High‐performance liquid chromatography separation of unsaturated organic compounds by a monolithic silica column embedded with silver nanoparticles

The optimization of a porous structure to ensure good separation performances is always a significant issue in high‐performance liquid chromatography column design. Recently we reported the homogeneous embedment of Ag nanoparticles in periodic mesoporous silica monolith and the application of such Ag nanoparticles embedded silica monolith for the high‐performance liquid chromatography separation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons. However, the separation performance remains to be improved and the retention mechanism as compared with the Ag ion high‐performance liquid chromatography technique still needs to be clarified. In this research, Ag nanoparticles were introduced into a macro/mesoporous silica monolith with optimized pore parameters for high‐performance liquid chromatography separations. Baseline separation of benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, and pyrene was achieved with the theoretical plate number for analyte naphthalene as 36 000 m^?1. Its separation function was further extended to cis/trans isomers of aromatic compounds where cis/trans stilbenes were chosen as a benchmark. Good separation of cis/trans‐stilbene with separation factor as 7 and theoretical plate number as 76 000 m^?1 for cis‐stilbene was obtained. The trans isomer, however, is retained more strongly, which contradicts the long‐ established retention rule of Ag ion chromatography. Such behavior of Ag nanoparticles embedded in a silica column can be attributed to the differences in the molecular geometric configuration of cis/trans stilbenes.     

Necessary conditions for shear thickening in associating polymer networks

We study shear-thickening phenomena observed in thermoreversible gels of telechelic associating polymers on the basis of the transient network theory. We introduce nonlinear models for the elongational properties of the middle chain; the tension along middle chains contains a nonlinear term with an amplitude A that diverges if the chain is fully stretched. Models for the dissociation rate of end chains from network junctions are also introduced; the dissociation rate is coupled to the middle-chain tension by a coupling constant g. The balance between the nonlinearity strength and coupling intensity determines the necessary condition for thickening. A strong nonlinearity in the tension caused by a large A leads to thickening if the dissociation rate of the end chains is weakly coupled to the middle-chain tension. In contrast, if it is strongly coupled, the end chains easily dissociate upon a small nonlinear elongation of the middle chains, thus leading to thinning. We present theoretical phase diagrams showing the boundary of the thickening/thinning transition in the A–g plane, and we show the existence of a critical point for thickening in these diagrams.     

Enantioselective synthesis of chelidonine, a B/C-cis-11-hydroxyhexahydrobenzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid

Both enantiomers of chelidonine, a B/C-cis-11-hydroxyhexahydrobenzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid, were synthesized by manipulation of the B/C-dehydro ring juncture of benzo[c]phenanthridine skeleton using Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation and stereospecific catalytic hydrogenation after introduction of oxygen functions on the C ring as key reaction steps for the construction of stereogenic centers.     

Remarkable synergistic effect between MonBI and MonBII on epoxide opening reaction in ionophore polyether monensin biosynthesis

Enzymatic epoxide-opening cascade is one of the key biosynthetic processes for constructing structurally diverse polyethers. Here we report the first in vitro analysis of the cyclization catalyzed by two epoxide hydrolases, MonBI and MonBII involved in monensin biosynthesis, using simple epoxy-alcohols and the unprecedented synergistic effect on the epoxide-opening activity between these epoxide hydrolases.     

Quantum yields and quantitative spectra of firefly bioluminescence with various bivalent metal ions

We measured quantitative spectra of firefly (Photinus pyralis) bioluminescence in the presence of Zn²⁺ and other bivalent metal ions to investigate the effects of these metal ions on luciferin‐luciferase reaction. We studied the dependence of the quantum yield and spectrum on quantity and kind of bivalent metal ions. Adding various amounts of Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Ca²⁺ produced virtually no change in the quantum yields or the spectra of bioluminescence. In contrast, increasing amounts of ions such as Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ decreased quantum yields and changed the bioluminescence color from yellow‐green to red. Quantitative analysis showed that the sensitivities of the quantum yield and color to various metal ions were in the order of Hg²⁺>Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺>Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe²⁺≫Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ca²⁺. We propose that the changes in quantum yield and spectrum caused by the metal ions are due to their effect on luciferase that surrounds oxyluciferin during its radioactive decay. We also found that having more metal ions accelerated bioluminescence reactions. The sensitivity of the reaction rate had no correlation with those of the quantum yield and spectrum.     

Sesquarterpenes (C35 terpenes) biosynthesized via the cyclization of a linear C35 isoprenoid by a tetraprenyl-β-curcumene synthase and a tetraprenyl-β-curcumene cyclase: identification of a new terpene cyclase

In this study, mono- and pentacyclic C(35) terpenes from Bacillus subtilis were biosynthesized via the cyclization of C(35) isoprenoid using purified enzymes, including the first identified new terpene cyclase that shows no sequence homology to any of the known terpene cyclases. On the basis of these findings, we propose that these C(35) terpenes should be called the new family of "sesquarterpenes."     

Phase behavior of binary mixtures composed of ethylene carbonate and various organic solvents

Phase behaviors of the binary mixtures composed of ethylene carbonate (EC) and aliphatic alcohols, ω-phenyl alcohols, and alkylbenzenes were investigated. In addition, heat of solution of EC into these organic solvents was measured. The EC/methanol and EC/ethanol systems gave homogeneous solution at the temperature above their liquidus lines, while the mixtures of EC and alcohols with longer alkyl chain showed a miscibility gap in a liquid phase and provided the monotectic-type phase diagram. The liquid–liquid phase separation region expanded with the increase in the alkyl chain length. A similar phase behavior was also observed for the mixtures of EC and alkylbenzenes. On the other hand, the EC mixtures with ω-phenyl alcohols showed no miscibility gap in a liquid phase at least up to 4-phenylbutan-1-ol which has C4 alkyl chain intervening between phenyl and hydroxyl groups. This result demonstrates that both of the hydroxyl and phenyl groups act to facilitate the mixing of aliphatic compounds with EC. The phase behavior of these EC mixtures was analyzed applying the modified regular solution model in which the pair interaction energy was regarded as free energy. The model calculation with the use of heat of solution of EC at infinite dilution as the pair interaction enthalpy reproduced well both of the experimentally obtained liquidus line and mutual solubility curve as well as monotectic point.     

Synthesis of stereoarray isotope labeled (SAIL) lysine via the "head-to-tail" conversion of SAIL glutamic acid

A stereoarray isotope labeled (SAIL) lysine, (2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-[3,4,5,6-(2)H(4);1,2,3,4,5,6-(13)C(6);2,6-(15)N(2)]lysine, was synthesized by the "head-to-tail" conversion of SAIL-Glu, (2S,3S,4R)-[3,4-(2)H(2);1,2,3,4,5-(13)C(5);2-(15)N]glutamic acid, with high stereospecificities for all five chiral centers. With the SAIL-Lys in hand, the unambiguous simultaneous stereospecific assignments were able to be established for each of the prochiral protons within the four methylene groups of the Lys side chains in proteins.