Membrane-mimetic films of asymmetric phosphatidylcholine lipid bolaamphiphiles

Membrane-spanning phospholipid bolaamphiphiles either alone or as a constituent of a multicomponent lipid membrane may prove to be facile building blocks for generating robust bioactive membrane-mimetic assemblies. We have previously reported the synthesis of asymmetric dialkyl phospholipid bolaamphiphiles that contain ester linked phosphatidylcholine and amine functionalities at opposite chain ends. In this report, we describe the synthesis of phospholipid bolaamphiphiles that are conjugated to biotin via the terminal amine with or without a poly(ethylene oxide) spacer arm of varying chain length. The behavior of biotinylated bolaamphiphiles as a self-assembled monolayer at an air-water interface was characterized by epi-fluorescence microscopy and revealed that domain structure and pi-A isotherms were substantially influenced by linker type and size. Substrate bound assemblies were produced by Langmuir-Blodgett deposition onto planar substrates coated with an avidin derivatized polyelectrolyte multilayer. Significantly, external reflectance infrared spectroscopy confirmed the fabrication of bolaamphiphile thin films that display extended stability in vitro.     

Novel synthesis of the ortho ester derivative of 4,5-epoxymorphinan

[reaction: see text]. A method was found for the novel synthesis of ortho ester derivatives that are potentially useful as selective epsilon opioid receptor ligands. An unexpected 17-(cyclopropylmethyl)-4,5alpha-epoxy-6alpha-hydroxy-3,7,7-trimethoxy-8-oxa-6,14-endoethanomorphinan was produced when 17-(cyclopropylmethyl)-4,5alpha-epoxy-3-methoxy-6alpha,14-dihydroxy-6beta-(1,3-dithia-2-yl)-morphinan was treated in methanol with trimethyl orthoformate and CuO/CuCl2. This ortho ester derivative was then converted to an ester with acid. The structure of the ortho ester was determined by 2D NMR (HMBC) and mass spectra.     

Preparation of 7-Halo-indoles by Thallation of N-formylindoline and their attempted use for synthesis of the right-hand segment of chloropeptin

7-Substituted (Cl, Br, I) indoles were synthesized by using thallation of N-formylindoline as a key reaction. Two precursor tripeptides for the right-hand segment of chloropeptin were synthesized by using (R)-7'-iodo and 7'-bromotryptophans derived from each 7-substituted indole (I, Br) obtained by the above procedure.     

Transition-metal-catalyzed sequential cross-coupling of bis(iodozincio)methane and -ethane with two different organic halides

Bis(iodozincio)methane, prepared from diiodomethane and zinc, reacts with an organic halide in the presence of a transition-metal catalyst to give an iodozinciomethylenated compound; this then reacts with another organic halide to form a C--C bond. The overall process connects two electrophiles with one carbon atom. Bis(iodozincio)ethane can also undergo this transformation, yielding a new stereogenic center. The asymmetric induction of this stereogenic center was investigated by using a chiral palladium catalyst.