Cumulative indices for Spectrochima Acta, Part A and Spectrochimica Acta, Part B

This article is an electronic publication in Spectrochimica Acta Electronica (SAE), a section of Spectrochimica Acta, Part B (SAB). The hardcopy text is accompanied by an electronic archive, stored on the SAE homepage at http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/sabe. The archive contains data, index and program files. The main article discusses the bibliographical purpose of the program and data files. A collective index for Spectrochimica Acta for volumes since it was split into Parts A and B, and continuing through 1991 for SAA and 1997 for SAB, is presented in DBF format, along with rudimentary data entry and access software.     

Observation of selenium-77 nuclear magnetic resonance in octaneselenol-protected gold nanoparticles

We report the first observation of 77Se nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in octaneselenol-protected Au nanoparticles of an average particle size of 2.5 nm. The 77Se NMR characteristics observed, i.e., broad line shape, fast nuclear spin-lattice, and spin-spin relaxation rates, which are reminiscent of 13C NMR of CO on transition metal surfaces, strongly suggest that Se becomes metallic upon binding to the Au nanoparticle surfaces.     

Filtered backprojection for the reconstruction of a high-resolution (4,2)D CH3-NH NOESY spectrum on a 29 kDa protein

Projection-reconstruction (PR) NMR enables rapid collection of multidimensional NMR data. NOESY represents a particularly difficult challenge for currently existing reconstruction algorithms, as it requires the quantitative reconstruction of an unknown number of peaks, at full sensitivity. We have demonstrated the successful application of PR-NMR to NOESY by determining the 4D methyl/amide NOESY spectrum of a 29 kDa protein, human carbonic anhydrase II, from 2D projections, using filtered backprojection for reconstruction. Compared with a 3D control spectrum, all expected peaks were faithfully reconstructed, with correct volumes and with no artifacts. Filtered backprojection thus provides a way to obtain high-resolution 4D NOESY data in the time required for conventional 3D data collection.     

Design and characterization of libraries of molecular fragments for use in NMR screening against protein targets

We have designed four generations of a low molecular weight fragment library for use in NMR-based screening against protein targets. The library initially contained 723 fragments which were selected manually from the Available Chemicals Directory. A series of in silico filters and property calculations were developed to automate the selection process, allowing a larger database of 1.79 M available compounds to be searched for a further 357 compounds that were added to the library. A kinase binding pharmacophore was then derived to select 174 kinase-focused fragments. Finally, an additional 61 fragments were selected to increase the number of different pharmacophores represented within the library. All of the fragments added to the library passed quality checks to ensure they were suitable for the screening protocol, with appropriate solubility, purity, chemical stability, and unambiguous NMR spectrum. The successive generations of libraries have been characterized through analysis of structural properties (molecular weight, lipophilicity, polar surface area, number of rotatable bonds, and hydrogen-bonding potential) and by analyzing their pharmacophoric complexity. These calculations have been used to compare the fragment libraries with a drug-like reference set of compounds and a set of molecules that bind to protein active sites. In addition, an analysis of the overall results of screening the library against the ATP binding site of two protein targets (HSP90 and CDK2) reveals different patterns of fragment binding, demonstrating that the approach can find selective compounds that discriminate between related binding sites.     

Equilibrium and kinetic aspects of the uptake of poly(ethylene oxide) by copolymer microgel particles of N-isopropylacrylamide and acrylic acid

The use of microgels for controlled uptake and release has been an area of active research for many years. In this work copolymer microgels of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and acrylic acid (AAc), containing different concentrations of AAc and also cross-linking monomer, have been prepared and characterized. These microgels are responsive to pH and temperature. As well as monitoring the equilibrium response to changes in these variables, the rates of swelling/de-swelling of the microgel particles, on changing either the pH or the temperature, have also been investigated. It is shown that the rate of de-swelling of the microgel particles containing AAc is much faster than the rate of swelling, on changing the pH appropriately. This is explained in terms of the relative mobilities of the H(+) and Na(+) ions, in and out of the particles. It was observed that the microgels containing AAc, at pH 8, de-swelled relatively slowly on heating to 50 degrees C from 20 degrees C. This is attributed to the resistance to collapse associated with the large increase in counterion concentration inside the microgel particles. The swelling and de-swelling properties of these copolymer microgels have also been investigated in aqueous poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) solutions, of different MW (2000-300 000). The corresponding absorbed amounts of PEO from solution onto the microgels have also been determined using a depletion method. The results, as a function of AAc content, cross-linker concentration, PEO MW, pH, and temperature, have been rationalized in terms of the ease and depth of penetration of the PEO chains into the various microgel particles and also the H-bonding associations between PEO and either the -COOH of the AAc moeities and/or the H of the amide groups (much weaker). Finally, the adsorption and desorption of the PEO molecules in to and out of the microgel particles have been shown to be extremely slow compared to normal diffusion time scales for polymer adsorption onto rigid surfaces.     

