Konstitution und absolute Konfiguration der Rhoeadin-Alkaloide (+)-Alpinigenin und (+)-cis-Alpinigenin

The constitution and absolute configuration of the rhoeadine alkaloids (+)-alpinigenine and (+)-cis-alpinigenine. The fundamental structure of the hemi-acetal phenylbenzazepine alkaloid (+)-alpinigenine ( 1 ), isolated from Papaver bracteatum LINDL ., was derived essentially from ¹H-NMR.- and mass-spectra of 1 and its derivatives 7, 10 and 14 (cf. Scheme 2). The positioning of the four methoxy groups in the two aromatic rings could be deduced from the ¹H-NMR.-spectra of the N-oxides 14 and 15 in which, as a result of favourable sterical and conformational behaviour, an interaction exists between the N-oxide oxygen atom and one of the two ortho protons in ring C. The B/D-trans-fused 1 undergoes isomerization in 1N HCl to cis-alpinigenine ( 16 ). A stereochemical correlation between bases in the trans-and cis-series was enabled via an Emde degradation of the corresponding methylacetal-methyliodides 21 resp. 19 leading to the enantiomeric isochroman derivatives 22 resp. 23 which are achiral at C (2) (Scheme 4). The configuration at C (14) in the hemi-acetals (eg. 1 and 16 ) and the methyl ethers (eg. 7 and 8 ) is discussed in detail (cf. Scheme 7). (+)-Alpinigenine ( 1 ) has the (1S, 2R, 14R) configuration and (+)-cis-alpinigenine ( 16 ), in chloroform or acetone solution, the (1R, 2R, 14R) configuration.     

Enamides via Long‐Distance Migration of Double Bonds

A new method for preparation of enamides (N‐(alken‐1‐yl) amides) by means of the ‘long‐distance' migration of the double bond in unsaturated amides in the presence of [Fe(CO)₅] is described. The method is shown to be particularly useful for the isomerization of N‐(but‐3‐enyl)amides, while, in the case of N‐(pent‐4‐enyl) and N‐(hex‐5‐enyl) amides the mixture of products was formed and the yield of the enamide was relatively low.     

Die Abstimmung chromatographischer Flie?mittel auf Aluminiumoxide eingestellter Aktivit?t

Zusammenfassung Aluminiumoxid, das mit Wasser vorbelegt ist, gibt an organische Lösungsmittel einen Teil davon ab und ändert dadurch seine Aktivität. In einer chromatographischen Trennsäule können sich hieraus ernste Störungen ergeben. Man vermeidet sie durch die Anwendung von Fließ-mitteln mit passendem Wasserzusatz. Auf die Trocknung von Pyridin an aktivem Aluminiumoxid wird kurz eingegangen.

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Summary Aluminium oxide containing a certain amount of water transfers it in part to organic solvents, thus changing its activity. Serious interferences in chromatographic column separations can arise from that fact. They can be prevented by use of solvents with adjusted water content. The use of active aluminium oxide for desiccation of pyridine is described shortly.

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Ein Teil der Ergebnisse wurde bereits in verschiedenen Vorträgen mitgeteilt.

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Roscher, G.: Diss. Univ. Erlangen 1960.     

On assignment of fundamental vibrational modes of hypophosphite anion and its deuterated analogue

Results of ab initio and density functional theory calculations on the structure and vibrational frequencies of hypophosphite anion indicate earlier experimental assignments of the fundamental vibrational modes are correct while the recent reassignments of several modes proposed by Bickley et al. are inconsistent with the calculated results.     

Das Spermin-Alkaloid Chaenorpin

The Spermine Alkaloid Chaenorpine Chaenorpine ( 1 ) was isolated from Chaenorhinum minus (Scrophulariaceae). Its structure elucidation was achieved on the basis of chemical degradation and spectroscopic measurements in comparison to the known alkaloid chaenorhine ( 2 ). Structure 1 displays the absolute configuration.     

Characterization of etched electrochemical detection for electrophoresis in micron inner diameter capillaries

An enhanced etched electrochemical (EC) detection technique has been developed for CE in micron inner diameter capillaries. The design improvements allow for better alignment between the capillary bore and the electrode. This new method involves utilizing a carbon fiber microelectrode and etching both the carbon fiber and the detection end of a micrometer-sized inner diameter capillary to limit dead volume and analyte diffusion at the amperometric EC detector. To understand the factors affecting enhanced detector efficiency, a detailed examination of the relationship between detector design and performance has been completed by exploring the effects of varying electrode diameter, tip shape, and size, in addition to the etch length of the capillary outlet. The enhanced detection provides peak efficiencies as high as 75000 theoretical plates and estimated detection limits as low as 40 nM for dopamine. This etched detection method should further facilitate volume-limited sample analysis by CE.     

