Non-destructive determination of spontaneously fissioning nuclides by neutron coincidence counting using multichannel time spectroscopy

A non-destructive method for determining the amount of actinoids has been developed. The method is based on thermal neutron coincidence counting and employs a selective detection of neutrons resulting from the spontaneous fission of actinoids. The detection system is described in detail and the measurement results of²⁴⁴Cm as an example are presented. The results show that the measured fission rate of²⁴⁴Cm is consistent with the fission rate calculated from ENDF/B-V data and that the amount of²⁴⁴Cm can be determined within about 5% accuracy even in the presence of a large amount of actinoids, for example, up to 2.6·10⁶, 3.6·10⁴, or 1.6·10³ times in the mass ratio of²³⁹Pu,²⁴¹Am, or²⁴⁰Pu to²⁴⁴Cm, respectively.     

Novel Z-selective head-to-head dimerization of terminal alkynes catalyzed by lanthanide half-metallocene complexes

Various terminal alkynes have been cleanly dimerized into the corresponding head-to-head (Z)-enynes by use of the half-metallocene lutetium alkyl complexes Me2Si(C5Me4)(NAr)Lu(CH2SiMe3)(THF) (Ar = Ph, C6H3Me2-2,6, C6H2Me3-2,4,6) as catalysts. Aromatic C-Cl, C-Br, and C-I bonds, which are known to be extremely susceptible to reductive cleavage by transition metals, survived in the present reactions. The corresponding dimeric alkynide species [Me2Si(C5Me4)(NAr)Lu(mu-CCR)]2 are thought to be the true catalysts, some of which have been isolated and structurally characterized. These alkynide species were thermally stable and soluble at the reaction temperatures (80-110 degrees C), but they precipitated upon cooling to room temperature after completion of the reaction. Therefore, this catalyst system works homogeneously but can be separated and reused, thus constituting the first example of a recyclable catalyst system for the dimerization of terminal alkynes and also the first example of (Z)-selective head-to-head dimerization of aromatic terminal alkynes.     

Synthesis and application of chiral bisphosphines through lithiation-conjugate addition tandem cyclization of chiral alpha,beta,psi,omega-unsaturated bisphosphine oxide

Upon treatment with lithium diisopropylamide achiral and chiral alpha,beta,psi,omega-unsaturated bisphosphine oxides underwent lithiation-conjugate addition tandem cyclization to afford the corresponding endo-alpha,beta-unsaturated cyclic bisphosphine oxides; sequential stereoselective reduction of the cyclized bisphosphine oxide gave the corresponding trans- and cis-bisphosphines that were successfully applicable in a catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation as chiral bisphosphine ligands.     

Inhibitory effects of 3-O-acyl-(+)-catechins on Epstein-Barr virus activation

In the course of an exploratory investigation of antitumor-promoting catechins, 3-O-acyl-(+)-catechins of varying carbon lengths from C(4) to C(18) were assessed for inhibitory effects on the activation of the Epstein-Barr virus early antigen. Like 3-O-acyl-(-)-epigallocatechins, the (+)-catechin derivatives showed promising effects with the C-3 acyl chain of C(8)-C(11) carbon atoms.     

Fluorometric sensing of alkaline Earth metal cations by new lariat ethers having plural pyrenylmethyl groups on the electron-donating sidearms

[structure: see text] New fluorescent compounds (1), lariat ethers having plural pyrenylmethyl groups on the sidearms, were prepared, and their complexation behavior with alkaline earth metal cations was examined by fluorescence spectrometry. The pyrene excimer emission decreased accompanied with an increase in the monomer emission upon complexation with the metal ion. This finding is ascribed to the cooperative participation of one of the two sidearms in the complexation of the crown ring with the metal ion.     

