Characteristic curved structure derived from collagen-containing tubular giant vesicles under static magnetic field

Collagen-containing tubular giant vesicles (Col–tGVs) under a high static magnetic field were found to constitute characteristic curved structures (e.g. circular, 8-figure, and hairpin-loop), which were sustained by polymerization of collagen units inside the tGV. We ascribed the formation of these structures to the elasticity of the tGV and to the competing diamagnetic anisotropies between collagen and the tGV. These curved structures can be well expressed by the equation of elastica.     

Hydrogen analysis in solid samples by utilizing He metastable atoms induced by TEA CO2 laser plasma in He gas at 1 atm

A TEA CO₂ laser (350 mJ–1.5 J, 10.6 μm, 200 ns, 10 Hz) was focused onto a metal sub-target under He as host gas at 1 atmospheric pressure with a small amount of impurity gas, such as water and ethanol vapors. It was found that the TEA CO₂ laser with the help of the metal sub-target is favorable for generating a strong, large volume helium gas breakdown plasma at 1 atmospheric pressure, in which the helium metastable-excited state was then produced overwhelmingly. While the metal sub-target itself was never ablated. The helium metastable-excited state produced after the strong helium gas breakdown plasma was considered to play an important role in exciting the atoms. This was confirmed by the specific characteristics of the detected H emission, namely the strong intensity with low background, narrow spectral width, and the long lifetime. This technique can be used for gas and solid samples analysis. For nonmetal solid analysis, a metal mesh was introduced in front of the nonmetal sample surface to help initiation of the helium gas breakdown plasma. For metal sample, analysis can be carried out by combining the TEA CO₂ laser and an Nd–YAG laser where the Nd–YAG laser is used to ablate the metal sample. The ablated atoms from the metal sample are then sent into the region of helium gas breakdown plasma induced by the TEA CO₂ laser to be excited through the helium metastable-excited state. This technique can be extended to the analysis of other elements, not limited only to hydrogen, such as halogens.     

Solid-phase syntheses of olefin-containing inhibitors for HTLV-1 protease using the Horner-Emmons reaction

[reaction: see text] The solid-phase Horner-Emmons reaction was successfully applied for the convenient syntheses of olefin-containing protease inhibitors. The isomerization during the solid-phase Horner-Emmons reaction can be minimized simply by the use of an appropriate amount of the base. The synthesized olefin peptides, which have an olefin gamma-amino acid at the scissile site, were found to act as effective inhibitors for the HTLV-1 protease for the first time.     

Stereoselective acid-catalyzed homoallylic rearrangement of cyclopropylsilylmethanols: an efficient route to Z-homoallyl derivatives

Treatment of cyclopropylsilylmethanols derived from cyclopropyl silyl ketones with acid catalyst gives the corresponding silyl-substituted homoallyl derivatives in high yields with good stereoselectivity, independent of the substituents on the cyclopropyl ring. Cyclopropylsilylmethanols having a n-, s-butyl or phenyl group on the carbinyl carbon react to afford the E-homoallyl derivatives selectively. On the other hand, the reaction of cyclopropylsilylmethanols having a tert-butyl group gives Z-isomers exclusively. The following protiodesilylation of the resulting homoallyl derivatives proceeds with retention of configuration.     

Synthesis and polymerization of N‐(4‐tetrahydropyranyl‐oxyphenyl)maleimide

N‐(4‐Tetrahydropyranyl‐oxy‐phenyl)maleimide (THPMI) was prepared and polymerized by radical or anionic initiators. THPMI could be polymerized by 2,2′‐azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) and potassium tert‐butoxide. Radical polymers (poly(THPMI)r) were obtained in 15–50% yields for AIBN in THF at 65°C after 2–5 h. The yield of anionic polymers (poly(THPMI)a) obtained from potassium tert‐butoxide in THF at 0°C after 20 h was 91%. The molecular weights of poly(THPMI)r and poly(THPMI)a were M_n = 2750–3300 (M_w/M_n = 1.2–3.3) and M_n = 11300 (M_w/M_n = 6.0), respectively. The difference in molecular weights of the polymers was due to the differences in the termination mechanism of polymerization and the solubility of these polymers in THF. The thermal decomposition temperatures were 205 and 365°C. The first decomposition step was based on elimination of the tetrahydropyranyl group from the poly(THPMI). Positive image patterns were obtained by chemical amplification of positive photoresist composed of poly(THPMI) and 4‐morpholinophenyl diazonium trifluoromethanesulfonate used as an acid generator. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 341–347, 1999     

Stereochemical recognition of doubly functional aminotransferase in 2-deoxystreptamine biosynthesis

