X-ray magnetic circular dichroism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa nickel(II) azurin

We show that X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) can be employed to probe the oxidation states and other electronic structural features of nickel active sites in proteins. As a calibration standard, we have measured XMCD and X-ray absorption (XAS) spectra for the nickel(II) derivative of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin (NiAz). Our analysis of these spectra confirms that the electronic ground state of NiAz is high-spin (S = 1); we also find that the L(3)-centroid energy is 853.1(1) eV, the branching ratio is 0.722(4), and the magnetic moment is 1.9(4) mu(B). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on model NiAz structures establish that orbitals 3d(x2-y2) and 3d(z2) are the two valence holes in the high-spin Ni(II) ground state, and in accord with the experimentally determined orbital magnetic moment, the DFT results also demonstrate that both holes are highly delocalized, with 3d(x2-y2) having much greater ligand character.     

On-chip electrochromatography using sol-gel immobilized stationary phase with UV absorbance detection

A chromatography column on a chip was fabricated by immobilizing reversed-phase stationary phase particles (5 microm, C4) using sol-gel technology. Channels were fabricated in quartz using photolithography and wet etching. Localization of the stationary phase was achieved by immobilizing the stationary phase at the desired location in the separation channel prior to bonding of the cover plate. Cross channel design was employed for gated injection. An optical fiber setup was developed for carrying out on-chip UV absorbance detection. The effective optical path length was theoretically determined for the trapezoidal shaped channel and the result was shown to match closely with the experimentally determined value. The effect of applied voltage on velocity was evaluated using thiourea as an unretained marker. Separation performance of the stationary phase was demonstrated by separation of three peptides (Trp-Ala, Leu-Trp and Trp-Trp) under isocratic chromatographic conditions.     

Measurement of diffusion coefficients of additive molecules in colloidal polymer particles by electron paramagnetic resonance

Nonpolar paramagnetic additives mixed into the aqueous serum of colloidal polymer dispersions are absorbed by the polymer particles with a rate that depends on the diffusion coefficient of the additive in the polymer. The absorption leads to an immobilization of the additive which can be detected in the electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum. By fitting the time dependence of the immobilized fraction to the appropriate diffusion model, it is possible to determine the diffusion coefficient of the additive in the polymer if the polymer particles are approximately uniform in size. This opens up a new way to determine diffusion coefficients in the range between 10^-14 and 10^-17 cm²s^-1, as are expected for low-molecular-weight additives in polymers below their glass-transition temperature.     

Three polymorphs of 4‐4′‐diiodobenzalazine,and 4‐chloro‐4′‐iodobenzalazine

Three polymorphs of 4,4′‐diiodobenzalazine (systematic name: 4‐iodobenzaldehyde azine), C₁₄H₁₀I₂N₂, have crystallographically imposed inversion symmetry. 4‐Chloro‐4′‐iodobenzalazine [systematic name: 1‐(4‐chlorobenzylidene)‐2‐(4‐iodobenzylidene)diazane], C₁₄H₁₀ClIN₂, has a partially disordered pseudocentrosymmetric packing and is not isostructural with any of the polymorphs of 4,4′‐diiodobenzalazine. All structures pack utilizing halogen–halogen interactions; some also have weak π (benzene ring) interactions. A comparison with previously published methylphenylketalazines (which differ by substitution of methyl for H at the azine C atoms) shows a fundamentally different geometry for these two classes, namely planar for the alazines and twisted for the ketalazines. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the difference is fundamental and not an artifact of packing forces.     

Nucleosides. Part LXI. A Simple Procedure for the Monomethylation of Protected and Unprotected Ribonucleosides in the 2′-O- and 3′-O-Position Using Diazomethane and the Catalyst Stannous Chloride

Intensive studies on the diazomethane methylation of the common ribonucleosides uridine, cytidine, adenosine, and guanosine and its derivatives were performed to obtain preferentially the 2′-O-methyl isomers. Methylation of 5′-O-(monomethoxytrityl)-N²-(4-nitrophenyl)ethoxycarbonyl-O⁶-[2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethyl]-guanosine ( 1 ) with diazomethane resulted in an almost quantitative yield of the 2′- and 3′-O-methyl isomers which could be separated by simple silica-gel flash chromatography (Scheme 1). Adenosine, cytidine, and uridine were methylated with diazomethane with and without protection of the 5′ -O-position by a mono- or dimethoxytrityl group and the aglycone moiety of adenosine and cytidine by the 2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethoxycarbonyl (npeoc) group (Schemes 2–4). Attempts to increase the formation of the 2′-O-methyl isomer as much as possible were based upon various solvents, temperatures, catalysts, and concentration of the catalysts during the methylation reaction.     

Synthetic protocols and building blocks for molecular electronics

Simple and readily accessible aryl bromides are useful building blocks for thiol end-capped molecular wires. Thus, 4-bromophenyl tert-butyl sulfide and 1-bromo-4-(methoxymethyl)benzene serve as precursors for a variety of oligo(phenylenevinylene) and oligo(phenyleneethynylene) wires via efficient synthetic transformations as presented in this paper.     

PM3-SM3: A general parameterization for including aqueous solvation effects in the PM3 molecular orbital model

Our recently proposed scheme for including aqueous solvation free energies in parameterized NDDO SCF models is extended to the Parameterized Model 3 semiempirical Hamiltonian. The solvation model takes accurate account of the hydrophobic effect for hydrocarbons, as well as electric polarization of the solvent, the free energy of cavitation, and dispersion interactions. Eight heteroatoms are included (along with H and C), and the new model is parameterized accurately for the water molecule itself, which allows meaningful treatments of specifically hydrogen bonded water molecules. The unphysical partial charges on nitrogen atoms predicted by the Parameterized Model 3 Hamiltonian limit the accuracy of the predicted solvation energies for some compounds containing nitrogen, but the model may be very useful for other systems, especially those for which PM3 is preferred over AM1 for the solute properties of the particular system under study. © 1992 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Characterization of proteins separated by displacement chromatography using low angle laser light scattering photometry

Summary -Lactoglobulin A and B (-LACT) were separated by displacement chromatography (DSC) on an ionexchange column using dextran sulfate as the displacer. A LALLS photometer and a UV detector, in series, were used to determine the molecular weight (MW) of the proteins, on-line. The results indicate that both, -LACT A and B, were present as dimers in the buffer used for the mobile phase. The MWs of the proteins were about 6–8% higher than the theoretical MW of a dimer (37,000). Additional control studies have shown the presence of a high molecular weight species in both the proteins, which could possibly be an aggregate. This species was observed in the LALLS signal but was nearly absent in the UV signal. Our work has demonstrated the feasibility of interfacing LALLS with displacement chromatography for detecting impurities or aggregates which may be difficult to detect by conventional detectors used for chromatography.