Rhodium-catalyzed disulfide exchange reaction

A system of RhH(PPh3)4, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, and (p-tol)3P catalyzes the disulfide exchange reaction. Treatment of two symmetrical dialkyl disulfides with the catalyst provides an equilibrium mixture of three disulfides within 15 min in refluxing acetone. The catalyst is active after reaching the equilibrium, and addition of a disulfide to the mixture changes the ratio of the products. The use of 4 mol equiv excess of one of the disulfides provides the unsymmetrical disulfide in a yield exceeding 80%. Disulfide-containing peptides also undergo an exchange reaction. The reactions of diaryl disulfides and dialkyl disulfides are even faster, and reach equilibrium within 5 min at room temperature in the presence of the rhodium complex and 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe). This exchange reaction is considerably affected by the substituents on the disulfides. Treatment of diphenyl disulfide, di(p-tolyl) disulfide, and bis(sec-butyl) disulfide yields phenyl p-tolyl disulfide at room temperature with unchanged bis(sec-butyl) disulfide; random disproportionation occurs at reflux. The rhodium catalysis can be used for the exchange reaction of disulfides and diselenides giving selenosulfides as well as disulfides and ditellurides giving tellurinosulfides.     

Seeded polymerization of vinyl acetate using monodisperse poly(vinyl acetate) latex particles

The seeded polymerizations of vinyl acetate, using monodisperse poly(vinyl acetate) latex particles prepared in the absence of emulsifiers with potassium persulfate, have been investigated at 70°C with potassium persulfate as an initiator. New small particles were formed in the system containing a small amount of seed particles, but were not observed in the system containing a large amount of seed particles. The size of the secondary particles increased, and their number decreased, with an increase in the seed particle number. The minimum diameter of PVAc particles, which are stabilized by the sulfate ion groups bound at the end of polymer chains during polymerization, was determined to be 0.12 μm diameter from the limiting total surface area of seed particles which prevented further secondary nucleation. The minimum diameter of the particles increased as the speed of the stirrer increased. The new small particle number calculated using this value agreed well with that formed in the seeded polymerization.     

Effects of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain length of PEG-lipid on the permeability of liposomal bilayer membranes

The effects of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain length of PEG-lipid on the membrane characteristics of liposomes were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), freeze-fracture electron microscopy (FFEM), fluorescence polarization measurement and permeability measurement using carboxyfluorescein (CF). PEG-liposomes were prepared from mixtures of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and distearoyl phosphatidylethanolamines with covalently attached PEG molecular weights of 1000, 2000, 3000 and 5000 (DSPE-PEG). DSC and FFEM results showed that the addition of DSPE-PEG to DPPC in the preparation of liposomes caused the lateral phase separation both in the gel and liquid-crystalline states. The fluidity in the hydrocarbon region of liposomal bilayer membranes was not significantly changed by the addition of DSPE-PEG, while that in the interfacial region was markedly increased. From these results, it was anticipated that the CF leakage from PEG-liposomes is accelerated compared with DPPC liposomes. However, CF leakage from liposomes containing DSPE-PEG with a 0.060 mol fraction was depressed compared with regular liposomes, and the leakage decreased with increasing PEG chain length. Furthermore, the CF leakage from liposomes containing DSPE-PEG with a 0.145 mol fraction was slightly increased compared with that of liposomes containing DSPE-PEG with a 0.060 mol fraction. It is suggested that the solute permeability from the PEG-liposomes was affected by not only properties of the liposomal bilayer membranes such as phase transition temperature, phase separation and membrane fluidity, but also the PEG chain of the liposomal surface.     

A contribution to the theory of OD EPR of spin-correlated radical pairs

A composite structure of OD EPR spectra is predicted. The OD EPR spectra consist of a broad component which manifests many features similar to conventional CW EPR spectra and a narrow component which appears as a hole in the broad spectrum. The width of the narrow component is estimated. The contribution of singlet-triplet dephasing to the shape of the OD EPR spectra is discussed comprehensively. It is shown that changes of the OD EPR spectra with an increase in the rate of singlet-triplet dephasing can be interpreted in terms of a redistribution of the populations of mixed (singlet and triplet) states of radical pairs and of exchange of the coherences corresponding to the EPR transitions for radical pairs.     

Synthesis of trifluoromethylated pyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidine‐2,4‐diones from 6‐aminouracils and trifluoromethylated pyrazolo[3,4‐b]‐pyridines from 5‐aminopyrazoles

5 or 7‐Trifluoromethyl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydropyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidine‐2,4‐diones 3 , 5 , 10 , 13 and 4‐ or 6‐trifluoromethylpyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyridines 15 , 16 , 19 , 21 were prepared from 6‐aminouracils and 5‐aminopyrazoles, respectively, in good yields by the use of building blocks such as 4,4,4‐trifluoro‐1‐phenyl‐1,3‐butanedione, 1,1,1‐trifluoro‐4‐phenyl‐3‐buten‐2‐one, 4‐ethoxy‐1,1,1‐trifluoro‐3‐buten‐2‐one, and ethyl trifluoroacetoacetate.     

