Diazoniapentaphenes. Synthesis from pyridine‐2‐carboxaldehyde and structural verifications

Reactions of pyridine‐2‐carboxaldehyde (9) with α,α′‐dibromo‐o‐ and p‐xylenes led to the corresponding bis‐pyridinium aldehydes 10 and 14. These aldehydes were quite reactive and the respective hydrates 11 and 15 were also formed. Cyclization of 10 or 11 with 48% HBr led to 12 while cyclization with PPA followed by conversion to the bis tribromide and loss of bromine led to 1. Cyclization of 14 or 15 with 48% HBr led to 3. Attempts to react α,α′‐dibromo‐m‐xylene with pyridine‐2‐carboxaldehyde (9) were not successful for the preparation of the bis‐pyridinium aldehyde 13. The bis‐pyridinium acetals 4, 5 and 6 were prepared and cyclized to afford 1, 2 and 3 , respectively, by the previously reported procedures. The structures of 1 and 2 were verified by ¹H‐NMR and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy while that of 3 was confirmed by X‐ray analysis.     

Chloride complexation by heptapeptides: influence of C- and N-terminal sidechains and counterion

The channel-forming diglycolylated heptapeptides containing the amino acid sequence Gly-Gly-Gly-Pro-Gly-Gly-Gly have been found to complex chloride in CDCl(3). The strength of the interaction depends on the terminal alkyl groups and on chloride's countercation.     

Prompt-gamma activation analysis using thek 0 approach

Applying thek ₀ standardization method to prompt-gamma activation analysis (PGAA) offers similar benefits as in instrumental neutron activation analysis. It has been demonstrated that under constant flux conditionsk ₀-factors obtained by normalizing to a titanium comparator, measured separately, yield consistent analytical sensitivity ratios. The ratio method has been generalized by using stoichiometric compounds for the determination ofk ₀-factors. Since chlorine forms compounds with essentially everyelement and it also serves as a detector efficiency standard,k ₀ values have been determined relative to chlorine as an internal standard for several analytically important elements in two reactor facilities: the thermal guided beam at the BRR in Budapest and the cold-neutron beams at the NBSR at NIST.     

Kinetic and mechanistic studies of the reaction of a range of bases and metal-hydroxo complexes with the phosphonate ester 2,4-dinitrophenyl ethyl methylphosphonate in aqueous solution

The base hydrolysis and spontaneous water hydrolysis of the phosphonate ester 2,4-dinitrophenyl ethyl methylphosphonate (DNPEMP) has been studied in detail and the activation parameters for these processes determined. The catalytic effect of a series of 19 oxygen and nitrogen bases and metal hydroxo complexes has been studied. The Brønsted plot of pK versus logkN has a slope (β) of 0.47, which is fairly typical for phosphate and phosphonate esters. alpha-Effect nucleophiles such as 2-iodosobenzoate, hypochlorite and the hydroperoxide ion (HO-2) exhibit enhanced reactivity, as does fluoride ion and the bifunctional metal complex [Cu(tmen) (OH2)(OH)]+ (tmen = N,N,N',N',-tetramethylethylenediamine). Reactions involving these species appear to take place by a nucleophilic pathway, while the other oxygen and nitrogen bases act as general base catalysts. The solvent deuterium isotope effect for Et3N catalysis, kH2O/kD2O=1.3, is consistent with general base catalysis. The mechanisms of these reactions are discussed in detail.     

Synthesis and human leukocyte elastase inhibitory activity of novel 2-spiro(2′,2′-diphenylcyclopropane) cephalosporin sulfones

A new series of 2-spiro(2,2-diphenylcyclopropane) cephalosporin sulfones was synthesizes as potent human leukocyte elastase inhibitors.SynPhar Laboratories Inc., #2 Taiho Alberta Centre, 4290-91A Street, Edmonton, Canada T6R 5V2. Published in Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 11, pp. 1517–1523, November, 1998.     

