Ortho effect in the mass spectrometric behaviour of N(pyrimidin-4-yl)aminobenzoic acids and their methyl esters

Ortho-. meta- and para-isomers of N-(pyrimidin-4-yl)aminobenzoic acid and their methyl esters were investigated by electron impact mass Spectrometry. Their fragmentation was found to be strongly dependent on the position of the substituent in the aminobenzoic moiety. Two different kinds of ortho effect were studied and confirmed with the aid of deuterium-labelled derivatives.     

Methyl cellulose-based edible films and coatings I. Effect of plasticizer content on water and 1-octen-3-ol sorption and transport

Edible films were prepared from methyl cellulose with various concentrations of poly(ethylene glycol) 400 (PEG400) used as a plasticizer. Water vapour and 1-octen-3-ol (an aroma compound) were selected as hydrophilic and hydrophobic volatile penetrants respectively. Their solubility and permeability through methyl cellulose-based edible films were studied using gas chromatography methods. Whatever penetrant was used, the flux increased with the PEG400 content. Transfer behaviour, i.e., the order of increased magnitude of the transfer rate, strongly depends on the nature of the volatile compound. However, water sorption only depends on the PEG400 content whereas the aroma compound sorption is affected by both the water and the PEG400 concentrations. Relationships between solubility and permeability can be partially explained by the plasticization phenomenon.     

A simplified assay of furosemide in plasma and urine by high-pressure liquid chromatography.

A simplified high-pressure liquid chromatograhic method for determination of furosemide in plasma and urine has been developed using a fluorometric detector directly coupled to the column effluent. The method includes an ether extraction from acidified biologic samples. The mobile phase used for chromatography on a reversed-phase column (C15 hydrocarbon permanently bonded to silica particles) is sufficiently acidic to induce fluorescence of furosemide. The methylester of furosemide is employed as an internal standard. The sensitivity is 0.1 and 0.25 microgram per ml plasma and urine, respectively. The applicability to pharmacokinetic studies of furosemide is shown.     

The stereoselective α-alkylation of chiral β-hydroxy esters and some applications thereof

The stereoselectivity of the α-alkylation of chiral β-hydroxy ester is discussed. The configuration of the alkylated product was proved chemically (Scheme 2). A one pot aldol-alkylation reaction was developed leading stereoselectively to racemic (s*,s*)-α-alkyl-β-hydroxy ester (Scheme 3,4). Baker's yeast reduction of 2-alkyl-3-keto ester led to valuable chiral (2RS,3S)-intermediates, which were converted via the corresponding dianion to compounds with a chiral quaternary C atom (Scheme 6). Synthetic applications of the above findings are shown in the synthesis of various chiral compounds (Scheme 8 and 9).     

Formation of Zn(1-x)MnxS nanowires within mesoporous silica of different pore sizes

Arrays of highly ordered Zn(1-x)MnxS quantum wires with x ranging from 0.01 to 0.3 and with lateral dimensions of 3, 6, and 9 nm were synthesized within mesoporous SiO2 host structures of the MCM-41 and SBA-15 type. The hexagonal symmetry of these arrays (space group p6m) and the high degree of order was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. Physisorption measurements show the progressive filling of the pores of the SiO2 host structures, while TEM and Raman studies reveal the wire-like character of the incorporated Zn(1-x)MnxS nanostructures. X-ray absorption near-edge structure, extended X-ray absorption fine structure, photoluminescence excitation (PLE), and electron paramagnetic resonance studies confirm the good crystalline quality of the incorporated Zn(1-x)MnxS guest species and, in particular, that the Mn2+ ions are randomly distributed and are situated on tetrahedrally coordinated cation sites of the Zn(1-x)MnxS wires for all x up to 0.3. The amount of Mn2+ ions loosely bound to the surface of the Zn(1-x)MnxS nanowires is less than 4% of the total Mn content even for the 3 nm nanostructures up to the highest Mn content of x = 0.3. The effects of the reduction of the lateral dimensions on electronic properties of the diluted magnetic semiconductor were studied by PLE spectroscopy. Due to the quantum confinement of the excitons in the wires an increase of the direct band gap with decreasing particle size is observed.     

Preparation of highly selective stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of enantiomers by direct copolymerization of monomers with single or twin chiral ligands

Uniformly sized macroporous polymer beads, which can be used as chiral stationary phase (CSP), have been prepared by the staged templated suspension polymerization process using chiral monomer as one of the copolymerization components. This approach enables the preparation of CSPs for which properties such as pore size, pore volume, surface area, chemistry, and chiral ligands can be tuned over a broad range. Several types of well-defined chiral monomers were prepared and allowed to assess synergistic effect of multiple selectors attached to a branched linker as well as the effect of the length and chemistry of the linker. Microscale batch screening was used for simple and rapid evaluation of selectivity. The most promising candidate CSPs were prepared on a larger scale and packed into HPLC columns. Their performance was demonstrated on the separation of racemic N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)-alpha-amino acid alkylamides. The highest separation factors alpha of up to 27 were observed for CSPs prepared from monomers containing the branched spacer. These highly selective CSPs also enabled the separation of larger amounts of the target racemates upon column overload conditions.     

