MassBank: a public repository for sharing mass spectral data for life sciences

MassBank is the first public repository of mass spectra of small chemical compounds for life sciences (<3000 Da). The database contains 605 electron‐ionization mass spectrometry(EI‐MS), 137 fast atom bombardment MS and 9276 electrospray ionization (ESI)‐MSⁿ data of 2337 authentic compounds of metabolites, 11 545 EI‐MS and 834 other‐MS data of 10 286 volatile natural and synthetic compounds, and 3045 ESI‐MS² data of 679 synthetic drugs contributed by 16 research groups (January 2010). ESI‐MS² data were analyzed under nonstandardized, independent experimental conditions. MassBank is a distributed database. Each research group provides data from its own MassBank data servers distributed on the Internet. MassBank users can access either all of the MassBank data or a subset of the data by specifying one or more experimental conditions. In a spectral search to retrieve mass spectra similar to a query mass spectrum, the similarity score is calculated by a weighted cosine correlation in which weighting exponents on peak intensity and the mass‐to‐charge ratio are optimized to the ESI‐MS² data. MassBank also provides a merged spectrum for each compound prepared by merging the analyzed ESI‐MS² data on an identical compound under different collision‐induced dissociation conditions. Data merging has significantly improved the precision of the identification of a chemical compound by 21–23% at a similarity score of 0.6. Thus, MassBank is useful for the identification of chemical compounds and the publication of experimental data. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polymerization via Insertion of Ethylene into Al−C bond under Mild Conditions: Mechanistic Studies on the Promotion Exerted by a Catalytic Amount of Cationic Gadolinium Metallocene

The cationic gadolinium metallocene [(C₅Me₅)₂Gd][B(C₆F₅)₄], when combined with an excess amount of Al(ⁱBu)₃, efficiently produces polyethylene at 80 °C under 0.8 MPa pressure of ethylene. After quenching, the resulting polyethylene has ethyl group at one end and isobutyl group at the other terminal. Because no Gd-alkyl species appears to be involved, a mechanism with conventional coordinative chain transfer polymerization (CCTP) is not feasible. Density functional theory (DFT) analyses indicate a novel mechanism in which the cationic Gd plays a crucial role by coordinating ethylene and assists the insertion of the coordinated ethylene into Al−C bond.     

Preparation and applications of a variety of fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomer/hydroxyapatite composites

A variety of fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomers were applied to the preparation of fluorinated oligomer/hydroxyapatite (HAp) composites (particle size: 38-356 nm), which exhibit a good dispersibility in water and traditional organic solvents. These fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomer/HAp composites were easily prepared by the reactions of disodium hydrogen phosphate and calcium chloride in the presence of self-assembled molecular aggregates formed by fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomers in aqueous solutions. In these fluorinated HAp composites thus obtained, fluoroalkyl end-capped acrylic acid oligomers and 2-methacryloyloxyethanesulfonic acid oligomer/HAp nanocomposites afforded transparent colorless solutions toward water; however, fluoroalkyl end-capped N,N-dimethylacrylamide oligomer and acryloylmorpholine oligomer were found to afford transparent colorless solutions with trace amounts of white-colored HAp precipitants under similar conditions. HAp could be encapsulated more effectively into fluorinated 2-methacryloyloxyethanesulfonic acid oligomeric aggregate cores to afford colloidal stable fluorinated oligomer/HAp composites, compared to that of fluorinated acrylic acid oligomers. These fluorinated oligomer/HAp composites were applied to the surface modification of glass and PVA to exhibit a good oleophobicity imparted by fluorine. HAp formation was newly observed on the modified polyethylene terephthalate film surface treated with fluorinated 2-methacryloyloxyethanesulfonic acid oligomers and acrylic acid oligomer/HAp composites by soaking these films into the simulated body fluid.     

Synthesis of new chiral monodentate phosphite ligands and their use in catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation

[reaction: see text] New monodentate phosphite ligands have been developed from axially chiral biphenols, which show excellent enantioselectivity in the Rh(I)-catalyzed hydrogenation of dimethyl itaconate. The new chiral ligand system is suitable to create libraries and possesses fine-tuning capability.     

