An Asymmetric Synthesis of L-694,458, a Human Leukocyte Elastase Inhibitor, via Novel Enzyme Resolution of beta-Lactam Esters

A convergent synthesis of [S-(R,S)]-2-[4-[(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)carbonyl]phenoxy]-3,3-diethyl-N-[1-[3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenyl]butyl]-4-oxo-1-azetidinecarboxamide (L-694,458, 1), a potent human leukocyte elastase inhibitor, was achieved via chiral synthesis of key intermediates: (S)-3,3-diethyl-4-[4'-[(N-methylpiperazin-1-yl)carbonylphenoxy]-2-azetidinone (2) and (R)-alpha-propylpiperonyl isocyanate (3). Synthesis of beta-lactam 2 was achieved by a novel enantioselective lipase hydrolysis of ester 5 to produce (S)-3,3-diethyl-4-(4'-carboxyphenoxy)-2-azetidinone (6) (60% yield, three cycles, 93% ee) with isolation, epimerization, and recycling of the undesired (R)-ester 5. Isocyanate 3 was prepared by chiral addition of Zn(n-Pr)(2) to piperonal (98% yield, 99.2% ee), azide displacement and reduction to (R)-alpha-propylpiperonylamine (11) (58% yield, 85% ee), crystallization as the D-pyroglutamic acid salt (92% yield, 98.2% ee), and isocyanate formation (98% yield) with phosgene.     

Coupling of a Rydberg electron capture ion source with a quadrupole mass filter

The coupling of a Rydberg electron capture ion source with a Nermag R10-10H quadrupole mass filter is described. Details are given of the addition to this instrument of a creation cell for atoms excited in Rydberg states. Within the Nermag ion source, such atoms allow attachment of electrons of well-defined thermal energy. SF(6) was used for optimization of the main experimental parameters (gas pressures and voltages applied to the electrodes). The procedure by which Rydberg electron attachment was confirmed is described. A polychlorobiphenyl compound was used to illustrate the performance of this ionization technique. Ion formation was observed in the absence of fragmentation.     

Mass spectrometric behavior of levoglucosan under different ionization conditions and implications for studies of cellulose pyrolysis

Pyrolysis-mass spectrometric studies of cellulose indicate low abundances of levoglucosan in the product spectrum compared to the yield values determined in more conventional types of pyrolysis studies. To examine the reason for these conflicting observation, levoglucosan was examined under different ion source conditions and ionization modes to ascertain the relative contributions of thermal degradation and ionization fragmention to the low abundances of the levoglucosan molecular ion. Low-energy electron ionization using conventional sample volatilization and molecular-beam sampling is compared to chemical ionization using methane, isobutane, and ammonia as reagent gases, and to field ionization and desorption. The mass spectrometric fragmentation patterns under the various systems indicate that studies of cellulose pyrolysis underestimate the amount of levoglucosan formed due to ionization fragmentation and thermal rearrangement reactions in the ion source. Several peaks, including m/z 126 and 144, are dominated by the contribution from the fragmentation of levoglucosan.     

Separation and quantitation of components in FD&C Red No. 3 using capillary electrophoresis

The use of capillary electrophoresis as a technique to separate and quantitate components of FD&C Red No. 3 (erythrosine, color index No. 45430) is described. The fluorescein isomers, 2',4',5'-triiodofluorescein (2,4,5-I3F) and 2',4',7'-triiodofluorescein (2,4,7-I3F), the most abundant by-products formed during the preparation of the dye, were selected for quantitation studies. The separation of other lower halogenated impurities was also demonstrated. Electrophoretic mobility of the compounds was achieved in a 50 mM borate, 25 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate buffer at pH 9.3. The limits of quantitation were found to be 0.15% (w/w) (2,4,5-I3F) and 0.14% (w/w) (2,4,7-I3F) (relative to the mass of FD&C Red No. 3). The method is linear from 0.08 to 20.0% (w/w) for 2,4,5-I3F and between 0.06 and 17.0% (w/w) for 2,4,7-13F. In addition, relative standard deviations of 2.03 and 5.11% were determined from precision studies in the repeat analysis of FD&C Red No. 3 for 2,4,5-I3F and 2,4,7-I3F, respectively. Overall, the CE method produced data in excellent agreement with the reference HPLC method, used considerably less solvent and sample, generated less waste and was found to be considerably more cost efficient.     

Quantum chemistry with an attached processor

The Floating Point Systems, Inc. Model 164 Attached Processor (FPS-164) is a high-speed, pipelined, parallel processor designed for large-scale scientific computation. Benchmark studies of operations common in quantum chemistry codes are discussed and the performance of the FPS-164 is compared with other commonly available computers. A complete system of electronic structure codes has been implemented on the FPS-164 using the Fortran-77 cross-compiler and calls to optimized vector and matrix routines. The conversion of a generalized valence bond (GVB ) code illustrates the strategy adopted to adapt Fortran codes to the FPS-164. A typical production example, a large scale (GVB ) and configuration interaction calculation on the vinyl radical, shows a net throughput equivalent to nearly nine VAX 11/780 computers.     

