A Solid State Polymer‐Coated Electrode Containing a Chiral Crown Ether Derivative for Enantioselective Detection of Phenylglycine Methyl Ester Isomer

All solid‐state enantioselective electrode (ASESE) based on a newly synthesized chiral crown ether derivative ((R)‐(?)‐(3,3′‐diphenyl‐1,1′‐binaphthyl)‐23‐crown‐6 incorporating 1,4‐dimethoxybenzene) was prepared and characterized by potentiometry. The ASESE clearly showed enantiomer discrimination for methyl esters of alanine, leucine, valine, phenylalanine, and phenylglycine, where the enantioselectivity for phenylglycine methyl ester was the highest (K_R,S=8.5±7.1%). Experimental parameters of ASESE for the analysis of (R)‐(?)‐phenylglycine methyl ester were optimized. The optimized ASESE showed a slope of 55.3±0.2 mV/dec for (R)‐(?)‐phenylglycine methyl ester in the concentration range of 1.0×10^?5–1.0×10^?2 M and the detection limit was 9.0×10^?6 M. The ASESE showed good selectivity for (R)‐(?)‐phenylglycine methyl ester against inorganic cations and various amino acid methyl esters. The concentration of (R)‐(?)‐phenylglycine methyl ester was determined in the mixture of (R)‐(?) and (S)‐(+)‐phenylglycine methyl ester, which ratios varied from 2 : 1 to 1 : 9. The lifespan of the electrode was alleged to be 30 days.     

Versatile Stereoselective Synthesis of Completely Protected Trifunctional α-Methylated α-Amino Acids Starting from Alanine

A new route to completely protected α-methylated α-amino acids starting from alanine is described (see Scheme). These derivatives, which are obtained via base-catalyzed opening of the oxazolidinones (2S,4R)- and (2R,4S)- 2 , can be directly employed in peptide synthesis. The synthesis of both enantiomers of Z-protected α-methylaspartic acid β-(tert-butyl)ester (O⁴-(tert-butyl) hydrogen 2-methylaspartates (R) or (S)- 4a ), α-methyl-glutamic acid γ-(tert-butyl) ester (O⁵-(tert-butyl) hydrogen 2-methylglutamate (R)- or (S)- 4b ), and of N^ε-bis-Boc-protected α-methyllysine (N⁶,N⁶-bis[(tert-butyloxy)carbonyl]-2-methyllysine (R)- or (S)- 4c ) is described in full detail.     

Selective bromination of dihydroquinopimaric acid

The reaction of dihydroquinopimaric acid methyl ester with bromine was found to be chemo- and stereoselective. Regardless of the solvent (acetic acid, methanol, dioxane), bromination of the title compound with an equimolar amount of bromine occurs as electrophilic addition at the double C¹⁹=C²⁰ bond with formation of 14α-hydroxy- or 14α-methoxy-19R-bromo derivatives. The reaction with excess bromine (3 equiv) leads to the formation of 16S-bromo derivatives. The bromination process is accompanied by formation of epoxy bridge between the C¹⁴ and C²⁰ atoms. X-Ray analysis revealed two polymorphic modifications of (16S,19R)-16,19-dibromo-14β,20-epoxydihydroquinopimaric acid methyl ester.     

Development and validation of a chiral capillary electrophoresis method for assay and enantiomeric purity control of pramipexole

A rapid method for the enantioseparation of pramipexole and its R‐enantiomer has been developed by capillary electrophoresis. The influence of chemical and instrumental parameters was investigated including the type and concentration of chiral selectors, buffer composition and pH, co‐ions, applied voltage, capillary length and temperature. Optimal separation conditions were obtained using a 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.8) containing 25 mM carboxymethyl‐β‐cyclodextrin on a fused‐silica capillary. Online UV detection was performed at 262 nm. A voltage of 25 kV was applied, and the capillary temperature was kept at 25°C. Hydrodynamic injection was performed at 3.45 kPa for 5.0 s. The separation of enantiomers was achieved in <6.5 min. The method was further validated in terms of stability of solutions, selectivity, linearity (both pramipexole and R‐enantiomer, R²>0.995), LOD and LOQ (0.91 and 2.94 μg/mL, respectively), repeatability (RSD<1.5%) and accuracy (pramipexole, 100.4%; R‐enantiomer, 100.5%). The proposed method was then applied to two kinds of pramipexole dihydrochloride monohydrate commercially available tablets, immediate release tablets (1.50 and 0.125 mg) and sustained release tablets (0.52 mg), to quantify the main component in the tablets. The amount of distomer could be quantified in bulk sample materials.     

