Synthesis of ‘difficult’ peptide sequences: application of a depsipeptide technique to the Jung-Redemann 10- and 26-mers and the amyloid peptide Aβ(1-42)

Recently a 26-mer peptide 1 incorporating Ser and Thr was described as a ‘difficult’ sequence that could not be synthesized by standard methods. If the first Ser residue was used to incorporate a depsipeptide unit, the resulting hybrid was readily assembled. The 26-mer ester was then converted to the native peptide by an O→N acyl shift. The technique may be general for other systems containing appropriate Ser and Thr units and was demonstrated here for the case of the amyloid peptide Aβ(1-42).     

9-(β-pyridylmethylene)-4-azafluorene synthesis of the Z- and E-isomers of its methiodides and reduction of the Z-isomer

The 9-(-pyridylmethylene)-4-azafluorene was obtained as the mixture of the Z- and E-isomers. Condensation of 4-azafluorene with methiodides of 3-formylpyridine afforded the methiodides of these isomers which were isolated in discrete form. Their configuration was established. It was established using the example of the reduction of the methiodide of the Z-isomer by sodium borohydride that the -pyridinium portion of this quaternary salt is completely reduced to the piperidyl.Russian University of the Friendship of Peoples, Moscow 117923. Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 9, pp. 1243–1246, September, 1998.     

Catalytic activity of the VIII Group metals in the hydrogenation and isomerization of α- and β-pinenes

The kinetic regularities of the liquid-phase hydrogenation and isomerization of α- and β-pinenes over the Pd/C, Ru/C, Rh/C, Pt/C, and Ir/C catalysts were studied at temperatures ranging from 20 to 100 °C and at hydrogen pressures of 1–11 bar using n-octane as the solvent. The hydrogenation and isomerization of α- and β-pinenes occur simultaneously on the Ru/C, Rh/C, Pt/C, and Ir/C catalysts, and the reaction mixture contains the products of double bond hydrogenation, viz., cis- and trans-pinanes. The Ru, Rh, and Pd metals have a higher catalytic activity in β-pinene isomerization than Ir and Pt. Among the VIII Group metals studied, the Pd-based catalyst has the highest catalytic activity in double bond isomerization of α- and β-pinenes. The general scheme of the mechanism of hydrogenation and isomerization of α- and β-pinenes on the Pd/C catalyst was proposed.     

7-β- and 10-β-Hydroxylated congeners of CAF-603; elucidation of absolute configuration of CAF-603 family,and their SAR studies in the anti-fungal activity

Novel 7-β- and 10-β-hydroxylated congeners of CAF-603 (4 and 5, respectively) were isolated from Trichoderma crassum. Relative configuration of 4 was determined by NOE experiments. Stereochemistry of 7-β-hydroxy group in 5 was established by a combination of vicinal ³J_H–H analyses and quantum chemical calculations. Absolute configurations of 4 and 5 were established by observing the Cotton effects of their bis(2-naphthoate) esters. T. crassum also produce known CAF-603 (1), 14-hydroxy and 8,9-β-epoxy derivatives (2 and 3, respectively). Present study first established the absolute configuration of CAF-603 family by taking their biosyntheses into account. Preliminary biological experiments revealed that the molecular target strictly recognizes the β-side of the cycloheptane ring.     

A spectrophotometric determination of the formation constants of the inclusion complexes ofα- andβ-cyclodextrins with the azonium and ammonium tautomers of methyl orange and methyl yellow

The color fading caused by the addition of-cyclodextrin or-cyclodextrin to an aqueous solution of a tautomeric mixture of methyl orange or methyl yellow is studied spectrophotometrically at pH 1.1 and 25.0°C. A model involving 1 : 1 stoichiometry has been used to analyze the spectrophotometric data. The addition of a cyclodextrin shifts the tautomeric mixture towards the side of the ammonium tautomer. An expression allowing the calculation of the tautomeric equilibrium constant of the inclusion complexes is derived. The formation constants of the inclusion complexes of the individual tautomers are determined. Both- and-cyclodextrins bind the ammonium tautomer stronger than the azonium tautomer. The inclusion complexes of-cyclodextrin are more stable than the corresponding ones of-cyclodextrin.     

