Structure of 18-cyanoprogesterone,C22H29O2N

The crystal structure of 18-cyanoprogesterone was determined by X-ray diffraction methods:P2₁2₁2₁ a=7.436(2),b=11.322(2),c=22.642(2) Å. The structure was solved usingShelx-86. Final conventionalR=0.054.R _w =0.051 for 1841 reflections. TheA ring has an intermediate sofa-half-chair conformation with asymmetry parameters C _s ^/1 =11.0, C ₂ ^3,4 =14.9. The steroid skeleton exhibits a flattening of theA ring relative to the rest of the molecule. The progesterone side chain has a typical conformation, and the C16-C17-C20-O20 torsion angle is –19.0(6)°.     

Influence of the pyridine methyl substituent position on the chemical changes of the NCS groups in the thermal decomposition of coordination compounds of the type Cu(NCS)2L2

The influence of the position of the CH₃ group in picoline and lutidine ligands on the degree of chemical change of the NCS groups in coordination compounds of the type Cu(NCS)₂L₂ (whereL=2-, 3- and 4-picoline, and 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5-, 2,6-, 3,4- and 3,5-lutidine) is dealt with. The most marked effect of the CH₃ group is found to be exerted in position 4. This effect of the methyl group on the degree of chemical change points to the mutual influence of the ligands in coordination compounds of Cu(II).

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Zusammenfassung Der Artikel befaßt sich mit dem Einfluß der Lage der CH₃ Gruppe in Pikolinen und Lutidinen als Liganden auf den Grad der chemischen Änderungen der Gruppen NSC in Koordinationsverbindungen des Typs Cu(NCS)₂L₂ (L=2-, 3- und 4-Pikoline, 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5-, 2,6-, 3,4- und 3,5-Lutidine). Der ausgeprägteste Effekt der CH₃ Gruppe wurde in der Position 4 beobachtet. Dieser Einfluß der Methylgruppe auf das Ausmaß der chemischen Änderungen deutet auch auf die gegenseitige Wirkung der Liganden in Koordinationsverbindungen von Cu(II).

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Résumé L'article a trait à l'influence de la position du groupe CH₂ dans les picolines et lutidines, en tant que ligands, sur le degré des changements chimiques des groupes SCN dans les composés de coordination du type Cu(SCN)₂L₂ (L=2-, 3 et 4-picoline, 2,3-, 2,4-,2,5-, 2,6-, 3,4- et 3,6-lutidine). L'effet le plus prononcé du groupe CH₃ s'observe en position 4. Cette influence du groupe méthyle sur le degré des changements chimiques indique aussi l'influence mutuelle des ligands dans les composés de coordination du Cu(II).

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- , , NCS Cu(NCS)₂,L₂, L=2-, 3- 4- , 2.3-, 2.4-, 2.5-, 2.6-, 3.4- 3.5-. , 4. Cu(II).

     

Studium des gegenseitigen Einflusses der Bindungen in Thiocyanat-Kupfer(II)-Komplexen mit Methyl- und Dimethylpyridinen mittels Infrarotspektroskopie

The infrared spectra of thiocyanato-copper(II) complexes of the type Cu(NCS)₂ L ₂ with all isomeric picolines and lutidines (L) as well as those of the type Cu(NCS)₂ L ₃ withL=3- and 4-picoline, 3,4- and 3,5-lutidine were measured. The behaviour of the (CN) stretching vibrations of the Cu(NCS)₂ L ₂ complexes led to conclusions on the different kind of coordination of the NCS groups in dependence on the ligandL. The mutually conditioned strength of the Cu–NCS and Cu–N(L) bonds in the equatorial plane, especially in the presence of ligandsL with the steric effect, was determined from the frequency shift of the Cu–NCS and Cu–N(L) stretching vibrations with regard to the vibrations for Cu(NCS)₂(pyridine)₂.

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Mit 1 Abbildung     

Ligandenfeldspektren einiger Cyanato-Kupfer(II)-Komplexe des Typs Cu(NCO)2 L 2 mit Liganden aus der Chinolin- und Isochinolingruppe Cyanato-Kupfer(II)-Komplexe mit organischen Liganden, 7. Mitt.

Zusammenfassung Die Ligandenfeldspektren der Komplexe des Typs Cu(NCO)₂ L ₂ (L=Ligand der Chinolin- bzw. Isochinolingruppe) im festen Zustand wurden aufgenommen. Das Spektrum des Komplexes Cu(NCO)₂(Chin)₂ weist eine einzige Bande auf und deutet auf eine pseudooktaedrische Struktur. Die Spektren der übrigen Komplexe enthalten hingegen neben den Hauptbanden auch Schultern bzw. ist die anwesende Bande zusammengesetzt, so daß diese Spektren mit einer planaren Struktur im Einklang sind. Die annähernden Werte für den Parameter 10Dq wurden berechnet; sie liegen im Bereich von 7,1 bis 7,8 kK.

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Ligand field spectra of some cyanato-copper(II) complexes with ligands from the quinoline- and isoquinoline group

The ligand field spectra of complexes of the type Cu(NCO)₂ L ₂ (L=ligand from the quinoline or isoquinoline group) in the solid state were recorded. Only the spectrum of Cu(NCO)₂(Quin)₂ exhibits a single band and indicates a pseudooctahedral structure, while the spectra of the remaining complexes also contain shoulders in addition to the main band, or this band is composite, thus being in accordance with a planar structure. The approximate values of the parameter 10Dq were calculated and found to be in the range of 7.1 to 7.8 kK.

