Gas chromatographic study of the urinary codeine-to-morphine ratios in controlled codeine consumption and in mass screening for opiate drugs

The urinary codeine-to-morphine ratios in fifteen volunteers administered codeine tablets at intervals were studied by gas chromatography (GC) and compared with one month's GC results for enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT)-screened urine specimens in a mass-screening programme for abuse of opiate drugs, particularly heroin. It appears that when M less than 2 and C/M greater than 0 or when M greater than 2 and C/M greater than 0.5, where C and M are codeine and morphine concentrations in micrograms per 10 ml of urine, codeine consumption has to be presumed.     

Determination of Trace Molybdenum in Biological Matrices by Neutron Activation Analysis

Based on consecutive extractions using bismuth diethyldithiocarbamate and thallium diethyldithiocarbamate as reagents, molybdenum was selectively and highly enriched from biological matrices, and then subjected to neutron activation analysis. Most of interfering elements, e.g., Na, K, Br, P, Fe, U, etc. were simultaneouly removed and the preconcentrated samples always showed only the r rays from molybdenum after neutron bombardment. Thus, molybdenum in the biological matrices could be accurately determined.     

A new ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen-transfer reaction: transformation of 3-benzyl but-1-ynyl ethers into 1,3-dienes and benzaldehyde

We report a ruthenium-catalyzed reaction for various 3-benzyl but-1-ynyl ethers with suitable functionalities. Treatment of these substrates with TpRu(PPh3)(CH3CN)2PF6 (8.0 mol %) catalyst in 1,2-dichloroethane (80 degrees C, 12 h) afforded functionalized 1,3-dienes and benzyl aldehyde in good yields. This process is considered to be a tandem dealkoxylation and transfer hydrogenation. Deuterium-labeling experiments reveal that the migration of different hydrogen atoms proceeds regiospecifically. A plausible mechanism is proposed on the basis of the results of isotope experiment.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of 2-phenylselenenyl-1,3-anti-diols and 2-phenylselenenyl-1,3-anti-azido-alcohols via hydroxy and azido-selenenylation reactions

A method to synthesize 2-phenylselenenyl-1,3-anti-diols and 2-phenyl- selenenyl-1,3-anti-azidoalcohols via hydroxy- or azido-selenenylation of trans-allylic alcohols is reported. Moreover, the first example of hydroxyl-selenenylation of an allylic azide is presented. Yields ranging from moderate to good and diastereomeric ratios up to 95:5 are achieved.     

Titanocene-catalyzed cascade cyclization of epoxypolyprenes: straightforward synthesis of terpenoids by free-radical chemistry

The titanocene-catalyzed cascade cyclization of epoxypolyenes, which are easily prepared from commercially available polyprenoids, has proven to be a useful procedure for the synthesis of C(10), C(15), C(20), and C(30) terpenoids, including monocyclic, bicyclic, and tricyclic natural products. Both theoretical and experimental evidence suggests that this cyclization takes place in a nonconcerted fashion via discrete carbon-centered radicals. Nevertheless, the termination step of the process seems to be subjected to a kind of water-dependent control, which is unusual in free-radical chemistry. The catalytic cycle is based on the use of the novel combination Me(3)SiCl/2,4,6-collidine to regenerate the titanocene catalyst. In practice this procedure has several advantages: it takes place at room temperature under mild conditions compatible with different functional groups, uses inexpensive reagents, and its end step can easily be controlled to give exocyclic double bonds by simply excluding water from the medium.     

Acid-catalysed formation of tricyclic N,S-acetals in imidazolinone series based on the use of the unprecedented N-acyliminium ion cascade reaction involving transposition, heterocyclisation and pi-cyclisation

4-Hydroxy-5,5-dimethylimidazolines tethered at N-1 to an aryl sulfide undergo an unprecedented acid-catalysed domino reaction, involving double methyl transposition, heterocyclisation, isomerisation of thiazetidinium ion and, finally, pi-cyclisation. In this way a one-pot synthesis of original tricyclic N,S-acetals was developed. The same triheterocyclic products can be prepared also starting from the corresponding 5-hydroxy isomers (in this case the cascade of reactions does not involve methyl transposition).     

Theory of the photodissociation of ozone in the Hartley continuum: potential energy surfaces, conical intersections, and photodissociation dynamics

Ab initio potential energy and transition dipole moment surfaces are presented for the five lowest singlet even symmetry electronic states of ozone. The surfaces are calculated using the complete active space self consistent field method followed by contracted multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations. A slightly reduced augmented correlation consistent valence triple-zeta orbital basis set is used. The ground and excited state energies of the molecule have been computed at 9282 separate nuclear geometries. Cuts through the potential energy surfaces, which pass through the geometry of the minimum of the ground electronic state, show several closely avoided crossings. Close examination, and higher level calculations, very strongly suggests that some of these seemingly avoided crossings are in fact associated with non-symmetry related conical intersections. Diabatic potential energy and transition dipole moment surfaces are created from the computed ab initio adiabatic MRCI energies and transition dipole moments. The transition dipole moment connecting the ground electronic state to the diabatic B state surface is by far the strongest. Vibrational-rotational wavefunctions and energies are computed using the ground electronic state. The energy level separations compare well with experimentally determined values. The ground vibrational state wavefunction is then used, together with the diabatic B<--X transition dipole moment surface, to form an initial wavepacket. The analysis of the time-dependent quantum dynamics of this wavepacket provides the total and partial photodissociation cross sections for the system. Both the total absorption cross section and the predicted product quantum state distributions compare well with experimental observations. A discussion is also given as to how the observed alternation in product diatom rotational state populations might be explained.     

Relativistic calculations on the ground and excited states of AgH and AuH in cylindrical harmonic confinement

The relativistic ground and low-lying excited state potential energy curves of AgH and AuH in the presence of a cylindrical harmonic confining potential were calculated using the multi-state multi-reference perturbation theory with the spin-free no-pair Hamiltonian obtained via the third-order Douglas–Kroll transformation, incorporated with the full two-electron Breit–Pauli spin–orbit operator. The spectroscopic parameters were obtained for both the scalar- and quasi-relativistic potentials. The spin–orbit coupling constants were calculated for several strengths of the confining potential, and the effects of the applied potential on the coupling constants were analyzed using configuration interaction. This paper is dedicated to Serafín Fraga—colleague, mentor, and friend.     

A convenient preparative method for anionic tris(substituted pyrazolyl)methane ligands

The synthesis of tris[3-(6-carboxypyridin-2-yl)pyrazol-1-yl]methane is described in a linear multi-step protocol. The pyridyl-pyrazolyl arms are first constructed before being condensed with chloroform. Careful study of the condensation reaction shows the presence of an isomeric form of the tris(pyrazolyl)methane derivative in which one of the pyrazolyl substituents is linked through the nitrogen atom at the 2 position of the pyrazol. After acid-catalysed isomerisation to the desired isomer, the intermediate compound was subjected to a carboalkoxylation reaction and a subsequent hydrolysis. These are some rare examples of reactions directly occurring on the tris(pyrazolyl)methane platforms.