Datura stramonium hairy roots tropane alkaloid content as a response to changes in Gamborg’s B5 medium

Hairy roots are less susceptible to manipulation by changes in medium composition than callus and cell suspension cultures. However, when the individual components of the Gamborg’s B₅ medium were modified one by one, several of them modified the yield of root cultures. Nitrogen (N) source changes, the absence of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), and cobalt (Co), and the increase in the sucrose content of the medium increased the level of alkaloids inDatura stramonium hairy root cultures. The use of ammoniun as N source provoked the alkaloid excretion into the medium. The addition of different auxins inhibited the alkaloid accumulation, but the addition of abscisic acid (ABA) did not change the alkaloid content of the cultures. The use of MeJa increased the content of hyoscyamine to 100%.     

XRD and Si MAS-NMR spectroscopy across the β-Lu2Si2O7-β-Y2Si2O7 solid solution

Samples in the system Lu_2−xY_xSi₂O₇ (0?x?2) have been synthesized following the sol-gel method and calcined to 1300 °C, a temperature at which the β-polymorph is known to be the stable phase for the end-members Lu₂Si₂O₇ and Y₂Si₂O₇. The XRD patterns of all the compositions studied are compatible with the structure of the β-polymorph. Unit cell parameters are calculated as a function of composition from XRD patterns. They show a linear change with increasing Y content, which indicates a solid solubility of β-Y₂Si₂O₇ in β-Lu₂Si₂O₇ at 1300 °C. ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectra of the different members of the system agree with the XRD results, showing a linear decrease of the ²⁹Si chemical shift with increasing Y content. Finally, a correlation reported in the literature to predict ²⁹Si chemical shifts in silicates is applied here to obtain the theoretical variation in ²⁹Si chemical shift values in the system Lu₂Si₂O₇-Y₂Si₂O₇ and the results compare favorably with the values obtained experimentally.     

Tetranuclear [Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4] complexes as building blocks for new inorganic architectures: synthesis of coordination polymers and heteropolynuclear complexes with electrophilic d8 and d10 metal fragments

The reaction of [Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(cod)4] (PyS2 = 2,6-pyridinedithiolate, cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) with CF3SO3Me gave the cationic complex [Rh(4)(mu-PyS(2)Me)(2)(cod)4][CF3SO3]2 (1) with two 6-(thiomethyl)pyridine-2-thiolate bridging ligands from the attack of Me+ at the terminal sulfur atoms of the starting material. Under identical conditions [Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(tfbb)4] (tfbb = tetrafluorobenzobarrelene) reacted with CF3SO3Me to give the mixed-ligand complex [Rh(4)(mu-PyS2)(mu-PyS2Me)(tfbb)4][CF3SO3] 2. The nucleophilicity of the bridging ligands in the complexes [Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4] was exploited to prepare heteropolynuclear species. Reactions with [Au(PPh3)(Me2CO)][ClO4] gave the hexanuclear complexes [(PPh3)2Au2Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4][ClO4]2 (diolefin = cod (3), tfbb (4)). The structure of 4, solved by X-ray diffraction methods, showed the coordination of the [Au(PPh3)]+ fragments to the peripheral sulfur atoms in [Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4] along with their interaction with the neighbor rhodium atoms. Neutral coordination polymers of formula [ClMRh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4]n (M = Cu (5, 6), Au (7)) result from the self-assembly of alternating [Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4] ([Rh4]) blocks and MCl linkers. The formation of the infinite polymetallic chains was found to be chiroselective for M = Cu; one particular chain contains exclusively homochiral [Rh4] complexes. Cationic heterometallic coordination polymers of formula [MRh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4]n[BF4]n (M = Ag (8, 9), Cu (10, 11)) and [Rh5(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)5]n[BF4]n (12, 13) result from the reactions of [Rh4] with [Cu(CH2CN)4]BF4, AgBF4, and [Rh(diolefin)(Me2CO)2]BF4, respectively. The heterometallic coordination polymers exhibit a weak electric conductivity in the solid state in the range (1.2-2.8) x 10(-7) S cm(-1).     

Static and dynamic light-scattering studies on micellar solutions of alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chlorides

Static (SLS) and dynamic (DLS) light-scattering techniques were applied to the study of the aggregation of dodecyl- (C12DBACl), tetradecyl- (C14DBACl), and hexadecyldimethylbenzylammonium (C16DBACl) chlorides in water and in 0.01 and 0.05 m NaCl aqueous solutions at 25 degrees C. Results of SLS measurements yielded critical micelle concentration (cmc) values for aqueous and NaCl solutions. The aggregation numbers of the micelles for the homologous surfactants are low but increase with chain length and ionic strength of the solution. Various patterns of changes of the diffusion coefficient, D, as a function of chain length, molality, and with ionic strength were found for the studied surfactants. Transformations in the structure of micelles of C14DBACl in 0.01 m NaCl occur at a concentration of surfactant of about 0.01 m. Such transformations, presumably due to rodlike structure, are the more extensive the higher the concentration of NaCl. The concentration of C16DBACl in 0.05 m NaCl covers the range where already repulsive interactions between micelles occur, as judged by the strongly negative slope of the D versus molality plot. To provide additional information on the suggested transformations, complementary viscosity measurements for C14DBACl in 0.01 m of NaCl have been performed.     

