Synthesis of a novel bridged nucleoside bearing a fused-azetidine ring, 3′-amino-3′,4′-BNA monomer

A novel bridged nucleic acid monomer, 3′-amino-3′-deoxy-5-methyl-3′-N,4′-C-methyleneuridine, was successfully synthesized via a useful and convenient azetidine ring formation under Staudinger's conditions. A ¹H NMR experiment and a PM3 calculation revealed that the sugar moiety of the novel bridged nucleic acid monomer, 3′-amino-3′,4′-BNA, was restricted to S-type conformation.     

Theoretical investigation on hydroformylation reactions: II. Hydrocarbonyliron intermediates in reppe synthesis

Extended Hückel theory calculations have been carried out to investigate the possible formation of stable π and σ complexes between olefins and some hydrocarbonylirons postulated as active catalysts in Reppe synthesis. It was found that H₂Fe(CO)₄ and HFe(CO)₄^- do not coordinate ethylene, unlike the corresponding CO deficient species H₂Fe(CO)₃ and HFe(CO)₃^-, which interact with the olefin to give stable π complexes. Moreover ethylene—H₂Fe(CO)₃ is more stable than ethylene—HFe(CO)₃^-, in line with the conclusions based on the experimental results. Stable alkyl intermediates are predicted starting from the coordinatively saturated hydrocarbonyls.     

Formation of supported size-controlled nanoparticles of sulfated zirconia

Methods of the preparation of catalysts for alkane skeletal isomerization based on uniform nanoparticles of sulfated zirconia anchored to different supports were investigated. These catalysts were characterized by using the ICP, HRTEM and BET techniques. The activities of the catalysts in the reaction of n-butane isomerization were measured and compared with those of bulk catalysts.     

Oxalate-2-ethanolamine complexes of some bivalent cations (Mn,Co, Ni,Cu, Zn and Cd)

On the refluxing ofM(II) oxalate (M=Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn or Cd) and 2-ethanolamine in chloroform, the following complexes were obtained: MnC₂O₄·HOCH₂CH₂NH₂·H₂O, CoC₂O₄·2HOCH₂CH₂NH₂, Ni₂(C₂O₄)₂·5HOCH₂CH₂NH₂·3H₂O, Cu₂(C₂O₄)₂·5HOCH₂CH₂NH₂, Zn₂(C₂O₄)₂·5HOCH₂CH₂NH₂·2H₂O and Cd₂(C₂O₄)₂·HOCH₂CH₂NH₂·2H₂O. Following the reaction ofM(II) oxalate with 2-ethanolamine in the presence of ethanolammonium oxalate, a compound with the empirical formula ZnC₂O₄·HOCH₂CH₂NH₂·2H₂O¹ was isolated. The complexes were identified by using elemental analysis, X-ray powder diffraction patterns, IR spectra, and thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The IR spectra and X-ray powder diffraction patterns showed that the complexes obtained were not isostructural. Their thermal decompositions, in the temperature interval between 20 and about 900°C, also take place in different ways, mainly through the formation of different amine complexes. The DTA curves exhibit a number of thermal effects.     

Xenophilic complexes bearing a Tp(R) Ligand, [Tp(R)M--M'Ln] [Tp(R) = Tp(iPr2), Tp(#) (Tp(Me2,4-Br)); M=Ni, Co, Fe, Mn; M'Ln = Co(CO)4, Co(CO)3(PPh3), RuCp(CO)2]: the two metal centers are held together not by covalent interaction but by electrostatic attraction

A series of dinuclear complexes, [Tp(R)M--M'L(n)] [Tp(iPr(2) )M--Co(CO)(4) (1; M=Ni, Co, Fe, Mn); Tp(#)M--Co(CO)(4) (1'; M=Ni, Co); Tp(#)Ni--RuCp(CO)(2) (3')] (Tp(iPr(2) )=hydrotris(3,5-diisopropylpyrazolyl)borato; Tp(#) (Tp(Me(2),4-Br))=hydrotris(3,5-dimethyl-4-bromopyrazolyl)borato), has been prepared by treatment of the cationic complexes [Tp(iPr(2) )M(NCMe)(3)]PF(6) or the halo complexes [Tp(#)M--X] with the appropriate metalates. Spectroscopic and crystallographic characterization of 1-3' reveals that the tetrahedral, high-spin Tp(R)M fragment and the coordinatively saturated carbonyl-metal fragment (M'L(n)) are connected only by a metal-metal interaction and, thus, the dinuclear complexes belong to a unique class of xenophilic complexes. The metal-metal interaction in the xenophilic complexes is polarized, as revealed by their nu(CO) vibrations and structural features, which fall between those of reference complexes: covalently bonded species [R--M'L(n)] and ionic species [M'L(n)](-). Unrestricted DFT calculations for the model complexes [Tp(H(2) )Ni--Co(CO)(4)], [Tp(H(2) )Ni--Co(CO)(3)(PH(3))], and [Tp(H(2) )Ni--RuCp(CO)(2)] prove that the two metal centers are held together not by covalent interactions, but by electrostatic attractions. In other words, the obtained xenophilic complexes can be regarded as carbonylmetalates, in which the cationic counterpart interacts with the metal center rather than the oxygen atom of the carbonyl ligand. The xenophilic complexes show divergent reactivity dependent on the properties of donor molecules. Hard (N and O donors) and soft donors (P and C donors) attack the Tp(R)M part and the ML(n) moiety, respectively. The selectivity has been interpreted in terms of the hard-soft theory, and the reactions of the high-spin species 1-3' with singlet donor molecules should involve a spin-crossover process.     