Asymmetric Synthesis and Configurational Stability of C2‐Symmetric Hexacoordinated Phosphate Anions (TARPHATs) with Predetermined Chirality from Tartrate Esters

C₂‐Symmetric TARPHAT anions 5 made of a central P^V atom, one tartrato (=dialkyl 2,3‐di(hydroxy‐κO)butanedioato(2−)), and two tetrachloropyrocatecholato (=3,4,5,6‐tetrachlorobenzene‐1,2‐diolato(2−)‐κO,κO′) ligands can be easily prepared in decent to high yields (50–86%) as their dimethylammonium salt by using a one‐pot process and simple commercially available starting materials. The presence of the chiral tartrato ligands (usually (2R,3R)) leads to the formation of diastereoisomeric anions ((Δ,2R,3R)/(Λ,2R,3R)). Decent to good control by the chiral ligands – under equilibration conditions – over the Λ or Δ configuration of the adducts was observed (d.r. 84 : 16 in CHCl₃ for the di(tert‐butyl) tartrate derivative), the selectivity depending on the nature of the ester chains as well as on the solvent.     

Metabolism of Deuterated Isomeric 6,7‐Dihydroxydodecanoic Acids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae – Diastereo‐ and Enantioselective Formation and Characterization of 5‐Hydroxydecano‐4‐lactone (=4,5‐Dihydro‐5‐(1‐hydroxyhexyl)furan‐2(3H)‐one) Isomers

The chemical synthesis of deuterated isomeric 6,7‐dihydroxydodecanoic acid methyl esters 1 and the subsequent metabolism of esters 1 and the corresponding acids 1a in liquid cultures of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated. Incubation experiments with (6R,7R)‐ or (6S,7S)‐6,7‐dihydroxy(6,7‐²H₂)dodecanoic acid methyl ester ((6R,7R)‐ or (6S,7S)‐(6,7‐²H₂)‐ 1 , resp.) and (±)‐threo‐ or (±)‐erythro‐6,7‐dihydroxy(6,7‐²H₂)dodecanoic acid ((±)‐threo‐ or (±)‐erythro‐(6,7‐²H₂)‐ 1a , resp.) elucidated their metabolic pathway in yeast (Tables 1–3). The main products were isomeric ²H‐labeled 5‐hydroxydecano‐4‐lactones 2 . The absolute configuration of the four isomeric lactones 2 was assigned by chemical synthesis via Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation and chiral gas chromatography (Lipodex ^® E). The enantiomers of threo‐ 2 were separated without derivatization on Lipodex ^® E; in contrast, the enantiomers of erythro‐ 2 could be separated only after transformation to their 5‐O‐(trifluoroacetyl) derivatives. Biotransformation of the methyl ester (6R,7R)‐(6,7‐²H₂)‐ 1 led to (4R,5R)‐ and (4S,5R)‐(2,5‐²H₂)‐ 2 (ratio ca. 4 : 1; Table 2). Estimation of the label content and position of (4S,5R)‐(2,5‐²H₂)‐ 2 showed 95% label at C(5), 68% label at C(2), and no ²H at C(4) (Table 2). Therefore, oxidation and subsequent reduction with inversion at C(4) of 4,5‐dihydroxydecanoic acid and transfer of ²H from C(4) to C(2) is postulated. The 5‐hydroxydecano‐4‐lactones 2 are of biochemical importance: during the fermentation of Streptomyces griseus, (4S,5R)‐ 2 , known as L‐factor, occurs temporarily before the antibiotic production, and (?)‐muricatacin (=(4R,5R)‐5‐hydroxy‐heptadecano‐4‐lactone), a homologue of (4R,5R)‐ 2 , is an anticancer agent.     

