Molecular shape effects and quantum theory

Certain features of the chemist's molecular structure model, viz. size and shape, are retrieved even in the best non-adiabatic variational calculations thus far carried out for ground states of H ₂ ⁺ and H₂. Those features do not conflict with the full symmetry of exact molecular eigenstates, once they are properly understood as correlation effects.     

Development of a capillary electrophoretic method for the separation of diastereoisomers of a new human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitor

A capillary electrophoretic (CE) method was developed for the separation of diastereoisomers of a new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitor TMC114. In total 16 isomers of this drug have been synthesized (eight pairs of enantiomers). We succeeded in the separation of the eight diastereoisomers, but no enantiomers could be separated. Because of the high similarity and water-insolubility of these isomers, the separation is a real challenge. Different CE modes were tried out: capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE), micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC), and microemulsion electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEEKC). Only MEEKC offered resolution of these compounds.     

Potentiometric studies on the complexation of copper(II) by phenolic acids as discrete ligand models of humic substances

Studies on the complexation of copper(II) by phenolic acids, as ligand models of humic substances were done by potentiometry. The acids under study were: 3,4-dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid or hydrocaffeic acid (1), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (2) and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid or protocatechuic acid (3). Acidity constants of the ligands and the formation constants of metal-ligand complexes were evaluated by computer programs. The carboxylic group of the phenolic acids has different pK_a1 values, being the dissociation constants intrinsically related with the distance between the function and the aromatic nucleus. The results obtained allow concluding that acidity constants of the catechol moiety of the compounds are similar with pK_a2 and pK_a3 values between 9.47-9.41 and 11.55-11.70. The complexation properties of the three ligands towards copper(II) ion are quite similar, being the species found not different either in nature or stability. Although the model ligands have some structural differences no significant differences were found in their complexation properties towards copper(II). So, it can be postulated that complexation process is intrinsically related with the presence of a catechol group.     

Enzymatic desaturation of fatty acids: delta11 desaturase activity on cyclopropane acid probes

The formation of methylenecyclopropanes by enzymatic desaturation of 11-cyclopropylundecanoic acid (1) and its disubstituted derivatives cis- and trans-3-5 has been investigated using the Delta(11) desaturase of Spodoptera littoralis as model enzyme. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analyses of methanolyzed lipidic extracts from tissues incubated with each probe revealed that all the cyclopropyl fatty acids were transformed into the corresponding 11-cyclopropylidene acids, except for compound trans-5 (5b), which was not desaturated at C11. The formation of methylenecyclopropane 9 as the only reaction product from 1 indicates that a potential radical intermediate is too short-lived to allow rearrangement reactions. Information on the Delta(11) desaturase substrate binding domain is provided considering the cyclopropyl probes 3-5 as conformationally restricted analogues of the straight-chain substrates.     

Fixed-bed adsorption of carbon dioxide/methane mixtures on silicalite pellets

The adsorption of carbon dioxide and methane on silicalite pellets packed on a fixed bed has been studied. Equilibrium and kinetic measurements of the adsorption of carbon dioxide and methane have been performed, and a binary adsorption isotherm for carbon dioxide/methane mixtures has been obtained. A model based on the LDF approximation for the mass transfer has been used to describe the breakthrough curves obtained experimentally. A PSA cycle has been proposed for obtaining methane with purity higher than 98% from carbon dioxide/methane mixtures containing 38% and 50% methane, and its performance has been simulated using the proposed model. The simulation results show that silicalite can be a suitable adsorbent for employment in a PSA separation process for carbon dioxide removal from coalseam and landfill gases.     

Indirect spectrophotometric determination of cyanide

A spectrophotometric method for cyanide based on its inhibition of the colour formation reaction between nickel(II) and 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolylazo)-2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid has been developed, and allows the determination of down to 0.1 g of cyanide. Most of the interferences can be avoided by displacement of the hydrogen cyanide using an arsine generator.     

