Oxofunctionalized Trans-2-carboxycinnamic Acids by Catalytic Domino Oxidation of Naphthols and Hydronaphthoquinones

The catalytic oxidation of naphthalenes was investigated. Hydrogen peroxide (30% aqueous) was used as an oxygen source, and 2,2’-dinitro-4,4’-ditrifluoromethyldiphenyl diselenide was the oxygen-transfer catalyst. Unsubstituted naphthols produce trans-2-carboxycinnamic acid in nearly quantitative yields. Both naphthols bearing substituents on the conjugated ring deliver corresponding trans-2-carboxycinnamic acids in good to excellent yields. The 1,7- and 2,6-hydronaphthoquinones, substituted by carboxy and carboxymethyl groups, produce hydroxycinnamic acids in satisfactory to excellent yields. A catalytic domino reaction mechanism is proposed.     

Changes in Electron Structure of the Triple Bond in Substituted Acetylene and Diacetylene Derivatives

The substituent effect is usually considered by means of various Hammett-like substituent constants and is most often related to aromatic systems. Unlike this, we present results of our research on the influence of 27 substituents spanning a wide range of electronic properties, from strongly electron-withdrawing to strongly electron-donating, on the electron structure of X-substituted acetylenes and diacetylenes – thus the systems which until now have practically not been subject of any deeper studies. It is shown that the interaction through triple bond(s) is associated with a significant advantage of resonance effects and that the substituent effect transmitted by the C≡C−C≡C unit is about half of that transmitted by the C≡C unit alone. Substituent X mainly affects the closest carbon atom by means of proximity effect, hence changes of charge on this atom do not follow any substituent constants. The effect on further carbon atoms is much smaller. The presence of the C≡C−C≡C unit withdraws more charge from X than a triple bond alone, and hinders communication between X and the terminal H atom. Comparison of substituent effects to those present in X-substituted benzene derivatives shows that the electronic properties of the terminal hydrogen atom in acetylenes and diacetylenes are most similar to the electronic properties of ortho and para hydrogen atoms in X-substituted benzene derivatives.     

The use of thin-layer chromatography in the assessment of the quality of lutein-containing dietary supplements

Bivariant multiple development thin-layer chromatography technique (BMD–TLC) along with high-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection–electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry (HPLC–DAD–ESI–MS) analysis was used in determination of lutein or lutein mixed with zeaxanthin in eight dietary supplements. The developed two-step TLC separation procedure combined purification, compaction of samples and separation of the analyzed compounds what significantly shortened and simplified samples preparation. Qualitative analysis was based on co-chromatography with reference substances and HPLC–DAD–ESI–MS analysis. It was revealed that three of eight dietary supplements did not contain lutein. In turn, quantitative analysis with the use of developed TLC conditions along with densitometry showed that the amount of lutein or its mixture with zeaxanthin in the others differed from that claimed by producers.

     

Reaction of N-Acyl-α-triphenylphosphonio-α-amino Acid Esters with Organic Bases: Mechanism of the Base-Catalyzed Nucleophilic Substitution of the Triphenylphosphonium Group

Summary.  Reactions of N-acyl-α-triphenylphosphonio-α-amino acid methyl esters with organic bases (triethylamine or DBU) were investigated as the crucial step of the base-catalyzed displacement of the triphenylphosphonium group by nucleophiles. It was proved that N-acyl-α-triphenylphosphonioglycinates are transformed to an equilibrium mixture of the corresponding N-acyliminoacetates and N-acyl-α-triphenylphosphoranylidene glycinates by bases. In the case of N-acyl-α-triphenylphosphonio-α-amino acid esters with quaternary α-carbon, the α-substituted homologues of the N-acyliminoacetates were detected to be the only primary reaction product which, however, can undergo further tautomerization to the corresponding α,β-dehydro-α-amino acid derivatives. In both these cases the reaction of N-acyl-α-triphenylphosphonio-α-amino acid esters with nucleophiles proceeds via the addition of a nucleophile to the activated C=N double bond of the N-acylimino intermediate. Corresponding author. E-mail: romanm@zeus.polsl.gliwice.pl Received October 31, 2001. Accepted (revised) December 17, 2001     

Synthesis,crystal structure and other properties of the complexes of Er(III), Yb(III) and Lu(III) with 4,4′-bipyridine and dichloroacetates

A novel mixed-ligand complexes of Er(III), Yb(III) and Lu(III) with title ligands were prepared and characterized by chemical and elemental analysis and IR spectroscopy, conductivity (in methanol, dimethyloformamide and dimethylsulphoxide). The thermal properties of complexes in the solid state were studied. The mode of metal–ligand coordination was discussed. The title compounds are isomorphic and isostructural in solid state. All atoms in studied compounds lie in general positions but occurrence of inversion on the midpoint of the bond linking two pyridine rings leads to existence in asymmetric unit one complex molecule and half of outer coordination sphere 4-bpy molecule. All chelating carboxylate groups are symmetrically bonded to the metal cations. The molecules of studied compounds are connected to the three dimensional network via O–H···O and O–H···N intermolecular hydrogen bonds. In the structures also exist C–H···O, C–H···Cl weak hydrogen bonds and π····π stacking interactions.     

