Multiple Ionization of Free Ubiquitin Molecular Ions in Extreme Ultraviolet Free‐Electron Laser Pulses

The fragmentation of free tenfold protonated ubiquitin in intense 70 femtosecond pulses of 90 eV photons from the FLASH facility was investigated. Mass spectrometric investigation of the fragment cations produced after removal of many electrons revealed fragmentation predominantly into immonium ions and related ions, with yields increasing linearly with intensity. Ionization clearly triggers a localized molecular response that occurs before the excitation energy equilibrates. Consistent with this interpretation, the effect is almost unaffected by the charge state, as fragmentation of sixfold deprotonated ubiquitin leads to a very similar fragmentation pattern. Ubiquitin responds to EUV multiphoton ionization as an ensemble of small peptides.     

Comparison of azacyclic urea A-98881 as HIV-1 protease inhibitor with cage dimeric N-benzyl 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,4- dihydropyridine as representative of a novel class of HIV-1 protease inhibitors: A molecular modeling study

The functional groups of cage dimeric N-alkyl substituted 3,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridines are similar to those of cyclic and azacyclic ureas that are potent inhibitors of HIV-1 protease of the dihydroxyethylene- and hydroxyethylene type, respectively. In the following study the conformity of common functional groups is investigated concerning their orientation in space as well as in the enzyme HIV-1 protease. Starting from X-ray crystal data of the centrosymmetric cage dimeric N-benzyl derivative with ester groups, the derivative with hydroxymethylene groups was built and a systematic conformational search was performed for the conformationally important torsion angles considering electrostatic and van der Waals interactions. From the huge number of conformations those comprising centrosymmetrical and C2-symmetrical energy minima were selected and minimized. The three remaining conformers were fitted to the azacyclic urea A-98881 selected from the HIV-1 protease enzyme- inhibitor complex using the centroids of the corresponding aromatic residues and additionally by the field fit option of the Advanced CoMFA module of SYBYL. Interestingly, the energetically most favourable one, which, additionally, possesses C2-symmetry like the active site cavity of HIV-1 protease, showed the best fit. Comparing the electrostatic potential (EP) of the latter with the EP of A-98881 the aromatic residues show excellent accordance. Slight differences in the extent of the EP were found in the areas of the hydroxymethylene groups of the cage dimer and the single hydroxy group as well as the urea carbonyl group of A- 98881, respectively. In order to compare the binding possibilities to the enzyme HIV-1 protease for the cage dimer and A-98881, their interaction fields with certain probes (CH3 for alkyl, NHamide, and carbonyl, O– of COO–), representing the decisive functional groups of the active site, have been calculated using GRID and projected into the enzyme placing the structures according to the position of A-98881 in the enzyme- inhibitor complex. The strongest calculated fields of the O– probe were found near Asp 25 for both structures. Another respective conformity consists in the overlap of the fields for the NHamide probe near Ile 50 and 50 for the investigated cage dimer and A-98881.     

Mollusc-Derived Brominated Indoles for the Selective Inhibition of Cyclooxygenase: A Computational Expedition

Inflammation plays an important role in different chronic diseases. Brominated indoles derived from the Australian marine mollusk Dicathais orbita (D. orbita) are of interest for their anti-inflammatory properties. This study evaluates the binding mechanism and potentiality of several brominated indoles (tyrindoxyl sulfate, tyrindoleninone, 6-bromoisatin, and 6,6′-dibromoindirubin) against inflammatory mediators cyclooxygenases-1/2 (COX-1/2) using molecular docking, followed by molecular dynamics simulation, along with physicochemical, drug-likeness, pharmacokinetic (pk), and toxicokinetic (tk) properties. Molecular docking identified that these indole compounds are anchored, with the main amino acid residues, positioned in the binding pocket of the COX-1/2, required for selective inhibition. Moreover, the molecular dynamics simulation based on root mean square deviation (RMSD), radius of gyration (Rg), solvent accessible surface area (SASA), and root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) analyses showed that these natural brominated molecules transit rapidly to a progressive constant configuration during binding with COX-1/2 and seem to accomplish a consistent dynamic behavior by maintaining conformational stability and compactness. The results were comparable to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved selective COX inhibitor, aspirin. Furthermore, the free energy of binding for the compounds assessed by molecular mechanics–Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MM–PBSA) confirmed the binding capacity of indoles towards COX-1/2, with suitable binding energy values except for the polar precursor tyrindoxyl sulfate (with COX-1). The physicochemical and drug-likeness analysis showed zero violations of Lipinski’s rule, and the compounds are predicted to have excellent pharmacokinetic profiles. These indoles are projected to be non-mutagenic and free from hepatotoxicity, with no inhibition of human ether-a-go–go gene (hERG) I inhibitors, and the oral acute toxicity LD₅₀ in rats is predicted to be similar or lower than aspirin. Overall, this work has identified a plausible mechanism for selective COX inhibition by natural marine indoles as potential therapeutic candidates for the mitigation of inflammation.     

Microdetermination of carbon and hydrogen

Summary Different factors in the determination of carbon and hydrogen in organic compounds are discussed and a very rapid, automatic combustion method is described. The sample is volatilised in a quartz capsule, and the vapours are burned; interfering combustion products are retained in fillings of silver manganite, cobalt oxide and lead oxide. Large samples can be volatilized quickly although a slow flow-rate of oxygen is used. Nitrogen oxides are retained in chromic-sulphuric acid on Silocel. The absorption tubes are connected with each other and with the combustion tube by means of polyethylene tubing. The total time for automatic combustion and sweeping is 10 minutes. The absorption tubes are weighed within 4 minutes after detaching them from the apparatus. The standard deviation of a series of 20 analyses of samples containing nitrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, sulphur and phosphorus was 0.23% for carbon and 0.13% for hydrogen. If the results of one analysis, run first after a holiday stop of 4 days without equilibrating the apparatus, are excluded, the standard deviation is 0.16% for carbon and 0.13% for hydrogen. A series of analyses of volatile liquids is reported.

