A delicate balance of energetics. Subtleties associated with alpha-ketol-based bridge migration to afford 9-keto-10beta-p-methoxybenzyloxytaxanes

The feasibility of the title reaction has been pursued for the purpose of advancing a concise total synthesis of Taxol. Of the two closely related series examined, the first featured an exo-methylene group at C4. The second consisted of an alpha-epoxide at that site. Strikingly, the olefinic construct proved inert to attempted alpha-ketol rearrangement. In contrast, the oxiranyl derivative isomerized smoothly. The reaction sequence associated with arrival at taxane 18 is short (15 steps from a D-camphor derivative) and notably efficient. The thermodynamic issues that are raised by this investigation have been clarified by an assessment of molecular mechanics-derived (MM3) steric energy calculations.     

Collisional frequency shifts in 133Cs fountain clocks

We present a theoretical analysis of the density dependent frequency shift in Cs fountain clocks using the highly constrained binary collision model described by Leo et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 2721 (2000)]. We predict a reversal in the clock shift at temperatures near 0.08 microK. Our results show that s waves dominate the collision process. However, as a consequence of the large scattering lengths in Cs the clock shift is strongly temperature dependent and does not reach a constant Wigner-law value until temperatures are less than 0.1 nK.     

A simple expression for the ADM mass

We show by an almost elementary calculation that the ADM mass of an asymptotically flat space can be computed as a limit involving a rate of change of area of a closed 2-surface. The result is essentially the same as that given by David Brown and York (Phys. Rev. D 55, 1977–1984 1997; Phys. Rev. D 47, 1407–1419 1993). We will prove this result in two ways, first by direct calculation from the original formula as given by Arnowitt, Deser and Misner and second as a corollary of an earlier result by Brewin for the case of simplicial spaces.     

Bemerkungen zu Einem Satze von Sophus Lie über ein Analogon zum Abel'schen Theorem

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

The geometric and electronic structures of oxocarbons. An ab initio molecular orbital study

Ab initio molecular orbital calculations with the STO-3G and 4-31G basis sets have been carried out for the neutral oxocarbons C_nO_n (n = 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7), the dianions C_nO_n^2- (n = 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7), the monoanions C_nO_nH^? (n = 3 and 4) and the related acids C_nO_nH₂ (n = 3 and 4). Fully optimised geometries have been obtained for all species. The geometries, stabilities and acidities are discussed.     

Radiation-induced copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene and 3,3,4,4,5,5,5-heptafluoropentene-1 under pressure

An investigation was made of the γ-ray-induced copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene and 3,3,4,4,5,5,5-heptafluoropentene-1. At 22°C at 5000 and 10 000 atm the polymerization rate changes little between 0 and 75 mole-% tetrafluoroethylene. Above 90 mole-% the rate increases greatly. Molecular weights vary with composition in a fashion similar to the variation of the rates. Crystallization occurs in the bulk pentene at 13 500 atm at 24°C. The polymerization rate is very low in the solid state. Under some conditions polymerization continues long after irradiation is ended. Both reactivity ratios favor the pentene. Several copolymer properties were studied. The polymers are amorphous and soluble in perfluoro ethers, perfluoro alkanes, and perfluoroaromatics if they contain less than 80% tetrafluoroethylene. The glass temperatures of the amorphous polymers decrease and the thermal and radiation stability increases as the tetrafluoroethylene content increases.     

