperature afforded the corresponding α,β-unsaturated ketones in good yield. This reaction affords a new, clean and convenient synthetic method for the α,β-unsaturated ketone.     

Synthesis of Phenanthrene Derivatives through the Reaction of an α,α‐Dicyanoolefin with α,β‐Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds

Phenanthrene derivatives were prepared by reacting an α,α‐dicyanoolefin with different α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds resulting from Wittig reaction of ninhydrin and phosphanylidene or condensation of barbituric acid and an aldehyde. The easy procedure, mild and metal‐catalyst free, reaction conditions, good yields, and no need for chromatographic purifications are important features of this protocol. The structures of the product of type 3 and 5 were corroborated spectroscopically (IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, and EI‐MS). A plausible mechanism for this type of reaction is proposed (Scheme 1).     

Photoinduced transformation of α,β-epoxyketones to β-hydroxyketones by Hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridine

Irradiation (λ >300 nm) of Hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridine with aromatic α,β-epoxyketones in acetonitrile selectively breaks the Cα---O bond of the epoxides giving the corresponding β-hydroxyketones in excellent yields.     

Synthesis of β‐Haloketones by β‐Addition Reactions of α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones with BX3 (X = Br,Cl) as Halide Source

A series of β‐bromoketones and β‐chloroketones were synthesized by the addition reactions of α,β‐unsaturated ketones under BX₃ (X = Br, Cl) and ethylene glycol reaction system. The α,β‐unsaturated ester also was successfully converted to its corresponding β‐bromoester under the reaction condition.     

Studies on the Mass Spectra of N‐Aryl α,β‐Unsaturated γ‐Lactams

The mass spectra of a series of N‐aryl α,β‐unsaturated γ‐lactams were studied. Besides the molecular ion, the three characteristic fragments such as [M⁺‐29], [M⁺‐55], and [M⁺‐82] were commonly found in a series of N‐Aryl α,β‐unsaturated γ‐lactams in EI/MS. Further more the mechanism for the interpretation of these fragments is also de scribed.     

Cationic polymerization of γ-methyl- and α-methylphenylallene

The cationic polymerizations of γ-methylphenylallene ( 1 ) and α-methylphenylallene ( 2 ) were carried out with some Lewis acids at 25 and 0°C in dichloromethane to obtain the corresponding polymers through allyl cations, respectively. Tin (IV) chloride was found to be an effective catalyst for the cationic polymerization of both allenes 1 and 2 compared with other Lewis acids. Thus, in the polymerization of 1 , methanol-insoluble polymer was only obtained using Tin (IV) chloride, and M?_n of methanol-insoluble polymer obtained by Tin (IV) chloride was the highest in the polymerization of 2 . From the analysis of ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR spectra of the obtained polymers, the polymer from 1 consisted of two kinds of units polymerized by each double bonds of allene 1 , whereas the polymer from 2 consisted of only one unit polymerized by terminal double bond of allene 2 . Moreover, effect of solvent on the cationic polymerizations of 1 and 2 were discussed.     

Heat capacity and vibrational dynamics of α poly(β-benzyl-L-aspartate)

Poly(β-benzyl-L-aspartate) (PBLA) is an unusual polypeptide, which is capable of going into four different conformations, namely, left-handed α helix, right-handed α helix, ω helix, and β pleated sheet. The present work is a complete study of normal modes and their dispersion in the unusual left-handed α form. A special feature of some of the dispersion curves is their tendency to bunch in the neighborhood of helix angle. This is attributed to the presence of strong intramolecular interactions. Crossing and repulsion between the dispersion curves is also observed. The N-deuterated analogue of PBLA has been studied to check the validity of assignments and force field (Urey Bradley). Specific heat has been obtained from dispersion curves via density of states. A comparative study of left-handed and right-handed forms is presented. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Comparison of Methionine α,γ‐Lyase and Homocysteine α,γ‐Lyase for Electrochemical Determination of Homocysteine

Recently, a novel enzymatic method was developed for determination of homocysteine. This method utilizes the electrochemical hydrogen sulfide sensor along with methionine α,γ‐lyase to accomplish the fast, accurate, sensitive and selective measurements. As a continuation of this work, another enzyme, homocysteine α,γ‐lyase, was used and the parallel experiments of using both enzymes were carried out against the effect of pH, sensitivity, linearity, and interferences, in an intended comparison between these two enzymes. The excellent linearity of amperometric currents against homocysteine concentrations, high sensitivities and low detection limits for both enzymes reconfirmed that the electrochemical method is superior over other analytical means. The high enzymatic activity of methionine α,γ‐lyase surpassing homocysteine α,γ‐lyase endowed the former higher sensitivity, lower detection limit and faster response than the latter, suggesting methionine α,γ‐lyase a better candidate for homocysteine measurement by electrochemical method. The differences between these two enzymes on the trends of response time and sensitivity at different pH environments, reactivity toward several forms of homocysteine as well as on the interference from several agents were also addressed and discussed.     

β-Lactamase label-based potentiometric biosensor for α-2 interferon detection

An effective immunosensor for α-2 interferon detection based on pH-sensitive field effect transistor (pH-FET) has been developed. A specific sensing element was fabricated by immobilizing α-2 interferon on the gate of a pH-FET. The interaction of anti-interferon antibodies labelled with β-lactamase with interferon–pH-FET (in the presence of specific enzyme substrate) leads to a local pH-change at the surface of transducer and produces an electrochemical signal which is proportional to the conjugate concentration. The main performance characteristics of the sensor obtained (sensitivity, dynamic range, operational and storage stability) were estimated. The effect of pH, buffer concentration and ionic strength on the immunosensor response as well as conditions of immunosensor regeneration were studied. For the determination of the interferon concentration in a sample solution the competitive electrochemical immunoassay has been employed. A linear response of the sensor on α-2 interferon concentration is obtained in the range 10–100 μg/ml. This gives the possibility to detect α-2 interferon in a non-diluted cultivated broth. The data of the competitive electrochemical immunoassay are available within 30 min and are in good accordance with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.     

