Mild and practical method for the alpha-arylation of nitriles with heteroaryl halides

[reaction: see text] A mild and transition-metal-free method for the alpha-arylation of aliphatic nitriles with activated heteroaryl halides was developed using NaHMDS or KHMDS as base at ambient temperature. The key to the success of this method is generation of the nitrile anion in the presence of the heteroaryl halide. The method is applicable to both primary and secondary carbonitriles and a wide range of heteroaryl halides. Selective monoarylation was observed with primary carbonitriles. The operational simplicity and the mild reaction conditions add to the value of this method as a practical alternative to the preparation of alpha-heteroaryl carbonitriles.     

Sequential actions of cobalt nanoparticles and palladium(II) catalysts: three-step one-pot synthesis of fenestranes from an enyne and an alkyne diester

A three-step one-pot synthesis of fenestranes from a readily available enyne and an alkyne diester has been carried out with cobalt nanoparticles and palladium(II) as catalysts.     

Molecular variations in Th1-specific cell surface gene Tim-3

The family of T-cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain (TIM) proteins is identified to be expressed on T cells. A member of Tim family, Tim-3 (T cell immunoglobulin mucin 3) is selectively expressed on the surface of differentiated Th1 cells. Tim-3 might have an important role in the induction of autoimmune diseases by regulating macrophage activation and interacts with Tim-3 ligand to regulate Th1 responses. To determine the variation sites in the coding and promoter region of human Tim-3 gene, we performed variation scanning by direct sequencing using the genomic DNA isolated from the patients with asthma or allergic rhinitis and healthy controls without asthma and allergic rhinitis. We identified four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) including one novel SNPs (-1541C>T) and two variation sites (-1292_-1289delTAAA and -1282_-1278dupTAAAA) in the coding and promoter region of human Tim-3 gene in both the patients and healthy groups.     

Determination of estrone and 17 beta-estradiol in human hair by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

An efficient procedure is described for the determination of estrone and 17 beta-estradiol in hair by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The method involves alkyloxycarbonylation with isobutyl chloroformate (isoBCF) of phenolic hydroxy groups after alkaline digestion of hair samples. The resulting isobutyloxycarbonyl derivatives of estrone and 17 beta-estradiol are extracted with hexane and subjected to chlorodifluoroacetyl derivatization in order to protect the remaining alcoholic hydroxy groups. When GC-MS with selected ion monitoring (SIM) was used, the quantitative ions were at m/z 270 and 384 in the electron ionization mass spectra for estrone and 17 beta-estradiol, respectively. The detection limits for SIM of the steroids were 1 and 2 pg, respectively, and the SIM responses were linear with correlation coefficients varying from 0.991 to 0.994 in the concentration range 0.2-4.0 ng g-1 for the estrogens studied. The detection of estrone and 17 beta-estradiol in hair samples was possible in the concentration range of 0.24-1.30 ng g-1. The concentrations of the two estrogens detected were different in male and female hair samples.     

Hypoxanthine,xanthine and theobromine complexes with palladium(II) and platinum(IV) chlorides

Summary Complexes of the general types Pd(L)(LH)Cl (LH=hxH, xnH, or tbH) and Pt(L)(LH)Cl₃ (LH=hxH, or xnH) are formed by boiling under reflux 21 molar mixtures of hypoxanthine (hxH), xanthine (xnH) or theobromine (tbH) and PdCl₂ or PtCl₄ in ethanol-triethyl orthoformate. These complexes appear to be linear chain polymeric species, characterized by single monoanionic L^– ligands bridging between adjacent Pd²⁺ or Pt⁴⁺ ions. Inclusion of one terminal neutral LH and one terminal chloro-ligand completes the coordination sphere in the square-planar Pd²⁺ complexes, while the Pt⁴⁺ complexes aretrans-octahedral, involving three terminal chloro and one terminal LH ligand per platinum. The possible binding sites of the bidentate bridging L^– and the unidentate terminal LH are discussed.     

