Hydrophobic vitamin B12. Part 19: electroorganic reaction of DDT mediated by hydrophobic vitamin B12

The controlled-potential electrolysis of 1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane (DDT) was carried out at -1.4 V vs. Ag-AgCl in the presence of a hydrophobic vitamin B12, heptamethyl cobyrinate perchlorate. DDT was dechlorinated to form 1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethane (DDD), 1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethylene (DDE), 1-chloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDMU) and 1,1,4,4-tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,3-dichloro-2-butene (TTDB)(E/Z), and quantitative recovery of the catalyst after the electrolysis was confirmed by electronic spectroscopy. A photo-sensitive intermediate having a cobalt-carbon bond formed during the electrolysis was characterized by electronic spectroscopy. A mechanism for the formation of various dechlorinated products was investigated by using deuterium solvents and various spectroscopic measurements such as UV-VIS and the EPR spin-trapping technique.     

Photochemical dechlorination of DDT catalyzed by a hydrophobic vitamin B12 and a photosensitizer under irradiation with visible light

Dechlorination of 1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane (DDT) was catalyzed by a hydrophobic vitamin B(12), heptamethyl cobyrinate perchlorate, with a visible light irradiation system containing a [Ru(ii)(bpy)(3)]Cl(2) photosensitizer, and the hydrophobic vitamin B(12) showed high catalytic efficiency and stability during the reaction.     

A New Spectrophotometric Method for Determination of Vitamin B12 as Cobalts

Abstract

A spectrophotometric method for determination of Vitamin B₁₂ (Cyanocobalamin) as cobalt in pharmaceutical preparations is described. The sample is first decomposed by concentrated sulfuric and nitric acids and the dry residue is solubilized in distilled water. The cobalt present is then spectrophotometrically determined at Λ= 317 nm as Co-HMPA-SCN complex. The complex is stable for a long time in the range of pH 3–10. The presence of many other metal cations does not interfere.     

Indirect Determination of Organic Compounds by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry: The Study of Vitamin B12 in Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms

Abstract

A method for the determination of vitamin B₁₂ in pharmaceutical dosage forms is presented. The method involves, dissolution of the vitamin B₁₂ and subsequent determination of the complexed cobalt by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The method is both rapid and sensitive giving applications to quality, control of this type of formulation.     

The First Complete Dechlorination of 1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2-Bis(4-Chlorophenyl) Ethane (P,P'-DDT) Using Metal-Promoted Alkoxyborohydride in a Protic Solvent

The reaction in situ of sodium borohydride with 2-methoxyethanol in 2-propanol in the presence of catalytic amount of NiCl₂6H₂O generates a powerful dechlorinating system which dechlorinates 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis (4-chlorophenyl)-ethane (DDT) to 1,1-diphenylmethoxymethane(80%) and l-(p-chlorophenyl)-l-phenylethane(10%) in 6 hours at 82--84 °C.     

The Hydrogenobyric Acid Structure Reveals the Corrin Ligand as an Entatic State Module Empowering B12 Cofactors for Catalysis

The B₁₂ cofactors instill a natural curiosity regarding the primordial selection and evolution of their corrin ligand. Surprisingly, this important natural macrocycle has evaded molecular scrutiny, and its specific role in predisposing the incarcerated cobalt ion for organometallic catalysis has remained obscure. Herein, we report the biosynthesis of the cobalt‐free B₁₂ corrin moiety, hydrogenobyric acid ( Hby ), a compound crafted through pathway redesign. Detailed insights from single‐crystal X‐ray and solution structures of Hby have revealed a distorted helical cavity, redefining the pattern for binding cobalt ions. Consequently, the corrin ligand coordinates cobalt ions in desymmetrized “entatic” states, thereby promoting the activation of B₁₂‐cofactors for their challenging chemical transitions. The availability of Hby also provides a route to the synthesis of transition metal analogues of B₁₂.     

New Developments in the Field of Vitamin B12: Reactions of the Cobalt Atom in Corrins and in Vitamin B12 Model Compounds

Studies with vitamin B₁₂ model compounds such as the cobaloximes provide a basis for the understanding of the mode of action of corrinoid coenzymes in enzymatic reactions. They also widen our knowledge of the properties and reactions of organocobalt compounds. The present article outlines the most important nonenzymatic reactions of cobalt in vitamin B₁₂ and in model compounds of the cobaloxime type.     

