Electron transfer dynamics of cytochrome c bound to self-assembled monolayers on silver electrodes.

Cytochrome c (Cyt-c) was electrostatically immobilised on Ag electrodes coated with self-assembled monolayers (SAM) that are formed by omega-carboxyl alkanethiols with different alkyl chain lengths (C(x)). Surface enhanced resonance Raman (SERR) spectroscopy demonstrated that electrostatic binding does not lead to conformational changes of the heme protein under the conditions of the present experiments. Employing time-resolved SERR spectroscopy, the rate constants of the heterogeneous electron transfer (ET) between the adsorbed Cyt-c and the Ag electrode were determined for a driving force of zero electronvolts. For SAMs with long alkyl chains (C(16), C(11)), the rate constants display a normal exponential distance dependence, whereas for shorter chain lengths (C(6), C(3), C(3)), the ET rate constant approaches a constant value (ca. 130 s(-1)). The onset of the non-exponential distance-dependence is paralleled by an increasing kinetic H/D effect, indicating a coupling of the redox reaction with proton transfer (PT) steps. This unusual kinetic behaviour is attributed to the effect of the electric field at the Ag/SAM interface that increasingly raises the energy barrier for the PT processes with decreasing distance of the adsorbed Cyt-c from the electrode. The distance-dependence of the electric field strength is estimated on the basis of a simple electrostatic model that can consistently describe the redox potential shifts of Cyt-c as determined by stationary SERR spectroscopy for the various SAMs. At low electric fields, PT is sufficiently fast so that rate constants, determined as a function of the driving force, yield the reorganisation energy (0.217 electronvolts) of the heterogeneous ET.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric studies of nucleophilic carbenes derived from pyrazolium and indazolium carboxylates

Pyrazolium-3-carboxylate and indazolium-3-carboxylate, which belong to the class of pseudo-cross-conjugated mesomeric betaines and which represent the electronically relevant partial structures of the betaine alkaloid Nigellicin, were examined by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. These compounds decarboxylate to pyrazol-3-ylidene and indazol-3-ylidene. The formation of adducts of these new nucleophilic carbenes under the measurement conditions was examined.     

Chiral ditopic receptors. Application to palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation

Chiral pyridinooxazoline, quinolinooxazoline, bis(oxazolino)pyridine (pybox), and bisoxazoline (box) derivatives containing crown ether residues were prepared. Some of the ligands were assessed in substrate binding studies and in palladium catalyzed allylic alkylations.     

Illustration of a simple and versatile scheme for reversing enantiomeric elution order and facilitating enantiomeric impurity determination in capillary electrophoresis

Determination of enantiomeric purity is most often done under overload conditions, which leads to deformed peaks. In general, the best resolutions are obtained when the small peak appears before the large peak in the electropherogram. To be able to determine the R(+)-impurity in the S(-)-form as well as the S(-)-impurity in the R(+)-form the elution orders have to be reversed. The present paper describes reversal of enantiomeric elution order for the basic analyte propranolol and the acidic analyte ibuprofen. For propranolol, a charged heptakis-(6-sulfo)-beta-cyclodextrin (CD) is used in the background electrolyte. For ibuprofen, a mix of the charged heptakis-(6-sulfo)-beta-CD and the uncharged heptakis-(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-CD is used in the background electrolyte. The use of a coated capillary and reversal of the polarity shift the elution order, buffer composition is unchanged in both cases. The enantiomers of propranolol and ibuprofen are well separated on both the coated and uncoated capillaries. Detection limits of enantiomer impurities are investigated using spiked samples of both propranolol and ibuprofen.     

Shaping of gelling biopolymer drops in an elongation flow

Shaping, defined as deformation in combination with gel formation of gelatine and kappa-carrageenan drops in an elongation flow, was studied. The focus was to investigate the possibility of shaping and fixating small drops in the diameter range 20 to 229 mum. In the shaping progress and the influence of experimental properties, the viscosity, temperature, and flow of the deforming fluid were examined on the final drop shape. In the experiments a hot emulsion of an aqueous biopolymer solution in silicone oil was injected into cold silicone oil where a deforming elongation flow field existed. After injection, a temperature decrease in the drops resulted in a gel formation of the biopolymer and a fixation of the deformed drop in the flow. The shape was measured and the effect on the drop aspect ratio was determined by image analysis. Over the total drop diameter range, kappa-carrageenan was more ellipsoid-shaped than gelatine, with a maximum aspect ratio of 6 compared to 4 for gelatine. For small drops, around 22 mum, it is possible to shape kappa-carrageenan, but for gelatine small drops tend to be unaffected. An increase in viscosity, temperature, and flow resulted in an increase in the final fixated shape of the drops. The differences in drop deformation between the biopolymers were explained by drop-viscosity/oil differences and differences in the kinetics of gel formation. The different gel formation kinetics resulted in a short, well-defined, shaping process for kappa-carrageenan, while for gelatine the process was more complex, with both deformation and relaxation present at different stages.     

