Role of the Bridge in Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Porphyrin–Fullerene Dyads

The role of π‐conjugated molecular bridges in through‐space and through‐bond electron transfer is studied by comparing two porphyrin–fullerene donor–acceptor (D–A) dyads. One dyad, ZnP–Ph–C₆₀ (ZnP=zinc porphyrin), incorporates a phenyl bridge between D and A and behaves very similarly to analogous dyads studied previously. The second dyad, ZnP–EDOTV–C₆₀, introduces an additional 3,4‐ethylenedioxythienylvinylene (EDOTV) unit into the conjugated bridge, which increases the distance between D and A, but, at the same time, provides increased electronic communication between them. Two essential outcomes that result from the introduction of the EDOTV unit in the bridge are as follows: 1) faster charge recombination, which indicates enhanced electronic coupling between the charge‐separated and ground electronic states; and 2) the disappearance of the intramolecular exciplex, which mediates photoinduced charge separation in the ZnP–Ph–C₆₀ dyad. The latter can be interpreted as a gradual decrease in electronic coupling between locally excited singlet states of D and A when introducing the EDOTV unit into the D–A bridge.     

Excitation functions for (α,xn) reactions on107Ag and109Ag

Excitation functions have been measured for yields of In isotopes in the reactions¹⁰⁷Ag(, xn)^111–xIn and¹⁰⁹Ag(, xn)^113–xIn for x=1–5. The alpha particle bombardment of natural silver, the stacked foil technique for irradiation and semiconductor gamma-spectrometry for measurements were used.This work has been sponsored by the Subsecretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología, Argentina.     

Characterization and comparison of soluble and immobilized pig muscle aldolases

Pig muscle aldolase was insolubilized by covalent attachment to a polyacrylamide matrix containing carboxylic functional groups. The catalytic activity of the Akrilex C-aldolase was 2014 units/g solid, i.e., an activity loss of only about 5% relative to the initial activity. The pH optimum for catalytic activity shifted form 7.25 to 7.5 and the apparent temperature optimum from 313 to 318 K. The Michaelis constant of the insolubilized enzyme was significantly higher than that of the soluble aldolase. Heat- and urea-inactivation experiments revealed that the immobilization increased the stability of the enzyme.     

Synthesis of novel azanorbornylpurine derivatives

Azanorbornylpurine derivatives were prepared by Mitsunobu reaction of appropriate hydroxyazanorbornane derivative with 6-chloropurine or construction of purine base at azanorbornylamines. The prepared target compounds were evaluated for antiviral activity and effect on neuronal and muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.     

Hydrolysis study: Synthesis of novel styrenic Schiff bases derived from benzothiazole

Novel styrenic Schiff base derivatives of benzothiazole are synthesized. The condensation of 4-vinylbenzaldehyde 1 with either benzothiazol-2-amine or 4-methoxy-benzothiazol-2-amine leads to a mixture of two isomers. From 4-methyl-benzothiazol-2-amine and 6-fluoro-benzothiazol-2-amine, the N-(4-vinylbenzylidene)-4-methyl-benzothiazol-2-amine 8 and N-(4-vinylbenzylidene)-6-fluoro-benzothiazol-2-amine 9 are isolated, respectively. The structures of the synthesized Schiff bases are confirmed through a combination of various spectroscopic techniques including IR, UV, ¹H and ¹³C NMR. A kinetic study of the hydrolysis process of derivatives 6 and 9 in buffered aqueous medium at pH 4.4, 7.4 and 8.5 is conducted by UV spectroscopy. It is shown that the hydrolysis of these compounds is a first order reaction showing an increasing rate as the medium acidity is enhanced.     

Online H/D exchange liquid chromatography as a support for the mass spectrometric identification of the oxidation products of melatonin

The hydrogen–deuterium exchange of protonated melatonin and its in vitro oxidation end‐products have been examined by liquid chromatography coupled with ion‐trap mass spectrometry. Specific H/D scrambling of protons in the C2 and C4 positions of the indole ring during gas‐phase fragmentation process was observed for both melatonin and its oxidation products. Collision‐induced dissociation spectra showed losses of variably deuterated NH₃, H₂O and CH₃CONH₂. In addition, a similar H/D scrambling behaviour was observed for the oxidation products, obtained from the opening of the indole ring by oxidative attack. Fragmentation pathways are proposed and H/D scrambling has been employed as a fingerprint, allowing identification of N¹‐acetyl‐5‐methoxykynurenin (AMK), N¹‐acetyl‐N²‐formyl‐5‐methoxykynurenin (AFMK), dehydro‐AFMK and hydroxymelatonin as the oxidation products of melatonin in vitro. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.