Kinetic and mechanistic studies of oxidation of arginine,histidine, and threonine in alkaline medium by N-chloro-N-sodio-p-toluenesulfonamide

The kinetics of oxidation of arginine, histidine, and threonine by chloramine-T (CAT) have been investigated in alkaline medium at 35°C. The rates are first order in both [CAT] and [amino acid] and inverse fractional order in [OH^?] for arginine and histidine. The rate is independent of [OH^?] for threonine. Variation of ionic strength and addition of the reaction product, p-toluenesulfonamide, or Cl^? ions had no effect on the rate. A decrease of the dielectric constant of the medium by adding methanol decreased the rate with arginine, while the rates increased with histidine and threonine. The solvent isotope effect was studied using D₂O. (k_obs)/(k_obs) was found to be 0.55 and 0.79 for arginine and histidine, respectively. The reactions were studied at different temperatures, and activation parameters have been computed. The oxidation process in alkaline medium, under conditions employed in the present investigations, has been shown to proceed via two paths, one involving the interaction of RNHCl (formed rapidly from RNCl^?), with the amino acid in a slow step to form monochloroamino acid, which subsequently interacts with another molecule of RNHCl in a fast step to give the products, p-toluenesulfonamide (RNH₂), and the corresponding nitrile of the amino acid (R'CN). The other path involves the interaction of RNCl^? with the amino acid in a similar way to give RNH₂ and R'CN. Mechanisms proposed and the derived rate laws are consistent with the observed kinetics. The rate constants predicted using the derived rate laws, as [OH^?] varies, are in excellent agreement with the observed rate constants, thus justifying these rate laws and hence the proposed mechanistic schemes.     

Structural Conformation of a Novel Piperidine-4-One Derivative: 1-Acryloyl-3-Methyl-2,6-Dip-Tolylpiperidine-4-One

Abstract  

The novel 3-methyl-2,6-dip-toylpiperidine-4-one was acylated by 3-chloropropanoychloride and subjected for dehydrohalogenation. The synthesized compound was characterized by spectroscopic techniques and finally confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. The molecule crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal class in the space group C ₂/c with cell parameters a = 18.538(2) ?, b = 9.9050(1) ?, c = 22.954(2) ?, β = 94.486(8)° and Z = 8. The piperidine ring adopts a twist boat conformation.     

Reactions of organo-rhodium complexes with multidentate N,N and N,S-heterocycles and exchange studies by NMR

Dihalobridged binuclear complexes [Rh(diolefin)(μ-X)]₂ {diolefin = 1,5-cyclooctadiene (cod), X = Cl or Br; diolefin = norbornadiene (nbd), X = Cl}, undergo halide bridge cleavage reactions with multidentate N,N-heterocycles 1,3,5-tris(benzimidazolyl)benzene (L¹H₃), 1,3,5-tris(N-methylbenzimidazolyl)benzene (L²H₃) and N,S-heterocycle 1,3,5-tris(benzothiazolyl)benzene (L³H₃) to yield trinuclear heterocycle bridged complexes [{RhX(cod)}₃(μ-LH₃)] and [{RhCl(nbd)}₃(μ-LH₃)] (LH₃ = L¹H₃, L²H₃, L³H₃). ¹H NMR exchange measurements have shown resonances for olefinic protons 1″, 2″, 5″ and 6″ of cod at different chemical shifts, perhaps due to restricted Rh–N bond rotation. The olefinic and aliphatic protons would undergo exchange with each other and also with intermediate species. The exchange mechanism may be visualized to involve Rh–N bond breaking, rotation of the cod ligand of the T-shaped (three-coordinate) intermediate species followed by recomplexation. An alternate mechanism may be Rh–cod bond breaking at olefin positions 5″ and 6″, isomerisation of the T-complex such that 5″/6″ moves trans to X coupled with rotation of the heterocycle about the Rh–N bond (made easier by the reduced coordination number of the intermediate), followed by recoordination of 1″/2″ trans to N, followed by recomplexation. NMR signals from the intermediate species in one dimensional ¹H, ¹³C and 2D NMR spectra have supported the exchange of protons.     

Differential protonation and dynamic structure of doxylamine succinate in solution using 1H and 13C NMR

A protonation and dynamic structural study of doxylamine succinate, a 1:1 salt of succinic acid with dimethyl-[2-(1-phenyl-1-pyridin-2-yl-ethoxy)ethyl]amine, in solution using one- and two-dimensional 1H and 13C NMR experiments at variable temperature and concentration is presented. The two acidic protons of the salt doxylamine succinate are in 'intermediate' exchange at room temperature, as evidenced by the appearance of a broad signal. This signal evolves into two distinct signals below about -30 degrees C. A two-dimensional 1H-1H double quantum filtered correlation experiment carried out at -55 degrees C shows protonation of one of the acidic protons to the dimethylamine nitrogen. A two-dimensional rotating frame 1H-1H NOE experiment at the same temperature reveals that the other proton remains with the succinate moiety. Comparison of the 1H and 13C chemical shifts and the 13C T1 relaxation times of the salt with those of the free base further substantiate the findings.     

