Electron-transfer reactions through the associated interaction between cytochrome c and self-assembled monolayers of optically active cobalt(III) complexes: molecular recognition ability induced by the chirality of the cobalt(III) units

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of optically active Co(III) complexes ((S)-2/(R)-2) that contain (S)- or (R)-phenylalanine derivatives as a molecular recognition site were constructed on Au electrodes ((S)-2-Au/(R)-2-Au). Molecular recognition characteristics induced by the S and R configurations were investigated by measurements of electron-transfer reactions with horse heart cytochrome c (cyt c). The electrochemical studies indicate that the maximum current of cyt c reduction is obtained when the Au electrode is modified by 2 with a moderate coverage of approximately 4.0 x 10(-11) mol cm(-2). Since the Au electrode is not densely packed with the Co(III) units at this concentration, we conclude that the penetrative association process between cyt c and the Co(III) unit plays an important role in this electron-transfer system. The differences in the electron-transfer rates of (S)-2-Au and (R)-2-Au increase with increasing scan rates, a result indicating that the chiral ligand has an influence on the rate of association of the complexes with cyt c. 3-Au has a mixed monolayer composed of 2 and hexanethiol and exhibits electron-transfer behavior comparable to 2-Au. The difference in the association rates of (S)-3-Au and (R)-3-Au is larger than that between (S)-2-Au and (R)-2-Au, which indicates that the molecular recognition ability of 3-Au has been enhanced by filling the gap between molecules of 2 with hexanethiols. The differences in the oxidation rates of cyt c(II) between (S)-2-Au and (R)-2-Au and between (S)-3-Au and (R)-3-Au were larger than the differences in the rates of the reduction of cyt c(III); this suggests that the size of the heme crevice varies according to the oxidation state of cyt c.     

PRODAN-conjugated DNA: synthesis and photochemical properties

A solvatochromic fluorophore, PRODAN, has been used as a microenvironment-sensitive reporter. Based on the chemistry of PRODAN, we designed and synthesized four novel fluorescent nucleosides, PDNX (X = U, C, A, and G), to which a PRODAN fluorophore was attached at pyrimidine C5 or purine C8. The fluorescent nucleosides sensitively varied the Stokes shift values depending on the orientational polarizability of the solvent. The PDNX incorporated into DNA also changed the Stokes shift values depending on the DNA structure. In particular, the excitation spectrum of the PDNX-containing duplex shifted to a longer wavelength and gave a smaller Stokes shift value when the base opposite PDNX could form a Watson-Crick base pair with PDNX. A lower energy excitation of PDNX-containing DNA resulted in a strong fluorescence emission selective to the Watson-Crick pairing base. This unique photochemical character was applicable to the efficient typing of single-nucleotide polymorphisms of genes.     

Pd(OAc)2/P(cC6H11)3-catalyzed allylation of aryl halides with homoallyl alcohols via retro-allylation

Allylations of aryl halides take place upon treatment of tertiary homoallyl alcohols with aryl halides in the presence of cesium carbonate and a palladium catalyst. The allylation reaction would consist of the following steps: (1) oxidative addition of aryl halide to palladium, (2) ligand exchange between the halide and the homoallyl alcohol affording aryl(homoallyloxy)palladium, (3) retro-allylation of the palladium alkoxide to generate sigma-allyl(aryl)palladium with concomitant liberation of the relevant ketone, and (4) productive reductive elimination. Since the retro-allylation step proceeds in a concerted fashion via a conformationally regulated six-membered cyclic transition state, the allylation reactions are highly regio- and stereospecific when homoallyl alcohols having a substituted allyl group are used. Whereas triarylphosphine is known to serve as a ligand for the palladium-catalyzed allyl transfer reactions, tricyclohexylphosphine proves to significantly expand the scopes of aryl halides to electron-rich aryl chlorides and of homoallyl alcohols to cyclic homoallyl alcohols. The new arylative ring-opening reactions of cyclic homoallyl alcohols allow for the synthesis of ketones having a branched or linear allylarene moiety at the remote terminus in regio- and stereospecific manners.     

