Synthesis, stability and molecular structure of novel hydrocarbon cations consisting of a tropylium cation and two spiro[4.5]deca-2,4-dienes

Two novel hydrocarbon cations with a tropylium ion ring fused by two spiro[4,5]deca-2,4-dienes, 9 and 10, were synthesized by a six-step sequence starting from 1,6- and 1,5-diacetyl-1,3,5-cycloheptatrienes, respectively. The pK_R⁺ values of 9 and 10 were found to be the same at 13.2, providing a new access to highly stable cations. The density functional calculations predict that both 9 and 10 have cyclohexane rings with the chair conformation spread toward molecular edges as the most stable structure. The crystal packing and structure of 9 including dichloromethane were also elucidated by X-ray crystallographic analysis.     

Synthesis of 1-hydrocarbon substituted cyclopropyl silyl ketones

The synthesis of cyclopropyl silyl ketones possessing a hydrocarbon group at 1-position of three-membered ring was investigated. The reaction of sulfoxonium ylide with α,β-unsaturated acylsilanes derived from α,β-unsaturated aldehydes did not afford the desired acylsilane derivatives. Instead, the corresponding silyl enol ethers were yielded exclusively. On the other hand, the Corey-Chaykovsky cyclopropanation of α-substituted α,β-unsaturated aldehydes proceeded well to give 1-substituted cyclopropyl aldehydes. The silyl substitution of formyl proton in the obtained aldehydes via umpolung of carbonyl group afforded the target acylsilanes.     

Thermal and acid-catalyzed reaction of bifunctional vinyl ether urethane in nonionic and ionic polymer matrices

A bifunctional vinyl ether urethane derivative (BVU) was synthesized and characterzed. Photoresist systems consisting of BVU and a photoacid generator (PAG) along with various matrix polymers were prepared and the photoresist characteristics were evaluated. In the presence of BVU and a PAG, poly(methylmethacrylate-co-acrylic acid) and poly(methylmethacrylate) exhibited positive and negative tone behavior, respectively, where as poly(p-hydroxystyrene) showed both positive and negative working properties depending on the prebake temperature of the system. The depandence of the photoresist behaviors on these matrix polymers was studied. The mechanism of the thermal and photochemical reactions was revealed.     

Acid-catalyzed reaction behavior of 1-silylcyclopropylmethanols

Treatment of 1-silylcyclopropylmethanols with TsOH in methanol gives different homoallyl ethers depending upon the configuration of substituents on cyclopropane ring and the kinds of substituents on carbinyl carbon. Especially, the reaction of cyclopropylmethanols having no substituents on the same side with silyl group on cyclopropane ring proceeds to give the corresponding E-homoallyl ethers with high stereoselectivity. The following protiodesilylation of resulting homoallyl ethers proceeds with retention of configuration.     

Protonation of the acidic residues in the transmembrane cation-binding sites of the ca(2+) pump

The ionization states of the acidic residues around the Ca2+-binding sites of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase are studied by continuum electrostatic calculations and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations with explicit solvent and phospholipids. The two methods consistently indicate that Glu58 and Glu908 are protonated at neutral pH. The Ca2+ coordination and the H-bonds formed by the protonation of Glu58 and Glu908 are stable in an MD simulation, whereas the H-bonds are disrupted and the Ca2+ coordination geometry is severely altered in another simulation treating these residues unprotonated. The results clearly indicate that the H-bonds formed by protonation of Glu58 and Glu908 provide extra stability for the Ca2+-binding sites of Ca2+ ATPase.     

Tunnel electrode: Part II. Electron-transfer theory at an n-type semiconductor tunnel electrode

The formula for the cathodic tunnel current at an n-type semiconductor tunnel electrode was derived from the double adiabatic perturbation theory considering the vibration in the first coordination sphere. In the low-temperature limiting case, the apparent difference between the normal and the abnormal regions was observed in both the transfer coefficient α and the activation energy E* as a function of potential. It was concluded that the semiconductor tunnel electrode has advantageous characteristics for investigation of the electron-transfer mechanism at high overvoltage.     

