Preparative Separation and Analysis of Complex Mixtures of Leucomycins and Desmycarosyl Leucomycins Using HPLC and Mass Spectrometry

Composition and hydrolysis products of a biotechnical available complex of macrolides were analyzed by HPLC and ESI-CID-MSⁿ. Major components are leucomycin-type antibiotics (leucomycins A₁ (5), A₇ (3), A₉ (2), 9-desoxy-9-oxo-turimycin H₃ (4) and niddamycin B (6). Hydrolysis of the complex mixture yielded 9-, 13-isoforocidins (7, 8, 9, 11) and 9-oxo-forocidin (10). A preparative separation procedure was elaborated furnishing compounds 3 - 11 for semisynthetic experiments.Prof. Dr. Udo Gräfe deceased on 14.2.2003. For obituarity see: Schlegel B (2003) J Peptide Sci 9: 661–661.     

Diphosphacarbollide analogues of the C5H5- anion: isolation of the nido-di- and triphosphacarboranes 7,8,9-P2CB8H10, [7,8,9-P2CB8H9]-, [7,8,10-P2CB8H9]-, and 7,8,9,10-P3CB7H8

Treatment of a solution of excess PCl(3) and PS (PS = "proton sponge" = 1,8-dimethylamino naphthalene) with arachno-4-CB(8)H(14) (1) in CH(2)Cl(2), followed by hydrolysis of the reaction mixture, resulted in the isolation of the eleven-vertex diphosphacarbaborane nido-7,8,9-P(2)CB(8)H(10) (2) (yield 34%) as the main product. Other products isolated from this reaction were the phosphacarboranes nido-7,8,9,10-P(3)CB(7)H(8) (3) (yield 5%) and closo-2,1-PCB(8)H(9) (4) (yield 15%). Compound 2 can be deprotonated by PS in CH(2)Cl(2) or NaH in diethyl ether to give the [nido-7,8,9-P(2)CB(8)H(9)](-) (2(-)()) anion, which gives back the original compound, 2, upon re-protonation. Thermal rearrangement of anion 2(-) (Na(+) salt) at 350 degrees C for 2 h produced the isomeric [nido-7,8,10-P(2)CB(8)H(9)](-) (5(-)()) anion, which was isolated as a PPh(4)(+) salt (yield 86%). Multinuclear ((1)H, (11)B, (31)P, and (13)C), two-dimensional [(11)B-(11)B] COSY, (1)H{(11)B(selective)}, (1)H{(31)P(selective)}, and gradient-enhanced ([(1)H-(13)C] HSQC) magnetic resonance measurements led to complete assignments of all resonances which are in excellent agreement with the structures proposed. Coupling constants, (1)J((31)P,(13)C), (2)J((31)P,C,(1)H), and (1)J((31)P,(31)P), were calculated using the DFT method B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p). The molecular geometries of all compounds were optimized ab initio at a correlated level of theory (RMP2(fc)) using the 6-31G basis set, and their correctness was assessed by comparison of the experimental (11)B and (13)C chemical shifts with those calculated by the GIAO-SCF/II//RMP2(fc)/6-31G method. The computations also include the structures and chemical shieldings of the still unknown isomers [nido-7,10,8-P(2)CB(8)H(9)](-) (6(-)) and [nido-7,9,8-P(2)CB(8)H(9)](-) (7(-)).     

Laser properties of coactivated YAP: Nd free of colour centres

YAP:Nd, Cr grown under Ar-H₂ or Ar-He-H₂ atmosphere possesses good energy transfer from Cr³⁺ to Nd³⁺ but suffers from the colour centre formation. The centre formation was completely prevented using further admixture of Ce³⁺ and 10^–4–10^–3 wt. % Fe. Small luminescence quenching of Cr³⁺ or Nd³⁺ due to iron ions is negligible in the presence of Ce³⁺. The crystals may be also heavily doped with Nd³⁺ because the increased pumping efficiency compensates the shortening of the luminescence lifetime. YAP: Nd, Ce, Cr, Fe is advisible active laser material particularly for all the types of pulsed lasers.     

