Homogeneous rare earth coordination catalysts for copolymerization of styrene with acrylonitrile

The study on homogeneous rare earth coordination catalysts, LnL₃-Al(i-Bu)₃-CCl₄, for the copolymerization of styrene with acrylonitrile has been successfully carried out for the first time. Some features and kinetic behavior of copolymerization of styrene with acrylonitrile by Nd(P₂₀₄)₃-Al(i-Bu)₃-CCl₄ system are described. The catalyst sites appear to possess both coordinate anionic and free radical characteristics. The catalytic activity of various rare earth elements in Ln(P₂₀₄)₃ and ligands in NdL₃ for the copolymerization have the following order, respectively: Yb > Er > Tb ～ Tm > Ho > Ce > Lu ～ Sm ～ La > Pr > Nd, and Nd(naph)₃ > Nd(P₂₀₄)₃ ～ Nd(P₅₀₇)₃ > Nd(acac)₃·3H₂O. An alternating-rich copolymer of styrene-acrylonitrile with a high softening point (195–230°C) was obtained by the LnL₃-Al(i-Bu)₃-CCl₄ systems in toluene at 80°C.     

Continuation calculations of boron- (aluminum-, titanium-, and nickel-) doped La13 clusters

In this work, we have calculated boron-, aluminum-, titanium-, and nickel-doped La13 clusters by DMOL method based on the density-functional theory. Two doping modes are employed: surface and center doping. The boron, aluminum, and nickel atoms prefer to occupy the surface sites while the titanium atom prefers to occupy the center site. The doped La13 clusters with these four kinds of atoms have lower binding energy than pure La13 clusters. The icosahedral isomers are of lower binding energy than cubotahedral and decahedral isomers for La12B(-1), La12Al(-1), and La12Ni, while doping makes the cubotahedral La12Ti stable with a binding energy a little lower than icosahedral La12Ti. There are electronic shell effects in icosahedral La12B(-1) and La12Al(-1). The icosahedral La12B(-1) is promising to be formed during the doped process experimentally. Furthermore, we have also discussed the distorted structures of center doping by bond lengths, density of states, and charge transfers.     

How does huperzine A enter and leave the binding gorge of acetylcholinesterase? Steered molecular dynamics simulations

The entering and leaving processes of Huperzine A (HupA) binding with the long active-site gorge of Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase (TcAChE) have been investigated by using steered molecular dynamics simulations. The analysis of the force required along the pathway shows that it is easier for HupA to bind to the active site of AChE than to disassociate from it, which for the first time interprets at the atomic level the previous experimental result that unbinding process of HupA is much slower than its binding process to AChE. The direct hydrogen bonds, water bridges, and hydrophobic interactions were analyzed during two steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations. Break of the direct hydrogen bond needs a great pulling force. The steric hindrance of bottleneck might be the most important factor to produce the maximal rupture force for HupA to leave the binding site but it has a little effect on the binding process of HupA with AChE. Residue Asp72 forms a lot of water bridges with HupA leaving and entering the AChE binding gorge, acting as a clamp to take out HupA from or put HupA into the active site. The flip of the peptide bond between Gly117 and Gly118 has been detected during both the conventional MD and SMD simulations. The simulation results indicate that this flip phenomenon could be an intrinsic property of AChE and the Gly117-Gly118 peptide bond in both HupA bound and unbound AChE structures tends to adopt the native enzyme structure. At last, in a vacuum the rupture force is increased up to 1500 pN while in water solution the greatest rupture force is about 800 pN, which means water molecules in the binding gorge act as lubricant to facilitate HupA entering or leaving the binding gorge.     

Microcalorimetry as a possible tool for phylogenetic studies of Tetrahymena

Using isothermal microcalorimetry, the growth power-time curves of three strains of Tetrahymena were determined at 28°C. Their Euclidean distances and cluster analysis diagram were obtained by using two thermokinetic parameters (r and Q_log), which showed that T. thermophila BF₁ and T. thermophila BF₅ had a closer relationship. Compared with the single molecular biomarker (ITS1) method, microcalorimetry wasmaybe a simpler, more sensitive andmore economic technique in the phylogenetic studies of Tetrahymena species.     

