Structure and Metabolic‐Flow Analysis of Molecular Complexity in a 13C‐Labeled Tree by 2D and 3D NMR

Improved signal identification for biological small molecules (BSMs) in a mixture was demonstrated by using multidimensional NMR on samples from ¹³C‐enriched Rhododendron japonicum (59.5 atom%) cultivated in air containing ¹³C‐labeled carbon dioxide for 14 weeks. The resonance assignment of 386 carbon atoms and 380 hydrogen atoms in the mixture was achieved. 42 BSMs, including eight that were unlisted in the spectral databases, were identified. Comparisons between the experimental values and the ¹³C chemical shift values calculated by density functional theory supported the identifications of unlisted BSMs. Tracing the ¹³C/¹²C ratio by multidimensional NMR spectra revealed faster and slower turnover ratios of BSMs involved in central metabolism and those categorized as secondary metabolites, respectively. The identification of BSMs and subsequent flow analysis provided insight into the metabolic systems of the plant.     

Solvent-controlled stereoselective formation of a cyclic ether in the lewis acid-mediated allylation of an alpha-chloroacetoxy acyclic ether. Very high stereoselectivity in CH3CN vs low stereoselectivity in CH2Cl2

The MgBr2.OEt2-mediated intramolecular allylation of a 4:1 diastereoisomeric mixture of the alpha-chloroacetoxyl ether 1a bearing the A-G/JK ring system of brevetoxin B in CH2Cl2 gave a 1:1 diastereoisomeric mixture of the trans- and cis-cyclization products 4a and 5a having the A-G/I-K ring system, while that in CH3CN afforded the trans-isomer 4a nearly as the single product. To help clarify a reason for this marked solvent effect in the cyclization of the brevetoxin B precursor, DFT computations for the starting materials, intermediates, transition states, and products were carried out. The cyclization would proceed through a carbocation intermediate 3a having sp2 flat structure (SN1 type mechanism) in CH2Cl2, in which the activation energies leading to both diastereoisomers are approximately identical, while in CH3CN alkylnitrilium salts 6a would be formed through the coordination of CH3CN to the carbocation leading to an sp3-type intermediate in which sever steric hindrance takes place in the transition state leading to the undesired diastereoisomer. The scope of this novel solvent-controlled stereoselectivity was tested for simple compounds. In small model compounds the marked solvent dependence was absent, but the model bearing two consecutive cyclic ether rings 1b exhibited a remarkable solvent effect similar to that observed in the brevetoxin B system.     

Selective zinc sensor molecules with various affinities for Zn2+, revealing dynamics and regional distribution of synaptically released Zn2+ in hippocampal slices

We have developed a series of fluorescent Zn(2+) sensor molecules with distinct affinities for Zn(2+), because biological Zn(2+) concentrations vary over a wide range from sub-nanomolar to millimolar. The new sensors have K(d) values in the range of 10(-8)-10(-4) M, compared with 2.7 nM for ZnAF-2. They do not fluoresce in the presence of other biologically important metal ions such as calcium or magnesium, and they can detect Zn(2+) within 100 ms. In cultured cells, the fluorescence intensity of ZnAF-2 was saturated at low Zn(2+) concentration, while that of ZnAF-3 (K(d) = 0.79 muM) was not saturated even at relatively high Zn(2+) concentrations. In hippocampal slices, we measured synaptic release of Zn(2+) in response to high-potassium-induced depolarization. ZnAF-2 showed similar levels of fluorescence increase in dentate gyrus (DG), CA3 and CA1, which were indistinguishable. However, ZnAF-3 showed a fluorescence increase only in DG. Thus, by using a combination of sensor molecules, it was demonstrated for the first time that a higher Zn(2+) concentration is released in DG than in CA3 or CA1 and that we can easily visualize Zn(2+) concentration over a wide range. We believe that the use of various combinations of ZnAF family members will offer unprecedented versatility for fluorescence-microscopic imaging of Zn(2+) in biological applications.     

Photochemical synthesis of pentacene and its derivatives

A novel alpha-diketone precursor of pentacene, 6,13-dihydro-6,13-ethanopentacene-15,16-dione, was prepared and converted successfully to pentacene in 74 % yield by photolysis of the precursor in toluene: Irradiation of the diketone solution in toluene with light of 460 nm under an Ar atmosphere caused the solution to change from yellow to fluorescent orange-pink within a few minutes, after which, purple precipitates appeared. After 35 min, the solution changed to colorless and the purple precipitates were filtered to give pentacene in 74 % yield. By contrast, in the presence of oxygen, the color of the solution changed from yellow to pale yellow, and only 6,13-endoperoxide of pentacene was quantitatively obtained. The rate of the reaction upon photolysis was measured by observing the decay of n-pi* absorption of the precursor at 460 nm, and was found to be similar in both the presence and absence of oxygen. Therefore, the photoreaction of the alpha-diketone precursor seemed to occur via the singlet excited state. Because the T-T absorption of pentacene was observed upon photolysis of the precursor in the nanosecond transient absorption measurement under an Ar atmosphere, the excited triplet state of the pentacene generated singlet oxygen by sensitization, and it reacted with the ground-state pentacene to give the 6,13-endoperoxide. The alpha-diketone deposited on glass was also converted successfully to pentacene film by photoirradiation. In addition, diketone precursors of a mixture of 2,8- and 2,9-dibromopentacene and 2,6-trianthrylene were also prepared and their photoconversion was performed.     

