Total synthesis of leustroducsin B

A convergent total synthesis of leustroducsin B (1), which is known to exhibit a variety of biological activities, was successfully carried out. Notable features of our synthesis include construction of the C8 stereocenter by lipase-mediated desymmetrization of meso-diol 4 (90.2% ee) and preparation of the C9-C11 anti-diol moiety by the addition of alkynylzinc reagent 20 to the aldehyde 19. Furthermore, a new diol protecting group, p-silyloxybenzylidene, was developed for the deprotection from densely functionalized substrates under weakly acidic conditions. The protecting group was easily removed in a two-step procedure ((HF)3.Et3N; AcOH-THF-H2O).     

Buffering dissociation/formation reaction of biogenic calcium carbonate

The oscillating stability of coral reef seawater pH has been maintained at around physiological pH values over the past 300 years (Pelejero et al., 2005). The stability mechanism of its pH has been interpreted in terms of the buffering dissolution/formation reaction of CaCO(3) as well as the proton consumption/generation reaction in CaCO(3)-saturated water. Here the pH-dependent solubility product [HCO(3)(-)][Ca(2+)] has been derived on the basis of the actual pH-dependent reactions for the atmospheric CO(2)/CO(2 (aq.))/HCO(3)(-)/CO(3)(2-)/Ca(2+)/CaCO(3) system. Overbasic pH peaks appeared between pH approximately 8 and approximately 9.5 during sodium hydroxide titration, as a result of simultaneous CaCO(3) formation and proton generation. The spontaneous and prompt water pH recovery from the acidic to the physiological range has been confirmed by the observation of acid/base time evolution, because of simultaneous CaCO(3) dissolution and proton consumption. The dissolution/formation of CaCO(3) in water at pH 7.5-9 does not take place without a proton consumption/generation reaction, or a buffering chemical reaction of HCO(3)(-)+Ca(2+)right arrow over left arrowCaCO(3)+H(+). SEM images of the CaCO(3) fragments showed that the acid water ate away at the CaCO(3) formed at physiological pH values. Natural coral reefs can thus recover the physiological pH levels of seawater from the acidic range through partial dissolution of their own skeletons.     

Synthesis of caprazamycin analogues and their structure--activity relationship for antibacterial activity

Synthesis of palmitoyl caprazol 7, which possesses a simple fatty acyl side chain at the 3' '-position of the diazepanone moiety, was carried out and their antibacterial activity was evaluated. The key elements of our approach include the improved synthesis of the key 5'-beta-O-aminoribosyl-glycyluridine derivative, installation of the palmitoyl side chain to the cyclization precursor, and the construction of the diazepanone by an intramolecular reductive amination. The second generation synthesis of (+)-caprazol was also established. Palmitoyl caprazol 7 exhibited antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC607 (MIC = 6.25 microg/mL) with potency similar to that of the caprazamycins (CPZs). Palmitoyl caprazol 7 and N6'-desmethyl palmitoyl caprazol 28 also exhibited antibacterial activity against drug-resistant bacteria including methyciline-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) strains (MIC = 3.13-12.5 microg/mL).     

Dynamic interaction between oppositely charged vesicles: aggregation, lipid mixing, and disaggregation

We investigated dynamic interactions between oppositely charged small unilamellar vesicles using positively charged vesicles containing 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane or 3beta-[N-(N('),N(')-dimethylaminoethane)-carbamoyl] cholesterol and negatively charged vesicles containing L-alpha-phosphatidyl-DL-glycerol. Aggregation, lipid bilayer mixing, contents mixing and contents leakage were systematically examined using optical density measurements, fluorescence resonance energy transfer assays, fluorescence quenching assays, light-scattering analyses, and freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy. The oppositely charged vesicles aggregated immediately. Lipid mixing was observed, but there was no mixing of the contents. The vesicle aggregates disaggregated spontaneously after several minutes. The surface potential of the disaggregated vesicles was neutralized. From these results, we infer that the lipids in the external monolayers were exchanged between the oppositely charged vesicles while the internal monolayers remained intact. The two types of cationic lipids used exhibited different speeds of disaggregation.     

A characteristic CH band in VCD of methyl glycosidic carbohydrates

Novel vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) studies in the CH region of a series of methyl glycosidic carbohydrates were examined. The specific CH stretching VCD band predicts absolute stereochemistries of their anomeric positions. The C-1 chiral information was extracted to the methoxy substituent as a probe. The concept of the vibrational chirality probe from a single chiral center in the presence of numerous such centers might be useful in determining the absolute configuration, when a multiplicity of chiral centers is present in a molecule such as a carbohydrate.     