The doubly functional aminotransferase BtrS in the 2-deoxystreptamine (DOS) biosynthesis, in which two transaminations are involved, was characterized by a genetic as well as a chemical approach with the heterologously expressed enzyme. The gene disruption study clearly showed that BtrS is involved, in addition to the previously confirmed first transamination, in the second transamination as well. This dual function of BtrS for the DOS biosynthesis was further confirmed by the structural determination of the reverse reaction product from DOS. Enantiospecific formation of the reverse reaction product from DOS clearly showed that BtrS distinguishes the enantiotopic amino groups of DOS, but in contrast, both enantiomers of 2-deoxy-scyllo-inosose (DOI) were efficiently accepted by BtrS to give a racemic product. This unique stereochemical recognition of DOI chirality and DOS prochirality by BtrS is mechanistically explained by a specific hydrogen-bond donating force in the enzyme active site as a particular feature of this doubly functional enzyme.     

Protonation-induced structural change of lyotropic liquid crystals in oley- and alkyldimethylamine oxides/water systems

Lyotropic phase behavior of the nonionic and the half-ionized oleyldimethylamine oxide (OlDMAO)/water systems was investigated using polarized light microscopy, small-angle X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry. Nonionic OlDMAO formed isotropic micellar solution, nematic, hexagonal, cubic, and lamellar liquid crystalline phases as the surfactant concentration increased. In contrast, half-ionized OlDMAO (i.e., 1:1 mixture of the nonionic and the protonated species) had a greater tendency to form bilayer structures, and the phase diagram became quite similar to those of double-chained ionic surfactants rather than single-chained ones, despite the introduction of positive charges to the nonionic one. The preference of the bilayer structures in the half-ionized OlDMAO was interpreted in terms of the dimers stabilized by the hydrogen bond between the nonionic and protonated species. For alkyldimethylamine oxides with a saturated hydrocarbon chain (CnDMAO, chain length: n = 14, 16, and 18), the phase sequence of lyotropic liquid crystals was hardly affected by the protonation, but an elongation of the cylinders of the hexagonal phase was observed for the half-ionized C14DMAO. Consequently, it can be considered that the dominant bilayer formation of the half-ionized OlDMAO is attributed to the combined effect of the hydrogen-bonded dimer formation and the cis-double-bond configuration of the alkyl chain.     

Ruthenium(II)-catalyzed hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to formic acid. Theoretical study of real catalyst, ligand effects, and solvation effects

Ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to formic acid was theoretically investigated with DFT and MP4(SDQ) methods, where a real catalyst, cis-Ru(H)2(PMe3)3, was employed in calculations and compared with a model catalyst, cis-Ru(H)2(PH3)3. Significant differences between the real and model systems are observed in CO2 insertion into the Ru(II)-H bond, isomerization of a ruthenium(II) eta1-formate intermediate, and metathesis of the eta1-formate intermediate with a dihydrogen molecule. All these reactions more easily occur in the real system than in the model system. The differences are interpreted in terms that PMe3 is more donating than PH3 and the trans-influence of PMe3 is stronger than that of PH3. The rate-determining step is the CO2 insertion into the Ru(II)-H bond. Its deltaG(o++) value is 16.8 (6.8) kcal/mol, where the value without parentheses is calculated with the MP4(SDQ) method and that in parentheses is calculated with the DFT method. Because this insertion is considerably endothermic, the coordination of the dihydrogen molecule with the ruthenium(II)-eta1-formate intermediate must necessarily occur to suppress the deinsertion. This means that the reaction rate increases with increase in the pressure of dihydrogen molecule, which is consistent with the experimental results. Solvent effects were investigated with the DPCM method. The activation barrier and reaction energy of the CO2 insertion reaction moderately decrease in the order gas phase > n-heptane > THF, while the activation barrier of the metathesis considerably increases in the order gas phase < n-heptane < THF. Thus, a polar solvent should be used because the insertion reaction is the rate-determining step.     

Nonadiabatic photodissociation process using an optical near field

We demonstrated the deposition of nanometric Zn dots using photodissociation with gas-phase diethylzinc and an optical near field under nonresonant conditions. To explain the experimental results, we proposed an exciton-phonon polariton model, and discuss the quantitative experimental dependence of the deposition rate on the optical power and photon energy based on photodissociation involving multiple-step excitation via molecular vibration modes. The physical basis of this process, which seems to violate the Franck-Condon principle, is the optically nonadiabatic excitation of the molecular vibration mode due to the steep spatial gradient of the optical near-field energy.     

Synthetic studies on (+)-aplasmomycin. 1. Stereoselective synthesis of the C-12˜C-17 segment

The C-12˜C-17 segment of (+)-aplasmomycin ( ) was synthesized stereoselectively starting from (−)-malic acid based on the stereoselective ketone reduction.