Esters of 5-carboxyl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide: a family of spin traps for superoxide

Apparent rate constants, at acidic pH and neutral pH for the reaction of a family of ester-containing 5-carboxyl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline N-oxides with superoxide (O2*-) were estimated, using ferricytochrome c as a competitive inhibitor. It was of interest to note that the rate constants were similar among the different nitrones and not that significantly different from that found for 5-(diethoxyphosphoryl)-5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide. At acidic pH, the rate constant for spin trapping O2*- was 3-fold greater than that at physiological pH. Subsequent experiments determined the half-life of aminoxyls, derived from the reaction of these nitrones with O2*-. The EPR spectra were modeled by using a global analysis method. The results clearly demonstrated that EPR spectra of all the aminoxyls were inconsistent with a model that included a single gamma-hydrogen splitting. A better interpretation modeled them as two diastereomers with identical nitrogen splittings and slightly different beta-hydrogen splittings. Detailed line width analyses slightly favored an equal line width-unequal population ratio for the two diastereomers.     

Organoaluminum–cyclic ether-cyclic imide catalysts for the polymerization of epoxides

A catalyst for the polymerization of epoxides consisting of trialkylaluminums, cyclic ethers, and cyclic imides has been investigated. Various catalyst components were examined to reveal that the combination of triisobutylaluminum, dioxane, and succinimide gives the most active catalyst. The catalytic activity is greatly enhanced with aging in which the change in color from pale yellow to dark red takes place. The polymerization data show that the dioxane provides a pathway for the catalyst components to form an active species. The dioxane-containing catalyst is likely to be different in structure from that of the dioxane-free catalyst. It was shown that the catalyst solution is electrically conductive. A parallel correlation seems to exist between the electrical conductivity and the catalytic activity, suggesting that the catalytic species may be of an ionic character.     

Synthesis of Urea‐Tethered Disaccharides in Water

A new method for the synthesis of urea‐linked disaccharides in aqueous media has been developed. The key feature of our approach is two strained Steyermark‐type gluco‐ and galactopyranosyl oxazolidinones. Each oxazolidinone is attached to a pyranose ring in a di‐equatorial trans‐annulation framework. Reaction of these oxazolidinones with 4‐aminohexopyranose in water proceeded smoothly to afford the urea‐tethered cellobiose and lactose analogues. The galactose‐type oxazolidinone proved to be more reactive than the glucose‐type, which is explained by the presence of an axial hydroxy group at C4 in the former.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic procedure for the simultaneous determination of norfloxacin, fenbufen and felbinac in rat plasma

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of norfloxacin, fenbufen and felbinac extracted from 50 microliters of rat plasma is described. Chromatography was performed on a reversed-phase column with ultraviolet detection. By the present method, quantitative and reproducible determinations were possible for norfloxacin, fenbufen and felbinac over the concentration ranges of 0.2-20, 0.2-120 and 0.4-40 micrograms/ml, respectively. The recoveries of norfloxacin, fenbufen and felbinac added to plasma were nearly 100% with a coefficient of variation of less than 8.0%. This method was found to be applicable to pharmacokinetic studies of each drug after the concomitant administration of norfloxacin and fenbufen.     

Control of calcium carbonate polymorphism and morphology through biomimetic mineralization by means of nanotechnology

In vitro biomimetic mineralization by means of nanotechnology allows the formation of calcium carbonate polymorphs at low temperatures (<25 degrees C) under a CO(2) atmosphere of 500-1500 ppm. A two-dimensional zinc-ion ordered array (zinc array), which acts as an active-site mimic of carbonic anhydrase, has been prepared by immersing the self-organized monolayer of 3-(2-imidazolin-1-y)propyltriethosilane on mica (ImSi substrate) into aqueous zinc solution. The zinc array mounted on the ImSi substrate catalyzed the conversion from CO(2) to HCO(3) (-), and accelerated the formation of calcium carbonate. In situ X-ray diffraction data of the formed calcium carbonate on the poly(L-aspartate)-coated chitin substrate (pAsp substrate), with calcium ion-recognition sites, demonstrated that the interaction between the zinc array and pAsp substrates formed both vaterite and calcite at low temperature (15 degrees C) and mainly vaterite at 25 degrees C; this interaction also controlled the morphology of calcium carbonate formed on pAsp substrate.     

Thermodynamic properties of the Cu-Au system using a face-centered-cubic lattice model with a renormalized potential

A Monte Carlo simulation is carried out to study thermodynamic properties of Cu-Au alloys using a face-centered-cubic (fcc) lattice-gas model. To obtain quantitatively accurate results, a Finnis-Sinclair-type potential, which has been widely used for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, is employed. To overcome some shortcomings of lattice-gas models such as neglecting vibrational entropy, the potential is mapped onto the fcc lattice using the renormalization technique. The renormalized potential gives an improved Cu-Au phase diagram compared to the original MD potential applied directly on the lattice.     

Nitriding of titanium with plasma jet under reduced pressure

The nitriding of titanium with argon-nitrogen (3%) and argon-nitrogen (3%)-hydrogen (2%) plasma jets at pressures of 190 torr was studied. The reaction kinetics obeyed mainly a parabolic law. The parabolic kinetic constants were 10^–10–10^–8 g² cm^–4 s^–1, which were 2–3 orders of magnitude larger than those in R.F. discharges. From emission spectroscopy, nitrogen atoms in the excited states were observed. The nitrogen atoms can promote the nitriding reaction. The effect of the addition of hydrogen to nitrogen is also briefly discussed.     

A New Approach to the Construction of BEDT-TTF Derivatives Condensed with Heterocycles via BF3-promoted Reactions of Organotin Thiolates

The synthesis of BEDT-TTF derivatives fused with heterocycles (3–7) has been accomplished via the BF₃-promoted reaction of organotin thiolates (8 and 9) with electrophiles (10 and 11). Electrical conductivities of radical cation salts derived from some of them were also investigated.     

Cascade Rearrangement of 5-Cyclopentylidenecyclooctanones

Acid-catalyzed rearrangement of 5-cyclopentylidenecyclooctanone derivatives 9a-c was examined to obtain polyspiropolyquinanes 11a-c, considered to have a unique helical structure, through cascade rearrangement pathways consisting of continuous transannular cyclization followed by successive 1,2-alkyl shifts. The substrates were prepared easily by use of the Wittig or McMurry reaction. Reaction of the 5-cyclopentylidenecyclooctanone (9a) with acid gave the expected dispirotriquinane ketone 11a in high yield. The precise mechanism was elucidated by a deuterium-labeling experiment. In the case of the ketone 9b, having another spiroannulated cyclopentane ring attached on 9a, the trispirotetraquiane 11b was not obtained but the bis-propellane-type tetrahydrofuran 25 was produced exclusively. The 5-(5'-cyclopentylidenecyclooctylidene)cyclooctanone (9c) afforded the polycyclic compounds 27-31, depending on the acid used, instead of the desired tetraspiropentaquinane 11c. The structures of the products were determined by NMR spectral data including 2D (13)C INADEQUATE spectra and X-ray crystallographic analyses. The unexpected rearrangement pathways are also discussed.