A hydrogel with rubber elasticity transition

Reaction between dimethyldivinylsilane and 3,6-diazaoctane in the presence of 3-lithio-3,6-diazaoctane yields a new telechelic oligomer, poly(silamine), which consists of alternating 3,3-dimethyl-3-silapentane and N,N′-diethylethylenediamine units in the main chain. Poly(silamine) shows unique phase transition properties in response to the degree of protonation of amino groups in the polymer. Poly(silamine) also shows a strong interaction with several anions. Due to the interaction between poly(silamine) and anions along with the protonation of amino groups in the poly(silamine), the rubber elasticity of poly(silamine) is drastically changed. A discrete volume change can be observed when the environmental pH of the poly(silamine) gels is varied. This can be explained not only by a change in ionic osmotic pressure but also by a change in the rubber elasticity of the networks in the gel.     

Error of Atomic Charges Derived from Electrostatic Potential

The purpose of this article is to show that CHELP, CHELPG, and Merz and Kollman undergo error for the charge on atoms of HCOO^– (H₂O) _n for n = 1 6. We also demonstrate that the CHELP, CHELPG, and Merz and Kollman show error for the tendency toward change in the charges on carbons for CH₃NH⁺ ₃ (CH₃)₂NH⁺ ₂ (CH₃)₃NH⁺ (CH₃)₄N⁺.     

Enantioselective synthesis of α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids by Rh-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes with protected dehydroamino acid

We have determined that a cationic rhodium(I)/BINAP complex catalyzes a [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes with a protected dehydroamino acid, leading to protected α-amino acids bearing a quaternary carbon center in high yield with high enantioselectivity.     

Liquid chromatographic analysis of cinchona alkaloids in beverages

A method for the determination of Cinchona extract (whose main components are the alkaloids cinchonine, cinchonidine, quinidine, and quinine) in beverages by liquid chromatography was developed. A beverage with an alcohol content of more than 10% was loaded onto an OASIS HLB solid-phase extraction cartridge, after it was adjusted to pH 10 with 28% ammonium hydroxide. Other beverages were centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 5 min, and the supernatant was loaded onto the cartridge. The cartridge was washed with water followed by 15% methanol, and the Cinchona alkaloids were eluted with methanol. The Cinchona alkaloids in the eluate were chromatographed on an L-column ODS (4.6 mm id x 150 mm) with methanol and 20 mmol/L potassium dihydrogen phosphate (3 + 7) as the mobile phase. Cinchona alkaloids were monitored with an ultraviolet (UV) detector at 230 nm, and with a fluorescence detector at 405 nm for cinchonine and cinchonidine and 450 nm for quinidine and quinine (excitation at 235 nm). The calibration curves for Cinchona alkaloids with the UV detector showed good linearity in the range of 2-400 microg/mL. The detection limit of each Cinchona alkaloid, taken to be the concentration at which the absorption spectrum could be identified, was 2 microg/mL. The recovery of Cinchona alkaloids added at a level of 100 microg/g to various kinds of beverages was 87.6-96.5%, and the coefficients of variation were less than 3.3%. A number of beverage samples, some labeled to contain bitter substances, were analyzed by the proposed method. Quinine was detected in 2 samples of carbonated beverage.     

Vesicle formation in oleyldimethylamine oxide/sodium oleate mixtures

Vesicle formation in a mixture of oleyldimethylamine oxide (OleylDMAO) and sodium oleate (NaOl) was investigated by viscoelastic measurements and cryoscopic transmission electron micrograph (cryo-TEM) observations. The viscoelastic properties changed with increasing mole fraction of NaOl (X _NaOl) from the Maxwell behavior of OleylDMAO solutions (X _NaOl=0) suggesting a transient network of long flexible chains. For X _NaOl=0.2 and 0.4 mixtures, both the shear storage modulus G and the shear loss modulus G showed weak dependences on angular frequency with a relation G>G. From cryo-TEM observations, vesicles coexisted with threadlike micelles in mixtures of X _NaOl=0.2 and 0.3. As X _NaOl increased further (X _NaOl=0.5 and 0.6), threadlike micelles disappeared and the coexistence of vesicles and globular micelles was observed. At X _NaOl=0.5, the viscosity decreased remarkably, which was consistent with the disappearance of threadlike micelles. The results indicated that vesicles were formed by the addition of NaOl to OleylDMAO solutions, contrary to the expectation of a decrease of the packing parameter with the introduction of electric charges.     