Fast evaluation of enantioselective drug metabolism by electrophoretically mediated microanalysis: Application to fluoxetine metabolism by CYP2D6

In this work, a capillary electrophoretic methodology for the enantioselective in vitro evaluation of drugs metabolism is applied to the evaluation of fluoxetine (FLX) metabolism by cytochrome 2D6 (CYP2D6). This methodology comprises the in‐capillary enzymatic reaction and the chiral separation of FLX and its major metabolite, norfluoxetine enantiomers employing highly sulfated β‐CD and the partial filling technique. The methodology employed in this work is a fast way to obtain a first approach of the enantioselective in vitro metabolism of racemic drugs, with the additional advantage of an extremely low consumption of enzymes, CDs and all the reagents involved in the process. Michaelis–Menten kinetic parameters (K_m and V_max) for the metabolism of FLX enantiomers by CYP2D6 have been estimated by nonlinear fitting of experimental data to the Michaelis–Menten equation. K_m values have been found to be 30 ± 3 μM for S‐FLX and 39 ± 5 μM for R‐FLX. V_max estimations were 28.6 ± 1.2 and 34 ± 2 pmol·min^?1·(pmol CYP)^?1 for S‐ and R‐FLX, respectively. Similar results were obtained using a single enantiomer (R‐FLX), indicating that the use of the racemate is a good option for obtaining enantioselective estimations. The results obtained show a slight enantioselectivity in favor of R‐FLX.     

StereoPHIP: Stereoselective Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization

Parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) followed by polarization transfer to ¹³C is a rapidly developing technique for the generation of ¹³C-hyperpolarized substrates. Chirality plays an essential role in living systems and differential metabolism of enantiomeric pairs of metabolic substrates is well documented. Inspired by asymmetric hydrogenation, here we report stereoPHIP, which involves the addition of parahydrogen to a prochiral substrate with a chiral catalyst followed by polarization transfer to ¹³C spins. We demonstrate that parahydrogen could be rapidly added to the prochiral precursor to both enantiomers of lactic acid (D and L), with both the (R,R) and (S,S) enantiomers of a chiral rhodium(I) catalyst to afford highly ¹³C-hyperpolarized (over 20 %) L- and D-lactate ester derivatives, respectively, with excellent stereoselectivity. We also show that the hyperpolarized ¹H signal decays obtained with the (R,R) and (S,S) catalysts were markedly different. StereoPHIP expands the scope of conventional PHIP to the production of ¹³C hyperpolarized chiral substrates with high stereoselectivity.     

Mechanistic Exploration of Intramolecular Aminodiene Hydroamination/Cyclisation Mediated by Constrained Geometry Organoactinide Complexes: A DFT Study

The present computational mechanistic study explores comprehensively the organoactinide‐mediated intramolecular hydroamination/cyclisation (IHC) of aminodienes by employing a reliable DFT method. All the steps of a plausible catalytic reaction course have been scrutinised for the IHC of (4E,6)‐heptadienylamine 1 t by [(CGC)Th(NMe₂)₂] precatalyst 2 (CGC=[Me₂Si(η⁵‐Me₄C₅)(tBuN)]^2?). For each of the relevant elementary steps the most accessible pathway has been identified from a multitude of mechanistic possibilities. The operative mechanism involves rapid substrate association/dissociation equilibria for the 3 t ‐S resting state and also for azacyclic intermediates 4 a , 4 s , easily accessible and reversible exocyclic ring closure, supposedly facile isomerisation of the azacycle’s butenyl tether prior to turnover‐limiting protonolysis. The following aspects are in support of this scenario: 1) the derived rate law is consistent with the experimentally obtained empirical rate law; 2) the accessed barrier for turnover‐limiting protonolysis does agree remarkably well with observed performance data; 3) the ring‐tether double‐bond selectivity is consistently elucidated, which led to predict the product distribution correctly. This study provides a computationally substantiated rationale for observed activity and selectivity data. Steric demands at the CGC framework appear to be an efficient means for modulating both performance and ring‐tether double‐bond selectivity. The careful comparison of (CGC)4f‐element and (CGC)5f‐element catalysts revealed that aminodiene IHC mediated by organoactinides and organolanthanides proceeds through a similar mechanistic scenario. However, cyclisation and protonolysis steps, in particular, feature a markedly different reactivity pattern for the two catalyst classes, owing to enhanced bond covalency of early actinides when compared to lanthanides.     

