Photophysical properties of borondipyrromethene analogues in solution

The photophysical properties of seven new 8-(p-substituted)phenyl analogues of 4,4-difluoro-3,5-dimethyl-8-(aryl)-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (derivatives of the well-known fluorophore BODIPY) in several solvents have been studied by means of absorption and steady-state and time-resolved fluorimetry. For each compound, the fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime are lower in solvents with higher polarity owing to an increase in the rate of nonradiative deactivation. Increasing the electron withdrawing strength of the p-substituent on the phenyl group in position 8 also leads to lower fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes. When the p-substituent on the phenyl group in position 8 is a tertiary amine [8-(4-piperidinophenyl), 8-(4-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl), and 8-(4-morpholinophenyl)], the low quantum yields of these compounds in more polar solvents can be rationalized by the inversion of the energy levels of an apolar, highly fluorescent and a polar, nonfluorescent excited state, where charge transfer from the tertiary amine to the BODIPY unit occurs. These amine analogues can be protonated at low pH in aqueous solution. Fluorescence titrations yielded pK(a) values of their conjugate ammonium salts which are in agreement with the electron donating tendency of the amine group: piperidino (4.15) > dimethylamino (2.37) > morpholino (1.47), with the pK(a) values in parentheses. The rate constant of radiative deactivation (k(f)) is the same for all compounds in all solvents studied (k(f) = 1.4 x 10(8) s(-1)).     

Preparation and characterization of a set of IAEA reference air filters for quality control in air-pollution studies

Several sets of reference air filters were prepared as part of an IAEA evaluation of the performance of laboratories involved in air-pollution studies. Each set comprised three polycarbonate membrane filters, two of which were loaded with urban air particulate matter (APM) obtained in Vienna or Prague, and one unloaded filter. The filters were loaded by filtration of a suspension of the APM materials in water. The homogeneity both of bulk APM materials and of the loaded filters was evaluated and found suitable by determining several elements by instrumental neutron-activation analysis (INAA), proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE), and micro-X-ray energy-dispersive fluorescence analysis (micro-EDXRF). After evaluation of the homogeneity, INAA, PIXE, EDXRF, atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and ICP mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were used to characterize the filter materials and establish "target values" and their associated standard deviations for 15 elements. Problems encountered during the preparation of these unique, simulated air filters and the criteria for setting both the target values and standard deviations are presented.     

迭代目标转换因子分析光度法同时测定钇和其它稀土合量

以三氯偶氮胂为显色剂，根据钇(Y^3 )与其它稀土组分的显色络合物吸收光谱差别较大的特点，提出应用迭代目标转换因子分析光度法同时测定钇和其它烯土合量的计算光度分析法，通过对不同组成的人工模拟样品和龙南稀土氧化物标准样中的钇和其它稀土合量的测定，取得了满意的结果。     

Reactions of organomercury fulminates with acetylene derivatives

Organomercury fulminates react with acetylene derivatives to give unstable 3-(organomercurio)isoxazoles, which isomerize to 2-cyanoenolates. These are hydrolyzed with hydrochloric acid to the corresponding enols and are cleaved by water at the double bond. With monosubstituted acetylenes, substitution at the free position by the organomercury residue is predominant.     

Minor components with the γ-cyclogeranil geraniol skeleton from Bellardia trixago (L.) all.

Trixagol 1 and fourteen derivatives with the skeleton of γ-cyclogeranil geraniol were isolated from Bellardia trixago, the structures were determined by spectroscopic methods and confirmed by partial synthesis. Furthermore. 3,4-dihydro-γ-ionone, α-ambrinol, β-sitosterol and three flavonoids 5-O-demethyl tangeretin, 5-hydroxy auranetin and 3′-methoxy calycopterin were also isolated.     

Patents and literature

Protein engineering and site-directed mutagenesis is becoming immensely important in both fundamental studies and commercial applications involving proteins and enzymes in biocatalysis. Protein engineering has become a powerful tool to help biochemists and molecular enzymologists elucidate structure-function relationships in enzymic active sites, to understand the intricacies of protein folding and denaturation, and to alter the selectivity of enzymatic catalysis. Commercial applications of engineered enzymes are being developed to increase protein stability, widen or narrow substrate specificity, and to develop novel approaches for use of enzymes in organic synthesis, drug design, and clinical applications. In addition to protein engineering, novel expression systems have been designed to prepare large quantities of genetically engineered proteins. Recent US patents and scientific literature on protein engineering, site-directed mutagenesis, and protein expression systems related to protein engineering are surveyed. Patent abstracts are summarized individually and a list of literature references are given.