Stereochemistry of the thermal isomerizations of (2S,3R-methoxymethyl-2,3-dideuterio-1-(dideuteriomethylene)cyclopropane

The (2S,3R) isomer of 2-methoxymethyl-2,3-dideuterio-1-(dideuteriomethylene)cyclopropane has been synthesized and heated at 198.8°: from the experimentally observed mol fractions of the eight isomers of 2,3,α,α,- and 2,3,3,α - tetradeuterio - 2 - methoxymethyl - 1 - methylenecyclopropane in the pyrolysis product mixture have been derived rate constants for seven distinct modes of isomerization. One-center thermal epimerizations at C(2) and C(3) and the C(2)C(3) two-center epimerization are of kinetic importance. Only two of four observable stereochemical modes for carbon [1,3] shifts are seen: there is inversion of stereochemistry at the migrating C atom, while the C(3)H trans to C(2)-CH₂OCH₃ in starting material becomes syn 4 : 1 C(α)-H in the [1,3] shift product. Stereomutation at C(2) does not occur along the reaction coordinate for [1,3] carbon shifts.     

Synthesis and Mesogenic Properties of Liquid Crystals Containing Terminal Cyclohexylmethanol,Cyclopentylmethanol, Cyclobutylmethanol and Cyclopropylmethanol Moiety

Four series of compounds 11?50 containing terminal alicyclic rings such as cyclohexylmethyl, cyclopentylmethyl, cyclobutylmethyl, and cyclopropylmethyl rings were synthesized and their liquid crystal behavior studied. The ring size and the length of flexible alkoxy chain influence the phase formation in different ways. While the smaller ring and the shorter alkoxy chain tend to favor the formation of the N phase, the larger ring and the longer alkoxy chain tend to favor the formation of the SmC phase. All the compounds except 11 and 21 exhibit SmA phases. The widest temperature range of the N, SmA, and SmC phases are found in the compounds 41 , 46 , and 20 , respectively, which are 75 °C for 41 , 115 °C for 46 , and 100 °C for 20 .     

Thermometric titrations at elevated temperatures

The oxidizing power of hexacyanoferrate(III) in alkaline conditions is wellknown. Unfortunately many if its oxidation reactions are too slow at room temperatures for direct titrimetric procedures. A method has been developed for the determination of millimolar amounts of selenium(IV), arsenic(III), antimony(III), chromium(III), and thallium(I) using thermometric titrimetry at approximately 330 K. The reproducibility and accuracy of the method are approximately 1%.     

Comparative studies of various run buffers for chiral capillary electrophoresis using chiral crown ether as a chiral selector

In the capillary electrophoretic separation of primary amine enantiomers using (+)-(18-crown-6)-tetracarboxylic acid (18C6H4) as a chiral selector, the presence of run buffer constituents such as tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) or Na+ competing with analytes for 18C6H4, diminishes the effectiveness of 18C6H4. In order to determine appropriate buffer systems for 18C6H4, various run buffer cationic components including Tris, 1,3-bis[tris(hydroxymethyl)methylamino]propane, bis(2-hydroxyethyl)iminotris(hydroxymethyl)methane, triethanolamine, tetramethylammonium, and Na+ were compared. Quantitative studies of the effects of the competitive constituents were carried out by measuring the electrophoretic mobilities of histidine as a function of the 18C6H4 concentration. We also derived a simple equation to estimate the optimal chiral selector concentration for a maximum mobility difference in the presence of a competitive inhibitor.     

Enhancement of phosphoprotein analysis using a fluorescent affinity tag and mass spectrometry

A fluorescent affinity tag (FAT) was synthesized and was utilized to selectively modify phosphorylated serine and threonine residues via beta-elimination and Michael addition chemistries in a 'one-step' reaction. This labeling technique was used for covalent modification of both phosphoproteins and phosphopeptides, allowing identification of these molecular species by fluorescence imaging after solution- or gel-based separation methods. In addition to the strong fluorescence of the rhodamine tag, a commercially available antibody can be used to enrich low-abundance post-labeled phosphopeptides present in complex mixtures. Application of this methodology to phosphorylation-site mapping has been evaluated for a phosphoprotein standard, bovine beta-casein. Initial results demonstrated low femtomole detection limits after fluorescence image analysis of FAT-labeled proteins or peptides.