Importance of the isopropylidene terminal of geranylgeranyl group for the formation of tetraether lipid in methanogenic archaea

Labeling experiments using several deuterated lipids were pursued to study the biosynthesis of macrocyclic isoprenoidal lipids of thermophilic methanogenic archaea, Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus. The isopropylidene terminal of geranylgeranyl group of monomeric precursor appeared to be important for the CC bond formation at the hydrophobic end in the macrocyclic lipids. A mechanism involving a radical trigger at the allylic methyl group is proposed for this CC bond formation.     

High-Pressure Synthesis and Crystal Structure of B2S3

Two new high-pressure phases of binary boron-sulfur compounds, B₂S₃-II and B₂S₃-III, were synthesized at 3-6.2 GPa. A single crystal of B₂S₃-III was grown and the structure was determined (tetragonal, space group I4₁/a, a=16.086(2) Å, c=30.488(4) Å; V=7888(1) ų, Z=100, R=3.0% and R_w=2.8% for 3047 observed data [I>3.00σ(I)]. The structure of B₂S₃-III consists of two kinds of macrotetrahedra built up from 20 and 34 BS₄-tetrahedra. These macrotetrahedra connect each other to form an interpenetrating zincblende-type structure by sharing BS₄-tetrahedra at the corners of those. B₂S₃-III is anticipated having a rather disordered structure. From the UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrum, the optical band gap of B₂S₃-III was estimated to be 3.7 eV.     

Syntheses and thermal reactions of 2-alkyl(or aryl)-1-benzoyl-3,4-dihydro-2-thianaphthalenes

1-Benzoyl-2-methy1-3,4-dihydro-2-thianaphthalene ($\text{4a}$) underwent novel intermolecular 1,4-rearrangement in refluxing toluene to give an enol ether $\text{5a}$, while rearrangement of 2-phenyl derivative $\text{4e}$ proceeded intramolecularly in refluxing xylene to afford a 1,4-rearranged enol ether $\text{5b}$. On the other hand, ylides $\text{4a–e}$ were refluxed in alcohols to afford some ring-opened products $\text{10–12}$.     

Polyamine polymers from active hydrogen compounds,formaldehyde, and amines

Active hydrogen compounds such as hydroquinone (HQ), cyclohexanone (CH), acetophenone (AP), and 4,4′-methylene bis-N-methylaniline (MNA) polymerized with formaldehyde (F) and secondary diamines to produce Mannich base polyamine polymers. The HQ-containing polymers were oxidized to benzoquinone (BQ)-containing polymers and their redox properties were investigated in the desulfurization of hydrogen sulfide.     

The synthesis of 6-C-substituted 9-methoxymethylpurine derivatives

6-Cyanomethylene ( 2 ), which was prepared via 1 by substitution with malononitrile, has been catalytically hydrogenated to the α-(aminomethylene)-9-(methoxymethyl)-9H-purine-6-acetonitrile ( 3 ) in good yield using N,N-dimethylformamide-benzene as solvent over Pd-C under medium pressure. Intermediate 3 was derived to aldehyde 5 by hydrolysis with acid or base. Substitution of 3 with amines gave the corresponding alkylamines 6 and 7 . Reaction of 3 with hydrazine and acetamidine hydrochloride gave pyrazole derivative 8 and pyrimidine derivative 9 , respectively.     

Microdetermination of fluorine in organic compounds by oxygen flask combustion and conductometric titration

For the conductometric titration of fluoride with calcium acetate, solvent system in sample solution and titrant, concentration, and acidity of sample solution were examined to establish the titration conditions. Results of these examinations were transferred to the microdetermination of fluorine in organic compounds using oxygen flask combustion method.Comparative examination between quartz and Pyrex flasks for the combustion of fluorine samples indicated that good results were obtained by the use of the former flask, whereas the use of the latter one gave negative values of 1.0–1.6% due to the formation of boron fluoride during the combustion.     

The study of electron beam flue gas treatment for coal-fired thermal plant in Japan

The fundamental research work with simulated coal-fired flue gas was performed in JAERI to get basic data for electron beam treatment of flue gas from thermal power plants in Japan. The standard condition of the experiments was set to be the same as that of next large scale pilot test in Nagoya. The concentrations of NO_x and SO_x were 225 ppm and 800 ppm, respectively. The temperature of the system was 65°C. The effect of multiple irradiation was observed for NO_x removal. The target SO_x and NO_x removals (94% and 80%, respectively) with low NH₃ leakage (less than 10 ppm) were achieved at 9 kGy irradiation with 0.9 NH₃ stoichiometry during 7 hours continuous operation. The facility for the pilot plant (12,000 Nm³/hr) has just built at the site of Shin-Nagoya power plant of Chubu Electric Power Company and will be started in full operation in November 1992.     

Optical resolution by preferential crystallization of (1RS,3RS)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dihydroxy-1-methyl-3-isoquinolinecarboxylic acid

The racemic structure of (1RS,3RS)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dihydroxy-1-methyl-3-isoquinolinecarboxylic acid [(1RS,3RS)-1] was examined based on the melting point, solubility, and IR spectrum, with the aim of optical resolution by preferential crystallization. (1RS,3RS)-1 was indicated from these results to exist as a conglomerate. The successive optical resolution by preferential crystallization of (1RS,3RS)-1 yielded (1S,3S)- and (1R,3R)-1 with optical purities of 85--95% at 66--81% degrees of resolution, which were fully purified by recrystallization.     

Hydrogen analysis in solid samples by utilizing He metastable atoms induced by TEA CO2 laser plasma in He gas at 1 atm

A TEA CO₂ laser (350 mJ–1.5 J, 10.6 μm, 200 ns, 10 Hz) was focused onto a metal sub-target under He as host gas at 1 atmospheric pressure with a small amount of impurity gas, such as water and ethanol vapors. It was found that the TEA CO₂ laser with the help of the metal sub-target is favorable for generating a strong, large volume helium gas breakdown plasma at 1 atmospheric pressure, in which the helium metastable-excited state was then produced overwhelmingly. While the metal sub-target itself was never ablated. The helium metastable-excited state produced after the strong helium gas breakdown plasma was considered to play an important role in exciting the atoms. This was confirmed by the specific characteristics of the detected H emission, namely the strong intensity with low background, narrow spectral width, and the long lifetime. This technique can be used for gas and solid samples analysis. For nonmetal solid analysis, a metal mesh was introduced in front of the nonmetal sample surface to help initiation of the helium gas breakdown plasma. For metal sample, analysis can be carried out by combining the TEA CO₂ laser and an Nd–YAG laser where the Nd–YAG laser is used to ablate the metal sample. The ablated atoms from the metal sample are then sent into the region of helium gas breakdown plasma induced by the TEA CO₂ laser to be excited through the helium metastable-excited state. This technique can be extended to the analysis of other elements, not limited only to hydrogen, such as halogens.     

Gas chromatography of hydrocarbons using packed liquid chromatographic capillary columns

Capillary columns of 0.3-0.5 mm i.d. packed with 3- to 30-μm silica-based stationary phases for liquid chromatography were used for gas chromatographic separation of hydrocarbons. Column efficiencies were evaluated for various commercially available packing material. The best column efficiency was achieved with 5-μm octadecyl group bonded silica gel, the surface of which was coated with a poly (dimethylsiloxane) film. The 30-cm column produced 11,000 theoretical plates.