Synthesis of periodic copolymers via ring‐opening copolymerizations of cyclic anhydrides with tetrahydrofuran using nonafluorobutanesulfonimide as an organic catalyst and subsequent transformation to aliphatic polyesters

To synthesize polyesters and periodic copolymers catalyzed by nonafluorobutanesulfonimide (Nf₂NH), we performed ring‐opening copolymerizations of cyclic anhydrides with tetrahydrofuran (THF) at 50–120 °C. At high temperature (100–120 °C), the cyclic anhydrides, such as succinic anhydride (SAn), glutaric anhydride (GAn), phthalic anhydride (PAn), maleic anhydride (MAn), and citraconic anhydride (CAn), copolymerized with THF via ring‐opening to produce polyesters (M_n = 0.8–6.8 × 10³, M_n/M_w = 2.03–3.51). Ether units were temporarily formed during this copolymerization and subsequently, the ether units were transformed into esters by chain transfer reaction, thus giving the corresponding polyester. On the other hand, at low temperature (25–50 °C), ring‐opening copolymerizations of the cyclic anhydrides with THF produced poly(ester‐ether) (M_n = 3.4–12.1 × 10³, M_w/M_n = 1.44–2.10). NMR and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectra revealed that when toluene (4 M) was used as a solvent, GAn reacted with THF (unit ratio: 1:2) to produce periodic copolymers (M_n = 5.9 × 10³, M_w/M_n = 2.10). We have also performed model reactions to delineate the mechanism by which periodic copolymers containing both ester and ether units were transformed into polyesters by raising the reaction temperature to 120 °C. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

A Strategy for Neuraminidase Inhibitors Using Mechanism‐Based Labeling Information

A potent inhibitor for Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase (VCNA) was developed by using a novel two‐step strategy, a target amino acid validation using mechanism‐based labeling information, and a potent inhibitor search using a focused library. The labeling information suggested the hidden dynamics of a loop structure of VCNA, which can be a potential target of the novel inhibitor. A focused library composed of 187 compounds was prepared from a 9‐azide derivative of 2,3‐dehydro‐N‐acetylneuraminic acid (DANA) to interrupt the function of the loop of the labeled residues. Inhibitor 3c showed potent inhibition properties and was the strongest inhibitor with FANA, a N‐trifluoroacetyl derivative of DANA. Validation studies of the inhibitor with a detergent and a Lineweaver–Burk plot suggested that the 9‐substitution group would interact hydrophobically with the target loop moiety, adding a noncompetitive inhibition property to the DANA skeleton. This information enabled us to design compound 4 having the combined structure of 3c and FANA. Compound 4 showed the most potent inhibition (K_i=73 nM , mixed inhibition) of VCNA with high selectivity among the tested viral, bacterial, and mammal neuraminidases.     

Direct observation of the formation of a cyclic poly(alkyl sorbate) via chain-growth polymerization by an N-heterocyclic carbene initiator and ring-closing without extreme dilution

1,3-Di-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene (NHCtBu), which is one of the typical N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), was found to initiate the anionic chain-growth polymerization of methyl sorbate (MS) in toluene at −20°C. The polymerization was accelerated by an aluminum Lewis acid, that is, methylaluminum bis(2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenoxide) (MAD), to afford cyclic poly(MS)s. Subsequently, thiol-ene click reactions of poly(MS)s with two different alkanethiols were performed using a photoradical initiator to obtain graft-like polymers, which was for the microscopic observation of the chains directly by transmittance electron microscope (TEM). The contamination of linear polymers was hardly observed. This means that the polymers synthesized by our synthetic strategy were indeed cyclic polymers. We also compared the theoretical and experimental chain diameter and width for the graft-like cyclic polymers, where these values were dependent on the molecular weight of the cyclic polymers regulated by the feed monomer/initiator ratio and length of the alkanethiols, respectively.     

Analysis of water molecules around GTP in Hras-GTP complex and GDP in Hras-GDP complex by molecular dynamics simulations

We investigate the structures of the Hras-GTP and the Hras-GDP complexes in water solvents in order to understand the mechanism of GTP hydrolysis in the Hras-GTP complex. We performed MD simulations of these complexes in order to study the positions and the orientations of water molecules around the guanosine nucleotides. Using trajectories we calculated the angular distribution of water molecules around the most distant phosphorus from guanosine in our previous work. It was shown that water molecules are distributed evenly in GTP, although unevenly in GDP. This suggests that the trigger of GTP hydrolysis is possibly the attack of water molecule to γ?phosphate from the appropriate direction. In this paper, in order to investigate the role of water molecules in GTP hydrolysis in detail, we calculate the orientation of water molecules. The distribution of the orientation is different between GTP and GDP. In order to investigate the cause of this difference, we examine the hydrogen bonds between water molecules and oxygen atom of the most distant phosphate from guanosine. We find that these hydrogen bonds are formed. We also find that the oxygen atom of hydrogen bond is determined by the position of the water molecule of hydrogen bond.     

