Measurements and predictive models for the N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone/water/methanol system

This work reports on the properties and structure of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone in binary and ternary liquid mixtures with water and/or methanol. A comprehensive set of thermophysical properties have been measured at 298.15 K and 0.1 MPa over the whole composition range. On the basis of the derived excess and mixing properties, the fluid structure was analyzed by looking into the forces and geometry factors that effectively control the mixture behavior. Application of the inverted Kirkwood-Buff theory provides a reasonable link between the macroscopic properties and the microscopic features. A density functional theory computation was carried out to analyze the structure and energy features of the hydrogen bonded complexes formed between the components. Use of semiempirical models in the framework of molecular-based equations of state according to the PC-SAFT approach led to unsatisfactory predicted thermophysical properties. The conclusions arrived at give away the existence of strong heteroassociations and hydrogen bonding self-associations that determine the complex nature of the fluid structure.     

Nombre de branchement d’un pseudogroupe

Lyons has defined an average number of branches per vertex of an infinite locally finite rooted tree. This number has an important role in several probabilistic processes such as random walk and percolation. In this paper, we extend the notion of branching number to any measurable graphed pseudogroup of finite type acting on a probability space. We prove that such a pseudogroup is Liouvillian (i.e. almost every orbit does not admit non-constant bounded harmonic functions) if its branching number is equal to 1. In order to prove that this actually generalizes results of C. Series and V. Kaimanovich on equivalence relations with polynomial and subexponential growth, we describe an example of minimal lamination whose holonomy pseudogroup has exponential growth and branching number equal to 1.     

Nombre de branchement d’un pseudogroupe

Lyons has defined an average number of branches per vertex of an infinite locally finite rooted tree. This number has an important role in several probabilistic processes such as random walk and percolation. In this paper, we extend the notion of branching number to any measurable graphed pseudogroup of finite type acting on a probability space. We prove that such a pseudogroup is Liouvillian (i.e. almost every orbit does not admit non-constant bounded harmonic functions) if its branching number is equal to 1. In order to prove that this actually generalizes results of C. Series and V. Kaimanovich on equivalence relations with polynomial and subexponential growth, we describe an example of minimal lamination whose holonomy pseudogroup has exponential growth and branching number equal to 1.     

Engineering a Highly Regioselective Fungal Peroxygenase for the Synthesis of Hydroxy Fatty Acids

The hydroxylation of fatty acids is an appealing reaction in synthetic chemistry, although the lack of selective catalysts hampers its industrial implementation. In this study, we have engineered a highly regioselective fungal peroxygenase for the ω-1 hydroxylation of fatty acids with quenched stepwise over-oxidation. One single mutation near the Phe catalytic tripod narrowed the heme cavity, promoting a dramatic shift toward subterminal hydroxylation with a drop in the over-oxidation activity. While crystallographic soaking experiments and molecular dynamic simulations shed light on this unique oxidation pattern, the selective biocatalyst was produced by Pichia pastoris at 0.4 g L⁻¹ in a fed-batch bioreactor and used in the preparative synthesis of 1.4 g of (ω-1)-hydroxytetradecanoic acid with 95 % regioselectivity and 83 % ee for the S enantiomer.     

1,2-Diaryl(3-pyridyl)ethanone oximes. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding networks revealed by X-ray diffraction

The synthesis of a set of 1-aryl-2-aryl(3-pyridyl)ethanones 1-5 and the corresponding ketoximes 6-9 is reported. Structural studies of oximes 6, 7 and 9 were performed in solution using (1)H-NMR and in the solid state by X-ray crystallography, providing evidence of H-bonding networks. The crystal packing was controlled by homomeric intermolecular oxime...oxime H-bond interactions for 6 and cooperative oxime...N(pyridyl) and CH/pi interactions for 7 and 9.     

N.m.r. studies in the heterocyclic series: XVI—determination of the structure of 3-azidoindazole by 1H and 13C n.m.r. spectroscopy

The 1-NH structure for 3-azidoindazole has been demonstrated by the observation of ¹H? ¹H and ¹³C? ¹H couplings involving the hydrogen atom attached to nitrogen. A comparison between 3-azidoindazole and indazole shows that both compounds have the same tautomeric structure.     

Solubilization of cholesterol in aqueous solution by two β-cyclodextrin dimers and a negatively charged β-cyclodextrin derivative

Two βCD dimers (linked by succinic acid, 2, or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA, 3, bridges) and a negatively charged monomer derivative of βCD, 1, have been synthesized and their ability to solubilize cholesterol in aqueous solution was studied. The three compounds exhibit a great capacity in solubilizing cholesterol as, for instance, concentrations up to 6 mM of cholesterol were measured in the presence of 25 mM of 3. The phase-solubility diagrams of the two dimers exhibit A _L type profiles while the monomer 1 follows an A _P isotherm. The cholesterol/dimer complexes have 1:1 stoicheiometries while monomer 1 forms two complexes with molar ratios of 1:1 and 1:2 (cholesterol/1). The equilibrium constants are K _1:1 = (5.9 ± 0.3) × 10⁴ M^?1 and K _1:1 = (8.8 ± 0.2) × 10⁴ M^?1 for 2 and 3, respectively, and K _1:1 = 73 ± 19 M^?1 and K _1:2 = 204 ± 65 M^?1 for 1. The comparison of K _1:1(3) with the product K _1:1 × K _1:2 (1) reveals that a chelate effect in binding the cholesterol by 3 exists. The structure of the cholesterol/3 complex was studied by ROESY experiments and by molecular dynamics simulations.     

Combinatorial saturation mutagenesis by in vivo overlap extension for the engineering of fungal laccases

Combinatorial saturation mutagenesis -CSM- is a valuable tool for improving enzymatic properties from hot-spot residues discovered by directed enzyme evolution or performing semi-rational studies. CSM coupled to a reliable high-throughput screening assay -coefficient of variance below 10%- has been used to enhance turnover rates in the fungal laccase variant T2 from Myceliophthora thermophila. The influence of the highly conserved pentapeptide 509-513 on the redox potential of blue-copper containing enzymes is well described. We focused combinatorial saturation mutagenesis in residues Ser510 and Leu513. Libraries were constructed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by in vivo overlap extension -IVOE- of the PCR products. This methodology provides a simple manner to build CSM libraries avoiding extra PCR reactions, by-products formation and in vitro ligation steps. After exploring more than 1,700 clones, mutant (7E1) with approximately 3-fold higher kinetics than parent type was found. 7E1 showed one synonymous mutation (L513L, CGT/TTG) and one beneficial mutation S510G (TCG/GGG) that can not be achieved by conventional error-prone PCR techniques. Mutation S510G seems to affect the C-terminal plug, which modulates the transit of water and oxygen to the trinuclear copper cluster.     

Peroxygenase-Catalysed Selective Oxidation of Silanes to Silanols

A peroxygenase-catalysed hydroxylation of organosilanes is reported. The recombinant peroxygenase from Agrocybe aegerita (AaeUPO) enabled efficient conversion of a broad range of silane starting materials in attractive productivities (up to 300 mM h⁻¹), catalyst performance (up to 84 s⁻¹ and more than 120 000 catalytic turnovers). Molecular modelling of the enzyme-substrate interaction puts a basis for the mechanistic understanding of AaeUPO selectivity.