Studies of protein hydration in aqueous solution by high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Individual hydration water molecules in aqueous protein solutions have been observed using experimental schemes for homonuclear two-dimensional and heteronuclear three-dimensional NMR experiments in H₂O solution, which do not require suppression of the solvent line by presaturation. In these experiments, the location of the hydration waters is determined from their nuclear Overhauser effects (NOE s) with individual hydrogen atoms of distinct amino acid residues. In the basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI ), four internal water molecules that had been reported in three different crystal forms were also found to be in the same locations in the solution structure, with lifetimes with respect to exchange of the water protons in excess of 0.3 ns. Additional NOE s with polypeptide protons located on the protein surface may involve either hydration water molecules or hydroxyl protons of amino acid side chains. Their total number is small compared to the number of NOE s expected from the hydration water molecules identified in the crystal structures of BPTI .     

Die Struktur des Harpagosids. 2. Mitteilung über Iridoide

The structure and configuration of harpagoside, a bitter principle from the roots of Harpagophytum procumbens DC, have been elucidated by degradation reactions and NMR. spectra. The hitherto uncertain position of a secondary hydroxyl group could be assigned to C-6 of the aglycone moiety. As earlier postulated, harpagoside ( 1 ) as well as its saponification product, harpagide ( 12 ), belong to a series of natural enol ethers known as iridoids.     

SCF perturbation theory for unimolecular reactions

A CNDO/2 SCF perturbation theory is presented for interpreting the form of CNDO/2 potential energy surfaces of unimolecular reactions. The analysis is performed by calculating the energy change E arising from a distortion of the molecular geometry along the reaction coordinate. E is decomposed into different perturbational contributions which are appropriate for an interpretation of the perturbation energy E. Moreover, E is resolved into energy parts arising from a single occupied orbital and contributions due to pairwise orbital interactions. In this way one evaluates numerically how the form of the occupied and unoccupied orbitals determines the magnitude of E. If the distortion occurs along a definite symmetry coordinate, group-theoretical arguments can be applied to discuss the magnitude of characteristic components of the perturbation energy. The SCF perturbation theory is used to analyze the isomerization of ethylene, cis-2-butene and cis-2-butenenitrile.This work was partially supported by Nato-Grant No. 1072     

Synthesis of a digermane-containing tricylic nonadecadienedione incorporating an equivalent of ring-opened THF

The combination of 2 equiv of bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amide]germylene (5) with 2 equiv of 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (PTAD) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) results in the ring-opening of 1 equiv of THF to form 2,2,8,8-tetrakis(1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyl-disilazan-2-yl)-5,16-diphenyl-7,9,14-trioxa-1,3,5,16,18,19-hexaaza-2,8-digerma-tricyclo[13.2.1.13,6]nonadeca-6(19),15(18)-diene-4,17-dione (6). This fast and nearly quantitative reaction builds a 15-membered ring from five different molecules. The new ring, structurally assigned by X-ray crystallography, contains a flexible methylene chain that moves rapidly on the NMR time scale.     

Chloride-catalyzed oxidation of phenol in pulsed-laser irradiation titanium dioxide sols

The kinetics of photolysis of phenol in presence of two kinds of TiO₂ colloid in acid aqueous solution medium was studied by transient absorption spectroscopy. The absorbance and quantum yield of the phenoxyl radicals is strongly influenced by the chloride ions. The process of laser flash photolysis of phenol in the presence of chloride has been discussed.     

Stereoselective Synthesis of Isomers of the Naturally Occurring 13-Hydroxy-2,4,9-tetradecatrienoic Acid. Part II [1]

The stereoselective syntheses of four unsaturated hydroxy fatty acids 13S,2E,4E,9E)- 13-hydroxy-2,4,9-tetradecatrienoic acid, (13S,9Z,11E)-13-hydroxy-9,11-tetradecadienoic acid, (13S,9E, 11E)-13-hydroxy-9,11-tetradecadienoic acid, and (13S,2E,4E,9E)-13-hydroxy-2,4,9,11-tetradecatrienoic acid, are described. Wittig reactions, regioselective oxidation of dialcohol 3, and diastereomerization were used.     

Catalytic-kinetic absorptiostat technique with the indigo carmine—hydrogen peroxide reaction as the indicator reaction

The absorptiostat method previously described is used for the catalytic-kinetic determination of sulphur compounds (sulphide, thioacetamide. thiourea and thiosulphate) in the micromolar range by means of their catalytic action for the indigo carmine—hydrogen peroxide indicator reaction. The thiosulphate catalyst is activated by iron(III) or aluminium(III); aluminium(III) is deactivated by fluoride. On this basis, iron(III) is determined in the ng range, and aluminium(III) and fluoride in the μg range.     

Double pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of explosives: Initial study towards improved discrimination

Detecting trace explosive residues at standoff distances in real-time is a difficult problem. One method ideally suited for real-time standoff detection is laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). However, atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen contributes to the LIBS signal from the oxygen- and nitrogen-containing explosive compounds, complicating the discrimination of explosives from other organic materials. While bathing the sample in an inert gas will remove atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen interference, it cannot practically be applied for standoff LIBS. Alternatively, we have investigated the potential of double pulse LIBS to improve the discrimination of explosives by diminishing the contribution of atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen to the LIBS signal. These initial studies compare the close-contact (< 1 m) LIBS spectra of explosives using single pulse LIBS in argon with double pulse LIBS in atmosphere. We have demonstrated improved discrimination of an explosive and an organic interferent using double pulse LIBS to reduce the air entrained in the analytical plasma.     

Enantiomeric resolution of chiral imidazole derivatives using capillary electrophoresis with cyclodextrin-type buffer modifiers

Enantiomeric resolutions of some chiral pharmaceuticals containing the imidazole (1,3-diazole) moiety were carried out using capillary electrophoresis. Various native cyclodextrins (ga-, β- and γ-cyclodextrin) and derivatized cyclodextrins (hydroxypropyl-, and sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin) were used as chiral buffer modifiers. The effects of the cavity size, the structure and the charge of the selectors on the chiral recognition ability were evaluated. The influence of the type and concentration of the organic modifier on the separation of miconazole enantiomers and the pH of the run buffer on the separation of enilconazole enantiomers was also studied.     

Pyridazines. LIX. Synthesis of c-annelated pyridazines from 3-amino-4-pyridazinecarbonitrile

The utility of the aminonitrile 1 as an educt for the preparation of several new examples of heterocyclefused pyridazines (the [1,2,4]triazolo[1′,5′:1,6]pyrimido[4,5-c]pyridazine 7 , the pyrimido[4,5-c]pyridazines 8, 10a,b , and the pyrido[2,3-c]pyridazine 11 ) is demonstrated.