Electron microscope observation of thermal pre-treatment and vaporization processes of Ag–Sb and Pd–Sb systems in graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

As the reproducibility of Sb in river water analysis based on graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry is not good, and the reliability is poor when Pd is used as a matrix modifier, Ag was used instead of Pd. The reason Ag has the function of a matrix modifier and Pd does not, was studied by observation of the atomic columns or lattice structures at the atomic level in binary alloys, by using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope. Since the Ag–Sb system has the characteristic of forming an intermetallic compound and a lower value of the activity coefficient of Sb in its intermetallic compound, Ag is able to function as a matrix modifier as a result. In the case of the Pd–Sb system, the phenomenon of radical vaporization that is observed in the Ag–Sb system does not occur through changes of the phases of Pd–Sb intermetallic compounds. This fact means Pd does not have the function of a matrix modifier.     

Design and concise synthesis of novel vitamin D analogues bearing a functionalized aromatic ring on the side chain

Five novel vitamin D analogues (2a, 2b, 3a, 3b and 4) bearing an aromatic side chain have been designed and synthesized in a convergent manner. The requisite CD-ring synthons (10a–c) were prepared from C22 aldehyde (5) using four- or five-step procedures. Using turbo-Grignard reagents allowed aromatic side chains with a polar functional moiety to be installed in a single step with excellent yields. A preliminary biological evaluation using bovine thymus vitamin D receptor (VDR) suggested that incorporating a carboxylic acid instead of the C25-hydroxy group had a positive effect on the VDR affinity compared with the corresponding esters.     

Synthesis and elucidation of absolute stereochemistry of salaprinol, another thiosugar sulfonium sulfate from the ayurvedic traditional medicine Salacia prinoides

Synthesis and elucidation of absolute stereochemistry of salaprinol (3) isolated from the root and stems of Salacia prinoides, which has been used for the treatment of diabetes in India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia countries, is described. Compound 3 and its 2′-epimer, epi-salaprinol (epi-3) were synthesized via the coupling reaction of a cyclic sulfate, 2-O-benzylglycerol 1,3-cyclic sulfate (5), with a thiosugar, 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-epithio-d-arabinitol (6), as the key reaction, and S configuration of the asymmetric center in the side chain of 3 was elucidated by the X-ray crystallographic analysis.     

Reactions of guaiazulene with thiophene-2,5-dicarbaldehyde and furan-2,5-dicarbaldehyde in methanol in the presence of hexafluorophosphoric acid: a facile preparation and properties of delocalized dicarbenium-ion compounds stabilized by two 3-guaiazulenyl groups and a thiophene (or furan) ring

Reaction of guaiazulene (1) with thiophene-2,5-dicarbaldehyde (2) in methanol in the presence of hexafluorophosphoric acid at 25 °C for 3 h gives as high as 90% isolated yield of the delocalized dicarbenium-ion compound, 2,5-thienylenebis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium) bis(hexafluorophosphate) (3). Similarly, reaction of 1 with furan-2,5-dicarbaldehyde (4) under the same conditions as the above reaction affords the corresponding dicarbenium-ion compound, 2,5-furylenebis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium) bis(hexafluorophosphate) (5), in 84% isolated yield. Along with a facile preparation and the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of 3 and 5, comparative studies on the ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectral and chemical properties of 3 and 5 with those of the delocalized mono- and dicarbenium-ion compounds [i.e., (3-guaiazulenyl)(2-thienyl)methylium hexafluorophosphate (7), (2-furyl)(3-guaiazulenyl)methylium hexafluorophosphate (9), α,α′-bis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium) bis(tetrafluoroborate) (10), 1,2-phenylenebis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium) bis(hexafluorophosphate) (11), and 1,4-phenylenebis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium) bis(tetrafluoroborate) (12)] are reported. Moreover, referring to the results of the X-ray crystallographic analyses of 7, 9, 11, and 12, the optimized 2,5-thienylenebis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium)- and 2,5-furylenebis(3-guaiazulenylmethylium)-ion structures for 3 and 5, calculated by a WinMOPAC (version 3.0) program using PM3 as a semiempirical Hamiltonian, are described.     

