Multiarm molecular brushes: effect of the number of arms on the molecular weight polydispersity and surface ordering

Individual molecules of multiarm starlike molecular brushes were visualized by atomic force microscopy. In the studied series of brushes, the number of arms varied from one for a linear chain to four, while the length of the side chains was kept approximately constant. Molecular visualization provided a unique opportunity for independent size characterization of the brush arms separately from that of the entire molecule. In agreement with the Schulz-Flory theory for chain coupling, the polydispersity of the total length was significantly lower than that of the arm length. The variation in polydispersity had an effect on molecular ordering. Lateral compression of the starlike brushes caused a transition from an extended dendritic-like conformation to a compact disklike conformation. In contrast to one-, two-, and three-arm brushes, the four-arm molecules with a lower polydispersity index of 1.04 demonstrated local hexagonal order.     

Preparation of macrocyclic di- and tetraamides containing unsubstituted macroring nitrogen atoms,tertiary amine sidearms and/or piperazine subcyclic units

Seven new macrocyclic di- and tetramides have been prepared by the cyclization reaction of various polyamines or, in one case, a dimercaptan with a bis(α-chloroamide) or diethyl malonate. Three of the resulting macrocyclic diamides were reduced with borane to form the corresponding polyaza-crown analogs. Macrocycles prepared include two tetraaza-12-crown-4, two tetraaza-13-crown-4, two tetraaza-14-crown-4, one dithiadiaza-14-crown-4, one tetraaza-15-crown-4 with a piperazine subcyclic group, one dibenzotetraaza-24-crown-8 and one octaaza-30-crown-8 with two piperazine subcyclic groups.     

Stereoblock copolymers and tacticity control in controlled/living radical polymerization

Three controlled/living radical polymerization processes, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), reversible addition-fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP), were investigated for the polymerization of N,N-dimethylacrylamide in the presence of Lewis acids known to enhance isotacticity, such as yttrium trifluoromethanesulfonate (Y(OTf)(3)) and ytterbium trifluoromethanesulfonate (Yb(OTf)(3)). Poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) with controlled molecular weight, low polydispersity (M(w)/M(n) < 1.2), and a high proportion of meso dyads ( approximately 85%) was prepared by ATRP (with initiating system methyl 2-chloropropionate/CuCl/Me(6)TREN) and RAFT (with cumyl dithiobenzoate transfer agent) in the presence of Y(OTf)(3). The combination of NMP (using N-tert-butyl-1-diethylphosphono-2,2-dimethylpropyl nitroxide, SG1) and a Lewis acid complexation technique led to less precise control over chain architecture and microstructure ( approximately 65% meso dyads), as compared to RAFT/Y(OTf)(3) or ATRP/Y(OTf)(3). The latter two systems were used for the first one-pot synthesis of stereoblock copolymers by radical polymerization. Well-defined stereoblock copolymers, atactic-b-isotactic poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamides), were obtained by adding Y(OTf)(3) at a given time to either RAFT or ATRP polymerizations, initially started without the presence of the Lewis acid.     

Comparison of Sample Digestion Procedures for the Determination of Arsenic in Bottom Sediment Using Hydride Generation AAS

Certified reference materials (JMS-2 and JMS-1 – Marine sediment, LKSD-1 Lake Sediment, and STSD-1 Stream Sediment) and bottom sediment were analysed for arsenic by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS) after digestion by different methods (microwave digestion, digestion in aluminium block, dry digestion) and different combinations of acids (HNO₃, HCl, HClO₄, H₂SO₄). The study revealed that both wet and dry digestion can be used to digest the reference materials and bottom sediment. Exceptionally satisfactory results were produced by the application of aqua regia, HNO₃ + HCl + HClO₄, and HNO₃ + HCl mixtures. Addition of Mg(NO₃)₂ during dry digestion caused an increase in arsenic recovery in the reference materials and improved the accuracy of arsenic determination in the bottom sediments.     

Synthons for syntheses of spiro[2.4]heptane analogues of prostaglandins

Methods for the preparation of synthons for syntheses of spiro[2.4]heptane analogues of prostaglandins are described. Two of them (1a and1b) enable the syntheses of 11-deoxy-type compounds and were prepared from spiro[2.4]heptan-4-one (3) which after transformation into the 5-phenylthio-,-unsaturated ketone5 was subjected to conjugate addition of organocuprate reagent6. The third synthon (2)-a potential intermediate in syntheses of complete spiro[2.4]heptane analogues of prostaglandins-was prepared from the bicyclic ketone10 byBaeyer-Villiger oxidation followed by epoxidation.