Rhodotorula aurantiaca penicillin V acylase: Active site characterization and fluorometric studies

Penicillin V acylase (PVA), a member of newly evolved Ntn-hydrolase superfamily, is a pharmaceutically important enzyme to produce 6-aminopenicillanic acid. Active site characterization of recently purified monomeric PVA from Rhodotorula aurantiaca (Ra-PVA), the yeast source, showed the involvement of serine and tryptophan in the enzyme activity. Modification of the protein with serine and tryptophan specific reagents such as PMSF and NBS showed partial loss of PVA activity and substrate protection. Ra-PVA was found to be a multi-tryptophan protein exhibiting one tryptophan, in native and, four in its denatured condition. Various solute quenchers and substrate were used to probe the microenvironment of the putative reactive tryptophan through fluorescence quenching. The results obtained indicate that the tryptophan residues of Ra-PVA were largely buried in hydrophobic core of the protein matrix. Quenching of the fluorescence by acrylamide was collisional. Acrylamide was the most effective quencher amongst all the used quenchers, which quenched 71.6% of the total intrinsic fluorescence of the protein, at a very less final concentration of 0.1 M. Surface tryptophan residues were found to have predominantly more electropositively charged amino acids around them, however differentially accessible for ionic quenchers. Denaturation led to shift in λ_max from 336, in native state, to 357 nm and more exposed to the solvent, consequently increase in fluorescence quenching with all quenchers. This is an attempt towards the conformational studies of Ra-PVA.     

Hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of furfural and furfuryl alcohol catalyzed by ruthenium(II) bis(diimine) complexes

The catalytic activity of ruthenium(II) bis(diimine) complexes cis‐[Ru(6,6′‐Cl₂bpy)₂(OH₂)₂](Z)₂ ( 1 , Z = CF₃SO₃; 2 , Z = (3,5‐(CF₃)₂C₆H₃)₄B, i.e. BArF) and cis‐[Ru(4,4′‐Cl₂bpy)₂(OH₂)₂](Z)₂ ( 3 , Z = CF₃SO₃; 4 , Z = BArF) for the hydrogenation and/or the hydrogenolysis of furfural (FFR) and furfuryl alcohol (FFA) was investigated. The molecular structures of cis‐[Ru(4,4′‐Cl₂bpy)₂(CH₃CN)₂](CF₃SO₃)₂ ( 3 ′) and dimeric cis‐[(Ru(4,4′‐Cl₂bpy)₂Cl)₂](BArF)₂ ( 5 ) were characterized by X‐ray crystallography. The structures are consistent with the anticipated reduction in steric hindrance about the ruthenium centers in comparison with corresponding complexes containing 6,6′‐Cl₂bpy ligands. While compounds 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 are all active and highly selective catalysts for the hydrogenation of FFR to FFA under modest reaction conditions, 3 and 4 showed decreased activity. This is best explained in terms of reduced Lewis acidity of the Ru²⁺ centers and reduced steric hindrance about the metal centers of catalysts 3 and 4 . cis‐[Ru(6,6′‐Cl₂bpy)₂(OH₂)₂](BArF)₂ ( 2 ) also displayed high catalytic efficiency for the hydrogenation of FFA to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol. Presumably, this is because coordination of C═C bonds of FFA to the ruthenium center is poorly inhibited by non‐coordinating BArF counterions. Interestingly, cis‐[Ru(6,6′‐Cl₂bpy)₂(OH₂)₂](CF₃SO₃)₂ ( 1 ) showed some catalytic activity in ethanol for the hydrogenolysis of FFA to 2‐methylfuran, albeit with fairly modest selectivity. Nonetheless, these results indicate that ruthenium(II) bis(diimine) complexes need to be further explored as catalysts for the hydrogenolysis of C―O bonds of FFR, FFA, and related compounds. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conformational stability of helical peptides containing a thioamide linkage

[structure: see text] Thioxo peptide analogues of the alpha-helical peptide GCN4-p1 were synthesized and evaluated for helicity and oligomeric state. Sedimentation equilibrium and CD measurements indicate that the thioxo peptides fold into parallel alpha-helical coiled coil structures essentially identical to the native structure. This work marks the first incorporation of a thioamide linkage into the backbone of an alpha-helix and demonstrates that a thioamide linkage is compatible with positions within the helix as well as near the C-terminus.     

An efficient synthesis of tert-butyl ethers/esters of alcohols/amino acids using methyl tert-butyl ether

A facile synthesis of a wide variety of tert-butyl ethers and tert-butyl ester derivatives under mild conditions is described. Alcohols etherified with tert-butyl methyl ether as tert-butyl source and solvent, in the presence of sulfuric acid. Many amino acid tert-butyl esters have been synthesized by this procedure. The reaction is simple, inexpensive, easily scaled up, and proceeds without observable racemization. A green method was developed for the deprotection of this group using Amberlite resin IR 120-H as catalyst.     

Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of aspirin by bromamine-T,N-bromosuccinimide,and N-bromophthalimide

The kinetics of the oxidation of aspirin (ASP) by bromamine-T (BAT), N-bromosuccinimide (NBS), and N-bromophthalimide (NBP) has been studied in aqueous perchloric acid at 303 K. The oxidation reaction follows identical kinetics with first-order in [oxidant], fractional-order in [ASP], and inverse fractional-order in [H⁺]. Under identical experimental conditions the extent of oxidation with different oxidizing agents is in the order: NBS>BAT>NBP. The rate decreased with decreasing dielectric constant of the medium. The variation of ionic strength and the addition of the reaction products and halide ions had no significant effect on the reaction rate. The solvent isotope effect was studied using D₂O. Kinetic parameters were evaluated by studying the reaction at different temperatures. The reaction products were identified by GC–MS. The proposed reaction mechanism and the derived rate law are consistent with the observed kinetic data. Formation and decomposition constants for ASP-oxidant complexes have been evaluated. Decarboxylation, bromination, and loss of acetic acid gave 2,4,6-tribromophenol. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet: 30: 407–414, 1998