Optically active polymers containing side-chain photochromic moieties: Synthesis and chiroptical properties of copolymers of trans-4-(phenylazo)-1-naphthyl acrylate and trans-4-(1-naphthylazo)-phenyl acrylate with (?)-menthyl acrylate

The synthesis of photochromic optically active copolymers from trans-4-(phenylazo)-1-naphthyl acrylate (PANA), or trans-4-(1-naphthylazo)-phenyl acrylate (NAPA), and (?)-menthyl acrylate (MtA) is described. The copolymers prepared, having different contents of trans-phenylazonaphthalene moieties, have been characterized by IR, ¹H-NMR, UV, and GPC techniques. The chiroptical properties have been investigated by circular dichroism (CD) and the induced optical activity on the side-chain trans-phenylazonaphthalene chromophores discussed in terms of different conformational situations of the macromolecules in both the copolymer series. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Stochastic phase lockings in a relaxation oscillator forced by a periodic input with additive noise: A first-passage-time approach

Noise effects on phase lockings in a system consisting of a piecewise-linear van der Pol relaxation oscillator driven by a periodic input are studied. The problem of finding the period of the oscillator is reduced to the first-passage-time problem of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process with time-varying boundary. The probability density functions of the first-passage time are used to define the operator which governs a transition of an input phase density after one cycle of the oscillator. Phase lockings in a stochastic sense are investigated on the basis of the density evolution by the operator.     

Di-2-pyridylketone semicarbazone as ligand in metal complexes: synthesis and X-ray crystal structure

A series of complexes of di-2-pyridylketone semicarbazone (Hdips) and Mn(II), Co(II), Co(III), Ni(II) and Cu(II) nitrates were synthesized and characterized by means of IR spectroscopy and for cobalt and nickel by X-ray crystal structures. The results are in agreement with the formulae: Mn(Hdips)₂(NO₃)₂·2H₂O, [Co(Hdips)₂](NO₃)₂·H₂O (I), [Ni(Hdips)₂](NO₃)₂·H₂O (II), Cu(Hdips)(NO₃)₂·2H₂O, [Co(dips)₂](NO₃)·2H₂O (III). The structure of I and II are monoclinic, space groupP2₁/c, with, I,a=15.980(4),b=11.531(2),c=16.170(2)Å;=104.20(2)°,Z=4,R=0.032; II,a=16.109(5),b=11.480(3),c=16.135(6)Å;=104.15(2)°,Z=4,R=0.069. Compound III is also monoclinic, space groupP2₁/c witha=12.173(5),b=15.619(5),c=15.338(8)Å;=111.40(4)°,Z=4,R=0.059. In these complexes the ligand is tridentate via carbonylic oxygen, semicarbazone and pyridine nitrogens forming each two five membered chelate rings with the metal in a distorted octahedral geometry.     

Comparison of mass spectrometric methods for studying thermally labile compounds: Rifapentine

Results of 16 different mass spectrometric ionization and sample-introduction methods are compared for the case of a thermally very labile antibiotic, rifapentine. These suggest that extensive thermal decomposition occurs during evaporation when the sample can come into contact with hot metal parts, usually the source housing. The intensity of the molecular ion and the extent of fragmentation depend on various parameters, such as the ionization process, positive or negative-ion detection and the type of sample introduction. The most informative methods for rifapentine seem to be ‘in-beam’ electron impact, negative ionization with particle beam and direct liquid introduction interfaces and positive- and negative-ion fast atom bombardment.     

Imino acids and collagen triple helix stability: characterization of collagen-like polypeptides containing Hyp-Hyp-Gly sequence repeats

The analysis of factors contributing to the stability of proteins is a subject of intense debate. Particularly challenging is the study of structural proteins, since their function is their structure. Among these is collagen, the key structural component of bones, skin, cartilage, tendons, and other connecting tissues. It is well established that the collagen triple helix is characterized by the presence of hydroxyproline, whose content modulates triple helix thermal stability according to the requirement of the host organism. Because of the complexity and the fibrous nature of collagen, data on the stability and structure of this protein have been mainly obtained by the use of collagen-like polypeptides. On the basis of CD characterization of collagen-like polypeptides we here show that the presence of Hyp at the X position of repeating triplets Hyp-Hyp-Gly stabilizes the triple helix significantly. This extra-stabilization has been ascribed, by using molecular modeling, to the formation of a hydrogen bond between Hyp residues belonging to the X and the Y positions of adjacent chains. This communication also provides a comprehensive interpretation of the ensemble of available data on polypeptides containing proline derivatives.     