Comparison of the Active Species in the RF and Microwave Flowing Discharges of N<Subscript>2</Subscript> and Ar–20 %N<Subscript>2</Subscript>

We report a detailed comparison between RF and microwave (HF) plasmas of N₂ and Ar–20 %N₂ as well as in the corresponding afterglows by comparing densities of active species at nearly the same discharge conditions of tube diameter (5–6 mm), gas pressure (6–8 Torr), flow rate (0.6–1.0 slm) and applied power (50–150 W). The analysis reveals an interesting difference between the two cases; the length of the RF plasma (~25 cm) is measured to be much longer than that of HF (6 cm). This ensures a much longer residence time (10^?2 s) of the active species in the N₂ RF plasma [compared to that (10^?3 s) of HF], providing a condition for an efficient vibrational excitation of N₂(X, v) by (V–V) climbing-up processes, making the RF plasma more vibrationally excited than the HF one. As a result of high V–V plasma excitation in RF, the densities of the vibrationally excited N₂(X, v > 13) molecules are higher in the RF afterglow than in the HF afterglow. Destruction of N₂(X, v) due to the tube wall is estimated to be very similar between the two system as can be inferred from the γ_v destruction probability of N₂(X, v > 3–13) on the tube wall (2–3 × 10^?3 for both cases) obtained from a comparison between the density of N₂(X, v > 3–9) in the plasmas to that of the N₂(X, v > 13) in the long afterglows. Interestingly enough, densities of N-atoms and N₂(A) metastable molecules in the afterglow regions, however, are measured to be very similar with each other. The measured lower density of N₂ ⁺ ions than expected in the HF afterglow is rationalized from a high oxygen impurity in our HF setup since N₂ ⁺ ions are very sensitive to oxygen impurity .     

Microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis and electrochemical studies of α- and h-MoO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Two modifications of molybdenum trioxide with orthorhombic (α-MoO₃) and hexagonal (h-MoO₃) crystal structure have been synthesized by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method, facilitated by formic acid. Characterization by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, specific surface analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared, Raman, and UV-Vis spectroscopy reveals phase-pure crystalline powder samples of hexagonal h-MoO₃ microrods and of α-MoO₃ nanobelt bundles, respectively. The electrochemical properties of the MoO₃ compounds, studied by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic cycling vs. Li/Li⁺, strongly depend on the structure and the applied potential range. In the range of 1.5–3.5 V, Li⁺-ions can be reversibly intercalated into the α-MoO₃ nanobelts. Utilizing the material in this way as intercalation cathode material yields an initial discharge capacity of 295 mA h g^?1 at 100 mA g^?1 and comparably moderate capacity fading of 25% between cycles 20 and 100. Extending the potential range to 0.01–3.0 V induces the conversion reaction to Mo, which for both modifications yields high initial capacities of around 1500 mA h g^?1 but is associated with much stronger capacity fading.     

Studies of the dissociation and the protonation of TB-chlorosulphophenol

The dissociation constant of each step for TB-chlorosulphophenol has been determined by potentiometric method, and the thermodynamic constants, △G°, △H° and △S°, of the dissociation process have been calculated. The protonation constants were measured by the spectrophotometric method. The pH values of various forms of anions of the chromogenic reagent at their concentrations were also calculated.     

Synthesis and study of the heat capacity of orthovanadate TbVO<Subscript>4</Subscript> in the range 5–859 K

The heat capacity of TbVO₄ has been measured by the adiabatic calorimetry (5–346 K) and differential scanning calorimetry (344–859 K) methods. The C_p = f(T) plot has an extreme point (32 K). The thermodynamic properties of the oxide compounds have been calculated from the experimental data. A general equation that describes the heat capacity of terbium orthovanadate as a function of temperature in the range 35–859 K has been derived.     

Experimental and the Theoretical Studies of the Dielectric Properties of DMSO–H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O Mixtures

This paper focuses on the measurement of the permittivity of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)–water (H₂O) mixture solutions, at 2.45 GHz by using a resonant cavity perturbation method. A specific phenomenon was found, in that the imaginary part of the permittivity for the mixture solution was larger than the imaginary part for each component. Theoretical calculation indicated that the reason for that phenomenon was that the high frequency friction of the mixture was larger than that of each component. When comparing the theoretical results with the experimental data, it was found that the classical Debye equation must be modified in order to calculate the complex permittivity.     

