Preparation of aromatic copolyesteramides by the direct polycondensation with a vilsmeier adduct derived from tosyl chloride and N,N-dimethylformamide

The reaction promoted by Vilsmeier adduct derived from tosyl chloride (TsCl) with N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was successfully applied to the preparation of copolyesteramides of high molecular weights directly from aromatic dicarboxylic acids, diamines, and bisphenols. The polycondensation was significantly affected by the reaction of activated dicarboxylic acids with bisphenols and diamines. Addition of a mixture of bisphenols and diamines likely caused gelation of the reaction mixtures, resulting in insoluble polymers, especially with high mol % diamines. Stepweise addition of them, however, gave the homogeneous reaction mixtures and copolymers of better solubility. These phenomena were studied in terms of sequence length distribution of polyester units, which was estimated by thermal analyses of the random copolymers prepared under various conditions for the initial reaction with bisphenols.     

Dibenzoarsepins: Planarization of 8π‐Electron System in the Lowest Singlet Excited State

Dibenzo[b,f]arsepins possessing severely distorted cores compared to those of other heteropins were synthesized. These derivatives exhibited dual photoluminescence in the green‐to‐red region (500–700 nm) and the near‐ultraviolet region (<380 nm), which could be attributed to the planarization of the arsepin core in the lowest singlet excited (S₁) state. The computational approach for the assessment of the aromatic indices revealed that the dibenzoarsepins studied show aromaticity (8π system) in the S₁ states in line with Baird's rule. The lone pair electrons of the arsenic atoms play a crucial role in the aromaticity in the S₁ states.     

Synthesis and structural revision of marine eicosanoid agardhilactone

Synthesis of the marine eicosanoid agardhilactone has been achieved. The relative and absolute configuration of agardhilactone was successfully determined.     

Vibrational energies for the X1A1, A1B1, and B1A1 states of SiH2/SiD2 and related transition probabilities based on global potential energy surfaces

Transition probabilities were evaluated for the X(1)A(1)-A(1)B(1) and A(1)B(1)-B(1)A(1) systems of SiH(2) and SiD(2) to analyze the X-->A-->B photoexcitation. The Franck-Condon factors (FCFs) and Einstein's B coefficients were computed by quantum vibrational calculations using the three-dimensional potential energy surfaces (PESs) of the SiH(2)(X(1)A(1),A(1)B(1),B(1)A(1)) electronic states and the electronic transition moments for the X-A, X-B, and A-B system. The global PESs were determined by the multireference configuration interaction calculations with the Davidson correction and the interpolant moving least-squares method combined with the Shepard interpolation. The obtained FCFs for the X-A and A-B systems exhibit that the bending mode is strongly enhanced in the excitation since the equilibrium bond angle greatly varies with the three states; the barrier to linearity is evaluated to be 21,900 cm(-1) for the X state, 6400 cm(-1) for the A state, and 230-240 cm(-1) for the B state. The theoretical lifetimes for the pure bending levels of the A and B states were calculated from the fluorescence decay rates for the A-X, B-A, and B-X emissions.     

Visualizing Hepatic Copper Release in Long–Evans Cinnamon Rats Using Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography

The potential utility of an imaging agent for the detection of hepatic copper was investigated in a Wilson’s disease animal model. Solid-phase peptide synthesis was used to construct an imaging agent which consisted of a copper-binding moiety, taken from the prion protein, and a gamma ray-emitting indium radiolabel. Long–Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rats were used for the Wilson’s disease animal model. Our evaluation methodology consisted of administering the indium-labeled agent to both LEC and genetically healthy Long–Evans (LE) cohorts via a tail vein injection and following the pharmacokinetics with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) over the course of an hour. The animals were then sacrificed and their livers necropsied. An additional control agent, lacking the copper-binding moiety, was used to gauge whether any change in the hepatic uptake might be caused by other physiological differences between the two animal models. LEC rats injected with the indium-labeled agent had roughly double the amount of hepatic radioactivity as compared to the healthy control animals. The control agent, without the copper-binding moiety, displayed a hepatic signal similar to that of the control LE animals. Additional intraperitoneal spiking with CuSO₄ in C57BL/6 mice also found that the pharmacokinetics of the indium-labeled, prion-based imaging agent is profoundly altered by exposure to in vivo pools of extracellular copper. The described SPECT application with this compound represented a significant improvement over a previous MRI application using the same base peptide sequence.     

ALL-trans β-CAROTENE-5,6-EPOXIDE IN THYLAKOID MEMBRANES

All- trans β-carotene-5,6-epoxide has been found in the thylakoid membranes of spinach and of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus vulcanus Copeland. The epoxide was extracted from the thylakoid membranes with acetone, and was isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The structure of the epoxide was identified by means of mass, Raman, and electronic absorption spectroscopy. Changes in the amount of the epoxide, as a result of epoxidation and (apparent) de-epoxidation reactions in the membranes, were traced by analysis of extracts on HPLC. In isolated thylakoid membranes, only the epoxidation reaction took place. The reaction was caused by irradiation or by the addition of ferricyanide, suggesting that electron transport reactions in the membranes are involved in the epoxidation. In intact spinach leaves, however, both epoxidation and de-epoxidation took place; the extent of epoxidation correlated with the intensity of light incident on the leaves. The epoxidation and de-epoxidation of all- trans β-carotene are contrasted with those of xanthophylls (in the violaxanthin cycle).     

Comparison of standard materials for the establishment of calibration curves in solid sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Direct determination of copper in powdered biological samples

Summary The selection of standard materials for the establishment of calibration curves is one of the most important problems in the direct analysis of biological samples by GFAAS. Three kinds of standard materials, NBS tomato leaves, coprecipitates with magnesium oxinate and Ni/DMG/PAN were investigated. It was found that it is possible to use both the NBS-SRM and the synthetic reference material prepared by coprecipitation with magnesium oxinate as standard materials for the direct determination of copper in several biological samples issued from NBS and NIES. However, too low results are obtained when the synthetic reference material prepared by coprecipitation with Ni/DMG/PAN is used. In order to clarify this, the effects of nickel and magnesium were examined and the role of magnesium was discussed.     

Decreased Electron Transfer Rates of Manganese Porphyrins with Conformational Distortion of the Macrocycle

Slow electron transfer to manganese(iii) porphyrins results when the macrocycle deviates from planarity. This was demonstrated by measuring the kinetics of homogeneous electron transfer from a series of semiquinone radical anions to synthetic manganese porphyrins (shown schematically; R¹=H, Cl, F; R²=H, F). Three of the four porphyrins studied have nonplanar macrocycles. These results could have implications for the role of manganese in biological electron transfer processes.     

Diatomic interactions in momentum space. The effect of polarization and floating functions

The method of momentum density for interatomic interactions is used to investigate the pictures and roles of the polarization and floating functions in momentum (p-) space. Referring to the previous results from the minimal LCAO (Finkelstein-Horowitz) momentum density, we quantitatively discuss the effect of these functions for the bonding process in the ground state of H ₂ ⁺ system. The essence of the polarization and floating effects is found to be a modulation of the oscillation in the two-center part of the momentum density. The polarization function introduces a term with a phase and the floating function enlarges the period of the oscillation. An increased migration of the density from the one-center to the two-center part is also important. As a result, both the functions contribute to emphasize the contraction and expansion of momentum density observed previously. However, the floating function disturbs the density distribution in high momentum region, reflecting the destruction of cusps in position (r-) space. We point out an error in the pioneer work of Duncanson.