Solid-state 109Ag CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy of some diammine silver(I) complexes

Solid-state cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CP/MAS) NMR spectra were recorded for the compounds [Ag(NH3)2]2SO4, [Ag(NH3)2]2SeO4 and [Ag(NH3))]NO3, all of which contain the linear or nearly linear two-coordinate [Ag(NH3)2]+ ion. The 109Ag CP/MAS NMR spectra show centrebands and associated spinning sideband manifolds typical for systems with moderately large shielding anisotropy, and splittings due to indirect 1J(109Ag,14N) spin-spin coupling. Spinning sideband analysis was used to determine the 109Ag shielding anisotropy and asymmetry parameters Deltasigma and eta from these spectra, yielding anisotropies in the range 1500-1600 ppm and asymmetry parameters in the range 0-0.3. Spectra were also recorded for 15N and (for the selenate) 77Se. In all cases the number of resonances observed is as expected for the crystallographic asymmetric units. The crystal structure of the selenate is reported for the first time. One-bond (107, 109Ag,15N) coupling constants are found to have magnitudes in the range 60-65 Hz. Density functional calculations of the Ag shielding tensor for model systems yield results that are in good agreement with the experimentally determined shielding parameters, and suggest that in the solid compounds Deltasigma and eta are reduced and increased, respectively, from the values calculated for the free [Ag(NH3)2]+ ion (1920 ppm and 0, respectively), primarily as a result of cation-cation interactions, for which there is evidence from the presence of metal-over-metal stacks of [Ag(NH3)2]+ ions in the solid-state structures of these compounds.     

Physicochemical characterization of degradable thermosensitive polymeric micelles

Amphiphilic AB block copolymers consisting of thermosensitive poly(N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide lactate) and poly(ethylene glycol), pHPMAmDL-b-PEG, were synthesized via a macroinitiator route. Dynamic light scattering measurements showed that these block copolymers form polymeric micelles in water with a size of around 50 nm by heating of an aqueous polymer solution from below to above the critical micelle temperature (cmt). The critical micelle concentration as well as the cmt decreased with increasing pHPMAmDL block lengths, which can be attributed to the greater hydrophobicity of the thermosensitive block with increasing molecular weight. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that the micelles have a spherical shape with a narrow size distribution. 1H NMR measurements in D2O showed that the intensity of the peaks of the protons from the pHPMAmDL block significantly decreased above the cmt, indicating that the thermosensitive blocks indeed form the solidlike core of the micelles. Static light scattering measurements demonstrated that pHPMAmDL-b-PEG micelles with relatively large pHPMAmDL blocks possess a highly packed core that is stabilized by a dense layer of swollen PEG chains. FT-IR analysis indicated that dehydration of amide bonds in the pHPMAmDL block occurs when the polymer dissolved in water is heated from below to above its cmt. The micelles were stable when an aqueous solution of micelles was incubated at 37 degrees C and at pH 5.0, where the hydrolysis rate of lactate side groups is minimized. On the other hand, at pH 9.0, where hydrolysis of the lactic acid side groups occurs, the micelles started to swell after 1.5 h of incubation and complete dissolution of micelles was observed after 4 h as a result of hydrophilization of the thermosensitive block. Fluorescence spectroscopy measurements with pyrene loaded in the hydrophobic core of the micelles showed that when these micelles were incubated at pH 8.6 and at 37 degrees C the microenvironment of pyrene became increasingly hydrated in time during this swelling phase. The results demonstrate the potential applicability of pHPMAmDL-b-PEG block copolymer micelles for the controlled delivery of hydrophobic drugs.     

Water-soluble silica-overcoated CdS:Mn/ZnS semiconductor quantum dots

Highly luminescent and photostable CdS:Mn/ZnS core/shell quantum dots are not water soluble because of their hydrophobicity. To create water-soluble quantum dots by an appropriate surface functionalization, CdS:Mn/ZnS quantum dots synthesized in a water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion system (reverse micelles) were consecutively overcoated with a very thin silica layer ( approximately 2.5 nm thick) within the same reverse micellar system. The water droplet serves as a nanosized reactor for the controlled hydrolysis and condensation of a silica precursor, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), using an ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) catalyst. Structural characterizations with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate that the silica-quantum dot nanocomposites consist of a layered structure. Owing to the amorphous, porous nature of a silica layer, the optical and photophysical properties of silica-overcoated CdS:Mn/ZnS quantum dots are found to remain close to those of uncoated counterparts.