Facile one-pot synthesis of BINOL- and H8-BINOL-based aryl phosphites and their use in palladium catalysed asymmetric allylation

Novel P-monodentate aryl phosphite ligands have been synthesised in one step from (R)-BINOL, (R)-H₈-BINOL and (R)-H₈-3,3′-dibromo-BINOL. With the new aryl phosphites, up to 86% ee was observed in the asymmetric Pd-catalysed amination of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with sodium diformylamide. In the enantioselective alkylation of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with dimethyl malonate, up to 97% enantioselectivity was achieved.     

Synthesis of 10-(N′-phenyl)imidoyl derivatives of phenothiazine,and their reactions with o,o-dialkylthio- and dithiophosphates

Condensation of phenothiazine with phenyl isocyanide dichloride has given 10(N-phenylchloroformimidoyl)phenothiazine, exchange reactions of which with salts of diakylthio- and dithiophosphoric acids result in rearrangement of the initially formed 10-[N-phenyldialkoxy(thio)phosphorylthioformimidoyl]phenothiazines to 10-{N-phenyl-N-[dialkoxy(thio)phosphoryl]thiocarbamoyl}phenothiazines, while reaction with diisopropyl dithiophosphoric acid affords diisopropyl chlorothiophosphate, phenyl isothiocyanate, and phenothiazine. 10-(N-Phenylethoxyformimidoyl)phenothiazine alkylates dithiophosphoric acid to give 10-(N-phenylcarbamoyl)phenothiazine, while N²-phenyl-N¹,N¹-diethyl-(10-phenothiazinyl)formamidine reacts with diisopropyl dithiophosphoric acid, affording the salt N²-phenyl-N¹,N¹-diethyl-(10-phenothiazinyl)formamidinium O,O-diisopropyl dithiophosphate.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2596–2601, November, 1989.     

Multiphoton Dissociation of Sulfur Hexafluoride in a Vibrationally Cooled Compression Shock

Multiphoton IR dissociation of SF₆ (in a mixture with CH₄) under nonequilibrium conditions of a compression shock formed by an intense, gas dynamically cooled, pulsed molecular beam impacting a solid surface was studied using the HF* luminescence detection ( 2.5 m) technique. The dependences of the HF* luminescence intensity on the distance x between the region in which molecules were excited and the surface and on the laser radiation frequency at different values of x were obtained. It was shown that, as the distance x decreased from 4 to 1.5 mm, the HF* luminescence intensity increased by more than an order of magnitude as compared to the case of excitation of molecules in an undisturbed flow, whereas the frequency dependences of luminescence intensity (SF₆ dissociation yield) were broadened only insignificantly.     

Topography of the free-energy landscape probed via mechanical unfolding of proteins

Single-molecule experiments in which proteins are unfolded by applying mechanical stretching forces generally force unfolding to proceed along a reaction coordinate that is different from that in chemical or thermal denaturation. Here we simulate the mechanical unfolding and refolding of a minimalist off-lattice model of the protein ubiquitin to explore in detail the slice of the multidimensional free-energy landscape that is accessible via mechanical pulling experiments. We find that while the free-energy profile along typical "chemical" reaction coordinates may exhibit two minima, corresponding to the native and denatured states, the free energy G(z) is typically a monotonic function of the mechanical coordinate z equal to the protein extension. Application of a stretching force along z tilts the free-energy landscape resulting in a bistable (or multistable) free energy G(z)-fz probed in mechanical unfolding experiments. We construct a two-dimensional free-energy surface as a function of both chemical and mechanical reaction coordinates and examine the coupling between the two. We further study the refolding trajectories after the protein has been prestretched by a large force, as well as the mechanical unfolding trajectories in the presence of a large stretching force. We demonstrate that the stretching forces required to destabilize the native state thermodynamically are larger than those expected on the basis of previous experimental estimates of G(z). This finding is consistent with the recent experimental studies, indicating that proteins may refold even in the presence of a substantial stretching force. Finally, we show that for certain temperatures the free energy of a polyprotein chain consisting of multiple domains is a linear function of the chain extension. We propose that the recently observed "slow phase" in the refolding of proteins under mechanical tension may be viewed as downhill diffusion in such a linear potential.     