A modular approach toward functionalized three-dimensional macromolecules: from synthetic concepts to practical applications

A new strategy for the preparation of functional, multiarm star polymers via nitroxide-mediated "living" radical polymerization has been explored. The generality of this approach to the synthesis of three-dimensional macromolecular architectures allows for the construction of nanoscopically defined materials from a wide range of different homo, block, and random copolymers combining both apolar and polar vinylic repeat units. Functional groups can also be included along the backbone or as peripheral/chain end groups, thereby modulating the reactivity and polarity of defined portions of the stars. This modular approach to the synthesis of three-dimensional macromolecules permits the application of these tailored materials as multifunctional hosts for hydrogen bonding, nanoparticle formation, and as scaffolds for catalytic groups. Examples of applications of the functional stars in catalysis include their use in a Heck-type coupling as well as an enantioselective addition reaction.     

Steam-carbon gasification catalyzed by calcium: Assessment of the porous structure of active carbons from plum stones and synthetic active carbons

A need for an elaboration of the methods for synthesis and characterization of activated carbons with a requisite porous structure has existed for a long time. One of the methods giving possibility for creating controlled mesopore and micropore structures deals with the steam gasification of various carbon materials. In this work the effects of calcium catalyst on the catalytic steam gasification of active carbons from plum stones and porous polymers are presented. Determination of micropores capacity and specific adsorption in mesopores have been performed by means of the _s method, but adsorption on the heterogeneous solids was described by the integral equation with various local isotherms. This equation has been solved by the regularization method. Based on this method the changes in structural parameters of active carbons depending on the amount of calcium catalyst were estimated.Nomenclature d width of slit-like micropore - F(x) distribution function of the half-width - p vapor pressure of sorbate - p/p _N relative pressure - PSAC Plum Stone Active Carbon - average pore radius, nm - S ₁ relative limit of the validity of experimental point on the adsorption isotherm in the computations by means of regularization method - SAC Synthetic Active Carbon - S _BET specific surface area calculated by means of BET method, m²/g - S _mes mesopore surface area, m²/g - S _mic micropore surface area, m²/g - T absolute temperature, K - V _mes sorption capacity of mesopores, cm³/g - V _mic sorption capacity of micropores, cm³/g - V _p sorption capacity of pores, cm³/g - w/w weight in weight concentration - x half-width of slit-like micropore, nm - x ₁ maximum of half-width of micropore slit, nm - average half-width of slit-like micropore, nm - X _min-X _max integration limits of thex Greek Letters Greek Letters variance of average half-width of slit-like micropore, nm² - local relative filling of micropores - total relative filling of micropores     

Synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of new fluorinated N-phenyl- and N-benzyl-2-azaspiro[4.4]nonane- and [4.5]decane-1,3-dione derivatives: Part III

A series of N-phenyl- and N-benzyl-2-azaspiro[4.4]nonane- and [4.5]decane-1,3-diones containing a fluoro or trifluoromethyl substituents at the aryl ring was synthesized and tested for their anticonvulsant activity in the maximal electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous metrazole (sc.Met) tests. Among them, the most active were N-benzyl derivatives with fluoro and trifluoromethyl substituents especially at position-2 of the aryl moiety. The introduction of the phenyl ring at the imide nitrogen atom resulted in less active compounds. The results obtained showed that incorporation of fluoro or trifluoromethyl substituents increased the anticonvulsant activity in comparison to respective chloro, methoxy or methyl analogues. Crystallographically obtained conformation for one active and two inactive derivatives with trifluoromethyl substituents at position-2 or -3 of phenyl ring were initially used for molecular electrostatic potentials (MEP) calculation. The MEP distribution at carbonyl oxygen atoms was different for active and inactive molecules.     

Characterization of low-energy chlorophylls in the PSI-LHCI supercomplex from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. A site-selective fluorescence study

Almost all photosystem I (PSI) complexes from oxygenic photosynthetic organisms contain chlorophylls that absorb at longer wavelength than that of the primary electron donor P700. We demonstrate here that the low-energy pool of chlorophylls in the PSI-LHCI complex from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, containing five to six pigments, is significantly blue-shifted (A(max) at 700 nm at 4 K) compared to that in the PSI core preparations from several species of cyanobacteria and in PSI-LHCI particles from higher plants. This makes them almost isoenergetic with the primary donor. However, they keep the other characteristic features of "red" chlorophylls: clear spectral separation from the bulk chlorophylls, big Stokes shift revealing pronounced electron-phonon coupling, and large homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening of approximately 170 and approximately 310 cm(-1), respectively.