Novel quinazoline ring synthesis by cycloaddition of N-arylketenimines with N,N-disubstituted cyanamides

The reaction of N-aryl-substituted ketenimines with N,N-disubstituted cyanamides or (MeS)2C=N-CN under high pressure afforded 4-(N,N-disubstituted amino) or 4-(MeS)2C=N-substituted quinazoline derivatives, respectively. These products were formed by [4+2] cycloaddition between the aza-diene moieties of the N-arylsubstituted ketenimines and cyano groups. A 4-(unsubstituted amino)quinazoline derivative was synthesized by hydrolysis of the latter product.     

3-H-YDROXYRETINAL AS A CHROMOPHORE OF Drosophila melanogaster VISUAL PIGMENT ANALYZED BY HIGH-PRESSURE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

Abstract— The chromophore of the visual pigment of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster was studied by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Oxime derivatives of the chromophore were successfully analyzed with a more polar solvent than has been used for retinaloximes. A preceding monochromatic irradiation resulted in reversible interchanges in the amount among geometric isomers of the oximes that reflected the photointerconversion of rhodopsin and metarhodopsin of the peripheral photoreceptors (Rl-R6). Authentic all- trans -3-h-ydroxyretinal was used to identify the chromophore from metarhodopsin. Results demonstrated that the chromophore of the visual pigment in Drosophila is 3-h-ydroxyretinal as was proposed in larger flies.     

Phase-transfer catalytic activity of soluble polystyrenes containing crown ether moieties and hydroxyl groups adjacent to the macrorings

Soluble polystyrenes with crown ether structures and hydroxyl groups adjacent to the macrorings were prepared by the reaction of epoxide-containing polystyrenes with monoaza-15-crown-5 or monoaza-18-crown-6. Rate of formation of the polymer-bound alkali cation-crown alkoxide ion pair from the soluble polystyrenes and aqueous NaOH or KOH depended on the loading of crown ether and hydroxyl units and on the size of the macroring. The elimination of HCl from less reactive 2-chloroethylbenzene with aqueous NaOH or KOH in the presence of the soluble polystyrene catalysts under two-phase conditions was limited mainly by the intrinsic reaction rate. The elimination of HBr from more reactive 2-bromoethylbenzene in the presence of the less (11%) ring-substituted polymer catalyst with 18-crown unit was limited by the alkoxide formation rate. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Cyclopalladation of the indole ring in palladium(II) complexes of 2N1O-donor ligands and its dependence on the O-donor properties

Synthetic, structural, spectroscopic, and kinetic studies have been carried out on the Pd(II) complexes of new 2N1O-donor ligands containing a pendent indole, 3-(N-2-pyridylmethyl-N-2-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzylamino)ethylindole (HMeO-iepp), 3-(N-2-pyridylmethyl-N-2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzylamino)ethylindole (HNO2-iepp), and (N-2-pyridylmethyl-3-indolylethylamino)acetic acid (Hiepc) (H denotes a dissociable proton). [Pd(MeO-iepp)Cl] (2), [Pd(NO2-iepp)Cl] (3), and [Pd(iepc)Cl] (4) were prepared and revealed by X-ray analysis to have a pyridine nitrogen, an amine nitrogen, a phenolate or carboxylate oxygen, and a chloride ion in the coordination plane. UV absorption and 1H NMR spectral changes indicated that all the complexes could be converted to the indole-binding complexes where the O donor was replaced by the indole C2 atom by cyclopalladation in DMSO or DMF in the temperature range of 40-60 degrees C. Formation of the indole-binding complex species obeyed the first-order kinetics, from which the activation parameters were estimated. The formation rate was dependent on the properties of the O-donor group, a lower pKa value of its conjugate acid causing faster conversion to the indole-binding species in the order 2 (methoxyphenolate) < 3 (nitrophenolate) < 4 (carboxylate). On the other hand, the ratio of the indole-binding complex to the O-donor complex as a result of the conversion was greater for the complexes with a higher pKa value of the ligand OH group, the order being 2 > 3 > 4.