Extraction-spectrophotometric determination of trace iron (II) in sea water with 2-[2-(3,5-dibromopyridyl)azo]-5-diethylaminobenzoic acid

An extraction-spectrophotometric method is described for the determination of traces of iron(II) with 2-[2-(3,5-dibromopyridyl)azo]-5-diethyl-aminobenzoic acid. The reagent forms a stable and blue 12 iron/reagent complex that can be extracted into chloroform. The apparent molar absorptivity of the iron(II) complex is 1.09 × 10⁵ 1 mol^–1 cm^–1 at 624 nm in chloroform. The reagent is relatively selective; interferences from cobalt, copper, nickel and vanadium can be removed by using dimethylglyoxime and EDTA. The method is applied to the determination of iron (II) in sea water and aluminium alloys with good precision and accuracy.     

Palladium-catalyzed aerobic intermolecular cyclization of acrylic acid with 1-octene to afford α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones: the remarkable effect of continuous water removal from the reaction mixture and analysis of the reaction by kinetic, ESI-MS, and XAFS measurements

Further study of our aerobic intermolecular cyclization of acrylic acid with 1-octene to afford α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones, catalyzed by the Pd(OCOCF(3))(2)/Cu(OAc)(2)?H(2)O system, has clarified that the accumulation of water generated from oxygen during the reaction causes deactivation of the Cu cocatalyst. This prevents regeneration of the active Pd catalyst and, thus, has a harmful influence on the progress of the cyclization. As a result, both the substrate conversion and product yield are efficiently improved by continuous removal of water from the reaction mixture. Detailed analysis of the kinetic and spectroscopic measurements performed under the condition of continuous water removal demonstrates that the cyclization proceeds in four steps: 1)?equilibrium coordination of 1-octene to the Pd acrylate species, 2)?Markovnikov-type acryloxy palladation of 1-octene (1,2-addition), 3)?intramolecular carbopalladation, and 4)?β-hydride elimination. Byproduct 2-acryloxy-1-octene is formed by β-hydride elimination after step 2). These cyclization steps fit the Michaelis-Menten equation well and β-hydride elimination is considered to be a rate-limiting step in the formation of the products. Spectroscopic data agree sufficiently with the existence of the intermediates bearing acrylate (Pd-O bond), η(3)-C(8)H(15) (Pd-C bond), or C(11)H(19)O(2) (Pd-C bond) moieties on the Pd center as the resting-state compounds. Furthermore, not only Cu(II), but also Cu(I), species are observed during the reaction time of 2-8?h when the reaction proceeds efficiently. This result suggests that the Cu(II) species is partially reduced to the Cu(I) species when the active Pd catalytic species are regenerated.     

Controlled radical polymerization of styrene in the presence of nitronyl nitroxides

Bulk radical polymerization of styrene in the presence of nitronyl nitroxides (2-(4-substituted phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydroimidazolyl-1-oxyl 3-oxide) was studied. All nitronyl nitroxides, like other nitroxyl radicals such as 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl radical (TEMPO), act as reversible radical scavengers. The efficiency of controlling the polymerization is affected by the substituent at the 4′-position. The efficiency increases with electron donating strength of 4′-substituents, at least at the beginning of the reaction. However, the thermal stability of nitronyl nitroxides decreases in the same order. Thus, TEMPO is more suitable than nitronyl nitroxides for controlled/“living” radical polymerization of styrene.     

UNIQUE DNA REPAIR PROPERTY OF AN ULTRAVIOLET-SENSITIVE (radC MUTANT OF Dictyostelium discoideum

Abstract— Dictyostelium discoideum is an organism that shows higher UV resistance than other organisms, such as Escherichia coli and human cultured cells. We examined the removal of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) and 6–4 photoproducts from DNA in the radC mutant and the wild-type strain using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with monoclonal antibodies. Wild-type cells excised more than 90% of both CPD and 6–4 photoproducts within 4 h. Dictyostelium discoideum appeared to have a special repair system, because 6–4 photoproducts were repaired faster than CPD in E. coli and human cultured cells. In radC mutant cells, although only 50% of CPD were excised from DNA within 8 h, effective removal of 6–4 photoproducts (80% in 8 h) was observed. Excision repair-deficient mutants generally cannot remove both CPD and 6–4 photoproducts. Though the radC mutant shows deficient excision repair, it can remove 6–4 photoproducts to a moderate degree. These results suggest that D. discoideum has two kinds of repair systems, one mainly for CPD and the other for 6–4 photoproducts, and that the radC mutant has a defect mainly in the repair enzyme for CPD.     