Oligomeric Branched Polyethers with Multiple Hydroxyl Groups by Cationic Ring-Opening Polymerization for Inorganic Surface Modification

Summary: Cationic ring-opening polymerization of cyclic ethers (also esters and acetals) substituted with hydroxyl groups leads to branched multihydroxyl polymers. When 4-membered hydroxysubstituted oxetanes or 5-membered hydroxysubstuituted oxolanes (or lactone and 1,3-dioxolane) are used as monomers the polymerization products have limited molecular weights (about 1000). Polymerization of these monomers leading in situ to oligomeric products was used for inorganic surface modification. Successful polymerizations of oxetane as well as considered as difficult to polymerize 5-membered hydroxysubstituted cyclic monomers initiated from montmorillonite clay and silica nanoparticles surfaces were performed.     

Energetic and geometrical evidence of nonbonding character of some intramolecular halogen···oxygen and other Y···Y interactions

We present high-level ab initio calculations for representative group of molecules possessing the intramolecular interaction of the X···O type (X = F, Cl, Br, and I). Few examples of molecules with intramolecular O···O and F···F interactions are also investigated. We show that, although most often investigated as bonding, all these interactions are nonbonding or repulsive, as indicated by positive values of interaction energies obtained by means of a few estimating methods, by thorough studies of geometrical changes that take place during the X···O contact formation and by the lateral contact of electron density isosurfaces of X and O atoms, which both are characterized by negative values of electrostatic potential. The presented conclusion about the repulsive nature of the intramolecular X···O and similar interactions is in opposition to the proclamation of the quantum theory of atoms in molecules of Bader that the presence of a bond path and a corresponding bond critical point is always to indicate the bonding, thus, stabilizing interaction.     

Hypochlorous acid-induced oxidative damage of human red blood cells: effects of tert-butyl hydroperoxide and nitrite on the HOCl reaction with erythrocytes

Hypochlorous acid, one of the most powerful biological oxidants, is believed to be important in the pathogenesis of some diseases. The purpose of this study was to further characterise the membrane and intracellular events which resulted in HOCl-induced oxidative impairments and haemolysis of human erythrocytes and interaction of different oxidative agents, which accumulated during respiratory burst, in the process of RBS oxidation. The sequence of cellular events after red blood cell exposure to HOCl: cell morphological transformations, oxidation of cellular constituents, enzyme modifications, and haemolysis have been evaluated. It was shown that HOCl-treated cells underwent colloid-osmotic haemolysis, preceded by rapid morphological transformations and membrane structural transitions. The activation energy of the process of haemolysis (after removal of the excess of oxidative agent) was estimated to be 146+/-22 kJ/mol at temperatures above the break point of Arrhenius plot (31-32 degrees C). This value corresponds to the activation energy of the process of protein denaturation. Modification of erythrocytes by HOCl inhibited membrane acetylcholinesterase (uncompetitive type of inhibition), depleted intracellular glutathione, activated intracellular glutathione peroxidase, but did not induce membrane lipid peroxidation. The presence of other oxidants, nitrite or tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP), promoted the oxidative damage induced by HOCl and led to new oxidative reactions.     

Thermal conductivity enhancement of copper–diamond composites by sintering with chromium additive

The thermal diffusivity (TD) and thermal conductivity (TC) of Cu–Cr–diamond composite materials were examined in the temperature range from 50 to 300 °C for diamond volume fractions of 22, 40, 50, 55, and 60 %. The samples were fabricated by the plasma pulse sintering (PPS) method. TC does not increase proportionally with the diamond fraction in the particular composite materials. The highest TD was determined for 50 % diamond volume fraction, and the evaluated TC reached 658 W m^?1 K^?1 at 50 °C. This article complements earlier articles concerning synthesis and characterization of the diamond–copper composites produced by the PPS method.     

On the aromatic character of the heterocyclic bases of DNA and RNA

Studies based on ab initio optimized geometries (at B3LYP/6-311+G** and MP2/6-311+G** levels) and on experimental structures retrieved from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) reveal that the nucleobases constituting DNA and RNA differ significantly in their aromatic character, as shown by the geometry-based index of aromaticity HOMA that ranges from 0.466 for thymine to 0.917 for adenine, based on B3LYP/6-311+G** calculations, and 0.495-0.926, respectively, if based on the MP2/6-311+G** level. Aromaticity of the bases decreases markedly with an increase of the number of double-bond C=X (X = N, O) substituents at the rings. H-bonds involving C=O groups in Watson-Crick pairs cause an increase of the aromatic character of the rings.