Enantioresolution of 2-methoxy-2-(1-naphtyl)propionic acid using diastereomeric salt formation with chiral phenylethylamine

An enantioresolution of 2-methoxy-2-(1-naphtyl)propionic acid (MαNP acid) using the diastereomeric salt with chiral (R)-phenylethylamine was achieved to give enantiopure (R)-MαNP acid in 29% yield with >99% ee based on rac-MαNP acid. X-ray crystallographic analysis of diastereomeric salt revealed that (R)-MαNP acid was tightly arranged by four independent hydrogen bonds and one CH–π interaction with (R)-phenylethylamine.     

Development of Plasma Window for gas charge stripper at RIKEN RIBF

A differential pumping system with a Plasma Window (PW) has been developed for an application to a window-less He gas charge stripper. A PW with Southern Methodist University design was newly fabricated and tested off-line for evaluation of differential pumping efficiency. Switching gases for plasma seed from Ar to He was tested. It was found that the PW reduced the pressure at the first differential pumping section to 1/13 for Ar and to 1/17 for He, comparing with differential pumping without PW. At the second pumping section, the pressures were drastically reduced to 1/160 and to 1/4,520 for Ar and He, respectively. These pressure reduction factors indicate that one differentially pumped stage could be removed from a conventional differential pumping system.     

Role of Re Species and Acid Cocatalyst on Ir‐ReOx/SiO2 in the C–O Hydrogenolysis of Biomass‐Derived Substrates

The catalytic performance of ReO_x‐modified Ir metal catalyst in the hydrogenolysis of C–O bonds is strongly dependent on the choice of solvent. The acidic property of the Re species becomes obvious in the alkane solvent, and the hydrogenolysis reaction proceeds mainly by acid‐catalyzed dehydration and the subsequent metal‐catalyzed hydrogenation. The acidic property of the Re species is weakened in water; however, the hydrogenolysis reaction proceeds in water via a direct mechanism involving S_N2‐like attack of a hydride species at the interface between Ir and ReO_x on the adsorbed Re alkoxide species. This mechanism enabled the selective dissociation of the C–O bond neighboring the CH₂OH group.     

Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Phytochemicals and Related Stable Paramagnetic Species in Different Parts of Dragon Fruit

In this study, we investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals and paramagnetic species in dragon fruit using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). HPLC analysis demonstrated that dragon fruit is enriched with bioactive phytochemicals, with significant variations between each part of the fruit. Anthocyanins namely, cyanidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-glucoside, and pelargonidin 3-glucoside were detected in the dragon fruit peel and fresh red pulp. Epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin, caffeine, and gallic acid were found in the dragon fruit seed. Additionally, 25–100 mg × L⁻¹ of dragon fruit pulp and peel extracts containing enrichment of cyanidin 3-glucoside were found to inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in cell-based studies without exerted cytotoxicity. EPR primarily detected two paramagnetic species in the red samples. These two different radical species were assigned as stable radicals and Mn²⁺ (paramagnetic species) based on the g-values and hyperfine components. In addition, the broad EPR line width of the white peel can be correlated to a unique moiety in dragon fruit. Our EPR and HPLC results provide new insight regarding the phytochemicals and related stable intermediates found in various parts of dragon fruit. Thus, we suggest here that there is the potential to use dragon fruit peel, which contains anthocyanins, as a natural active pharmaceutical ingredient.     

NMR and DFT studies on persistent carbocations derived from benzo[kl]xanthene,dibenzo[d,d′]benzo[1,2‐b:4,3‐b′]difuran,and dibenzo[d,d′]benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]difuran in superacidic media

Persistent carbocations generated by the protonation of hetero‐polycyclic aromatic compounds with oxygen atom(s) were studied by experimental NMR and density function theory calculations. Benzo[kl]xanthene ( 1 ), dibenzo[d,d′]benzo[1,2‐b:4,3‐b′]difuran ( 2 ), and dibenzo[d,d′]benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]difuran ( 3 ) were synthesized by the annulation of arenediazonium salts. Compound 1 in FSO₃H‐SbF₅ (4:1)/SO₂ClF and 3 in FSO₃H‐SbF₅ (1:1)/SO₂ClF ionized to 1aH⁺ with protonation at C(4) and to 3aH⁺ with protonation at C(6), and these cations were successfully observed by NMR at low temperatures. The density function theory calculations indicated that 1aH⁺ and 3aH⁺ were the most stable protonated carbocations and that 2 should ionize to 2aH⁺ with protonation at C(6). According to the changes in ¹³C chemical shifts (Δδ¹³C), the positive charge was delocalized into the naphthalene unit for 1aH⁺ , into one benzo[b,d]furan unit for 2aH⁺ , and into one benzo[b,d]furan unit for 3aH⁺ . Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Induced long-range attractive potentials of human serum albumin by ligand binding

Small-angle x-ray scattering and dielectric spectroscopy investigation on the solutions of recombinant human serum albumin and its heme hybrid revealed that heme incorporation induces a specific long-range attractive potential between protein molecules. This is evidenced by the enhanced forward intensity upon heme binding, despite no hindrance to rotatory Brownian motion, unbiased colloid osmotic pressure, and discontiguous nearest-neighbor distance, confirming monodispersity of the proteins. The heme-induced potential may play a trigger role in recognition of the ligand-filled human serum albumins in the circulatory system.     

2′,4′-BNA/LNA with 9-(2-Aminoethoxy)-1,3-diaza-2-oxophenoxazine Efficiently Forms Duplexes and Has Enhanced Enzymatic Resistance**

Artificial nucleic acids are widely used in various technologies, such as nucleic acid therapeutics and DNA nanotechnologies requiring excellent duplex-forming abilities and enhanced nuclease resistance. 2′-O,4′-C-Methylene-bridged nucleic acid/locked nucleic acid (2′,4′-BNA/LNA) with 1,3-diaza-2-oxophenoxazine (BNAP ( B^H )) was previously reported. Herein, a novel B^H analogue, 2′,4′-BNA/LNA with 9-(2-aminoethoxy)-1,3-diaza-2-oxophenoxazine (G-clamp), named BNAP-AEO ( B^AEO ), was designed. The B^AEO nucleoside was successfully synthesized and incorporated into oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs). ODNs containing B^AEO possessed up to 10⁴-, 152-, and 11-fold higher binding affinities for complementary (c) RNA than those of ODNs containing 2′-deoxycytidine ( C ), 2′,4′-BNA/LNA with 5-methylcytosine ( L ), or 2′-deoxyribonucleoside with G-clamp ( P^AEO ), respectively. Moreover, duplexes formed by ODN bearing B^AEO with cDNA and cRNA were thermally stable, even under molecular crowding conditions induced by the addition of polyethylene glycol. Furthermore, ODN bearing B^AEO was more resistant to 3′-exonuclease than ODNs with phosphorothioate linkages.     

Design of Ratiometric Fluorescent Probes Based on Arene–Metal‐Ion Interactions and Their Application to CdII and Hydrogen Sulfide Imaging in Living Cells

Non‐coordinative interactions between a metal ion and the aromatic ring of a fluorophore can act as a versatile sensing mechanism for the detection of metal ions with a large emission change of fluorophores. We report the design of fluorescent probes based on arene–metal‐ion interactions and their biological applications. This study found that various probes having different fluorophores and metal binding units displayed significant emission redshift upon complexation with metal ions, such as Ag^I, Cd^II, Hg^II, and Pb^II. X‐ray crystallography of the complexes confirmed that the metal ions were held in close proximity to the fluorophore to form an arene–metal‐ion interaction. Electronic structure calculations based on TDDFT offered a theoretical basis for the sensing mechanism, thus showing that metal ions electrostatically modulate the energy levels of the molecular orbitals of the fluorophore. A fluorescent probe was successfully applied to the ratiometric detection of the uptake of Cd^II ions and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in living cells. These results highlight the utility of interactions between arene groups and metal ions in biological analyses.     

Estimation of diffusion and permeability coefficients of CO2 in polymeric membranes by FTIR method

Infrared spectra of CO₂ sorbed in rubbery and glassy polymeric membranes were measured to examine the relationships between the spectroscopic data and the physical properties of the membranes. The two peaks observed in the spectra of CO₂ were attributed to the R branch and P branch of CO₂ sorbed in the membranes based on the consideration that both peaks were observed at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the membranes. Apparent diffusion coefficients of CO₂ in the membranes were measured from the desorption kinetics of CO₂ detected by FTIR spectroscopy. The solubility coefficients of CO₂ were also estimated from absorbance spectra of CO₂ sorbed in the membranes using Lambert-Beer's rule. The permeability, solubility, and diffusion coefficients estimated by the FTIR method were found to correlate well with the coefficients obtained by conventional methods such as vacuum-pressure or sorption isotherm methods. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.