On the selection of the optimal plasticizer for calix[n]arene-based ion-selective electrodes: Possible correlation between the ion selectivity and the ‘softness’ of the plasticizer

A criterion for the selection of a suitable plasticizer for calix[n]arene-based ion-selective electrodes is discussed. The cation selectivity of plasticized membranes without the ligand was first measured as a reference. The membranes can be roughly classified into two groups. The first group shows cation selectivity in the order Cs⁺+>K⁺>Na⁺>Li⁺. The membranes in the second group are made of phosphorus plasticizers, which show a selectivity in the reverse order. The plasticizers in the first group featured a linear relationship between the dipole moment of the plasticizer (calculated by a PM3 method) and the ratio of cesium selectivity to lithium selectivity. The linear relationship supports the view that the polar membrane which includes a soft plasticizer with a large dipole moment shows selectivity for Cs⁺, whereas the nonpolar membrane including the soft plasticizer with the small dipole moment shows much lower selectivity for Cs⁺. Next, 2-fluorphenyl-2-nitrophenyl ether (FPNPE) which showed the highest Cs⁺ selectivity and tris(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate (TEHP) which showed the highest Li⁺ selectivity were mixed in an appropriate ratio to make membranes with a different affinity for hard ions. The metal selectivities of several crown-based and calixarene-based ionophores were examined in these membranes. Although a few exceptions exist, the polar soft membrane is favorable when the interfering metal ion is hard, whereas the hard membrane is favorable when the interfering metal ion is soft.     

Improvement of chemical analysis of antibiotics. X. Determination of eight tetracyclines using thin-layer and high-performance liquid chromatography

Analytical methods for eight tetracyclines (TCs) were established using silica gel high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography (RP-TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Good separations of eight TCs were obtained using chloroform-methanol-5% disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate solution (65:20:5) (lower layer) and methanol acetonitrile 0.5 M oxalic acid solution (1:1:4) (pH 3.0) on silica gel HPTLC and C8 TLC plates, respectively. A combination of HPTLC and RP-TLC made possible the identification of the eight TCs. Each calibration graph was linear between 0.1 and 1.0 microgram using UV densitometry except for rolitetracycline. For detection reagents, the diazonium salts including Fast Violet B gave variously coloured spots with the eight TCs and good sensitivities were obtained except with minocycline. In HPLC, the simultaneous analysis of the eight TCs on a C8 column was possible using methanol-acetonitrile-0.01 M oxalic acid solution (1:1.5:7) adjusted to pH 3.0 as the mobile phase. A linear relationship was obtained between 1.0 and 10 ng using the usual sample preparation except for rolitetracycline. The direct determination of rolitetracycline was possible using tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl sulphoxide and the mobile phase as solvents for preparation of the sample. For the determination of residual rolitetracycline, it was effective to measure the amount of rolitetracycline as tetracycline by HPLC, HPTLC and RP-TLC after conversion of rolitetracycline to tetracycline by incubating for 5 min in methanol at 50 degrees C.     

Formation of Supramolecular Polymers Constructed by Cyclodextrins with Cinnamamide

-Cyclodextrin having cinnamamide at 6- or 3-positions (6-CiNH--CD, 3-CiNH--CD) and -cyclodextrin with cinnamamide on 6-position (6-CiNH--CD) have been prepared. Supramolecular structures were formed in the solid state or aqueous solutions and characterized by measurements of NMR and vapor pressure osmometry (VPO). The results indicate that 6-CiNH--CD formed insoluble supramolecular polymers in the solid state, while 6-CiNH--CD and 3-CiNH--CD formed supramolecular complexes in aqueous solutions. 6-CiNH--CD was found to form a dimer in an aqueous solution. 3-CiNH--CD formed intermolecular complexes to give supramolecular polymers. The differences of the position of guest part on cyclodextrins caused to give a variety of supramolecular structures in aqueous solutions.     

Second-derivative spectrophotometric study on the interactions of chlorpromazine and triflupromazine with bovine serum albumin

The second-derivative spectra of chlorpromazine (CPZ) or triflupromazine (TFZ) in buffer solutions (pH 7.4) containing various amounts of BSA (the reference solutions contained the same amount of BSA) showed derivative isosbestic points. The residual background signals derived from incomplete suppression of BSA signals can be entirely eliminated in the second-derivative spectra and BSA has spectrophotometrically one kind of binding site for CPZ or TFZ. The fractions of the drugs bound to BSA were calculated from the derivative intensity differences (ΔD values) of CPZ or TFZ before and after the addition of BSA. Scatchard plot experiments suggested that the binding of the drugs to BSA could be explained as a partition like non-specific binding model. The association constants (K) of CPZ or TFZ with BSA were calculated from the ΔD values according to the non-specific binding model by a nonlinear least-squares method. The K values were almost constant for all of the drug concentrations studied, and good reproducibility was obtained. The fractions predicted by the K values were in good coincidence to the observed values. These results confirm the usefulness of the proposed derivative method which does not need any separation procedures.     

Dimethylsilyl ketene acetal as a nucleophile in asymmetric Michael reaction: enhanced enantioselectivity in oxazaborolidinone-catalyzed reaction

[reaction: see text] Dimethylsilanyl [Me2Si(H)] ketene S,O-acetal 6b is an effective nucleophile that retards the undesirable Si+-catalyzed racemic pathway in the oxazaborolidinone-catalyzed asymmetric Michael reaction. Through the further suppression of the Si+-catalyzed pathway by carrying out the reaction in the presence of 2,6-diisopropylphenol and t-BuOMe as additives, enantioselectivity up to 98% ee could be achieved for a variety of acyclic enones.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated imines with carbon monoxide and alkenes leading to beta,gamma-unsaturated gamma-butyrolactams: involvement of direct carbonylation at olefinic C[bond]H Bonds as a key step

The reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated imines with CO and alkenes in the presence of Ru(3)(CO)(12) as a catalyst results in a three-component coupling reaction that gives alpha,alpha-disubstituted beta,gamma-unsaturated gamma-butyrolactams. The reaction proceeds via a two-step sequence involving the initial formation of ketone derivatives by catalytic carbonylation at the beta-olefinic C-H bonds of alpha,beta-unsaturated imines, followed by the (uncatalyzed) intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the imine nitrogen on the ketonic carbon to generate a tetrahedral intermediate, which then undergoes a 1,2-ethyl migration. The reaction of a cyclic unsaturated imine, derived from the reaction of (1R)-(-)-myrtenal with tert-butylamine, gives a beta-aminocyclopentene derivative, which is formed by an aldol-type condensation of the initially formed ketone, indicating the initial formation of ethyl ketone.     

Stochastic phase lockings in a relaxation oscillator forced by a periodic input with additive noise: A first-passage-time approach

Noise effects on phase lockings in a system consisting of a piecewise-linear van der Pol relaxation oscillator driven by a periodic input are studied. The problem of finding the period of the oscillator is reduced to the first-passage-time problem of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process with time-varying boundary. The probability density functions of the first-passage time are used to define the operator which governs a transition of an input phase density after one cycle of the oscillator. Phase lockings in a stochastic sense are investigated on the basis of the density evolution by the operator.