Efficient synthesis of an imidazole-substituted delta-amino acid by the integration of chiral technologies

Two methods to produce (2S)-5-amino-2-(1-n-propyl-1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-pentanoic acid were investigated. Diastereoisomeric salt resolution, using the quinidine salt, gave the desired intermediate in 98% ee and 33% yield. Asymmetric hydrogenation of various substrates gave high conversions, with up to 83% ee. Integration of these two approaches via asymmetric hydrogenation of a quinidine salt substrate followed by crystallization provided the desired intermediate in 94% ee and 76% yield.     

Differential scanning calorimetry of univalent dihydrogen phosphates and arsenates

The high temperature phase relations (20°C) of LiH₂PO₄, NaH₂PO₄, KH₂PO₄, RbH₂PO₄, CsH₂PO₄, NH₄H₂PO₄, KH₂AsO₄, RbH₂AsO₄, CsH₂AsO₄ and NH₄H₂AsO₄ have been studied. All materials decompose at higher temperatures. Solid—solid transitions are studied when present and transition temperatures, transition enthalpies, decomposition temperatures, decomposition enthalpies and decomposition products are discussed.     

Genetic engineering to enhance the selectivity of protein separations

The ability to recover and purify natural and recombinant proteins, and the costs of doing so remain a major task in introducing the potential products of biotechnology. The bases for separation range from specific binding onto tailored reagents to solubility and partitioning behavior governed by a mixed bag of size, charge, and hydrophobicity. In most cases, a combination of methods is used in sequence, and improvements in the selectivity at an early stage can enhance the effectiveness of subsequent (and usually more costly) steps. Genetic engineering provides a means of improving the selectivity within the context of existing separation methods. By this strategy, improvements in selectivity are sought by bestowing a distinctive property on the protein of interest. The primary sequence of amino acids is altered, such that the protein can be selectively removed from other components of the multicomponent mixture in which such products are commonly found. In this article, the range of these “distinctive properties” and their pairing with various separation methods will be reviewed. Specific examples from our work, in which a distinctive charge is provided via a polypeptide “purification” fusion tail, will be discussed. Separation methods we have used with these fusion proteins are precipitation, two-phase aqueous extraction, reversed micellar extraction, and ion exchange using both resins and membranes.     

The stereoselective synthesis of novel macrolide antibacterial agents via an intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylide

An intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylide, generated in situ via the reaction of C12-glycinate derivative of macrolide with formaldehyde, provided a novel tricyclic macrolide. The high stereoselectivity of this [2+3] reaction was achieved by introducing a suitable directing group at C-6 position of macrolide.     

On the nature of the anhydride of the lactam of guanidinoglutaric acid

When glutamic acid is amidinated, guanidinoglutaric acid is formed. This is readily converted by boiling in water to its lactam [2-imino-4-oxo-5-(3′-propane acid) imidazolidine; GGAL]. In the present study GGAL is dehydrated to form a second lactam, anhydro-GGAL (AGGAL), with trifluoroacetic anhydride. The molecular weight of this compound was ascertained gravimetrically by precipitation with flavianic acid and by mass spectrography to be 153.14. UV and infrared spectra and hydrogen and ¹³C NMR studies determined its structure as an imidazolidine ring fused to a pyrrol ring, 2-imino-4-oxo-imidazolidine-1,5-pyrrolidone-8. On paper electrophoresis, GGAL traveled to the anode, while AGGAL traveled to the cathode. On TLC plates (butanol 60, H₂O 25, acetic 15), the R_f value of GGAL was 0.42 and that of AGGAL was 0.38, confirming that AGGAL was more basic than GGAL. The preparation of 1,3-di-(phenylcarbamoyl)-GGAL is also described.     

Crystal and molecular structure ofS-methyl(pentafluorosulfanyl)thiocarbamate

The X-ray structure of S-methyl(pentafluorosulfanyl)thiocarbamate, SF₅NHC(O)SCH₃, has been determined from three-dimensional diffractometer data and refined by full-matrix least-squares techniques. The crystals are monoclinic:P2₁/m,a=5.008 (5),b=7.811 (2),c=9.348 (4) Å, =99.08 (7)°, andZ=2; finalR=0.046 for 517 observed reflections. The structure comprises hydrogen-bonded (NHO) chains with the component monomers in thecis, cis-conformation, i.e., the arrangement of the nonhydrogen and nonfluorine atoms is nearly planar, the SF₅ group and the O are in acis position with respect to the C-NH bond, and the O and the CH₃ group are in acis position with respect to the C(O)-S bond. Theoretical methods including MNDO and molecular modeling were used to study the relative stabilities of the four possible conformations of SF₅NHC(O)SCH₃.