THE PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF 5-METHYLCYTOSINE AND 5-METHYL-2''-DEOXYCYTIDINE IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION

The nucleobase 5-methylcytosine (I) is a minor component of eukaryotic DNA thought to be important in regulation of gene expression. The photochemical reactions of this nucleobase and its 2'-deoxyribonucleoside, 5-methyl-2'-deoxycytidine (II), in water have been studied. These reactions lead, respectively, to 3-amino-2-methylacrylamidine (Ib) and 3-(2-erythro-D-pentopyranos-1-yl)amino-2-methylacrylamidine (IIb) as the main photoproducts. The structure of the photoproducts was established by spectroscopic methods (1H and 13C NMR, UV spectroscopy, electron impact and liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry); in the case of Ib, confirmatory evidence was obtained by chemical methods (photolysis of 5-methyl[2-13C]cytosine, hydrolysis of N-carbomethoxy-3-amino-2-methylacrylamidine and reaction of Ib with 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole to give I). The quantum yield for formation of Ib was determined to be 1.8 x 10(-3) at pH 7.5 while the quantum yield for formation of IIb has a lower value of 0.2 x 10(-3) at pH 7.5. These quantum yields depend strongly on pH and reach maximum values of 2.0 x 10(-3) at pH 7.0 (Ib) and 0.6 x 10(-3) at pH 5.0 (IIb). The mechanism of formation of Ib (or IIb) is proposed to involve nucleophilic attack of water on the C-2 position of photoexcited I (or II), followed by ring opening and decarboxylation of an intermediate carbamic acid.     

Potentiometric and ab initio studies of acid-base interactions of substituted 4-halo(Cl, Br)pyridine N-oxide systems

By using the potentiometric method, acidity constants have been determined in systems of tri- and tetra-substituted pyridine N-oxides. The potentiometric measurements in systems of four 4-chloropyridine N-oxide derivatives containing the chlorine atom at position 4 to the NO₂ group and four bromine counterparts were carried out in polar non-aqueous solvents, viz. amphiprotic methanol (MeOH) and aprotic protophilic dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). It was found that in all the systems studied the pK_a values were readily determinable (as indicated by small standard deviations) in MeOH, whereas in DMSO large standard deviations were obtained making the pK_a values either hardly determinable or indeterminable from potentiometric measurements. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the acidity constants of protonated N-oxides studied in MeOH changed according to the sequence of their acidity constants in water. It was also found that in the polar solvents studied, i.e. in the amphiprotic methanol and the highly basic aprotic dimethyl sulfoxide, the cationic homo-conjugation equlibrium constants could not be determined using potentiometric method. Also, by using ab initio methods at the RHF and MP2 levels and the PCM model, utilizing the Gaussian 6-31++G^∗∗ basis set, energies and Gibbs free energies of the protonation reactions of the N-oxides have been determined. The energy parameters have been compared with acidity constants of the protonated N-oxides determined by potentiometric titration in methanol to establish a correlation between these approaches.     

An X-ray study of some 2,3-diphenyltetrazolium salts

An X-ray diffraction study is reported for three molecules of salts containing a cation with a positive charged 2,3-diphenyltetrazolium ring. The results confirm aromatic structure of the tetrazole ring and the delocalization of charge on the whole molecules of the cations. The molecular geometry obtained is compared with that for free mesoionic 2,3-diphenyltetrazoles which have already been studied and the ring parameters do not reveal significant differences. But is shows that the geometry of the (NNO)^– exocyclic group is changed as a result of alkylation. Compound I C₁₃H₁₂N₅Cl, P2₁/a,a=16.934(4),b=6.575(1),c=26.121(4) Å, =108.15(2)°, II C₁₄H₁₃N₆OI, P3₁2,a=10.774(3),c=12.821(4) Å, IV C₂₆H₂₀N₈Cl₂, C2/c,a=22.316(4),b=6.6903(7),c=20.437(3) Å, =92.51(1)°.     

X-ray structure and multinuclear NMR studies of platinum(II) complexes with 5-methyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-7(4H)-one

New dichloride platinum(II) complexes with 5-methyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-7(4H)-one (HmtpO) have been synthesized and characterized by thermal analysis, infrared and ¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁵N, ¹⁹⁵Pt NMR spectroscopy. X-ray crystal structures of cis-PtCl₂(NH₃)(HmtpO) (1) and cis-PtCl₂(HmtpO)₂ · 4H₂O (2b) were determined to R = 0.0332 and R = 0.0802, respectively. In both complexes the Pt(II) ions have a square-planar geometry with two adjacent corners being occupied by two nitrogens of HmtpO molecules for 2b or NH₃ and HmtpO molecules for 1, whereas the remaining adjacent corners are occupied by two chloride anions. Spectroscopic data confirm the square planar geometry with N(3) bonded HmtpO, S-bonded dimethylsulfoxide and two trans chloride anions for trans-PtCl₂(dmso) · 4H₂O (3).     