Density functional B3LYP and B3PW91 studies of the properties of four cyclic organodiboranes with tetramethylene fragments

Molecular structure and vibrational spectra of 1,2-tetramethylenediborane (B₂C₄H₁₂), 1,2:1,2-bis(tetramethylene)diborane (B₂C₈H₁₈), 1,1-tetramethylenediborane (B₂C₄H₁₂) and 1,1:2,2-bis(tetramethylene)diborane (B₂C₈H₁₈), have been studied using quantum computational density functional B3LYP and B3PW91 methods and 6-31G*, 6-31G** and 6-31++G** basis sets. Natural bond orbital analyses have been carried out to study in detail the nature of the B—C, C—C and B—H bonds in these molecules. This study showed that all these compounds are thermodynamically stable in the gas phase, but bicyclic structures are more stable than monocyclic structures.     

Chemiluminescent Determination of Vitamin B12 Using Charge Coupled Device (CCD)

A method was developed for the determination of vitamin B₁₂ based on the enhancement of cobalt (II) on the chemiluminescence (CL) reaction between luminol and percarbonate (powerful source of hydrogen peroxide). The release of cobalt (II) from the vitamin B₁₂ was reached by a simple and fast microwave digestion (20 s microwave digestion time and a mix of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide). A charge coupled device (CCD) photodetector, directly connected to the cell, coupled with a simple continuous flow system was used to obtain the full spectral characteristics of cobalt (II) catalyzed luminol-percarbonate reaction.

The optima experimental conditions were established: 8.0 m mol L^?1 luminol in a 0.075 mol L^?1 carbonate buffer (pH 10.0) and 0.15 mol L^?1 sodium percarbonate, in addition to others experimental parameters as 0.33 mL s^?1 flow rate and 2 s integration time, were the experimental conditions which proportionate the optimum CL emission intensity. The emission data were best fitted with a second-order calibration graph over the cobalt (II) concentration range from 4.00 to 300 µ g L^?1 (r² = 0.9990), with a detection limit of 0.42 µ g L^?1. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of vitamin B₁₂ in pharmaceuticals.     

Mild olefin formation via bio-inspired vitamin B12 photocatalysis

Dehydrohalogenation, or elimination of hydrogen-halide equivalents, remains one of the simplest methods for the installation of the biologically-important olefin functionality. However, this transformation often requires harsh, strongly-basic conditions, rare noble metals, or both, limiting its applicability in the synthesis of complex molecules. Nature has pursued a complementary approach in the novel vitamin B₁₂-dependent photoreceptor CarH, where photolysis of a cobalt–carbon bond leads to selective olefin formation under mild, physiologically-relevant conditions. Herein we report a light-driven B₁₂-based catalytic system that leverages this reactivity to convert alkyl electrophiles to olefins under incredibly mild conditions using only earth abundant elements. Further, this process exhibits a high level of regioselectivity, producing terminal olefins in moderate to excellent yield and exceptional selectivity. Finally, we are able to access a hitherto-unknown transformation, remote elimination, using two cobalt catalysts in tandem to produce subterminal olefins with excellent regioselectivity. Together, we show vitamin B₁₂ to be a powerful platform for developing mild olefin-forming reactions.

Terminal or subterminal olefins can be selectively formed from alkyl electrophiles via bio-inspired vitamin B₁₂ photocatalysis.     

Coenzyme B12 model compounds: A quantitative electrochemical comparison

A quantitative electrochemical comparative study is reported which demonstrates that Costa's B₁₂ model is a closer electrochemical mimic of B₁₂ than is the widely used cobaloxime model. Also reported are conditions allowing chemically reversible cyclic voltammetry of cobalt-alkyls of Costa’s B₁₂ model and the surprising effect of axial base concentration upon the apparent cobaltcarbon bond stability subsequent to electrochemical reduction.     

Determination of Vitamin B12 in Multivitamin Tablets by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

Two procedures for separation and determination of vitamin B₁₂ in multivitamin tablets by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography are proposed. Sample preparation is very simple: tablets are dissolved in distilled water, centrifuged and filtered. The sample solution is directly applied in the sample loop injector and chromatograms are obtained with gradient elution using water-methanol and water-acetonitrile as solvents. The peak of vitamin B₁₂ from samples of B-complex tablets is well separated with the two procedures. For multivitamin tablets, however, only the procedure with water and methanol as solvents was good for separation and quantification of vitamin B₁₂. Both procedures were verified by the standard addition method and also compared to a previously developed method using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry for vitamin B₁₂ determination.     

