Transition Metal Catalysis Using Functionalized Dendrimers

Dendrimers are well-defined hyperbranched macromolecules with characteristic globular structures for the larger systems. These novel polymers have inspired many chemists to develop new materials and several applications have been explored, catalysis being one of them. The recent impressive strides in synthetic procedures increased the accessibility of functionalized dendrimers, resulting in a rapid development of dendrimer chemistry. The position of the catalytic site(s) as well as the spatial separation of the catalysts appears to be of crucial importance. Dendrimers that are functionalized with transition metals in the core potentially can mimic the properties of enzymes, their efficient natural counterparts, whereas the surface-functionalized systems have been proposed to fill the gap between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. This might yield superior catalysts with novel properties, that is, special reactivity or stability. Both the core and periphery strategies lead to catalysts that are sufficiently larger than most substrates and products, thus separation by modern membrane separation techniques can be applied. These novel homogeneous catalysts can be used in continuous membrane reactors, which will have major advantages particularly for reactions that benefit from low substrate concentrations or suffer from side reactions of the product. Here we review the recent progress and breakthroughs made with these promising novel transition metal functionalized dendrimers that are used as catalysts, and we will discuss the architectural concepts that have been applied.     

Synthesis of homoceramides, novel ceramide analogues, and their lack of effect on the growth of hippocampal neurons

The synthesis of a new series of D-erythro-homoceramide analogues is described. Several synthetic approaches were investigated. Homoceramides can be successfully synthesized from L-homoserine as chiral building block and a protected Weinreb-amide as a key intermediate. The synthesis of short-chain analogues with a heptyl side chain, as well as with a phenyl residue in the sphingoid part (instead of the naturally occurring tridecyl side chain), was effected. The homoceramides 15-17 and 24 were investigated for their potential to reverse the inhibitory effect of fumonisin B(1) on axonal growth. Unfortunately, none of the tested compounds showed any biological activity due to their lack of metabolism to glucosylhomoceramide.     

pH sensitivity of Si--C linked organic monolayers on crystalline silicon surfaces.

The electrochemical behavior of Si--C linked organic monolayers is studied in electrolyte-insulator-Si devices, under conditions normally encountered in potentiometric biosensors, to gain fundamental knowledge on the behavior of such Si electrodes under practical conditions. This is done via titration experiments, Mott-Schottky data analysis, and data fitting using a site-binding model. The results are compared with those of native SiO(2) layers and native SiO(2) layers modified with hexamethyldisilazane. All samples display pH sensitivity. The number of Si--OH groups on the alkylated samples is calculated to be less than 0.7 % of that of a pure SiO(2) insulator, which still causes a pH sensitivity of approximately 25 mV per pH unit in the pH range: 4-7. The alkylated samples hardly suffer from response changes during up- and down-going titrations, which indicates that very little oxide is additionally formed during the measurements. The pK(a) values of all samples with monolayers (4.0-4.4) are lower than that of native SiO(2) (6.0). The long-term drift (of approximately 1 mV h(-1)) is moderate. The results indicate that biosensors composed of alkylated Si substrates are feasible if a cross-sensitivity towards pH in the sensor signal is taken into account.     

The asymptotic behavior of queueing systems: Large deviations theory and dominant pole approximation

This paper presents the exact asymptotics of the steady state behavior of a broad class of single-node queueing systems. First we show that the asymptotic probability functions derived using large deviations theory are consistent (in a certain sense) with the result using dominant pole approximations. Then we present an exact asymptotic formula for the cumulative probability function of the queue occupancy and relate it to the cell loss ratio, an important performance measure for service systems such as ATM networks. The analysis relies on a new generalization of the Taylor coefficients of a complex function which we call characteristic coefficients. Finally we apply our framework to obtain new results for the M/D/1 system and for a more intricate multiclass M/D/n system.     

Supercritical fluid extraction-capillary gas chromatography: On-line coupling with a programmed temperature vaporizer

A simple and versatile system is described for the on-line coupling of SFE to capillary GC. The interfacing consists of a programmed temperature vaporizer (PTV) injector. With this injector it is possible to combine solute trapping, elimination of a high flow of extraction fluid, and quantitative transfer of solutes to the seperation column. The problems caused by impurities in the extraction fluid in on-line SFE-GC are discussed. Simple methods are described for the purification of commercially available carbon dioxide. The trapping efficiency of the PTV injector is studied. Applications of the SFE-PTV-GC system are given for the analysis of polymer anti-degradants, polar compounds, and samples with environmental relevance.     

