Extended hypervalent 5c-6e interactions: linear alignment of five C-Se---O---Se-C atoms in anthraquinone and 9-methoxyanthracene bearing arylselanyl groups at the 1,8-positions

The structures of 1,8-bis(phenylselanyl)anthraquinone (1a), 1,8-bis(phenylselanyl)-9-methoxyanthracene (2a), and 1,8-bis(phenylselanyl)anthracene (3a) are determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis, together with the derivatives. The Se-C(i) (Ph) bonds in 1a are placed on the anthraquinone plane (both type B) and the phenyl planes are perpendicular to the anthraquinone plane. The structure around the Se atoms in 2a is very close to that of 1a: the conformations of the PhSe groups are both type B. Consequently, the five C(i)-Se- - -O- - -Se-C(i) atoms in 1a and 2a align linearly. The nonbonded Se- - -O distances in 1a and 2a are 2.673-2.688 and 2.731-2.744 A, respectively, which are about 0.7 A shorter than the sum of van der Waals radii of the atoms. The extended hypervalent sigma*(C(i)-Se)- - -n(p)(O)- - -sigma*(Se-C(i)) 5c-6e interactions are strongly suggested for the origin of the linear alignment of the five atoms in 1a and 2a. The 5c-6e must be constructed by the connection of the two hypervalent n(p)(O)- - -sigma*(Se-C(i)) 3c-4e interactions through the central n(p)(O). The five C(i)-Se- - -H- - -Se-C(i) atoms never align linearly in 3a. To reveal the nature of 5c-6e in 1a and 2a, QC calculations are performed on H(a)H(b)(A)Se- - -O([double bond]CH(2))- - -(B)SeH(a')H(b') (model a) and H(a)H(b)(A)Se- - -OH(2)- - -(B)SeH(a')H(b') (model b) with the B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,2pd) method, where the nonbonded Se- - -O distances are fixed at 2.658 A. Four conformers, a (AA-cis), a (AA-trans), a (AB), and a (BB), are optimized to be stable for model a, where a (AA) shows both type A for the (A)Se-H(b) and (B)Se-H(b') bonds in model a. Three conformers, b (AA-cis), b (AB), and b (BB), are stable for model b. The bonding models in AA, AB, and BB correspond to 3c-6e, 4c-6e, and 5c-6e, respectively. The models become more stable by 42 +/- 5 kJ mol(-1), if the type A conformation of each Se-H bond changes to type B. No noticeable saturation is observed in the stabilization for each change. QC calculations are also performed on 1a-3a at the B3LYP level. Three conformers are evaluated to be stable for 1a and 2a. The relative energies of 1a (AA-trans), 1a (AB), and 1a (BB) are 0.0, -31.5, and -60.6 kJ mol(-1), respectively, and those of 2a (AA-cis), 2a (AB), and 2a (BB) are 0.0, -24.4, and -36.5 kJ mol(-1), respectively. These results demonstrate that the origin of the linear alignment of the five C-Se- - -O- - -Se-C atoms in 1a and 2a is the energy lowering effect by the extended hypervalent 5c-6e interactions of the sigma*(C-Se)<--n(p)(O)-->sigma*(Se-C) type. The pi-conjugation between pi(C[double bond]O) and n(pz)(Se) through the pi-framework of anthraquinone must also contribute to stabilize the BB structure of 1a, where z is the direction perpendicular to the anthraquinone plane.     

Spectrophotometric determination of urinary protein with o-sulfophenylfluorone-metal complex.

A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method for the determination of human serum albumin (HSA) was established based on the ternary complex-formation reaction of HSA with o-sulfophenylfluorone (SPF) as a xanthene dye and metal ion (niobium(V) and bismuth(III)) in the presence of a dispersion agent. This new method enabled the determination of HSA in the range of 1 - 15 microg/ml HSA by measuring the difference of the absorbance at 530 nm between HSA-SPF-metal ion and SPF-metal ion solutions. In the determination of HSA, this method is about 2-times more sensitive than the Pyrogallol Red-molybdenum(VI) method (PR method), which accounts for more than 80% of the quantification methods for urinary protein assays in Japan. There was no significant difference between the results obtained by the present method and the PR method for human urine samples. The binding process between the SPF-metal complex and HSA was studied by determining the binding parameters and the thermodynamic parameters.     

