Alkylation of heme by the antimalarial drug artemisinin

The peroxide function of artemisinin has been activated by iron(II)-heme generated in situ from iron(III)-protoporphyrin-IX and glutathione, a biologically relevant reductant. In mild conditions, this reaction produced a high yield (85%) of heme derivatives alkylated at alpha-, beta-, and delta-meso positions by a C4-centered radical derived from artemisinin.     

Comparison of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry interfaces for the analysis of polar metabolites of benz[a]pyrene

 The performance of two liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) interfacing techniques, thermospray (TSP) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), for the analysis of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) metabolites (hydroxy, epoxy and quinone derivatives) was compared. Interface and detection parameters such as source temperature, eluent composition or flow rate were optimized using negative ion mode. In TSP, the main ions are mostly [M]^-, [M−H₂O]^- or [M+CH₃COO]^-, whereas APCI gives mainly the [M]^- and [M−H]^- ions. Quantification was carried out by flow injection. Calibration graphs were linear in the range of 10 ng to 1000 ng in TSP and 0.1 ng to 10 ng in APCI. Detection limits were in the range of 1 ng to 20 ng in TSP and 0.002 ng to 0.2 ng in APCI. The presence of BaP-1,6-dione, BaP-3,6-dione, and BaP-6,12-dione was confirmed in environmental samples of air particulate matter. Received: 6 January 1997/Accepted: 18 April 1997     

Structure of tetraphenylarsonium tricyano- 2,2′,6′,2′′-terpyridylferrate(II), AsPh4[FeII(terpy)(CN)3]; and kinetics of oxidation of the complex anion by peroxodisulfate in water and in binary aqueous mixtures

The structure of the title compound has been determined by X-ray crystallography. The octahedral arrangement of ligands about the iron(II) centre is somewhat distorted, with the axial NC–Fe–CN bond angle being 174.3(4)°. The oxidation of the tricyano-2,2,6,2- terpyridylferrate(II) anion by the peroxodisulfate anion has been investigated in water and in binary aqueous mixtures. The reaction follows a second order rate law, with a second-order rate constant of 0.126± 0.001dm3mol–1s–1 at 295.2K. The enthalpy and entropy of activation in water are 51.3±1.8kJmol–1 and –89±5JK–1mol–1 respectively. The rate is retarded on addition of organic cosolvent. The transfer chemical potential of the initial state from water into mixed solvents has been determined from solubility measurements, and compared with the transfer potential of the transition state. Solvent effects on the reaction are discussed in terms of initial state versus transition state solvation.     

Coherent effects in energy transport in model dendritic structures investigated by ultrafast fluorescence anisotropy spectroscopy

Measurements of ultrafast fluorescence anisotropy decay in model branched dendritic molecules of different symmetry are reported. These molecules contain the fundamental branching center units of larger dendrimer macromolecules with either three (C(3))- or four (T(d), tetrahedral)-fold symmetry. The anisotropy for a tetrahedral system is found to decay on a subpicosecond time scale (880 fs). This decay can be qualitatively explained by F?rster-type incoherent energy migration between chromophores. Alternatively, for a nitrogen-centered trimer system, the fluorescence anisotropy decay time (35 fs) is found to be much shorter than that of the tetramers, and the decay cannot be attributed to an incoherent hopping mechanism. In this case, a coherent interchromophore energy transport mechanism should be considered. The mechanism of the ultrafast energy migration process in the branched systems is interpreted by use of a phenomenological quantum mechanical model, which examines the two extreme cases of incoherent and coherent interactions.     

Frequency-domain measurement of the photodegradation process of fluorescein

The frequency-domain technique is applied to measure the photodegradation rate of fluorescein in aqueous solutions. The illuminating light is modulated, and the changes in fluorescence from the illuminated region are detected synchronously. A constant flow rate is imposed on the fluorescein solution to control the mass transport of fluorescein into the illuminated region. The fluorescence response is described by a model that assumes that photodegradation occurs from the triplet excited state. The predictions of the model are consistent with the observed variations in the fluorescence response with flow rate, modulation frequency and incident power. We discuss in this article how the dependence of the model parameters on experimental conditions can be used to infer the photodegradation rate as well as some of the details of the photodegradation mechanism. The results are consistent with the known mechanism of photodegradation of fluorescein. The frequency-domain technique gives a photodegradation rate of 53 s(-1) in an air-saturated solution and 37 s(-1) in solutions purged with argon gas.     

