A self-assembled, luminescent europium cholate hydrogel: a novel approach towards lanthanide sensitization

We propose a new self-assembly based strategy for the design of novel lanthanide based luminescent materials. In this approach a europium hydrogel is prepared and sensitization is achieved by doping the gel with pyrene in a non-coordinated fashion.     

Sharp depletion of attenuation of 22.235 GHz associated with Nor’wester over Kolkata, India and possible method of forecasting Nor’wester

The sharp depletion of attenuation of 22.235 GHz signal before the onset of Nor’wester over Kolkata, India is observed and possible explanation of such type of variation is presented. It is concluded that this may be taken as one possible method of forecasting severe thunderstorm associated with Nor’wester. Physical explanations based on the formation and dissipation mechanisms of thunderstorm are also presented.     

Efficient syntheses of benzothiazepines as antagonists for the mitochondrial sodium-calcium exchanger: potential therapeutics for type II diabetes

Type II diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that can lead to serious cardiovascular, renal, neurologic, and retinal complications. While several drugs are currently prescribed to treat type II diabetes, their efficacy is limited by mechanism-related side effects (weight gain, hypoglycemia, gastrointestinal distress), inadequate efficacy for use as monotherapy, and the development of tolerance to the agents. Consequently, combination therapies are frequently employed to effectively regulate blood glucose levels. We have focused on the mitochondrial sodium-calcium exchanger (mNCE) as a novel target for diabetes drug discovery. We have proposed that inhibition of the mNCE can be used to regulate calcium flux across the mitochondrial membrane, thereby enhancing mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, which in turn enhances glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in the pancreatic beta-cell. In this paper, we report the facile synthesis of benzothiazepines and derivatives by S-alkylation using 2-aminobenzhydrols. The syntheses of other bicyclic analogues based on benzothiazepine, benzothiazecine, benzodiazecine, and benzodiazepine templates are also described. These compounds have been evaluated for their inhibition of mNCE activity, and the results from the structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies are discussed.     

Cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone nanoparticles: a potential carrier for hydrophilic drugs

Injectable hydrogel polymeric nanoparticles of polyvinylpyrrolidone cross-linked with N,N'-methylene bis-acrylamide and encapsulating water-soluble macromolecules such as FITC-dextran (FITC-Dx) have been prepared in the aqueous cores of reverse micellar droplets. These particles are 100 nm and below in diameter with a narrow size distribution. When dispersed in aqueous buffer these particles appear to be transparent and give an optically clear solution. Lyophilized powder of these nanoparticles is redispersable in aqueous buffer without any change in the size and morphology of the particles. The efficiency of FITC-Dx entrapment by these nanoparticles is high (>70%) and depends on the amount of cross-linking agent present in the polymeric material. The release of the entrapped molecules from these nanoparticles depends on the degree of cross-linking of the polymer, particle size, pH of the medium, and extent of loading, as well as temperature.     

Activity and Conformation of Yeast Alcohol Dehydrogenase (YADH) Entrapped in Reverse Micelles

Yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (YADH) solubilized in reverse micelles of aerosol OT (i.e., AOT or sodium bis (2-ethyl hexyl) sulfosuccinate) in isooctane has been shown to be catalytically more active than that in aqueous buffer under optimum conditions of pH, temperature, and water content in reverse micelles. Studies of the secondary structure conformational changes of the enzyme in reverse micelles have been made from circular dichroism spectroscopy. It has been seen that the conformation of YADH in reverse micelles is extremely sensitive to pH, temperature, and water content. A comparison has been made between the catalytic activity of the enzyme and the α-helix content in the conformation and it has been observed that the enzyme is most active at the maximum α-helix content. While the β-sheet content in the conformation of the entrapped enzyme was found to be dependent on the enzyme–micelle interface interaction, the α-helix and random coil conformations are governed by the degree of entrapment and the extent of rigidity provided by the micelle core to the enzyme structure.     

5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase: chemical synthesis of the tetrahedral intermediate and assignment of the stereochemical course of the enzymatic reaction

A chemical synthesis of both diastereomers of the tetrahedral intermediate involved in 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) catalysis has been accomplished. Combination of methyl dibromopyruvate with a protected shikimic acid derivative, phosphorylation, and lactonization afforded the intermediates (S)-15 and (R)-15, whose configurations were assigned by NMR. After introduction of the 3-phosphate group and deprotection, photoinitiated radical debromination of the dibromo analogues (S)-5 and (R)-5 was accomplished with tributyltin hydride in mixed aqueous solvents in the presence of surfactant to give the pyruvate ketal phosphates (R)-TI and (S)-TI, respectively. These compounds are stable at high pH, but decompose at pH 7 with a half-life of ca. 10 min. (R)-TI proved to be inert to EPSPS, while (S)-TI was converted by the enzyme to a mixture of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate, shikimate 3-phosphate, and phosphoenolpyruvate. The demonstration that the enzymatic intermediate possesses the S-configuration at the ketal center confirms the mechanism as an anti addition followed by a syn elimination. Furthermore, it appears that the syn stereochemistry of the second step requires the phosphate leaving group to serve as the base in catalyzing its own elimination.     

