Structure and reactivity of xanthocorrinoids. Part V. Formation of trans-diol derivatives of 5,6-dihydrocobyrinic acid from xanthocorrinoids under acidic conditions

On treatment with H₂SO₄/MeOH, epimerization of hexamethyl cis-5,6-dihydroxycobyrinate c,8-lactam ( 3 ) takes place quantitatively at C(6), yielding the corresponding trans-diol 4 . The corresponding lactone 7 , whose structure has been established by X-ray analysis, is obtained from xanthocorrinoids 5 and 6 under similar conditions.     

Total synthesis of two 12-nordrimanes and the pharmacological active sesquiterpene hydroquinone yahazunol

The synthesis of two 12-nordrimanes and yahazunol was achieved via 8-oxo-12-nordrimanic acid methyl ester. The cytotoxic activity of yahazunol and seven other sesquiterpene hydroquinones and sesquiterpene quinones has been determined.     

The arrangement of first- and second-shell water molecules in trivalent aluminum complexes: results from density functional theory and structural crystallography

The structural and energetic features of a variety of gas-phase aluminum ion hydrates containing up to 18 water molecules have been studied computationally using density functional theory. Comparisons are made with experimental data from neutron diffraction studies of aluminum-containing crystal structures listed in the Cambridge Structural Database. Computational studies indicate that the hexahydrated structure Al[H(2)O](6)(3+) (with symmetry T(h)()), in which all six water molecules are located in the innermost coordination shell, is lower in energy than that of Al[H(2)O](5)(3+).[H(2)O], where only five water molecules are in the inner shell and one water molecule is in the second shell. The analogous complex with four water molecules in the inner shell and two in the outer shell undergoes spontaneous proton transfer during the optimization to give [Al[H(2)O](2)[OH](2)](+).[H(3)O(+)](2), which is lower in energy than Al[H(2)O](6)(3+); this finding of H(3)O(+) is consistent with the acidity of concentrated Al(3+) solutions. Since, however, Al[H(2)O](6)(3+) is detected in solutions of Al(3+), additional water molecules are presumed to stabilize the hexa-aquo Al(3+) cation. Three models of a trivalent aluminum ion complex surrounded by a total of 18 water molecules arranged in a first shell containing 6 water molecules and a second shell of 12 water molecules are discussed. We find that a model with S(6) symmetry for which the Al[H(2)O](6)(3+) unit remains essentially octahedral and participates in an integrated hydrogen bonded network with the 12 outer-shell water molecules is lowest in energy. Interactions between the 12 second-shell water molecules and the trivalent aluminum ion in Al[H(2)O](6)(3+) do not appear to be sufficiently strong to orient the dipole moments of these second-shell water molecules toward the Al(3+) ion.     

Carbophile Additionen von Organocupraten mit 1,3-Thiazol-5(4H)-thionen

Carbophilic Additions of Organocuprates and 1,3-Thiazole-5(4H)-thiones Organocuprates and 1,3-thiazole-5(4H)-thiones 1 react in THF at 0° via carbophilic addition onto the C? S bond to give 4,5-dihydro-1,3-thiazole-5-thiols 3 (Scheme 3). This observation is in marked contrast to the previously described reaction of organolithium compounds and 1 , which undergo a thiophilic addition onto the exocyclic S-atom. As an exception, treatment of the 1,3-thiazole-5(4H)-thione 1a with tert-butyl cuprate leads to 7a (Scheme 3).     

Electrochemically switchable hydrogen-bonded molecular shuttles

A series of [2]rotaxanes containing succinamide and naphthalimide hydrogen-bonding stations for a benzylic amide macrocycle is described. Electrochemical reduction and oxidation of the naphthalimide group alters its ability to form hydrogen bonds to the macrocycle to such a degree that redox processes can be used to switch the relative macrocycle-binding affinities of the two stations in a rotaxane by over 8 orders of magnitude. The structure of the neutral [2]rotaxane in solution is established by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and shows that the macrocycle exhibits remarkable positional integrity for the succinamide station in a variety of solvents. Cyclic voltammetry experiments allow the simultaneous stimulation and observation of a redox-induced dynamic process in the rotaxane which is both reversible and cyclable. Model compounds in which various conformational and co-conformational changes are prohibited demonstrate unequivocally that the redox response is the result of shuttling of the macrocycle between the two stations. At room temperature in tetrahydrofuran the electrochemically induced movement of the macrocycle between the two stations takes approximately 50 micros.     

Design of a calcium-binding protein with desired structure in a cell adhesion molecule

Ca2+, "a signal of life and death", controls numerous cellular processes through interactions with proteins. An effective approach to understanding the role of Ca2+ is the design of a Ca2+-binding protein with predicted structural and functional properties. To design de novo Ca2+-binding sites in proteins is challenging due to the high coordination numbers and the incorporation of charged ligand residues, in addition to Ca2+-induced conformational change. Here, we demonstrate the successful design of a Ca2+-binding site in the non-Ca2+-binding cell adhesion protein CD2. This designed protein, Ca.CD2, exhibits selectivity for Ca2+ versus other di- and monovalent cations. In addition, La3+ (Kd 5.0 microM) and Tb3+ (Kd 6.6 microM) bind to the designed protein somewhat more tightly than does Ca2+ (Kd 1.4 mM). More interestingly, Ca.CD2 retains the native ability to associate with the natural target molecule. The solution structure reveals that Ca.CD2 binds Ca2+ at the intended site with the designed arrangement, which validates our general strategy for designing de novo Ca2+-binding proteins. The structural information also provides a close view of structural determinants that are necessary for a functional protein to accommodate the metal-binding site. This first success in designing Ca2+-binding proteins with desired structural and functional properties opens a new avenue in unveiling key determinants to Ca2+ binding, the mechanism of Ca2+ signaling, and Ca2+-dependent cell adhesion, while avoiding the complexities of the global conformational changes and cooperativity in natural Ca2+-binding proteins. It also represents a major achievement toward designing functional proteins controlled by Ca2+ binding.     