Multilayer nitroazobenzene films covalently attached to carbon. An AFM and electrochemical study

Nitroazobenzene films have been grafted to pyrolyzed photoresist films by electrochemical reduction of the corresponding diazonium salt in acetonitrile solution. Two component films were also prepared by electrochemically grafting methylbenzene layers to preformed NAB films. Voltammetric investigation of the films in aqueous acid medium and the measurement of film thickness using atomic force microscopy (AFM) lead to new insights into film structure. In aqueous acid solution, the azobenzene groups have no detectable electroactivity and not all nitro groups in the films can be reduced. These findings point to a compact film structure in which proton diffusion is limited. There may also be spatial inhibition of the conformational changes that accompany azobenzene reduction. For increasingly thick NAB films, the peak for reduction of the nitro groups moves to more negative potentials and the peaks become more asymmetric in shape. These changes are interpreted in terms of the dielectric properties and the rate of proton diffusion in the films. Film thickness was measured by ploughing through the film with an AFM tip. When an NAB film prepared in acetonitrile solution is reduced in aqueous acid, the film thickness decreases by more than 50%. The changes can be partially reversed by treatment in acetonitrile-electrolyte solution and hence are attributed to ion-solvent induced swelling and shrinking. Thus, the large decrease in thickness detected by AFM after treatment of the film in aqueous acid is consistent with the compact film structure revealed by electrochemistry.     

The aggregation of sodium dehydrocholate in water

 We used a battery of different methods to study the association in aqueous sodium dehydrocholate (NaDHC) solutions. This salt associates by a stepwise mechanism. Below (9.6 ± 4.2) × 10⁻⁴ mol dm⁻³ there is a molecular solution with some strongly insoluble dehydrocholic acid produced by hydrolysis. Between (9.6 ± 4.2) × 10⁻⁴ and (5.2 ± 2.2) × 10⁻³ mol dm⁻³, an aggregate similar to acid soap (NaDHC.HDHC) appears and its amount and the aggregate's size increase with concentration. At =(2.20 ± 0.85) × 10⁻² mol dm⁻³ the aggregates formed have properties usually associated with true micelles, such as solubilisation of water-insoluble dyes. These aggregates increase in size with concentration and change their shape at 8 × 10⁻² mol dm⁻³, giving nonsymmetrical aggregates. The changes in the solution physicochemical properties at these concentrations may be misinterpreted and this explains the different values of the critical micelle concentration reported in the literature for substances with similar structure, such as bile salts. Received: 14 May 2001 Accepted: 10 August 2001     

Use of the tubulin bound paclitaxel conformation for structure-based rational drug design

A new computational docking protocol has been developed and used in combination with conformational information inferred from REDOR-NMR experiments on microtubule bound 2-(p-fluorobenzoyl)paclitaxel to delineate a unique tubulin binding structure of paclitaxel. A conformationally constrained macrocyclic taxoid bearing a linker between the C-14 and C-3'N positions has been designed and synthesized to enforce this "REDOR-taxol" conformation. The novel taxoid SB-T-2053 inhibits the growth of MCF-7 and LCC-6 human breast cancer cells (wild-type and drug resistant) on the same order of magnitude as paclitaxel. Moreover, SB-T-2053 induces in vitro tubulin polymerization at least as well as paclitaxel, which directly validates our drug design process. These results open a new avenue for drug design of next generation taxoids and other microtubule-stabilizing agents based on the refined structural information of drug-tubulin complexes, in accordance with typical enzyme-inhibitor medicinal chemistry precepts.     

Two New Spermidine Alkaloids from Chisocheton weinlandii

The investigation of the MeOH extract of the leaves of Chisocheton weinlandii Harms (Meliaceae) revealed two new open‐chain spermidine alkaloids, chisitine 1 ( 1 ) and chisitine 2 ( 2 ). Their structures were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy, tandem‐mass spectrometry, and independant syntheses (Scheme 3). Detailed MS/MS fragmentation pathways are discussed for both compounds based on H/D exchange and ¹⁸O‐labeling experiments (Schemes 1 and 2).