Self-condensation of activated malonic acid half esters: a model for the decarboxylative Claisen condensation in polyketide biosynthesis

The reaction of a malonic acid half oxyester with a N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester-forming reagent resulted in self-condensation to provide the corresponding 1,3-acetonedicarboxylic acid diester. This new method does not require a divalent metal chelator or a coordinating solvent for successful condensation.     

A new iso-amyl benzothiazolyl sulfoxide as an extractant for palladium and the crystal structure of its palladium (II) complex

A new iso-amyl benzothiazolyl sulfoxide (ABSO) was synthesized and used in the extraction of Pd(II) from hydrochloric acid media. Pd(II) was extracted quantitatively from 0.1 M HCl with ABSO in benzene (0.5 M). Ammonia solution (2.0 M) could be used as stripping agent. ABSO and Pd(II) form a 2:1 adduct [Pd (ABSO)2Cl2] in the extraction. X-ray crystal structure determination revealed PdCl2(ABSO)2 is a square-planar complex in which ABSO acts as a neutral unidentate ligand coordinated with palladium(II) via the thiazolyl N atom.     

Heat capacities of binary and ternary aqueous solutions ofmyo-inositol,D-mannitol,and cyclohexanol. Heat capacity changes for interactions of the CH2 and CHOH groups

Heat capacities of binary and ternary aqueous systems containing myo-inositol, D-mannitol, and cyclohexanol have been measured and fitted to $$C_{p,\phi } = C_{p,\phi }^0 + c_2 m + c_3 m^2 $$ The data can be successfully treated by the Savage-Wood additivity principle and a useful predictive scheme for heat capacity interaction coefficients, c₂, is now available.     

Bimolecular homolytic substitution (S(H)2) reactions with hydrogen atoms. time-resolved electron spin resonance detection in the pulse radiolysis of alpha-(methylthio)acetamide

Pulse radiolysis of aqueous solutions of alpha-(methylthio)acetamide produced unexpectedly large quantities of acetamide radicals that were identified by time-resolved electron spin resonance (TRESR) spectroscopy. The pH dependence of the TRESR-measured radical yields, results from selective scavenging reactions, and density functional theory predictions of the reaction thermochemistry prove that bimolecular homolytic substitution, S(H)2, of the acetamide radical fragment by a H atom is the most likely formation pathway.     

A preliminary evaluation of the functional significance of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein glycosylation on wound healing

The laying down of collagen and fibrous tissue is a key process in wound healing, however excessive collagen (and glycoprotein) deposition causes hypertrophic and keloid scars, eg after burns. Collagen synthesis is increased in these scars compared with normal healing, as is collagenase activity, which controls the degradation pathway of collagen. The processes of wound healing are inextricably linked to those of the acute-phase response (APR): alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), a plasma glycoprotein that undergoes both an increase in concentration and an alteration in its glycosylation pattern during the APR. This study determined that AGP isolated from the plasma of burns patients was of an increased concentration and altered glycosylation pattern compared with normal plasma and was capable of directly interacting with type I collagen. It also had a profound effect on both collagen fibril formation and collagenase activity, to a degree dependent upon the percentage body surface area burned. Additionally, the results obtained provided the basis for predicting the formation of hypertrophic scars.     

Inverse gas chromatographic measurement of solubility parameters in liquid crystalline systems

Inverse gas chromatography, (IGC), has been used to measure interaction parameters in two low-molar-mass liquid crystals and a polymer substituted with the same mesogenic group. Solubility parameters have been calculated. The IGC method is shown to be applicable to this class of compounds and to give meaningful values over a range of temperatures.     

Voltammetry of Plastocyanin at a Graphite Electrode: Effects of Structure, Charge, and Electrolyte

Comparative voltammetric studies on Anabaena variabilis plastocyanin (positively charged at neutral pH) and spinach and poplar plastocyanins (negatively charged at neutral pH) have been undertaken at an edge-plane graphite electrode as a function of ionic strength, pH, and Mg(2+) concentration at 3 degrees C. The aim was to provide a more detailed understanding of the influence of the electrode-protein (solution) interfacial characteristics, as well as the variation of the formal potential with both the nature of the plastocyanin species and the pH. As might be expected, some of the interfacial properties associated with the positive charge on A. variabilis plastocyanin are the opposite of those observed with the negatively charged plastocyanins. For example, the linear diffusion component of the mass transport process for A. variabilis plastocyanin under the conditions of cyclic voltammetry is decreased and the radial diffusion component is increased by the addition of Mg(2+), whereas the reverse occurs with poplar and spinach plastocyanins. The voltammetrically determined reversible potentials for A. variabilis plastocyanin are considerably less positive than those for spinach and poplar plastocyanins, in agreement with values calculated from chemically based redox studies. Ionic strength effects, as determined by addition of NaClO(4) over the concentration range 0.005-0.20 M, are negligible for all three proteins. The addition of Mg(2+) causes a significant shift in the reversible potential toward more positive values for spinach and poplar plastocyanin but only a small positive shift for A. variabilis plastocyanin. The difference is attributed to a specific binding effect. The addition of Mg(2+) also dramatically alters the pH dependence of the reversible potential, indicating that the equilibrium between the protonated and unprotonated forms of reduced plastocyanin is modified by binding of Mg(2+) to the protein. It is concluded that the effects of biologically relevant redox-inactive cations such as Mg(2+) or Ca(2+) have to be considered carefully in studies of the redox chemistry of metalloproteins.     

Ambient temperature, tandem catalytic dehydrocoupling-hydrogenation reactions using Rh colloids and Me2NH.BH3 as a stoichiometric H2 source

Highly active Rh colloids, generated in situ during the catalytic dehydrocoupling of Me2NH.BH3 using [{Rh(cod)(mu-Cl)}2] as a precatalyst, are capable of efficiently hydrogenating alkenes at 25 degrees C in a one-pot procedure using only the evolved H2 from the initial dehydrocoupling reaction.