Yellowing and IR-changes of spruce wood as result of UV-irradiation

The yellowing and IR-changes of spruce wood as a result of UV-irradiation were studied using two different types of xenon lamps (lambda>300 nm; I(o)=50 mW cm(-2) and lambda>280 nm; I(o)=17.5 mW cm(-2)). Changes in the IR spectra as well as the yellowing of the irradiated wood surfaces show the influence of UV light on the wood modules. The UV-irradiation (72 h; lambda>300 nm; I(o)=50 mW cm(-2)) decreased the lignin content on the surface by up to 20% of the original values. The colour difference of yellowing (deltaE) exhibited a systematic trend to higher values with increasing irradiation time. Our results show that the photoyellowing (UV-Vis detection) correlates very well with lignin degradation (IR detection). This result is in agreement with the quinone formation as the chromophoric reaction product of lignin decay. The degradation, yellowing, and oxidation kinetics differed only little using different light sources. The absorbed light intensity, which depends on wavelength, the intensity distribution of the light source and the absorption spectrum of lignin, influenced the degradation rate. Under the current experimental conditions, the absorption spectrum of lignin was the most important factor. Therefore, irradiation with lambda>280 nm is useful for rapidly monitoring the UV-degradation of wood     

Three new acid M+ arsenates and phosphates with multiply protonated As/PO4 groups

The crystal structures of caesium dihydrogen arsenate(V) bis[trihydrogen arsenate(V)], Cs(H₂AsO₄)(H₃AsO₄)₂, ammonium dihydrogen arsenate(V) trihydrogen arsenate(V), NH₄(H₂AsO₄)(H₃AsO₄), and dilithium bis(dihydrogen phosphate), Li₂(H₂PO₄)₂, were solved from single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction data. NH₄(H₂AsO₄)(H₃AsO₄), which was hydrothermally synthesized (T = 493 K), is homeotypic with Rb(H₂AsO₄)(H₃AsO₄), while Cs(H₂AsO₄)(H₃AsO₄)₂ crystallizes in a novel structure type and Li₂(H₂PO₄)₂ represents a new polymorph of this composition. The Cs and Li compounds grew at room temperature from highly acidic aqueous solutions. Li₂(H₂PO₄)₂ forms a three‐dimensional (3D) framework of PO₄ tetrahedra sharing corners with Li₂O₆ dimers built of edge‐sharing LiO₄ groups, which is reinforced by hydrogen bonds. The two arsenate compounds are characterized by a 3D network of AsO₄ groups that are connected solely via multiple strong hydrogen bonds. A statistical evaluation of the As—O bond lengths in singly, doubly and triply protonated AsO₄ groups gave average values of 1.70 (2) Å for 199 As—OH bonds, 1.728 (19) Å for As—OH bonds in HAsO₄ groups, 1.714 (12) Å for As—OH bonds in H₂AsO₄ groups and 1.694 (16) Å for As—OH bonds in H₃AsO₄ groups, and a grand mean value of 1.667 (18) Å for As—O bonds to nonprotonated O atoms.     

Spontaneous trans‐Selective Transfer Hydrogenation of Apolar Boron–Boron Double Bonds

The transfer hydrogenation of N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐supported diborenes with dimethylamine borane proceeds with high selectivity for the trans‐1,2‐dihydrodiboranes. DFT calculations, supported by kinetic studies and deuteration experiments, suggest a stepwise proton‐first‐hydride‐second reaction mechanism via an intermediate μ‐hydrodiboronium dimethylaminoborate ion pair.     

Thiadiazolo-Azaacenes

This work reports the synthesis and characterization of bis- and tetrakis(thiadiazolo)-appended di- and tetraazaacenes, displaying up to seven catenated benzene/pyrazine rings. The targets are obtained by condensation of benzo-bis(thiadiazole)-4,5-dione with aromatic di- and tetraamines. The condensation products—up to a heptacene-like species—are stable but can be insoluble. Soluble derivatives are readily processible, but do not show enhanced electron affinities, as the two or four attached benzothiadiazole units are effectively resonance-separated from the acene body, maximizing the number of Clar-sextets.     

