Organo-silanes and -germanes with chelated and/or non-chelated oxinato ligands

Several tri- and di-organo(oxinato)-silanes and -germanes have been prepared from corresponding organo-silazanes or -germazanes. The UV spectra indicate that the compounds involve either chelated or non-chelated oxinato groups or both depending on the number and kind of organic groups on the metal atom. The PMR spectra of RR′Si(OX)₂ (R = alkyl, R′ = vinyl or phenyl) are interpreted in terms of rapid exchanges between the two kinds of oxinato groups     

5-Fluorouracil derivatives with serum protein binding potencies

To develop an optimal delivery system for 5-fluorouracil (5FU) using serum protein as a drug carrier, a series of its benzyl derivatives was synthesized. Then their binding to the serum protein was investigated by equilibrium dialysis. The benzyl derivatives of 5FU were strongly bound to rat plasma protein or human serum albumin. The bound percentage increased with increasing hydrophobicity. It was suggested that the benzyl derivative of 5FU existed in the blood as a complex with serum albumin and circulated for a long time as a polymeric drug does.     

Effect of substituent on the enantioselectivity for lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution of glycerol derivatives

The lipase-catalyzed transesterifications of various substituted diphenyl 1,2-ketals of glycerol have been investigated. Efficient modification of the substrate structure with bis(4-bromophenyl) ketal was found to enhance the enantioselectivity up to E=57 at 0 °C.     

Infrared spectra of the water-nitrogen complexes (H2O)2-(N2)n(n = 1-4) in argon matrices

The infrared spectra of the water-nitrogen complexes trapped in argon matrices have been studied with Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy. The absorption lines of the H20-N2 1:1, 1:2, 1:n, and 2:1 complexes have been confirmed on the basis of the concentration effects. In addition, we have observed a few lines and propose the assignments for the 2:2, 2:3, and 2:4 complexes in the nu1 symmetric stretching and nu2 bending regions of the proton-acceptor molecule, and in the bonded OH stretching region of the proton-donor molecule. The redshifts in the bonded OH stretching mode and blueshifts in the OH bending mode suggest that the hydrogen bonds in the (H2O)2-(N2)n complexes with n = 1-4 are strengthened by the cooperative effects compared to the pure H2O dimer. Two absorption bands due to the 3:n complexes are also observed near the bonded OH stretching region of the H2O trimer.     

Micromachined Enzyme Reactor for FIA System

An enzyme reactor consisting of a 2.6-m-long silicon capillary with glucose oxidase immobilized on the inner surface was fabricated using micromachining techniques. A V-shaped groove of 100 μm width, formed by anisotropic etching, was anodically bonded to a glass plate to create the capillary. Glucose oxidase was covalently immobilized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and glutaraldehyde. The reactor was evaluated by connecting it to a Flow injection analysis system for glucose detection. Glucose concentrations were in the range of 10⁻³ to 5 × 10⁻²M with a volume of 0.2 μl of glucose solution.     

Syntheses and Characterization of Polymetallosiloxanes from Silicic Acid and Metal Chlorides

Syntheses and characterization of polymetallosiloxanes by the non-hydrolysis sol-gel process using no metal alkoxides were investigated. The reaction of silicic acid (SA) with MCl₄ (M = Ti, Zr) in the molar ratios SA/MCl₄ = 0.5–3.0 using a tetrahydrofuran-methanol solvent formed polymetallosiloxane (PMS), which was insoluble in organic solvents regardless of the molar ratio. The PMS was isolated as esterified polymetallosiloxane by esterification with isopropyl alcohol for various periods, which were soluble in methanol, acetone, and tetrahydrofuran. The number average molecular weight was 1000–3200 for esterified polytitanosiloxane and 3400–11000 for esterified polyzirconosiloxane. Esterified polymetallosiloxanes had no melting point but decomposition point. The results of analytical data indicated that esterified polymetallosiloxane and/or polymetallosiloxane consisted of the main chain of Si–O–Si and Si–O–M linkage with the pendants of alkoxy, silanol, and chloro group.     

Phase-Transfer Catalysis: Acylation of β-Dicarbonyl Compounds

The alkylation of β-dicarbonyl compounds under phase-transfer conditions has been studied in detail and, in virtually all of the reported examples, the C-alkylation products have been found to predominate.^1–6 Only when the reaction rate is slow is there any evidence for O-alkylation as, for example, when there is steric hindrance to the approach of the alkylating agent to the carbanionic centre.^1,7 There is no record, however, of the corresponding acylation reactions.     

Thermodynamic Control of Domain Swapping by Modulating the Helical Propensity in the Hinge Region of Myoglobin

Domain swapping is an exception to Anfinsen's dogma, and more than one structure can be produced from the same amino acid sequence by domain swapping. We have previously shown that myoglobin (Mb) can form a domain‐swapped dimer in which the hinge region is converted to a helical structure. In this study, we showed that domain‐swapped dimerization of Mb was achieved by a single Ala mutation of Gly at position 80. Multiple Ala mutations at positions 81 and 82 in addition to position 80 facilitated dimerization of Mb by stabilization of the dimeric states. Domain swapping tendencies correlated well with the helical propensity of the mutated residue in a series of Mb mutants with amino acids introduced to the hinge region. These findings demonstrate that a single mutation in the hinge loop to modify helical propensity can control oligomer formation, providing new ideas to create high‐order protein oligomers using domain swapping.