Studies of the atom-dimer polarization transfer

The polarization transfer between optically pumped alkali atoms and alkali molecules is studied, using the model introduced in a previous paper (Z. Physik A273, 9(1975)). It is shown that the atom-molecule-exchange reactionX+X ₂→X ₂+X is responsible for the nulear spin polarization observed in the alkali molecules, and that the recombination of the alkali atoms does not contribute to this polarization transfer.     

Analysis of green copper pigments in illuminated manuscripts by micro-Raman spectroscopy

In the majority of the literature describing green coloured materials used on ancient painting layers (15th or 16th century), two copper greens are mainly cited: malachite [CuCOr3 x Cu(OH)2] and verdigris [Cu(CH3COO)2 x [Cu(OH)2]3 x 2H2O]. It is shown, by micro-Raman spectroscopy, that the artists were actually employing more than these two copper greens, in particular various copper sulfates, among which the most common pigment found is posnjakite [CuSO4 x 3Cu(OH)2 x H2O]. In contrast to the PIXE (particle induced X-ray emission) technique, Raman spectroscopy is a technique of choice, able to distinguish not only a copper sulfate from a carbonate or acetate but also the different sulfates themselves; in this respect, we found that the high wavenumber region (2800-4000 cm(-1)), characteristic of H2O vibrations, is of particular interest. It is also shown that numerous green areas were created with mixtures of a copper sulfate mixed with other pigments, for instance to enhance the colour depth. Finally, in some cases, no green pigment is actually employed but the colour is obtained by intimately mixing yellow and blue pigments. All these results led to a new look at the pigments which were in use on the palettes of the ancient artists.     

Design of organic semiconductors: tuning the electronic properties of pi-conjugated oligothiophenes with the 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) building block

Hybrid oligothiophenes based on a various combinations of thiophene and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) groups have been synthesized. UV/Vis absorption spectra show that the number and relative positions of the EDOT groups considerably affect the width of the HOMO-LUMO gap and the rigidity of the conjugated system. Analysis of the crystallographic structure of two hybrid quaterthiophenes confirms that insertion of two adjacent EDOT units in the middle of the molecule leads to a self-rigidification of the conjugated systems by intramolecular SO interactions. Cyclic voltammetry data shows that the first oxidation potential of the oligomers decreases with increasing chain length and increasing number of EDOT groups for a given chain length. Electrochemical studies and theoretical calculations show that the positions of the EDOT units in the conjugated chain control the potential difference (DeltaE(p)) between the first and second oxidation steps. Moving the EDOT groups from the outer to the inner positions of the conjugated system increases DeltaE(p). Theoretical calculations confirm that this phenomenon reflects an increase of the intramolecular coulombic repulsion between positive charges in the dication. A thin-film field-effect transistor was fabricated by vacuum sublimation of a pentamer with alternating thiophene-EDOT structure, and the hole mobility was determined.     

The infrared spectrum of Au-.CO2

The Au-.CO2 ion-molecule complex has been studied by gas phase infrared photodissociation spectroscopy. Several sharp transitions can be identified as combination bands involving the asymmetric stretch vibrational mode of the CO2 ligand. Their frequencies are redshifted by several hundred cm(-1) from the frequencies of free CO2. We discuss our findings in the framework of ab initio and density-functional theory calculations, using anharmonic corrections to predict vibrational transition energies. The infrared spectrum is consistent with the formation of an aurylcarboxylate anion with a strongly bent CO2 subunit.     

Design and characterization of libraries of molecular fragments for use in NMR screening against protein targets

We have designed four generations of a low molecular weight fragment library for use in NMR-based screening against protein targets. The library initially contained 723 fragments which were selected manually from the Available Chemicals Directory. A series of in silico filters and property calculations were developed to automate the selection process, allowing a larger database of 1.79 M available compounds to be searched for a further 357 compounds that were added to the library. A kinase binding pharmacophore was then derived to select 174 kinase-focused fragments. Finally, an additional 61 fragments were selected to increase the number of different pharmacophores represented within the library. All of the fragments added to the library passed quality checks to ensure they were suitable for the screening protocol, with appropriate solubility, purity, chemical stability, and unambiguous NMR spectrum. The successive generations of libraries have been characterized through analysis of structural properties (molecular weight, lipophilicity, polar surface area, number of rotatable bonds, and hydrogen-bonding potential) and by analyzing their pharmacophoric complexity. These calculations have been used to compare the fragment libraries with a drug-like reference set of compounds and a set of molecules that bind to protein active sites. In addition, an analysis of the overall results of screening the library against the ATP binding site of two protein targets (HSP90 and CDK2) reveals different patterns of fragment binding, demonstrating that the approach can find selective compounds that discriminate between related binding sites.     