Synthesis, molecular structure, and chemical reactivity of azuleno[1,2-a]acenaphthylene

The azuleno[1,2-a]acenaphthylene (1a) was prepared from 1-pyrrolidinylacenaphthylene (5) and 2H-cyclohepta[b]furan-2-one (6) by the method of the Takase-Yasunami azulene synthesis. Its ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra indicate that 1a comprises azulene and naphthalene rather than acenaphtylene and heptafulvene in accordance with speculation drawn from a previous study of the DEPE calculations. The solid-state structure of 1a was elucidated by X-ray crystallographical analysis, indicating that 1a is nearly planar and exhibits little bond alternation as seen in the optimized structure at the MB3LYP/6-311G^∗ level of theory. All bond lengths observed by the X-ray analysis are in good agreement within 0.024 Å with those calculated. Under pyrolytic conditions 1a underwent azulene-naphthalene rearrangement to give 9 and 10. The electrophilic substitution of 1a was observed at the 7-position and the second reaction at the 3-position. The cycloaddition reaction of 1a with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) yielded the 1:1 cycloadduct with a heptalene skeleton 16a and the 1:2 cycloadduct 19, along with the substitution product 17. The X-ray structural analysis of the cycloadducts 16a and 19 is also described.     

Through the channel and around the channel: Validating and comparing microscopic approaches for the evaluation of free energy profiles for ion penetration through ion channels

Microscopic calculations of free energy profiles for ion transport through biological ion channels present a very serious challenge to modern simulation approaches. The main problem is due to the major convergence problems associated with the heterogeneous landscape of the electrostatic environment in ion channels and with the need to evaluate the profile associated with the transfer of the ion from bulk water to the channel environment. This problem is compounded by the lack of reliable and relevant benchmarks that can discriminate between alternative approaches. The present study is aimed at reducing the above problems by defining benchmarks that are directly relevant to ion channels and can also give converging results. This is done by constructing a series of models of a truncated gramicidin channel with different numbers of water molecules and by comparing the profiles for going around the channel and through the channel. These discriminating models are then used to validate and compare the adiabatic charging free energy perturbation (FEP) approach combined with an umbrella sampling approach (Warshel, A. J. Phys. Chem. 1982, 86, 2218) and the potential of mean force (PMF) approach used frequently in studies of ion channels. It is found that both approaches work quite well until one moves to the case of the fully solvated channel. In this limit, the PMF approach may give different results for the overall work of going through the channel and around the channel, while the FEP approach gives physically consistent results. The present benchmark also indicates that the weighted histogram analysis method (WHAM) approach does not offer a significant advantage over earlier approaches at least as much as studies of ion channels are concerned. Finally, it is concluded that the FEP approach may be more useful in evaluating the overall barrier for moving ions from water to ion channels and that in some cases it might be beneficial to use the FEP approach for selective points along the channel and then to connect these points by PMF calculations.     

Apparent NAC effect in chorismate mutase reflects electrostatic transition state stabilization

The catalytic reaction of chorismate mutase (CM) has been the subject of major current attention. Nevertheless, the origin of the catalytic power of CM remains an open question. In particular, it has not been clear whether the enzyme works by providing electrostatic transition state stabilization (TSS), by applying steric strain, or by populating near attack conformation (NAC). The present work explores this issue by a systematic quantitative analysis. The overall catalytic effect is reproduced by the empirical valence bond (EVB) method. In addition, the binding free energy of the ground state and the transition state is evaluated, demonstrating that the enzyme works by TSS. Furthermore, the evaluation of the electrostatic contribution to the reduction of the activation energy establishes that the TSS results from electrostatic effects. It is also found that the apparent NAC effect is not the reason for the catalytic effect but the result of the TSS. It is concluded that in CM as in other enzymes the key catalytic effect is electrostatic TSS. However, since the charge distribution of the transition state and the reactant state is similar, the stabilization of the transition state leads to reduction in the distance between the reacting atoms in the reactant state.     

An efficient construction of bridged chiral tetracyclic indolidines, a core structure of asperparaline, via stereocontrolled catalytic Pauson-Khand reaction

A reaction of chiral enyne 22 derived from l-proline with a catalytic amount of cobalt (0) octacarbonyl in the presence of N-methylmorphorine N-oxide gave tricyclic enone 24 in 54% yield (73% based on consumed starting material). Treatment of enone 11 with aqueous methylamine followed by silica gel afforded bridged tetracyclic indolidine 1, a common structural motif of natural metabolites, an asperparaline series of compounds and also a potential intermediate for the synthesis of a paralytic alkaloid, asperparaline C (4), in 70% yield.