A practical procedure for the synthesis of esonarimod, (R,S)-2-acetylthiomethyl-4-(4-methylphenyl)-4-oxobutanoic acid,an antirheumatic agent (part 1)

An efficient and practical procedure for the synthesis of esonarimod, (R,S)-2-acetylthiomethyl-4-(4-methylphenyl)-4-oxobutanoic acid (1), a new antirheumatic drug, has been developed. The intermediate, 2-methylene-4-(4-methylphenyl)-4-oxobutanoic acid (2), was prepared by Friedel-Crafts acylation of toluene with itaconic anhydride (3) in the presence of aluminum trichloride and nitrobenzene in 63% yield without silica gel column purification. Compound 1 was prepared by Michael addition of 2 with thioacetic acid (4) in 74% yield. Overall, 1 was obtained in 47% yield from 3. The structures and synthetic mechanisms of by-products (five compounds) of 2 were also clarified.     

The dependence of cyclopolymerizability of acrylic and methacrylic anhydrides on various conditions: New interpretation of temperature dependency of cyclization constant in radical cyclopolymerization of nonconjugated dienes

The cyclization constant K_c in the radical cyclopolymerization of acrylic and methacrylic anhydrides was evaluated in detail under various conditions. No linear relationship between in K_c and 1/T was observed; cyclization was acceleratively enhanced at elevated temperatures. The K_c values also increased with decreased monomer concentration and increased solvent polarity. These increasing dependencies of K_c are ascribed to the increased significance of depropagation, demonstrating a new interpretation of the temperature dependence of the cyclization constant in the radical cyclopolymerization of nonconjugated dienes.     

Effect of HF addition on the microwave-assisted acid-digestion for the determination of metals in coal by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry

The microwave-assisted acid-digestion for the determination of metals in coal by ICP-AES was investigated, especially focusing on the necessity of adding HF. By testing five certified reference materials, BCR-180, BCR-040, NIST-1632b, NIST-1632c, and SARM-20, it was found that the two-stage digestion without HF (HNO₃ + H₂O₂ was used) was very effective for the pretreatment of ICP-AES measurement. Both major metals (Al, Ca, Fe, and Mg) and minor or trace metals (Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in coal gave good recoveries for their certified or reference values. The possibility of ‘HF-memory effect’ was cancelled by the use of a set of vessels which had been never contacted with HF. Twenty-four Japanese standard coals (SS coals) were analyzed by the present method, and the concentrations of major metals measured by the present method provided very high accordance with those from the authentic JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) method.     

Synthetic studies of proanthocyanidins. Part 3: Stereoselective 3,4-cis catechin and catechin condensation by TMSOTf-catalyzed intramolecular coupling method

TMSOTf-catalyzed intramolecular condensation for catechin and epicatechin units are described. A potential electrophile and a nucleophile were connected with diester linkers and TMSOTf-catalyzed condensation was examined. In comparison with intermolecular catechin and catechin condensation, the intramolecular condensation required high reaction temperature and reversed 3,4-cis product was obtained. The condensed product was transformed into the natural 3,4-cis (+)-catechin-(4β→8)-(+)-catechin dimer.     

Solvation effects in near-critical binary mixtures

A Ginzburg-Landau theory is presented to investigate solvation effects in near-critical polar fluid binary mixtures. Concentration dependence of the dielectric constant gives rise to a shell region around a charged particle within which solvation occurs preferentially. As the critical point is approached, the concentration has a long-range Ornstein-Zernike tail representing strong critical electrostriction. If salt is added, strong coupling arises among the critical fluctuations and the ions. The structure factors of the critical fluctuations and the charge density are calculated and the phase transition behavior is discussed.     

Mechanism of gold adsorption by persimmon tannin gel.

Gold adsorption by persimmon tannin (PT) gel from a solution containing hydrogen tetrachloroaurate(III) was examined. A flow-rate examination in a column system indicated the reduction of Au(III) ion to Au(0). XRD patterns clarified the existence of Au(0) on the gel which adsorbed gold. The gel could also adsorb colloidal Au(0) prepared independently. A model consisting of ligand exchange, Au(III) reduction to Au(0), and resulting Au(0) adsorption by PT gel was presented for the gold adsorption mechanism.     