Crystal Structures of α- and β-SrCeCuS<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The crystal structure of SrCeCuS₃, a complex sulfide synthesized for the first time, has been solved using X-ray powder diffraction data. The crystals are orthorhombic, space group Pnma. SrCeCuS₃ has two polymorphs: the high-temperature phase of Ba₂MnS₃ structural type (a = 8.1393(3) Å, b = 4.0587(2) Å, c = 15.9661(2) Å) and the low-temperature phase isostructural to BaLaCuS₃ (a = 11.1626(2) Å, b = 4.0970(2) Å, c = 11.5307(1) Å). The incongruent melting temperature and enthalpy of SrCeCuS₃ are, respectively, 1486 ± 3 K and 13.4 ± 1.5 J/g.     

Review of the thermodynamic and transport properties of EuBr<Subscript>2</Subscript>–RbBr binary system

Differential Scanning Calorimetry was used to study phase equilibrium in EuBr₂–RbBr binary system. It was established that this system includes two eutectics and three stoichiometric compounds. First of them, Rb₂EuBr₄, decomposes peritectically at 778 K. Second one, RbEuBr₃, undergoes the solid–solid phase transition at 732 K and melts incongruently at 852 K. Third compound, RbEu₂Br₅, melts congruently at 888 K. The composition and temperature values of eutectics were determined as x(EuBr₂) = 0.316; T _eut = 776 K and x(EuBr₂) = 0.797; T _eut = 859 K. Mixing enthalpy was measured by direct calorimetry on the whole composition range. The minimum of the mixing enthalpy occurs around the composition x(EuBr₂) ≈ 0.4. The electrical conductivity of liquid mixtures was also investigated over the whole composition range and measured down to temperatures below solidification. The specific conductance (liquid phase) plotted against the mole fraction of EuBr₂ shows a broad minimum at x(EuBr₂) ~ 0.6. The activation energy for conductivity changes with temperature. Results obtained are discussed in terms of possible complex formation.     

Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-[(1,1-dimethyl-2-acetyl)ethyl]-β-dihydroxyethylamine and study of the kinetics of the Michael addition reaction of diacetone acrylamide with diethanolamine

A new crosslinker, N-[(1,1-dimethyl-2-acetyl)ethyl]-β-dihydroxyethylamine (DDP), which contains two hydroxyl groups and carbonyl, was successfully synthesized by Michael addition reaction between diacetone acrylamide (DAAM) and diethanolamine (DEA) in different solvents. This crosslinker could crosslink during film formation through a reaction between ketone and hydrazide. The structure of DDP was characterized by IR and NMR, and effects of solvents, temperature, and reaction time on the yield of DDP were determined. The reaction kinetics including the order of the reaction and apparent activation energy were also investigated. Under the experimental conditions chosen (temperature 90 °C, reaction time 12 h), the crosslinker was obtained in 75.28% yield. The reaction was a second-order reaction and the apparent activation energy was 91.0 kJ mol⁻¹. The reaction rate constants were 0.11 mol⁻¹ dm³ h⁻¹ at 90 °C and 0.03 mol⁻¹ dm³ h⁻¹ at 75 °C.     

A general method for the synthesis of oligosaccharides consisting of α-(1→2)- and α-(1→3)-linked rhamnan backbones and GlcNAc side chains

A general method has been developed for the synthesis of oligosaccharides consisting of (1→2)- and (1→3)-linked rhamnans with GlcNAc side chains. As examples, highly effective and convergent syntheses of two decasaccharides in the O polysaccharide moiety of the lipopolysaccharide of the phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. ribicola NCPPB 1010 were achieved. The two decasaccharides consist of O polysaccharide repeating units I+II and II+I, respectively. Allyl 3-O-acetyl-4-O-benzoyl-α-l-rhamnopyranoside, allyl 2-O-benzoyl-3-O-chloroacetyl-α-l-rhamnopyranoside, 2,4-di-O-benzoyl-3-O-chloroacetyl-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate, and 3-O-acetyl-2,4-di-O-benzoyl-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate, which were obtained by highly regioselective 3-O-acylations, were used as the key synthons to obtain the required α-(1→2)- and α-(1→3)-linked rhamnoocta saccharide acceptors with 3³- and 3⁷-free hydroxyl groups. Therefore, several disaccharides were synthesized, from which tetrasaccharides and hexasaccharides were then synthesized. Coupling of the hexasaccharide donors with the disaccharide acceptors gave the octasaccharide acceptors. Finally, the coupling of 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-2-phthalimido-β-d-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate with the octasaccharide acceptors, followed by deprotection, afforded the two target decasaccharides. A repeating hexasaccharide unit of the cell wall polysaccharide of β-hemolytic Streptococci Group A was also synthesized in a similar way.     