Regioselectivity of the oxygen addition-induced dechlorination of PCBS and DDT metabolites in electron capture mass spectrometry

The electron capture mass spectra of 28 ³⁵Cl-labeled polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 4 ³⁷Cl-labeled 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) metabolites were obtained by using a 20% oxygen in methane mixture as the reagent gas. The degree of regioselectivity of the PCB oxygen addition-induced dechlorination reaction was determined by measurement of the residual amount of label in the M-19 ions produced by addition of O₂ and subsequent loss of OCl from the molecule. Chlorine was lost in a random manner from the PCBs, contrary to the dechlorination reaction observed when methane alone was used. For the DDT metabolites, many dechlorination reactions were observed in addition to the one that generated the M-19 ions. Loss of Cl, loss of Cl₂, and addition of O₂ with the loss of one or two HCl molecules also were seen. These various dechlorination reactions involved only the aliphatic chlorines. Addition of O₂ followed by loss of Cl at the beta position of 2,2-bis(4-³⁷Cl-chlorophenyl)-1-chloroethylene and 2,2-bis(4-³⁷Cl-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene may be due to the ability of the diphenyl methane moiety to stabilize the intermediates. Formation of an ion that corresponds to 4,4′-dichlorobenzophenone also was observed for three of these labeled DDT metabolites.     

Homocoenzyme B12 and Bishomocoenzyme B12: Covalent Structural Mimics for Homolyzed,Enzyme‐Bound Coenzyme B12

Efficient electrochemical syntheses of “homocoenzyme B₁₂” ( 2 , Co_β‐(5′‐deoxy‐5′‐adenosyl‐methyl)‐cob(III )alamin) and “bishomocoenzyme B₁₂” ( 3 , Co_β‐[2‐(5′‐deoxy‐5′‐adenosyl)‐ethyl]‐cob(III )alamin) are reported here. These syntheses have provided crystalline samples of 2 and 3 in 94 and 77 % yield, respectively. In addition, in‐depth investigations of the structures of 2 and 3 in solution were carried out and a high‐resolution crystal structure of 2 was obtained. The two homologues of coenzyme B₁₂ ( 2 and 3 ) are suggested to function as covalent structural mimics of the hypothetical enzyme‐bound “activated” (that is, “stretched” or even homolytically cleaved) states of the B₁₂ cofactor. From crude molecular models, the crucial distances from the corrin‐bound cobalt center to the C5′ atom of the (homo)adenosine moieties in 2 and 3 were estimated to be about 3.0 and 4.4 Å, respectively. These values are roughly the same as those found in the two “activated” forms of coenzyme B₁₂ in the crystal structure of glutamate mutase. Indeed, in the crystal structure of 2 , the cobalt center was observed to be at a distance of 2.99 Å from the C5′ atom of the homoadenosine moiety and the latter was found to be present in the unusual syn conformation. In solution, the organometallic moieties of 2 and 3 were shown to be rather flexible and to be considerably more dynamic than the equivalent group in coenzyme B₁₂. The homoadenosine moiety of 2 was indicated to occur in both the syn and the anti conformations.     

Facile and catalytic degradation method of DDT using Pd/C-Et3N system under ambient pressure and temperature

The catalytic degradation method of p,p′-DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane] and its regioisomer o,p′-DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2-(o-chlorophenyl)-2-(p-chlorophenyl)ethane] using the Pd/C-Et₃N system under ambient hydrogen pressure and temperature was established. The presence of Et₃N was necessary for the quick and complete breakdown of DDT. The independent degradation study of two intermediates, p,p′-DDD [2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethane] and p,p′-DDE [2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene] using GC-MS let us to speculate the degradation pathway of p,p′-DDT. In the initial phase of the reaction, p,p′-DDT degradation splits into two ways: a dehydrochlorination pathway and a hydrodechlorination pathway. In each pathway, reaction starts from an aliphatic moiety and subsequent hydrodechlorination from the benzene moieties takes place in a stepwise manner. The former pathway leads to the formation of 1,1-diphenylethane and the latter leads to the formation of 1,1-dichloro-2,2-diphenylethane. These diphenylethane analogs, which are less toxic compared with p,p′-DDT, are terminal degradation products in our system. The distinctive features of our catalytic degradation method of DDTs are reliability, simplicity, efficiency, and inexpensiveness.     