Geltungsbereich und Mechamismus der durch Silberionen katalysierten Propargylester-Allenylester-Umlagerung nach Saucy und Marbet

The mechanism of the catalysis of the reversible (propargyl ester)/(allenyl ester) rearrangement ( 10 ? 11 ) by silver(I) ions was investigated, using optically active and diastereoisomeric esters as well as ¹⁴C- and ¹⁸O-labelling. In order to work with crystalline materials, mainly p-nitrobenzoates ( 10 , 11 : R⁴ = p? O₂N? C₆H₄) were used. In some cases the rearrangement 10 ? 11 was studied using acetates (R⁴ = CH₃). The alkyl substituents R¹, R², R³, were widely varied (cf. Tables 1, 2). The solvents in which the rearrangements were performed were in most cases dry chlorobenzene and 96% aqueous dioxane. Silver tetrafluoroborate, the benzene complex of the latter, and silver trifluoroacetate (in chlorobenzene) as well as silver nitrate (in aqueous dioxane) served as catalysts. The amounts of the silver catalysts used varied between 0,5 and 10 mol-%; reaction temperatures applied were in the range 35–95°, The results obtained are as follows:

• 1 The rate-determining step of the (propargyl ester)/(allenyl ester) rearrangement ( 10 ? 11 ) occurs in a silver(I) complex with the substrates ( 10 , 11 ), which is formed in a pre-equilibrium. This follows from kinetic experiments (cf. Fig. 6, 7, 8, 10) and the fact that the rate of rearrangement (of 10a ) is strongly decreased when cyclohexene is added (cf. Fig. 9). In solvents which are known to form complexes with silver(I) ions the rate of rearrangement (of 10a )is much slower than in solvents with similar dielectric constants but with small capacity for complex formation with silver(I) ions (cf. Table 4). Taking into account what is known about silver(I)-alkene and -alkyne complexes (cf. [18]), it is obvious that the (propargyl ester)/(allenyl ester) rearrangement occurs in a π-complex of the silver(I) ion with the triple bond in the propargyl ester or one of the two C,C double bonds in the allenyl ester, respectively.
• 2 The shift of the carboxyl moiety in the reversible rearrangement 10 ? 11 occurs intramolecularly. p-Nitrobenzoic acid-[carboxyl-¹⁴C] is not incorporated during the rearrangement, neither in the reactant 10 nor in the product 11 and vice versa. A crossing experiment gave no mixed products (cf. Scheme 2, p. 882).
• 3 An internal ion pair can be excluded for the rearrangement 10 ? 11 because the ¹⁸O-carbonyl label in the reactant is found exclusively in the alkoxy part of the product (cf. Scheme 3, p. 886, and Table 9). Thus, the rearrangement 10 ? 11 occurs with inversion of the carboxyl moiety.
• 4 The rearrangement of optically active propargyl esters ( 10g , 10i ) leads to completely racemic allenyl esters ( 11g , 11i ). However, rearrangement of erythro- and threo- 10j -[carbonyl-¹⁸O] (Scheme 3) shows that the stereospecifically formed allenyl esters erythro- and threo- 11j -[¹⁸O]-epimerize rapidly in the presence of silver(I) ions. This epimerization is twice and forty times, respectively, as fast as the rearrangement of the corresponding propargyl esters (cf. Fig. 1–5). During epimerization or racemization the ¹⁸O-label is not randomized (cf. also Scheme 4, p. 898).
• 5 The equilibrium of the rearrangement 10 ? 11 depends on the bulkiness of the substituents R¹, R², R³ and of the carboxyl moiety (cf. Table 2).

Taking into account these facts (points 1–5), the reversible (propargyl ester)/(allenyl ester) rearrangement promoted by silver(I) ions can be described as a [3s, 3s]-sigmatropic reaction occurring in a silver(I)-π-complex with the C,C triple bond in 10 and a C,C double bond in 11 . It is suggested that complex formation in 10 and 11 occurs with the π-bond which is not involved in the quasicyclic (containing six orbitals and six electrons) transition state of the rearrangement (Fig. 11). Thus, the rearrangement is of a type which has recently been called a charge-induced sigmatropic reaction (cf. [26]). Therefore, in our case, the catalysis by silver(I) ions is of a different type from that of transformations of strained cyclic molecules promoted by silver(I) ions (cf. [14] [16] [27]–[31]). Side reactions. Whereas the rearrangement of propargyl esters 10 in presence of silver tetra- fluoroborate in chlorobenzene or silver nitrate in aqueous dioxane leads to the corresponding allenyl esters 11 , the rearrangement of 10 with silver trifluoroacetate, especially in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid, results in the formation of the dienol esters 12 and 13 , which clearly are derived from 11 (see Scheme 1, p. 881). As shown by the rearrangement of 11 in the presence of p-nitrobenzoic acid-[carboxyl-¹⁴C], 12 and 13 arise in part from a not isolated di-p-nitrobenzoate (cf. Scheme 6, p. 905), since radioactivity is found in 12 and 13 .     

