Mass spectra of C-nucleosides II. An unusual fragmentation reaction of the heterocyclic moiety of pyrazomycin and some closely related compounds

The mass spectrum of pyrazomycin has been obtained and reveals a fragmentation pattern with several important peaks which are not normally found in the mass spectra of C-nucleosides. It has now been established, using model compounds, that these unusual fragment ions are a direct result of the juxtaposition of the exocyclic hydroxy and carboxamido groups of the aglycon. It appears that a facile elimination of ammonia and ethanol from o-hydroxycarboxamides and o-hydroxyethylesters, respectively, may be a general fragmentation reaction for aromatic heterocycles. A mass spectrum of the TMS derivative of pyrazomycin has also been obtained and factors which may result in exceptions to the empirical B+30 (M-103) rule for C-nucleosides are discussed.     

Synthesis, structure, and complexation of a large 28-mer macrocycle containing two binding sites for either anions or metal ions

The "one-pot" synthesis and characterization of a large 28-mer macrocycle (H(4)L(2)) with oxamido units capable of complexing guest ions through oxygen or nitrogen donor atoms is reported. Single-crystal structure determination of H(8)L(2)(NO(3))(4) and (Cu(2)[H(2)L(2)](H(2)O)(2))(NO(3))(2) demonstrated that the macrocycle contains two sites capable of complexing two nitrate anions or two copper(II) ions, involving a large structural reorganization in the conformation of the macrocyclic framework on coordination of the copper(II) ions when compared to the nitrate. Electrochemical and magnetic susceptibility measurements on the dinuclear Cu(II) complex and the related mononuclear and trinuclear Cu(II) complexes derived from the related 14-mer macrocycle were carried out and illustrate the role of the oxamido groups in mediating metal-metal interaction and delocalization.     

Pyrrolopyrimidine nucleosides VII. A study on electrophilic and nucleophilic substitution at position six of certain pyrrolo[2,3-d] pyrimidine nucleosides

A study involving the reactivity of the pyrrolo[2,3-d] pyrimidine ring system at position 6 with another exocyclic group (CN or -NH₂) already residing at C5 has established that hydrogen and bromine are susceptible to electrophilic and acid-catalyzed nucleophilic substitution, respect-tively. In one instance a strong nucleophile (hydrazine) gave nucleophilic substitution at position 6 which was followed by a reaction with the o-nitrile group to afford the tricyclic nucleoside 4,5-diamino-8-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)pyrazolo[3′, 4′ :5,4] pyrrolo[2,3-d] pyrimidine (4).     

A convenient synthesis of certain 1-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)benzotriazoles

The synthesis of 5,6-dichloro-1-(β-D -ribofuranosyl)benzotriazole ( 4a ), 5,6-dimethyl-1-(β-D -ribofuranosyl)benzotriazole ( 4b ) and 1-(β-D -ribofuranosyl)benzotriazole ( 4c ) in good yield has been accomplished by the condensation of the appropriate 1-trimethylsilylbenzotriazole ( 1a, 1b , and 1c ) with 2,3,5-tri-O-acetyl-D -ribofuranosyl bromide (2) followed by subsequent deacetylation of the reaction products. The assignment of anomeric configuration and site of glycosidation for all nucleosides reported is discussed.     

Energy flow and multiplicity measurement in ultra-relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions

Experimental results from the HELIOS set-up (High Energy Lepton and Ion Spectrometer, in operation at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron to study high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions) are presented and discussed. The transverse energy differential cross section can be parametrized by a geometrical model. The energy density reached in these collisions is much larger than that inside the nucleon and is in the region of the critical value 2·5 GeV/fm³ obtained from lattice QCD calculations for the deconfinement transition. The transverse momentum spectra of photons agree in shape and absolute cross section with the photon spectra expected from hadronic sources.Presented at the IIIrd International Symposium High Energy Experiments And Methods (HEXAM '89), Bechyn, Czechoslovakia, June 25–30, 1989.I would like to thank the organizers of the HEXAM'89 Symposium in Bechyn for giving me the opportunity to participate in this very pleasant and stimulating conference and the hospitality they have extended. This work was supported in part by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).     