Study of the effect of methods for liquid-phase synthesis of nanopowders on the structure and physicochemical properties of ceramics in the CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript>–Y<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> system

Two alternative chemical synthesis methods—cryotechnological coprecipitation of hydroxides and cocrystallization of salts—were used for preparing (CeO₂)_1–x (Y₂O₃) _x nanopowders (x = 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) with a mean coherent scattering domain size of ~7–11 nm and S _sp = 2.1–97.5 m²/g. From these nanopowders, ceramic nanomaterials with mean coherent scattering domain sizes of ~61–85 nm were synthesized. It was studied how the phase composition, microstructure, and electrical transport properties of the produced samples depend on the Y₂O₃ content of a CeO₂-based solid solution and on the synthesis method. It was shown that, in the series (CeO₂)_1–x (Y₂O₃) _x (x = 0.10, 0.15, 0.20), the solid solution (CeO₂)_0.90(Y₂O₃)_0.10 has the highest ionic conductivity with the ion transport number t _i = 0.73 (600°C). In its physicochemical characteristics, this ceramic can be used as a solid electrolyte of intermediate-temperature fuel cells.     

Theoretical evaluation of the radiative lifetimes of LiCs and NaCs in the A<Superscript>1</Superscript>Σ<Superscript>+</Superscript> state

Calculations of the adiabatic potential energy curves and the transition dipole moments between the ground (A¹Σ⁺) and the first excited (A¹Σ⁺) states have been determined for the LiCs and NaCs molecules. The calculations are performed using an ab initio approach based on non-empirical pseudopotentials for Cs⁺, Li⁺ and Na⁺ cores, parameterized l-dependent polarization potentials and full configuration interaction calculations. The potential energy curves and the transition dipole moment are used to estimate the radiative lifetimes of the vibrational levels of the A⁺Σ⁺ state using the Franck–Condon (FC) approximation and the approximate sum rule method. The radiative lifetimes associated with the A⁺Σ⁺ state are presented here for the first time. These data can help experimentalists to optimize photoassociative formation of ultracold molecules and their longevity in a trap or in an optical lattice.     

Catalytic properties of α-U3O8 in dehydrogenation and dehydration; the energies of the bonds of carbon,hydrogen, and oxygen with the catalyst

Russian Chemical Bulletin -     

Orbital phase control of the conformations of α- and β-substituted enamines and vinyl ethers

The conformational stabilities of the α- and β-substituted enamines and vinyl ethers were predicted by orbital phase theory and confirmed by ab initio molecular orbital calculations. Cyclic interaction significantly occurs among the nonbonding orbital n _Y for the lone pair on the hetero atom Y (N in the enamines or O in the ethers), the π and π* orbitals of the CC bond, and the σ_C-H or σ*_C-X orbitals on the substituent CH₂X. The cyclic -n _Y-π-σ_C-H-π*- interaction is favored by the orbital phase continuity in the α-substituted molecules, while the cyclic -n _Y-π-σ*_C-X-π*- interaction is favored in the β-substituted molecules. The most stable conformation was then predicted to be synperiplanar or (pseudo)equatorial in the α-substituted molecules and anticlinical or (pseudo)axial in the β-substituted molecules. Received: 8 May 1998 / Accepted: 30 July 1998 / Published online: 16 November 1998     

Effect of the sequence of chemical transformations on the spatial segregation of components and formation of periclase-spinel nanopowders in the MgO–Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>–H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O System

Specific features of the process in which oxide nanopowders are formed in a hydrothermal treatment of coprecipitated magnesium and iron oxides were studied. It was shown that the rate at which oxide nanoparticles are formed increases when reagents structurally close to the final product are used. It was found that, with the hydrothermal treatment of coprecipitated magnesium and iron hydroxides at 450°C combined with the subsequent thermal treatment in air at temperatures of 400–600°C, it is possible to obtain a homogeneous mixture of nanocrystalline powders based on an iron-containing spinel phase and magnesium oxide.