Dinuclear and octanuclear Mn(II) complexes with mu2-C, mu2-N(pyrrolide), and mu-eta1:eta5-(pyrrolide) bridges: a structural and magnetic study

Reaction of the dinuclear [(CH2SiMe3)(mu-CH2SiMe3)Mn(THF)]2 (1) with an equivalent amount of 1,1-dipyrrolylcyclohexane afforded two compounds depending on the solvent employed. Reaction carried out in THF afforded the dinuclear ([1,1-(mu-C4H3N)(C4H3N)C6H10]Mn(THF)2)2.2(THF) (2) while reaction in toluene yielded the octanuclear and cyclic cluster ([1,1-(mu,eta1:eta5-C4H3N)2C6H10]Mn)8.4(toluene) (3). The magnetism in all three cases is dominated by intramolecular antiferromagnetic exchange with strong coupling in 1 (J=-85 cm(-1)), and in 2 (J=-23.2 cm(-1)), whereas substantially weaker coupling through the sigma/pi-bonded dipyrrolide bridges (J=-3.3 cm(-1)) was observed within the cyclic and octameric 3.     

Preparation of synthetic glycoconjugates as potential vaccines against Shigella flexneri serotype 2a disease

The synthesis of three neoglycopeptides incorporating carbohydrate haptens, differing in length, covalently linked to a non natural universal T helper peptide is disclosed. They were synthesized according to a blockwise strategy based on the condensation of appropriate di-, tri-, and tetrasaccharide trichloroacetimidate donors onto an azidoethyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxybeta-D-glucopyranoside acceptor. Use of thiol-maleimide coupling chemistry allowed site-selective efficient conjugation.     

Thermodynamics of dissolving and solvation processes for benzoic acid and the toluic acids in aqueous solution

Experimental data are presented for the solubility in water of benzoic and toluic acids from 5° to 65°C. From the solubility the molality of the monomeric form of the acid is calculated using literature data for both ionization and dimerization of the acid. These data for the monomer combined with data from the literature for vaporization of the solid and ionization in both the gas phase and the aqueous phase yield entropy and enthalpy changes for the solvation of molecular and anionic forms of the acid. A similar procedure is also applied to literature data for the solubility of benzene in water. It is shown that the hydration entropies of the monomeric forms are a linear function of their partial molar volumes. It is concluded that hydration of the undissociated o-toluic acid may be crucial to the increased acidity of that acid compared to benzoic acid.     

A critique of Segal's chronometric theory

The Segal Chronometric theory is examined, with particular attention given to the role of a physical measurement in the theory. A calculation of the red shift in Segal's theory in the geometrical optics limit yields the resultz=0, in contradiction to Segal's resultz=tan² (/2), and the disagreement is shown to arise from the unphysical nature of Segal's theory of measurement. An argument is also presented to show that the postulates on which Segal's theory is based are inconsistent when massive particles are introduced into the Segal universe.     

Synthesis and chiral HPLC analysis of the dibenzyltetrahydrofuran lignans,larreatricins, 8'-epi-larreatricins, 3,3'-didemethoxyverrucosins and meso-3,3'-didemethoxynectandrin B in the creosote bush (Larrea tridentata): evidence for regiospecific control of coupling

The creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) lignans are linked via 8-8' bonds, with the simplest apparently being E-p-anol derived. Of the latter, four of the six theoretically possible diastereoisomers were isolated, namely (-)-larreatricin, (-)-8'-epi-larreatricin, meso-3,3'-didemethoxynectandrin B and the new compounds, (+)- and (-)-3,3'-didemethoxyverrucosins. Following synthesis of each in either racemic or meso form, and chiral HPLC separation of the antipodes of the racemates, it was established that naturally occurring (-)-larreatricin and (-)-8'-epi-larreatricin were present in 92 and 98% enantiomeric excess, respectively, whereas 3,3'-didemethoxyverrucosin was essentially racemic and 3,3'-didemethoxynectandrin B was in the meso-form. The evidence suggests that formation of these lignans occurs under regiospecific, rather than stereoselective, coupling control. This contrasts with laccase-catalyzed "random" coupling of E-p-anol in vitro which generates the corresponding racemic 8-8', 8-3' and 8-O-4' linked dimeric moieties.     

Mechanical Properties of SiO2-PMMA Based Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Thin Films

Nano-indentations using a Berkovich indenter were performed in order to analyze the mechanical properties of hybrid organic-inorganic coatings. This technique allows to measure low load deformations and therefore to estimate quantitatively mechanical properties of the coatings. The elastic modulus and the hardness were determined on the basis of the load-displacement curve. We report results obtained for class II hybrid coatings based on SiO₂-PMMA prepared by sol-gel process. The effects of coating composition were investigated.     