Formal (3+3) cycloaddition of silyl enol ethers catalyzed by trifric imide: domino Michael addition-claisen condensation accompanied with isomerization of silyl enol ethers

We describe here a Tf?NH-catalyzed formal (3+3) cycloaddition of silyl enol ethers with acrylates as a new domino reaction. In the domino sequence, the catalyst activates Michael addition, deprotonation of the resulting silyloxonium cation and intramolecular Claisen condensation. It was found that reaction modes significantly depend on the reaction temperature. We also examined the mechanistic detail of the reaction by 1H-NMR experiment.     

Effect of glycerol and its analogs on polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis by recombinant Ralstonia eutropha: A quantitative structure–activity relationship study of chain transfer agents

Triglycerides such as plant and vegetable oils are desirable feedstock for the fermentative production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) because the weight yield of PHA from triglycerides is higher than that obtained from sugars. However, glycerol, a multi-hydroxy component of triglyceride, is known to function as a chain transfer (CT) agent in PHA polymerization, resulting in the formation of low-molecular-weight PHA. In this study, we evaluated how glycerol alters the molecular weight of PHA using recombinant Ralstonia eutropha as a practical host for PHA production. We demonstrated that glycerol has the ability to reduce molecular weight of PHA, even as a component of triglyceride. Furthermore, various alcohols that are structurally related to glycerol were examined for their reducing abilities to perform a quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) study. It was found that alcohols with higher hydrophobicity (log P) exhibited higher reducing ability for PHA molecular weight. Glycerol, a less hydrophobic alcohol, was able to reduce PHA molecular weight; however, the efficacy was relatively weak among the examined alcohols.     

Preparation of L-Alanine Crystals Containing Gold Nanoparticles

Amino acids provide useful foods, medicines, health foods, and nutritional supplements. We studied the morphology control of alanine, an amino acid. We also studied the effects of amino acid addition on the dispersion stability of gold nanoparticles. We then studied hybridization between alanine crystals and arginine-capped gold nanoparticles. Alanine crystal growth in a supersaturated alanine solution was found to increase linearly over time, and alanine crystal growth stopped as supersaturation decreased. Alanine crystals with arginine grew toward the c-axis because arginine was adsorbed onto the face (120) of alanine crystals. Absorption wavelengths of colloidal solutions changed for gold nanoparticles with arginine, suggesting that arginine was adsorbed onto gold nanoparticles. The change in alanine crystal morphology was the same for alanine crystals with arginine-capped gold nanoparticles in that it grew toward the c-axis. Alanine crystals contained arginine-capped gold nanoparticles toward the c-axis.     

Stereoselective Inclusion and Structure of Equatorial-trans-1,2-dichlorocyclohexane

Abstract

Optically active (R,R)-(-)-trans-1,2-dichlorocyclohexane (DCC) was isolated as an inclusion crystal with the optically active host, (R,R)-(-)-trans-2,3-(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)-1,4-dioxaspiro[4.4]-nonane, and the structure of the 2:1 inclusion crystal has been determined by X-ray analysis. Crystal data: C₇₂H₇₄O₈Cl₂, orthorhombic, P2₁2₁2 (No. 18), a = 17.465(6) Å, b = 20.095(6) Å, c = 8.664(5) Å, V = 3040(2) ų, Z = 2, D_c = 1.24g cm^?3, D_m = 1.23g cm^?3, T = 293 K and final R ₁ = 0.050 for 2766 observed data (I > 2σ(I)). The conformation of DCC in the inclusion crystal has been found to be equatorial and the absolute configuration was definitely determined to be (R,R) on the basis of the known configuration of the host.     

Quantum degenerate mixtures of alkali and alkaline-earth-like atoms

We realize simultaneous quantum degeneracy in mixtures consisting of the alkali and alkaline-earth-like atoms Li and Yb. This is accomplished within an optical trap by sympathetic cooling of the fermionic isotope ?Li with evaporatively cooled bosonic 1??Yb and, separately, fermionic 1?3Yb. Using cross-thermalization studies, we also measure the elastic s-wave scattering lengths of both Li-Yb combinations, |a(?Li-1??Yb)| = 1.0 ± 0.2 nm and |a(?Li-1?3Yb)| = 0.9 ± 0.2 nm. The equality of these lengths is found to be consistent with mass-scaling analysis. The quantum degenerate mixtures of Li and Yb, as realized here, can be the basis for creation of ultracold molecules with electron spin degrees of freedom, studies of novel Efimov trimers, and impurity probes of superfluid systems.