Synthesis and properties of fluorous arenes and triaryl phosphorus compounds with branched fluoroalkyl moieties (“split pony tails”)

Most compounds designed for immobilization in fluorous media feature linear pony tails of the formula (CH₂)_m(CF₂)_n−1CF₃ [(CH₂)_mR_fn]. This paper presents a first-generation approach to compounds with branched or “split” pony tails of the formula (CH₂)_lCH[(CH₂)_mR_fn]₂. Allyl tri(n-butyl)tin is reacted twice with perfluorooctyl iodide (R_f8I; first, photochemical, 78-81%; second, thermal with radical initiator, 71%; 13-18 g scales) to give the secondary alkyl iodide ICH(CH₂R_f8)₂ (3). A subsequent Ni(Cl)₂(PPh₃)₂-catalyzed reaction with allyl tri(n-butyl)tin yields the branched alkene H₂CCHCH₂CH(CH₂R_f8)₂ (74%). A palladium-catalyzed Heck coupling with OP(p-C₆H₄Br)₃ gives the fluorous phosphine oxide OP(p-C₆H₄CHCHCH₂CH(CH₂R_f8)₂)₃ (84%), and Pd/C-catalyzed hydrogenation affords OP(p-C₆H₄(CH₂)₃CH(CH₂R_f8)₂)₃ (>99%). Reduction with SiHCl₃ gives P(p-C₆H₄(CH₂)₃CH(CH₂R_f8)₂)₃, which is protected as the air-stable borane adduct H₃B·P(p-C₆H₄(CH₂)₃CH(CH₂R_f8)₂)₃ (9, 64%). The CF₃C₆F₁₁/toluene partition coefficient of 9 is much higher than that of the analog with p-(CH₂)₃R_f8 groups (96.6:3.4 versus 37.3:62.7). The iodide 3 is unreactive towards PAr₃ at 175-250 °C. However, a CuBr-catalyzed reaction with C₆H₅MgBr gives C₆H₅CH(CH₂R_f8)₂, which also exhibits a high partition coefficient (97.9:2.1).     

Oxidation reactions of an anionic gallium(I) N-heterocyclic carbene analogue with group 16 compounds

The reactivity of an anionic gallium(I) heterocycle, [K(tmeda)][:Ga([N(Ar)C(H)]2)], Ar = C6H3Pr(i)2-2,6, towards sources of elemental chalcogens and diorgano-dichalcogenides has been investigated and comparisons drawn with the reactivity of the valence isoelectronic N-heterocyclic carbene class of ligand. The reactions of the heterocycle with N2O or (Te)PEt3 yielded the dimeric, dianionic gallium(III) complexes, [K(L)]2[(mu-E)Ga([N(Ar)C(H)]2)]2, E = O, L = tmeda; E = Te, L = THF. Treatment of [K(tmeda)][:Ga([N(Ar)C(H)]2)] with the diphenyl dichalcogenides, PhEEPh, E = Se or Te, gave the one dimensional polymer, [K[(PhSe)2Ga([N(Ar)C(H)]2)]]infinity and the monomeric complex, [K(OEt2)3][(PhTe)2Ga([N(Ar)C(H)]2)], respectively. The X-ray crystal structures of the four complexes are reported.     

Determination of manganese in brain samples by slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple procedure for the determination of manganese in different sections of human brain samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry has been developed. Brain sections included cerebellum, hypothalamus, frontal cortex, vermix and encephalic trunk. Two sample preparation procedures were evaluated, namely, slurry sampling and microwave-assisted acid digestion. Brain slurries (2% w/v) could be prepared in distilled, de-ionized water, with good stability for up to 30 min. Brain samples were also digested in a domestic microwave oven using 5 ml of concentrated HNO₃. A mixed palladium+magnesium nitrate chemical modifier was used for thermal stabilization of the analyte in the electrothermal atomizer up to pyrolysis temperatures of 1300 °C, irrespective of the matrix. Quantitation of manganese was conducted in both cases by means of aqueous standards calibration. The detection limits were 0.3 and 0.4 ng ml⁻¹ for the slurry and the digested samples, respectively. The accuracy of the procedure was checked by comparing the results obtained in the analysis of slurries and digested brain samples, and by analysis of the NIST Bovine Liver standard reference material (SRM 1577a). The ease of slurry preparation, together with the conventional set of analytical and instrumental conditions selected for the determination of manganese make such methodology suitable for routine clinical applications.     

Determination of clindamycin in animal plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A method for the quantification of clindamycin in animal plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) is presented. Lincomycin is used as the internal standard. The sample preparation includes a simple deproteinization step with trichloroacetic acid. Chromatographic separation is achieved on an RP-18 Hypersil column using gradient elution with 0.01 M ammonium acetate and acetonitrile as mobile phase. Good linearity was observed in the range 0-10 microg ml(-1). The limit of quantification of the method is 50 ng ml(-1) and the limit of detection is 1.3 ng ml(-1). The method was shown out to be of use for pharmacokinetic studies of clindamycin formulations in dogs.     

Synthesis of a simplified bryostatin C-ring analogue that binds to the CRD2 of human PKC-alpha and construction of a novel BC-analogue by an unusual Julia olefination process

[structure: see text] The synthesis of two truncated bryostatin analogues 2 and 3 is described. High-field NMR measurements on the C-ring analogue 3 in C(2)H(3)CN containing 25% (2)H(2)O have shown that it binds to the CRD2 of human PKC-alpha at virtually the same position as phorbol-13-acetate (PA) and bryostatin 1 (1). NMR titration studies have also revealed that 3 binds to the CRD2 with a potency similar in magnitude to PA but much less potently than 1.     