Radikalische Cyclisierungen von Alkenyl-substituierten 4,5-Dihydro-1,3-thiazol-5-thiolen

Radical Cyclizations of Alkenyl-Substituted 4,5-Dihydro-1,3-thiazole-5-thiols Heating of 5-alkenyl- or 5-alkinyl-4,5-dihydro-1,3-thiazole-5-thiols of type 5 in the presence of a radical initiator gave dithiaspirobicycles in fair-to-excellent yield (Scheme 3). Under analogous conditions, the 4,5-dihydro-4-vinyl-1,3-thiazole-5-thiol 5d underwent a cyclization to give the annellated dithiabicycle 7 (Scheme 4). In this reaction, a minor product 8 was formed by an unknown reaction mechanism. The structure of 8 was established by X-ray crystallography. The starting 1,3-thiazole-5-thiols 5 have been synthesized by carbophilic alkylation of me C?S group of 1,3-thiazole-5(4H)-thiones with Grignard-reagents or alkylcuprates. The thiazolethiones were obtained by the reaction of 3-amino-2H-azirines with thiobenzoic acid followed by sulfurization and cyclization. The 4-benzyl derivative 1b was thermally rearranged via 1,3-benzyl migration to yield the benzyl (1,3-thiazol-5-yl) sulfide 11 (Scheme 5).     

Thermal analysis by EMF-measurements on solid electrolytes

Galvanic cells of the type (C+Cl₂)(NaCl_(s))(MCl_2(s))(C+Cl₂) give e. m. f. 's above 280°, which are due to the formation of ternary chlorides Na_nMCl_n+2. By the change in slope of continuously measured e.m.f.vs. T curves, the temperatures of solid-state reactions in systems NaCl-MCl₂ can be found. This method was applied for the systems of NaCl with NiCl₂, CoCl₂ and CdCl₂, and for KCl-NiCl₂. With the exception of the system NaCl-NiCl₂, all phase diagrams must be corrected.

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Zusammenfassung Mit galvanischen Zellen des Typs (C+Cl₂)/NaCl_(s)/MCl_2(s)/(C+Cl₂) lassen sich oberhalb 280° EMK's messen, die auf der Bildung ternärer Chloride Na_nMCl_n+2 beruhen. Durch die Änderung der Steigung kontinuierlich gemessener EMK- gegen T-Kurven lassen sich in Systemen NaCl/MCl₂ die Temperaturen von Festkörperreaktionen nachweisen. Diese Methode wurde auf die Systeme des NaCl mit NiCl₂, CoCl₂ und CdCl₂ sowie auf das System KCl-NiCl₂ angewendet. Alle Phasendiagramme, mit Ausnahme des Systems NaCl-NiCl₂, mußten auf Grund dieser Messungen revidiert werden.

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(C+Cl₂)/NaCl./MCl₂./(C +Cl₂) 280 °C . . , Na_nMCl_n+2. . . , NaCl-MCl₂. NaCl NiCl₂, CoCl₂, CdCl₂ KCl-NiCl₂. NaCl-NiCl₂,ce .

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This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie.     

Oral malodor,assessed by closed-loop,gas chromatography,and ion-trap technology

A method is described for the analysis of volatile organic compounds in saliva and tongue coating samples. The techniue is based on an off-line preconcentration step by means of a closed-loop trapping system followed by gas chromatography-ion trap detection. With the closed-loop technique, the volatile organic compounds(VOCs) are released from the matrix and trapped on an adsorbent without interference of water. The VOCs are released from the adsorbent into the gas chromatograph by thermdesorption. After separation, identification of the compounds is performed by ion trap technology. By this technique 82 compounds could be demonstrated in saliva and tongue coating samples. The technique is also used to demonstrate the formation of volatile bacterial fermentation compounds when a protein substrate is added to tongue coating samples. It is considered a very promising tool in further research on oral malodor.     

On-column polymer-imbedded graphite inlet electrode for capillary electrophoresis coupled on-line with flow injection analysis in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) interface

A method for coupling an electrophoretic driven separation to a liquid flow, using conventional fused-silica capillaries and a soft polymeric interface is presented. A novel design of the electrode providing high voltage to the electrophoretic separation was also developed. The electrode consisted of a conductive polyimide/graphite imbedded coating immobilized onto the capillary electrophoresis (CE) column inlet. This integrated electrode gave the same separation performance as a commonly used platinum electrode. The on-column electrode also showed good electrochemical stability in chronoamperometric experiments. In addition, with this electrode design, the electrode position relative to the inlet end of the CE column will always be constant and well defined. The on-line flow injection analysis (FIA)-CE system was used with electrospray ionization (ESI)-time of flight (TOF)-mass spectrometry detection. The preparation of the PDMS (poly(dimethylsiloxane)) interface for FIA-CE is described in detail and used for initial tests of the on-column polymer-imbedded graphite inlet electrode. In this interface, a pressure-driven liquid flow, a make up CE electrolyte and a CE column inlet meet in a two-level cross (95 microm ID) in the PDMS structure, enabling independent flow characterization.