Growth dynamics and intracluster reactions in Ni+(CO2)n complexes via infrared spectroscopy

Ni(+)(CO(2))(n), Ni(+)(CO(2))(n)Ar, Ni(+)(CO(2))(n)Ne, and Ni(+)(O(2))(CO(2))(n) complexes are generated by laser vaporization in a pulsed supersonic expansion. The complexes are mass-selected in a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer and studied by infrared resonance-enhanced photodissociation (IR-REPD) spectroscopy. Photofragmentation proceeds exclusively through the loss of intact CO(2) molecules from Ni(+)(CO(2))(n) and Ni(+)(O(2))(CO(2))(n) complexes, and by elimination of the noble gas atom from Ni(+)(CO(2))(n)Ar and Ni(+)(CO(2))(n)Ne. Vibrational resonances are identified and assigned in the region of the asymmetric stretch of CO(2). Small complexes have resonances that are blueshifted from the asymmetric stretch of free CO(2), consistent with structures having linear Ni(+)-O=C=O configurations. Fragmentation of larger Ni(+)(CO(2))(n) clusters terminates at the size of n=4, and new vibrational bands assigned to external ligands are observed for n> or =5. These combined observations indicate that the coordination number for CO(2) molecules around Ni(+) is exactly four. Trends in the loss channels and spectra of Ni(+)(O(2))(CO(2))(n) clusters suggest that each oxygen atom occupies a different coordination site around a four-coordinate metal ion in these complexes. The spectra of larger Ni(+)(CO(2))(n) clusters provide evidence for an intracluster insertion reaction assisted by solvation, producing a metal oxide-carbonyl species as the reaction product.     

Organometallic compounds having metal-metal bonds : XXIII. Hydrido(triphenylgermanium)tetracarbonyliron and its conjugate base

Reaction of Ph₃GeLi with [Et₄N][HFe₃(CO)₁₁] affords the new carbonylferrate salt [Et₄N][Ph₃GeFe(CO)₄] and the same reaction provides an alternative route to the known silicon and tin analogs. Protonation of [Et₄N][Ph₃GeFe(CO)₄] with HCl in ether-THF forms the air-sensitive, thermally rather unstable cis-Ph₃GeFeH(CO)₄. The latter protonates chloride ions in dichloromethane.     

Boron-containing nucleosides. 1. Synthesis of the novel heterocycle 2-benzyl-1,4-dihydro-1-hydroxythieno[3,2-c][1,5,2]diazaborin-3(2H)-one: A thieno-fused 4-borauracil

The synthesis of the novel boron-containing nucleobase 2-benzyl-1,4-dihydro-1-hydroxythieno[3,2-c]-[1,5,2]diazaborin-3(2H)-one ( 8 ), a thieno-fused 4-borauracil, is described. Compound 8 was prepared in three steps starting from 2-thiophenecarbonyl chloride ( 4 ). A multinuclear and multisolvent nmr study of 8 indicates that the boron atom maintains a trigonal geometry in the solvents used.     

Differentiation and quantitation of isomeric dipeptides by low-energy dissociation of copper(II)-bound complexes

Application of the kinetic method based on the dissociation of transition metal centered cluster ions is extended from chiral analysis (Tao, W. A.; Zhang, D.; Nikolaev, E. N.; Cooks, R. G. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 10598) to quantitative analysis of isomeric mixtures, including those with Leu/Ile substitutions. Copper(II)-bound complexes of pairs of peptide isomers are generated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and the trimeric complex [CuII(ref)2(A) - H]+ (analyte A, a mixture of isomeric peptides; reference compound ref, usually a peptide) is caused to undergo collisional dissociation. Competitive loss of the neutral reference compound or the neutral analyte yields two ionic products and the ratio of rates of the two competitive dissociations, viz. the product ion branching ratio R is shown to depend strongly on the regiochemistry of the analyte in the precursor [CuII(A)(ref)2 - H]+ complex ion. Calibration curves are constructed by relating the branching ratio measured by the kinetic method, to the isomeric composition of the mixture to allow rapid quantitative isomer analysis.     

Charge equilibria and pK values of 5-carboxypyranomalvidin-3-glucoside (vitisin A) by electrophoresis and absorption spectroscopy

Apparent pK values of the wine pigment, 5-carboxypyranomalvidin-3-glucoside (vitisin A), were determined using UV-vis spectroscopy, viz. pK_a1=0.98 (±0.10), pK_H1=4.51 (±0.03) and pK_H2=7.57 (±0.02). An additional ionisation constant at high pH (pK_a4=8.84±0.06) was established by high-voltage paper electrophoresis. These data in conjunction with previously published pK_a values determined by high-voltage electrophoresis suggest that in wine (pH 3.2-3.8), 5-carboxypyranomalvidin-3-glucoside exists as a complex mixture of hydrated and non-hydrated, partially ionised species with the predominant species being the quinonoidal base (λ_max 498 nm).     