SynCar: an approach to automated synthesis

The automation of all aspects of manual solution-phase synthesis into one integrated, efficient, and reliable system could be regarded as something of an unmet challenge in organic chemistry. The requirements for modern solution-phase libraries in mainstream drug discovery is typically 50-250 high-purity compounds on a 10-100-mg scale, whether for target class libraries or lead optimization, and short cycle time in combination with high capacity is critical. To achieve these goals, in a codevelopment between Aventis and Accelab GmbH, Kusterdingen, Germany, we designed a completely novel system of independent workstations connected by a shuttle transfer system produced by Montech, Derendingen, Switzerland. Seven modular workstations process four reactions on each shuttle in parallel, with the ability to perform synthesis (temperature control and liquid reagent handling), filtration, liquid-liquid extraction, evaporation, weighing, solid-phase extraction, and HPLC/MS analysis. The modular design enables the continuous loading of shuttles at any time, and each shuttle can have its own workflow. The design also allows easy expansion for future needs. The result is a combination of high flexibility and high throughput.     

Neue Kupferkomplexe mit Phosphaalkenliganden. Molekülstruktur von [Cu{P(Mes*)C(NMe2)2}2]BF4 (Mes* = 2,4,6‐tBu3C6H2)

New Copper Complexes Containing Phosphaalkene Ligands. Molecular Structure of [Cu{P(Mes*)C(NMe₂)₂}₂]BF₄ (Mes* = 2,4,6‐tBu₃C₆H₂) Reaction of equimolar amounts of the inversely polarized phosphaalkene tBuP=C(NMe₂)₂ ( 1a ) and copper(I) bromide or copper(I) iodide, respectively, affords complexes [Cu₃X₃{μ‐P(tBu)C(NMe₂)₂}₃] ( 2 ) (X =Br) and ( 3 ) (X = I) as the formal result of the cyclotrimerization of a 1:1‐adduct. Treatment of 1a with [Cu(L)Cl] (L = PiPr₃; SbiPr₃) leads to the formation of compounds [CuCl(L){P(tBu)C(NMe₂)₂}] ( 4a ) (L = PiPr₃) and ( 4b ) (L = SbiPr₃), respectively. Reaction of [(MeCN)₄Cu]BF₄ with two equivalents of PhP=C(NMe₂)₂ ( 1b ) yields complex [Cu{P(Ph)C(NMe₂)₂}₂]BF₄ ( 5b ). Similarly, compounds [Cu{P(Aryl)C(NMe₂)₂}₂]BF₄ ( 5c (Aryl = Mes and 5d (Aryl = Mes*)) are obtained from ArylP=C(NMe₂)₂ ( 1c : Aryl = Mes; 1d : Mes*) and [(MeCN)₄Cu]BF₄ in the presence of SbiPr₃. Complexes 2 , 3 , 4a , 4b , and 5b‐5d are characterized by means of elemental analyses and spectroscopy (¹H‐, ¹³C{¹H}‐, ³¹P{¹H}‐NMR). The molecular structure of 5d is determined by X‐ray diffraction analysis.     

On the interactive solution to a multicriteria scheduling problem

Summary A mixed integer multiple criteria model is formulated for scheduling problems. Its solution is obtained by an interactive method based on the Tchebycheff-approximation. For solving greater problems some modifications are discussed at the end of the paper, which are essentially based on the notion of heuristic efficiency.

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Zusammenfassung Da bei Ablaufplanungsproblemen häufig mehrere Zielsetzungen zu beachten sind, wird im folgenden Beitrag hierzu ein gemischt-ganzzahliges multikriterielles Entscheidungsmodell formuliert. Seine Lösung erfolgt mit Hilfe eines interaktiven Verfahrens. Zur numerischen Lösung größerer Problemstellungen sind einzelne Verfahrensmodifikationen erforderlich, die im wesentlichen auf dem im letzten Abschnitt eingeführten Begriff der heuristischen Effizienz aufbauen.

     

Nucleic acid analysis using an expanded genetic alphabet to quench fluorescence

Organic chemistry has made possible the synthesis of molecules that expand on Nature's genetic alphabet. Using the previously described nonstandard DNA base pair constructed from isoguanine and 5-methylisocytosine, we report a highly specific and sensitive method that allows for the fast and specific quantitation of genetic sequences in a closed tube format. During PCR amplification, enzymatic site-specific incorporation of a quencher covalently linked to isoguanine allows for the simultaneous detection and identification of multiple targets. The specificity of method is then established by analysis of thermal denaturation or melting of the amplicons. The appropriate functions of all reactions are further verified by incorporation of an independent target into the reaction mixture. We report that the method is sensitive down to the single copy level, and specificity is demonstrated by multiplexed end-point genotypic analysis of four targets simultaneously using four separate fluorescent reporters. The method is general enough for quantitative and qualitative analysis of both RNA and DNA using previously developed primer sets. Though the method described employs the commonly used PCR, the enzymatic incorporation of reporter groups into DNA site-specifically should find broad utility throughout molecular biology.