Short communications

Preconcentration of phosphate as molybdoantimonylphosphoric acid on polyurethane foam has been combined with X-ray fluorescence measurement of antimony for the indirect determination of phosphate. The extraction is optimum between pH 1 and 3.6 and no interference is observed from silicate. The precision is 5% RSD at the 0.25-mug ml level and the detection limit is 20 ng ml for 100 ml of sample solution.     

Vapor-liquid and vapor-solid phase equilibria for united-atom benzene models near their triple points: the importance of quadrupolar interactions

Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo simulations were used to calculate the vapor-liquid and vapor-solid coexistence curves for benzene using two simple united-atom models. An extension of the Gibbs ensemble method that makes use of an elongated box containing a slab of the condensed phase with a vapor phase along one axis was employed for the simulations of the vapor-solid equilibria and the vapor-liquid equilibria at very low reduced temperatures. Configurational-bias and aggregation-volume-bias Monte Carlo techniques were applied to improve the sampling of particle transfers between the two simulation boxes and between the vapor and condensed-phase regions of the elongated box. An isotropic united-atom representation with six Lennard-Jones sites at the positions of the carbon atoms was used for both force fields, but one model contained three additional out-of-plane partial charge sites to explicitly represent benzene's quadrupolar interactions. Both models were fitted to reproduce the critical temperature and density of benzene and yield a fair representation of the vapor-liquid coexistence curve. In contrast, differences between the models are very large for the vapor-solid coexistence curve. In particular, the lack of explicit quadrupolar interactions for the 6-site model greatly reduces the energetic differences between liquid and solid phases, and this model yields a triple point temperature that is about a factor of 2 too low. In contrast, the 9-site model predicts a triple point of benzene at T = 253 +/- 6 K and p = 2.3 +/- 0.8 kPa in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data (T = 278.7 K and p = 4.785 kPa).     

Investigation of the addition of dialkyl(aryl)phosphine oxides to alkyl(aryl)vinyldialkoxysilanes

Conclusions Alkyl(aryl){2-[dialkyl(aryl)phosphoryl]ethyl}dialkoxysilanes were obtained as a result of addition of dialkyl(aryl)phosphine oxides to alkyl(aryl)vinyldialkoxysilanes.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 183–186, January, 1985.     

Determination of enzyme kinetic parameters of cyclic CMP-specific phosphodiesterase by quantitative fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry

The determination of cytidine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate-specific phosphodiesterase activity by means of fast-atom bombardment (FAB) mass Spectrometry with mass-analysed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectrum scanning is described. Initial efforts to determine the activity of the enzyme by this method were unsuccessful owing to the obfuscation of sample-related peaks by peaks emanating from the incubation buffer and cation adducts; dilution of buffer and a desalting procedure overcame these difficulties. In the resulting positive-ion FAB mass spectra, characteristic peaks of the enzyme substrate and product could be readily identified and the protonated molecular ions selected for MIKE scanning. By spiking enzyme incubates with known amounts of substrate and product, and measuring peak heights in the MIKE spectra of both spiked and unspiked samples, the substrate/product ratio at the end of a series of phosphodiesterase incubations was determined. From the data obtained, the K_m and V_max of the phosphodiesterase were calculated as 6.08 mM and 11 μmol min^?1 mg^?1, respectively, showing good agreement with the analogous values of 8.06 mM and 5.8 μmol^?1 min^?1 mg^?1 obtained by radioactive assay.     