Multinuclear NMR investigation on organometallic gold(III) pentafluorophenylarylazoimidazole complexes

Reaction of [Au(C₆F₅)(tht)₂Cl](OTf) with RaaiR′ in CH₂Cl₂ medium leads to [Au(C₆F₅)(RaaiR′)Cl](OTf) [RaaiR′ = p-R–C₆H₄–N=N–C₃H₂–NN-1-R′, (1–3), abbreviated as N,N′-chelator, where N(imidazole) and N(azo) represent N and N′, respectively; R = H (a), Me (b), Cl (c) and R′ = Me (1), CH₂CH₃ (2), CH₂Ph (3), tht is tetrahydrothiophen]. The maximum molecular peak of [Au(C₆F₅)(MeaaiMe)Cl] is observed at m/z 599.51 (100 %) in the FAB mass spectrum. Ir spectra of the complexes show –C=N– and –N=N– stretching near at 1590 and 1370 cm⁻¹ and near at 1510, 955, 800 cm⁻¹ due to the presence of pentafluorophenyl ring. The ¹H-NMR spectral measurements suggest methylene, –CH₂–, in RaaiEt gives a complex AB type multiplet while in RaaiCH₂Ph shows AB type quartets. ¹³C-NMR spectrum of complexes confirm the molecular skeleton. In the ¹H-¹H-COSY spectrum as well as contour peaks in the ¹H-¹³C HMQC spectrum for the present complexes, assign the solution structure and stereoretentive conformation. The electrochemistry gives the ligand reduction peaks.     

Gold(I)-Gold(III)-4,4′-bpy-phosphine complexes: Synthesis and multinuclear NMR study

Silver assisted de-bromination gives [Au₂(dppm/dppe/dppa) (OTf)₂], which on reaction with 4,4′-bpy and gold(I) phosphines in CH₂Cl₂ medium, by the self assembly technique, leads to [(PPh₃)Au(4,4′-bpy)Au(PPh₃)], (1a–1d,2), [{Au₂(dppm/dppe/dppa)}{(4,4-bpy)Au(PPh₃)}₂](NO₃)₄, (3), [{Au₄(dppm/dppe/dppa)₂(4,4-bpy)₂}](OTf)_4, (4), [{(PPh₃)Au^I(4,4′-bpy)}₂Au^III(C₆F₅/Mes)](NO₃)₃, (5) [dppm/dppe/dppa =diphenyl phosphino-methane(a), –ethane(b), ammine(c), C₆F₅/Mes pentafluorophenyl/mesitylene]. The maximum molecular peak of the corresponding molecule is observed in the ESI mass spectrum. Ir spectra of the complexes show –C=C–, –C=N–, as well as phosphine, mesitylene and pentafluorophenyl stretching. The ¹H-NMR spectra as well as ³¹P(¹H)-NMR suggest solution stereochemistry, proton movement and phosphorus proton interaction. Considering all the moities there are a lot of carbon atoms in the molecule reflected by the ¹³C(H)-NMR spectrum. In the ¹H–¹H COSY spectrum of the present complexes and contour peaks in the ¹H–¹³C-HMQC spectrum, assign the solution structure and stereoretentive transformation in each step.     

A novel series of gold(III)-bis-triphenylphosphine-arylazoimidazole complexes: synthesis and spectroscopic and redox study

Reaction of [Au(PPh₃)₂(tht)₂](OSO₂CF₃)₃ with RaaiR′ in CH₂Cl₂ medium following ligand addition leads to [Au(PPh₃)₂(RaaiR′)](OTf)₃ [RaaiR′ = p-R–C₆H₄–N=N–C₃H₂–NN–1–R′, (1–3), abbreviated as N,N′-chelator, where N(imidazole) and N(azo) represent N and N′, respectively; R = H (a), Me (b), Cl (c) and R′ = Me (1), CH₂CH₃ (2), CH₂Ph (3), PPh₃ is triphenylphosphine, OSO₂CF₃ is the triflate anion, tht is tetrahydrothiophen]. The maximum molecular peak of the corresponding molecule is observed in the ESI mass spectrum. The ¹H-nmr spectral measurements suggest methylene, –CH₂–, in RaaiEt gives a complex AB type multiplet while in RaaiCH₂Ph it shows AB type quartets. ¹³C-nmr spectrum suggests the molecular skeleton. In the ¹H–¹H COSY spectrum as well as contour peaks in the ¹H–¹³C heteronuclear multiple-quantum coherence (HMQC) spectrum assign the solution structure. Electrochemistry assign ligand reduction part rather than metal oxidation.     

Location of solubilizate in water-AOT-isooctane systems using positron lifetime spectroscopy

In the present work, positrons have been used as a probe to locate the interaction site of the additive molecules in a membrane mimetic system similar to reverse micelles. The systems investigated are water-AOT Aerosol OT [Sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate)-isooctane solutions. Positron lifetime measurements have been performed in water-AOT-isooctane solutions containing chloroform and dichloromethane, respectively, as additives. The choice of these additives is based on their physiological importance. A comparison of the behavior of positron annihilation parameters in surfactant solutions containing the additives with that in systems without them has been made. It has provided some information about the location of the interaction site of the additive molecules in these solutions. In chloroform, the additive molecules tend to migrate from the bulk solvent to the aggregates and are adsorbed either at the interface or close to it. The dichloromethane molecules, on the other hand, tend to get distributed near the hydrocarbon tail of the AOT molecules closer to the bulk solvent.