A novel boron-rich quaternary scandium borocarbosilicide Sc3.67−xB41.4−y−zC0.67+zSi0.33−w

A novel quaternary scandium borocarbosilicide Sc_3.67−xB_41.4−y−zC_0.67+zSi_0.33−w was found. Single crystallites were obtained as an intergrowth phase in the float-zoned single crystal of Sc_0.83−xB_10.0−yC_0.17+ySi_0.083−z that has a face-centered cubic crystal structure. Single crystal structure analysis revealed that the compound has a hexagonal structure with lattice constants a = b = 1.43055(8) nm and c = 2.37477(13) nm and space group (No. 187). The crystal composition calculated from the structure analysis for the crystal with x = 0.52, y = 1.42, z = 1.17, and w = 0.02 was ScB_12.3C_0.58Si_0.10 and that agreed rather well with the composition of ScB_11.5C_0.61Si_0.04 measured by EPMA. In the crystal structure that is a new structure type of boron-rich borides, there are 79 structurally independent atomic sites, 69 boron and/or carbon sites, two silicon sites and eight scandium sites. Boron and carbon form seven structurally independent B₁₂ icosahedra, one B₉ polyhedron, one B₁₀ polyhedron, one irregularly shaped B₁₆ polyhedron in which only 10.7 boron atoms are available because of partial occupancies and 10 bridging sites. All polyhedron units and bridging site atoms interconnect each other forming a three-dimensional boron framework structure. Sc atoms reside in the open spaces in the boron framework structure.     

Factors affecting physicochemical properties of liposomes prepared with hydrogenated purified egg yolk lecithins by the microencapsulation vesicle method

We examined hydrogenated purified egg yolk lecithins, having practical advantages over non-hydrogenated ones, as liposomal membrane materials. Liposomes were prepared by the microencapsulation vesicle (MCV) method in which liposomes are formed through two-step emulsification and dispersion. Three types of purified egg yolk lecithins with different iodine values were examined after being dissolved in one of three lipid solvents. The liposome size increased as the temperature during the second emulsification increased, being closer to the boiling temperature of the solvent. The preparation temperature in relation to the transition temperature of each lecithin was also a factor affecting liposome sizes. As for the encapsulation efficiencies of the model compound calcein in liposomes, they differed mainly depending on the solubility of each lecithin in a lipid solvent and it was more obvious in hydrogenated lecithins. A high preparation temperature resulted in lower encapsulation efficiencies, suggesting that leakage of encapsulated calcein was facilitated at high temperature in the MCV methods. There was a significant correlation between liposome sizes and encapsulation efficiencies in non-hydrogenated purified egg yolk lecithin but not in hydrogenated ones. When using hydrogenated purified egg yolk lecithins as liposomal membrane materials, it was suggested that a lipid solvent should be chosen so that a lecithin completely dissolves under the preparation condition in order to achieve a higher encapsulation efficiency. Smaller liposome particles were obtained when the second emulsification was performed at a lower temperature compared with the boiling point of the lipid solvent. These findings can be applied to control encapsulation efficiencies and particle sizes in each particular liposome preparation enclosing therapeutic agents.     

Pre-irradiation induced grafting of styrene into crosslinked and non-crosslinked polytetrafluoroethylene films for polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications. II: Characterization of the styrene grafted films

Crosslinked and non-crosslinked polytetrafluoroethylene films (RX-PTFE and V-PTFE films, respectively) were irradiated by γ-ray and then grafted with styrene in liquid phase. Microscope FT-IR spectroscopy, TGA, solid state ¹³C CP/MAS and high resolution HS/MAS NMR spectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) study were used to get the structural information of the styrene grafted RX-PTFE and V-PTFE films. From microscope FT-IR spectra of the grafted RX-PTFE films, the “grafting front mechanism” was proved. TGA analysis showed that the grafted films have a small degradation step and two main degradation steps. In the ¹³C CP/MAS NMR spectra of the non-grafted films, there are no signal due to the absence of the hydrogen atom. While in the spectra of the grafted films, there are signals attributed to the polystyrene grafts. In the ¹³C HS/MAS NMR spectra of the grafted films, the relative intensity of the peaks attributed to the polystyrene grafts increased while the relative intensity of the peak attributed to PTFE matrix decreased with the increase in the DOG. From WAXD patterns, the intensity of the crystalline peak decrease with the increase in the DOG. The grafted films were sulfonated by chlorosulfonic acid and the results of highest IEC value exceeded 3.0. Those results will be reported in the near future.     

Studies on furan derivatives. XII. Nucleophilic substitution of methyl 5-nitro-2-furancarboxylate. Preparation of methyl 5-phenoxy-2-furancarboxylates

Twenty one methyl 5-phenoxy-2-furancarboxylates prepared from the reaction of methyl 5-nitro-2-furan-carboxylate with phenoxides via displacement of the nitro group. In the reaction of potassium 2-nitrophen-oxide with methyl 5-nitro-2-furancarboxylate at 110°-120°, 2,2′-dinitrodiphenyl ether was obtained as a main product.