Design, synthesis, and evaluation of a biomimetic artificial photolyase model

Two new artificial photolyase models that recognize pyrimidine dimers in protic and aprotic organic solvents as well as in water through a combination of charge and hydrogen-bonding interactions and use a mimic of the flavine to achieve repair through reductive photoinduced electron transfer are presented. Fluorescence and NMR titration studies show that it forms a 1:1 complex with pyrimidine dimers with binding constants of approximately 10(3) M(-1) in acetonitrile or methanol, while binding constants in water at pH 7.2 are slightly lower. Excitation of the complex with visible light leads to clean and rapid cycloreversion of the pyrimidine dimer through photoinduced electron transfer catalysis. The reaction in water is significantly faster than in organic solvents. The reaction slows down at higher conversions due to product inhibition.     

Pore formation during the pyrolysis of C-Nb2O5 and C-Ta2O5 xerogels

Binary organic-inorganic gels have been prepared by mixing a carbonaceous hydrosol and a Nb₂O₅ or Ta₂O₅ sol derived by hydrolysis of the alkoxides. The gels are pyrolyzed under an inert atmosphere into precursors in which carbon and the metal oxides are mixed very intimately. High temperature treatment converts the precursors into the cubic face centered carbides. The precursors as well as the carbides have been shown to be micro- and mesoporous materials. Measurements of nitrogen adsorption reveal a characteristic change of the shapes of the isotherms (Type I Type IV) and of the hysteresis loops (H4H2H1) during the thermal processes. Pore widening has been observed with rising temperature. The phenomena of crystallization, carbothermal reduction and sintering were found to control the pore shape and size. The results of the adsorption measurement correlate well with those of the thermoanalytical and X-ray diffraction studies.Dedicated to Professor Dr. rer.nat. Dr. h.c. Hubertus Nickel on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Rock porosity determination by combination of X-ray computerized tomography with mercury porosimetry

First results are described of coupling of mercury porosimetry with X-ray computerized tomography (CT) as a new combination technique for rock porosity studies. This technique is suitable for rock samples with a pronounced mercury intrusion-extrusion hysteresis and includes CT measurements before and after mercury intrusion. The entrapped portion of mercury, when the pressure after the intrusion into the rock sample is reduced to 0.1 MPa, serves as a contrast agent in the porous network to localize spatial distribution of rock porosity by CT. The results obtained show that the mercury intrusion and therefore the porosity were quite different for the separate mineral phases. Therefore the combination of mercury porosimetry and computer tomography can give 3-D data on mineral-specific porosity distributions with additional pore size information. In contrast to mercury porosimetry as a single method, results of the combination technique with CT represent a direct visualization of porosity variation and do not depend on any special pore network model. Received: 2 July 1996 / Revised: 20 November 1996 / Accepted: 22 November 1996     

Cobalt Chalcogenide Clusters. Synthesis,Characterization and DFT Calculations of [Co4Se2(CO)10] and [Co4Te2(CO)11]. Crystal Structure of [Co8Se4(CO)16(μ‐dppa)2]

The reactions of [Co₂(CO)₈] with E(SiMe₃)₂ (E = Se, Te) in CH₂Cl₂ result in the formation of the compounds [Co₄Se₂(CO)₁₀]> ( 1 ) and [Co₄Te₂(CO)₁₁] ( 2 ), respectively. Both cluster complexes have similar molecular structures in which the cobalt atoms form four‐membered rings with μ₄‐bridging chalcogen atoms (Se and Te) above and below the plane of the metal atoms and the carbonyl ligands as either terminal or μ₂‐bridging ligands. DFT‐calculations for both compounds have been carried out in order to obtain some more information about their electronic distribution. In the presence of the phosphine Ph₂PC≡CPPh₂ (dppa), the reaction of [Co₂(CO)₈] with Se(SiMe₃)₂ leads to the formation of [Co₈Se₄(CO)₁₆(μ‐dppa)₂] ( 3 ). During the reaction two molecules of [Co₂(CO)₈] have been added to the acetylene groups of the dppa ligands, whilst the remaining cobalt atoms coordinate to the phosphorus atoms of the phosphine. In this compounds the selenium atoms act as μ₃‐ligands, bridging the metal atoms bonded to the phosphorus with those bonded to the acetylene groups.     

IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROTON ACCEPTOR OF SCHIFF BASE DEPROTONATION IN BACTERIORHODOPSIN: A FOURIER-TRANSFORM-INFRARED STUDY OF THE MUTANT ASP85 → GLU IN ITS NATURAL LIPID ENVIRONMENT

Abstract— In order to assign the proton acceptor for Schiff base deprotonation in bacteriorhodopsin to a specific Asp residue, the photoreaction of the Asp85 → Glu mutant, as expressed in Halobacterium sp . GRB, was investigated by static low-temperature and time-resolved infrared difference spec-troscopy. Measurements were also performed on the mutant protein labeled with [4-¹³C]Asp which allowed discrimination between Asp and Glu residues. 14,15-di¹³C-retinal was incorporated to distinguish amide-II absorbance changes from changes of the ethylenic mode of the chromophore. In agreement with earlier UV-VIS measurements, our data show that from both the 540 and 610 nm species present in a pH-dependent equilibrium, intermediates similar to K and L can be formed. The 14 ms time-resolved spectrum of the 540 nm species shows that a glutamic acid becomes protonated in the M-like intermediate, whereas the comparable difference spectrum of the 610 nm species demonstrates that in the initial state a glutamic acid is already protonated. In conjunction with earlier observations of protonation of an Asp residue in wild-type M, the data provide direct evidence that the proton acceptor in the deprotonation reaction of the Schiff base is Asp85.     

Solubility of trans-Co2(CO)6 [3,5-bis(CF3)C6H3P(i-C3H7)2] in dense carbon dioxide

The title compound (1) was prepared by the reaction of 3,5-bis(CF₃)C₆H₃P(i-C₃H₇)₂ (L1) and Co₂(CO)₈. Its solubility in supercritical carbon dioxide was measured at varying temperatures and pressures using a modified analytical extraction device. Solubility data were determined in the temperature and pressure ranges between 40 and 70 °C and between 100 and 300 bar, respectively. The solubility of 1 is lower compared to (p-CF₃C₆H₄)₃P, but much higher than for transition metal complexes bearing phosphines without fluorinated substituents.     

From Ion‐Like Ethylzinc Aluminates to [EtZn(arene)2]+[Al(ORF)4]− Salts

Attempts to prepare previously unknown simple and very Lewis acidic [RZn]⁺[Al(OR^F)₄]^? salts from ZnR₂, AlR₃, and HO?R^F delivered the ion‐like RZn(Al(OR^F)₄) (R=Me, Et; R^F=C(CF₃)₃) with a coordinated counterion, but never the ionic compound. Increasing the steric bulk in RZn⁺ to R=CH₂CMe₃, CH₂SiMe₃, or Cp*, thus attempting to induce ionization, failed and led only to reaction mixtures including anion decomposition. However, ionization of the ion‐like EtZn(Al(OR^F)₄) compound with arenes yielded the [EtZn(arene)₂]⁺[Al(OR^F)₄]^? salts with arene=toluene, mesitylene, or o‐difluorobenzene (o‐DFB)/toluene. In contrast to the ion‐like EtZn(η³‐C₆H₆)(CHB₁₁Cl₁₁), which co‐crystallizes with one benzene molecule, the less coordinating nature of the [Al(OR^F)₄]^? anion allowed the ionization and preparation of the purely organometallic [EtZn(arene)₂]⁺ cation. These stable materials have further applications as, for example, initiators of isobutene polymerization. DFT calculations to compare the Lewis acidities of the zinc cations to those of a large number of organometallic cations were performed on the basis of fluoride ion affinity. The complexation energetics of EtZn⁺ with arenes and THF was assessed and related to the experiments.     

[1,3]-CARBANIONISCHE UMLAGERUNGEN—SYNTHESE VON 1,3-BENZOXASILOLENEN

Abstract

2-Bromoaryloxy-chloromethyldiorganosilanes react with sodium in a one-pot-reaction via metallation, [1,3]-carbanionic rearrangement and cyclization to give diorgano-1,3-benzoxasilolenes. The title compounds have been characterized by n.m.r. spectroscopic data and an alternative independent synthesis.