Electrochemically-induced spirolactonization of alpha-(methoxyphenoxy)alkanoic acids into quinone ketals

Anodic oxidation of two series of alpha-(2)- and alpha-(4-methoxyphenoxy)alkanoic acids were studied both at the analytical and preparative scales in order to delineate mechanistic aspects of electrochemically induced spirolactonization and to develop synthetically useful orthoquinone bis- and monoketals. Although alpha-monomethylated carboxylic acids and acetic acid derivatives do not undergo any spiroannulation, alpha-dimethylated carboxylic acids furnished spirolactones in high yields. A gem-dimethyl effect is invoked to explain these differences in cyclization capacity. Electrooxidation conditions can be selected to furnish either quinone spirolactone bis- or monoketals. Chemoselective monohydrolysis of bisketals can also be accomplished in a stepwise fashion to furnish the corresponding spirolactone monoketals, but the ortho compound unfortunately dimerized in situ via a Diels-Alder process. An ECEC pathway is proposed to rationalize the observed spirolactonizations on the basis of cyclic voltammetry analyses.     

Effect of Ion Energy on Structure and Composition of Cathodic Arc Deposited Alumina Thin Films

The effect of energy supplied to the growing alumina film on the composition and structure has been investigated by varying substrate temperature and substrate bias potential. The constitution and composition were studied by X-ray diffraction and elastic recoil detection analysis, respectively. Increasing the substrate bias potential from −50 to −100 V caused the amorphous or weakly crystalline films to evolve into stoichiometric, crystalline films with a mixture of the α- and γ-phase above 700 ^oC, and γ-phase dominated films at temperatures as low as 200 ^oC. All films had a grain size of <10 nm. The combined constitution and grain size data is consistent with previous work stating that γ-alumina is thermodynamically stable at grain sizes <12 nm [McHale et al., Science 277, 788 (1997)]. In order to correlate phase formation with synthesis conditions, the plasma chemistry and ion energy distributions were measured at synthesis conditions. These results indicate that for a substrate bias potential of −50 V, ion energies in excess of 100 eV are attained, both from a high energy tail and the accelerated ions with charge >1. These results are of importance for an increased understanding of the evolution of film composition and microstructure, also providing a pathway to γ-alumina growth at temperatures as low as 200 ^o C.     

Heteronuclear selective refocusing 2D NMR experiments for the spectral analysis of enantiomers in chiral oriented solvents

We report the use of carbon-proton heteronuclear selective refocusing 2D NMR experiments dedicated to the spectral analysis of enantiomers dissolved in weakly ordering chiral liquid crystalline solvents. The method permits the extraction of carbon-proton residual dipolar couplings for each enantiomer from a complex or unresolved proton-coupled 13C spectral patterns. Illustrative examples are analysed and discussed. It is shown that an accurate determination of enantiomeric excess is possible.     

Enzyme fingerprints of activity,and stereo- and enantioselectivity from fluorogenic and chromogenic substrate arrays

A series of stereochemically and structurally diverse fluorogenic and chromogenic substrates for hydrolytic enzymes has been synthesized and used to characterize enzyme activity profiles of esterases, lipases, proteases, peptidases, phosphatases, and epoxide hydrolases. The substrates used are particularly resilient to nonspecific reactions due to their mechanism of activation. The activities recorded with the individual substrates are therefore remarkably reproducible, and enable us to use the overall pattern of activity as a specific fingerprint for the enzyme sample. Fingerprints of activity, and enantio- and stereoselectivity are displayed as arrays of color-scale squares that are easily analyzed visually. Such fingerprints might be useful for quality control, enzyme discovery, and possibly for addressing the issue of functional convergence in enzymes.     

3-(4-Tolylazo)phenylboronic acid as the active component of polyhydroxy compounds-selective electrodes

Ionophoric, extraction, acidic and hydrophobic properties of 3-(4-tolylazo)phenylboronic acid (TAPBA) were studied. Determined K_d value equals to 36±2, pK_a equals to 8.6±0.5. TAPBA extracts dobutamine from water into chloroform and transports it across a bulk chloroform membrane. The recovery is 83% (pH=7.5), the transport rate – (6.5±0.5)×10⁻⁷ mol/h. ¹H and ¹³C NMR data confirm the formation of an 1:1 complex between arylboronic acid and catecholamine. TAPBA was used as electrode-active component of plasticized membrane electrodes with cationic and anionic responses to catecholamines and phenolic acids, respectively. For the diethyl sebacate-plasticized membrane, a slope of electrode function to dobutamine is 56±2 mV/decade; the detection limit is 1.3×10⁻⁵ mol/l; the linear range – 5×10⁻⁵–1×10⁻² mol/l; the working pH-range – 4.8–7.6; the response time – 5–10 s. ISE gives incomplete cationic function to less lipophilic catecholamines. The membrane with cationic additive shows an anionic response to caffeic acid in wide pH range.     