Bestimmung des Chiralitätssinns der enantiomeren 2,6-Adamantandiole

Determination of the Chirality Sense of the Enantiomeric 2,6-Adamantanediols The enantiomers of 2,6-adamantanediol ( 1 ) are resolved via the diastereoisomeric camphanoates. The (2R,6R)-chirality sense for (?)- 1 and (2S,6S) for (+)- 1 was determined by chemical correlation with (?)-(1R,5R)-bicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-2,6-dion ((1R,5R)- 3 ) of known absolute configuration in the following way: alkylation of the bis(pyrrolidine enamine) of (?)-(1R,5R)- 3 with CD₂I₂ and hydrolysis of the product gives the enantiomer 4 of (4,4-D₂)-2,6-adamantanedione. Reduction of 4 with LiAlH₄ leads to one enantiomer (Scheme 2) of each of the three diols 5 – 7 of known absolute configuration. The three diols are themselves configurational isomers due to the presence of the CD₂ group, but correspond otherwise entirely to the enantiomeric diols 1 . Accordingly, they can also be separated by means of their diastereoisomeric camphanoates to give the diols 5 / 6 and 7 . These samples are easily distinguished and identified by their characteristic ¹H-NMR spectra (cf. Fig. 2). This allows to identify the (2R,6R)- and (2S,6S)-enantiomer of 1 on the basis of their behavior in the resolution experiment analogous to that of the diols 5 / 6 and 7 , respectively. The diol (?)- 1 must have the (2R,6R)-configuration because it forms, like the diols 5 / 6 , with (?)-camphanic acid the diastereoisomeric ester less soluble in benzene. The diol (+)- 1 has (2S,6S)-configuration, because it forms, like 7 , with (+)-camphanic acid the diastereoisomeric ester less soluble in benzene. The bis(4-methoxybenzoate) of (?)-(2R,6R)- 1 shows chiroptical properties which are in accordance with Nakanishi's rule for two chromophores having coupled electric dipol transition moments arranged with a left-handed torsion angle.     

Enzyme-catalyzed resolution of 3,8-dioxatricyclo[3.2.1.0]octane-6-carboxylic esters and the application to the synthesis of 3-epishikimic acid

3,8-Dioxatricyclo[3.2.1.0^2,4]octane-6-carboxylic acid, whose racemic form is readily available on a large scale, is a versatile starting material for the synthesis of carbasugars and carbocyclic biologically active natural products. In this study, the enzyme-catalyzed kinetic resolution was attempted on a variety of corresponding carboxylic esters. The hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of ester substituents greatly affected the rate of reaction and the enantioselectivity. Hydrolysis of the corresponding 2′-chloroethyl ester with pig liver esterase worked well in a highly enantioselective manner (E = 116) to give the hydrolyzate (90.6% ee) and unreacted ester recovery (99.4% ee). The hydrolyzate is a precursor for (−)-oseltamivir phosphate, and a route to (3S,4S,5R)-(−)-3-epishikimic acid was developed from the recovered ester.     

Studies of ethylene–styrene copolymerization with dinuclear constrained geometry complexes with methyl substitution at the five‐membered ring in indenyl of [Ti(η5:η1‐C9H5SiMe2NCMe3)]2 [CH2]n