Multivariate calibration of reversed-phase chromatographic systems. Some designs based on three-way data analysis

When retention measurements are available for a set of solutes on different stationary phases, with varying mobile phase compositions, the resulting data set can be represented by a three-way array. Models that describe the systematic variation in this training set sufficiently, can be used to calibrate a new stationary phase. Two models are tested for this purpose: three-way partial least squares and parallel factor analysis.     

Synthesis and Conformational Behavior of Rhodium(I) Metallohosts Derived from Diphenylglycoluril

The design and synthesis of molecules containing both a substrate-binding cavity and a nearby catalytically active metal center is a useful approach to the development of synthetic systems that function according to the principles of enzymes. To this end the receptor molecule 2a, derived from diphenylglycoluril, was functionalized with triaryl phosphite ligands to give the receptor ligand 2d. Exchange reactions of 2d with (diketonate)Rh(CO)(2), (diketone = acetylacetone, dibenzoylmethane, or dipivaloylmethane) led to the formation of the metallohosts 3a-c, respectively. The properties and conformational behavior of these metal complexes were studied by NMR techniques. Reaction of compounds 3 with H(2) in the presence of a small excess of additional triphenyl phosphite yields the rhodium(I) hydride complex 5. The metallohosts are capable of binding dihydroxybenzene guests in their cavities by hydrogen bonding and pi-pi stacking interactions. On binding a substrate the conformational behavior of hosts 3a-c was affected considerably.     

Site-isolation effects in a dendritic nickel catalyst for the oligomerization of ethylene

Dendrimers, specifically suited to construct site-isolated groups due to their well-defined hyperbranched structure, have been used as a ligand design element for the construction of nickel catalysts for ethylene oligomerization. The dendritic P,O ligand indeed suppresses the formation of inactive bis(P,O)Ni complexes in toluene, as is evident from NMR studies, and, as a consequence, outperforms the parent ligand in catalysis in this solvent. The dendritic effect observed in methanol is more subtle because both the dendritic ligand 1 and the parent 2 form bis(P,O)nickel complexes in solution according to NMR spectroscopy. Unlike the parent complex 8, the dendritic bis(P,O)Ni complex 7 derived from dendrimer ligand 1 is able to dissociate to a mono-ligated species under catalytic conditions, that is, 40 bar ethylene and 80 degrees C, which can enter the catalytic cycle. Indeed, dendritic ligand 1 gives much more active nickel catalysts for the oligomerization in methanol than does 2.     

A novel dicationic phenoxaphosphino-modified Xantphos-type ligand: a ligand for highly active and selective, biphasic, rhodium catalysed hydroformylation in ionic liquids

A highly active and regioselective catalyst obtained from a novel dicationic ligand (1) and Rh(CO)2(acac) for hydroformylation of 1-hexene and 1-octene in ionic liquids is reported. Optimisation studies of various reaction parameters led to an unprecedentedly active (TOFs > 6200 mol mol(-1) h(-1), T= 100 degrees C), selective (l/b ratios > 40) and stable hydroformylation procedure. No catalyst leaching (Rh-loss < 0.07% of initial rhodium intake, P-loss < 0.4% of the initial phosphorus intake) or losses in performance could be measured during 1-octene hydroformylation recycle experiments in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate. At low catalyst loadings activities and regioselectivities competitive with one-phase catalysis in conventional solvents were observed. At high catalyst loadings the system is extremely stable and has a long shelf-life as a result of the formation of stable, if inactive rhodium dimers.     

Synthesis of 2′-Deoxy-5-(isothiazol-5-yl)uridine and Its Interaction with the HSV-1 Thymidine Kinase

2′-Deoxy-5-(isothiazol-5-yl)uridine ( 12 ) was synthesized starting from 2′-deoxy-5-iodouridine using a Pd-catalysed cross-coupling reaction with propiolaldehyde diethyl acetal followed by deprotection and ring closure using thiosulfate. 2′-Deoxyuridine 12 has a particular place among the 5-heteroaryl-substituted 2′-deoxyuridines in that it has a high affinity for herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-encoded thymidine kinase (TK) without antiviral activity. Biochemical studies revealed that 12 is a substrate for viral TK. We further investigated the interaction of 12 with the HSV-1 thymidine kinase. The conformation of 12 in solution was established by NMR spectroscopy. The most stable conformer 12A has the S-atom of the isothiazole ring placed in the neighbourhood of the C(4)?O group of the pyrimidine moiety. The compound was docked in its most stable conformation in the active site of HSV-1 TK and subjected to energy minimization. This demonstrated that the isothiazole moiety binds in a cavity lined by the side chains of Tyr-132, Arg-163, Ala-167, and Ala-168 and that the C(3) atom of the isothiazole moiety is located in close proximity of the phenolic O-atom of Tyr-132 and the aliphatic part of the Arg-163 side chain.