Total synthesis of merrilactone A

Merrilactone A (1) has been shown to possess neurotrophic activity and thus is expected to hold therapeutic potential in the treatment of neurodegeneration diseases. In this paper, we report the total synthesis of (+/-)-1, employing, as key steps, a novel desymmetrization protocol of meso-diketone to construct the core cis-bicyclo[3.3.0]octyl system of 1 (3 --> 2) and a radical cyclization to install the highly congested C9-quaternary carbon (16 --> 17).     

Flow-injection determination of d-mannitol with immobilized mannitol dehydrogenase

A flow-injection system is described for the determination of d-mannitol. Mannitol dehydrogenase is immobilized on poly(vinyl alcohol) beads and packed in a column (5 cm × 4 mm i.d.). The NADH formed is detected fluorimetrically. The response is linear between 5 × 10^?7 and 1 × 10^?4 M mannitol and the detection limit is 1 × 10^?7 M. The throughput is 30 samples per hour. The reactor is stable for at least 8 weeks.     

Synthesis of porphyrin-introduced silica gels by sol-gel process

Using a hydroxyl group appended free base porphyrin derivative (HP), porphyrin-introduced silica gels were synthesized by a sol-gel process. The HP content in the materials linearly increased with increasing the HP concentration. Meanwhile, free base tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) with no hydroxyl groups were almost not incorporated into the silica gels. These facts suggested that the interaction between hydroxyl groups of the HP molecules and silica network is considerably strong. The UV-vis characters of HP-introduced materials were almost the same as pure HP molecules. The Beer's plot indicated that the HP molecules in the materials are dispersed.     

Highly efficient and selective epoxidation of alkenes by photochemical oxygenation sensitized by a ruthenium(II) porphyrin with water as both electron and oxygen donor

Visible light irradiation of a reaction mixture of carbonyl-coordinated tetra(2,4,6-trimethyl)phenylporphyrinatoruthenium(II) (Ru(II)TMP(CO)) as a photosensitizer, hexachloroplatinate(IV) as an electron acceptor, and an alkene in alkaline aqueous acetonitrile induces selective epoxidation of the alkene with high quantum yield (Phi = 0.6, selectivity = 94.4% for cyclohexene and Phi = 0.4, selectivity = 99.7% for norbornene) under degassed conditions. The oxygen atom of the epoxide was confirmed to come from a water molecule by an experiment with H(2)(18)O. cis-Stilbene was converted into its epoxide, cis-stilbeneoxide, without forming trans-stilbeneoxide. trans-Stilbene, however, did not exhibit any reactivity. Under neutral conditions, an efficient buildup of the cation radical of Ru(II)TMP(CO) was observed at the early stage of the photoreaction, while an addition of hydroxide ion caused a rapid reaction with the cation radical to promote the reaction with reversion to the starting Ru(II)TMP(CO). A possible involvement of a higher oxidized state of Ru such as Ru(IV), Ru(V), Ru(VI) through a dismutation of the Ru(III) species was excluded by an experiment with Ru(VI)TMP(O)(2). Decarbonylation of the Ru complex was also proven to be invalid. A reaction mechanism involving an electron transfer from the excited triplet state of Ru(II)TMP(CO) to hexachloroplatinate(IV) and subsequent formation of OH(-)-coordinated Ru(III) species, leading to an oxo-ruthenium complex as the key intermediate of the photochemical epoxidation, was postulated.     

Reaction of singlet oxygen with trans-cyclooctene. Evidence for a 1,2-dioxetane intermediate.

Evidence is presented that the reaction of ¹O₂ with trans-cyclooctene yields an unstable trans-fused bicyclic dioxetane as a significant product.     

Practical synthesis of 2'-deoxy-4'-thioribonucleosides: substrates for the synthesis of 4'-thioDNA

We report herein a practical synthesis of 4'-thiothymidine (15) and appropriately protected 2'-deoxy-4'-thiocytidine (16), -thioadenosine (27), and -thioguanosine (29) derivatives, substrates for the synthesis of 4'-thioDNA, from the corresponding 4'-thioribonucleosides. 2'-deoxy-4'-thiopyrimidine nucleosides were synthesized using a radical reaction of the corresponding 2'-alpha-bromo derivatives, which were prepared via 2,2'-O-anhydro derivatives. 2'-deoxy-4'-thiopurine nucleosides were synthesized using the same radical reaction of the corresponding 2'-beta-bromo derivatives.     

Effects of trivalent phosphorus compounds on vinyl polymerizations—VII. A nonstationary state radical polymerization of methylmethacrylate in the presence of phenyldichlorophosphine

In the radical polymerization of methylmethacrylate in the presence of p-phenyldichlorophosphine, the initial rate and degree of polymerization increased with polymerization time. They first decreased with increase in the phosphine concentration but increased with further increase in the phosphine concentration. Termination was first order with respect to the initiator. The degree of polymerization was independent of the initiator concentration, but dependent on the conversion. The polymer contained no phosphorus units regardless of the phosphine concentration. The ESR spectra of system showed existence of a phosphorus radical. In order to explain these characteristics of the polymerization, it is proposed that there may be a nonstationary state in which the polymer radicals are regenerated during the polymerization from the phosphoranyl radicals.     

Frequency response of the glucose sensor based on immobilized glucose oxidase membrane

Frequency response of the glucose sensor based on the immobilized glucose oxidase membrane was investigated experimentally by giving the sinusoidal change of glucose concentration to the glucose sensor and observing its output signal. Observed values of gains and phase lags of the frequency response of the glucose sensor followed the frequency response model of the first-order with dead time; The time constant and also the dead time were estimated and found to decrease as the amount of enzyme immobilized in the membrane increased and the thickness of the membrane decreased.