Misgivings from the theoretical foundation of the path‐following procedures based on the Elber–Karplus strategy

A mathematical proof against the theoretical foundation of the Elber–Karplus (EK) global reaction path‐following method and the improvements based on the EK strategy have been discussed. According to our arguments the minimization of the average value of the potential energy along a path to two energy minima never defines a reaction path (RP) unless in the chemically irrealistic situation where the points of the curve joining the two minima of reactants and products have constant energy values. Therefore, finding approximate RPs by EK‐strategies for large chemical systems or even in mathematical test examples is impossible or at least strongly doubtful (the larger the system the more doubtful). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Synthesis of Sialyl Lewis X Analogues

Abstract

Sialyl Lewis X (SLe^x) analogs 2a and 2b were synthesised, where the N-acetyl-D-glucose and the D-galactose units of SLe^x 1 were replaced with an alkyl and a heteroalkyl spacer. Sulphate ester 6i was also synthesised from alcohol 6b and chlorosulphonic acid. A novel promoter, silver mercaptoethanesulphonate, was used to synthesise α-sialosides 2c. 7b and 7c.     

An integrated portable Raman sensor with nanofabricated gold bowtie array substrates for energetics detection

An integrated field-portable surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing system has been developed and evaluated for quantitative analysis of energetics such as perchlorate (ClO(4)(-)) and trinitrotoluene (TNT) at environmentally relevant concentrations and conditions. The detection system consists of a portable Raman spectrometer equipped with an optical fiber probe that is coupled with novel elevated gold bowtie nanostructural arrays as a sensitive and reproducible SERS substrate. Using the standard addition technique, we show that ClO(4)(-) and TNT can be quantified at concentrations as low as 0.66 mg L(-1) (or ~6.6 μM) and 0.20 mg L(-1) (~0.9 μM), respectively, in groundwater samples collected from selected military sites. This research represents the first step toward the development of a field SERS sensor which may permit rapid, in situ screening and analysis for various applications including national security, chemical, biological and environmental detection.     

Synthesis of PAF,an Antifungal Protein from P. chrysogenum,by Native Chemical Ligation: Native Disulfide Pattern and Fold Obtained upon Oxidative Refolding

The folding of disulfide proteins is of considerable interest because knowledge of this may influence our present understanding of protein folding. However, sometimes even the disulfide pattern cannot be unequivocally determined by the available experimental techniques. For example, the structures of a few small antifungal proteins (PAF, AFP) have been disclosed recently using NMR spectroscopy but with some ambiguity in the actual disulfide pattern. For this reason, we carried out the chemical synthesis of PAF. Probing different approaches, the oxidative folding of the synthetic linear PAF yielded a folded protein that has identical structure and antifungal activity as the native PAF. In contrast, unfolded linear PAF was inactive, a result that may have implications concerning its redox state in the mode of action.     

The Mitsunobu Inversion Reaction of Sterically Hindered 17-Hydroxy Steroids

The Mitsunobu inversion reaction of 3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-ol is dramatically influenced by the acidic component. There appears to be a relationship between the dissociation constant of the electron-withdrawing substituent on the aryl acid and the overall effectiveness of the reaction, with more acidic species generally providing a higher yield of inverted product.     

微量热法研究二价铅对两种不同土壤微生物的毒性作用

本次研究采用微量量热技术分析了铅对两种常见土壤微生物（假丝酵母菌、枯草杆菌）的毒性作用。实验结果表明,低浓度Pb(Ⅱ) (10.0 µg mL-1) 对两种土壤微生物的生长均有促进作用;而当Pb(Ⅱ) 浓度较高时（假丝酵母菌 20.0~320.0 µg mL-1、枯草杆菌20.0~160.0 µg mL-1）,微生物的生长则明显被抑制了,此时微生物的生长速率常数k与Pb(Ⅱ) 的浓度c呈现线性相关。同时,细胞干重法和浊度法也应用于本次研究中,并与微量量热曲线拟合,充分证明了微量量热技术对研究铅对土壤微生物毒性作用的准确性和有效性。     

High-accuracy theoretical study on the thermochemistry of several formaldehyde derivatives

In the case of several formaldehyde derivatives, with importance in atmospheric and combustion chemistry, the currently available thermochemical values suffer from considerably large uncertainties. In this study a high-accuracy theoretical model chemistry has been used to provide accurate thermochemical data including heats of formation at 0 and 298 K and standard molar entropies at 298 K for CF(2)O, FCO, HFCO, HClCO, FClCO, HOCO, and NH(2)CO. For most of the thermochemical quantities studied here, this investigation delivers the best available estimate.     

Nonaqueous capillary electrophoretic separation of basic enantiomers using octakis(2,3-O-dimethyl-6-O-sulfo)-gamma-cyclodextrin, a new, single-isomer chiral resolving agent

The enantiomers of 34 pharmaceutical weak-base analytes were separated by nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis in acidic methanol background electrolytes using the sodium salt of the new, single-isomer chiral resolving agent, octakis(2,3-O-dimethyl-6-O-sulfo)-gamma-cyclodextrin (ODMS). The effective mobilities, separation selectivities and peak resolution values of the weak-base analytes were determined as a function of the ODMS concentration in the 0-40 mM range and were found to follow the theoretical predictions of the charged resolving agent migration model (CHARM model) modified for ionic strength effects. Fast, efficient separations were achieved for both comparatively small and large enantiomers.     

Alkali-stable high-pI isoelectric membranes for isoelectric trapping separations

Alkali-stable, high-pI isoelectric membranes have been synthesized from quaternary ammonium derivatives of cyclodextrins and poly(vinyl alcohol), and bifunctional cross-linkers, such as glycerol-1,3-diglycidyl ether. The new, high-pI isoelectric membranes were successfully applied as cathodic membranes in isoelectric trapping separations in place of the hydrolytically more labile, polyacrylamide-based cathodic isoelectric membranes, and permitted the use of catholytes as alkaline as 1 M NaOH. The new high-pI isoelectric membranes have shown excellent mechanical stability, low electric resistance and long life times, even when subjected to electrophoresis with current densities as high as 80 mA/cm2.