Phase equilibria and interfacial tension of fluids confined in narrow pores

Correlation between phase behaviors of a Lennard-Jones fluid in and outside a pore is examined over wide thermodynamic conditions by grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. A pressure tensor component of the confined fluid, a variable controllable in simulation but usually uncontrollable in experiment, is related with the pressure of a bulk homogeneous system in equilibrium with the confined system. Effects of the pore dimensionality, size, and attractive potential on the correlations between thermodynamic properties of the confined and bulk systems are clarified. A fluid-wall interfacial tension defined as an excess grand potential is evaluated as a function of the pore size. It is found that the tension decreases linearly with the inverse of the pore diameter or width.     

Observation of characteristic IR band assignable to dimerized copper ions in montmorillonite

Copper ion-exchanged montmorillonite clays, which had been prepared by ion exchange in an aqueous solution of CuCl(2) at a temperature above 323 K, exhibited the characteristic IR band in the region 3360-3310 cm(-1). No such bands were observed for the samples prepared by using different ion-exchange solutions and at different temperatures. From the spectroscopic observations, it was revealed that the ion-exchanged copper ions (Cu(2+)) are in the form of dimerized species by bridging two hydroxyls, [Cu(2+) <(OH(-)(2) > Cu(2+)], in montmorillonite.     

Adsorption and aggregation properties of amino acid-based N-alkyl cysteine monomeric and N,N'-dialkyl cystine gemini surfactants

An amino acid-based gemini surfactant derived from cystine (2CnCys, where n represents the hydrocarbon chain lengths of 8, 10, and 12) was synthesized by reacting cystine with n-alkyl bromide, and its adsorption and aggregation properties were characterized by measurements of equilibrium and dynamic surface tension and dynamic light scattering. The properties of 2CnCys were compared with those of an amino acid-based monomeric surfactant derived from cysteine (CnCys). For n=8 and 10, when compared to CnCys, 2CnCys exhibited excellent surface activities, such as a lower critical micelle concentration (cmc), greater efficiency in lowering the surface tension of water, and smaller area occupied per molecule. Adsorption rate at air/water interface decreased with an increase in hydrocarbon chain length, chain number, and concentration of respective compounds. Further, the kinetics were discussed using the monomer diffusion coefficient obtained from short and long time scales in dynamic surface tension plots. In addition, the aggregation properties of 2CnCys for n=8 and 10 differed from those in the case of n=12. In other words, relatively larger micelles with diameters of approximately 7 nm were formed by 2CnCys for n=8 and 10 in comparison to those formed by CnCys (2-3 nm). On the other hand, for a 0.832 mmol dm-3 2C12Cys solution, the aggregation structure investigated by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) revealed the coexistence of small unilamellar vesicles and small rods.     

N-carbonylation of lithium azaenolates of amides, formamides, ureas, and carbamates with carbon monoxide mediated by selenium

N-Carbonylation of less nucleophilic nitrogen compounds was achieved by the reaction of the lithium azaenolates with carbon monoxide and selenium. This reaction proceeds in the cases of amides, formamides, ureas, and carbamates, leading to the formation of the corresponding carbamoselenoates in good to high yields after trapping with BuI.     

Denaturation of alpha-lactalbumin and ubiquitin studied by electrospray and laser spray

Electrospray and laser spray mass spectra of human alpha-lactalbumin and bovine ubiquitin were studied, with an emphasis on the denaturation induced by laser spray. There were no remarkable differences in the electrospray and laser spray mass spectra for acidic and basic aqueous solutions of alpha-lactalbumin in positive and negative modes of operations. This originates from the fact that this protein is tightly folded with four disulfide bonds. For ubiquitin, however, denaturation was induced by laser spray for the positive mode of operation and the [M+nH](n+) with a maximum of n = 13 was observed, i.e., all the acidic amino acid residues are fully neutralized (protonated). In contrast, the laser-induced denaturation was not observed for the negative mode of operation, i.e., denaturation of ubiquitin is largely suppressed in the negatively charged liquid droplets. The marked difference observed in the positive and negative modes of operations for ubiquitin is ascribed to the difference in the susceptibility of side-chain/main-chain interactions in the positive-ion excess and in the negative-ion excess liquid droplets. That is, the interactions between the basic residues and main-chain amide carbonyl groups (-NH(3) (+)***O=C< or -NH(2)***O=C<) which play an important role in stabilizing the protein structures are not so affected in the negative mode of operation but are weakened in the positive mode of operation.