Electrochemical preparation of graphite intercalation compounds containing a cyclic amide, [CF2(CF2SO2)2N]

Graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) containing the cyclo-hexafluoropropane-1,3-bis(sulfonyl)amide anion, [CF₂(CF₂SO₂)₂N]⁻, are prepared for the first time. Stages 2 and 3 GICs are obtained by electrochemical oxidation of graphite in a nitromethane electrolyte. Gallery heights of 0.85-0.86 nm are determined by powder X-ray diffraction, and the intercalate anion orientation within the intercalate galleries is modeled using an energy minimized anion structure. GIC compositions are determined by thermogravimetric, fluorine and nitrogen analyses. The chemical preparation and bifluoride displacement reactions are compared with a GIC containing the linear bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide anion, [(CF₃SO₂)₂N]⁻.     

Rücktitelbild: C?H Activation Generates Period‐Shortening Molecules That Target Cryptochrome in the Mammalian Circadian Clock (Angew. Chem. 24/2015)

The synthesis and functional analysis of KL001 derivatives, which are modulators of the mammalian circadian clock, are described. By using cutting‐edge C H activation chemistry, a focused library of KL001 derivatives was rapidly constructed, which enabled the identification of the critical sites on KL001 derivatives that induce a rhythm‐changing activity along with the components that trigger opposite modes of action. The first period‐shortening molecules that target the cryptochrome (CRY) were thus discovered. Detailed studies on the effects of these compounds on CRY stability implicate the existence of an as yet undiscovered regulatory mechanism.     

Solid-phase synthesis of benzazoles,quinazolines, and quinazolinones using an alkoxyamine linker

An alkoxyamine linker was applied for the solid-phase synthesis of benzazoles, quinazolines, and quinazolinones. Aromatic aldehydes were anchored by aldoxime linkage. After some reactions on a solid support, the products were cleaved with paraformaldehyde under the acidic conditions to afford the corresponding aldehydes, which were subsequently subjected to oxidative coupling with 2-substituted anilines under air atmosphere to give the desired compounds.     

Hexafluoro-, heptafluoro-, and octafluoro-salts, and [MnF5n+1] (n = 2, 3, 4) polyfluorometallates of singly charged metal cations, Li-Cs, Cu, Ag, In and Tl

The AMF₆, A₂MF₇, A₃MF₈, AM₂F₁₁, AM₃F_l6 and AM₄F₂₁ compounds (A = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Cu, Ag, In, Tl; M = P, As, V, Rh, Ru, Au, Pt, Ir, Os, Re, Sb, Mo, W, Nb, Ta, Bi) are reviewed.Some of the structural data of the AMF₆ compounds are based just on powder diffraction work from the middle of the last century. The crystal structure types of AMF₆ compounds have been re-classified in this review, based mainly on single crystal data. The crystal structure types of AMF₆ compounds can be classified into six main groups: LiSbF₆ type, NaSbF₆ type, structures of cubic APF₆ and AAsF₆ with orientational disorder of the anions, tetragonal KSbF₆ (T) types and similar structures, AgSbF₆ type and similar structures, and KOsF₆ type.Reported crystal structures of A₂MF₇, A₃MF₈, AM₂F₁₁, AM₃F_l6 and AM₄F₂₁ compounds are limited. K₂MF₇ (M = Nb, Ta) crystallizes in the monoclinic and K₂WF₇ in the orthorhombic crystal system. Among the A₃MF₈ compounds the complete crystal structure has been determined only for Na₃TaF₈, which is monoclinic. The only known examples of crystal structures of AM₂F₁₁ compounds are ASb₂F₁₁ (A = Ag, K, Cs). Crystals of KSb₂F₁₁ are orthorhombic and isostructural to AgSb₂F₁₁, while CsSb₂F₁₁ is monoclinic. CsSb₃F₁₆ is the only example of a structurally characterized AM₃F_l6 compound. Its crystals are orthorhombic. For the rest of the known A₂MF₇, A₃MF₈, AM₂F₁₁, AM₃F_l6 and AM₄F₂₁ compounds, only lattice parameters are known.