The cyano nitronyl nitroxide radical: experimental and theoretical evidence for the fourth case of the McConnell-I mechanism

The nitronyl nitroxide 2-cyano-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (1) crystallises in the tetragonal P42(1)m space group with a=7.4050(7), c=8.649(1) A. In the crystal the molecules form layers parallel to the ab plane in which they are orthogonal to each other. In the layers there are close contacts, 2.953(2) A, between the NO groups and the bridging carbon atoms of the O-N-C-N-O fragment of neighbouring radicals. The calculated spin density shows a positive population mainly and equally localised on the NO groups and small but significant negative spin densities on the bridging carbon atom and the cyano nitrogen. Absorption spectra show temperature-dependent transitions related to the magnetic behaviour. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility in the range 2-300 K reveals that couplings between the radicals are antiferromagnetic, and is interpreted by considering a two-dimensional square array of spin S=1/2 antiferromagnetically coupled (J=-10 cm(-1) and g=2.01). This is interpreted as an exchange coupling through close contact between positive and negative spin densities in orthogonal orbitals on oxygen and carbon atoms, respectively.     

N-Vinyl as N-H protecting group. Synthesis of cyclic imines from N-vinyllactams and organolithium reagents

On reaction with organolithium reagents followed by hydrolysis and distillation, N-vinylpyrrolidone ( 1 ) gives five-membered ring imines 3-8 , whereas N-vinylcaprolactam ( 2 ) gives mixtures of seven-membered ring imines and the corresponding ∈-amino ketones.     

The roles of template complexation and ligand binding conditions on recognition in bupivacaine molecularly imprinted polymers

A model for the molecular basis for ligand recognition in bupivacaine imprinted methacrylic acid-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate co-polymers has been developed based upon a series of (1)H-NMR studies in conjunction with HPLC and radioligand binding analyses. (1)H-NMR studies indicated that functional monomer-template complexes survive the polymerisation process, at least up until the stage of gelation. Polymers were synthesised and characterised by surface area analysis (BET), FT-IR and SEM. A combination of zonal and frontal chromatographic studies in aqueous and non-polar media indicate that selectivity arises from a combination of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. However, in the concentration regime employed for LC-based studies, ligand recognition in aqueous media was shown to be predominantly non-specific and hydrophobic in character. Radioligand binding studies, in lower ligand binding concentration regimes, permitted closer examination of the higher affinity binding sites. It was shown that the presence of a polar modifier in a non-polar solvent, or an organic modifier in water, produced enhanced selectivity. Variable temperature studies showed that the temperature of binding influences selectivity as well as the apparent number of sites available and that this effect is different in organic and aqueous environments. This indicates that the system studied is more complex in character than is generally appreciated. A comparison of the techniques employed here indicates that although chromatographic studies provide a valuable first-round screen for polymer-ligand selectivities, the level of detail obtainable using radioligand binding studies (lower concentrations and true equilibrium binding) makes them superior for detailed evaluations of molecularly imprinted polymers.     

Separation of phytosterol oxidation products by combination of different polarity gas chromatography capillary columns

The number of characterized phytosterol oxidation products (POPs) from both ring- and side-chain structures has increased during recent decades, resulting in difficulties in the separation of POPs on different gas chromatography (GC) capillary columns. The main objective of this study was to separate a mixture of 29 purified and characterized oxidation products from sito-, campe- and stigmasterol using GC capillary columns with different polarity. For the first time in the area of POPs analysis, the separation efficiency of the combination of two capillary GC columns with different polarities was investigated. A non-polar 5% phenyl coated (DB5-MS) and a mid-polar 35% phenyl coated (DB35-MS) column was combined with a pressfit connector. The main improvement was enhanced base line separation for many of the analyzed POPs, compared with the separations achieved using the individual columns. However, three pairs of POPs co-eluted: 24-hydroxysitosterol/campesterol-5beta,6beta-epoxide, stigmasterol-5beta,6beta-epoxide/campesterol-5alpha,6alpha-epoxide and stigmasterol-5alpha,6alpha-epoxide/campestanetriol.     

The Dynamic Behaviour and NMR Solution structures of complexes of the type (Bisphosphine)(cycloocta-1,5-diene)iridium(I) and the X-ray crystal structure of (cycloocta-1,5-diene)((−)-norphos)iridium(I) hexafluorophosphate

A square-planar coordination geometry was found for the complex [Ir(cod){(?)-norphos}][PF₆] ( 1b [PF₆]; cod = cylcoocta-1,5-diene and (?)-norphos = [(2R,3R)-8-9-10-trinorborn-5-ene-2,3-diyl]bis(diphenylphosphine)) in the solid state by X-ray diffraction. Crystal data: monoclinic, space group P2₁, a = 10.751 (6), b = 18.669(14), c = 12.037(8) Å, β = 114.82(5)°, Z = 2. A total structural assignment including the configurational and conformational aspects of this and the related compounds [Ir(bishosphine)(cod)]X (bisphosphine = (?)-chiraphos = (2S,3S)-2,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane and (?)-norphos, X = Cl, CF₃SO₃, or PF₆) was carried out in solution by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The complexes containing the CF₃SO₃^? and PF₆^? anions are four-coordinate cations with square-planar geometry, whereas the chlorides are five-coordinate neutral compounds showing solvent-dependent dynamic behaviour. In toluene, two diastereoisomers of [IrCl(cod){(?)-norphos}] ( 2b ) exist and interconvert slowly at room temperature. This interchange is fast in CDCl₃ solution, and it is likely to involve Cl dissociation and the formation of the cation [Ir(cod){(?)-norphos}]⁺ as an intermediate.