The antioxidant role of α-tocopherol in polymers. I. The nature of transformation products of α-tocopherol formed during melt processing of LDPE

The antioxidant role of α-tocopherol (vitamin E) in low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and the nature of its transformation products formed during extrusion of the polymer are investigated. The melt stabilizing effectiveness of α-tocopherol was found to be very high, higher than that of the commercial hindered phenol antioxidants, Irganox 1076 and 1010, after single and multiple extrusion. The high antioxidant activity of α-tocopherol as a melt stabilizer is due, at least in part, to its transformation products. The importance of the processing history and the parent antioxidant concentration on the transformation products is discussed. Transformation products of α-tocopherol were analyzed after each of the four extrusion passes of the polymer. These were fractionated, analyzed, and characterized by HPLC and spectroscopy, respectively. The main products formed are diastereoisomers of dimers and trimers, as well as aldehydes; the relative concentration of each was shown to depend on processing severity (number of extrusion passes) and the initial concentration of α-tocopherol. The dihydroxydimer was found to be formed at a high concentration relative to the other products and proportional with the initial concentration of tocopherol. Based on both the identity and distribution of transformation products, a mechanism is proposed for the melt stabilization effect of α-tocopherol in LDPE. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

CuI/amino acid‐catalyzed coupling and cyclization of β‐bromo‐α,β‐unsaturated amides with terminal alkynes leading to (3Z)‐3‐alkylidenepyrrol‐1‐ones

β‐Bromo‐α,β‐unsaturated amides are coupled and cyclized with terminal alkynes in DMF at 110 °C in the presence of a catalytic amount of CuI and amino acid along with a base to give the corresponding (3Z)‐3‐alkylidenepyrrol‐1‐ones in moderate to good yields. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Carbonylative α‐Arylation to β‐Ketonitriles

A carbonylative α‐arylation process employing unactivated nitriles for the first time is described. The reaction tolerates a range of (hetero)aryl iodides and several nitrile coupling partners. No prefunctionalization of the nitriles is necessary and the resulting β‐ketonitriles are obtained in good to excellent yields. The methodology also allows for a convenient ¹³C‐labelling of the generated carbonyl moiety.     

Radical‐initiated polymerization of β‐methyl‐α‐methylene‐γ‐butyrolactone

β‐Methyl‐α‐methylene‐γ‐butyrolactone (MMBL) was synthesized and then was polymerized in an N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) solution with 2,2‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) initiation. The homopolymer of MMBL was soluble in DMF and acetonitrile. MMBL was homopolymerized without competing depolymerization from 50 to 70 °C. The rate of polymerization (R_p) for MMBL followed the kinetic expression R_p = [AIBN]^0.54[MMBL]^1.04. The overall activation energy was calculated to be 86.9 kJ/mol, k_p/k_t^1/2 was equal to 0.050 (where k_p is the rate constant for propagation and k_t is the rate constant for termination), and the rate of initiation was 2.17 × 10^?8 mol L^?1 s^?1. The free energy of activation, the activation enthalpy, and the activation entropy were 106.0, 84.1, and 0.0658 kJ mol^?1, respectively, for homopolymerization. The initiation efficiency was approximately 1. Styrene and MMBL were copolymerized in DMF solutions at 60 °C with AIBN as the initiator. The reactivity ratios (r₁ = 0.22 and r₂ = 0.73) for this copolymerization were calculated with the Kelen–Tudos method. The general reactivity parameter Q and the polarity parameter e for MMBL were calculated to be 1.54 and 0.55, respectively. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1759–1777, 2003     

Synthesis of propyl O-(α-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-(1→3)-[2,4-di-O-(2s-methylbutyryl)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl]-(1→2)=(3-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1→2)-βp-D-fucopyranoside,the tetrasaccharide moiety of Tricolorin A

Propyl O-(α-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-(1→3)-[2,4di-O-(2s-methylbutyryl)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl]-(1→2)-(3-O-acetyl-β-glucopyranosyl)-(1→2)-β-D-fucopyranoside (1), the tetrasaccharide moiety of Ricolorin A, was synthesized in total 23 steps with a longest linear sequence of 10 steps, and overall yield of 3.7% from D-Glucose. The isomerization of the dioxolane-type benzylidene in the prance of NIS/AgOTf was observed. Tetrasaccharide 1 exhibited no activity against the cultured P388 cell as Tricolorin A did.     

Phosphorylation Reduces the Mechanical Stability of the α‐Catenin/ β‐Catenin Complex

The α‐catenin/β‐catenin complex serves as a critical molecular interface involved in cadherin–catenin‐based mechanosensing at the cell–cell adherence junction that plays a critical role in tissue integrity, repair, and embryonic development. This complex is subject to tensile forces due to internal actomyosin contractility and external mechanical micro‐environmental perturbation. However, the mechanical stability of this complex has yet to be quantified. Here, we directly quantified the mechanical stability of the α‐catenin/β‐catenin complex and showed that it has enough mechanical stability to survive for tens to hundreds of seconds within physiological level of forces up to 10 pN. Phosphorylation or phosphotyrosine‐mimetic mutations (Y142E or/and T120E) on β‐catenin shorten the mechanical lifetime of the complex by tens of fold over the same force range. These results provide insights into the regulation of the α‐catenin/β‐catenin complex by phosphorylation.