Chiral discrimination of phenoxypropionic acid herbicide enantiomers on teicoplanin phase: methanol dependence and eluent pH consideration

The chiral recognition mechanism for a series of d,l phenoxypropionic acid herbicides (PPAs) on a teicoplanin stationary phase was investigated in reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) over a wide range of mobile phase pH and column temperature. The effect of methanol on the enantiomeric separation was studied by varying its fraction (v/v) in the mobile phase. The thermodynamic data indicated that the chiral recognition was controlled by the interaction between the anionic form of the solute and the teicoplanin phase while those with the neutral form played a minor role. In addition, it was demonstrated that the enhancement of the separation factor observed as the methanol fraction increased in the mobile phase was enthalpically controlled owing to stereoselective binding interactions. Such behavior was used to optimize the chromatographic conditions for separation of PPAs herbicides on teicoplanin.     

Early chemistry in hot and dense nitromethane: molecular dynamics simulations

We report density functional molecular dynamic simulations to determine the early chemical events of hot (T=3000 K) and dense (rho=1.97 g/cm(3), V/V(0)=0.68) nitromethane (CH(3)NO(2)). The first step in the decomposition process is an intermolecular proton abstraction mechanism that leads to the formation of CH(3)NO(2)H(+) and the aci ion H(2)CNO(2) (-). This event is also confirmed to occur in a fast annealing simulation to a final temperature of 4000 K at rho=2.20 g/cm(3). An intramolecular hydrogen transfer that transforms nitromethane into the aci acid form, CH(2)NO(2)H, accompanies this event. To our knowledge, this is the first confirmation of chemical reactivity with bond selectivity for an energetic material near the Chapman-Jouget state of the fully reacted material. We also report the decomposition mechanism followed up to the formation of H(2)O as the first stable product. We note that similarities in the global features of reactants, intermediates, and products of the reacting fluid seem to indicate a threshold for similar chemistry in the range of high densities and temperatures reported herein.     

Induced axial chirality in the biphenyl core of the proatropoisomeric, C alpha-tetrasubstituted alpha-amino acid residue Bip in peptides

An induced axial chirality in the biphenyl core of the 2',1':1,2;1',2':3,4-dibenzcyclohepta-1,3-diene-6-amino-6-carboxylic acid (Bip) residue, a conformationally labile, atropoisomeric, C(alpha)-tetrasubstituted alpha-amino acid, was observed by CD and (1)H NMR spectroscopic techniques in the linear dipeptides Boc-Bip-Xaa*-OMe where Boc=tert-butoxycarbonyl, OMe=methoxy, and Xaa*=D- and/or L-Ala, -Val, -Leu, -Phe, -(alphaMe)Val and -(alphaMe)Leu. Chiral induction was significantly lower in the isomeric dipeptides Boc-Xaa*-Bip-OMe, with the Xaa* residue located at the N-terminus of Bip, as well as in the cyclic dipeptide cyclo-[Bip-L-Ala]. The results obtained in solution were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis of a crystalline sample of Boc-(R)-Bip-D-Ala-OMe.     

Immobilization and surface characterization of NeutrAvidin biotin-binding protein on different hydrogel interlayers

For a number of potential applications, it is desirable to immobilize avidin class molecules onto solid supports and exploit their ability to bind biotinylated molecules with high affinity. NeutrAvidin molecules were surface immobilized in various ways. In this study, NeutrAvidin was covalently attached by carbodiimide chemistry onto carboxyl groups of polyacrylic acid and carboxymethyl-dextran hydrogel interlayers. A third strategy involved the affinity "docking" of NeutrAvidin onto a biotinylated poly(ethylene glycol) interlayer. These three interlayers were selected for their low nonspecific binding of proteins, which was expected to minimize surface binding of NeutrAvidin by nonspecific interfacial adsorption. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses allowed detailed characterization of the multilayer fabrication steps. An ELISA assay was used to measure NeutrAvidin activity, which varied with the surface immobilization route. Atomic force microcopy (AFM) force measurements showed that the hydrogel interlayer contributed to a repulsive force and verified the specific interaction between biotinylated AFM tips and the NeutrAvidin surfaces. When a solution of free biotin was injected into the AFM liquid cell, the force curve changed substantially and became identical to that recorded between surfaces carrying no NeutrAvidin, indicating that the free solution biotin had displaced NeutrAvidin proteins off the PEG-biotin layer.