5.6 Cellulose acetate in separation technology

Cellulose acetate has been utilized in a variety of separation and purification processes. In membrane separation, cellulosics, in particular cellulose acetate, have played important roles. Hemodialysis and desalination are the established fields where acetate membranes have been applied. Recently, a new application, that is the purification of drinking water, is growing. The history of cellulosic membranes, preparation of acetate membranes, and applications will be reviewed. Cellulose acetate is also useful in chromatography and related separation technologies. These application will also be reviewed and the relationship between the superstructure of cellulose triacetate and its adsorptive behavior is briefly mentioned.     

Dynamics of superionic Rb3H(SeO4)2 single crystals studied by H and Rb spin-lattice relaxation

The ¹H and ⁸⁷Rb spin-lattice relaxation and spin-spin relaxation times in superionic Rb₃H(SeO₄)₂ single crystals grown by the slow evaporation method were measured over the temperature range 160-450 K. The temperature dependencies of the ¹H T₁, T_1ρ, and T₂ are measured. In the ferroelastic phase, T₁ differs from T_1ρ, which is in turn different from T₂, although these three relaxation times converge to similar values near 410 K. This transition seems to occur at temperature which is about 40 K lower than the superionic transition temperature. The observation of liquid-like values of the ¹H T₁, T_1ρ, and T₂ in the high temperature is compatible with the phase being superionic, indicating that the destruction and reconstruction of hydrogen bonds does indeed occur at high temperature. In addition, the ⁸⁷Rb T₁ and T₂ values at high temperature were similar (on the order of milliseconds), a trend that was also observed for ¹H T₁ and T₂. This behavior is expected for most hopping-type ionic conductors, and could be attributed to interactions between the mobile ions and the neighboring group ions within the crystal. The motion giving rise to this liquid-like behavior is related to the superionic motion.     

Metal-ion-assisted hydrolysis of dipeptides involving a serine residue in a neutral aqueous solution

Dipeptides having a serine residue at the C-terminus, X-Ser, where X is an appropriate amino acid residue, were efficiently hydrolyzed in the presence of ZnCl2 at pH 7.0. The rapid hydrolysis of X-Ser is due to an autocatalysis of the hydroxy group in the serine residue, and is found to be accelerated by a metal ion, in particular by ZnCl2. Roles of the metal ion in the hydrolysis of peptides involving a serine residue, in relation to the recently reported protein cleavages, are discussed.     

Synthesis,structure, and dynamic behavior of cyclopentadienyl-lithium, -sodium,and -potassium annelated with bicyclo[2.2.2]octene units: a systematic study on site exchange of alkali metals on a cyclopentadienyl ring in tetrahydrofuran

Novel cyclopentadienyl (Cp)-alkali metal complexes 1-M and 2-M (M = Li, Na, K), in which the Cp ring is annelated with two bicyclo[2.2.2]octene units and substituted with a phenyl group for 1 and a tert-butyl group for 2, were synthesized, and their structures and dynamic behaviors were investigated by means of X-ray crystallography, dynamic (13)C NMR, and DFT calculations. The X-ray crystallography results indicated that 1-Li, 1-Na, and 2-Na form monomeric contact ion pairs (CIP) with three THF molecules coordinated to the metal atom. Also, in THF-d(8), all of the 1-M and 2-M form monomeric CIP in the ground state. However, variable-temperature (13)C NMR measurements of 1-M and 2-M in THF-d(8) demonstrated dynamic behavior in which the metal ion exchanges positions between the upper and lower faces of the Cp ring. From a study of the concentration dependence of the dynamic behavior, the exchange was found to proceed principally as an intramolecular process at concentration ranges lower than 0.2 M. The experimentally observed deltaG values for the intramolecular exchange process for all the 1-M and 2-M (except for 2-Li, whose intramolecular process was too slow to observe) were found to be quite similar in THF-d(8) solution and to fall within the range of 12-14 kcal mol(-)(1). Within this range, a tendency was observed for the deltaG values to increase as the size of the metal decreased. Theoretical calculations (B3LYP/6-31G(d)) afforded considerably large values as the gas-phase dissociation energy for 1-M (162.7 kcal mol(-)(1) for M = Li; 131.6 kcal mol(-)(1) for M = Na; 110.9 kcal mol(-)(1) for M = K) and for 2-M (170.0 kcal mol(-)(1) for M = Li; 137.5 kcal mol(-)(1) for M = Na; 115.4 kcal mol(-)(1) for M = K). These values should be compensated for by a decrease in the solvation energies for the metal ions with increasing size, as exemplified by the calculated solvation energy for M(+)(Me(2)O)(4), which serves as a model for metal ions solvated with four molecules of THF (-122.9 kcal mol(-)(1) for M = Li; -94.7 kcal mol(-)(1) for M = Na; -67.7 kcal mol(-)(1) for M = K). This compensation results in a small difference in the overall energy for dissociation of 1-M or 2-M in ethereal solutions, thus supporting the similar deltaG values observed for the intramolecular metal exchange.