The influence of polytypic structures on the M011-->M101 solid-solid phase transition of n-C36H74: an application of the oblique infrared transmission method

The molecular displacements on the M011-->M101 phase transition of n-hexatriacontane (n-C36H74) have been investigated with an IR microscope designed for the oblique infrared transmission method. It has been clarified that two polytypic structures of the M011 modification, single-layered structure (Mon) and double-layered one (Orth II), both transform to the M101 modification of single-layered structure with their respective mechanisms. On the M011(Mon)-->M101 transition, the inclination direction of molecular axis is changed by 90 degrees through an intermediate state in which the molecular chain is set perpendicular to the basal plane of the single crystal. On the other hand, a polymorphic-polytypic composite structural change on the M011(Orth II)-->M101 transition is accomplished through two kinds of molecular displacements occurring alternately along the stacking direction of molecular layers.     

Analytical application and spectrophotometric study of the scandium-indoferron complex

A new spectrophotometric method for microgram amounts of scandium with indoferron is described. The molar absorptivity is 960 l.mole⁻¹.mm⁻¹ at 600 nm. Uranium and the rare earths do not interfere, if present in amounts less than 50 μg. Scandium in silicate rocks can be determined by the procedure after separation of the scandium by a three-stage ion-exchange Chromatographic technique. The acid dissociation constants of indoferron and conditional formation constants of the 1:2 complex have been determined spectrophotometrically.     

Study of thermodynamic stabilities of polytypes of n-C36H74 by solubility measurements and incoherent inelastic neutron scattering

The thermodynamic properties of the two polytypes of n-hexatriacontane (n-C36H74), single-layered structure Mon and double-layered structure Orth II have been investigated by means of solubility measurements and incoherent inelastic neutron scattering. The solubility measurements reveal that Orth II is more stable than Mon by 1.2 kJ/mol because of the advantage of larger entropy. The neutron scattering measurements show that the vibrational modes of Orth II shift to the lower frequencies compared with those of Mon in the frequency region below 120 cm(-1). The advantage of Orth II in vibrational entropy due to the low-frequency shifts is estimated to be 9.6 J K(-1)/mol at 288 K under the harmonic approximation, which nearly agrees with the entropy difference of 6.8 J K(-1)/mol between Mon and Orth II determined by solubility measurements. These results suggest that the difference in vibrational entropy due to low-frequency modes mainly contributes to the relative thermodynamic stabilities of polytypic structures of long-chain compounds. From the frequency of methyl torsional mode, it is suggested that the cohesive force at the lamellar interface is stronger in Mon than in Orth II.     

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.     

Rapid oligosaccharide synthesis using a fluorous protective group

The Bfp-OH, a novel fluorous protecting reagent, was able to be easily prepared. The Bfp group was readily introduced to a carbohydrate, removed in high yield, and recyclable after cleavage. The use of the Bfp group made it possible to synthesize a pentasaccharide by minimal column chromatography purification. Each synthetic intermediate was able to be easily purified only by simple fluorous-organic solvent extraction and monitored by TLC, NMR, and MS.     

Identification of Shiga toxins in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli using immunoprecipitation and high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

We developed a rapid and reliable identification method for Shiga toxins in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) using immunoprecipitation and high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS). Polyclonal antisera specific for Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1) and Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2) were raised in rabbits so as to be used for the immunoprecipitation. The immunoprecipitaion was carried out by mixing sample solutions with 50 microl each of the antisera to Stx1 and Stx2 followed by allowing the mixed solutions to stand for 30 min. The quantity required to obtain the immunoprecipitate was more than 0.5 microg of Shiga toxins. HPLC-ESI-MS analysis of the resulting immunoprecipitates provided accurate molecular weight information on Shiga toxins, leading to direct evidence for the presence of these toxins. It requires at most two days to perform our procedure from toxin extraction to measurement of HPLC-ESI-MS whereas the previous method using isolation procedures required about two weeks to complete. The usefulness of the present method has been demonstrated by identifying Stx1, Stx2 and a variant of Stx2 (Stx2e) in the immunoprecipitates prepared from STEC strains.