Synthetic disproof of the structure proposed for solanacol, the germination stimulant for seeds of root parasitic weeds

The structure proposed for solanacol, the germination stimulant for seeds of root parasitic weeds isolated from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), was synthesized. Comparison of the ¹H NMR data of the synthetic compounds with those reported for solanacol showed the previously proposed structure to be incorrect.     

Determination of antihypertensive small peptides, Val-Tyr and Ile-Val-Tyr, by fluorometric high-performance liquid chromatography combined with a double heart-cut column-switching technique.

A double column-switching HPLC method with naphthalene-2,3-dialdehyde (NDA) was applied for determination of two plasma antihypertensive peptides, Val-Tyr (VY) and Ile-Val-Tyr (IVY). After a first separation on a Phe-ODS column, double heart-cuts of the retention time corresponding to NDA-VY and NDA-IVY elutions were successfully separated on an analytical ODS column: 60% acetonitrile in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid containing 5 mM sodium 1-octanesulfonate at 1.0 mL/min. Within-run coefficients of variation were 1.73% and 4.73% for VY and IVY, respectively.     

Synthesis and properties of sulfonated multiblock copoly(ether sulfone)s by a chain extender

A new series of sulfonated multiblock copoly(ether sulfone)s applicable to proton exchange membrane fuel cells was synthesized. The multiblock copolymers were synthesized by the nucleophilic aromatic substitution of hydroxyl‐terminated oligomers in the presence of highly reactive decafluorobiphenyl (DFB) as a chain extender. Because of the high reactivity of DFB, the ether–ether interchange reaction, which could lead to a randomized polymer architecture, was prevented, and multiblock copolymers with high molecular weights were easily produced. The multiblock copolymers gave tough, flexible, and transparent membranes by solution casting. The ion exchange capacity values could be easily controlled by changing the sulfonated block ratios in the copolymers. The resulting membranes demonstrated good oxidative and dimensional stability and significantly higher proton conductivity than sulfonated random poly(ether sulfone) copolymers. The morphologies of the membranes were investigated by tapping mode atomic force microscopy, which showed that the multiblock membranes had a clear hydrophilic/hydrophobic separated structure. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 3947–3957, 2008     

Integration approach for developing a high-performance biointerface: Sequential formation of hydroxyapatite and calcium carbonate by an improved alternate soaking process

Biointerfaces are crucial for regulating biofunctions. An effective method of producing new biomaterials is surface modification, in particular, the hybrid organic-inorganic approach. In this paper, we propose a method for the sequential formation of hydroxyapatite and calcium carbonate on porous polyester membranes by using an improved alternate soaking process. The resulting hybrid membranes were characterized in terms of their calcium and phosphorus ion contents; further, their structure was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and infrared spectroscopy (IR). As a typical biofunction, protein adsorption by these hybrid membranes was investigated. Sequential hydroxyapatite and calcium carbonate formation on the membranes was successfully achieved, and the total amounts of hydroxyapatite and calcium carbonate formed were precisely regulated by the preparative conditions. The SEM and XRD characterizations were verified by comparing with the IR results. The amount of adsorbed protein correlated well with not only the amount of hydroxyapatite formed but also the combined amounts of hydroxyapatite and calcium carbonate formed. The results indicate that the hybrid membranes can function as high-performance biointerfaces that are capable of loading biomolecules such as proteins.     

Cyanoesterification of norbornenes catalyzed by palladium: facile synthetic methodology to introduce cyano and ester functionalities via direct carbon-carbon bond cleavage of cyanoformates

Addition of cyanoformates (NC-COOR) to norbornene at 110 °C in the presence of Pd(PPh₃)₄ (10 mol %) as a catalyst affords with high selectivity the corresponding doubly functionalized polar norbornane derivatives bearing both cyano and ester groups. By using benzonorbornadiene and norbornadienes as the substrates, the reaction can be extended to synthesis of various functionalized norbornene derivatives in moderate to excellent yields. In most cases alkyl groups such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, tert-butyl, and benzyl in the ester functionalities are applicable to the reactions. Oxidative addition of cyanoformates to Pd(0), insertion of norbornenes, and reductive elimination of the corresponding adducts constitute the proposed catalysis pathway.     

