Solvatochromic studies of interactions between surfactants and poly(N-substituted acrylamide)s

Interactions between poly(N-substituted acrylamide)s and surfactants, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDoS) and sodium decyl sulfate (SDeS), in aqueous solutions were investigated using a solvatochromic probe. The polymers used were poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PIPA), poly(N-acryloylpyrrolidine) (PAPR), and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVPy) for comparison. They were labeled with pyridinium dicyanomethylide chromophore as a solvatochromic probe, and the changes in the microenvironment polarity of the polymer upon association with surfactant micelles were investigated by monitoring the λ_max in the absorption spectra of the probe molecule. It was found that the Gibbs free energy of micelle stabilization by polymer complexation for SDoS is 7.6, 4.1, and 2.2 kJ mol⁻¹, and for SDeS 5.1, 2.9, and 0.8 kJ mol⁻¹ with PIPA, PAPR, and PDMA, respectively. These results indicate that the complexation between polymer and surfactant is influenced not only by the alkyl-chain length of the surfactant, but also by the polymer side groups.     

Rapid ruthenium-catalyzed synthesis of pyranopyrandiones by reconstructive carbonylation of cyclopropenones involving C[bond]C bond cleavage

Pyranopyrandiones were prepared by a novel ruthenium-catalyzed carbonylative dimerization of cyclopropenones via C-C bond cleavage. For example, treatment of dipropylcyclopropenone with a catalytic amount of Ru3(CO)12 and NEt3 in THF under 15 atm of carbon monoxide at 140 degrees C for 20 h gave a novel functional monomer, 3,4,7,8-tetrapropylpyrano[6,5-e]pyran-2,6-dione, in an isolated yield of 81%. Unsymmetrically substituted pyranopyrandiones were also obtained by ruthenium-catalyzed carbonylative coupling of cyclopropenones with alkynes under similar reaction conditions.     

Thermodynamic study of complex formation of benzo-18-crown-6 with K+, Tl+, and Pb2+ in water

H ⁰ and S ⁰ values of the complex formation in water of benzo-18-crown-6 (B18C6) with K⁺, Tl⁺, and Pb²⁺ were determined and compared with those of 18-crown-6. The H⁰ values of B18C6 are negative. The stability in water of the B18C6-metal ion complex at 25°C is governed largely by the magnitude of the H ⁰ value. The B18C6-metal ion complex is less stable in water than the corresponding 18C6-metal ion complex. This is due largely to a less favorable enthalpic contribution of the B18C6-metal ion complex compared with the corresponding 18C6-metal ion complex. The two aromatic ether oxygen atoms of B18C6 are responsible for the larger H ⁰ value of the B18C6-metal ion complex compared with the corresponding 18C6-metal ion complex.     

Trifluoromethylated amino alcohols as chiral ligands for highly enantioselective Reformatsky reaction

The enantioselective Reformatsky reaction of PhCHO was achieved by the use of trifluoromethylated amino alcohols as chiral ligands to afford the corresponding optically active β-hydroxy ester with up to 90% ee.     

Gas Chromatographic Separation of Carbonyl Compounds as Their 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones Using Glass Capillary Columns

The gas chromatographic separation of 22 carbonyl compounds as their 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones was investigated using glass capillary columns. Complete separation of the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones of ten aliphatic aldehydes, eight aliphatic ketones and four aromatic aldehydes was obtained, except for the derivatives of n-valeraldehyde and isobutyl methyl ketone, whose peaks overlapped, and the o- and m-tolualdehyde derivatives, which were poorly separated. The optimum conditions were as follows: stationary phase, SF-96; column size, 20 m × 0.25 mm I.D. ; column temperature, 200-240°; injection and detector temperatures, 280-290°; carrier gas flow-rate, helium 1.0-1.2 ml/min or nitrogen 1.1-1.2 ml/min. The method was applied to the analysis of aliphatic carbonyl compounds in car exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke.     