Integral approximations for molecular orbital theory

The electron repulsion integrals arising in LCAO-MO theory are approximated by replacement of the product of two orbitals on different centers by linear combinations of one-center products. The approximation differs from those previously proposed in that the coefficients of the various terms are determined by requiring agreement for certain integrals, and in the emphasis of the role of symmetry in selecting the one-center products. For two-center integrals, the new approximation is significantly better than older approximate methods. Reasons are given for expecting this improvement to extend also to multi-center integrals.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird ein Verfahren zur näherungsweisen Berechnung von Elektronenwechselwirkungsintegralen der LCAO-MO-Theorie beschrieben, bei welchem das Produkt zweier Zustandsfunktionen an verschiedenen Zentren durch eine Linearkombination von Produkten am gleichen Zentrum ersetzt wird. Der Unterschied zu ähnlichen Ansätzen liegt in der Justierung der Koeffizienten. Für Zweizentrenintegrale liefert die hier vorgeschlagene Methode bedeutend bessere Ergebnisse als das Mulliken-Verfahren.

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Résumé Les intégrales de répulsion électroniques intervenant dans la théorie LCAO MO sont calculées d'une manière approchée en remplaçant le produit de deux orbitales sur des centres différents par des combinaisons linéaires de produits à un centre. Cette approximation diffère de celles proposées auparavant par la détermination des coefficients des différents termes au moyen de l'ajustement de certaines intégrales et par l'importance du rôle de la symétrie dans le choix des produits monocentriques. Cette nouvelle approximation est bien meilleure que les anciennes en ce qui concerne les intégrales bi-centriques. Nous donnons des raisons d'espérer que cette amélioration s'étendra aux intégrales polycentriques.

     

Rearrangement thermique des α-ceto, α-cyano epoxydes en dioxoles : Etude du mecanisme de la reaction

The thermolysis of α-cyano α-keto epoxides to give dioxoles is a new rearrangement. The reactivity of the epoxides is dependent upon the nature of the substituents on the epoxide ring, and solvent polarity. When the reaction is carried in the presence of benzaldehyde, a 1,3 cycloadduct is obtained. These results are in good agreement with a carbonyl ylide intermediate.     

Structural requirements in chiral diphosphine-rhodium complexes. VIII. Asymmetric hydrogenation of N-acetyldehydroamino acids with rhodium(I) complexes containing chiral carbocyclic analogues of DIOP.

Z--acetamidocinnamic acid was hydrogenated with neutral diphosphine-rhodium(I) complexes containing trans-1,2-bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl) cycloalkanes to give N-acetylphenylalanine: 86 % e.e.-(R) [(1R,2R)-cyclobutane]; 63 % e.e.-(R) [(1R,2R)-cyclopentane]; 35 % e.e.-(S) [(1S,2S)-cyclohexane]; and 82 % e.e.-(R) [(2R,3R)-DIOP]. Similarly, -acetamidoacrylic acid was hydrogenated to give N-acetylalanine: 72 % e.e.-(R) [(1R,2R)-cyclobutane]; 72 % e.e.-(R) [(1R,2R)-cyclopentane]; 40 % e.e.-(S) [(1S,2S)-cyclohexane]; and 73 % e.e.-(R) [(2R,3R)-DIOP].     

Analytical applications of infra-red spectroscopy : The behaviour of the oxinates of niobium,tantalum and associated elements

The behaviour of the oxinates of niobium, tantalum and associated metals in the infra-red region was studied and a method developed for the determination of niobium and tantalum. Vanadium caused no interference, but other heavy metals, such as molybdenum, manganese and cobalt, which interfered were removed by preliminary treatment when the method was applied to the determination of niobium and tantalum in steels.     

Chemical Synthesis,Proton NMR. Parameters,Hydrogen- and Calcium-Ion. Complexation of L-γ-Carboxyglutamyl-L-γ-carboxyglutamic Acid and D-γ-Carboxyglutamyl-L-leucine

The purpose of this communication is to describe the preparation and some properties of the first two synthetic peptides containing D - and L -γ-carboxyglutamic acid. Use was made of N-protected γ,γ′-di-t-butyl-γ-carboxyglutamic acids (D , L , and DL ) described earlier [1 a]. Preliminary ¹H-NMR. data (360 MHz) indicate a restricted rotation of the Gla side chain in the free amino acid as well as in the C-terminal Gla of Gla-Gla in H₂O solution at acid pH. The proton dissociation from Gla and Gla-Gla was studied by potentiometric titration and NMR. methods. The pH titration in the presence of Ca²⁺ ions shows that Gla-Gla has a much higher association constant for this cation than Gla. It is almost as great as that of prothrombin (pCa²⁺ = 3.2 vs. 3.5).