The triplet-state lifetime of indole in aqueous and viscous environments: significance to the interpretation of room temperature phosphorescence in proteins

The interpretation of room temperature phosphorescence studies of proteins requires an understanding of the mechanisms governing the tryptophan triplet-state lifetimes of residues fully exposed to solvent and those deeply buried in the hydrophobic core of proteins. Since solvents exposed tryptophans are expected to behave similarly to indole free in solution, it is important to have an accurate measure of the triplet state lifetime of indole in aqueous solution. Using photon counting techniques and low optical fluence (J/cm(2)), we observed the triplet-state lifetime of aqueous, deoxygenated indole and several indole derivatives to be approximately 40 micros, closely matching the previous reports by Bent and Hayon based on flash photolysis (12 micros; Bent, D. V.; Hayon, E. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1975, 97, 2612-2619) but much shorter than the 1.2 ms lifetime observed more recently (Strambini, G. B.; Gonnelli, M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 7646-7651). However, we have now been able to reproduce the long lifetime reported by the latter workers for aqueous indole solutions and show that it likely arises from geminate recombination of the indole radical cation and solvated electron, a conclusion based on studies of the indole radical cation in water (Bent and Hayon, 1975). The evidence for this comes from a fast rise in the phosphorescence emission and measurements of a corresponding enhanced quantum yield in unbuffered solutions. This species can be readily quenched, and the corresponding fast rise disappears, leaving a monoexponential 40 micros decay, which we argue is the true indole triplet lifetime. The work is put in the context of room temperature phosphorescence studies of proteins.     

Recognition and quantification of binary and ternary mixtures of isomeric peptides by the kinetic method: metal ion and ligand effects on the dissociation of metal-bound complexes

The kinetic method is applied to differentiate and quantify mixtures of isomeric tripeptides based on the competitive dissociations of divalent metal ion-bound clusters in an ion trap mass spectrometer. This methodology is extended further to determine compositions of ternary mixtures of the isomers Gly-Gly-Ala (GGA), Ala-Gly-Gly (AGG), and Gly-Ala-Gly (GAG). This procedure also allows to perform chiral quantification of a ternary mixture of optical isomers. The divalent metal ion Ca(II) is particularly appropriate for isomeric distinction and quantification of the isobaric tripeptides Gly-Gly-Leu/Gly-Gly-Ile (GGL/GGI). Among the first-row transition metal ions, Cu(II) yields remarkably effective isomeric differentiation for both the isobaric tripeptides, GGI/GGL using GAG as the reference ligand, and the positional isomers GAG/GGA using GGI as the reference ligand. This is probably due to agostic bonding: alpha-agostic bonding occurs between Cu(II) and GAG and beta-agostic bonding between Cu(II) and GGI, each produces large but different steric effects on the stability of the Cu(II)-bound dimeric clusters. These data form the basis for possible future quantitative analyses of mixtures of larger peptides such as are generated, for example, in combinatorial synthesis of peptides and peptide mimics.     

THE UNUSUAL UVA-DEPENDENT ANTIVIRAL PROPERTIES OF THE FUROISOCOUMARIN, CORIANDRIN

The novel furoisocoumarin, coriandrin, which was found recently to possess an interesting combination of photobiological properties, was investigated for antiviral activity in the presence and absence of UVA (long-wavelength ultraviolet radiation). In contrast to results obtained with other antiviral furocoumarins, such as 8-MOP (8-methoxypsoralen), coriandrin was much more phototoxic to the RNA-virus Sindbis virus than to the DNA-virus murine cytomegalovirus, although both viruses were substantially more sensitive to this compound than they were to 8-MOP. Human immunodeficiency virus, HIV-1, was also susceptible to coriandrin + UVA. Another unexpected finding was that viruses without membranes were completely resistant to coriandrin. This suggests that a membrane component was a target for the compound. The antiviral activity of coriandrin was profoundly inhibited by serum components in the reaction mixtures, which suggests that the compound may have a strong affinity for certain protein or lipid materials, although maximal interference was only obtained when all components of the reaction mixture, virus, coriandrin and serum, were irradiated simultaneously. Thus it appears that coriandrin has unusual antiviral properties that would not be predicted from its chemical similarity to furocoumarins.