Encapsulated Neutral Ruthenium Catalyst for Substrate-Selective Oxidation of Alcohols

The neutral complex dichloro-{diethyl[(5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-ylamino)-(4-trifluoro-methylphenyl)methyl]phosphonate} (p-cymene)-ruthenium(II) was encapsulated inside a self-assembled hexameric host obtained upon reaction of 2,8,14,20-tetra-undecyl-resorcin[4]arene and water. The formation of an inclusion complex was inferred from a combination of spectral measurements (MS, UV/Vis spectroscopy, ¹H and DOSY NMR). The ³¹P and ¹⁹F NMR spectra are consistent with motions of the ruthenium complex inside the self-assembled capsule. Molecular dynamics simulations carried out on the inclusion complex confirmed these intra-cavity movements and highlighted possible supramolecular interactions between the ruthenium first coordination sphere ligands and the inner part (aromatic rings) of the capsule. The embedded ruthenium complex was assessed in the catalytic oxidation (using NaIO₄ as oxidant) of mixtures of three arylmethyl alcohols into the corresponding aldehydes. The reaction kinetics were shown to vary as a function of the substrates’ size, with the oxidation rate varying in the order benzylalcohol >4-phenyl-benzylalcohol >9-anthracenemethanol. Control experiments realized in the absence of hexameric capsule did not allow any discrimination between the substrates.     

A Buchwald–Hartwig Protocol to Enable Rapid Linker Exploration of Cereblon E3-Ligase PROTACs**

A palladium-catalysed Buchwald–Hartwig amination for lenalidomide-derived aryl bromides was optimised using high throughput experimentation (HTE). The substrate scope of the optimised conditions was evaluated for a range of alkyl- and aryl- amines and functionalised aryl bromides. The methodology allows access to new cereblon-based bifunctional proteolysis targeting chimeras with a reduced step count and improved yields.     

The pH induced vesicle to micelle morphology transition of a THP‐protected polymer

A diblock copolymer consisting of tetrahydropyranyl acrylate (THPA) as a pH‐deprotectable block, and a permanently hydrophobic block, methyl acrylate, was synthesized by RAFT polymerization using a quaternary amine functionalized, hydrophilic, RAFT chain transfer agent. The polymer self‐assembled in water to form vesicles with D_h = 130 nm, as determined by DLS and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. Acid catalyzed deprotection of the THPA units to yield acrylic acid resulted in a vesicle to micelle morphology transition, as evidenced by the decrease in hydrodynamic diameter to D_h = 19 nm and the observation of micelles by dry state transmission electron microscopy. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 3026–3031     

Crystal structure of a butyllithium 1,2-dipiperidinoethane dimer complex

The crystal structure of butyllithium solvated by 1,2-dipiperidinoethane, BuLi·DPE-6, which has been used as an initiator for a number of important commercial anionic polymerization reactions, is reported. The complex crystallizes from pentane as a centrosymmetric dimer in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n with a = 9.8619(12), b = 17.963(2), c = 10.3655(12) ?, β = 114.090(2)° and Z = 2. The dimer is located on a crystallographic inversion center. The crystal under investigation was found to be non-merohedrally twinned. In contrast to the two other dimeric BuLi complexes previously structurally characterized in the solid state, BuLi·DPE-6 has a planar central Li₂C₂ core. Semi-empirical (PM3) calculations were used to determine the lowest energy conformations of the dimer and also identified three structural motifs that affect Li₂C₂ dimer ring planarity.     

Gedunin,ad-seco limonoid

Chloroform/Methanol extraction of the bark ofCedrela salvadorensis (Meliaceae), followed by chromatography afforded the crystalline C₂₈H₃₄O₇ terpene. The structure first proposed by spectroscopy is confirmed by this X-ray analysis as 7-acetyloxy-14,15:21,23-diepoxy-4,4,8-trimethyl-d-homo-24-nor-17-oxachola-1,20,22-triene-3,16,-dione. The title compound crystallized in the orthorhombic space groupP2₁2₁2₁ with unit cell parametersa=10.243(2),b=13.356(3) andc=18.058(4) Å. The molecule is comprised of a six-membered tetracyclic skeleton, with a circular arc overall conformation. No intermolecular hydrogen bonding is indicated.     

Uranium assay and trace element analysis of the fourth collaborative material exercise samples by the modified Davies-Gray method and the ICP-MS/OES techniques

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - An international group of laboratories participating in CMX-4 subjected three samples to comparative nuclear forensic analysis using uranium assay...     

Facile one pot synthesis of a range of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents

The application of a universal synthetic strategy for the high yielding and facile synthesis of a wide range of functional RAFT agents including trithiocarbonates, xanthates and dithiocarbamates is described.     

Segmental order parameters in a nonionic surfactant lamellar phase studied with 1H-13C solid-state NMR

A lyotropic nonionic lamellar system composed of pentaethyleneglycol mono n-dodecyl ether and D(2)O was studied using natural abundance (13)C NMR under magic-angle spinning. Applying a two-dimensional recoupling method proposed by Dvinskikh (R-PDLF), (1)H-(13)C dipolar couplings were estimated over a range of temperatures (300-335 K), thus enabling analysis of structural changes in the liquid crystalline system. The results obtained are used to correlate the conformation and mobility of local sites in the surfactant molecule with overall changes in the lamellar structure.     

Comparable Photoreactivity of Hair Melanosomes,Eu‐ and Pheomelanins at Low Concentrations: Low Melanin a Risk Factor for UVA Damage and Melanoma?†

Melanin is known to be photoreactive and photoprotective, but its function in skin in vivo is still debated. Data is lacking of the effects of UVA irradiation on human skin melanosomes of different pigmentation, which have not been extensively degraded by isolation procedures. We have shown previously that melanosomes isolated from human oriental and black cat hair, and synthetic eumelanins, are photoreactive producing superoxide at low concentrations when exposed to UVA irradiation comparable to UK levels of sunlight. Here we investigated the UVA-irradiation of melanosomes, isolated from different colored human hair samples, using electron spin resonance spectroscopy and spin trapping. Comparable irradiation of synthetic pheomelanins synthesized from L-dopa and L-cysteine was also studied. An alkali method (5 min NaOH at 90 degrees C) could be used to isolate oriental hair melanosomes but was not suitable for auburn and blonde hair. Dithiothreitol and proteinase K resulted in melanin release from possible over-digestion of melanosomes; however, dithiothreitol and papain resulted in no melanin release and good melanosome yields with separation from residual keratin for brown, auburn and blonde hair. Melanosomes isolated by the latter method and synthetic pheomelanins were similar in UVA-photoreactivity at low concentrations, independent of hair color, and broadly comparable to synthetic melanins. Melanosome concentration at constant fluence may be more significant with respect to photodamage and UVA photocarcinogenesis (melanoma) via superoxide radical production than pigment type.