Simulation of temperature-modulated DSC of transitions represented by abrupt changes in heat capacity

Computer simulations have been applied to elucidate the response of a sample to temperaturemodulated differential scanning calorimetry (tm-DSC) during transitions. Two cases have been simulated; a latent heat without supercooling (represented by an abrupt heat capacity pulse with perfect reversibility) and a latent heat with perfect supercooling or large hysteresis (an abrupt heat capacity change without reversibility, i.e. the change in heat capacity is seen on heating, but not on cooling). Because the simulation was applied to these well-characterized phenomena, the results are useful to reveal actual sample thermal responses during transitions. The non-reversible component was observed in both cases and has no distinct difference. Higher harmonics due to non-linearity of the transitions were also observed. Furthermore, by inspecting thermal response of the sample and the essential feature of tm-DSC, a new method of data analysis has been devised.     

Nonclassical urea oligomers. IV. Polymerization of (S)-1-(N-phenyl-carbamoyl)-2-methylaziridine. A synthesis of optically active crystalline oligomer with narrow molecular weight distribution

In the presence of Et₂SO₄, (S)-1-(N-phenyl-carbamoyl)-2-methylaziridine gave an oligomer with a structure of [CH₂? CHCH₃? N(CONHPh)]_n. The oligomer has optically active isotactic configuration and narrow molecular weight distribution (DP ca. 8). The net polymerization behavior of the monomer and chemical property, such as absorptivity of Et₂SO₄, of the oligomer are analogous to the case of 1-(N-phenyl-carbamoyl)-aziridine. The ring opening occurs with retention of the configuration at the asymmetric carbon atom and the oligomer can be crystallized at around 90°C.     

Vapochromic and mechanochromic tetrahedral gold(I) complexes based on the 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene ligand

Tetrahedral gold(I) complexes containing the diphosphane ligand (dppb=1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene), [Au(dppb)(2)]X [X=Cl (1), Br (2), I (3), NO(3) (4), BF(4) (5), PF(6) (6), B(C(6)H(4)F-4)(4) (7)], and the ethanol and methanol adducts of complex 4, 8, and 9, were prepared to analyze their unique photophysical properties. These complexes are classified into two categories on the basis of their crystal structures. In Category I, the complexes (1-5) have relatively-small counter anions and two dppb ligands are symmetrically coordinated to the central Au(I) atom, and display an intense blue phosphorescence. Alternatively, the complexes (6-9) in Category II have large counter anions and two dppb ligands asymmetrically coordinated to Au(I) atom, and display a yellow or yellow orange phosphorescence. The difference in the phosphorescence color of the complexes between the Category I and II is ascribed to the change in the structure of the cationic moiety in the complex. According to DFT calculations, the symmetry reduction caused by the large counter anion of the complex in Category II gives the destabilization of HOMO (σ*) levels, leading to the red-shift of the emission peak. We have demonstrated that the symmetry reductions are responsible for the phosphorescence color alteration caused by external stimuli (volatile organic compounds and mechanical grinding).     

Mechanism of the regio- and diastereoselective ring expansion reaction using trimethylsilyldiazomethane

An equatorial attack of TMS-diazomethane was determined to be the first step of the BF(3)-promoted ring expansion reaction of six-membered ketones using TMS-diazomethane. The migration reaction occurred in a conformation in which the carbonyl oxygen and the TMS group were antiperiplanar to predominantly afford trans-seven-membered ketones.     

Controlled release of model drugs through a molecular recognition ion gating membrane in response to a specific ion signal

A controlled-release device that responds to a specific molecular signal is an ideal goal in drug delivery and tissue engineering. A molecular recognition ion gating membrane, in which a copolymer of N-isopropylacrylamide and benzo[18]-crown-6-acrylamide was grafted onto the surface of the porous polyethylene film, was used to control the permeability of vitamin B12 and lysozyme in response to a specific ion signal. The observed response depended on the amount of grafted copolymer. When the grafting ratio was below 15%, the membrane pores opened by Ca2+ and closed by Ba2+. The permeability of model drugs became higher by opening of the pores. On the other hand, when the grafting ratio was above 15%, the properties of the membrane changed. The permeability of model drugs became lower by Ca2+ due to dehydration of the grafted copolymer. The opposite responses were observed at different grafting ratios.