Novel Bis-Fused pi-Electron Donors for Organic Metals: 2-(1,3-Dithiol-2-ylidene)-5-(thiopyran-4-ylidene)-1,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalene

Bis-fused pi-electron donors composed of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and 2-(thiopyran-4-ylidene)-1,3-dithiole (TPDT), 2-(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)-5-(thiopyran-4-ylidene)-1,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalene (1a, TPDT-TTP), and its derivatives (1b-d, 2a-d) have been synthesized as donor components for organic conductors. An X-ray structure analysis of bis(methylthio)-1 (1c) revealed that the TPDT-TTP skeleton is almost planar except for the outer 1,3-dithiole ring, and that the crystal has a two-dimensional "theta-type" arrangement of molecules. The cyclic voltammograms of TPDT-TTPs exhibit four pairs of single-electron redox waves. The first oxidation potential (E(1)) of 1a (+0.37 V vs SCE, in PhCN) is comparable to that of TTF (+0.35 V) and is higher by 0.1 V than that of TPDT (+0.27 V). The observed substituent effect on E(1) values suggests that the first one-electron oxidation mainly occurs in the 2-(thiopyran-4-ylidene)-1,3-dithiole (TPDT) moiety. On the other hand, on-site coulombic repulsion estimated from the E(2) - E(1) value is lower than in TTF and TPDT. MNDO MO calculations reveal that all the sulfur atoms in the 1,3-dithiole rings have the same phase in the HOMO, a condition necessary for realization of effective transverse intermolecular interaction. The present donors have produced many charge-transfer complexes and cation radical salts showing relatively high conductivity (sigma(rt) = 10(-)(1)-10(1) S cm(-)(1)), several of which display metallic temperature dependence.     

Constituents of a fern, Davallia mariesii Moore. I. Isolation and structures of davallialactone and a new flavanone glucuronide

A new gamma-lactone derivative named davallialactone (4) and the 7-O-beta-D-glucuronide of (+/-)-eriodictyol (5a) have been isolated from Davallia mariessi Moore along with caffeic acid (1), 4-beta-D-glucopyranosylcaffeic acid (2) and 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-p-coumaric acid (3). The structures of the new compounds were determined by chemical and spectroscopic methods including two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) techniques, especially 1H-detected heteronuclear multiple-bond multiple-quantum coherence and long-range C-H J-resolved 2D NMR techniques.     

Deprotonation Processes of Ellagic Acid in Solution and Solid States

Monatshefte für Chemie - Chemical Monthly - ?The electronic absorption and polarized absorption spectra were measured at various pH conditions for ellagic acid. Comparison of these...     

A new organic superconductor, (DODHT)2BF4 x H2O

In addition to two organic superconductors (DODHT)2X [DODHT = (1,4-dioxane-2,3-diyldithio)dihydrotetrathiafulvalene; X = PF6 and AsF6] previously reported by us, the BF4 salt of DODHT containing one water molecule [(DODHT)2BF4 x H2O] has been found to undergo a superconducting transition at 3.2 K under a hydrostatic pressure of 15.5 kbar.     

Huge dielectric response and molecular motions in paddle-wheel [Cu(II)2(adamantylcarboxylate)4(DMF)2]⋅(DMF)2

The temperature‐dependent dynamic properties of [Cu^II₂(ADCOO)₄(DMF)₂]?(DMF)₂ ( 1 ) and [Cu^II₂(ADCOO)₄(AcOEt)₂] ( 2 ) crystals were examined by X‐ray crystallography, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and measurements of the dielectric constants and magnetic susceptibilities (ADCOO=adamantane carboxylate, DMF=N,N‐dimethylformamide, and AcOEt=ethyl acetate). In both crystals, four ADCOO groups bridged a binuclear Cu^II? Cu^II bond, forming a paddle‐wheel [Cu^II₂(ADCOO)₄] structure. The oxygen atoms of two DMF molecules in crystal 1 and two AcOEt molecules in crystal 2 were coordinated at axial positions of the [Cu^II₂(ADCOO)₄] moiety, forming [Cu^II₂(ADCOO)₄(DMF)₂] and [Cu^II₂(ADCOO)₄(AcOEt)₂], respectively. Two additional DMF molecules were included in the unit cell of crystal 1 , whereas AcOEt was not included in the unit cell of crystal 2 . The structural analyses of crystal 1 at 300 K showed three‐fold rotation of the adamantyl groups, whereas rotation of the adamantyl groups of crystal 2 at 300 K was not observed. Thermogravimetric measurements of crystal 1 indicated a gradual elimination of DMF upon increasing the temperature above 300 K. The dynamic behavior of the crystallized DMF yielded significant temperature‐dependent dielectric responses in crystal 1 , which showed a huge dielectric peak at 358 K in the heating process. In contrast, only small frequency‐dependent dielectric responses were observed in crystal 2 because of the freezing of the molecular rotation of the adamantyl groups. The magnetic behavior was dominated by the strong antiferromagnetic coupling between the two S=1/2 spins of the Cu^II? Cu^II site, with magnetic exchange energies (J) of ?265 K (crystal 1 ) and ?277 K (crystal 2 ).     

Studies on the constituents of Swertia japonica Makino II. On the structures of new glycosides

Two new secoiridoid glycosides, swertiajaposide A (1) and swertiajaposide B (2), a new unsaturated alco-hol glycoside, 3-butenyl 6'-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), and a new lignan glycoside, 7R,7'R,8S,8'S-(+)-neo-olivil-4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), were isolated together with six known compounds from the whole plants of Swertia japonica Makino. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence.