A total synthesis of (±)-cannabisativine

A synthesis of racemic cannabisativine is reported. Intramolecular opening of an $\text{erythro}$-acetoxy epoxide by a secondary amino group provided the side chain containing the desired stereochemistry.     

Interpenetrating polymer networks of poly(carbonate-urethane) and polyvinyl pyridine

Simultaneous interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN's), pseudo IPN's, and liner blends of aliphatic poly(carbonate-urethane) (PCU) and polyvinyl pyridine (PVP) have been prepared and characterized by DSC, DMA, and TEM. The full IPN's of PCU and PVP had a single phase morphology only above 50 wt % PCU, as determined by both DSC and DMA and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, in both pseudo IPN's of PCU and PVP and in their linear blends there exist multiple glass transitions and melting points seen by DSC and DMA indicating phase incompatibility. The full IPN's exhibited superior ultimate mechanical properties and solvent resistance as compared to the pseudo IPN's, liner blends, and the pure crosslinked PCU and PVP networks.     

Bis(m-phenylene)-32-crown-10-based cryptands, powerful hosts for paraquat derivatives

Four new bis(m-phenylene)-32-crown-10-based cryptands with different third bridges were prepared. Their complexes with paraquat derivatives were studied by proton NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray analysis. It was found that these cryptands bind paraquat derivatives very strongly. Specifically, a diester cryptand with a pyridyl nitrogen atom located at a site occupied by either water or a PF(6) anion in analogous complexes exhibited the highest association constant K(a) = 5.0 x 10(6) M(-1) in acetone with paraquat, 9000 times greater than the crown ether system. X-ray structures of this and analogous complexes demonstrate that improved complexation with this host is a consequence of preorganization, adequate ring size for occupation by the guest, and the proper location of the pyridyl N-atom for binding to the beta-pyridinium hydrogens of the paraquat guests. This readily accessible cryptand is one of the most powerful hosts reported for paraquats.     

Oleophilic ion-exchange resins. IV. Swelling of quaternary ammonium polymers in mixed solvents

The swelling characteristics of an oleophilic anion-exchange resin in methanol–benzene and ethanol–chloroform mixed solvent systems were compared with those of a conventional anion-exchange resin. The oleophilic resin was prepared by amination of chloromethylated polystyrene 1% DVB with N,N-dimethyldodecylamine. It showed a large shift of the swelling peak from polar to less polar solution compositions in both methanol–benzene and ethanol–chloroform systems as compared with the swelling of conventional resins. Total solvent uptake and solvent distribution between resin and solvent phases were also determined. The less polar solvent (benzene or chloroform) was sorbed preferentially by the oleophilic resin over a wide range of composition, while preference for the more polar solvent (methanol or ethanol) by the conventional resin was shown over the entire composition of the mixed solvent systems. The Newman-Krigbaum treatment of mixed solvents was applied to swelling data on the ethanol–chloroform–oleophilic resin system, where the volume of the gel network plus the solvent imbibed was relatively constant over the entire range of composition. The result suggests a strong similarity of the liquid–liquid interaction terms in this gel phase compared with those in the pure binary liquid phase.     

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.     

The mass spectra and ionization potentials of the neutral fragments produced during the electron bombardment of aromatic compounds

A mass spectrometer equipped with a dual ionization chamber ion source has been used to characterize directly the neutral species produced in the dissociative ionization of gases by electron impact. Neutral fragment mass spectra have been obtained for the electron ionization and fragmentation of benzene, toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, mesitylene and isotopically labeled toluene. The neutral fragment mass spectra correlate well with the structures of the molecules. The abundant species in the neutral fragment mass spectra also correlate reasonably well with the abundant complementary positive ions of the normal mass spectra. Ionization potentials have been determined for the abundant neutral species produced. Where comparisons with values reported elsewhere are possible, the agreement is usually within ±0.2 eV or less.     

Tertiary contact formation in alpha-synuclein probed by electron transfer

To explore tertiary contact formation in alpha-synuclein, a natively unfolded protein implicated in Parkinson's disease, we have measured the rates of reaction between a powerful electron donor, the tryptophan (W) triplet excited state, and an acceptor, 3-nitro-tyrosine (Y(NO2)) in six different variants, probing loop sizes between 15 and 132 residues. Electron transfer rates decrease with loop size with the fastest contact time of 140 ns for the N-terminal pair and the slowest of 1.2 mus for the N- to C-terminal pair. Diffusion coefficients ranging from approximately 2 x 10-6 to approximately 10-5 cm2 s-1 were extracted from simultaneous fits of the W to Y(NO2) electron (triplet excited state) and energy transfer (singlet excited state) kinetics.     

Die mehrstellenformeln für den Laplaceoperator

Summary Difference methods for the numerical solution of linear partial differential equations may often be improved by using a weighted right hand side instead of the original right hand side of the differential equation. Difference formulas, for which that is possible, are called Mehrstellenformeln or Hermitian formulas. In this paper the Hermitian formulas for the approximation of Laplace's operator are characterized by a very simple condition. We prove, that in two-dimensional case for a Hermitian formula of ordern at leastn+3 discretization points are necessary. We give examples of such optimal formulas of arbitrary high-order.

     

Isobutane chemical ionization mass spectra of unsaturated alcohols

Analysis of the isobutane chemical ionization mass spectra of hexenols, cyclohexenols and various syn/anti pairs of bicyclic and tricyclic homoallylic alcohols shows that: (i) the spectra of the allylic alcohols are dominated by [M + H – H₂O]⁺ and [M + C₄H₉–H₂O]⁺ ions and contain traces of [M + H]⁺ ions; (ii) [M + H]⁺ ions are prominent in the spectra of acyclic and certain cyclic homoallylic alcohols; and (iii) [M + H]⁺ ions dominate the spectra of other acyclic unsaturated alcohols. The [M + H]⁺ ions may result from either: (a) protonation of the hydroxyl group, followed by a very rapid intramolecular proton transfer from the protonated hydroxyl group to the carbon–carbon double bond or internal solvation of the protonated hydroxyl group by the carbon–carbon double bond; and/or (b) direct protonation of the carbon–carbon double bond with significant internal solvation of the resulting carbocation by the hydroxyl group, which may lead to carbon–oxygen bond formation to give a protonated cyclic ether. The consequences of placing various geometric constraints on the possible intramolecular interactions between the hydroxyl group and the carbon–carbon double bond in unsaturated alcohols are explored.