The optimal packing of circles on a sphere

The closest packing ofx circles on the surface of a sphere is calculated in the same way that the stereochemical arrangement of atoms around a central atom is determined. A number of improved packings have been discovered for x = 19 to 80. A notable feature is that the structures are generally of low symmetry. The packing densityp, defined as the fraction of the spherical surface that is enclosed by the circles, increases only very slowly as the number of circles increases and the values remain substantially below that for a close packed plane, or for an octahedron or icosahedron.     

Determination of dimetridazole and metronidazole in poultry and porcine tissues by gas chromatography-electron capture negative ionization mass spectrometry

A sensitive and selective method using gas chromatography-electron capture negative ionization mass spectrometry (GC-ECNI-MS) for analysis of dimetridazole (DMZ) and metronidazole (MNZ) in poultry muscles, porcine kidney and liver, and chicken liver, was developed and validated for the purpose of food surveillance testing of the residues of these two nitroimidazoles in various types of animal tissues in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Before homogenization and extraction with toluene, [2H₃]dimetridazole-(DMZ-d³) and secnidazole (SNZ) were added to tissue samples as internal standards. The organic extracts were mixed with n-hexane and subject to solid-phase extraction cleanup by amine extraction columns. MNZ and SNZ were derivatized with BSA prior to GC-ECNI-MS determination. Good recovery and precision were obtained and the limit of detection was below parts per billion levels for poultry and porcine tissues. The method could also be applied for the detection of the hydroxylated metabolite of DMZ.     

Ab initio MRD–CI calculations on cubane (neutral,carbocation, carboanion) and dissociation of nitrocubanes based on localized orbitals

Ab initio MRD –CI calculations based on localized orbitals were carried out for cubane (neutral, carbocation, carboanion) both in our customary MODPOT basis set and in an all-electron 4–31G basis set. The calculated MRD –CI charge distributions on C1 (the skeletal atom from which the H^? or H⁺ was removed) (ab initio MODPOT neutral 4.221, carbocation 3.796, carboanion 4.282; all-electron 4–31G neutral 6.171, carbocation 5.717, carboanion 6.078) indicate that the + or - charge does not remain localized on C1 but redistributes itself. This has significant implications for preparative reactions of energetically substituted cubanes. The MRD –CI population analyses differ somewhat from the SCF population analyses, especially in the calculated total overlap populations. To investigate this effect on electrostatic molecular potential contour (EMPC ) maps generated from SCF or MRD –CI wave functions, we wrote additional routines to calculate EMPC maps from MRD –CI wave functions. The EMPC maps generated from SCF or MRD –CI wave functions are different if the molecule needs an MRD –CI multideterminant wave function to describe it adequately. The EMPC map is a one-electron property. One-electron properties are derived from the 1-matrix. The 1-matrix is different for SCF or MRD –CI wave functions. Thus, all the one-electron properties (EMPC maps, population analyses, bond deviation indices, etc.) are different when calculated from SCF or MRD –CI wave functions if MRD –CI wave functions are necessary to describe a system properly. We calculate these one-electron properties from the 1-matrix from the final natural orbitals. Our preliminary calculations for the dissociation pathway indicate it takes more energy to dissociate a bond in 1-nitrocubane than in octanitrocubane. Even in their ground electronic states at equilibrium geometry, both 1-nitrocubane and octanitrocubane require MRD –CI wave functions to describe them properly. The c² of the single determinant SCF wave function is only 0.8401 for 1-nitrocubane and 0.8300 for octanitrocubane. There are contributions from skeletal excitations as there are for cubane itself as well as excitations involving the nitrogroup. As the bond in nitrocubane is dissociated to 8.00 bohrs, the c² of the SCF contribution drops to only 0.4606 (1-nitrocubane) and 0.4445 (octanitrocubane). At this C₁? N₁ intermolecular distance, the largest excitations are in the C₁? N₁ bond: (C₁? N₁)² → (C₁? N₁*)², (C₁? N₁) → (C₁? N₁*). We also calculated the first electronically excited state for the dissociation pathway for selected points for both 1-nitrocubane and octanitrocubane.     