Lipase from a Brazilian StrainPenicillium citrinum Cultured in a Simple and Inexpensive Medium st]Heat-Denaturation, Kinetics, and pH Stability

This work is a study of lipase production by a Brazilian strain ofPenicillium citrinum using an inexpensive and simple medium without organic nitrogen sources and of some important industrial properties, including thermostability in relation to ionic strength. The maximal lipase activity (1585 U/L) was obtained whenPenicillium citrinum was cultured on 0.75% ammonium sulfate complemented with minerals salts instead of yeast extract. Although this activity was about 55% lower than that produced in medium with yeast extract (2850 U/L), the specific activity (7.8 U/mg proteins) was higher than that obtained with the yeast extract (4.9 U/mg proteins). The morphology of fungus changed totally, with yeast extract there are smooth, solid, and spherical pellets whereas on ammonium sulfate there are small “hairy” pellets uniformly suspended in the medium. The effect of ferrous (Fe⁺⁺) ions was carried out using medium MA with and without Fe⁺⁺ ions. Lipase production byPenicillium citrinum in medium MA requires Fe⁺⁺ ions, the absence of which caused a decreased of about 50% in the specific activity (3.5 U/mg proteins). The utilization of commercial, locally available oils as carbon sources, such as soybean oil (236 U/L) and corn oil (74 U/L) resulted in lower activity compared to olive oil, showing that lipase production byPenicillium citrinum is specifically induced by olive oil. Potassium concentration in the medium can effects the production of lipase (1 mM (1585 U/L), 10 mM (1290 U/L), and 30 mM (1238 U/L), 50 mM (195 U/L), and 100 mM (2 U/L). The crude culture filtered was susceptable to thermal deactivation. It was stable at pH 6.0, but was not stable at the optimum pH (8.0-8.5) at 50 mM. At the low ionic concentration (1-25 mM) this lipase was stable at low pH (3.5-4.0). The activation energy was 22.4 ±2.2 Kcal. mol 1.     

Ambiphilic boryl groups in a neutral Ni(ii) complex: a new activation mode of H2

The concept of metal–ligand cooperation opens new avenues for the design of catalytic systems that may offer alternative reactivity patterns to the existing ones. Investigations of this concept with ligands bearing a boron center in their skeleton established mechanistic pathways for the activation of small molecules in which the boron atom usually performs as an electrophile. Here, we show how this electrophilic behavior can be modified by the ligand trans to the boron center, evincing its ambiphilic nature. Treatment of diphosphinoboryl (PBP) nickel–methyl complex 1 with bis(catecholato)diboron (B₂Cat₂) allows for the synthesis of nickel(ii) bis-boryl complex 3 that promotes the clean and reversible heterolytic cleavage of dihydrogen leading to the formation of dihydroborate nickel complex 4. Density functional theory analysis of this reaction revealed that the heterolytic activation of H₂ is facilitated by the cooperation of both boryl moieties and the metal atom in a concerted mechanism that involves a Ni(ii)/Ni(0)/Ni(ii) process. Contrary to 1, the boron atom from the PBP ligand in 3 behaves as a nucleophile, accepting a formally protic hydrogen, whereas the catecholboryl moiety acts as an electrophile, receiving the attack from the hydride-like fragment. This manifests the dramatic change in the electronic properties of a ligand by tuning the substituent trans to it and constitutes an unprecedented cooperative mechanism that involves two boryl ligands in the same molecule operating differently, one as a Lewis acid and the other one as a Lewis base, in cooperation with the metal. In addition, reactivity towards different nucleophiles such as amines or ammonia confirmed the electrophilic nature of the Bcat moiety, allowing the formation of aminoboranes.

A bis(boryl)nickel complex promotes the facile and reversible activation of H₂ through a cooperative mechanism that involves the metal and both boryl moieties in a concerted five-center process.     

Supramolecular helical mesomorphic polymers. Chiral induction through H-bonding

The work described here concerns a challenge of general interest in supramolecular chemistry: the achievement of chiral helical organizations with controlled structures. This work provides a strategy to obtain supramolecular polymers in which a chiral helical conformation has been induced by a noncovalent association, that is, through hydrogen bonding. Polycatenar 2,4,6-triarylamino-1,3,5-triazines, which organize into columnar mesophases and are susceptible to H-bonding interactions, were chosen as a starting point to build up the chiral supramolecular structure. The stacking of these mesogens has been forced to wind in a helical way by means of H-bond association with (R)-3-methyladipic acid, within the mesophase. The optically active columnar organization has been studied in depth by optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction, and circular dichroism. Formation of stable complexes between the triazine units and (R)-3-methyladipic acid has also been investigated by means of NMR diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) experiments in chloroform.     

Pyrazoles as molecular probes to study the properties of co-crystals by solid state NMR spectroscopy

Equimolar mixtures of 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (1) with four NH-imidazoles (2–5) have been studied by¹³C and ¹⁵N CPMAS NMR and by DSC. In three cases, the solid mixture behaves as the sum of the individual components [imidazole (2), 2-methylimidazole (3) and 2,4(5)-dimethylimidazole (5)]. In one case [4,5-dimethylimidazole (4)], the mixture corresponds to a new species in which the dynamic behavior of1 no longer exists.