Towards rod-shaped molecules based on the twelve-vertex ferratricarbollides

The compounds with a single and double -CH₂C₆H₄CH₂- spacer, [CpFeC₃B₈H₁₀-NH-CH₂C₆H₄CH₂-NH-C₃B₈H₁₀FeCp] and [CpFeC₃B₈H₁₀-N-(CH₂C₆H₄CH₂)₂-N-C₃B₈H₁₀FeCp], represent the first example of designed shaping by extremely stable cyclopentadienyl-ferratricarbollide (CpFeTCB) cages into rigid molecular constructions approaching linear arrangement.     

A study on the metalation of alkoxydibromobenzenes

The metalation of (quasi)alkoxy-substituted dibromobenzenes C₆H₃(OR)Br₂ with lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) has been investigated. For 1-(quasi)alkoxy-3,5-dibromobenzenes (R = Me, TMS), different selectivities were observed depending on reaction conditions and the size of the alkoxy group. The methoxy group was an effective ortho-director whereas this was not the case for the bulky trimethylsilyloxy group. The metalation of related 2,5-dibromoanisole was also examined showing a significant meta-directing effect by the methoxy group. The thermal stability of aryllithium intermediates is significantly lower when lithium is flanked by a bromine and a methoxy group, whereas 4-(quasi)alkoxy-2,6-dibromoaryllithiums are less labile.     

Absolute rate calculations: atom and proton transfers in hydrogen-bonded systems.

We calculate energy barriers of atom- and proton-transfer reactions in hydrogen-bonded complexes in the gas phase. Our calculations do not involve adjustable parameters and are based on bond-dissociation energies, ionization potentials, electron affinities, bond lengths, and vibration frequencies of the reactive bonds. The calculated barriers are in agreement with experimental data and high-level ab initio calculations. We relate the height of the barrier with the molecular properties of the reactants and complexes. The structure of complexes with strong hydrogen bonds approaches that of the transition state, and substantially reduces the barrier height. We calculate the hydrogen-abstraction rates in H-bonded systems using the transition-state theory with the semiclassical correction for tunneling, and show that they are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. H-bonding leads to an increase in tunneling corrections at room temperature.     

Ion excitation in a linear quadrupole ion trap with an added octopole field

Modeling of ion motion and experimental investigations of ion excitation in a linear quadrupole trap with a 4% added octopole field are described. The results are compared with those obtained with a conventional round rod set. Motion in the effective potential of the rod set can explain many of the observed phenomena. The frequencies of ion oscillation in the x and y directions shift with amplitude in opposite directions as the amplitudes of oscillation increase. Excitation profiles for ion fragmentation become asymmetric and in some cases show bistable behavior where the amplitude of oscillation suddenly jumps between high and low values with very small changes in excitation frequency. Experiments show these effects. Ions are injected into a linear trap, stored, isolated, excited for MS/MS, and then mass analyzed in a time-of-flight mass analyzer. Frequency shifts between the x and y motions are observed, and in some cases asymmetric excitation profiles and bistable behavior are observed. Higher MS/MS efficiencies are expected when an octopole field is added. MS/MS efficiencies (N(2) collision gas) have been measured for a conventional quadrupole rod set and a linear ion trap with a 4% added octopole field. Efficiencies are chemical compound dependent, but when an octopole field is added, efficiencies can be substantially higher than with a conventional rod set, particularly at pressures of 1.4 x 10(-4) torr or less.     

Carbon-bromine cleavage by dimethyl sulfoxide: the key step of C(5) functionalization of push-pull 2-alkylidene-4-oxothiazolidine vinyl bromides

Push-pull 2-alkylidene-4-oxothiazolidine vinyl bromides undergo efficient C(5) functionalization through DMSO-assisted carbon-bromine cleavage, followed by a bromine transfer-substitution (or elimination) sequence. A mechanism for this novel transformation is proposed.     