New measurements and global analysis of rotational spectra of Cl-, Br-, and I-benzene: Spectroscopic constants and electric dipole moments

The data available from rotational spectroscopy for chlorobenzene, bromobenzene, and iodobenzene have been extended by new measurements in the mm-wave region and in supersonic expansion in the cm-wave region. All available ground state measurements have been combined in global fits to derive precise rotational, centrifugal, and nuclear quadrupole coupling constants for the molecules. Rotational transitions in first excited states of the lowest frequency normal modes in bromobenzene and iodobenzene have been assigned and fitted. The values of electric dipole moments for ³⁵Cl-, ⁷⁹Br-, ⁸¹Br-, and I-benzene have been determined from Stark effect measurements on selected hyperfine components in the supersonic expansion spectrum, and are compared with values for several other series of monohalogen molecules.     

Experimental and quantum‐chemical studies of 1H, 13C and 15N NMR coordination shifts in Au(III), Pd(II) and Pt(II) chloride complexes with picolines

¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR studies of gold(III), palladium(II) and platinum(II) chloride complexes with picolines, [Au(PIC)Cl₃], trans‐[Pd(PIC)₂Cl₂], trans/cis‐[Pt(PIC)₂Cl₂] and [Pt(PIC)₄]Cl₂, were performed. After complexation, the ¹H and ¹³C signals were shifted to higher frequency, whereas the ¹⁵N ones to lower (by ca 80–110 ppm), with respect to the free ligands. The ¹⁵N shielding phenomenon was enhanced in the series [Au(PIC)Cl₃] < trans‐[Pd(PIC)₂Cl₂] < cis‐[Pt(PIC)₂Cl₂] < trans‐[Pt(PIC)₂Cl₂]; it increased following the Pd(II) → Pt(II) replacement, but decreased upon the trans → cis‐transition. Experimental ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR chemical shifts were compared to those quantum‐chemically calculated by B3LYP/LanL2DZ + 6‐31G**//B3LYP/LanL2DZ + 6‐31G*. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural studies by 1H and 13C dynamic n.m.r.: Part III alternative protonation sites in carbonyl conjugated enamines of the type R1?C(O)?CH?CH?NR2R3

¹³C magnetic resonance spectra of several enamino ketones with secondary and tertiary amino groups were obtained for trifluoroacetic acid solutions. In both series O-protonation is predominant and the chemical shifts are related to the electron density changes with respect to the parent base. The spectra of the tertiary compounds are interpreted in terms of slow rotation around the C–1? C–2 and C–3? N bonds discernible at room temperature. O-protonated forms of the secondary enamino ketones undergo further reaction on C–2 yielding pyridinium salts. The mechanism of formation of the quaternary salts is interpreted and the additivity parameters of the ¹³C n.m.r. chemical shifts in the pyridinium ions is briefly discussed.     

The determination of mercury in air samples by flameless atomic absorption

A method is described for the determination of mercury in air by furnace atomic absorption. The porous graphite cups used ordinarily fail to adsorb mercury vapors from the air. When these same porous graphite cups are plated on the inner surface with a thin layer of gold the retention of mercury from an air sample passed through the cup is shown to be quantitative. The sensitivity of the analytical system is 3 × 10^?10 g which is equivalent to 0.6 $\text{μg}\text{m}{}^3$ for a 500 cm³ air sample. Relative S.D. is 11.2%. The method described should also prove useful for other types of flameless devices.     

Some symmetry aspects of layered-clathrate structures formed by Ni (NCS)2 (4-methylpuridine)4

The crystal structures of layered clathrate inclusion compounds of Ni(CNS)₂ (4-methylpyridine)₄ with 1-bromonaphthalene (I) and azulene (II) were analyzed by x-ray single-crystal diffractometry [crystal data: I–C₄₆H₄₂N₆S₂Br₂Ni; a=11.88(1), b=11.82(1), c=32.79(3), =102.0(1), Z=4, P2₁/c; II–C₄₆H₄₄N₆S₂Ni; a=11.51(2), b=11.64(1), c=32.98(2), =103.4, Z=4, P2₁/n]. Disordering of guest molecules in I is concluded, based on x-ray study, and positions of the guest (each of the two symmetry independent molecules disordered over two orientations) have been refined. In II disoder of guest-azulene is also observed but only one from the two symmetrically independent guest molecules could be located from the x-ray data. The empirical force field calculations were performed for I and II. The results were used for location of the second azulene molecule and for discussion of the disorder mole (short or long-range).