Self-selection in olefin cross-metathesis: the effect of remote functionality

Olefin cross-metathesis (CM) is potentially an attractive method for generating dynamic combinatorial libraries (DCLs). In order for the CM reaction to be useful for DCL production, the course of the reaction and product distribution must be relatively insensitive to functionality remote from the reacting centers. We report on the CM of a series of allyl- and homoallylamides that are strongly dependent on remote functionality. This includes an unusual example of a cis-selective CM. [Reaction: see text]     

Influence of surface states on electron transport through intrinsic Ge nanowires

Solution-grown single-crystal Ge nanowires were used as conductive channels in field effect transistor devices to study the influence of surface states on their electron transport properties. Nanowires contacted with Pt electrodes using focused ion beam metal deposition exhibited linear current-voltage (IV) curves at room temperature with apparent resistivities ranging from 10(1) to 10(-1) Omega cm. In all cases, the nanowire conductance decreased with positive external electric fields applied perpendicular to the nanowire surface by a gate electrode, characteristic of p-type carrier accumulation at the nanowire surface. The field-induced change in conductance exhibited a time-dependent relaxation, with response time and magnitude of current decrease that depended on the nanowire surface chemistry. Nanowires treated with an organic passivation layer using a thermally initiated hydrogermylation reaction exhibited 2 orders of magnitude slower current relaxation and a smaller decrease in current relative to "bare" nanowires with oxidized surfaces.     

Accelerated screening of phage-display output with alkaline phosphatase fusions

When using multiple targets and libraries, selection of affinity reagents from phage-displayed libraries is a relatively time-consuming process. Herein, we describe an automation-amenable approach to accelerate the process by using alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion proteins in place of the phage ELISA screening and subsequent confirmation steps with purified protein. After two or three rounds of affinity selection, the open reading frames that encode the affinity selected molecules (i.e., antibody fragments, engineered scaffold proteins, combinatorial peptides) are amplified from the phage or phagemid DNA molecules by PCR and cloned en masse by a Ligation Independent Cloning (LIC) method into a plasmid encoding a highly active variant of E. coli AP. This time-saving process identifies affinity reagents that work out of context of the phage and that can be used in various downstream enzyme linked binding assays. The utility of this approach was demonstrated by analyzing single-chain antibodies (scFvs), engineered fibronectin type III domains (FN3), and combinatorial peptides that were selected for binding to the Epsin N-terminal Homology (ENTH) domain of epsin 1, the c-Src SH3 domain, and the appendage domain of the gamma subunit of the clathrin adaptor complex, AP-1, respectively.     

Reactions of metalloalkynes VII. Protonation of ruthenium ethyne-1,2-diyl complexes

The acid–base chemistry of some ruthenium ethyne-1,2-diyl complexes, [{Ru(CO)₂(η-C₅H₄R)}₂(μ₂-CC)] (R=H, Me) has been investigated. Initial protonation of [{Ru(CO)₂{η-C₅H₄R}}₂(μ₂-CC)] gave the unexpected complex cation, crystallised as the BF₄ salt, [{Ru(CO)₂(η-C₅H₄R}}₃(μ₃-CC)][BF₄] (R=Me structurally characterised). This synthesis proved to be unreliable but subsequent, careful protonation experiments gave excellent yields of the protonated ethyne-1,2-diyl complexes, [{Ru(CO)₂{η-C₅H₄R)}₂(μ₂-η¹:η²-CCH)](BF₄) (R=Me structurally characterised) which could be deprotonated in high yield to return the starting ethyne-1,2-diyl complexes.     

A comparison of the role of charge transfer,hyperconjugation, inductive and field interactions in substitutd methyl and silyl substituent effects on benzene π vertical ionization energies

The first two vertical π-ionization energies of MX₃ substituted benzenes as determined by photoelectron spectroscopy are compared with the results of modified CNDO/2 calculations, where M is Si or C and X is H, F, Cl and OCH₃. The major substituent interaction mechanisms of MX₃ are described within the CNDO/2 model. The results for methylorthobenzoate support intramolecular charge transfer stabilization of the benzene radical cation ground state by oxygen lone pair electrons, whereas the dominant interaction of the Si(OCH₃)₃ group is a positive charge stabilising field effect. The first vertical ionization energies of PhSiCl₃ and PhCCl₃ are unexpectedly assigned to ionization from the a′ π orbital rather than the a″ orbital nodal at the substituent site. Carbon-chlorine hyperconjugation is a suggested stabilizing interaction in the PhCCl₃²A′ cation. The shape of the first band in the PE spectrum of phenylsilane is described as a possible example of a pseudo Jahn—Teller effect. Unlike CX₃, SiX₃ substituents except, where X is methoxy, exhibit calculated opposing field and σ-inductive effects.