Preparation of trout liver microsomes for iron speciation in P-450 enzymes by AE–FPLC with ICP–(ORS)MS detection

Cytochromes P-450 are members of a superfamily of hemoproteins involved in the oxidative metabolism of various physiological and xenobiotic compounds in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The multiplicity of this group of enzymes has been widely studied by chromatographic techniques, mainly high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Because these enzymes are membrane-bound proteins, sample preparation for chromatographic separation of P-450 enzymes requires a solubilization step. The sample-preparation procedures are critical, because detergents affect not only the efficiency of protein solubilization but also their further chromatographic resolution. Trout liver microsomes have been taken here as a model sample to investigate iron speciation in cytochrome P-450. Trouts were treated intraperitoneally with -naphthoflavone, a potent inducer of some P-450 enzymes, and a microsomal suspension containing 7.4±0.1 nmol mL^–1 P-450 enzymes was obtained by ultracentrifugation. Lubrol PX was selected as detergent for solubilization, resulting in about 90% solubilization recovery. The solubilized cytochromes P-450 were further separated by AE–FPLC, with UV detection, or coupled to ICP–MS with an octapole reaction system, ICP–(ORS)MS (monitoring Fe signals at masses 54, 56, and 57). A sampling procedure and chromatographic conditions are developed and were successfully applied to iron speciation in trout liver P-450 enzymes. ICP–(ORS)MS detection of P-450 enzymes is Fe-specific and so will give accurate information on the prosthetic group of the protein, which can constitute an advantageous alternative to classical methods for detection of these hemoproteins.     

A density functional theory study on the electrocyclization of 1,2,4,6-heptatetraene analogues: converting a pericyclic to a pseudopericyclic reaction

A comprehensive B3LYP/6-31+G* study on the electrocyclization of 1,2,4,6-heptatetraene analogues was conducted. Starting from the cyclization of (2Z)-2,4,5-hexatrienal, a pericyclic disrotatory process favored by the assistance of a electron lone pair, we incorporated small modifications in its molecular structure to obtain a truly pseudopericyclic process. To this purpose electronegative atoms (fluorine and nitrogen) were added to give a more electrophilic character on the carbon atom which is attacked by the electron lone pair of the oxygen atom. The complete pathway for each reaction was determined, and changes in magnetic properties were monitored with a view to estimating the aromatization associated with each process. This information, together with the energetic and structural results, allowed us to classify the reactions as pseudopericyclic or pericyclic. Among all studied reactions only one was a truly pseudopericyclic process and another was a borderline case. The features of this unequivocally pseudopericyclic case were analyzed in depth.     

Correlation between molecular orbitals and doping dependence of the electrical conductivity in electron-doped metal-phthalocyanine compounds

We have performed a comparative study of the electronic properties of six different electron-doped metal-phthalocyanine (MPc) compounds (ZnPc, CuPc, NiPc, CoPc, FePc, and MnPc), in which the electron density is controlled by means of potassium intercalation. Despite the complexity of these systems, we find that the nature of the underlying molecular orbitals produces observable effects in the doping dependence of the electrical conductivity of the materials. For all the MPc's in which the added electrons are expected to occupy orbitals centered on the ligands (ZnPc, CuPc, and NiPc), the doping dependence of the conductivity has an essentially identical shape. This shape is different from that observed in MPc materials in which electrons are also added to orbitals centered on the metal atom (CoPc, FePc, and MnPc). The observed relation between the macroscopic electronic properties of the MPc compounds and the properties of the molecular orbitals of the constituent molecules clearly indicates the richness of the alkali-doped metal-phthalocyanines as a model class of compounds for the investigation of the electronic properties of molecular systems.     

Study of the interferences in the determination of Pu, Am and Cm in radioactive waste by extraction chromatography

This paper describes the experimental studies carried out to determine (238)Pu, (239/40)Pu, (241)Pu, (241)Am, (242)Cm and (244)Cm in samples from nuclear power plants (mainly spent ion exchange resins and evaporator concentrates) using an organophosphorus compound immobilized on an inert support. These materials are commercially available under the name TRU Resin (for Transuranium Specific) from Eichrom Industries, Darien, IL. An attempt is made to develop a rapid, accurate method of analysis, with minimum waste generation. Standard solutions of Pu and Am and one sample of spent ion exchange resin that contains fission, activation products, Pu, Am and Cm were analyzed to study the separation factors and interferences in the measurement of Pu, Am and Cm isotopes.     

Electrochromic devices based on binuclear mixed valence compounds adsorbed on nanocrystalline semiconductors

A series of cyano-bridged binuclear mixed valence complexes of the general formula M-Ru(III)(NH(3))(4)pyCOOH [pyCOOH = isonicotinic acid; M = cis-Ru(bpy)(2)(CN)(2), 1 (bpy = 2,2' bipyridine); trans-Ru(py)(4)(CN)(2), 2 (py = pyridine); [Ru(CN)(6)](4)(-), 3; [Fe(CN)(6)](4)(-), 4] have been prepared and anchored through the carboxylic function to nanocrystalline TiO(2) or SnO(2) electrodes. The complexes display a reversible electrochromic behavior in the range of applied potential from -0.5 to +0.5 V, versus SCE. Tuning of the electronic transitions in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions is achieved through changes of the solvent and of the cyano-bridged metal moiety M.     

Pentanuclear Ba(II) complex of a macrocyclic ligand

We report here the first pentanuclear Ba(II) complex of a new tri-aza, tri-oxa macrocycle with two carboxymethyl "arms" pending from two N atoms, H2L2. The crystal structure corresponds to the formula [Ba5(H0.375L2)4(ClO4)(CH3CH2OH)(H2O)2](ClO4)2.5 x 9.5H2O and reveals the presence of four molecules of the ligand surrounding five Ba(II) ions, giving rise to an unusual structure with the metal ions inside a spherical organic cavity.