Infrared active fundamental vibrations of TCNQ and chloranil monovalent anions

The interpretation of the infrared active fundamentals of TCNQ and chloranil monovalent anions is given for the first time. The rationalization of the infrared spectra was made possible by the recently achieved vibrational assignment of the corresponding neutral molecules and is mainly based on a set of judicious adjustments of their empirical valence force fields.     

Determination of siloxane-water partition coefficients by capillary extraction-high-resolution gas chromatography study of aromatic solvents

Partition coefficients of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX), between crosslinked polydimethylsiloxane and water, were determined at room temperature by capillary extraction (a form of in-tube solid-phase microextraction, SPME) coupled to open tubular gas chromatography (in-tube SPME-high-resolution GC). A series of 7-9 repetitive extractions, performed on a 1-ml volume of diluted aqueous BTEX sample by the double-syringe squeeze method, gave exponential regression curves which fit very well with those predicted by partition theory. From the equations of the curves of relative FID response vs. extraction number, experimental Kd were easily calculated and the results compared with literature values. The whole measurement requires about 1 h from the start of the experiment to the final calculation of all BTEX partition coefficients. In-tube SPME resulted in a fast, clean, efficient, and cheaper alternative than the classic 1-cm, externally coated, SPME fiber-holder technique.     

Uranyl-salophen based ditopic receptors for the recognition of quaternary ammonium halides

Uranyl-salophen complexes endowed with aromatic side arms behave as very efficient ditopic receptors towards tetralkylammonium halides as a result of a combination of Lewis acid-base and cation-pi interactions.     

Aroma composition of red wines by different extraction methods and Gas Chromatography-SIM/MASS spectrometry analysis

One hundred and one volatile compounds, reported in literature as powerful odorants of wine, were quantified by Gas Chromatography-Selective Ion Monitoring/Mass Spectrometry (GC-SIM/MS) in Primitivo, Aglianico, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon red wines. Wine samples were extracted by 3 different extraction methods: 1) separation of the alcoholic fraction from the aqueous phase by salting-out and subsequent extraction by liquid-liquid micro-extraction with 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane (Freon 113); 2) extraction by liquid-liquid micro-extraction with dichloromethane; 3) solid phase extraction (SPE cartridge: 800 mg of LiChrolut EN resin) with pentane-dichloromethane (20:1) and dichloromethane. The selection of the ion fragments used for quantification was directly performed on a red wine sample. For each compound the area of the corresponding peak was normalized respect to the peak of the internal standard and then interpolated in a calibration curve obtained analysing a model wine solution (water, ethanol, tartaric acid and known amounts of analytes and of internal standard). The methods showed a good linearity: r2>0.990, except for farnesol (isomer a and c), octanal, decanal, furaneol and phenylacetic acid with 0.966 < or = r2 < or = 0.990. The 7 most powerful odorants were: beta-damascenone, acetaldehyde, maltol, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, 3-methylbutanoic acid and acetal; 7 other slightly less important were: ethyl hexanoate, ethyl acetate, 1-octen-3-ol, butanoic acid, rose oxide, furaneol and sotolon. The Aglianico wines were characterised by the major fermentation compounds (esters, fatty acids and 2-phenylethanol), beta-damascenone, beta-ionone and linalool. The Primitivo wines were characterized by furaneol, methoxypyrazine, gamma-nonalactone and acetaldehyde, while Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines principally by cask derivates (vanillin, (Z) 3-methyl-gamma-octalactone [(Z) wiskylactone], maltol and eugenol), some aldehydes and 3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine.     

The Lewis basicity of the [Pt3(μ-CO)3(PR3)3] clusters and the X-ray crystal structure of [{ZnI2}{Pt3(μ-CO)3(PPh(i-Pr)2)3}]

The cluster compounds [Pt₃(μ-CO)₃(PR₃)₃] act as Lewis bases towards the metal halides of Group XI, MX, Group XII, MX₂, and Group XIII, MX₃, to form cluster compounds of the composition [{MX_n}{Pt₃(μ-CO)₃(PR₃)₃}]. The X-ray crystal structure, NMR and IR data are given for the compound [{ZnI}{Pt₃(μ-CO)₃(PPh(i-Pr)₂)₃}].