Ultrafast relaxation dynamics of electronic excitations in noble-metal clusters

We investigate non-equilibrium relaxation processes in optically excited large gold and silver clusters. Time-resolved pump-probe experiments and model calculations show that optical excitation of the clusters by femtosecond laser pulses results in a heating of the electron system, which is followed by electron cooling via phonon emission. The electron heating leads to an enhanced damping of the surface-plasmon resonance in the clusters. This enhanced damping is caused by an enhancement of the Landau damping and electron scattering rates at high electron temperatures. Furthermore, we find that the rate of electron cooling in the clusters changes with electron temperature; this is a consequence of the temperature-dependent specific heat of the conduction electrons. Finally, pump-probe experiments on ellipsoidal silver clusters show that the thermal expansion of the heated clusters triggers mechanical vibrations at the acoustic eigenfrequencies of the clusters. Received: 6 December 1999 / Published online: 7 August 2000     

Yttrium aluminate crystals for slabs

The methods of growing YAG:Nd crystals with a flat interface and YAP:Nd crystals with a sharp conical interface are described. The form of the interface was controlled by the He and H₂O content in the reducing atmosphere composed mainly of Ar and H₂ as well as by axial temperature gradient above the melt level. The crystals of 120–180 mm in length were machined to the high-quality slabs.     

Excited-state absorption and energy output of laser ruby

The laser performance, luminescence intensity and absorption in excited state of rubies annealed in reducing or oxidizing atmosphere is given. Rubies doped with Mg, Ti or Fe were compared to those containing Cr only. The decrease of energy output is caused by the non-radiative transitions from the excited states to the ground⁴A₂ state. O^– centre developed by the presence of the large ions facilitate the transitions from the upper excited states only, whereas Fe and to a less extent Ti ions make the non-radiative transition from the metastable²E level to the⁴A₂ level possible. Ti³⁺ ions filter also the UV content of the flashlight and prevent the transition from the²E to the higher states.     

Brown colour of ruby

The defects characteristic of brown pure ruby crystals coloured by specific growth conditions, annealing and irradiation are described. The comparsion of UV- and X-rayed crystals is given. Brown or yellow colour is attributed to the O⁻ centre which is formed by the electron transfer from O²⁻.     

Formation of two isomeric closo-[(eta5-C5H5)FePC2B8H10] phosphadicarbaborane analogues of ferrocene via isolable eta1-bonded complexes of the [7-[(eta5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2]-(eta1-nido-PC2B8H10)] type

The reaction of nido-[7,8,9-PC(2)B(8)H(11)] (1) with [[CpFe(CO)(2)](2)] (Cp=eta(5)-C(5)H(5) (-)) in benzene (reflux, 3 days) gave an eta(1)-bonded complex [7-Fp-(eta(1)-nido-7,8,9,-PC(2)B(8)H(10))] (2; Fp=CpFe(CO)(2); yield 38 %). A similar reaction at elevated temperatures (xylene, reflux 24 h) gave the isomeric complex [7-Fp-(eta(1)-nido-7,9,10-PC(2)B(8)H(10))] (3; yield 28 %) together with the fully sandwiched complexes [1-Cp-closo-1,2,4,5-FePC(2)B(8)H(10)] 4 a (yield 30%) and [1-Cp-closo-1,2,4,8-FePC(2)B(8)H(10)] 4 b (yield 5%). Compounds 2 and 3 are isolable intermediates along the full eta(5)-complexation pathway of the phosphadicarbaborane cage; their heating (xylene, reflux, 24 h) leads finally to the isolation of compounds 4 a (yields 46 and 52%, respectively) and 4 b (yields 4 and 5%, respectively). Moreover, compound 3 is isolated as a side product from the heating of 2 (yield 10%). The structure of compound 4 a was determined by an X-ray structural analysis and the constitution of all compounds is consistent with the results of mass spectrometry and IR spectroscopy. Multinuclear ((1)H, (11)B, (31)P, and (13)C), two-dimensional [(11)B-(11)B]-COSY, and (1)H[(11)B(selective)] magnetic resonance measurements led to complete assignments of all resonances and are in excellent agreement with the structures proposed.     

Alginate Properties and Heavy Metal Biosorption by Marine Algae

The physical properties of the alginate component in four different brown seaweeds (Sargassumfluitans, Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus vesiculo-sus, andLaminaria japonica) were characterized using potentiometric titration,¹³C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), chemical analysis, and viscosity measurements. The heavy metal binding capacities of the corresponding seaweeds were directly proportional to their respective total carboxyl group content, and related to the electronegativity of the elements investigated (Ca, Zn, Cd, Cu, and Pb). The uronic acid composition or sequence of the alginate component did not affect the metal uptake properties of the biosorbents studied here. However, the alginate leaching owing to its solubilization by Na ions was observed to decrease with increasing intrinsic viscosity of the extracted alginate, related to its molecular weight, and with increasing apparent acidic dissociation constant, related to the alginate density inside the biomass.