Lewis acids catalyze the addition of allylboronates to aldehydes by electrophilic activation of the dioxaborolane in a closed transition structure

This study addressed the mechanism of the recently reported Lewis acid-catalyzed manifold for additions of allylboronates to aldehydes. A series of control experiments using various reagents and conditions, and kinetic studies by low-temperature NMR spectroscopy, were performed to investigate the origin of the activation provided by the best catalyst, Sc(OTf)3. The results obtained are strongly supportive of a mechanism involving electrophilic boron activation by coordination of the metal ion to one of the boronate oxygens in a closed bimolecular transition state.     

Constructing sandwich-type rare Earth double-decker complexes with N-confused porphyrinato and phthalocyaninato ligands

Reaction of the half-sandwich complexes M(III)(Pc)(acac) (M = La, Eu, Y, Lu; Pc = phthalocyaninate; acac = acetylacetonate) with the metal-free N-confused 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[(4-tert-butyl)phenyl]porphyrin (H(2)NTBPP) or its N2-position methylated analogue H(CH(3))NTBPP in refluxing 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB) led to the isolation of M(III)(Pc)(HNTBPP) (M = La, Eu, Y, Lu) or Y(III)(Pc)[(CH(3))NTBPP] in 8-15% yield. These represent the first examples of sandwich-type rare earth complexes with N-confused porphyrinato ligands. The complexes were characterized with various spectroscopic methods and elemental analysis. The molecular structures of four of these double-decker complexes were also determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In each of these complexes, the metal center is octa-coordinated by four isoindole nitrogen atoms of the Pc ligand, three pyrrole nitrogen atoms, and the inverted pyrrole carbon atom of the HNTBPP or (CH(3))NTBPP ligand, forming a distorted coordination square antiprism. For Eu(III)(Pc)(HNTBPP), the two macrocyclic rings are further bound to a CH(3)OH molecule through two hydrogen bonds formed between the hydroxyl group of CH(3)OH and an aza nitrogen atom of the Pc ring or the inverted pyrrole nitrogen atom of the HNTBPP ring, respectively. The location of the acidic proton at the inverted pyrrole nitrogen atom (N2) of the protonated double-deckers was revealed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy.     

Determination of total dietary fiber in selected foods containing resistant maltodextrin by enzymatic-gravimetric method and liquid chromatography: collaborative study

A method was developed for determination of total dietary fiber (TDF) in foods containing resistant maltodextrin (RMD) which includes nondigestible carbohydrates that are not fully recovered as dietary fiber by conventional TDF methods such as AOAC 985.29 or 991.43. Because the average molecular weight (MW) of RMD is 2000 daltons, lower MW soluble dietary fiber components do not precipitate in 78% ethanol; therefore, RMD is not completely quantitated as dietary fiber by current AOAC methods. The accuracy and precision of the method was evaluated through an AOAC collaborative study. Ten laboratories participated and assayed 12 test portions (6 blind duplicates) containing RMD. The 6 test pairs ranged from 1.5 to 100% RMD. The method consisted of the following steps: (1) The insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) and high MW soluble dietary fiber (HMWSDF) were determined by AOAC 985.29. (2) Ion exchange resins were used to remove salts and proteins contained in the AOAC 985.29 filtrates (including ethanol and acetone). (3) The amount of low MWRMD (LMWRMD) in the filtrates were determined by liquid chromatography. (4) The TDF was calculated by summation of the IDF, HMWSDF, and LMWRMD fractions having nondigestible carbohydrates with a degree of polymerization of 3 and higher. Repeatability standard deviations (RSDr) were 1.33-7.46%, calculated by including outliers, and 1.33-6.10%, calculated by not including outliers. Reproducibility standard deviations (RSDR) were 2.48-9.39%, calculated by including outliers, and 1.79-9.39%, calculated by not including outliers. This method is recommended for adoption as Official First Action.     

Studies of organotin(IV)-orthoquinone systems

The primary process in the reaction of hexaphenylditin with various substituted orthoquinones (Q) is shown to involve attack by the quinone at a phenyl ligand. The intermediate thus formed decomposes to yield Ph₃Sn(SQ^·), where S(Q^·−) is the corresponding semiquinonate. Rearrangement of these species in solution gives rise to biradicals, while intramolecular electron transfer may lead to the formation and precipitation of Ph₂Sn(CAT), where CAT²⁻ is the corresponding substituted catecholate. The identification of these processes depends in part on electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The reaction of Ph₃SnCl or Ph₂SnCl₂ with Na(TBSQ^·) (TBSQ^·−=3,5-di-tert-butyl-orthobenzosemiquinonate) results in the formation of Ph₂Sn(TBSQ^·), which can undergo redistribution and intramolecular electron transfer, so that the solution chemistry of these latter systems is similar to that of the products of the Sn₂Ph₆+Q reaction.     

How Constant Momentum Acceleration Decouples Energy and Space Focusing in Distance–of–Flight and Time–of–Flight Mass Spectrometries

Resolution in time–of–flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) is ordinarily limited by the initial energy and space distributions within an instrument’s acceleration region and by the length of the field–free flight zone. With gaseous ion sources, these distributions lead to systematic flight–time errors that cannot be simultaneously corrected with conventional static–field ion–focusing devices (i.e., an ion mirror). It is known that initial energy and space distributions produce non–linearly correlated errors in both ion velocity and exit time from the acceleration region. Here we reinvestigate an old acceleration technique, constant–momentum acceleration (CMA), to decouple the effects of initial energy and space distributions. In CMA, only initial ion energies (and not their positions) affect the velocity ions gain. Therefore, with CMA, the spatial distribution within the acceleration region can be manipulated without creating ion–velocity error. The velocity differences caused by a spread in initial ion energy can be corrected with an ion mirror. We discuss here the use of CMA and independent focusing of energy and space distributions for both distance–of–flight mass spectrometry (DOFMS) and TOFMS. Performance characteristics of our CMA–DOFMS and CMA–TOFMS instrument, fitted with a glow–discharge ionization source, are described. In CMA–DOFMS, resolving powers (FWHM) of greater than 1000 are achieved for atomic ions with a flight length of 285 mm. In CMA–TOFMS, only ions over a narrow range of m/z values can be energy–focused; however, the technique offers improved resolution for these focused ions, with resolving powers of greater than 2000 for a separation distance of 350 mm.      