Synthesis and absolute configuration of +-lineatin,the pheromone of trypodendronlineatum

A new synthesis of (±), (+)- and (-)-lineatin (3,3,7-trimethyl-2, 9-dioxatricyclo [3.3.1.0^4,7] nonane, $\text{1}$) was achieved. The stereochemistry of (+)-lineatin was established as 1$\text{R}$, 4$\text{S}$, 5$\text{R}$, 7$\text{R}$ by an X-ray crystallographic analysis of an intermediate $\text{1}$$\text{5}$.     

Incoherent quasielastic neutron scattering study on the polymorphism of tristearin: dynamical properties of hydrocarbon chains

Dynamical properties of acyl chains in the three polymorphic phases alpha, beta', and beta of tristearin [C(3)H(5)(OCOC(17)H(35))3] have been studied by means of incoherent quasielastic neutron scattering (IQNS) using selectively deuterated samples. The mean square displacement of hydrogen atoms, , was estimated from the scattering vector Q dependence of the elastic scattering component under the harmonic approximation. It was shown that the temperature dependence of was significantly different between the three phases. There was no marked difference in between these phases up to 193 K, and the value increased linearly with temperature. Although the beta phase remained linear up to 293 K, the alpha and beta' phases started to show a nonlinear increase around 200 K, suggesting an anharmonic nature of molecular motions. The alpha phase exhibited the most conspicuous temperature dependence. These characteristics were ascribable to the difference in the lateral packing of acyl chains. Compared with the beta phase which has a tightly packed T// subcell, the beta' and alpha phases have looser O perpendicular and H subcells, respectively. The molecular motion in the alpha phase was analyzed using the model of uniaxial rotational diffusion in a onefold cosine potential. It has been clarified that the rotational fluctuation about the chain axis in the alpha phase is rather restricted compared with that in the rotator phase of n-alkanes.     

An efficient novel synthesis of beta-(azuleno[1,2-b]benzothienyl)- and beta-(azuleno[2,1-b]benzothienyl)-alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones by the tropylium ion-mediated intramolecular furan ring-opening reaction and X-ray investigation of methyl ketone derivative

Intramolecular reaction of 2-tropylio-3-(5-substituted 2-furyl)benzothiophenes (3), prepared from the corresponding 2-cycloheptatrienyl-3-(5-substituted 2-furyl)benzothiophenes (2), afforded the beta-(azuleno[1,2-b]benzothienyl)-alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones (4), which are otherwise difficult to obtain, in moderate yields. The reaction involves a ring-opening process of the furan ring by intramolecular attack of the tropylium ion onto the 2-position of the furan ring. Similarly, beta-(azuleno[2,1-b]benzothienyl)-alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones (8) were obtained from the corresponding 3-tropylio-2-(5-substituted 2-furyl)benzothiophenes (7) albeit in lower yields. The molecular and crystal structures of the methyl ketone derivative, 8a, are discussed on the basis of X-ray structure analysis.     

Distinct reaction pathways followed upon reduction of oxy-heme oxygenase and oxy-myoglobin as characterized by Mössbauer spectroscopy

Activation of O(2) by heme-containing monooxygenases generally commences with the common initial steps of reduction to the ferrous heme and binding of O(2) followed by a one-electron reduction of the O(2)-bound heme. Subsequent steps that generate reactive oxygen intermediates diverge and reflect the effects of protein control on the reaction pathway. In this study, M?ssbauer and EPR spectroscopies were used to characterize the electronic states and reaction pathways of reactive oxygen intermediates generated by 77 K radiolytic cryoreduction and subsequent annealing of oxy-heme oxygenase (HO) and oxy-myoglobin (Mb). The results confirm that one-electron reduction of (Fe(II)-O(2))HO is accompanied by protonation of the bound O(2) to generate a low-spin (Fe(III)-O(2)H(-))HO that undergoes self-hydroxylation to form the alpha-meso-hydroxyhemin-HO product. In contrast, one-electron reduction of (Fe(II)-O(2))Mb yields a low-spin (Fe(III)-O(2)(2-))Mb. Protonation of this intermediate generates (Fe(III)-O(2)H(-))Mb, which then decays to a ferryl complex, (Fe(IV)=O(2-))Mb, that exhibits magnetic properties characteristic of the compound II species generated in the reactions of peroxide with heme peroxidases and with Mb. Generation of reactive high-valent states with ferryl species via hydroperoxo intermediates is believed to be the key oxygen-activation steps involved in the catalytic cycles of P450-type monooxygenases. The M?ssbauer data presented here provide direct spectroscopic evidence supporting the idea that ferric-hydroperoxo hemes are indeed the precursors of the reactive ferryl intermediates. The fact that a ferryl intermediate does not accumulate in HO underscores the determining role played by protein structure in controlling the reactivity of reaction intermediates.