Stability of chemical species

In the framework of our theoretical approach of the structure and reactivity of chemical intermediates we have been led to reexamine the concept of stability which is widely used by the experimentalists often without specifying its true meaning. In this work we propose a more general definition of the concept of stabilization energy, namely, where ΔH_a is the heat of atomization of the species under consideration and the E_AB's are standard bond energy terms derived from the heats of atomization of reference compounds. Using experimental heats of formation or semiempirical ones deduced from theoretical heats of reaction of appropriate isodesmic processes, we have calculated the stabilization energies of various types of chemical species: saturated, unsaturated and conjugated molecules, free radicals, carbocations, and carbanions. The results obtained can be rationalized in terms of steric hindrance, angular strain, polar interactions, electron delocalization, and substituent effects. Moreover, we have shown that heats of hydrogenation and bond dissociation energies do not provide accurate information on the thermodynamic stabilization of unsaturated compounds and free radicals, respectively. Among other applications the concept of stabilization energy allowed us to propose a detailed classification of free radicals and to rationalize their reactivity. Considering the particular case of radical recombination reactions we have been able to deduce interesting equations showing the relations between the concept of stabilization energy and other quantities commonly used in chemical physics, namely, the bond cleavage enthalpy [BDE (C? C) if one considers alkane thermolysis], the thermodynamic stability measured by the free enthalpy change of a given reaction, and the kinetic stabilization related to the activation energy of a chosen chemical process This analysis allowed us to give a new interpretation of the adjectives transient, persistent, and stable introduced by Griller and Ingold and to show that the persistence of a radical may be due to other factors than steric ones. In conclusion, the concept of stabilization energy appears to be a good tool for rationalizing the static and dynamic properties of chemical species.     

Formalising the Pathways to Life Using Assembly Spaces

Assembly theory (referred to in prior works as pathway assembly) has been developed to explore the extrinsic information required to distinguish a given object from a random ensemble. In prior work, we explored the key concepts relating to deconstructing an object into its irreducible parts and then evaluating the minimum number of steps required to rebuild it, allowing for the reuse of constructed sub-objects. We have also explored the application of this approach to molecules, as molecular assembly, and how molecular assembly can be inferred experimentally and used for life detection. In this article, we formalise the core assembly concepts mathematically in terms of assembly spaces and related concepts and determine bounds on the assembly index. We explore examples of constructing assembly spaces for mathematical and physical objects and propose that objects with a high assembly index can be uniquely identified as those that must have been produced using directed biological or technological processes rather than purely random processes, thereby defining a new scale of aliveness. We think this approach is needed to help identify the new physical and chemical laws needed to understand what life is, by quantifying what life does.     

Synthesis and chemistry of some pyridazine nucleosides related to certain 5-substituted pyrimidine nucleosides

Condensation of 3,4-dichloro-6-[(trimethylsilyl)oxy] pyridazine ( 3 ) with 1-O-acetyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β- D -ribofuranose ( 4 ), by the stannic chloride catalyzed procedure, has furnished 3,4-dichloro-1-(2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β- D -ribofuranosyl) pyridazin-6-one ( 5 ). Nucleophilic displacement of the chloro groups and removal of the benzoyl blocking groups from 5 has furnished 3-chloro-4-methoxy-, 3,4-dimethoxy-, 4-amino-3-chloro-, 3-chloro-4-methylamino-, 3-chloro-4-hydroxy-, and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-1-β- D -ribofuranosylpyridazin-6-one. An unusual reaction of 5 with dimethylamine is reported. Condensation of 4,5-dichloro-3-nitro-6-[(trimethylsilyl)oxy]pyridazine with 4 yielded 4,5-dichloro-3-nitro-1-(2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β- D -ribofuranosyl)pyridazin-6-one ( 24 ). Nucleophilic displacement of the aromatic nitro groups from 24 is discussed. Condensation of 3 with 3,5-di-O-p-toluoyl 2-deoxy- D -erythro-pentofuranosyl chloride ( 28 ) afforded an α, β mixture of 2-deoxy nucleosides. The synthesis of certain 3-substituted pyridazine 2′-deoxy necleosides are reported.     

Autocorrelated 13c-13c double quantum coherence two-dimensional nmr spectroscopy: Utilization of a modified version of the technique as an adjunct in the total assignment of the 1h- and 13c-nmr spectra of the mutagen phenanthro[3,4-b]thiophene

Development of successively higher field nmr spectrometers has facilitated the study of increasingly more complex molecules, although smaller molecules such as phenanthro[3,4-b]thiophene still offer very substantial assignment problems because of the highly congested nature of their ¹H- and ¹³C-nmr spectra. Assignments of such spectra, if they are to be unequivocal, frequently require the utilization of two-dimensional nmr spectroscopic techniques. Total assignments of the ¹H- and ¹³C-nmr spectra of phenanthro[3,4-b]thiophene are reported. Assignments were based on a conventional high resolution 500 MHz ¹H-nmr spectrum, autocorrelated two-dimensional ¹H-nmr spectra (COSY), two-dimensional ¹H-¹³C chemical shift correlation spectra and a modified version of autocorrelated ¹³C-¹³C double quantum coherence two-dimensional nmr spectroscopy. From NOE measurements, a separation of 1.99 Å between H1 and H11 was computed, suggesting that phenanthro[3,4-b]thiophene has a pronounced helical conformation in solution.