Biotechnological storage and utilization of entrapped solar energy

Our laboratory has recently developed a device employing immobilized F₀F₁ adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) that allows synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from adenosine 5′-diphosphate and inorganic phosphate using solar energy. We present estimates of total solar energy received by Earth’s land area and demonstrate that its efficient capture may allow conversion of solar energy and storage into bonds of biochemicals using devices harboring either immobilized ATPase or NADH dehydrogenase. Capture and storage of solar energy into biochemicals may also enable fixation of CO₂ emanating from polluting units. The cofactors ATP and NADH synthesized using solar energy could be used for regeneration of acceptor d-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate from 3-phosphoglycerate formed during CO₂ fixation.     

Novel "Potentially antiaromatic", acidichromic quinonediimines with tunable delocalization of their 6 pi-electron subunits

We present a novel family of "potentially antiaromatic" alkyl-substituted p-benzoquinonediimine pH-dependent chromophores. It appears from the structural data that these overall 12 pi-electron molecules should be better considered as constituted by two chemically connected but electronically not conjugated 6 pi-electron subunits. Molecule 5 appears to be the first example of two separated, conjugated, and localized 6 pi-electron systems that can be tuned by reversible protonation to become delocalized. The mono- and diprotonated derivatives have been characterized by spectroscopic methods and X-ray diffraction. These systems develop supramolecular interactions in the solid state that clearly reflect the degree of protonation and depend on the nature of the counterion. These compounds constitute new chromophores for which the color can be tuned depending on the degree of protonation, going in solution from yellow for 5 to red for 5.HCl and blue for 5.2HCl. Theoretical calculations have provided a deeper insight into the electronic structure of these molecules and allowed an assignment of the experimental UV-vis spectra. The visible and near-UV spectrum of the neutral and protonated benzoquinonediimines can be classically assigned from the coupling of two 6 pi-electron polymethine units. TD-DFT calculations confirm the observed red shift of the two lowest pi --> pi* transitions of the benzoquinonediimines upon protonation and relate it to the moderate energy lowering of the HOMO --> LUMO transition induced by the delocalization of the polymethine pi system.     

Crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation of chiral-at-metal ruthenium(II) complexes bearing achiral ligands

Recently, we observed that the enantiopure Lambda form of the tributylammonium salt of the chiral anion tris[tetrachlorobenzene-1,2-bis(olato)]phosphate, also named Trisphat, was able to induce an efficient resolution of a Delta,Lambda racemic mixture of cis-[Ru(dmp)2(NCCH3)2](PF6)2 (dmp=2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) due to the spontaneous and selective precipitation of the heterochiral pair [Delta-Ru(dmp)2(CH3CN)2][Lambda-Trisphat]2. We report here that the combination of such a stereoselective precipitation process and irradiation results in the quantitative conversion of the initial [Ru(dmp)2(NCCH3)2]2+ racemate into only one of the two enantiomers. This is the first example in inorganic chemistry of an asymmetric transformation that leads to a chiral complex with no chiral ligand. Finally, three new racemic ruthenium bis(diimine) complexes, namely [Ru(dmp)2(NCCH3)Py](PF6)2 (Py=pyridine), [Ru(dmp)2(1,3-diaminopropane)](PF6)2, and [Ru(dmp)2(ethylenediamine)](PF6)2 were synthesized. For all of them, crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation proved to be an efficient way of obtaining the corresponding optically active chiral-at-metal complexes in high yields and with excellent stereoselectivities.     

Serum estradiol measurement by solid-phase chemiluminescence immunoassay and direct radioimmunoassay

Estradiol017β is determined in serum extracts by solid-phase chemiluminescence immunoassay. The results are compared with those obtained from unextracted serum in routine conditions with a commercial radioimmunoassay (r.i.a.) kit. For the chemiluminescence procedure, a purified monoclonal antibody to estradiol-6-carboxymethyloxime/bovine serum albumin and the homologous chemiluminescent marker conjugate estradiol-6-carboxymethyloxime aminobutylethylisoluminol are used. Bound and free ligand are separated by washing and simple centrifugation. Results obtained by the chemiluminescence assay (y) and by r.i.a. (x) on 170 serum specimens from women during ovulation induction showed good correlation (y = 1.01x ? 16 with r = 0.95). The methods are similar in selectivity, detection limit (ca. 10 ng l^?1) and precision (interassay relative standard deviation, 8–13%).     

Electroenzymatic reactions. Investigation of a reductive dehalogenase by means of electrogenerated redox cosubstrates

As an illustration of how cyclic voltammetry can be used to unravel the mechanisms and kinetics of redox enzymes, the reductive dechlorination of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene by a typical reductive dehalogenase, the tetrachloroethene reductive dehalogenase of Sulfurospirillum multivorans (formerly called Dehalospirillum multivorans), was investigated by means of several electrochemically generated cosubstrates. They comprised the monocation and the neutral form of methylviologen, the neutral form of benzylviologen, and cobaltocene. Cyclic voltammetry is used to produce the active form of the cosubstrate under controlled potential conditions. It shows large plateau-shaped catalytic responses, which are used to measure the kinetics of the enzymatic reaction as a function of the substrate and cosubstrate concentrations. The variation of the rate constant for the cosubstrate reaction with its standard potential shows the transition between two asymptotic behaviors, one in which the reaction is under diffusion control and the other in which it is under counter-diffusion control. Simple fitting of this plot allows an estimation of the standard potential of the electron acceptor center in the enzyme (E degrees = -0.57 V vs NHE).