A Direct Asymmetric Synthesis of Juglomycin A

Juglomycin A has been synthesized in four steps from 5-methoxy-1-naphthol.     

Monitoring nano-flow rate of water by atomic emission detection using helium radio-frequency plasma

Recently, high-performance nano-scale flow pumping systems have been developed for micro and miniaturized analysis systems. A novel device capable of measuring and monitoring nanoliter scale flow rates has been required for the further development of the pumping system. In this study, an atomic emission detector using helium radio-frequency plasma (RFP-AED) was used for the measurement of the nanoliter scale flow rate of water by quantitatively detecting the emission from hydrogen in the water molecules. Monitoring nano-flow rates of water in the range up to 1.0 microl min(-1), and the change in the flow rate by the indication of the ratio of the emissions of H (656.3 nm) and He (667.8 nm) were successful. At present, the lowest flow rate that could be determined reproducibly was 4 nl min(-1) calculated as five times the standard deviation of the background noise. Additionally, similar evaluations for the deviation of each flow rate by using the RFP-AED and a flow-injection system were produced.     

Elimination of the 4-hydroxyl group of the alkaloids related to morphine—II

Dihydrothebaine-φ, dihydrothebainone-Δ⁵-enol methylether and dihydrothebainone were converted to the respective 4-phenylethers by Ullmann reaction in good yields. These phenylether derivatives were reduced to 4-desoxy compounds by sodium-liquid ammonia reduction.

Clemmensen reduction of the phenylether and the desoxy derivatives gave (-)-3-methoxy-4-phenoxy-N-methyl-morphinan and (-)-3-methoxy-N-methylmorphinan respectively.     

Large-scale separation of metallic and semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes

In the applications of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), it is extremely important to separate semiconducting and metallic SWNTs. Although several methods have been reported for the separation, only low yields have been achieved at great expense. We show a separation method involving a dispersion-centrifugation process in a tetrahydrofuran solution of amine, which makes metallic SWNTs highly concentrated to 87% in a simple way.     

Effect of Organic Ligands Used in Sol-Gel Process on the Formation of Mullite

The preparation of mullite by the sol-gel method using organic polydentate ligands and the effect of the raw materials and organic polydentate ligands on the formation of mullite were investigated. Two series of samples were prepared using tetraethoxyorthosilicate (TEOS) and aluminum nitrate nonahydrate, or dibutoxyethylacetoacetatoaluminum (Al(OBu)₂(AcAcEt)) as the silica and alumina sources, respectively, and using ethylene glycol (EG), 1,3-propanediol (PD), 1,3-butanediol (BD), 2-methyl-2, 4-pentanediol (MPD), diethlene glycol monoethyl ether (DEME) and ethoxyethanol as the ligands. When the alumina source was aluminum nitrate nonahydrate, mullite was apt to appear in the order of EG>PD>MPD. When Al(OBu)₂(AcAcEt) was the alumina source, the tendency toward the appearance of mullite crystalline phase was EG>BD>DEME>MPD. Between the two alumina sources, aluminum nitrate nonahydrate gave mullite much easier than Al(OBu)₂(AcAcEt). These relationships were discussed from the viewpoints of the coordination ability of the ligands and the miscibility between the silica and alumina.     

On-column derivatization-capillary electrochromatography with o-phthalaldehyde/alkylthiol for assay of biogenic amines

The elution behaviors of the biogenic amines, histamine (HA) and its metabolite methyl histamine (MHA), were evaluated by means of on-column derivatization (OCD)-capillary electrochromatography (CEC) which employed a monolithic octadecylsilica (ODS) capillary column (20 cm of effective length x 50 microm of inner diameter). Five kinds of alkylthiols, e.g., 2- hydroxyethylthiol (or 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME)), ethanethiol (ET), 1-propanethiol (1-PT), 2-methyl-1-propanethiol (2-MPT) and 1-butanethiol (1-BT) were separately presented at 5 mM each in the OCD-CEC separation run buffer consisting of 60% acetonitrile in 5 mM o-phthalaldehyde (OPA)-10 mM borate buffer (pH 10). When 2-ME was present in the run buffer solution, both derivatives corresponding to HA and MHA migrated separately, but closely together through the capillary column. Replacement of 2-ME with 1-BT in the run buffer solution caused a delay in their elution profiles on the electrochromatogram and the separation between those two peaks became remarkably improved. The elution times of HA and MHA followed the increase in alkyl chain length or hydrophobicity of thiol, 1-BT > 2-MPT > 1-PT > ET > 2-ME. Performance of on-line preconcentrations of HA and MHA was also evaluated by varying the electrokinetic injection voltage from 1 kV to 8 kV. The peak area counts corresponding to HA recorded about 50 times higher when 2 kV was applied for 240 s to a 0.1 mM HA solution than when 8 kV was applied for 5 s. This method was next applied to a sample of human urine spiked with HA and MHA at levels of 0.1 microM each. Although HA and MHA peaks were not identifiable among the peaks corresponding to the materials in the urine matrix when OPA/2-ME was employed in a run buffer for the OCD-CEC, the separation and identification of their peaks became possible by replacing 2-ME with 1-BT in the run buffer solution.     

Raman spectra of stilbene negative ions in tetrahydrofuran solution

Raman spectra of stilbene mono- and di-negative ions in tetrahydrofuran solution were obtained by Ar⁺ laser exciting lines. A considerable frequency shift was observed for several vibrations in the successive steps: stilbene → (stilbene)^? → (stilbene)^2?. The observed shift is discussed in a simple VB scheme, particularly in comparison with the results on anthracene negative ions. The resonance Raman effect was striking for both ions with intensity maxima at the exciting wavelengths close to the absorption maxima.     

A helical array of pendant fullerenes on a helical poly(phenylacetylene) induced by non-covalent chiral interactions

Novel [60]fullerene-based poly(phenylacetylene)s prepared by the copolymerization of achiral phenylacetylenes bearing a C(60) or crown ether pendant form a one-handed helix upon complexation with L- and D-alanine, yielding a helical array of the pendant fullerenes with a predominant screw-sense along the polymer backbone.     

Determination of conjugated bile acids in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection.

A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the conjugated 1 beta- and 6 alpha-hydroxy bile acids, including common bile acids, in human urine using high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection is described. After extraction of urine with C18 silica cartridges, the bile acids were separated into non-conjugated, glycine, taurine and sulphate fractions by ion-exchange chromatography on a lipophilic gel. Solvolysis of the sulphate was carried out by treatment with trifluoroethanol in acetone containing hydrochloric acid, and the liberated amino acid conjugates were fractionated again. The individual bile acids were separated on a reversed-phase C18 column (Bile Pak II), with detection by an immobilized 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme reactor and chemiluminescence reaction of the generated NADH using 1-methoxy-5-methylphenazinium methylsulphate-isoluminol-microperoxidase system. The assay method showed the detection limits ranging from 8 to 250 pmol for the bile acids tested. Analysis of urine samples obtained from newborns, non-pregnant women and women in late pregnancy showed a large difference in bile acid composition and conjugation mode, suggesting that bile acid metabolism is different during fetal and neonatal periods.