Steroids and sex hormones. Quassinoid bitter principles. I. 1-oxo-2-methoxy-4 alpha-methyl-17 beta-hydroxy-delta2-5 alpha-androstene as a model for the ring a structure of quassine]

Starting from 3-oxo-17β-hydroxy-Δ¹-5α-androstene (2b) the preparation of 1-oxo-2-methoxy-4α-methyl-17β-hydroxy-Δ²-5α-androstene (9), a compound with the ring A structure of quassine (1) is described. The key problem of the reaction sequence is shown to be the monomethylation at C(4).     

Favorskii rearrangement of α,β-epoxy ketones

Reactions of α,β-epoxy ketones with nucleophilic bases generally take one of two courses: (1) α-displacement followed by β-elimination of water or (2) Favorskii rearrangement via a cyclopropanone or zwitterion intermediate. Among the factors that appear to control these reactions, it is suspected that an α′-substituent effect may operate. Such an effect has been confirmed by observing the conversion of 3,5,5,6 - tetramethyl - 2,3 - epoxycyclohexanone (1) to the ring-contracted γ-lactone 3, together with other Favorskii rearrangement products, on treatment with refluxing methanolic potassium hydroxide. The α′-methyl substituted steroid 2 under similar reaction conditions was transformed into roughly equal amounts of 4, 5 and 4 (all rationalized by a Favorskii-like mechanism). In each case the analogous epoxy ketone lacking an α′-Me substituent failed to give any Favorskii products.     

Thermally responsive polymeric micellar nanoparticles self-assembled from cholesteryl end-capped random poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N,N-dimethylacrylamide): synthesis, temperature-sensitivity, and morphologies

Cholesteryl end-capped thermally responsive amphiphilic polymers with two different hydrophobic/hydrophilic chain-length ratios were synthesized from the hydroxyl-terminated random poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N,N-dimethylacrylamide) and cholesteryl chloroformate. The hydroxyl-terminated precursor polymers with narrow molecular weight distributions were synthesized by free-radical polymerization using 2-hydroxyethanethiol as a chain-transfer agent. The aqueous solutions of the cholesteryl end-capped copolymers exhibited reversible phase transitions at temperatures slightly above human body temperature, with the lower critical solution temperature values being 37.7 and 38.2 degrees C, respectively. The critical micelle concentration values of the two cholesteryl end-capped polymers were 9 and 25 mg/L, respectively. Polymeric micellar nanoparticles were prepared from the amphiphilic polymers using a dialysis method as well as a direct dissolution method. Transmission electron microscope studies showed that the micellar nanoparticles existed in different morphologies, including spherical, star-like, and cuboid shapes. Pyrene as a model hydrophobic compound could be readily encapsulated in these polymeric nanoparticles, at loading levels of 1.0 and 0.8 mg/g for the two cholesteryl end-capped polymers, respectively. The temperature sensitivity and unusual morphology of these novel polymeric nanoparticles would make an interesting drug delivery system.     

Classical and quantum mechanical infrared echoes from resonantly coupled molecular vibrations

The nonlinear response function associated with the infrared vibrational echo is calculated for a quantum mechanical model of resonantly coupled, anharmonic oscillators at zero temperature. The classical mechanical response function is determined from the quantum response function by setting variant Planck's over 2pi-->0, permitting the comparison of the effects of resonant vibrational coupling among an arbitrary number of anharmonic oscillators on quantum and classical vibrational echoes. The quantum response function displays a time dependence that reflects both anharmonicity and resonant coupling, while the classical response function depends on anharmonicity only through a time-independent amplitude, and shows a time dependence controlled only by the resonant coupling. In addition, the classical response function grows without bound in time, a phenomenon associated with the nonlinearity of classical mechanics, and absent in quantum mechanics. This unbounded growth was previously identified in the response function for a system without resonant vibrational energy transfer, and is observed to persist in the presence of resonant coupling among vibrations. Quantitative agreement between classical and quantum response functions is limited to a time scale of duration inversely proportional to the anharmonicity.     

Molecular dynamics calculation of half-lives for thermal decay of Lennard-Jones clusters

Molecular dynamics has been used with a Lennard-Jones (6–12) potential in order to study the decay behavior of neutral Argon clusters containing between 12 and 14 atoms. The clusters were heated to temperatures well above their melting points and then tracked in time via molecular dynamics until evaporation of one or more atoms was observed. In each simulation, the mode of evaporation, energy released during evaporation, and cluster lifetime were recorded. Results from roughly 2000 simulation histories were combined in order to compute statistically significant values of cluster half-lives and decay energies. It was found that cluster half-life decreases with increasing energy and that for a given value of excess energy (defined asE=(E _tot ?E _gnd)/n), the 13 atom cluster is more stable against decay than clusters containing either 12 or 14 atoms. The dominant decay mechanism for all clusters was determined to be single atom emission.     

