Organic phase conversion of bulk (wurtzite) ZnO to nanophase (wurtzite and zinc blende) ZnO

We describe the all-organic phase conversion of bulk commercial ZnO in the wurtzite modification to sub-30 nm ZnO that we find to be partially in the zinc blende [, a=4.568(3) Å] modification. The conversion involves refluxing ZnO in 2,4-pentanedione (acetylacetone) at 413 K to form the zinc 2,4-pentanedionate, which is decomposed by heating at 573 K in an appropriate high-temperature solvent such as dibenzylether to form nanophase ZnO. This nanophase, partially zinc blende ZnO can also be obtained in a single step by heating commercial zinc 2,4-pentanedionate in refluxing dibenzylether. Thermodiffractometry suggests that the conversion of zinc blende ZnO to wurtzite ZnO commences near 650 K.     

Unusually sharp dependence of water exchange rate versus lanthanide ionic radii for a series of tetraamide complexes

The tetraamide ligand, DOTA-tetra(glycine ethyl ester), forms complexes with the lanthanide(III) cations that exist in solution predominantly as the square antiprism structure with single, slowly exchanging inner-sphere water molecule. Variable-temperature 1H and 17O NMR studies revealed that the bound water lifetimes in these complexes were sharply dependent upon the ionic radius of Ln3+ cation. A novel lanthanide-induced shift technique was used to unmask the bound water 17O resonance of SmL3+ and YL3+ complexes from the bulk water resonance. The bound water lifetime (tauM298) was approximately 800 mus in the EuL3+ complex but became much shorter (several microseconds) for Ln3+ cations with larger and smaller ionic radii. This demonstrates that water exchange is exquisitely fine-tuned in this macrocyclic tetraamide system and that a variety of Ln3+ complexes meet with the exchange requirement, Deltaomega*tauM >/= 1, necessary for an efficient MT agent.     

A Novel pH-Sensitive MRI Contrast Agent

A tetrasubstituted derivative of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane with amide coordinating groups and extended noncoordinating phosphonate groups forms a complex with gadolinium(III) (shown in the picture) which contains one slowly exchanging inner-sphere water molecule (tau(M)=21 μs). The 20-MHz water proton relaxivity of the complex was found to be highly pH dependent. Protonation of the noncoordinating phosphonate groups appears to catalyze prototropic exchange of the bound water protons, thereby providing a mechanism for enhanced water contrast below pH 7.     

Sterically demanding diporphyrin ligands and rhodium(II) porphyrin bimetalloradical complexes

A series of sterically demanding diporphyrins H2(por)-X-(por)H2 ligands that contain spacers (X) with different degrees of flexibility were synthesized from the trimesitylporphyrin derivatives 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-trimesitylporphyrin (TMP-OH)H2 (1a) and 5-(2,6-dimethyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-trimesityl-porphyrin, (DMTMP-OH)H2 (1b). The monomeric porphyrins 1a,b, which have steric demands similar to that of tetramesitylporphyrin, (TMP)H2, and carry a hydroxyl functional group at the para position of one of the mesophenyl substituents, were constructed from reaction of pyrrole with two aromatic aldehydes by a mixed aldehyde condensation approach. The diporphyrins with alkyl diether tethers were obtained stepwise from reactions of the hydroxy functionalized porphyrins 1a,b with dibromides Br(CH2)nBr. The diporphyrin which contains a more rigid m-xylylene spacer, was made directly from reaction of 1b with alpha,alpha'-dibromo-m-xylene. Rhodium was inserted into the porphyrins using Rh2(CO)2Cl2 and converted to dimethyl complexes Me-Rh(Por)-X-(Por)Rh-Me. The dirhodium(II) derivatives .Rh(por)-X-(por)Rh.) were generated by photolysis of the dimethyl complexes and observed to occur as stable bimetalloradicals because the ligand steric demands prohibit Rh(II)-Rh(II) bonding. EPR spectra of the dirhodium(II) derivatives, triphenyl phospine adducts, and dioxygen complexes are reported. The kinetic advantage of bimetalloradical complexes for substrate reactions that have two metal-centered radicals in the transition state is demonstrated by reactions of dihydrogen with dirhodium(II) bimetalloradical complexes.     