Trapping H- bound to the nitrogenase FeMo-cofactor active site during H2 evolution: characterization by ENDOR spectroscopy

We here show that the iron-molybdenum (FeMo)-cofactor of the nitrogenase alpha-70(Ile) molybdenum-iron (MoFe) protein variant accumulates a novel S = (1)/(2) state that can be trapped during the reduction of protons to H(2). (1,2)H-ENDOR measurements disclose the presence of two protons/hydrides (H(+/)(-)) whose hyperfine tensors have been determined from two-dimensional field-frequency (1)H ENDOR plots. The two H(+/)(-) have large isotropic hyperfine couplings, A(iso)( )() approximately 23 MHz, which shows they are bound to the cofactor. The favored analysis for these plots indicates that the two H(+/)(-) have the same principal values, which indicates that they are chemically equivalent. The tensors are further related to each other by a permutation of the tensor components, which indicates an underlying symmetry of binding relative to the cofactor. At present, no model for the structure of the iron-molybdenum (FeMo)-cofactor in the S = (1)/(2) state trapped during the reduction of H(+) can be shown unequivocally to satisfy all of the constraints generated by the ENDOR analysis. The data disfavors any model that involves protonation of sulfides, and thus suggests that the intermediate instead contains two chemically equivalent bound hydrides; it appears unlikely that these are terminal monohydrides.     

(2-Halogeno-5-pyridyl)dimethyl(oxiran-2-ylmethyl)silanes: New potential building blocks for the synthesis of silicon-containing drugs

(2-Fluoro-5-pyridyl)dimethyl(oxiran-2-ylmethyl)silane (1a) and (2-chloro-5-pyridyl)dimethyl(oxiran-2-ylmethyl)silane (1b) were prepared in two-step syntheses, starting from allylchlorodimethylsilane. Compounds 1a and 1b were characterized by elemental analyses and NMR studies. With the synthesis of 1a and 1b, new potential building blocks for the synthesis of silicon-containing drugs have been made accessible.     

Distance-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry with IonCCD Detection and an Inductively Coupled Plasma Source

Distance-of-flight mass spectrometry (DOFMS) is demonstrated for the first time with a commercially available ion detector—the IonCCD camera. Because DOFMS is a velocity-based MS technique that provides spatially dispersive, simultaneous mass spectrometry, a position-sensitive ion detector is needed for mass-spectral collection. The IonCCD camera is a 5.1-cm long, 1-D array that is capable of simultaneous, multichannel ion detection along a focal plane, which makes it an attractive option for DOFMS. In the current study, the IonCCD camera is evaluated for DOFMS with an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) ionization source over a relatively short field-free mass-separation distance of 25.3–30.4 cm. The combination of ICP-DOFMS and the IonCCD detector results in a mass-spectral resolving power (FWHM) of approximately 900 and isotope-ratio precision equivalent to or slightly better than current ICP-TOFMS systems. The measured isotope-ratio precision in % relative standard deviation (%RSD) was ≥0.008%RSD for nonconsecutive isotopes at 10-ppm concentration (near the ion-signal saturation point) and ≥0.02%RSD for all isotopes at 1-ppm. Results of DOFMS with the IonCCD camera are also compared with those of two previously characterized detection setups.

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Graphical Abstract ?

     

Further structure–activity relationships study of substituted dithiolethiones as glutathione-inducing neuroprotective agents

Background

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with oxidative stress and glutathione depletion. The induction of cellular glutathione levels by exogenous molecules is a promising neuroprotective approach to limit the oxidative damage that characterizes Parkinson’s disease pathophysiology. Dithiolethiones, a class of sulfur-containing heterocyclic molecules, are known to increase cellular levels of glutathione; however, limited information is available regarding the influence of dithiolethione structure on activity. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of a further series of dithiolethiones in the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line.

Results

Our structure–activity relationships data show that dithiolethione electronic properties, given as Hammett σ_p constants, influence glutathione induction activity and compound toxicity. The most active glutathione inducer identified, 6a, dose-dependently protected cells from 6-hydroxydopamine toxicity. Furthermore, the protective effects of 6a were abrogated by the inhibitor of glutathione synthesis, buthionine sulfoximine, confirming the importance of glutathione in the protective activities of 6a.

Conclusions

The results of this study further delineate the relationship between dithiolethione chemical structure and glutathione induction. The neuroprotective properties of analog 6a suggest a role for dithiolethiones as potential antiparkinsonian agents.

     

An efficient and general approach to beta-functionalized ketones

[structure: see text]. The oxidation of selected anions (N3-, SCN-, I-, and Br-) by ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) in the presence of substituted cyclopropyl alcohols provides a novel approach to beta-functionalized ketones. The protocol has a number of advantages including short reaction times, ease of reagent handling, and mild, neutral reaction conditions. Overall, this method provides an alternative pathway to important starting materials and intermediates in organic synthesis.