Anomalous NMR behavior of meso compounds with remote stereogenic centers on addition of chiral shift reagent or chiral solvating agent

A problem has arisen in using chiral shift reagents (CSR) and chiral solvating agents (CSA) to determine meso and racemic forms of diastereoisomers in which the stereogenic centers of the molecules are separated by achiral spacers. It is found that NMR signals of both meso and racemic forms of diastereoisomers may exhibit doubling on addition of CSR/CSA, which means that unequivocal assignments cannot be made without characterizing the effects for separate meso and racemic forms; this is particularly important for additions of CSR/CSA at relatively low concentrations, which always result in the splitting of some NMR signals of diastereoisomers. The phenomenon is demonstrated in the (31)P NMR spectra of meso and racemic forms of three spermine-bridged gem-disubstituted cyclotriphosphazatrienes, 1a-c, and compared with analogous achiral molecules, the per-substituted spermine-bridged cyclotriphosphazatrienes 2a-d. As expected, only one set of (31)P NMR signals was observed for the achiral compounds 2a-d, even on addition of CSA. Two sets of (31)P NMR ABX multiplets corresponding to meso and racemic diastereoisomers were observed for compounds 1a-c; on addition of CSA, the signals of at least one of the multiplets for each compound separated into more than the expected groups of three lines with an intensity distribution of 2:1:1. To understand this phenomenon, the meso and racemic forms of 1a and 1b and the meso form of 1c have been separated and characterized by X-ray crystallography. On addition of CSA to the racemic forms of 1a and 1b, the (31)P NMR spectrum shows the expected doubling of signals, but, unexpectedly, the same is observed for each of the meso forms of 1a-c. Analogous results using both CSA and CSR have been obtained for the meso and racemic forms of the diastereoisomeric piperazine-bridged macrocyclic-phosphazene compound, 3, whereas no effect was observed for the two meso forms of the doubly bridged macrocyclic-phosphazene compound 4. The phenomenon of doubling of the (31)P NMR signals of the meso form of singly bridged cyclotriphosphazatrienes, 1a-c and 3, is explained by consideration of the equilibrium in solution of independent complexation of a chiral ligand with molecules that have two chiral cyclophosphazene moieties separated by an achiral spacer group. The results show that the stereogenicity of such diastereoisomeric molecules in solution cannot be characterized unequivocally by NMR measurements on addition of either CSR or CSA.     

In situ fabricated porous filters for microsystems

Porous filters were fabricated inside a microchannel using emulsion photo-polymerization. The porosity of the filter is dependent on the composition of the pre-polymer mixture. The morphology and flow resistance of four filters with varying water and cross-linker concentrations was studied. The porous filter was used to separate samples, such as whole blood to cell/serum components, based on size. The efficiency of cell/serum separation by the porous filter was tested by performing a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase assay and was found to be comparable to separation by centrifuge. The porous filter thus mimics the functionality of the centrifuge, with the added benefits of no power requirements and ability to handle small sample volumes.     

Synthesis and evaluation of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphoric acid analogues as alternate substrates for methylerythritol phosphate synthase

[structure: see text] Four deoxyxylulose phosphate (DXP) analogues were synthesized and evaluated as substrates/inhibitors for methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) synthase. In analogues CF(3)-DXP (1), CF(2)-DXP (2), and CF-DXP (3), the three methyl hydrogens at C1 of DXP were sequentially replaced by fluorine. In the fourth analogue, Et-DXP (4), the methyl group in DXP was replaced by an ethyl moiety. Analogues 1, 2, and 4 were not substrates for MEP synthase under normal catalytic conditions and were instead modest inhibitors with IC(50) values of 2.0, 3.4, and 6.2 mM, respectively. In contrast, 3 was a good substrate (k(cat) = 38 s(-)(1), K(m) = 227 muM) with a turnover rate similar to that of the natural substrate. These results are consistent with a retro-aldol/aldol mechanism rather than an alpha-ketol rearrangement for the enzyme-catalyzed conversion of DXP to MEP.     

Particle and surface characterization of a natural illite and study of its copper retention

Illite clays are known to have a strong affinity for metallic pollutants in the environment and can be applied as low-cost adsorbents for industrial waste treatment. A crucial factor in the development of such applications, however, is the understanding of the chemical, mineralogical, and colloidal properties of these clays. It is also important to understand the mechanisms involved in the surface adsorption of metals by these adsorbants. In order to study the retention of transition metals on illite clays, we have applied surface characterization techniques such as FPIA, SEM-EDX, XRD, N2 (77 K) adsorption, and FTIR. In addition to these experimental techniques, we have also employed a theoretical model that accounts for the chemistry of transition metal ions, and considers the global retention process to be the sum of several single retention processes. This model adequately fits the experimental data and allows for the speciation of metal retention on illite surfaces. Between pH values of 2.53 and 3.01 the only adsorption processes are the electrostatic sorption of [Cu(H2O)6]2+, and the surface complexation of [Cu(H2O)6]2+ and [Cu(OH)(H2O)5]+ ions. Surface complexation of [Cu(OH)(H2O)5]+ ions increases with pH, overcoming [Cu(H2O)6]2+ retention, and thus contributing to the surface precipitation of Cu(OH)2.     

