Thermal decomposition of novel rare-earth selenites

TG and DTA have been carried out on new anhydrous rare-earth selenites R₂Se_aO_3+2a (a=3.5,4) in order to establish their stability. Decomposition occurs in three steps attributed to successive losses of SeO₂. The first process gives rise to other new group of selenites of composition R₂Se₃O₉, which crystallize in two different forms depending on the rare-earth element. The second process leads to isomorphous compounds R₂SeO₅. The final product of thermal degradation is R₂O₃. All products were characterized by chemical analysis and X-ray powder diffraction methods.     

New designs for inhibitors of the NF-κB: DNA binding

We present a series of new inhibitors of the association between nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B) and the corresponding B site in DNA. They were designed using the lead compound 15-deoxy-^12,14 -prostaglandin J₂ (PGJ2), which is a natural product with demonstrated inhibitory efficiency for this system. First, the binding mode of PGJ2 to NF-B was unraveled by GOLD docking calculation. Subsequently, substitutions were made to PGJ2 to optimize its association with NF-B. Care was taken not to strongly increase the reactivity of the new compounds, and to keep the overall shape, size and hydrophilicity of the lead compound, which should render them a similar bioavailability. Molecular mechanics calculations were performed to decide on the suitability of the substitutions, and to evaluate the energies of association with NF-B. Density functional theory calculations were performed also to study the overall reactivity of the substituted drugs towards NF-B. Important general conclusions were obtained, concerning the improvement of these natural inhibitors; namely, a set of rational methodologies were deduced to improve the association between the PGJ2 derivatives and NF-B, and their efficiency demonstrated by generating a set of substituted complexes, some of them with a very much increased affinity for NF-B, opening new doors to enlarge the therapeutic capabilities of this class of drugs.     

Development of stereoselective nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis system for the resolution of cationic and amphoteric analytes

A stereoselective ion-pair nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) method employing the partial filling technique with N-derivatized amino acids, e.g., (R)- and (S)-3,5-dinitrobenzoyl-leucine (DNB-Leu), as chiral selector for the separation of "pseudoenantiomeric" cinchona alkaloid derivatives and other structurally related basic compounds like the enantiomers of mefloquine is presented. Originating from NACE with cinchona alkaloid derivatives as chiral counterions, this method was developed by application of the reciprocity principle of chiral recognition, which was proven to be valid for stereoselective ion-pair capillary electrophoresis (CE). A variety of basic and amphoteric selectands (SAs) could be well resolved. Thereby, the separation was primarily based on stereoselective ion-pair formation of corresponding SA stereoisomers and mobility differences of free and complexed (ion-paired) SAs. Additionally, in the case of diastereomeric SAs, naturally existing mobility differences between the diastereomers played also a role, but was shown by control experiments with racemic DNB-Leu and without selector (SO) to be of minor contribution to overall separation selectivity. Due to its simplicity, speed, and good reproducibility, the established method can be utilized for fast screening of cationic as well as amphoteric chiral compounds, and therefore is a valuable tool in the development of new chiral selectors and chiral stationary phases. Small sample amounts of the SO (4-5 mg) and only analytical amounts of SAs are needed, and about 20-50 compounds per day can be tested.     

Cathodic behaviour of nickel(II) in acetonitrile in the presence of carbon monoxide and substituted phosphines

Summary The reduction of nickel perchlorate in the presence of carbon monoxide and substituted phosphines or diphosphines has been studied in acetonitrile by cyclic voltammetry. The results show that only mono- and bis-carbonylphosphinenickel(O) complexes are formed, while no evidence for the formation of carbonyl-nickel(I) and -nickel(II) species was obtained. Although the oxidation processes are not reversible, a good correlation between the anodic peak potentials relative to nickel(O) complexes and the -donor--acceptor abilities of the phosphines employed was observed.     

Spectroscopic and electrochemical studies on (2-hydroxypicolinate)-bis(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) and related complexes

Summary The synthesis, spectra and electrochemistry of [Ru(bipy)₂-(picOH)]⁺ and -picO-[Ru(bipy)₂]₂ ²⁺ (bipy = 2,2-bipyridine and picOH = 3-hydroxypicolinate ion) are described. The spectroscopic properties in the visible region are dominated by the intense Ru bipy chargetransfer transitions. In the binuclear complex, the two [Ru(bipy)₂L]²⁺ moieties are nonequivalent, exhibiting E _1/2 = 0.69 and 1.20 V versus s.h.e. The partially oxidized species exhibits a weak intervalence transfer band at 1085 nm, and is consistent with a Robin-Day class II mixed valence complex.     