Synthesis and characterization of radioiodinated MD-230254: a new ligand for potential imaging of monoamine oxidase B activity by single photon emission computed tomography

A series of iodinated analogues of MD-230254 was synthesized and evaluated for inhibitory potency and selectivity toward monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). Among them, 5-[4-(2-iodobenzyloxy)phenyl]-3-(cyanoethyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2(3H)one (2-IBPO) was found to have high inhibitory potency and selectivity toward MAO-B (IC50=2.0 nM, MAO-A/MAO-B >50000). Analysis of the inhibition kinetics indicated that 2-IBPO acts in a two-step mechanism as a competitive, slow, and tight-binding inhibitor of MAO-B with a Ki value of 2.4 nM and an overall Ki* value at an equilibrium of 3.8 nM. The new radioligand for MAO-B, [125I]2-IBPO was conveniently synthesized from a tributylstannyl precursor by an iododestannylation reaction using sodium [125I]iodide and hydrogen peroxide with high radiochemical yield. The in vivo tissue distribution studies of [125I]2-IBPO demonstrated its high initial uptake and prolonged retention in the brain. A selective interaction of [125I]2-IBPO with MAO-B was confirmed by the pretreatment experiment with well known MAO specific inhibitors, l-deprenyl, Ro-16-6491, clorgyline, and Ro-41-1049. These very desirable characteristics of [125I]2-IBPO suggested that a 123I-labeled counterpart, [123I]2-IBPO, would have great potential in in vivo studies of MAO-B in the human brain with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).     

Cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidones with increased affinity and specificity for methyl orange and its homologs

Polyvinylpyrrolidones of various degrees of cross-linkage have been prepared by radical polymerization of N-vinylpyrrolidone with methylenebisacrylamide to regulate the fraction of cross-linkage. The insoluble polymers obtained were examined for their ability to bind methyl orange and its homologs, methyl orange, ethyl orange, propyl orange, and butyl orange at 5, 15, 25, and 35°C, respectively, in an aqueous solution. The first binding constants and the thermodynamic parameters that accompanied the binding were calculated. For any particular dye the extent of binding, the absolute magnitude of ΔF°, and the value of ΔS° increased as the degree of cross-linkage increased, starting with water-soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone (zero cross-linkage) and proceeding to the polymer with high cross-linking density. This behavior can be accounted for in terms of more extensive hydrophobic domains in the cross-linked polymeric matrix that enhances hydrophobic interactions in the binding process. Moreover, the cross-linked macromolecule polymerized in the presence of methyl orange and then stripped of the bound methyl orange shows substantially stronger binding for this small molecule than the polymer cross-linked in the absence of methyl orange. In contrast, the cross-linked polymer prepared similarly in the presence of the larger molecule, butyl orange, exhibits decreased affinity toward the smaller consolute, methyl orange, than either of the other polymers described. It seems, therefore, that the polymeric matrix provides favorable binding sites or pockets that can accommodate a specific small molecule. The preparative procedure, which uses a small-molecule template, molds into the polymer some structural specificity in the binding of small molecules.     

Wrightiamines A and B,two new cytotoxic pregnane alkaloids from Wrightia javanica

Two new pregnane alkaloids, wrightiamines A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the extract of the tropical Apocynaceous plant Wrightia javanica collected in Thailand, and their structures were elucidated by spectral data. Wrightiamine B (2) was preparaed from 3beta-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one to establish the configuration of the C-20 position as S. Wrightiamine A (1) exhibited cytotoxic activity against vincristine-resistant murine leukemia P388 cells.     

Etude par RPE des radicaux libres daus le tétraoxane irradié

The free radicals induced in tetraoxane at liquid nitrogen temperatures by ⁶⁰Co γ-rays have been studied by ESR. The powder spectrum as well as he spectra of the single crystal rotated around the b axis have been studied through their modifications from ?196°C up to + 80°C. These spectra show that at low temperatures two radicals exist conserving the cyclic nature of the parent molecule. During the course of annealing, starting at ?140°C and towards ?85°C they are gradually replaced by radicals with a linear structure, this being the first step in the post-polymerization process of tetraoxane. Further increase in temperature leads to radical sites situated on the polymer chains. At low temperatures evidence has also been found for the formyl radical, radical pairs, and a photo-sensitive radical.