Total synthesis of mycothiazole, a polyketide heterocycle from marine sponges

Mycothiazole isolated from marine sponges has been efficiently synthesized in a convergent manner. The key reactions involve the thiazole synthesis by dehydrogenation of the thiazolidine with chemical manganese dioxide (CMD), the Stille coupling, and the Nagao asymmetric acetate aldol reaction using the chiral 1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione. This synthesis clearly established the absolute configuration of natural mycothiazole to be (R).     

Cypellogins A, B and C, acylated flavonol glycosides from Eucalyptus cypellocarpa

Three new acylated flavonol glycosides, cypellogins A (1), B (2) and C (3), along with eight known phenolic compounds, were isolated from the dried leaves of Eucalyptus cypellocarpa, and their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic methods, including 2D NMR experiments and chemical evidence.     

Structure formation of PVDF/PMMA blends studied

Conformational formation and crystallization dynamics of miscible PVDF/at-PMMA and PVDF/iso-PMMA polymer blends from the molten state were studied by the simultaneous DSC/FT-IR measurement. Formation of TGTG' conformation occurred before starting crystallization exothermic peak in the PMMA content (_PMMA) range from 0 to 0.4 for both blends. The formation rate of TGTG' conformation, crystal growth rate and surface free energy of PVDF crystal in blends depended linearly on _PMMA for PVDF/at-PMMA, however, those rates for PVDF/iso-PMMA slightly influenced by _PMMA. These results suggested that the former was miscible blend in molecular level, however, the latter was a miscible blend with large concentration fluctuation or a partially segregated system.     

Oxidative addition and insertion reactions of cyclic alkyne-platinum(0) complexes

The reactions of various alkyne-platinum(0) complexes with methyl iodide and with iodine have been studied. The 3-hexyne complex Pt(C₂H₅C₂C₂H₅)(PPh₃)₂ gives alkyne-free oxidative addition products PtI(CH₃) (PPh₃)₂ and PtI₂ (PPh₃)₂ exclusively. In contrast, the strained cyclic alkyne complexes Pt(C₆H₈)(PPh₃)₂, Pt(C₇H₁₀)(PPh₃)₂, Pt(C₆H₈) (dppe) and Pt(C₇H₁₀) (dppe)¹ react with methyl iodide to give mainly 2-methylcycloalkenyiplatinum(II) complexes, e.g. PtI(C₆H₈CH₃) (PPh₃)₂, formed by electrophilic attack on the metal-alkyne bond. Iodine reacts similarly with Pt(C₆H₈) (PPh₃)₂ and Pt(C₇H₁₀) (PPh₃)₂ to give 2-iodocycloalkenylplatinum(II) complexes but, in the case of the corresponding dppe complexes, PtI₂(dppe) is the main product. The insertion reaction of methyl iodide with Pt(C₆H₈)(PPh₃)₂ proceeds via an oxidative addition intermediate PtI(CH₃) (C₆H₈) (PPh₃)₂ which can be isolated. Trifluoromethyl iodide reacts with Pt(C₆H₈)(PPh₃)₂ to give a 2-iodocyclohexenyl complex Pt(CF₃) (C₆H₈I) (PPh₃)₂ and with Pt(C₇H₁₀) (PPh₃)₂ to give PtI(CF₃) (PPh₃)₂. ³¹P NMR data are given and discussed.     

Theoretical study of the structure and optical properties of carbon-doped rutile and anatase titanium oxides

The structure and optical properties of carbon-doped titanium oxides, TiO2, in the rutile and anatase forms have been investigated theoretically from first principles. Two possible doping sites were studied, carbon at an oxygen site (anion doping) and carbon at a titanium site (cation doping). The calculated structures suggest that cation-doped carbon atoms form a carbonate-type structure, whereas anion-doped carbon atoms do not invoke any significant structural change. A density-of-states analysis revealed three in-gap impurity states for anion doping. The optical properties of anion-doped cells qualitatively agree with the experimentally reported visible-light absorbance values. We ascribe part of the absorption to transitions from the valence band to one of the impurity states. These transitions should be able to promote photocatalytic reactions, because electron holes in the valence band are considered to be crucial for this process. Neither in-gap impurity states nor visible-light absorbance were observed in the case of cation doping. The effect of oxygen vacancies was also investigated. Introduction of oxygen vacancies into anion-doped TiO2 populates the impurity states and thus suppresses photocatalysis. The interaction of a doped carbon atom with an oxygen vacancy at a finite spatial separation was also carried out. The possibility of either a carbon-oxygen vacancy pair or higher carbon-oxygen vacancy complex existing is discussed.     

Resonance Raman spectra of 15N enriched metallooctaethylorphyrins. Characterization of the oxidation state marker bands of hemoproteins

Resonance Raman spectra of ¹⁵N enriched metallooctaethylporphyrins [M(OEP) ? ¹⁵N₄] [M = Ni²⁺, Fe³⁺ (high spin), and Fe³⁺ (low spin)] were observed. Polarized Raman lines corresponding to the oxidation state marker band of hemoproteins were observed at 1377 (Ni), 1369 (Fe high spin) and 1372^?1 (Fe low spin) which were shifted to lower frequency from those of the ¹⁴N compounds by 6, 5, and 6 cm^?1, respectively. The vibrational mode for this band was shown to include an appreciable contribution of the C_αN symmetric stretching vibration and to be associated with ca. 0.01 Å of in-phase displacement of the four pyrrole nitrogens toward the metal ion.     

Thermoresponsive conductivity of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)/potassium chloride gel electrolytes

A series of thermoresponsive polymer gel electrolytes (PGEs) based on poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) in aqueous potassium chloride was synthesized by radiation‐induced polymerization and gelation using γ rays from a ⁶⁰Co source. The electric conductivity and swelling properties of the PGE were determined as a function of temperature. It was found that the electric conductivity of the PGE depended strongly on the swelling ratio; most notably, it changed drastically near the volume phase‐transition temperature of the PGE. The temperature/conductivity profile of the PGE exhibits a maximum peak at a certain temperature that is defined as the maximum conductivity temperature (T_max). The T_max of all of the PGEs prepared by low‐dose irradiation agreed with the temperature, near the end of the volume phase transition, where the PGE was completely shrunken. Consequently, the conductivity of gels should provide a good method with which the totally shrunken temperature of the thermoresponsive gels can be monitored with good temperature precision. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 134–141, 2002