N-Acenoacenes

The syntheses of new, fourfold alkynylated tetraazaacenoacenes (tetraazaanthracenoanthracene, tetraazatetracenotetracene and tetraazapentacenopentacene) are reported. This novel heteroacenoacene motif exhibits surprisingly strong electronic coupling between its constituting diazaacene units.     

Butadienyloxiran-Dihydrooxepin-Isomerisierung. Ringerweiterungsreaktionen von sterisch fixierten und benzoanellierten Epoxyhexadienen durch 1,7-Elektrocyclisierung konjugierter Carbonyl-Ylide

Butadienyloxirane-Dihydrooxepine Isomerisation. Ring Expansion Reactions of Sterically Fixed and Benzoannelated Epoxyhexadienes by 1,7-Electrocyclisation of Conjugated Carbonyl Ylides Thermal ring cleavage of specifically substituted oxiranes results in the formation of conjugated carbonyl ylide intermediates which react by 1,5- and/or 1,7-electrocyclisation to give ring-expanded products. While the spirooxiranes 5t, 6t , and 12t are transformed, as expected, only into 2,3-dihydrofurans ( 21, 22, 50 ), the geometrically fixed compounds give rise to the formation of seven-membered ring isomers either partially ( 6c ), or predominantly ( 5c ), or exclusively ( 7 – 11, 12c ). 1,7-Dipolar cyclisations also take place with participation of one or even two aromatic double bonds ( 7 → 52, 8 → 53, 9 → 54, 12c → 57 , and 10 → 55, 11 → 56 , resp.) affording mono- and dibenzo-dihydrooxepines, respectively. The rearrangements of 5c to 27 and 6c to 28 show for the first time that the 8π-ring closure of 2-oxaheptatrienyl dipoles proceeds in the theoretically predicted conrotatory manner. The exclusive, i.e. periselective formation of dihydrooxepines during the thermolysis of compounds 7 – 11, 12c is explained by assuming a helical geometry of the dipolar intermediates in which the stereoelectronic situation is specially suitable for the – entropically less advantageous – 1,7-cyclisation process.     

DNA libraries for the construction of phage libraries: statistical and structural requirements and synthetic methods

Peptide-based molecular probes identified by bacteriophage (phage) display technology expand the peptide repertoire for in vivo diagnosis and therapy of cancer. Numerous peptides that bind cancer-associated antigens have been discovered by panning phage libraries. However, until now only few of the peptides selected by phage display have entered clinical applications. The success of phage derived peptides essentially depends on the quality of the library screened. This review summarizes the methods to achieve highly homogenous libraries that cover a maximal sequence space. Biochemical and chemical strategies for the synthesis of DNA libraries and the techniques for their integration into the viral genome are discussed in detail. A focus is set on the methods that enable the exclusion of disturbing sequences. In addition, the parameters that define the variability, the minimal numbers of copies per library and the use of alternating panning cycles to avoid the loss of selected hits are evaluated.     

Generation of new landomycins by combinatorial biosynthetic manipulation of the LndGT4 gene of the landomycin E cluster in S. globisporus

A 3 kb DNA fragment from the Streptomyces globisporus 1912 landomycin E (LaE) biosynthetic gene cluster (lnd) was completely sequenced. Three open reading frames were identified, lndGT4, lndZ4, and lndZ5, whose probable translation products resemble a glycosyltransferase, a reductase, and a hydroxylase, respectively. Studies of generated mutants from disruption and complementation experiments involving the lndGT4 gene allowed us to determine that LndGT4 controls the terminal L-rhodinose sugar attachment during LaE biosynthesis and that LndZ4/LndZ5 are responsible for the unique C11-hydroxylation of the landomycins. Generation of the novel landomycins F, G, and H in the course of these studies provided evidence for the flexibility of lnd glycosyltransferases toward their acceptor substrates and a basis for initial structure-activity relationships within the landomycin family of antibiotics.