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Zusammenfassung Verschiedene, für die CH-Bestimmung maßgebliche Umstände werden diskutiert und eine sehr rasche Methode der automatischen Verbrennung wird beschrieben. Die Probe wird in einem Quarzröhrchen vergast und die Dämpfe verbrannt; störende Verbrennungsprodukte werden von Silbermanganit, Kobaltoxid und Bleidioxid zurückgehalten. Auch große Einwaagen können vergast werden, selbst wenn ein langsamer Sauerstoffstrom verwendet wird. Stickstoffoxide werden von Sohwefelchromsäure auf Silocel zurückgehalten. Die Absorptionsröhrchen werden untereinander und mit dem Verbrennungsrohr durch Polyäthylenschläuche verbunden. Der gesamte Zeitaufwand für die automatische Verbrennung und für die Ausspülung beträgt 10 Minuten. Die Absorptionsröhrchen werden 4 Minuten nach Abnahme von der Apparatur gewogen. Die Standardabweichung einer Analysenreihe von 20 Proben, die Stickstoff, Fluor, Chlor, Brom, Jod, Schwefel und Phosphor enthielten, betrug 0,23% für Kohlenstoff, 0,13% für Wasserstoff. Läßt man die erste, nach einer viertägigen Arbeitspause ohne Einfahren der Apparatur durchgeführte Analyse außer Betracht, so beträgt die Standard-abweichung nur 0,16% für Kohlenstoff, 0,13% für Wasserstoff. Über eine Analysenserie flüchtiger Flüssigkeiten wird berichtet.

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Résumé On discute les différents facteurs qui interviennent dans le dosage du carbone et de l'hydrogène dans les composés organiques et l'on décrit une méthode de combustion automatique très rapide. L'échantillon est volatilisé dans une capsule en quartz et l'on brûle les vapeurs; les produits de combustion qui interfèrent sont retenus dans des pièges à manganite d'argent, oxyde de cobalt et oxyde de plomb. On peut volatiliser rapidement de grands échantillons bien que l'on utilise un débit d'oxygène lent. Les oxydes d'azote sont retenus par de l'acide sulfochromique sur Silocel. Les tubes d'absorption sont reliés entre eux et au tube à combustion par des raccords en polythene. La durée totale de la combustion automatique et du balayage s'élève à 10 minutes. On pèse les tubes à absorption moins de 4 minutes après les avoir détachés de l'appareil. La déviation standard pour une série de 20 analyses d'échantillons contenant azote, fluor, chlore, brome, iode, soufre et phosphore a été de 0,23% pour le carbone et de 0,13% pour l'hydrogène. Si l'on ne tient pas compte des résultats d'une analyse qui fut la première à être effectuée après un repos de 4 jours sans équilibrer l'appareillage, la déviation standard est de 0,16% pour le carbone et de 0,13% pour l'hydrogène. On communique les résultats d'une série d'analyses de liquides volatils.

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Dedicated to Prof. Dr.A. A. Benedetti-Pichler on the occasion of his 70th birthday.     

New organic supports for metallocene catalysts applied in olefin polymerizations

Nano-sized latex particles as organic supports for metallocenes applied in olefin polymerizations are introduced. The particles are functionalized with nucleophilic surfaces such as polyethylenoxide (PEO), polypropyleneoxide (PPO) or pyridine units allowing an immobilization of the metallocene catalysts via a non-covalent immobilization process. The latices are obtained by emulsion or miniemulsion polymerization with styrene, divinylbenzene as the crosslinker, and either PEO or PPO functionalized styrene or 4-vinylpyridine for surface functionalization. The supported catalysts, e.g. [Me₂Si(2MeBenzInd)₂ZrCl₂/MAO] on PPO containing latices or Cp₂ZrMe₂/([Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄]) on pyridine functionalized materials were tested in ethylene polymerizations. Remarkably, high activities and excellent product morphologies were obtained. The influence of the degree of surface functionalization on activity and productivity was investigated. Furthermore, the fragmentation of the catalyst was studied by electron microscopy using bismuth-labeled latex particles or by fluorescence and confocal fluorescence microscopy using dye-labeled supports. Finally, a self-immobilizing catalyst/monomer system is presented. It is demonstrated that by using PEO-functionalized olefins, the metallocenes were immobilized on the monomers. Subjecting these mixtures to an ethylene copolymerization, again high activities and productivities as well as polyolefin beads with high bulk densities are observed, indicating that an extra supporting process for controlling the product size and shape of the polyolefins is not necessary for these monomers.     

ChemInform Abstract: Molecular Structure of the Aluminum Halides,Al2Cl6, AlCl3, Al2Br6, AlBr3, and AlI3, Obtained by Gas-Phase Electron Diffraction and ab initio Molecular Orbital Calculations.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.     

Herstellung und ausgewählte physikalische Eigenschaften von ZnSiP2

Undoped ZnSiP₂ crystals grown by different methods (vapour phase transport, solution growth) show in part considerable differences in their physical properties. The connections between growth, quality of the basic materials and the physical properties of ZnSiP₂ will be shown. Measurements of Hall effect, resistivity, luminescence and backscattering of protons yielded informations about the perfection and homogenity of the crystals and about the impurities and recombination centres characteristically for the various growth methods. The influence of doping by different elements on the properties of solution grown ZnSiP₂ crystals was investigated.