Design and efficient synthesis of 2 alpha-(omega-hydroxyalkoxy)-1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 Analogues, including 2-epi-ED-71 and their 20-epimers with HL-60 cell differentiation activity

A concise and efficient synthetic approach to 2 alpha-(omega-hydroxyalkoxy)-1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (4a-c), including 2-epi-ED-71, was developed starting from D-glucose as a chiral template for the construction of the 2 alpha-modified A-ring precursors (11a-c). It was found that the best ligand for the bovine thymus vitamin D receptor (VDR) in this series is 4b, which has 1.8 times greater binding affinity for the bovine thymus VDR than that of the natural hormone 1. Interestingly, potency in the induction of HL-60 cell differentiation for 4a-c was almost the same or weaker than that of 1 despite the strong binding affinity for the VDR. Next, we were interested in the "double modification"of 1 based on 4a-c with C20-epimerization, affording 2 alpha-(omega-hydroxyalkoxy)-20-epi-1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (20-epi-4a-c). All three 2 alpha-substituted 20-epi analogues of 1 (20-epi-4a-c) exhibited stronger binding affinities for the VDR, and their conformations in the ligand binding domain of VDR were analyzed by molecular modeling. Double-modified analogues of 20-epi-4a-c showed marked HL-60 cell differentiation activity, and 20-epi-4a possesses an activity 58-fold higher than that of the natural hormone 1.     

Development of microchannel reactors using polysilane-supported palladium catalytic systems in capillaries

A new method of immobilizing Pd catalysts on the channel wall of a capillary by using polysilane with metal oxide has been developed, and applied to hydrogenation reactions.     

NMR spectra of organogermanium compounds: 7. NMR spectra and MNDO calculations of phenylgermacyclohexanes

¹³C nmr spectra of a variety of 1-phenylgermacyclohexanes indicates that the conformational energy of a phenyl group on germanium is essentially zero (0 – 0.1 kcal/mol), in a sharp contrast with that in phenylcyclohexanes, The results are consistent with the heats of formation of phenylgermacyclohexanes calculated by the MNDO method.     

A facile preparation, the crystal structure, the chemical and electrochemical properties of [4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]-3-guaiazulenylmethylium tetrafluoroborate

Reaction of guaiazulene (1) with p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde in methanol in the presence of tetrafluoroboric acid gives the title monocarbocation compound, [4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]-3-guaiazulenylmethylium tetrafluoroborate (2), in 90% yield. The title investigations of compound 2 compared with those of two other monocarbocations stabilized by a 3-guaiazulenyl group (i.e. phenyl-3-guaiazulenylmethyl and [4-(isopropyl)phenyl]-3-guaiazulenylmethyl cations) are reported.     

3-epicabraleahydroxylactone and other triterpenoids from camellia oil and their inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus activation

The structure of a triterpenoid isolated from the nonsaponifiable lipid (NSL) of the seed oil of the camellia (Camellia japonica L.; Theaceae) was established to be (20S)-3beta-hydroxy-25,26,27-trisnordammaran-24,20-olide (1; 3-epicabraleahydroxylactone) on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical methods. Six other triterpenoids isolated from the NSL were identified as 3-epicabraleadiol (2), ocotillol II (3), ocotillol I (4), dammarenediol II (5), (20R)-taraxastane-3beta,20-diol (6), and lupane-3beta,20-diol (7). Upon evaluation of the seven triterpenoids (1-7) with respect to their inhibitory effects on the induction of Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in Raji cells, three compounds (5-7) showed potent inhibitory effects against EBV-EA induction (IC(50) values of 277-420 mol ratio/32 pmol TPA).     

A facile preparation, spectroscopic and chemical properties, crystal structures, and electrochemical behavior of monocarbenium ion compounds stabilized by 3-guaiazulenyl and dihydroxyphenyl (or hydroxymethoxyphenyl) groups

Reaction of guaiazulene (8) with 2,3-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (9) in methanol in the presence of hexafluorophosphoric acid (i.e., 65% aqueous solution) at 25 °C for 2 h gives (3-guaiazulenyl)(2,3-dihydroxyphenyl)methylium hexafluorophosphate (13) in 86% yield. Similarly, reaction of 8 with 2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (10) [or 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (11) or 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (12)] under the same reaction conditions as for 9 affords the corresponding monocarbenium ion compound 14 (63% yield) [or 15 (43% yield) or 16 (77% yield)], respectively, each product of which is stabilized by 3-guaiazulenyl and dihydroxyphenyl (or hydroxymethoxyphenyl) groups. A facile preparation and crystal structures as well as spectroscopic, chemical, and electrochemical properties of 13-16, possessing two interesting resonance structures, respectively, i.e., a protonated o- (or p-) benzoquinonemethide form and a 3-guaiazulenylium ion form, in a solution of acetonitrile and further, in a single crystal, are reported.