Towards a better understanding of the cisplatin mode of action

We have studied how platinum(II) complexes [Pt(dien)Cl]Cl, [Pt(en)Cl2] and cisplatin react with hybrid molecules that contain sulfur and nitrogen ligands, in particular Phac-Met-linker-p5'dG (Phac = phenylacetyl), Phac-His-linker-p5'dG, Phac-His-Met-linker-p5'dG and Phac-His-Gly-Met-linker-p5'dCATGGCT. The progress of the reactions was monitored by HPLC, and by [1H,15N]-HSQC NMR when 15N-cisplatin was used. The products were isolated and characterised by using enzymatic and chemical reactions and spectroscopic techniques (UV and/or NMR spectroscopy, electrospray or MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry). The combined use of digestion with proteases and reaction with hydrogen peroxide followed by mass spectrometric analysis indicated the platinum coordination positions on the peptide moiety of the largest hybrid. Monofunctional Pt-S adducts were transformed into Pt-N complexes in which Pt-N7 bonds were formed preferentially. Most of the chelates isolated had Pt-S bonds, and, in the case of cisplatin complexes, loss of the ammine trans to sulfur gave rise to the formation of tricoordinate species with platinum-mediated peptide-nucleotide cross-links. 1,2-Intrachain platinum GpG adducts were only obtained in very small amounts (1-4%).     

Methyl displacements from cyclopentadienyl ring planes in sterically crowded (C5Me5)3M complexes

The displacements of the methyl substituents away from the metal and out of the cyclopentadienyl ring plane are compared in sterically crowded (C(5)Me(5))(3)M complexes vs sterically normal f-element complexes in an attempt to evaluate the utility of this parameter in predicting unusual (C(5)Me(5))(1-) ring reactivity. The out-of-plane displacements of 16 sterically crowded tris(cyclopentadienyl) complexes of general formula (C(5)Me(5))(3)M, (C(5)Me(4)R)(3)M (R = Et, (i)Pr, (t)()Bu, SiMe(3)), (C(5)Me(5))(3)MX (X = anion), and (C(5)Me(5))(3)ML (L = neutral ligand) are compared with [(C(5)Me(5))(2)U](2)(C(6)H(6)), (C(5)Me(5))(2)Sm(PC(4)H(2)(t)Bu(2)), and 33 representative examples of f-element bis(cyclopentadienyl) complexes with normal cyclopentadienyl behavior and coordination numbers ranging from 6 to 10. In general, the methyl displacement values of sterically crowded complexes overlap with those in the other complexes, which demonstrates that the basis of the structural distortions is complex. However, if the most extreme out-of-plane displacement in each of the sterically crowded complexes is examined vs the analogous maximum out-of-plane displacement in less crowded systems, there appears to be a basis for predicting cyclopentadienyl reactivity.     

Photochemical and Photophysical Studies of 3-Amino-6-lodoacridine and the Inactivation of λ Phage

Abstract— The photochemistry and photophysics of 3-amino-6-io-doacridine (Acr-I) was studied. Photolysis (350 nm) of Acr-I (free base) generates products consistent with a free radical intermediate in methanol, benzene and carbon tetrachloride. The Acr-I hydrochloride is shown to bind to calf thymus DNA and to the self-complementary dinucleotide cytidylyl-(3′-5′)-guanosine (CpG) minidu-plex in a manner similar to that of proflavine (Acr-NH₂), a known DNA intercalator. The Acr-I is shown to more efficiently nick supercoiled plasmid DNA pBR322 upon 350 nm or 420 nm photolysis than Acr-NH₂. The efficiency of Acr-I-sensitized DNA nicking is not oxygen dependent. Photolysis of the Acr-I/(CpG)₂ complex leads to cleavage of the dinucleotide and to cytidine base release by selective damage to a specific ribose moiety. Dinucleotide cleavage occurs equally well in the presence or absence of oxygen, thereby eliminating a singlet oxygen- or peroxyl radical-mediated process. Photolysis of Acr-I in the presence of a mononucleotide (GMP) or a non-self-complementary dinucleotide (uridylyl-[3′-5′]-cytidine– UpC) does not lead to fragmentation and base release. Similarly, photolysis of the Acr-NH₂/(CpG)₂ complex does not lead to fragmentation and base release. The data indicate that photolysis of an iodinated intercalator bound to CpG or plasmid DNA generates an intercalated aryl radical and that the reactive intermediate initiates a sequence of reactions that efficiently nick nucleic acids. The inactivation of Λ phage sensitized by Acr-I with UV (350 nm) light is oxygen independent but with visible (420 nm) light is strongly oxygen dependent. The Acr-I fluoresces more intensely when excited at 446 than at 376 nm. Thus, UV photolysis may lead to C-I bond homolysis and free radical formation, a process that is not energetically feasible with visible light. The results demonstrate the difficulty of extrapolating model studies involving simple molecules and DNA to understanding the mechanism of viral inactivation with a particular sensitizer.     

The synthesis of phenanthrodibenzothiophenes

The synthesis of phenanthro[1,2-c]dibenzothiophene (6) , phenanthro[4,3-c]dibenzothiophene (10) , phenanthro[2,1-a]dibenzothiophene (14) , phenanthro[3,4-a]dibenzothiophene (16) , phenanthro[1,2-a]dibenzothiophene (19) , phenanthro[2,1-b]dibenzothiophene (20) , 8-methylphenanthro[3,2-a]dibenzothiophene (24) , 7-methylphenanthro[1,2-a]dibenzothiophene (25) , phenanthro[3,4-a]dibenzothiophene (27) , phenanthro[4,3-a]-dibenzothiophene (28) , 6-methylphenanthro[2,3-a]dibenzothiophene (31) , and 5-methylphenanthro[4,3-a]dibenzothiophene (32) is described.