Development of a modified beta-cyclodextrin based fluorosensor for dipyridamole

2,6-O-diethyl-β-cyclodextrins were prepared and immobilized onto silica gel to develop a fluorosensor for dipyridamole. The analytical performance characteristics of the proposed sensor for analysis of dipyridamole were as follows: the detection limit was 0.8 nmol/L with a relative standard deviation of 1.4% for 10 determinations of 50 nmol/L of dipyridamole. The modification of β-CD improved the sensitivity and selectivity for measuring dipyridamole. The recommended method has been successfully tested for the determination of dipyridamole in clinical samples (urine and pharmaceutical preparations). Received: 23 January 1997 / Revised: 14 April 1997 / Accepted: 21 April 1997     

Synthesis of fused polycyclic aromatics by palladium-catalyzed annulation of arynes using 2-halobiaryls

The Pd-catalyzed annulation of arynes by 2-halobiaryls and related vinylic halides provides a very efficient, high yielding synthesis of polycyclic aromatic and heteroaromatic hydrocarbons. This process appears to involve the catalytic, stepwise coupling of two very reactive substrates, an aryne and an organopalladium species, to generate excellent yields of cross-coupled products.     

Studies on the determination of diacetyl guanfubase A concentration in rabbit plasma and pharmacokinetics

A gas chromatographic method for monitoring diacetyl guanfubase A in plasma is described. The procedure involved a single solvent extraction of drug from rabbit plasma into ethyl acetate with guanfubase A as an internal standard. The extract was analyzed subsequently on a gas chromatograph equipped with a hydrogen flame ionization detector. The recovery was 86.43% +/- 6.90% (+/- SD); the RSD of within-day and between-day was 2.81%-5.26% and 5.22%-8.24%, respectively; the regression line was linear over the concentration range of 25-200 micrograms/mL, the limit of detection was 10 micrograms/mL. No endogeneous interference was found in chromatograms of the biological samples. This method was applied to the pharmacokinetic study of diacetyl guanfubase A in rabbits.     

Independent generation of 5-(2'-deoxycytidinyl)methyl radical and the formation of a novel cross-link lesion between 5-methylcytosine and guanine

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can damage DNA. Although a number of single nucleobase lesions induced by ROS have been structurally characterized, only a few intrastrand cross-link lesions have been identified and characterized, and all of them involve adjacent thymine and guanine or adenine. In mammalian cells, the cytosines at CpG sites are methylated. On the basis of the similar reactivity of 5-methylcytosine and thymine toward hydroxyl radical and the similar orientation of adjacent thymine guanine (TG) and 5-methylcytosine guanine (mCG) in B-DNA, we predict that the cross-link lesion, which was identified in TG and has a covalent bond formed between the 5-methyl carbon atom of T and the C8 carbon atom of G, should also form at mCG site. Here, we report for the first time the independent generation of 5-(2'-deoxycytidinyl)methyl radical, and our results demonstrate that this radical can give rise to the predicted novel intrastrand cross-link lesion in dinucleoside monophosphates d(mCG) and d(GmC). Furthermore, we show that the cross-link lesion can also form in d(mCG) from gamma irradiation under anaerobic conditions.     

Determination of total arsenic in serum and packed cellsof patients with renal insufficiency

In order to investigate the arsenic level in serum and packed cells of patients with renal insufficiency, total arsenic (As) concentrations were determined with hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) in serum (S) and packed cells (PC) of 31 non-dialyzed patients. The accuracy of the method was tested by the analysis of arsenic in 3 certified reference materials. Patients showed a three-fold increase of arsenic concentrations in serum and a two-fold increase of arsenic in packed cells compared with controls. Patients (n=10) with higher serum creatinine (>2.0 mg/dL), urea (>0.70 g/L) and urinary protein (mean+/-SD: 1.12+/-0.82 g/L) showed higher arsenic concentrations (5.8+/-3.3 microg/L in serum and 18.0+/-16.7 microg/kg in packed cells) compared with those with lower creatinine (<1.6 mg/dL), urea (<0.6 g/L) and urinary protein (mean+/-SD: 0.27+/-0.82 g/L) (n=16, serum arsenic 1.2+/-1.2 microg/L, packed cells arsenic 2.6+/-1.9 microg/kg). The significant differences (both p < 0.001) in S and PC-arsenic levels of patients in group I and II implies a relationship between the arsenic level and the degree of chronic renal insufficiency.