Measuring Contact Angles at Copper Electrodes

Potential dependences of the angle of contact between perfluorodecaline C₁₀F₁₈ and copper, copper(I) sulfide, and copper telluride Cu₄Te₃ in 0.1 M CH₃COONa are measured. The data are in good agreement with the metal hardness measured in 1 M KOH. The uncharged-surface potentials (USP) for copper, copper(I) sulfide, and copper telluride equal 0.05–0.07, –0.02 to –0.04, and 0.05–0.07 V (NHE) in 0.1 M CH₃COONa. Studying the effect of Br^– ions shows that USP for copper and Cu₂S shift in, respectively, the negative and positive directions with an increase in [Br^–]. For copper telluride, USP shifts in the positive direction at low Br^– concentrations, and at NaBr concentrations in excess of 0.04 M, in the negative direction.     

Solvent-sensitive dyes to report protein conformational changes in living cells

Covalent attachment of solvent-sensitive fluorescent dyes to proteins is a powerful tool for studying protein conformational changes, ligand binding, or posttranslational modifications. We report here new merocyanine dyes that make possible the quantitation of such protein activities in individual living cells. The quantum yield of the new dyes is sharply dependent on solvent polarity or viscosity, enabling them to report changes in their protein environment. This is combined with other stringent requirements needed in a live cell imaging dye, including appropriate photophysical properties (excitation >590 nm, high fluorescence quantum yield, high extinction coefficient), good photostability, minimal aggregation in water, and excellent water solubility. The dyes were derivatized with iodoacetamide and succinimidyl ester side chains for site-selective covalent attachment to proteins. A novel biosensor of Cdc42 activation made with one of the new dyes showed a 3-fold increase in fluorescence intensity in response to GTP-binding by Cdc42. The dyes reported here should be useful in the preparation of live cell biosensors for a diverse range of protein activities.     

1,2-Diisophthalimidoethane. X-ray diffraction evidence for the structure of the product of acylation of 1,2-diaminoethane with phthaloyl chloride

It was demonstrated by x-ray diffraction investigation of the product of the reaction of 1,2-diaminoethane with phthalic acid dichloride that the resulting compound has the 1,2-diisophthalimidoethane structure. An improved method for its synthesis is proposed.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 10, pp. 1320–1323, October, 1987.     

Specific Sorption Sites for Nitrogen in Zeolites NaLSX and LiLSX

Specific sorption sites for nitrogen, N₂, in NaLSX and LiLSX zeolites were investigated using a DRIFT spectroscopic method. Sorption of molecular hydrogen, H₂, by NaLSX or LiLSX zeolite at 77 K with DRIFT control of perturbation of sorbed molecules allowed to discriminate two or three different types of specific sorption sites in the respective zeolites. Their H–H stretching frequencies are 4077 and 4081 cm^–1 for NaLSX, and 4061, 4084 and 4129 cm^–1 for LiLSX. With reference to an independent investigation by methods of both sorption thermodynamics and molecular modeling for N₂ sorption on LiLSX, the first two of the corresponding bands were ascribed to H₂ sorption on lithium cations, Li⁺, localized in supercages of the faujasite, FAU, zeolite framework at sites SIII and SIII, while the latter band most likely belongs to H₂ sorption on Li⁺ cations at sites SII, and on hydroxyl groups, OH. Sorption of N₂ by Li⁺ cations at sites SIII and SIII is the strongest, resulting in a decrease of intensity of the corresponding DRIFT bands that stem from subsequent H₂ sorption. Nitrogen sorption by Li⁺ cations at sites SII is much weaker. Sorption of N₂ on Na⁺ cations at sites SIII in NaLSX zeolite is also stronger than by Na⁺ cations at sites SII.     

Sensitive high resolution inverse detection NMR spectroscopy of proteins in the solid state

A new indirect detection scheme for obtaining (15)N/(1)H shift correlation spectra in crystalline proteins is described. Excellent water suppression is achieved without the need for pulsed field gradients, and using only a 2-step phase cycle. Careful attention to overall NMR instrument stability was found critical for obtaining the best resolution and sensitivity. Magnetic dilution by deuteration of the protein in combination with high-speed magic angle spinning produces (1)H resonances averaging only 0.22 ppm in width, and in some cases lines as narrow as 0.17 ppm are obtained. In application to two different polymorphs of ubiquitin, structure dependent differences in both (15)N and (1)H amide chemical shifts are observed. In one case, distinct shifts for different molecules in the asymmetric unit are seen, and all differ substantially from solution NMR shifts. A gain of 7 in sensitivity makes the method competitive with solution NMR as long as nanocrystalline samples are available.