An examination of intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonding in biomolecules by AM1 and MNDO/M semiempirical molecular orbital studies

The recent NMDO/M modification and parameterization of the MNDO molecular orbital method has been used to analyze intermolecular hydrogen bonding between amino acids and water, and intramolecular hydrogen bonding in monosaccharides. The results have been compared to AM1 calculations on the same systems. The MNDO/M calculations gave values which were similar to ab initio calculations with respect to the intermolecular interactions, but yielded significantly poorer results for the intramolecular interactions. The AM1 procedure performed better on the intramolecular interactions than the MNDO/M procedure, but frequently provided unfavorable three-centered hydrogen bonding geometries for the intermolecular interactions.     

A Convenient Regiospecific Synthesis of New Conjugated Tetrazole Derivatives via the Reaction of Dienones with the Tetrachlorosilane-Sodium Azide Reagent and their NMR Structural Assignment

Summary. Several new 1-aryl-, aralkyl-, and heteroaryl-5-(4-phenylbuta-1,3-dienyl)tetrazole derivatives and annulated tetrazole derivatives were efficiently and regiospecifically prepared in nearly quantitative yield via a facile one step reaction of dienones with a combination of tetrachlorosilane and sodium azide in acetonitrile under mild conditions. A complete structure assignment of three representative examples of the tetrazoles was achieved by advanced 2D NMR measurements including COSY, TOCSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY, and ROESY experiments.Received March 17, 2003; accepted March 18, 2003 Published online July 28, 2003     

Efficient unimolecular deprotonation of aniline radical cations

[reaction: see text] Deprotonation of the radical cations of aromatic amines, such as anilines, generally occurs much more slowly than other fragmentation reactions. Here we report a stereoelectronic effect involving twisting of the anilino group out of the plane of the benzene ring that results in a significantly increased rate of reactivity toward deprotonation. Quantitative studies of the rate constants for deprotonation as a function of aniline radical cation pKa (Br?nsted plots) demonstrate that the effect is not simply due to a change in the reaction thermodynamics. By combining this stereoelectronic effect with covalent attachment of carboxylate as a base, aniline radical cations that undergo unimolecular deprotonation with rate constants as high as 10(8) s(-1), even in unfavorable protic media, are described.     

Thermal and electrical behaviour of nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of 4-acetylamino-2-hydroxy-5-methylazobenzene

The thermal behaviour of the entitled nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of ¯4-acetylamino-2-hydroxy-5-methyl azobenzene has been studied by means of differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray powder diffraction, IR and electrical conductivity. A light has been thrown on the nature of interaction of the solvents of crystallization with the host complex. Some of the kinetic parameters are calculated and discussed.     

A Convenient Regiospecific Synthesis of New Conjugated Tetrazole Derivatives via the Reaction of Dienones with the Tetrachlorosilane-Sodium Azide Reagent and their NMR Structural Assignment

Several new 1-aryl-, aralkyl-, and heteroaryl-5-(4-phenylbuta-1,3-dienyl)tetrazole derivatives and annulated tetrazole derivatives were efficiently and regiospecifically prepared in nearly quantitative yield via a facile one step reaction of dienones with a combination of tetrachlorosilane and sodium azide in acetonitrile under mild conditions. A complete structure assignment of three representative examples of the tetrazoles was achieved by advanced 2D NMR measurements including COSY, TOCSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY, and ROESY experiments.     

A beta-glucosidase from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum: biochemical characterization and use in oligosaccharide synthesis

The filamentous fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, grown on a xylose medium, was found to excrete one beta-glucosidase (beta-glu x). The enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration, anion-exchange chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) gel filtration chromatography. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 130 kDa by HPLC gel filtration and 60 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, suggesting that beta-glu x may be a homodimer. For p-nitrophenyl beta-d-glucopyranoside hydrolysis, apparent Km and Vmax values were found to be 0.09 mM and 193 U/mg, respectively, while optimum temperature and pH were 55-60 degrees C and pH 5.0, respectively. beta-Glu x was strongly inhibited by Fe2+ and activated about 35% by Ca2+. beta-Glu x possesses strong transglucosylation activity in comparison with commercially available beta-glucosidases. The production rate of total glucooligosaccharides (GOSs) from 30% cellobiose at 50 degrees C and pH 5.0 for 6 h with 0.6 U/mL of enzyme preparation was 80 g/L. It reached 105 g/L under the same conditions when using cellobiose at 350 g/L (1.023 M). Finally, GOS structure was determined by mass spectrometry and 3C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.     