Vitamin B12: How the Problem of Its Biosynthesis Was Solved

Vitamin B₁₂ is an essential vitamin for human health, and lack of it leads to pernicious anemia. This biological activity has attracted intense interest for some time; in addition, the complex architecture of the B₁₂ molecule has fascinated chemists and biochemists since its discovery as the first natural organocobalt complex and the establishment of its structure by X-ray analysis. The organic ligand surrounding the cobalt displays many stereogenic centers along its periphery carrying reactive functional groups. This complexity led vitamin B₁₂ to be rightly regarded as an extreme challenge to the synthetic chemist. Yet microorganisms achieve this synthesis in vivo with complete control of regio- and stereochemistry. How do they do it? This review tells the full remarkable story. Success in unraveling this biosynthetic puzzle resulted from a collaborative effort by biologists and chemists using the full range of methods available from their disciplines–from genetics at one end of the spectrum to synthesis and NMR spectroscopy at the other. This work can act as a guide for future research on the biosynthesis of yet more complex natural substances.     

Methyl transfer from a hydrophobic vitamin B12 derivative to arsenic trioxide

The methylation reaction of arsenic trioxide conducted at 37 °C and pH 7.0 for 24 h using hydrophobic methylated vitamin B₁₂, (methyl) (aquo) heptamethylcobyrinate perchlorate, CH₃B₁₂ ester, as a methyl donor in the presence of reduced glutathione (GSH) yielded monomethylarsonous acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), and trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO) as products with a methylation rate over 95%. In contrast, when methylcobalamin (CH₃B₁₂) was used as the methyl donor, only MMA and DMA were produced and the methylation rate dropped to around 20%. Reductive demethylation of a methyl-corrinoid coordination complex mediated by GSH is suggested as a mechanism of methyl transfer to arsenic trioxide. The differences observed for different corrinoid coordination complexes with respect to the reactivity of methyl transfer to arsenic is ascribable to differences inherent in the base-on (CH₃B₁₂) and base-off (CH₃B₁₂ ester) natures of the compounds.     

The binary system composed of a bent-core compound forming a B7 phase and a nematogenic calamitic compound

The isobaric phase diagram for a binary system of liquid crystals is presented. One mixing component is a bent-core mesogen forming a B₇ phase and the other one is a nematogenic calamitic compound. The occurring mesophases have been identified by their optical textures as well as by X-ray investigations. The B₇ phase exists down to about 60 mol% of the bent-core compound A / 40 mol% of the calamitic compound B. Two additional mesophases are induced in the mixed phase region. At medium concentrations (around 50 mol%) an oblique columnar phase appears which shows a similar X-ray pattern to the B₇ phase but an utterly different nucleation on cooling the isotropic liquid and a completely dissimilar texture. At concentrations below 35 mol% A, a further phase is induced which possesses an irregularly modulated layer structure. This phase can be regarded as an intermediate state between the regularly modulated Col_r (B₁) phase and the intercalated B₆ phase. It transforms on cooling into the phase with a regularly modulated structure.     

Formation of p-carborane(12) from mo-carborane(12) via the cobalt complex [(o-C2B10H12)2CoIII]-

Oxidation of the cobalt complex obtained from o-C₂B₁₀H₁₂^2- and CoCl₂ in anhydrous tetrahydrofuran (THF) leads to a mixture of o-, p- and m-carborane(12) isomers whose ratio depends on the temperature (within the range 25–150°) and the length of heating. Similar mixtures of isomers have been obtained from the oxidation of p-C₂B₁₀H₁₂^2- and m-C₂B₁₀H₁₂^2- respectively and CoCl₂ in anhydrous THF.It is suggested that the presence of the cobalt atom in the complex reduces the activation energy required for the isomerization which is not observed with uncomplexed C₂B₁₀H₁₂^2- anions even at temperatures as high as 150°.A mechanism is proposed to explain the function of the cobalt atom in this process.     

Electronic structure and biological activity of chosen DDT-type insecticides studied by 35Cl-NQR

A correlation between the electronic structure and biological activity of chosen dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)-type insecticides: 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane, 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene, 2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethanoic acid and 4,4'-dichlorobenzophenone (used in agriculture) has been analysed on the basis of the (35)Cl-nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectroscopy. The (35)Cl-NQR resonance frequencies measured at 77 K have been correlated with the lethal dose (LD(50)) parameter that characterises the biological activity of these insecticides.