A generic approach to the impurity profiling of drugs using standardised and independent capillary zone electrophoresis methods coupled to electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry

Three standardised, capillary zone electrophoresis-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (CZE-ESI-MS) methods were developed for the analysis of six drug candidates and their respective process-related impurities comprising a total of 22 analytes with a range of functional groups and lipophilicities. The selected background electrolyte conditions were found to be: 60/40 v/v 10 mM ammonium formate pH 3.5/organic, 60/40 v/v 10 mM ammonium acetate pH 7.0/organic and 10 mM piperidine, pH 10.5, where the organic solvent is 50/50 v/v methanol/acetonitrile. The coaxial sheath flow consisted of either 0.1% v/v formic acid in 50/50 v/v methanol/water, or 10 mM ammonium acetate in 50/50 v/v methanol/water, depending on the mixture being analysed. Factor analysis and informational theory were used to quantify the orthogonality of the methods and predict their complementarities. The three selected CZE-ESI-MS methods allowed the identification of 21 out of 22 of all the drug candidates and their process-related impurities and provided orthogonality with four established high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) methods. These methodologies therefore form the basis of a generic approach to impurity profiling of pharmaceutical drug candidates and can be applied with little or no analytical method development, thereby offering significant resource and time savings.     

Reactions of d0 group 4 amides with dioxygen. Preparation of unusual oxo aminoxy complexes and theoretical studies of their formation

Reactions of d0 amides M(NMe2)4 (M = Zr, 1; Hf, 2) with O2 have been found to yield unusual trinuclear oxo aminoxide complexes M3(NMe2)6(mu-NMe2)3(mu3-O)(mu3-ONMe2) (M = Zr, 3; Hf, 4) in high yields. Tetramethylhydrazine Me2N-NMe2 was also observed in the reaction mixtures. Crystal structures of 3 and 4 have been determined. Density functional theory calculations have been performed to explore the mechanistic pathways in the reactions of model complexes Zr(NR2)4 (R = H, 5; Me, 1) and [Zr(NR2)4]2 (R = H, 5a; Me, 1a) with triplet O2. Monomeric and dimeric reaction pathways in the formation of the Zr complex 3 are proposed.     

The crystal and molecular structure of a dinuclear copper(II) complex of a Robson-type macrocycle, [Cu2(C26H30N4O2)(H2O)2](BF4)2

Summary The crystal structure of the dinuclear complex [Cu₂(C₂₆H₃₀-N₄O₂)(H₂O)₂](BF₄)₂ was determined by x-ray crystallography. The crystals are triclinic, P¯1, witha = 10.945(5),b = 8.703(5),c = 8.495(5) Å, = 103.86(3)°, = 105.73(3)°, = 85.77(3)°, V = 756 ų D_c = 1.65 g cm^–3 for Z = 1. The copper(II) atoms are 5-coordinate and square-pyramidal. Selected bond distances are: Cu-N, 1.91 Å (mean); Cu-O(base) = 1.90(1) and 1.91(1) Å; Cu-O(apical) = 2.47(1) Å; There are O(water)-H ... F interionic hydrogen bonds in the structure. The Cu .. Cu distance is 2.847 Å.     

Synthesis of 8-substituted naphtho[2,1-b]thiophenes with cationic side chains at position 4

A series of five 8-substituted α-[bis(2-hydroxyethyi)aminoethyl]naphtho[2,1-b]thiophenes 7 and a series of seven N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-8-substituted naphtho[2,1-b]thiophene-4-carboxamides 8 have been synthesized. The naphtho[2,1-b]thiophene-4-carboxylic acids 4 were prepared by photooxidative cyclization of α-(2-thienyi)-β-arylacrylic acids 3. The carboxylic acids 4 were converted by a conventional five step route involving α-bromoketone intermediates to the a-[bis(2-hydroxyethyl)aminomethyl]-8-substituted naphtho-[2,1-6]thiophene-4-methanols 7 and by a standard two-step amide preparation to the N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-8-substituted naphtho[2,1-6]thiophene-4-carboxamides 8 .