Solid sampling technique for direct detection of condensed tannins in bark by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

A novel method for the direct analysis of condensed tannin components in bark was developed on the basis of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) combined with a simple solid sampling technique. The MALDI mass spectra obtained from the wood (bark) powder sample clearly showed a series of peaks corresponding to the sodium ion adducts of condensed tannin oligomers up to around m/z 3000. The results indicate that the condensed tannins in the bark sample used in this work mostly consist of combinations of flavan-3-ol units such as profisetinidin (PF), prorobinetinidin (PR) and prodelphinidin (PD), at least up to 10-mers (m/z approximately 3000).     

Reaction of tetraazathiapentalene and thiadiazolopyrimidine derivatives with heterocumulenes: Cycloaddition and elimination reactions via hypervalent sulfur intermediates

Tetraazathiapentalene derivative 1 reacts with heterocumulenes such as diphenylketene (2) and 2‐pyridylisothiocyanate (5) to give heterocycles 3, 6 and 7 with elimination of methylisothiocyanate. The reactions of thiadiazolopyrimidine derivatives 8a‐b with ethoxycarbonyl isothiocyanate (9) and carbon disulfide (11) gives heterocycles 10 and 12 via thermal decomposition of 1:1 cycloadducts C and D which have a hypervalent sulfur. The mechanistic and reactivity features of these reactions are described.     

The characteristic fragment ions and visualization of cationic starches on pulp fiber using ToF‐SIMS

Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) was used to investigate the distribution of cationic starch on pulp fiber. To identify the characteristic fragment ions of the cationic starches, deuterium‐labeled cationic starches were prepared and analyzed using ToF‐SIMS. The starch 2‐hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride derivative generated characteristic fragments at m/z 58 and 59, which were identified as [H₂C?N(CH₃)₂]⁺ and [N(CH₃)₃]^+·, respectively. The fragmentation patterns were also suggested. From the imaging analysis, the adsorption of the cationic starch on fibers was uneven on individual fibers, as well as between fibers. This may have been on account of fiber morphology and structure. On examining scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, the quaternary ammonium starch derivative (QS) did not penetrate the fiber. No migration of cationic starch was observed under various drying conditions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A novel separation technique of diastereomeric esters of pyridylethanols by extraction: formal total synthesis of PNU-142721, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor

The separation of diastereomeric esters derived from (±)-pyridylethanols and 3β-acetoxyetienic acid were achieved by an extraction technique using diethyl ether and aqueous hydrochloric acid. A formal total synthesis of PNU-142721 was effectively carried out to prepare the chiral, non-racemic synthon 1-furo[2,3-c]pyridin-5-yl-ethanol (1) by means of this technique. The structure optimized using MOPAC calculations on each diastereomer suggested the presence of intramolecular CH/π interaction in only the (S)-isomer of the diastereomers.     

Cloning and sequence analysis of the poly(3-hydroxyalkanoic acid)-synthesis genes ofPseudomonas acidophila

Pseudomonas acidophila can grow with CO₂ as a sole carbon source by the possession of a recombinant plasmid that clones genes that confer chemolithoautotrophic growth ability derived from the H₂-oxidizing bacteriumAlcaligenes hydrogenophilus. H₂-oxidizing bacteria produce poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) (PHB) from CO₂, but recombinant P.acidophila can produce the more useful biopolymer poly(3-hydroxyalkanoic acid) (PHA). In this study, thepha genes ofP. acidophila were cloned and a sequence analysis was carried out. A gene library was constructed using the cosmid vector pVK102. A recombinant cosmid carrying thepha genes was selected by the complementation of a PHB-negative mutant ofAlcaligenes eutrophus H16. The resulting recombinant cosmid pIK7 contained a 14.8-kb DNA insert. Subcloning was done, and the recombinant plasmid pEH74 was selected by hybridization with theA. eutrophus H16pha genes.Escherichia coli possessing pEH74 produced PHB, indicating that pEH74 contained thepha genes ofP. acidophila. The nucleotide sequences of the PHA-synthesis genesphaA (3-ketothiolase),phaB (acetoacetyl-CoA reductase), andphaC (PHA synthase) in pEH74 were determined. The homologies ofphaA, phaB, andphaC betweenP. acidophila andA. eutrophus H16 were 64.7, 76.1, and 56.6%, respectively.