Conversion from arenes having a benzene ring to those having a picolinic acid by simple growing cell reactions using Escherichia coli that expressed the six bacterial genes involved in biphenyl catabolism

The comprehensive bioconversion of aromatic compounds with a benzene ring to a picolinic acid was achieved with a recombinant Escherichia coli strain that expressed the six genes involved in biphenyl catabolism, these being the bphA1(2072)A2A3A4 genes encoding the evolved biphenyl dioxygenase, the bphB gene encoding dihydrodiol dehydrogenase, and the bphC gene encoding catechol 2,3-dioxygenase.     

Formal total synthesis of (+)-macrosphelide A based on regioselective hydrolysis using lipase

Three kinds of seco-macrosphelide A congeners, (4R,5S,10R,11S,15S)-6, (4R,5S,9S,14R,15S)-7 and (3S,8R,9S,14R,15S)-8 were chemically synthesized, and they were exposed to the lipase OF-360 from Candida rugosa to give three hydroxy carboxylic acids, respectively. Macrolactonization of the hydroxy acid (4R,5S,10R,11S)-18 derived from (4R,5S,10R,11S,15S)-6 gave 12-membered lactone (19) in 47% overall yield from 6, while that of the seco-acid (4) derived from (4R,5S,9S,14R,15S)-7 afforded (-)-dibenzyl macrosphelide A (25) in 27% overall yield from 7. Macrolactonization of the hydrolysis product, seco-acid (5) derived from (3S,8R,9S,14R,15S)-8, provided (-)-dibenzyl macrosphelide A (25) (5% overall yield from 8) and 12-membered lactone (19) (20% overall yield from 8) concurrently.     

β-Carboline-type indole alkaloid glycosides from Ophiorrhiza trichocarpon

Six new β-carboline-type indole alkaloid glycosides, ophiorrhisides A–F (1–6), were isolated from Ophiorrhiza trichocarpon (Rubiaceae) collected in Thailand. Ophiorrhisides A (1) and B (2) possess a lactam function in the C ring and a unique biose residue in the molecule. Ophiorrhiside F (6) has a highly oxidized C ring with a 1,2-dicarbonyl function at C-5 and C-6 positions as well as a double bond between C-3 and C-14.     

Passive acoustic survey of Yangtze finless porpoises using a cargo ship as a moving platform

In order to periodically investigate the population and distribution of the Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) in its main distribution range in the Yangtze River, a passive acoustic system deployed on a cargo ship as a moving platform, rather than a dedicated research ship, was developed. A stereo acoustic event data-logger (A-tag) was installed on the cargo ship to passively detect phonating animals. In three surveys carried out in the Yangtze River from Wuhan to Shanghai, an average of 6059 clicks in each survey and 284 porpoises in total were acoustically detected along an 1100-km stretch. The animals were detected frequently in most of the survey range except two "gap sections" with 40 and 60 km lengths, respectively, where no animals were detected in all three surveys. Detected group sizes of the animals in each 120-s time window were not significantly different among the surveys, but the distribution pattern was different and suggested seasonal migration. The cargo ship based passive acoustic survey was effective in detecting phonating animals and can potentially monitor the distribution and population trend over time. Compared to surveys that used dedicated research ships, the present method is more cost effective.     

Co-doped Y2O3:Tb3+/Tm3+ multicolor emitting phosphors for thermometry

In this study, the new temperature-dependent phosphor, Y2O3:Tb3+/Tm3+, was investigated for high-temperature thermometry. The photoluminescence intensity at 456?nm emitted from Tm3+ was strong at temperatures higher than 1100?K, whereas the peak intensities emitted from Tb3+ decreased due to the thermal quenching effect. Thus, the intensity ratio between those emissions showed an appropriate variation for thermometry over a wide temperature range. In addition, the phosphors showed a distinct change of visible emission colors from green to blue with increasing temperature. These findings suggest the applicability of these phosphors in visual thermo-sensors.