Extremal generalized centralizers in matrix algebras

We describe matrices with extremal generalized centralizers over algebraically closed fields.     

Unprecedented Ring–Ring Interconversion of N,P,C‐Cage Ligands

The novel N,P,C‐cage complexes 5 a – f and 6 a – f have been obtained by the reaction of the P‐pentamethylcyclopentadienylphosphinidene complex 2 , generated thermally from 2H‐azaphosphirene complex 1 , with N‐methyl‐C‐arylcarbaldimines 3 a – f . Li/Cl phosphinidenoid complex 8 reacted with 3 a , b to give N,P,C‐cage complexes 6 a , b , whereas with 3 c – f , complexes 6 c – f were obtained in negligible amounts only. Both types of ligand N,P,C‐cage structures 5 and 6 were found to be in an unprecedented equilibrium, with 5 a , f as the predominant species. Transient electrophilic terminal phosphinidene complexes 10 a – f serve as intermediates in both ligand interconversions ( 5 a , f ? 6 a , f ), as evidenced through trapping reactions with phenylacetylene and N‐methyl‐C‐phenylcarbaldimine, thus leading to the novel N,P,C‐cage complexes 13 b and 15 . DFT calculations predicted a small difference in the relative energies of the two types of N,P,C‐cage ligands, and a remarkable stabilisation of the aminophosphinidene complex 10 as the common precursor, thereby providing an insight into this surprising 5‐ring–3‐ring interconversion. In depth analysis of intermediate 10 revealed the occurrence of both through‐bond (conventional inductive/mesomeric effects) and through‐space (non‐covalent interactions) mechanisms, which amount to 67.8 and 14.4 kcal mol^?1, respectively, and account for the remarkable stabilisation of this intermediate.     

EThcD Discrimination of Isomeric Leucine/Isoleucine Residues in Sequencing of the Intact Skin Frog Peptides with Intramolecular Disulfide Bond

Our scientific interests involve de novo sequencing of non-tryptic natural amphibian skin peptides including those with intramolecular S–S bond by means of exclusively mass spectrometry. Reliable discrimination of the isomeric leucine/isoleucine residues during peptide sequencing by means of mass spectrometry represents a bottleneck in the workflow for complete automation of the primary structure elucidation of these compounds. MS³ is capable of solving the problem. Earlier we demonstrated the advanced efficiency of ETD-HCD method to discriminate Leu/Ile in individual peptides by consecutive application of ETD to the polyprotonated peptides followed by HCD applied to the manually selected primary z-ions with the targeted isomeric residues at their N-termini and registration of the characteristic w-ions. Later this approach was extended to deal with several (4–7) broad band mass ranges, without special isolation of the primary z-ions. The present paper demonstrates an advanced version of this method when EThcD is applied in the whole mass range to a complex mixture of natural non-tryptic peptides without their separation and intermediate isolation of the targeted z-ions. The proposed EThcD method showed over 81% efficiency for the large natural peptides with intact disulfide ring, while the interfering process of radical site migration is suppressed. Due to higher speed and sensitivity, the proposed EThcD approach facilitates the analytical procedure and allows for the automation of the entire experiment and data processing. Moreover, in some cases it gives a chance to establish the nature of the residues in the intact intramolecular disulfide loops.

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Efficient Photoconversion Distorts the Fluorescence Lifetime of GFP in Confocal Microscopy: A Model Kinetic Study on Mutant Thr203Val

Phototransformations of autofluorescent proteins are applied in high‐resolution microscopy and in studying cellular transport, but they are detrimental when accidentally occurring in blinking or photobleaching (BL). Here, we investigate the kinetics of phototransformations of a photoactivatable green fluorescent protein (GFP) in confocal microscopy. Photoconversion (PC) is achieved by excitation of the barely present anionic chromophore state R_eq^? in the GFP mutant Thr203Val. Besides the shift of the equilibrium between the neutral chromophore state RH and R_eq^?, the photoconverted anionic chromophore R_PC^? exhibits a reduced fluorescence lifetime τ_fl=2.2 ns. In fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy, τ_fl is found to depend, however, on the excitation conditions and history. The underlying photochemistry is described by the kinetic scheme of consecutive reactions, R_eq^?→R_PC^?→P_dark, in which the anionic chromophore species and the dark protein P_dark are coupled by PC and BL. Time‐correlated single‐photon‐counting detection in a confocal geometry of freely diffusing species is used to compute the quantum yields for PC and BL, Φ_PC and Φ_BL. The assessed values are Φ_PC=5.5×10^?4 and Φ_BL>1×10^?5. Based on these values, PC provokes misinterpretation in fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments and is responsible for spectroscopic peculiarities in single‐molecule detection.     

Stimulated echoes and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectra for solids with simple line shapes

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments on ion conductors often yield rather unstructured spectra, which are hard to interpret if the relation between the actual translational motion of the mobile species and the changes of the NMR frequencies is not known. In order to facilitate a general analysis of experiments on solids with such spectra, different models for the stochastic evolution of the NMR frequencies are considered. The treated models involve random frequency jumps, diffusive evolutions, or approximately fixed frequency jumps. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectra as well as stimulated-echo functions for the study of slow and ultraslow translational dynamics are calculated for Gaussian equilibrium line shapes. The results are compared with corresponding ones from rotational models and with experimental data.     

Tetranuclear BINOL-titanium complex in selective direct aldol additions

The extremely robust and water-stable tetranuclear complex Ti(4)(micro-BINOLato)(6)(micro(3)-OH)(4) (1) catalyzes the direct aldol addition with high degrees of regioselectivity at the sterically more encumbered alpha-side of unsymmetrical ketones. The formation of quaternary stereocenters is described. Oxygen-containing ene components can also be used as starting material in these reactions. When used with aliphatic aldehydes, acetals 18 or acetals of aldol adducts 20 were observed. As few as 0.2 mol % loadings with this catalyst 1 were enough to complete the reactions. Mechanistical aspects of the reactions are discussed.     

Structural and electronic effects involving pyridine rings in 4-methylpyridine Cu4OX6L4 complexes. II. Correlations based on molecular structure of the Cu4OCl6(4-Mepy)4 complex

Correlations involving bond lengths and bond angles in the molecular structure of the Cu₄OCl₆(4-Mepy)₄ complex (4-Mepy = 4-methylpyridine) with four symmetrically independent molecules present in the unit cell showed that the donor-acceptor behavior involving the π-back donation into the pyridine rings of the 4-Mepy ligands is most effectively stimulated by a suitable orientation of the pyridine rings in the trigonal bipyramidal geometry. The pyridine ring planes are almost in parallel orientation with one of the three Cu-Cl bonds. The bond lengths of these Cu-Cl bonds are in a significant linear correlation with the Cu-N bond lengths and the bonds lengths of the pyridine rings. The pyridine rings orientation is affected by distortion of the trigonal bipyramidal geometry to tetragonal pyramidal coordination, by out-of plane pyridine rings deviation and in-plane pyridine rings tilting, by puckering of the pyridine rings and by the effects of the methyl groups. The pyridine rings in at least seven of the sixteen trigonal bipyramidal coordinations exhibit an orientation supporting the π-back bonding between the Cu(II) atoms and the pyridine rings.