Kinetics of the reactions of OH radicals with 2‐methoxy‐6‐(trifluoromethyl)pyridine,diethylamine, and 1,1,3,3,3‐pentamethyldisiloxan‐1‐ol at 298 ± 2 K

Rate constants for the reactions of 2‐methoxy‐6‐(trifluoromethyl)pyridine, diethylamine, and 1,1,3,3,3‐pentamethyldisiloxan‐1‐ol with OH radicals have been measured at 298 ± 2 K using a relative rate method. The measured rate constants (cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1) are (1.54 ± 0.21) × 10^?12 for 2‐methoxy‐6‐(trifluoromethyl)pyridine, (1.19 ± 0.25) × 10^?10 for diethylamine, and (1.76 ± 0.38) × 10^?12 for 1,1,3,3,3‐pentamethyldisiloxan‐1‐ol, where the indicated errors are the estimated overall uncertainties including those in the rate constants for the reference compounds. No reaction of 2‐methoxy‐6‐(trifluoromethyl)pyridine with gaseous nitric acid was observed, and an upper limit to the rate constant for the reaction of 1,1,3,3,3‐pentamethyldisiloxan‐1‐ol with O₃ of <7 × 10^{? 20} cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 was determined. Using a 12‐h average daytime OH radical concentration of 2 × 10⁶ molecule cm^?3, the lifetimes of the volatile organic compounds studied here with respect to reaction with OH radicals are 7.5 days for 2‐methoxy‐6‐(trifluoromethyl)pyridine, 1.2 h for diethylamine, and 6.6 days for 1,1,3,3,3‐pentamethyldisiloxan‐1‐ol. Likely reaction mechanisms are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 43: 631–638, 2011     

A convenient synthesis of C-22 and C-25 stereoisomers of cephalostatin north 1 side chain from spirostan sapogenins

A simple transformation of the eight-carbon side chain of a natural spirostan sapogenin into the cephalostatin north 1 spiroketal moiety is described. This methodology, based on an intramolecular hydrogen abstraction reaction promoted by alkoxy radicals, permits the synthesis of C-22 and C-25 stereoisomers of the dioxaspiro[4.4]nonane cephalostatin ring system. The acid-catalyzed isomerization of the spirocenter in the different isomers is studied. [reaction: see text]     

Peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst prevents apoptotic cell death in a human astrocytoma cell line incubated with supernatants of HIV-infected macrophages

Background  

Oxidative stress has shown to contribute in the mechanisms underlying apoptotic cell death occuring in AIDS-dementia complex. Here we investigated the role of peroxynitrite in apoptosis occurring in astroglial cells incubated with supernatants of HIV-infected human primary macrophages (M/M).     

Stereoselective synthesis of spirocyclic ketones by Nazarov reaction

[reaction: see text] The Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction between alpha-ethoxydienyl boronates and lactone-derived vinyl triflates affords functionalized 6-(1-ethoxy-1,3-butadienyl)dihydropyran derivatives that undergo a Nazarov electrocyclic reaction under mild acidic conditions to give functionalized spirocyclic ketones. The product distribution and the stereoselectivity of the process are strongly dependent on the substitution of both the alpha-ethoxydiene and dihydropyran moieties. High stereoselectivity is observed in the presence of a C2-substituent on the dihydropyran moiety. The results are explained in terms of transition state geometries.     

ac-Driven double quantum dots as spin pumps and spin filters

We propose and analyze a new scheme of realizing both spin filtering and spin pumping by using ac-driven double quantum dots in the Coulomb blockade regime. By calculating the current through the system in the sequential tunneling regime, we demonstrate that the spin polarization of the current can be controlled by tuning the parameters (amplitude and frequency) of the ac field. We also discuss spin relaxation and decoherence effects in the pumped current.     

Non-covalent assembly of a photoswitchable surface

A noncovalently bound multilayered thin film in which individual layers are linked by metal ligand interactions undergoes a photochemically initiated permanent change in surface wettability. The film consists of three separate layers: a SAM on gold of 4-[(10-mercaptodecyl)oxy]pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, a layer of Cu(II) ions that are deposited onto the SAM and bind symmetrically in the site provided by the two carboxylate groups and the pyridyl nitrogen atom, and a layer of cis-2,2'-dipyridylethylene, which caps the Cu(II) layer by complexation through both pyridyl nitrogen atoms (Film I). Photoexcitation of the film in chloroform at 300 nm leads to substantial cis-trans isomerization as indicated by conductivity, impedance, grazing incidence IR, and contact angle measurements. The latter show a decrease in contact angle (increase in wettability) of 17 degrees , which is attributed to exposure of both the underlying Cu(II) layer and one of the pyridyl ring nitrogen atoms following isomerization to the trans isomer.     

On a conjecture of Whittaker concerning uniformization of hyperelliptic curves

This article concerns an old conjecture due to E. T. Whittaker, aiming to describe the group uniformizing an arbitrary hyperelliptic Riemann surface as an index two subgroup of the monodromy group of an explicit second order linear differential equation with singularities at the values .

Whittaker and collaborators in the thirties, and R. Rankin some twenty years later, were able to prove the conjecture for several families of hyperelliptic surfaces, characterized by the fact that they admit a large group of symmetries. However, general results of the analytic theory of moduli of Riemann surfaces, developed later, imply that Whittaker's conjecture cannot be true in its full generality.

Recently, numerical computations have shown that Whittaker's prediction is incorrect for random surfaces, and in fact it has been conjectured that it only holds for the known cases of surfaces with a large group of automorphisms.

The main goal of this paper is to prove that having many automorphisms is not a necessary condition for a surface to satisfy Whittaker's conjecture.