Anion binding to a ferric porphyrin complexed with per-O-methylated beta-cyclodextrin in aqueous solution

5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphinato iron(III) (Fe(III)TPPS) forms a very stable 1:2 complex with heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (TMe-beta-CD), whose iron(III) center is located at a hydrophobic cleft formed by two face-to-face TMe-beta-CD molecules. Various inorganic anions (X(-)) such as F(-), Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), N(3)(-), and SCN(-) coordinate to Fe(III)TPPS(TMe-beta-CD)(2) to form five-coordinate high-spin Fe(III)TPPS(X)(TMe-beta-CD)(2), while no coordination occurs with ClO(4)(-), H(2)PO(4)(-), NO(3)(-), and HSO(4)(-). Except for F(-), none of the anions investigated coordinate to Fe(III)TPPS in the absence of TMe-beta-CD due to extensive hydration to the anions as well as to Fe(III)TPPS. The present system shows a high selectivity toward the N(3)(-) anion. The thermodynamics suggests that Lewis basicity, hydrophilicity, and shape of an X(-) anion are the main factors to determine the stability of the Fe(III)TPPS(X)(TMe-beta-CD)(2) complex.     

Study of ions with excess kinetic energy. III—Mass spectra of excess kinetic energy ions of aliphatic amines

The mass spectra obtained from ions having excess kinetic energy (named the excess kinetic energy mass spectra) formed by electron impact of several aliphatic amines have been studied. Comparison with the excess kinetic energy mass spectra of the analogous alcohols shows many similarities. For example, the intensity of the [CH₂OH]⁺ ion of an aminoalcohol is about the same as the intensity of the [CH₂NH₂]⁺ ion. The excess kinetic energy mass spectra give useful information about the presence or absence of various functional groups, such as CH₂NH₂, CH₂OH, CH₃CHNH₂ and alkyl groups, and also about rearrangements. The fragmentation mechanisms are straightforward and applicable to a variety of classes of compounds. The molecular weight dependence of excess kinetic energy mass spectra is described.     

Structural regulation of a peptide-conjugated graft copolymer: a simple model for amyloid formation

The self-assembly of peptides and proteins into beta-sheet-rich high-order structures has attracted much attention as a result of the characteristic nanostructure of these assemblies and because of their association with neurodegenerative diseases. Here we report the structural and conformational properties of a peptide-conjugated graft copolymer, poly(gamma-methyl-L-glutamate) grafted polyallylamine (1) in a water-2,2,2-trifluoroethanol solution as a simple model for amyloid formation. Atomic force microscopy revealed that the globular peptide 1 self-assembles into nonbranching fibrils that are about 4 nm in height under certain conditions. These fibrils are rich in beta-sheets and, similar to authentic amyloid fibrils, bind the amyloidophilic dye Congo red. The secondary and quaternary structures of the peptide 1 can be controlled by manipulating the pH, solution composition, and salt concentration; this indicates that the three-dimensional packing arrangement of peptide chains is the key factor for such fibril formation. Furthermore, the addition of carboxylic acid-terminated poly(ethylene glycol), which interacts with both of amino groups of 1 and hydrophobic PMLG chains, was found to obviously inhibit the alpha-to-beta structural transition for non-assembled peptide 1 and to partially cause a beta-to-alpha structural transition against the 1-assembly in the beta-sheet form. These findings demonstrate that the amyloid fibril formation is not restricted to specific protein sequences but rather is a generic property of peptides. The ability to control the assembled structure of the peptide should provide useful information not only for understanding the amyloid fibril formation, but also for developing novel peptide-based material with well-defined nanostructures.     

Optically active antifungal azoles. VIII. Synthesis and antifungal activity of 1-[(1R,2R)-2-(2,4-difluoro- and 2-fluorophenyl)-2-hydroxy-1-methyl-3-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propyl]- 3-(4-substituted phenyl)-2(1H,3H)-imidazolones and 2-imidazolidinones

New optically active antifungal azoles, 1-[(1R,2R)-2-(2,4-difluoro- and 2-fluorophenyl)-2-hydroxy-1-methyl-3-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propyl ]-3-(4- substituted phenyl)-2(1H,3H)-imidazolones (1,2) and 2-imidazolidinones (3,4), were prepared in a stereocontrolled manner from (1S)-1-[(2R)-2-(2,4- difluoro- and 2-fluorophenyl)-2-oxiranyl]ethanols (15, 16). Compounds 1-4 showed potent antifungal activity against Candida albicans in vitro and in vivo, as well as a broad antifungal spectrum for various fungi in vitro. Furthermore, the imidazolidinones, 3b--e and 4d, e, were found to exert extremely strong growth-inhibitory activity against Aspergillus fumigatus.     

Reactions of sulfoxonium allylides with nitrile oxides and ring transformations of their reaction products

Reactions of allylides ($\text{1}$) with nitrile oxides ($\text{2}$) afforded furanylglyoxylate oxime ($\text{3}$) and 6H-l,2-oxazine ($\text{4}$). Ring transformations of $\text{3}$ and $\text{4}$ gave $\text{4}$ and pyrrolinone ($\text{6}$), respectively.     

XPS study on valence band structures of transition-metal trisulfides,TiS3, NbS3, and TaS3

Transition-metal trisulfides, TiS₃, NbS₃, and TaS₃, with a quasi-one-dimensional structure are investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) measurements to obtain information on the valence band structures. The band structures at the Fermi level of these compounds correspond well to their transport properties. A shoulder is observed at the top of the valence band in NbS₃ and TaS₃, suggesting that this band is made up of the metal d_z² electrons. The d_z² band is occupied in NbS₃ and TaS₂ and empty in TiS₃. The characteristic features at the top of the valence band in NbS₃ imply the occurrence of d_z² band separation, which leads to a semiconducting nature.     

Mass spectrometric studies on gibberellins

Based on the element maps of twenty-two gibberellin methyl esters fragmentations are discussed, which are characteristic of the common structural features as well as structural modification in gibberellin homologues.