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Ausgangsverbindungen für die Synthese von Prostaglandin-analogen Spiro[2.4]heptanen

Zusammenfassung Es werden Synthesewege für Spiro[2.4]hepane als Analoge zu Prostaglandinen beschrieben. Zwei davon (1a und1b) ermöglichen die Synthese von Verbindungen des 11-Deoxy-Typs; sie wurden aus Spiro[2.4]heptan-4-on (3) dargestellt, das nach der Umwandlung zum 5-phenylthio-,-ungesättigten Keton5 einer konjugierten Addition von Organocuprat-Reagens6 unterworfen wurde. Das dritte (2), ein potentielles Zwischenprodukt in der Synthese von vollständigen Spiro[2.4]heptan-Analogen zu Prostaglandinen, wurde aus dem bicyclischen Keton10 durchBaeyer-Villiger-Oxidation gefolgt von einer Epoxidierung dargestellt.

     

Epitope-targeted proteome analysis: towards a large-scale automated protein–protein-interaction mapping utilizing synthetic peptide arrays

We describe the development of a process for the genome-wide mapping of interactions between protein domains and peptide ligands entirely based on high-throughput biochip technologies. A phage library displaying protein domains from a randomly fragmented and cloned cDNA library will be "panned" on an array of synthetic peptide ligands. After multiplexed affinity enrichment, peptide-specific phage populations will be automatically eluted, propagated, labelled and identified by hybridisation to a DNA microarray. Peptide arrays are synthesized in situ by SPOT synthesis on a planar substrate. By utilizing a commercially available library of human brain cDNA plus a set of distinct model domains cloned into T7-phage, we could show that a single panning round on an array of known peptide ligands for these model domains synthesized on a cellulose membrane can yield an enrichment of better than a factor of 1,000. This is sufficient to detect peptide-specific enrichment of Cy3(post-panning) against Cy5(pre-panning)-labelled phage DNA inserts on a cDNA microarray. Thus, the proof-of-principle of our approach could be successfully demonstrated and first interaction data are being collected.     

Raman Spectra of Molecules Adsorbed on Ag Centers in Sol-Gel Matrices

Silica monoliths and submicron spheres containing silver nanoparticles have been obtained using the sol gel technology. The Ag inclusions were synthesized via the counterdiffusion method. The silver-doped matrices were immersed in solutions of an organic dye (indocyanine green) enabling the solute molecules to interact with surface of the Ag-doped silica matrices. Raman spectra of free solutions of the organic molecules under investigation, the impregnated Ag-doped matrices and the impregnated Ag-free matrices have been measured. The impregnated silica matrices which did not contain silver nanoparticles were used as a reference. These experiments have been performed in order to establish if Raman signal enhancement could be obtained by adsorption of organic molecules on the surface of Ag inclusions in the sol-gel matrices analogously to the standard surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method.     

Spectroscopic behavior of 1,1′-diethyl-2,2′-dicarbocyanine iodide in ethanol/water solutions with high ionic strength

Absorption spectra of 1,1′-diethyl-2,2′-dicarbocyanine iodide (DDI) have been obtained in ethanol/water mixtures. Increase of ionic strength obtained by addition of salts (e.g. NaCl) to the solvent mixture containing 10% of H₂O and 90% of EtOH leads to appearance of a new absorption band at 849 nm. Intensity of this band increases with salt concentration which suggests that this spectral feature is related to a DDI aggregate. However, no emission has been observed with excitation at 850 nm indicating that this feature does not correspond to a J-type aggregate. Addition of NaCl to DDI solutions possessing the EtOH/H₂O (v:v) ratio different from 1:9 does not induce appearance of the new absorption band.     

A discrete-particle model of blood dynamics in capillary vessels

We investigate the mechanism of aggregation of red blood cells (RBC) in capillary vessels. We use a discrete-particle model in 3D to model the flow of plasma and RBCs within a capillary tube. This model can accurately capture the scales from 0.001 to 100 microm, far below the scales that can be modeled numerically with classical computational fluid dynamics. The flexible viscoelastic red blood cells and the walls of the elastic vessel are made up of solid particles held together by elastic harmonic forces. The plasma is represented by a system of dissipative fluid particles. Modeling has been carried out using 1 to 3 million solid and fluid particles. We have modeled the flow of cells with vastly different shapes, such as normal and "sickle" cells. The two situations involving a straight capillary and a pipe with a choking point have been considered. The cells can coagulate in spite of the absence of adhesive forces in the model. We conclude that aggregation of red blood cells in capillary vessels can be stimulated by depletion forces and hydrodynamic interactions. The cluster of "sickle" cells formed in the choking point of the capillary efficiently decelerates the flow, while normal cells can pass through. These qualitative results from our first numerical results accord well with the laboratory findings.     

Synthesis of poly(γ-methoxypropylmethylsilylene) and poly(γ-methoxypropylmethylsilylene-co-di-n-hexylsilylene)

The synthesis of γ;-methoxypropylmethyldichlorosilane, and its subsequent polymerization and copolymerization with di;-n;-hexyldichlorosilane through the reductive coupling with sodium has been accomplished. The resulting polymers contain methyl ether side groups that allow further synthetic transformations on the polysilane backbone. For poly (γ;-methoxypropylmethylsilylene) these groups impart solubility characteristics different than typical alkyl and aryl substituted polysilanes. These new polymers and copolymers have been characterized by GPC and ¹H-, ¹³C-, and ²⁹Si-NMR. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.