Design of Supramolecular Cyclodextrin Complex Sensors for Ion and Molecule Recognition in Water

The design and function of novel supramolecular fluoroionophore/cyclodextrin (CyD) complex sensors for ion and molecule recognition in water are reviewed. For the crown ether fluoroionophore/-CyD complex, the dimerization of the fluoroionophore inside the -CyD is found to be selectively promoted by alkali metal ion binding, thereby resulting in metal-ion-selective pyrene dimer emission in water. This supramolecular function is successfully utilized in the design of a podand fluoroionophore/-CyD complex for sensing toxic lead ion in water. The boronic acid fluoroionophore/-CyD complex binds sugars and produces increased fluorescence emission in water. The response mechanism appears to be due to the suppression of the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from pyrene donor to trigonal phenylboronic acid acceptor. This is a novel emission function provided by the boronic acid fluoroionophore/-CyD complex sensors in water.     

Macrocyclic polycther sulfide syntheses. The preparation of thia-crown-5, 6 and 7 compounds

Macroeyclic polyether sulfides have been prepared by reacting an oligoethylene glycol dichloride with a dimercaptan or sodium sulfide as reported in a previous paper (6). The following new compounds were prepared: 1,4,7-trithia(15-crown-5) (1); 1,4,10-trithia(15-crown-5) (II): 1,4,7,10-tetrathia(15-crown-5) (III); I-thia(18-crown-6) (IV); 1,4-dithia(18-crown-6) (V); 1,7-dithia(18-crown-6) (VI); 1,4,7-trithia(18-crown-6) (VII); 1,7-dithia(21-crown-7) (VIII); and 1,4,7-trithia(21-crown-7) (IX). The melting points of these and previously reported thia-crown compounds correlate with their structures. X-ray analyses of two thia-crown compounds indicate that the large sulfur atoms are directed away from the center of the ring.     

An approach for quinolines via palladium-catalyzed Heck coupling followed by cyclization

2-Iodoaniline reacts with α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in DMF at 100 °C in the presence of a catalytic amount of a palladium catalyst along with a base to afford the corresponding quinolones or quinolines in moderate to good yields.     

Ruthenium(II) complexes of monodonor ligands: efficient reagents for asymmetric ketone hydrogenation

[Chemical reaction: See text] A series of BINOL-derived ligands have been prepared and incorporated into ruthenium(II) complexes containing a diamine ligand. The complexes have proven to be excellent catalysts for the asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones, giving reduction products with enantiomeric excesses of up to 99%.     

Biomedical significance of endothelial cell specific growth factor, angiopoietin

Until recently, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was the only growth factor proven to be specific and critical for blood vessel formation. Other long-known factors, such as the fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), platelet-derived growth factor, or transforming growth factor-beta, had profound effects in endothelial cells. But such factors were nonspecific, in that they could act on many other cells, and it seemed unlikely that these growth factors would be effective targets for treatment of endothelial cell diseases. A recently discovered endothelial cell specific growth factor, angiopoietin, has greatly contributed to our understanding of the development, physiology, and pathology of endothelial cells (Davis et al., 1996; Yancopoulos et al., 2000). The recent studies that identified and characterized the physiological and pathological roles of angiopoietin have allowed us to widen and deepen our knowledge about blood vessel formation and vascular endothelial function. Therefore, in this review, we describe the biomedical significance of these endothelial cell growth factors, the angiopoietins, in the vascular system under normal and pathological states.     

Octahedral cobalt(III) complexes of the chloropentammine type. XXVII. Effects of Methyl Substituents on reactivities of the cis-chloro-n-propylaminebis(ethylenediamine)-cobalt(III) cation

Salts of one isomeric form of the chloro-n-butylamine-, chloro-iso-butyl-amine- and chloro-sec-butylamine-bis(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III) cations have been prepared and characterised to have a cis-configuration (IR and VIS spectroscopy). Rate constants for their spontaneous aquation, mercury(II)-induced aquation and base hydrolysis have been determined and the activation parameters calculated. The results are compared with data obtained for the n-propylamine complex with a view to investigate the effects of methyl (α, β, γ) substituents on reactivities. The rate-determining dissociation of the outgoing group (Cl^? or HgCl⁺) takes place via either a square-pyramidal or a trigonal-bipyramidal intermediate, depending on whether the activation entropy is negative or positive.     

Compositional and 2H NMR studies of bis(benzene)chromium composites of mesoporous vanadium-niobium mixed oxides

New mesoporous niobium oxides with 5, 10, and 15 mol% vanadium(V) doped into the walls of the structure were synthesized by the ligand-assisted templating method with an octadecylamine template. These materials were characterized by XRD, XPS, EPR, elemental analysis, and nitrogen adsorption before being treated with excess bis(benzene)chromium to give new composites with an organometallic phase in the walls. All materials were also characterized by EPR, XRD, nitrogen adsorption, XPS, SQUID magnetometry, and elemental analysis. The materials with higher percentages of vanadium absorbed more bis(benzene)chromium, because this process depends largely on the electron transfer between the organometallic and the walls of the mesostructure and vanadium(V) is a stronger oxidant than niobium(V). Conductivity studies on these materials revealed that the ratio of Cr(0) to Cr(l) in the pores was more important than the absolute Cr loading level in governing electron transport properties but that increasing the V content led to more insulating behavior regardless of the Cr concentration. Solid-state 2H NMR studies on perdeuteriobenzene analogues of these composites showed the presence of the neutral and cationic Cr species in different ratios depending on the loading. Tumbling of these species was also slow on the NMR time scale, indicating that the charge-carrying Cr species are not rapidly moving through the pore channels of the mesostructure. This suggests that the walls of the structure may play a key role in charge transfer in these composites, contrary to what was previously believed.     

Solution properties of polyoxymethylene

Light scattering and viscosity have been measured at 25°C. for dilute solutions of six unfractionated polyoxymethylene samples in the mixed solvent hexafluoroacetone–water (mole ratio 1/1.7) slightly buffered with triethylamine. Dialysis equilibrium through porous Vycor glass thimbles indicates that the polymer is strongly solvated by the hydrate (CF₃)₂C(OH)₂, and this must be taken into account in evaluating weight-average molecular weights from the light-scattering data. Over the molecular weight range 23,000–185,000, the intrinsic viscosities (in deciliter per gram) follow the relation The corresponding unperturbed dimensions are σ = 2.3 ± 0.2 or r₀²/nl² = 10.5 ± 1.5.     

Novel synthesis of sterically hindered N-substituted lactams from imides

An efficient and practical synthesis of sterically hindered N-substituted lactams has been developed starting from simple starting materials. The stereochemistry of the synthetically useful N,N acetal intermediate has been established.     

Capillary gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric study of the effect of solvents on metoprolol and other aryloxypropanolamines

When metoprolol in methanol was analysed by capillary gas chromatography (GC), an additional peak was observed; mass spectrometry (MS) showed this additional peak to have a molecular weight 12 dalton higher than that of the parent compound. A similar phenomenon was observed with other beta-adrenergic blocking aryloxypropanolamines in methanol or dichloromethane. Capillary GC-MS using deuterated solvents as isotopic markers showed that a methylene group from the solvents was incorporated into the parent molecule. The structure of the observed products and the mechanism of their formation are proposed.