Determination of copper, lead, cadmium, zinc, and iron in calcium fluoride and other fluoride-containing samples by means of direct solid sampling GF-AAS

Direct solid sampling graphite furnace AAS (SS-GF-AAS) provides an advantageous alternative to the conventional AAS which requires wet digestion of the samples. This method is suitable for trace element determination in calcium fluoride and other fluoride-containing samples. Matrix effects were studied by using calibration standards, certified reference materials with different matrices and by means of three-dimensional calibration. 3D calibration is suitable for selection of calibration samples for more reliable analyses. Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, and Fe were determined by means of calibration with variation of sample weight using certified reference materials and suitable fluoride-containing calibration samples. Received: 25 July 1997 / Revised: 15 December 1997 / Accepted: 20 December 1997     

Copper(II), nickel(II), cobalt(II) and zinc(II) complexes of 2-[2-(6-methylbenzothiazolyl)azo]-5-dimethylaminobenzoic acid: synthesis,spectral, thermal and molecular modelling studies

Complexes of copper(II), nickel(II), cobalt(II), and zinc(II) with 2-[2-(6-methylbenzothiazolyl)azo]-5-dimethylaminobenzoic acid have been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, vibrational spectra, magnetic susceptibility measurements, conductance measurements and e.p.r. spectra. Stability constants have been evaluated potentiometrically. Electronic spectra, magnetic susceptibility measurements and molecular modeling studies support a distorted square planar geometry around the metal ions. Vibrational spectra indicate the coordination of the azo group, nitrogen of benzothiazole, the carboxylate anion and the acetate ion on complexation with the metal ion. All complexes are found to be monomers. The stability of the complexes follow the order: copper(II) > nickel(II) > cobalt(II) > zinc(II).     

Capillary electrophoresis with field-enhanced stacking for rapid and sensitive determination of strychnine and brucine

A new capillary electrophoresis procedure with field-enhanced stacking concentration for the analysis of strychnine and brucine is established. After optimization of the separation and concentration conditions, the two alkaloids can be separated within 5 min and quantified with high sensitivity (The detection limits were 1.0 ng mL(-1) for strychnine and 1.4 ng mL(-1) for brucine). The method was useful for qualitative and quantitative analysis of strychnine and brucine in Strychnos nux-vomica L with recovery of 105.1% for strychnine and 98.4% for brucine.     

Synthesis and new rearrangements of 4-isoxazolin-4,5-dicarboxylic acid derivatives

Acyclic nitrones react with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) to give stable isoxazolines, from which the ones that contain electron-donating aromatic rings at the C3 position (R¹) were shown to undergo unprecedented fragmentation at room temperature, giving the R¹-aldehyde and inseparable product mixtures, probably due to the formation of highly reactive species such as iminocarbenes. Attempts to convert the isoxazolines to the corresponding stable azomethine ylides, by refluxing in toluene, again led to the same product mixtures as above (e.g., the room temperature decomposition). Isoxazolines when reacted with methoxide at room temperature afforded highly functionalised diastereomeric mixtures. Also, isoxazolines, when reacted with propylamine, gave the corresponding amides regioselectively, all of which were more stable than the parent isoxazolines.     

Determination of thiol by high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection with 5-methyl-(2-(<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-iodoacetylaminophenyl)benzoxazole

A new high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for measuring low molecular weight (LMW) thiol-containing compounds, including cysteine (CysH), glutathione (GSH), N-acetylcysteine (Nac), penicillamine (PA), and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), has been developed by using 5-methyl-(2-(m-iodoacetylaminophenyl)benzoxazole (MIPBO) as fluorescence-labeling reagent. The derivatization and separation conditions have been investigated in detail. Detection limits ranging from 3.5 to 15.0 fmol were achieved for the thiols investigated in a 16 min separation with detection wavelengths 310 and 375 nm for the excitation and emission, respectively. The utility of the proposed method has been validated by measuring CysH in human urine samples.