The new dinuclear half‐sandwich CGC (constrained geometry catalyst) with methyl substitution in indenyl, [Ti(η⁵:η¹‐2‐methylindenyl)SiMe₂NCMe₃]₂ [(CH₂)_n] [n = 6 ( 10 ), n = 9 ( 11 ), n = 12 ( 12 )], have been synthesized, and structure of these complexes has been characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR. The most important feature is that two protons of methylene directly bonded to the indenyl ring become inequivalent to be shown as two separated resonances at 2.9 and 3.0 ppm, probably due to the formation of planar chirality caused by a titanium complex formation. It has been found that the dinuclear CGCs with methyl substitution at an indenyl ring were very active catalysts for ethylene and styrene copolymerization. The activity increases in the order of 10 < 11 < 12 , which indicates that the presence of a longer bridge between two active sites contributes to facilitate the polymerization activity of the dinuclear CGC more effectively. This result might be understood by the implication that the steric factor rather than the electronic factor may play a major role to direct the polymerization behavior of the dinuclear CGC. It is found that the dinuclear catalysts are very efficient to incorporate styrene in the polyethylene backbone. The styrene contents in the formed copolymers ranged from 5 to 40% according to the polymerization conditions. One can observe strong signals at 29.7 ppm of the polyethylene sequences, and, in addition, peaks at 27.5, 36.9, and 46. 2ppm (S_βδ, S_αδ, and T_δδ, respectively) of sequences of EESEE. Weak peak at 25.3 ppm are attributed to S_ββ, which represents SES sequence. The absence of a signal for T_ββ at 41.3 ppm and for S_αα at 43.6 ppm shows there is no styrene–styrene sequences in copolymers. This result indicates that the dinuclear CGC are very effective to generate well‐distributed poly(ethylene‐co‐styrene)s. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1712–1723, 2004     

Chain-growth polycondensation via the substituent effect: Investigation in to the role of initiator and base on the synthesis of poly(N-octyl benzamide)

A detailed investigation into the role of initiator structure, the presence of an initiator, and basicity of the non-nucleophilic base in the chain-growth condensation (CGC) synthesis of poly(N-octyl benzamide) was conducted. A series of phenyl ester dimethyl amide initiators with different leaving groups were synthesized and used in the CGC preparation of poly(N-octyl benzamide). Additional polymerizations were conducted without the presence of an initiator and with different non-nucleophilic bases. Kinetic studies, along with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and gel-permeation chromatography, were used to determine progress of the reaction, molecular weights, and molecular weight distributions. The experimental and computational results demonstrated that initiators containing electron-withdrawing substituent phenyl esters, such as the p-nitrophenyl ester, and electron-withdrawing carbonyl character on the parent benzoate produce polymers with controllable molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions. Whereas, initiating species that contain electron-donating character on the benzoate backbone, such as dimethylamino and methyl ester groups, produce polymers that resemble the results from reactions involving no initiators at all, indicating poor polymerization control.     

Open‐tubular capillary electrochromatographic determination of ten sulfonamides in tap water and milk by a metal‐organic framework‐coated capillary column

In this study, a metal‐organic framework (MOF), [Mn(cam)(bpy)], was synthesized and characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. An open‐tubular capillary column was fabricated from [Mn(cam)(bpy)] via the amide coupling method. Ten types of sulfonamides were separated through the fabricated capillary column, which showed a good limits of detection (<0.07 μg/mL) and linear ranges (1–100 or 5–100 μg/mL) with a high correlation coefficients (R² > 0.9987). The intra‐day, inter‐day and column‐to‐column relative standard deviations (RSDs) in the migration times ranged from 0.44 to 4.87%, and the peak area RSDs ranged from 0.80 to 7.28%. The developed capillary electrochromatography method can be successfully utilized for the determination of sulfonamides in tap water and milk samples.     

Complete NMR Elucidation of Two N-Protected Trishomocubane Hydantoins and the Ethyl Ester of the Corresponding Amino Acid

In an attempt to resolve a racemic mixture of a trishomocubane hydantoin, the synthesis of a pair of novel diastereomers was obtained by protecting the racemic hydantoin with chlorocarbonic acid-(–)(R)-sec-butyl ester. An achiral i-propyl ester was first used to establish the procedure. The NMR elucidation of both the chiral and achiral N-protected hydantoins is described. Some proton and carbon NMR shifts on the cage are reversed when relative small changes on the protection group are introduced. The chiral centre on the protective group induced splitting of some carbon signals in the ¹³C spectrum on the cage skeleton, but effective separation of the diastereomers could not be obtained. In a further attempt to demonstrate the potential use of the trishomocubane amino acid in peptide synthesis, the ethyl ester of the cage amino acid was synthesised. The structures of the amino acid derivatives were elucidated with 2D NMR techniques and the assignment of the NMR data is presented.     