New dimension in nano-imaging: breaking through the diffraction limit with scanning near-field optical microscopy

In recent years scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) has developed into a powerful surface analytical technique for observing specimens with lateral resolution equal to or even better than 100 nm. A large number of applications, from material science to biology, have been reported. In this paper, two different kinds of near-field optical microscopy, aperture and scattering-type SNOM, are reviewed together with recent studies in surface analysis and biology. Here, near-field optical techniques are discussed in comparison with related methods, such as scanning probe and standard optical microscopy, with respect to their specific advantages and fields of application.     

Activities of Individual Ions From Infinite Dilution to Saturated Solutions

A new procedure, which provides a closer approximation for the junction potentials than the Henderson equation, is tested to reduce new emf data for the chloride ion in CsCl solutions and previously measured data for individual ions in aqueous solutions of KCl, NaCl, and NaBr. The liquid junction potential is calculated from numerical integration of its basic equation without assuming constant mobility or using concentrations instead of activities. The mean ionic activity coefficients of the salts, obtained from the activity coefficients of the individual ions, show good agreement with values reported in the literature. The activity coefficients of the individual chloride ion at 25°C in aqueous solutions of CsCl up to 3 molal and in KCl solutions were measured using a chloride ion-selective electrode. It has been confirmed that the activity of the chloride ion is equal to the activity of the cation in CsCl solutions and, contrary to the prediction of hydration theory, it is higher than the activity of the cation in aqueous KCl solutions. The New Hydration Theory has been developed to overcome the shortcomings of the older hydration theory and has been used to smooth the experimental activity coefficients of the individual ions in aqueous solutions and to extrapolate them up to the saturated solution.     

Contribution of individual zinc ligands to metal binding and peptide folding of zinc finger peptides

Little is known about the contribution of individual zinc-ligating amino acid residues for coupling between zinc binding and protein folding in zinc finger domains. To understand such roles of each zinc ligand, four zinc finger mutant peptides corresponding to the second zinc finger domain of Sp1 were synthesized. In the mutant peptides, glycine was substituted for one of four zinc ligands. Their metal binding and folding properties were spectroscopically characterized and compared to those of the native zinc finger peptide. In particular, the electronic charge-transfer and d-d bands of the Co(II)-substituted peptide complexes were used to examine the metal coordination number and geometry. Fluorescence emission studies revealed that the mutant peptides are capable of binding zinc despite removing one ligand. Circular dichroism results clearly showed the induction of an alpha-helix by zinc binding. In addition, the structures of certain mutant zinc finger peptides were simulated by molecular dynamics calculation. The information indicates that His23 and the hydrophobic core formed between the alpha-helix and the beta-sheet play an essential role in alpha-helix induction. This report demonstrates that each ligand does not contribute equally to alpha-helix formation and coordination geometry in the zinc finger peptide.     

Novel (E)- and (Z)-3(5)-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4-styrylpyrazoles from (E)- and (Z)-3-styrylchromones: the unexpected case of (E)-3(5)-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4-(4-nitrostyryl)pyrazoles

An efficient synthetic method for the preparation of (E)- and (Z)-3(5)-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4-styrylpyrazoles has been developed. The reaction of (E)- and (Z)-3-styrylchromones with hydrazine hydrate afforded the corresponding (E)- and (Z)-4-styrylpyrazoles, respectively, saved 4′-nitro-derivatives where both (E)- and (Z)-4′-nitro-3-styrylchromones afforded (E)-3(5)-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4-(4-nitrostyryl)pyrazoles. The reaction mechanism for these transformations was discussed and the stereochemistry of all products was assigned by NMR experiments.     

Synthetic study of optically active and C2-symmetric novel ligand, 7,8-bis(benzyloxy)bicyclo[2.2.2]octa-2,5-diene and a tricarbonyliron complex

The 7,8-bis(benzyloxy)bicyclo[2.2.2]octa-2,5-diene derivatives have been synthesized via Diels-Alder reaction of optically active 5,6-bis(benzyloxy)cyclohexa-1,3-diene and dienophiles. The corresponding tricarbonyliron complexes have also been synthesized in enantiomerically pure form.