Graph theoretical characterization and computer generation of certain carcinogenic benzenoid hydrocarbons and identification of bay regions

An algorithm is developed for generating and characterizing carcinogenic catacondensed benzenoid hydrocarbons. The bay regions in these structures are identified by a technique that we developed at Johns Hopkins. Using the three-digit code proposed by Balaban, and the concept of ring adjacency matrix expounded here, we generate catacondensed benzenoid hydrocarbons in the computer and identify the number of potentially carcinogenic bay regions in each of them. The results of computer generation agree with the combinatorial enumeration of Harary and Read. All structures containing up to five rings and some with six rings and the number of bay regions in these are presented. Computer results for the structures and bay regions of all seven-, eight-, and nine-membered unbranched catacondensed benzenoid hydrocarbons and the number of bays are available from the authors.     

Solubility of anthracene in binary alcohol + 1-pentanol solvent mixtures at 25°C: Comparison of expressions derived from Mobile Order theory and the Kretschmer-Wiebe association model

A relatively simple expression is developed for predicting the solubility of an inert crystalline solute in binary alcohol + alcohol solvent mixtures based upon the Kretschmer-Wiebe association model. The predictive accuracy of the newlyderived expression is compared to equation(s) derived previously from Mobile Order theory using experimental anthracene solubilities in seven binary alcohol + 1-pentanol solvent mixtures at 25°C, which were measured as part of the present investigation. Computations show that both models accurately describe the solubility behavior of anthracene in the binary solvent systems studied. Average absolute deviations between observed and predicted values were 0.9% and 1.4% for the Kretschmer-Wiebe and Mobile Order predictive equations, respectively.     

Silacarbocycles from ring expansion

Ring enlargement of silicon heterocycles is accomplished from derivatives which contain an exocyclic chloromethyl substituent by reaction with aluminum halide catalyst or with potassium fluoride. Tricyclic derivatives with a silicon atom in a central five-, six-, or seven-membered ring form silins, silepins and silocins, respectively, and are isolated by quenching the product chlorosilanes with H₂O, MeOH, Na/MeOH, LiAlH₄, MeMgBr or MeLi. A stoichiometric quantity of fluoride ion also results in conversion of 9-chloromethyl-9-silaanthracene to 5-fluoro-dibenzo[b,e] silepin but the percent conversion of the 9-iodomethyl precursor is higher. The limitations of the two methods are discussed briefly.     

Stereoselective synthesis of 4-hydroxy-2,3,6-trisubstituted tetrahydropyrans

[reaction: see text] Reaction of homoallylic alcohols with aldehydes in the presence of TFA gives, after hydrolysis of the ester, 4-hydroxy-2,3,6-trisubstituted tetrahydropyrans with the creation of three new stereocenters in a single-pot process. By varying the aldehyde component, a variety of functionalized side chains are installed at C-2. The utility of this approach is extended to the enantioselective synthesis of tetrahydropyrans with >99% ee.     

Multipesticide residue method for fruits and vegetables: California Department of Food and Agriculture

Summary This procedure describes the CDFA method for multipesticide residue analysis of fresh fruits and vegetables. An aliquot of chopped sample is blended with acetonitrile. The resulting aqueous acetonitrile extract is filtered and cleaned up via reverse phase solid phase extraction apparatus. The pH of the filtrate is adjusted to neutral using phosphate buffer and the acetonitrile layer is separated from the aqueous layer by a salting out process. An aliquot of the acetonitrile layer is concentrated with a K-D evaporator by forming an azeotrope with n-hexane. The prepared sample is assayed for pesticide residues using GLC and HPLC. The performance of this method was evaluated by fortifying 6 representative fruits and vegetables with 7 chlorinated hydrocarbons, 7 organophosphate and 7 N-methylcarbamate pesticides at 0.1–0.2 ppm. No matrix interference was observed and the recovery of residues varied among different samples as well as different pesticides. Chlorothalonil results varied widely with irreproducible recoveries. In general, the method appears to be fast, rugged, and able to detect routinely at the 0.01 ppm level.     

Evolution of catalytic function

An RNA-based evolution system was constructed in the laboratory and used to develop RNA enzymes with novel catalytic function. By controlling the nature of the catalytic task that the molecules must perform in order to survive, it is possible to direct the evolving population toward the expression of some desired catalytic behavior. More recently, this system has been coupled to an in vitro translation procedure, raising the possibility of evolving protein enzymes in the laboratory to produce novel proteins with desired catalytic properties. The aim of this line of research is to reduce darwinian evolution, the fundamental process of biology, to a laboratory procedure that can be made to operate in the service of organic synthesis.