Kinetics and electrochemical studies on superoxide

Rate constants for the reaction of superoxide O^- ₂ with various substrates were obtained through stationary electrode polarography theory and technique. In solvent acetonitrile, the substrate and the rate constants of the reaction O^- ₂ + AH^{- k2}Product, are, AH = isopropanol (k₂ < 0.01 M^-1 s^-1); ethanol (k₂ = 1.42 × 10² M^-1 s^-1); methanol (k₂ = 1.1 × 10⁷ M^-1 s^-1), H₂O (k₂ = 1.0 × 10⁵ M^-1 s^-1). In MeCN, O^-2 was found to be rather unreactive towards glucose and acetone but it reacts with fructose and sucrose catalytically. However, in DMF2, O^- ₂reacts with glucose and fructose with k2 order of 105 M-1 s-1. The mechanism of the reaction of O^- ₂ with the substrates (AH) is proposed as O^- ₃ + AH k₂O, AH^k2 _k-1 k [O₂H + AH]^-, _k-2O₂H + A^- with k₁ = 10⁹ M^-1 s^-1 and k^-1 = 10⁸ -10⁹ s^-1. With these values of k_-1 and k₁, k k₂(obs). The reversible E_1/2 for O₂ + e O^- ₂ in various solvents: MeCN, acetone, isopropanol, methanol, H₂O were obtained either directly from the reversible voltammogram or from experimental voltammograms and the rate constants obtained (as above) using stationary electrode polargraphy theory; E_1/2 being -0.82 (MeCN),-0.85 (acetone),-0.72 (isopropanol);-0.66 (MeOH),-0.56 (H2O) vs SCE.     

Hydroarylation of alkynes and alkenes through alumina-sulfuric acid catalyzed regioselective CC bond formation

A highly atom-efficient synthetic protocol for hydroarylation of terminal-aryl alkynes and styrene through the regioselective CC bond formation via the electrophilic addition of naphthols and substituted phenols has been developed using alumina-sulfuric acid as a heterogeneous supported solid acid catalyst. This methodology shows excellent regioselectivity and affords the desired product in good to excellent yield. The heterogeneous catalyst can also be recycled efficiently without much loss of activity.     

Structure and Stereochemistry of New Sesquiterpene Esters from Echinacea purpurea (L.) MOENCH. (Preliminary communication)

The structure elucidation of four new constituents from the roots of Echinacea purpurea is described. They are shown to be cinnamoyl esters of sesquiterpene alcohols with a germacrane or a guaiane skeleton. First pharmacological results indicate immunological activities.     

A new flavonol glycoside from the aerial parts of Astragalus vulneraria

A new flavonol glycoside, isorhamnetin 3-O-beta-D-apiofuranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)]-beta-D-galactopyranoside, and the known diglycoside, isorhamnetin 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-galactopyranoside were isolated from the aerial parts of Astragalus vulneraria. Characterization of the two compounds was done by spectroscopic methods (1D and 2D NMR, and FAB-MS).     

A new route for the functionalisation of wood through transesterification reactions

A novel transesterification reaction between acetylated maritime pine sapwood (Pinus pinaster Soland) and methyl benzoate (MB), in the presence of dibutyltin oxide (DBTO) as a catalyst, was performed. Reaction was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance cross-polarisation with magic-angle spinning (NMR CP MAS) analysis: signals corresponding to benzoylated wood were identified and, when transesterification was performed with ethyl trimethylsilylacetate (ETMSA), characteristic trimethylsilyl groups were detected. The acetyl/benzoyl exchange rate was found to increase with increasing amount of DBTO, temperature and reaction time and a concurrent deterioration of the woody material was evidenced.     

Distorted five-fold coordination of Cu2+(aq) from a Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation

The solvation shell structure and dynamics of a single Cu2+ ion in a periodic box with 32 water molecules under ambient conditions has been investigated using Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations in a time-window of 18 ps. Five-fold coordination with four equidistant equatorial water molecules at 2.00 A and one axial water molecule at 2.45 A from the Cu2+ ion is found. A "hole" without water molecules is found on the opposite side of the axial water. The ion-water bonding character for the equatorial water molecules is different from that of the axial water molecules, as shown by a localized orbital analysis of the electronic structure. Moreover, the calculated OD stretching vibrational band for the equatorial water molecules lies ca. 175 cm-1 below the axial-water band, in good agreement with experimental data. The equatorial-water band lies below, and the axial-water band above, the pure liquid D2O band, also in agreement with experimental data.