Molecular orbital calculations on transition metal complexes : XIX. π-cyclopentadienyl-π-cyclopropenylnickel

INDO SCF molecular orbital calculations for π-cyclopentadienyl-π-cyclopropenylnickel indicate a formally d¹⁰ configuration for the metal. Calculations of the ionisation energies show that electron loss should take place first from the occupied closely grouped set of dominantly d-orbitals, and then from a mainly π-cyclopentadienyl e orbital, this being the highest occupied ligand level. This latter level shows however only a slight mixing with the metal d-orbitals, resulting in a small ligand→metal electron donation; the dominant interaction is that between the higher lying π-cyclopropenyl e level and the metal 3d_xz and 3d_yz orbitals which leads to a substantial metal→ligand charge donation. The behaviour of the π-cyclopropenyl ligand is discussed using the calculated charge distributions.     

New designer drug 2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylthio-beta-phenethylamine (2C-T-2): studies on its metabolism and toxicological detection in rat urine using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Studies are described on the metabolism and the toxicological analysis of the phenethylamine-derived designer drug 2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylthio-beta-phenethylamine (2C-T-2) in rat urine using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) after enzymatic cleavage of conjugates, liquid-liquid extraction and derivatization. The structures of 14 metabolites were assigned tentatively by detailed interpretation of their mass spectra. Identification of these metabolites indicated that 2C-T-2 was metabolized by sulfoxidation followed by N-acetylation and either hydroxylation of the S-ethyl side chain or demethylation of one methoxy group, O-demethylation of the parent compound followed by N-acetylation and sulfoxidation, deamination followed by reduction to the corresponding alcohol followed by partial glucuronidation and/or sulfation or by oxidation to the corresponding acid followed either by partial glucuronidation or by degradation to the corresponding benzoic acid derivative followed by partial glucuronidation. Furthermore, 2C-T-2 was metabolized by N-acetylation of the parent compound followed either by O-demethylation and sulfoxidation or by S-dealkylation, S-methylation and sulfoxidation. The authors' systematic toxicological analysis (STA) procedure using full-scan GC/MS after acid hydrolysis, liquid-liquid extraction microwave-assisted acetylation allowed the detection of an intake of a dose of 2C-T-2 in rat urine, which corresponds to a common drug users' dose. Assuming similar metabolism, the described STA procedure should be suitable for proof of an intake of 2C-T-2 in human urine.     

Elasticity of polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules

We present a novel approach to probe elastic properties of polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules. The method is based on measurements of the capsule load-deformation curves with the atomic force microscope. The experiment suggests that at low applied load deformations of the capsule shell are elastic. Using elastic theory of membranes we relate force, deformation, elastic moduli, and characteristic sizes of the capsule. Fitting to the prediction of the model yields the lower limit for Young's modulus of the polyelectrolyte multilayers of the order of 1-100 MPa, depending on the template and solvent used for its dissolution. These values correspond to Young's modulus of an elastomer.     

Flow boundary conditions for chain-end adsorbing polymer blends

Using the phenol-terminated polycarbonate blend as an example, we demonstrate that the hydrodynamic boundary conditions for a flow of an adsorbing polymer melt are extremely sensitive to the structure of the epitaxial layer. Under shear, the adsorbed parts (chain ends) of the polymer melt move along the equipotential lines of the surface potential whereas the adsorbed additives serve as the surface defects. In response to the increase of the number of the adsorbed additives the surface layer becomes thinner and solidifies. This results in a gradual transition from the slip to the no-slip boundary condition for the melt flow, with a nonmonotonic dependence of the slip length on the surface concentration of the adsorbed ends.     

Substrate-induced pairing in 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexakis-undecalkoxy-triphenylene self-assembled monolayers on Au111

We present an STM study of self-assembled monolayers of 2,3,6,7,10,11-undecalkoxy-substituted triphenylene (T11) at the n-tetradecane/Au(111) interface under ambient conditions. T11 molecules self-organize as paired rows with molecules lying flat on the surface in an antiparallel position. Three alkyl chains of each T11 molecule align along the 110 direction of the underlying Au(111) substrate. The association of T11 in molecular pairs appears to result from a substrate-induced mechanism governed by the strong anisotropic interaction between T11 alkyl chains and Au(111).