Infrared spectroscopy of ozone-water complex in a neon matrix

Matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy has been applied to study an ozone-water complex of atmospheric interest. The complex was identified in the spectral region of three normal modes of ozone and water. Ab initio calculation at MP4(SDQ), QCISD, and CCSD(T) levels indicates the existence of only one stable conformer, which accords with the present experimental result. This conformer belongs to the Cs symmetry group where two molecular planes of ozone and water are perpendicular to the Cs symmetry plane. The binding energy was calculated to be 1.89 kcal/mol at the CCSD(T)/6-311++G(3df,3pd)//CCSD(T)/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. The formation constant and atmospheric abundance of the ozone-water complex are estimated using the thermodynamic and spectroscopic data obtained.     

Macromolecular helicity inversion of an optically active helical poly(phenylacetylene) by chemical modification of the side groups

An optically active helical poly(phenylacetylene) was synthesized by the copolymerization of phenylacetylenes bearing optically active hydroxy or ester groups obtained by the kinetic resolution of a racemic phenylacetylene with lipase; the helix-sense was inverted from one helix to another by the further chemical modification of the hydroxy groups with achiral bulky isocyanates or an acid chloride.     

Conformational changes during apoplastocyanin folding observed by photocleavable modification and transient grating

A new method to investigate the initial protein folding dynamics is developed based on a pulsed laser light triggering method and a unique transient grating method. The side chain of the cysteine residue of apoplastocyanin (apoPC) was site-specifically modified with a 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyl derivative, where the CD and 2D NMR spectra showed that the modified apoPC was unfolded. The substituent was cleaved with a rate of about 400 ns by photoirradiation, which was monitored by the disappearance of the absorption band at 355 nm and the increase in the transient grating signal. After a sufficient time from the photocleavage reaction, the CD and NMR spectra showed that the native beta-sheet structure was recovered. Protein folding dynamics was monitored in the time domain with the transient grating method from a viewpoint of the molecular volume change and the diffusion coefficient, both of which reflect the global structural change, including the protein-water interaction. The observed volume decrease of apoPC with a time scale of 270 micros is ascribed to the initial hydrophobic collapse. The increase in the diffusion coefficient (23 ms) is considered to indicate a change from an intermolecular to an intramolecular hydrogen bonding network. The initial folding process of apoPC is discussed based on these observations.     

Effect of intramolecular pi-pi and CH-pi interactions between ligands on structure, electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of fac-[Re(bpy)(CO)3(PR3)]+(bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine; PR3= trialkyl or triarylphosphines)

Intramolecular pi-pi and CH-pi interactions between the bpy and PR3 ligands of fac-[Re(bpy)(CO)3(PR3)]+ affect their structure, and electrochemical and spectroscopic properties. Intramolecular CH-pi interaction was observed between the alkyl groups on the phosphine ligand (R =nBu, Et) and the bpy ligand, and intramolecular pi-pi and CH-pi interactions were both observed between the aryl group(s) on the phosphorus ligand (R =p-MeOPh, p-MePh, Ph, p-FPh, OPh) and the bpy ligand, while no such interactions were found in the trialkylphosphite complexes (R = OiPr, OEt, OMe). The intramolecular interactions distort the pyridine rings of the bpy ligand as long as 3.7 x 10(-2)A in crystals. Molecular orbital calculations of the bpy ligand suggest that this distortion decreases the energy gap between its pi and pi* orbitals. An absorption band attributed to the pi-pi*(bpy) transition of the distorted rhenium complexes, measured in a KBr pellet, was red-shifted by 1-5 nm compared to the complexes without the distorted bpy ligand. Even in solution, similar red shifts of the pi-pi*(bpy) absorption were observed. The redox potential E1/2(bpy/bpy*-) of the complexes with the trialkylphosphine and triarylphosphine ligand are shifted positively by 110-120 mV and 60-80 mV respectively, compared with those derived from the electron-attracting property of the phosphorus ligand. In contrast with these properties, three nu(CO) IR bands, which are sensitive to the electron density on the central rhenium because of pi-back bonding, were shifted to higher energy, and a Re(I/II)-based oxidation wave was observed at a more positive potential according to the electron-attracting property of the phosphorus ligand.     

SmI2-promoted tandem desulfurization and reductive coupling reactions of aromatic lactams with carbonyl compounds

Treatment of sulfur-substituted aromatic lactams with carbonyl compounds in the presence of samarium(II) diiodide was found to undergo novel tandem desulfurization and reductive coupling reactions to generate -hydroxyalkylated lactams in high yield. Stereochemistry of the coupling products was researched and the results that decreasing the steric bulkiness of the N-substituents as well as raising the reaction temperature leads to an increase of the erythro-selectivity were observed. The mechanistic origins of this stereoselectivity are also briefly documented.     

Structure of thiotropocin,a new sulfur-containing 7-membered antibiotic

The structure of a new antibiotic thiotropocin is described.     

Radical cyclopolymerizations of diallylsilanes and triallylsilanes

The radical polymerizations of diallylsilanes such as diallyldimethylsilane ( 1 ) and diallylmethylphenylsilane ( 2 ) have been conducted. Both poly(diallyldimethylsilane) ( 3 ) and poly(diallylmethylphenylsilane) ( 4 ) are soluble in benzene, methyl ethyl keton (MEK), and chloroform, slightly soluble in acetone, and insoluble in methanol and ethanol. No insoluble fraction of either polymer was obtained. Very little evidence of vinyl protons in the ¹H-NMR spectra can indicate that both polymerizations predominantly proceed with intramolecular cyclization. In order to study the ring size of cyclic structure in the repeating unit of the polymers, a model compound, allyl(2-chloropropyl)dimethylsilane ( 5 ), was synthesized and cyclized with Bu₃SnH in the presence of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) in benzene, under similar condition of those for the cyclopolymerizations. The product was analyzed with GC–MS which showed that the five-membered ring compound, 1,1,3,4-tetramethylsilacyclopentane, was not formed. From the result of the cyclization of the model compound, it can be suggested that the polymerizations undergo with only h–t intramolecular cyclization to form a six-membered ring in the repeated unit. The ¹³C-NMR spectra of 3 and 4 were measured to study the ring size and the configuration of the cyclic structures. The two peaks at ?1.6 and ?3.4 ppm of the spectrum of 3 show that there are two kinds of methyl carbons in the repeating unit. From consideration of the model reaction and the number of the peaks of the NMR spectrum, it can be considered that the polymer main chain is assembled with the six-membered ring in cis-form, and the two signals are assigned to equatorial and axial methyl carbons, respectively. The two peaks at -1.5 and -5.1 ppm of the ¹³C-NMR spectrum of 4 can be assigned similarly. The radical cyclopolymerizations of triallylsilanes such as methyltriallylsilane ( 6 ) and phenyltriallylsilane ( 7 ) were conducted. The ¹H-NMR spectra of poly(methyltriallylsilane) ( 8 ) and poly(phenyltriallylsilane) ( 9 ) show broad peak around 5 ppm for vinyl protons and around 2 ppm for alkyl protons. Comparisons of the relative intensities of the peaks indicate that both polymerizations undergo with single ring closure to form a polymer with monocyclic structure moiety, cyclosilahexane, and an allyl group in a repeating unit of 8 and 9 .