Synthesis of 2′-deoxyguanosine containing a N2-polyamine

The synthesis of benzylated N²-(4,7,10,13-tetraazatridec-1-yl)-2′-deoxyguanosines 4 was accomplished by a key nucleophilic reaction of the novel unsymmetrical polyamine 2 , with 3′,5′-O-(tetraisopropyldisiloxane-1,3-diyl)-2-chloro-2′-deoxyinosine ( 1 ).     

Reactivity of tungsten(0) and molybdenum(0) pentacarbonyl thiobenzoate anions: thiobenzoate as a cis-CO labilizing ligand

The [Et₄N][M(CO)₅SCOPh] complexes (1a, M = Mo; 2a, M = W) have been prepared at ambient temperatures by reacting the photogenerated M(CO)₅ THF intermediate with [Et₄N][SCOPh] in THF. Kinetic studies of the reactions of the anions [M(CO)₅SCOPh]^– with the tri(iso-propyl)phosphite (L) ligand under pseudo-first-order conditions indicate that these reactions are first-order in substrate and are independent of the P(OPr-i)₃ concentration. It is thus envisaged that these CO substitutions proceed via a mechanism which involves initial cis-M—CO bond-breaking, followed by fast attack of the incoming nucleophile on the resulting intermediate to give [cis-M(CO)₄{P(O-Pri)₃}SCOPh]^–. This facile displacement of cis-CO indicates the labilizing nature of the thiobenzoate ligand, most probably by virtue of distal oxygen atom participation. Activation parameters for the reactions are: [M(CO)₅SCOPh]^– + L cis-[M(CO)₄(L)SCOPh]^– + CO M = Mo, H = 24.6(2) kcal mol^–1, S = 8.2(6) eu; M = W, H = 28.4(2) kcal mol^–1, S = 11.3(5) eu. Kinetic data and the mechanism of these ligand-substitutions are discussed.     

Preparation of Diazo Phenyl Sulfides. Kinetics and Mechanism of the Diazo Coupling Reaction of p-Nitrobenzenediazo Phenyl Sulfide with β-Naphthol under Various Conditions

Aryldiazophenyl sulfides prepared from diazotised arylamines and thiophenol at controlled pH, are coupled with β-naphthol yielding the corresponding azo dye. A kinetic study of the diazo coupling reaction of p-nitrobenzenediazo phenyl sulfide with β-naphthol under various conditions revealed that the reaction is of first order kinetics with respect to the diazo phenyl sulfide, and that the rate of coupling measured colorimetrically is influenced by the hydrogen ion concentration and by the ionising power of the medium.     

Zein film as a novel natural biopolymer membrane in electrochemical detections

Permselective modifier films are very important in preparing highly sensitive electrochemical sensors. In this work, for the first time, the behavior of gold and glassy carbon electrodes coated with biocompatible zein film as a permselective membrane for the electrochemical detection of various compounds has been investigated. For this purpose, several electroactive cationic (methylene blue, brilliant green, and thionine) and anionic (potassium ferricyanide, alizarin red S, and riboflavin-5’-phosphate) compounds have been used as model. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that zein membranes prepared from casting solution containing 1% zein in ethanol/water have porous structures with high nanometric roughness. The capacitance values of electrical double layers of electrodes modified with zein film were very high for hydrophilic ions in comparison with hydrophobic ions. Point of zero charge pH (pH_pzc) of zein membrane was 4.8. The results of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as well as pH_pzc study indicated that zein permselective membrane acts as ion exchanger film for selected cationic compounds with fast electrochemical kinetics responses in aqueous solution (pH=7). This behavior was confirmed by circulating solutions containing model compounds from homemade continuous cell equipped with polyamide membranes modified with zein film.

Graphical Abstract