Comparison of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and gas chromatography--mass spectrometry for the characterization of complex hydrocarbon mixtures

In this paper, we compare the current separation power of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) with the potential separation power of GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) systems. Using simulated data, we may envisage a GC-MS contour plot, that can be compared with a GCxGC chromatogram. Real examples are used to demonstrate the current potential of the two techniques in the field of hydrocarbon analysis. As a separation technique for complex hydrocarbon mixtures, GCxGC is currently about as powerful as GC-MS is potentially powerful. GC-MS has not reached its potential separation power in this area, because a universal, soft ionization method does not exist. The greatest advantage of GCxGC is, however, its potential for quantitative analysis. Because flame-ionisation detection can be used, quantitative analysis by GCxGC is much more robust, reliable and reproducible.     

Models to predict solubility in ternary solvents based on sub-binary experimental data

The capability of the extended forms, of two well established cosolvency models, i.e. the combined nearly ideal binary solvent/Redlich-Kister equation and the modified Wilson model, used to predict the solute solubility in non-aqueous ternary solvent mixtures is presented. These predictions are based on the measured solubilities of anthracene in binary solvent mixtures. As a result the values of average percent deviations were less than 2% for the anthracene solubility in ternary mixtures. This work was also extended to other cosolvency models, ie. the extended Hildebrand solubility approach and the mixture response surface method, which are also commonly used for correlating solubility data in ternary solvents. The accuracy of the models is compared with each other and also with a published solubility model for ternary mixtures. The results illustrate that all models produced comparable accuracy.     

Optical spectra of Yb and Yb–Nd interaction in Cs2NaNd0,4Yb0,6Cl6

Interaction between octahedrally coordinated Nd³⁺ and Yd³⁺ in Cs₂NaNd_0,4Yb_0,6Cl₆ reduces the Nd³⁺ luminescence lifetime by roughly two orders of magnitude with respect to that found in Cs₂NaNdCl_{6– · –} Analysis of low temperature absorption and emission spectra reveals that the nonradiative Nd³⁺–Yb³⁺ energy transfer has to be assisted by lattice phonon emission, nevertheless the rate of the transfer is high in the 4–300 K temperature region and attains 5.8×10⁵s^-1 at room temperature. A phase transition of Cs₂NaNd_0,4Yb_0,6Cl₆ between 12 and 13 K is evidenced by abrupt change of both the spectra and lifetimes of Yb³⁺. Reduction of Yb³⁺ lifetime from 5.3 ms to 150 μs is at the transition from low symmetry phase to high symmetry phase is supposed to be associated with a three ion interaction which occurs in ordered lattice and disappears in low temperature disordered structure.     

Study of potential barriers in Σ states of Li* (3P, 3D)-rare gas collision molecules by means of laser excitation spectroscopy

Excitation spectra of the transitions 2P ΛA → 3D Λ and 2P Λ → 3PΛ in LiHe and LiNe collision molecules have been measured in the spectral range 15800–17600 cm^?1 about the atomic Li2P → 3D line by means of two-step laser excitation. Rainbow satellite bands are observed and have been identified as due to maxima in the difference potentials 2PΣ-3DΣ, 2PΠ-3DΣ and 2PΛ-3PΣ, that are turn related to potential barriers in the upper 3PΣ and 3DΣ states. For identification of the satellites as well as understanding origin and shape of the potential barriers, approximate calculations were performed of interaction energies and dipole transition moments, that are based on the Fermi-Omont treatment of higher excited alkali-rare gas interaction. The satellite bands were analysed by means of semiclassical Uniform-Franck-Condon calculations of the spectra to yield values for characteristic parameters of the potential barriers. The results for position and height of the 3DΣ barrier are found to disagree more or less with values from different theoretical calculations.     

Über Alkalimetallmanganchalkogenide A2MnX2 mit A K,Rb oder Cs und X S,Se oder Te

Inhaltsübersicht. Die Verbindungen K₂MnS₂, Rb₂MnS₂, Cs₂MnS₂, K₂MnSe₂, Rb₂MnSe₂, Cs₂MnSe₂, K₂MnTe₂, Rb₂MnTe₂ und Cs₂MnTe₂ wurden durch Umsetzungen von Alkalimetall-carbonaten mit Mangan bzw. Mangantellurid in einem mit Chalkogen beladenen Wasserstoffstrom erhalten. Kristallstrukturuntersuchungen an Einkristallen ergaben, daß alle neun Verbindungen isotyp kristallisieren (K₂ZnO₂-Typ, Raumgruppe Ibam). Untersuchungen zum magnetischen Verhalten zeigen antiferromagnetische Kopplungen der Manganionen in den [MnX_4/2^2–]-Ketten, On Alkali Metal Manganese Chalcogenides A₂MnX₂ with A K, Rb, or Cs and X S, Se, or Te The compounds K₂MnS₂, Rb₂MnS₂, Cs₂MnS₂, K₂MnSe₂, Rb₂MnSe₂, Cs₂MnSe₂, K₂MnTe₂, Rb₂MnTe₂, and Cs₂MnTe₂ were synthesized by the reaction of alkali metal carbonates with Mn or MnTe in a stream of hydrogen charged with chalcogen. Structural investigations on single crystals show that all nine compounds crystallize in isotypic atomic arrangements (K₂ZnO₂ type, space group Ibam). The magnetic behaviour indicates antiferromagnetic interactions of the manganese ions within the [MnX_1/2^2–] chains.