Rapid Determination of Fast Protein Dynamics from NMR Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Data

Functional motions of ¹⁵N‐labeled proteins can be monitored by solution NMR spin relaxation experiments over a broad range of timescales. These experiments however typically take of the order of several days to a week per protein. Recently, NMR chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) experiments have emerged to probe slow millisecond motions complementing R_1ρ and CPMG‐type experiments. CEST also simultaneously reports on site‐specific R₁ and R₂ parameters. It is shown here how CEST‐derived R₁ and R₂ relaxation parameters can be measured within a few hours at an accuracy comparable to traditional relaxation experiments. Using a “lean” version of the model‐free approach S² order parameters can be determined that match those from the standard model‐free approach applied to ¹⁵N R₁, R₂, and {¹H}‐¹⁵N NOE data. The new methodology, which is demonstrated for ubiquitin and arginine kinase (42 kDa), should serve as an effective screening tool of protein dynamics from picosecond‐to‐millisecond timescales.     

Separation Characteristics of Ionic Liquids Grafted Polymethylsiloxanes Stationary Phases for Capillary GC

Ionic liquids (ILs) grafted polymethylsiloxane (PMS) stationary phases (IL-PMS) for capillary gas chromatography (CGC) are described. The stationary phases were synthesized by grafting 1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium (VHIm) with either NTf ₂ ^? or PF₆ ^? anion to poly(methylhydrosiloxane) (PMS-VHIm-NTf₂, PMS-VHIm-PF₆) and coated statically onto fused-silica capillary columns. Separation characteristics of the stationary phases involving Abraham solvation parameters, separation ability and thermal stability were investigated. The obtained solvation parameters reveal that both IL-PMS stationary phases exhibited unique intermolecular interactions compared with either ILs or PMS due to the synergistic effect of ILs and PMS chemically combining together. The separation performance of the IL-PMS stationary phases was investigated by a Grob mixture and a complex mixture of 26 compounds of different types. The results show that the present stationary phases exhibit excellent resolution and selectivity for the analytes of interest with narrow and symmetric peak shapes. Thermal stability was also investigated by column bleed profiles with satisfactory results. The satisfactory chromatographic performance and thermal stability of the IL-PMS stationary phases suggest their great potential as a new type of CGC stationary phases.     

The pharmacokinetic characteristics and excretion studies of fucosterol from Sargasssum fusiforme in rats

Fucosterol is the main phytosterol in brown algae with various pharmacological effects such as cholesterol-lowering, anticancer, hepatoprotection and neuroprotection. Little is known about the pharmacokinetics and excretion characteristics of fucosterol. In this study, a GC–MS method was developed and validated for the determination of fucosterol in rat plasma, urine and feces. The method effectively avoids the interference of Δ⁵-avenasterol, a cis–trans-isomer of fucosterol derived from feed, by using a TG-5 capillary column (a nonpolar column with 5% phenyl-methylpolysilicone as stationary phase material). The linearity ranges were fucosterol 0.300–18.0 μg/ml (R² = 0.9960) for plasma, 0.0500–2.50 μg/ml for the urine sample (R² = 0.9963) and 0.100–8.00 μg/mg (R² = 0.9923) for the feces sample. With good extraction recoveries and stability, this rapid and sensitive method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic and excretion studies of fucosterol in Sprague–Dawley rats. Fucosterol from Sargassum fusiforme had poor absorption and slow elimination with an absolute oral bioavailability of 0.74%, and was mainly eliminated through fecal excretion.     

Stereospecific polymerization of butene-1 with supported titanium catalyst

Butene-1 was polymerized with a highly-active supported titanium catalyst which was developed in this laboratory. The influences of various conditions (e.g., catalyst composition, temperature, external ester, H₂, triethylaluminum, and catalyst concentration) on the catalytic activity, decay of polymerization rate, molecular weight, and isotacticity of the products were studied in detail. The structural properties of the PB-1 were characterized by WAXD, DSC, and ¹³C-NMR. It was found that the catalyst TiCl₄, Ti(OBu)₄/MgCl₂/ethyl benzoate (EB)/Ph₂SiCl₂–AlEt₃ shows high activity, i.e., 3.2 × 10⁴ g PB/g Ti h. Isotacticity of the product was increased by adding p-CH₃C₆H₄COOEt into the catalytic system. Molecular weight of the product can be easily controlled by H₂. The decay of polymerization rate with time fulfills the equation: R_t ? R_s = (R_o ? R_s)e^?βt. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.