Selective targeting of antibody conjugated multifunctional nanoclusters (nanoroses) to epidermal growth factor receptors in cancer cells

The ability of smaller than 100 nm antibody (Ab) nanoparticle conjugates to target and modulate the biology of specific cell types may enable major advancements in cellular imaging and therapy in cancer. A key challenge is to load a high degree of targeting, imaging, and therapeutic functionality into small, yet stable particles. A versatile method called thin autocatalytic growth on substrate (TAGs) has been developed in our previous study to form ultrathin and asymmetric gold coatings on iron oxide nanocluster cores producing exceptional near-infrared (NIR) absorbance. AlexaFluor 488 labeled Abs were used to correlate the number of Abs conjugated to iron oxide/gold nanoclusters (nanoroses) with the hydrodynamic size. A transition from submonolayer to multilayer aggregates of Abs on the nanorose surface was observed for 54 Abs and an overall particle diameter of ～60-65 nm. The hydrodynamic diameter indicated coverage of a monolayer of 54 Abs, in agreement with the prediction of a geometric model, by assuming a circular footprint of 16.9 nm diameter per Ab molecule. The targeting efficacy of nanoclusters conjugated with monoclonal Abs specific for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was evaluated in A431 cancer cells using dark field microscopy and atomic absorbance spectrometry (AAS) analysis. Intense NIR scattering was achieved from both high uptake of nanoclusters in cells and high intrinsic NIR absorbance of individual nanoclusters. Dual mode imaging with dark field reflectance microscopy and fluorescence microscopy indicates the Abs remained attached to the Au surfaces upon the uptake by the cancer cells. The ability to load intense multifunctionality, specifically strong NIR absorbance, conjugation of an Ab monolayer in addition to a strong r2 MRI contrast that was previously demonstrated in a total particle size of only 63 nm, is an important step forward in development of theranostic agents for combined molecular specific imaging and therapy.     

Quinazolines and 1,4-benzodiazepines. LXI. Syntheses of 7-Acetyl-1,4-benzodiazepines

Methods for the synthesis of the biologically active 7-acetyl-1,3-dihydro-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one ( 6 ) are described. This includes two new methods for the preparation of 5-acetyl-2-aminobenzophenone ( 4 ). The crucial steps in these syntheses involve, respectively, the oxidation of an ethyl group to an acetyl group with permanganate or ceric ions ( 2 → 3; 5 → 6 ), the selective reaction of methyl lithium with the cyano group of 7-cyano-1,3-dihydro-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one ( 8 ) and the efficient condensation of benzyl cyanide with the ethylene ketal of p-nitroacetophenone to form the anthranil 11 .     

Influence of structural and morphological factors on the mechanical properties of the polyethylenes

Force-length relations at ambient temperature have been determined for a set of polyethylenes which represent a wide range in molecular weight and molecular constitution. Taking advantage of previous work from this laboratory, samples have been prepared in such a manner that the important independent structural variables can be identified and isolated and their influence on the different aspects of the deformation process assessed. Partial melting-recrystallization processes appear to play an important role. For the linear polymers there is a direct influence of molecular weight. The influence of molecular weight manifests itself in the structure of the interlamellar zone which has a major influence on the initial modulus as well as the ultimate properties. Copolymers and branched copolymers display quite different behavior. The most striking difference is the invariance of the ultimate properties with molecular weight, branching, and level of crystallinity. From the set of experimental results that are presented the molecular factors involved in the deformation process can be sorted out. It becomes quite evident that all of the basic structural regions, characteristic of semicrystalline polymers, contribute to the observations. Focus solely on the changes in the crystallite, in analogy to the deformation of small-molecule crystalline systems, is inadequate in the case of crystalline polymers.     

Numerical analysis of lamellar thickness distributions

A comparison of crystallite thickness distributions, as obtained from thin section electron microscopy, small-angle x-ray scattering, and low-frequency Raman acoustical model (LAM), is discussed in detail. It is shown with the aid of a large number of examples that a reliable numerical estimate of crystal thicknesses and long spacings is a complex problem. The values that are obtained by the different experimental techniques depend not only on the crystallite morphology, such as curvature and lateral extension, but very specifically, and crucially, on the nature of the thickness distribution. A series of widely different types of size distributions have been developed by controlling the molecular weight and crystallization temperature. Studies of these distributions, by the aforementioned experimental techniques, have revealed the reasons when and why agreement or disagreement is obtained in the determination of the crystallite thickness distribution.