Observation of 1,6-anhydro-beta-maltose and 1,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucopyranose complexed with rubidium by NMR spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

A complex of 1,6-anhydro-beta-maltose with rubidium and that of 1,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucopyranose with rubidium were characterized using 87Rb NMR spectroscopy, diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Although subtle differences were observed in the 1H chemical shifts of 1,6-anhydro-beta-maltose in between the presence and absence of rubidium in deuterium oxide, measurements of the spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) of the 87Rb nucleus, the diffusion coefficients of 1,6-anhydro-beta-maltose using 1H DOSY and ESI-MS indicated the complex formation of 1,6-anhydro-beta-maltose with rubidium. The complex formation with rubidium was also identified for 1,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucopyranose using NMR and ESI-MS techniques.     

Acrylic polymer/silica hybrids prepared by emulsifier‐free emulsion polymerization and the sol–gel process

Acrylic polymer/silica hybrids were prepared by emulsifier‐free emulsion polymerization and the sol–gel process. Acrylic polymer emulsions containing triethoxysilyl groups were synthesized by emulsifier‐free batch emulsion polymerization. The acrylic polymer/silica hybrid films prepared from the acrylic polymer emulsions and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) were transparent and solvent‐resistant. Atomic force microscopy studies of the hybrid film surface suggested that the hybrid films did not contain large (e.g., micrometer‐size) silica particles, which could be formed because of the organic–inorganic phase separation. The Si? O? Si bond formed by the cocondensation of TEOS and the triethoxysilyl groups on the acrylic polymer increased the miscibility between the acrylic polymer component and the silica component in the hybrid films, in which the nanometer‐size silica domains (particles) were dispersed homogeneously in the acrylic polymer component. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 273–280, 2006     

NMR study of the quasi-one-dimensional compound BaCo2V2O8

We report the results of a ⁵¹V nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study on the single crystal BaCo₂V ₂O₈ at temperatures between 3 and 300 K. The NMR features for fields both parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis have been identified. We found no substantial changes in the NMR shift and line width at low temperatures as a constant field of 7.06 T was applied along the c-axis. The NMR observations thus indicate the absence of magnetic long-range ordering under this field, consistent with the specific heat result which showed the disappearance of the magnetic transition beyond an external field of 4 T in BaCo₂V ₂O₈.     

Poly(sulfonated phenylene)‐block‐Polyimide Copolymers for Fuel Cell Applications

Novel poly(2‐(3‐sulfo)benzoyl‐1,4‐phenylene)‐block‐polynaphthalimide (PSP‐b‐PI) copolymers were successfully synthesized by Ni(0)‐catalyzed copolymerization of 2,5‐dichloro‐3′‐sulfo‐benzophenone and dichloro‐terminated naphthalimide oligomer. The membranes exhibited a microphase‐separated structure and good hydrolytic stability at 130 °C. They showed a fairly strong anisotropy of membrane swelling with much smaller in‐plane swelling, but a rather weak anisotropy of proton conductivity. The membranes had a fairly high through‐plane conductivity in water and even under low relative humidity. The PSP‐b‐PI copolymer with an IEC of 1.5 meq · g⁻¹ showed high PEFC performance due to the high through‐plane conductivity.

     

Formation of regioregular head‐to‐tail poly[3‐(4‐butylphenyl)thiophene] by an oxidative coupling polymerization with vanadium acetylacetonate

The mechanism for the formation of head‐to‐tail (H–T) poly[3‐(4‐butylphenyl)thiophene] by oxidative coupling polymerization with a catalytic amount of vanadium acetylacetonate was investigated. Polymerization was carried out in the presence of vanadium acetylacetonate, trifluoromethane sulfonic acid, and trifluoroacetic anhydride under an oxygen atmosphere in 1,2‐dichloroethane at room temperature. Polymers and oligomers obtained after several polymerization times were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, IR, and NMR spectroscopies. With these findings and the reactivity of monomer and dimers based on ab initio density functional theory, the polymerization was found to proceed mainly through the formation of H–T linkages due to the high spin density at the 2‐position of 3‐(4‐butylphenyl)thiophene and the calculated total energy of dimers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2287–2295, 2001