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Mit 1 Abbildung

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6. Mitt.:M. Quastlerová-Hvastijová, J. Kohout undJ. Gao, Z. anorg. allgem. Chem., im Druck.     

Chiral induction in self-assembled helicates: CHIRAGEN type ligands with ferrocene bridging units

The aim of this work was the preparation of enantiomerically pure bis(pinene-bipyridine) ligands containing the ferrocenyl moiety. Several such ligands (1-3) were synthesized and completely characterized. These molecules can be diastereoselectively deprotonated at the acidic methylene group of the pinene moiety using a strong and sterically hindered base such as LDA. Subsequent reaction of the formed anion with alkyl halides yield the family of C(2)-symmetric enantiopure compounds (1a-c). Copper(I), silver(I), or zinc(II) complexes with several ligands (C1-C8) were prepared and structurally characterized in the solid state and in solution. Self-assembled helical species are formed in several cases. It became evident that the chiral groups present in the ligand do not completely determined the helical configuration of the assemblages. Diastereoselectivity is thus not complete with this type of ligands, contrary to other, similar ligands studied before.     

Semiautomatic and automatic catalytic amperometric and catalytic constant-current potentiometric titrations of gold(III)

Semiautomatic and automatic amperometry and constant-current potentiometry were used to follow the course of catalytic titration of gold(III) with potassium iodide. The Ce(IV)-As(III) system in the presence of sulfuric acid was used as the indicator reaction. The possibilities of the application of two types of graphite electrodes were investigated. The effect of concentration of the indicator reaction components, and the presence of organic solvents and acids on the shape of the catalytic titration curves was studied. Amounts of 80–900 μg of gold(III) were determined with a relative standard deviation less than 1.1%. The results obtained are in good agreement with those of comparable methods.     

Determination of zinc by flow injection with fluorimetric detection in a micellar medium

A room-temperature flow injection spectrofluorimetric method is presented for the determination of Zn(II), based on the use of salicylaldehyde thiocarbohydrazone in the presence of Triton X-100 and sodium acetate-acetic acid buffer. Various physical and chemical variables affecting the reaction in the flow system were evaluated. The proposed method is very selective. The calibration graph is linear over the range 10-1000 ng/ml, with a detection limit of 5 ng/ml and a relative standard deviation at the 50 ng/ml level of 1.8 %. The method was successfully applied to the determination of Zn(II) in drinking waters and biological samples.     

Characterization of the structure of human skin substitutes by infrared microspectroscopy

The skin acts mainly as a protective barrier from the external environment, thanks to the stratum corneum which is the outermost layer of the skin. As in vitro tests on skin are essential to elaborate new drugs, the development of skin models closer to reality becomes essential. It is now possible to produce in vitro human skin substitutes through tissue engineering by using the self-assembly method developed by the Laboratoire d’Organogénèse Expérimentale. In the present work, infrared microspectroscopy imaging analyses were performed to get in-depth morpho-spectral characterization of the three characteristic layers of human skin substitutes and normal human skin, namely the stratum corneum, living epidermis, and dermis. An infrared spectral analysis of the skin is a powerful tool to gain information on the order and conformation of the lipid chains and the secondary structure of proteins. On one hand, the symmetric stretching mode of the lipid methylene groups (2,850 cm^?1) is sensitive to the acyl chain conformational order. The evolution profile of the frequency of this vibrational mode throughout the epidermis suggests that lipids in the stratum corneum are more ordered than those in the living epidermis. On the other hand, the frequencies of the infrared components underneath the envelop of the amide I band provide information about the overall protein conformation. The analysis of this mode establishes that the proteins essentially adopt an α-helix conformation in the epidermis, probably associated with the presence of keratin, while modifications of the protein content are observed in the dermis (extracellular matrix made of collagen). Finally, the lipid organization, as well as the protein composition in the different layers, is similar for human skin substitutes and normal human skin, confirming that the substitutes reproduce essential features of real skin and are appropriate biomimetics.     

Primordial <Superscript>4</Superscript>He Abundance Constrains the Possible Time Variation of the Higgs Vacuum Expectation Value

We constrain the possible time variation of the Higgs vacuum expectation value (v) by recent results on the primordial ⁴He abundance (Y _P ). For that, we use an analytic approach which enables us to take important issues into consideration, that have been ignored by previous works, like the v-dependence of the relevant cross sections of deuterium production and photodisintegration, including the full Klein–Nishina cross section. Furthermore, we take a non-equilibrium Ansatz for the freeze-out concentration of neutrons and protons and incorporate the latest results on the neutron decay. Finally, we approximate the key-parameters of the primordial ⁴He production (the mean lifetime of the free neutron and the binding energy of the deuteron) by terms of (where v ₀ denotes the present theoretical estimate). Eventually, we derive the relation and the most stringent limit on a possible time variation of v is given by: .     

Unified description of nonclassical uniaxial ferroelectric materials in order–disorder phase transitions

An equation of state accounting for coupling of the primary order parameter (here the polarization) with a secondary order parameter (here a strain ?) is used to describe the temperature dependences of the spontaneous polarization and of the electric susceptibility on external biasing field. A new scaling invariant and its explicit expression are given. The theory is exemplified by the effective critical behavior of the molecular ferroelectric crystals (CH₃NH₃)₅Bi₂Cl₁₁ (MAPCB) and (CH₃NH₃)₅Bi₂Br₁₁ (MAPBB).