Janus-type isopropyl groups revealed by 1H-NMR spectra of alkylpyridines with lanthanide shift reagents (LSR)

Two Isomeric pyridines were designed and prepared : 2-isopropyl-4,5,6-trimethyl-(3) and 2-isopropyl-3,4,6-trimethyl-pyridine (7); the latter, with a buttressed isopropyl, leads to much lower induced shifts by Eu(dpm)₃ and Pr(dpm)₃ than the former, owing to the conformation in which the Janus-type iPr group how to the LSR a t-butyl-like face.     

Applications of the MBPT in the localized representation

Diagrammatic formulation of the MBPT is applied when the occupied and the virtual canonical orbitals are separately localized by unitary transformations. In this localized representation, due to the off-diagonal Fock matrix elements, the perturbation operator contains extra terms generating the so-called localization corrections. These corrections enter the perturbation energy in third and higher orders. Their magnitude depends on the type of localization, but they represent only a small fraction of the canonical corrections. The calculation of the localization corrections, however, does not need a significant amount of extra computer time. It is shown that by introducing an “order of neighborhood” local and nonlocal effects of the electron correlation can be separated and the contribution of the nonlocal effects can be neglected to a good approximation. Ab initio calculations have been carried out for the normal saturated hydrocarbons: C_2n+1H_4n+4 and for the all-trans conjugated polyenes C_2n+2H_2n+4. As to the ratio of the local and nonlocal corrections, it is shown that there is only a quantitative difference for these two kinds of systems (strongly or weakly localizable). Neglecting nonlocal effects, considerable amount of computer time can be saved.     

Vertical proton affinities of CH2O and CH2OH+ in their ground singlet,excited triplet and ionized doublet states

Vertical proton affinities were calculated with closed and open shell direct SCF-MO methods for the ground, excited triplet and ionized doublet states of CH₂O and CH₂OH⁺.The computed gas phase basicity of CH₂O follows the order: CH₂O(¹ A ₁) > CH₂O*(³ A ₁ or ³ A ₂) > CH₂O⁺(² B ₂ or ² B ₁).     

First carbamates conversion to amides by simple alkyl group transfer from trialkylalanes

[reaction: see text] N-Monosubstituted carbamates are cleanly converted to amides under treatment with trialkylaluminum. This reaction involves an aluminum-assisted internal delivery of alkyl groups. It can be applied to new and mild protecting group strategies for alcohols.     

Convergence of the Finite Difference Scheme for a Fast Diffusion Equation in Porous Media

We are concerned with an implicit scheme for the finite difference solution to a nonlinear parabolic equation with a multivalued coefficient that describes the fast diffusion in a porous medium. The boundary conditions contain the multivalued function as well. We prove the stability and the convergence of the scheme, emphasizing the precise nature of convergence in this specific case, and compute the error level of the approximating solution. The method is aimed to simplify the numerical computations for the solutions to equations of this type, without performing an approximation of the multivalued function. The theory is illustrated by numerical results.     

Mimicking the cell membrane with block copolymer membranes

Cell membranes are essential barriers in Nature. To understand their properties and functions and to develop desirable applications, a simple and elegant approach is to study membranes that mimic the cell membrane. Lipid bilayers represent simple models that are physiologically representative when in the form of mixtures of various lipids, but they are not adequately stable even when covered with amphipathic proteins or when combined with polymers, thus preventing technological applications. This makes necessary the design of completely synthetic membranes. In this respect, amphiphilic copolymers that self‐assemble under dilute aqueous conditions and generate supramolecular polymer vesicles or films are ideal candidates for synthetic membranes. Their versatility in terms of chemistry and properties (permeability, mechanical stability, thickness), if appropriately designed, enable the insertion of biological molecules, such as membrane proteins and biopores, or the attachment of biomolecules at their surfaces. Here, we present the domain of synthetic membranes based on amphiphilic copolymers beginning with their generation and up to their applications in medicine, the food industry, and technology. Even though significant progress has been made in combining them with membrane proteins, open questions remain with respect to desired properties that could accommodate biological molecules and support further development of the field, from both the point of view of fundamental understanding and of applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

The First Catalytic Synthesis of an Acrylate from CO2 and an Alkene—A Rational Approach

For more than three decades the catalytic synthesis of acrylates from the cheap and abundantly available C₁ building block carbon dioxide and alkenes has been an unsolved problem in catalysis research, both in academia and industry. Herein, we describe a homogeneous catalyst based on nickel that permits the catalytic synthesis of the industrially highly relevant acrylate sodium acrylate from CO₂, ethylene, and a base, as demonstrated, at this stage, by a turnover number of greater than 10 with respect to the metal.     

High-Sensitivity Immunofluorescence Staining: A Comparison of the Liposome Procedure and the FASER Technique on mGR Detection

Flow cytometry has become a widely-used and powerful tool for the characterization of cells according to their expression of specific proteins. However, sensitivity of this method is still limited since conventionally labeled antibodies can be conjugated with at maximum 1–10 dye molecules. This fact resulted in the need to develop new techniques in order to identify molecules which are expressed in very low but functionally relevant amounts. In the past, we have successfully used a liposome-based high-sensitivity immunofluorescence technique to measure the expression of low abundant membrane bound glucocorticoid receptors (mGR) on different cell types. The use of this technique allows the detection of as few as 50–100 antigen molecules per cell which is due to a 100-fold to 1000-fold increase in fluorescence signal intensity compared with conventional methods. The higher sensitivity is achieved since thousands of dye molecules can be enclosed in liposomes. Another modern high-sensitivity immunofluorescence staining method is the purchasable Fluorescence Amplification by Sequential Employment of Reagents (FASER) procedure. Here, we aimed at comparing sensitivity and specificity of these two techniques for the detection of the mGR. Our data demonstrate the FASER technique to be more sensitive and also more specific for the detection of mGR as compared to the liposome technique. However, both methods have advantages and disadvantages which are discussed in detail.