Nucleophilic additions of lithiated allylphenylsulfone to nitrones: experimental and theoretical investigations

The nucleophilic addition of lithiated allylphenylsulfone to nitrones at −80 °C proceeds exclusively α to the phenylsulfonyl group affording anti adducts in high yield. At 0 °C isoxazolidines are obtained with complete all-trans selectivity. The formation of these compounds involves isomerization of the allylsulphonyl moiety to give a transient vinylsulfone that then undergoes a subsequent intramolecular Michael addition. The addition to several nitrones has been studied and theoretical calculations have been refined to accurately explain the selectivity of the allylation reaction.     

A multisite molecular mechanism for Baeyer-Villiger oxidations on solid catalysts using environmentally friendly H2O2 as oxidant

The molecular mechanism of the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of cyclohexanone with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by the Sn-beta zeolite has been investigated by combining molecular mechanics, quantum-chemical calculations, spectroscopic, and kinetic techniques. A theoretical study of the location of Sn in zeolite beta was performed by using atomistic force-field techniques to simulate the local environment of the active site. An interatomic potential for Sn/Si zeolites, which allows the simulation of zeolites containing Sn in a tetrahedral environment, has been developed by fitting it to the experimental properties of quartz and SnO2(rutile). The tin active site has been modeled by means of a Sn(OSiH3)3OH cluster, which includes a defect in the framework that provides the flexibility necessary for the interaction between the adsorbates and the Lewis acid center. Two possible reaction pathways have been considered in the computational study, one of them involving the activation of the cyclohexanone carbonyl group by Sn (1) and the other one involving hydrogen peroxide being activated through the formation of a tin-hydroperoxo intermediate (2). Both the quantum-chemical results and the kinetic study indicate that the reaction follows mechanism 1, and that the catalyst active site consists of two centers: the Lewis acid Sn atom to which cyclohexanone has to coordinate, and the oxygen atom of the Sn-OH group that interacts with H2O2 forming a hydrogen bond.     

Extraction and exchange behavior of metal species in therapeutically applied peat

The binding and availability of metals (Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in therapeutically applied peat (Grosses Gifhorner Moor, Sassenburg/North Germany) was characterized by means of a versatile extraction approach. Aqueous extracts of peat were obtained by a standardized batch equilibrium procedure using high-purity water (pH 4.5 and 5.0), 0.01 mol l(-1) calcium chloride solution, 0.01 mol l(-1) ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and 0.01 mol l(-1) diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) solution as metal extractants. In addition, the availability of peat-bound metal species was kinetically studied by collecting aliquots of extracts after different periods of extraction time (5, 10, 15, 30, 60 and 120 min). Metal determinations were performed by atomic spectrometry methods (AAS, ICP-OES) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) was characterized by UV/Vis measurements at 254 and 436 nm, respectively. Of the extractants studied Ca, Mg and Mn were the most available metals, in contrast to peat-bound Fe and Al. The relative standard deviation s(r) of the developed extraction procedures was mostly in the range of 4 to 20%, depending on the metal and its concentration in peat. A pH increase favored the extraction of metals and DOM from peat revealing complex extraction kinetics. Moreover, a competitive exchange between peat-bound metal species and added Cu(II) ions showed that >100 mg of Cu(II) per 50 g wet peat was necessary to exchange the maximum of bound metals (e.g. 21.8% of Al, 3.9% of Fe, 79.0% of Mn, 81.9% of Sr, related to their total content).     

Spectrophotometric, EPR and kinetic characterisation of the >N-O* radical from 1-hydroxybenzotriazole, a key reactive species in mediated enzymatic oxidations

Characterisation of the aminoxyl (>N-O*) radical BTNO, generated from 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) by the one-electron oxidant CAN (a Ce(IV) salt), confirms BTNO as the reactive intermediate in oxidations run with the laccase/HBT system.