Growth of self-organized hierarchical ZnO nanoarchitectures by a simple In/In2S3 controlled thermal evaporation process

Novel hierarchical ZnO nanoarchitectures, such as microtrepangs, microbelts, nanoflowers, nanocombs, nanowheels, and nanofans assembled by ZnO nanocones, nanobowling pins, nanobottles, nanoarrows, and nanonails, have had their growth controlled by the thermal evaporation of Zn and a mixture of In and In2S3. Both the morphologies of the products and their construction units could be efficiently controlled by simple adjustment of the weight ratio of In/In2S3. The phase structure, morphologies, and photoluminescence properties of the ZnO products were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. These novel hierarchical ZnO nanoarchitectures may be attractive building blocks for creating optical or other nanodevices.     

Synthesis and testing of new end-functionalized oligomers for molecular electronics

Several new classes of oligomers have been synthesized with functionalities designed to aid in the understanding of molecular device behavior, specifically when molecules are interfaced between proximal electronic probes. The compounds synthesized are series of azobenzenes, bipyridines and oligo(phenylene vinylene)s that bear acetyl-protected thiols for ultimate attachment to metallic surfaces. Some initial electrochemical and solid-state test results are also reported.     

Sensitive HPLC-fluorometric and HPLC-MS determination of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (SP)-toxins as 4-bromomethyl-7-methoxycoumarin esters

 Extracts containing the diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins okadaic acid (OA), dinophysistoxin-2 (DTX₂), and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX₁) were purified on a silica gel cartridge and derivatized with 4-bromomethyl-7 methoxycoumarin (BrMmc). After pre-column derivatization the BrMmc derivatives of the DSP toxins were directly injected into an HPLC system, isocratically eluted, and quantified by fluorescence detection. The signals of the esters showed good linearity in the fluorescence detector within the examined contamination range of 0.03 mg DSP/kg to 2.5 mg DSP/kg. The detection limits for the DSP toxins as 7-Mmc esters were 0.04 ng (corresponding to 0.05 mg DSP/kg). The chromatographic conditions allow to couple the HPLC device with mass spectrometry. The method was tested with various mussel tissue samples. Received: 14 December 1995/Revised: 26 January 1996/Accepted: 30 January 1996     

Molecular structure and conformation of gaseous bromoacetyl chloride and bromoacetyl bromide as determined by electron diffraction

Bromoacetyl chloride and bromoacetyl bromide are studied by gas phase electron diffraction at nozzle-tip temperatures of 70°C and 77°C, respectively. Both compounds exist as mixtures of anti and gauche conformers. The mole fraction anti, with uncertainties estimated at 2σ, was found to be 0.474(0.080) for bromoacetyl chloride and 0.615(0.069) for bromoacetyl bromide. The results for the distance (r_a)and angle (∠α) parameters, with parenthesized uncertainties of 2σ including estimated uncertainty in the electron wave length and correlation effects are as follows: (1) bromoacetyl chloride, r(C-H) = 1.086(0.062) Å, r(CO) = 1.188(0.009) Å, r(C-C) = 1.519(0.018) Å, r(C-Cl) = 1.789(0.011) Å, r(C-Br) = 1.935(0.012) Å, ∠C-CO = 127.6(1.3)°, ∠C-C-Cl = 111.3(1.1)°, ∠C-C-Br = 111.0(1.5)°, ∠H-C-H = 109.5°(assumed), $\text{}\text{?}$/o (gauche torsion angle relative to 0° for the anti form) = 110.0°(assumed); (2) bromoacetyl bromide, r(C-H) =1.110(0.088) Å, r(C=O) = 1.175(0.013) Å, r(C-C) = 1.513(0.020) Å, r(CO-Br) = 1.987(0.020) Å, r(CH₂-Br) = 1.915(0.020) Å, ∠C-CO = 129.4(1.7)°, ∠CH₂-CO-Br = 110.7(1.5)°, ∠CO-CH₂-Br = 111.7(1.8)°, ∠H-C-H = 109.5°(assumed), ∠ø (gauche torsion angle relative to 0° for the anti form) = 105.0°(assumed). The structural results are discussed in connection with the structures of related molecules.     

Capillary sodium dodecyl sulfate-DALT electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection for size-based analysis of proteins in human colon cancer cells

Capillary sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-DALT electrophoresis (SDS-DALT-CE) refers to CE separation of proteins based on their size; DALT is the abbreviation for Dalton, the unit used to describe molecular weight. In this work, seven proteins from 18 to 116 kDa were denatured by SDS, labeled by 3-(2-furoyl) quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde, separated by SDS-DALT-CE in polyethylene oxide sieving matrix, and detected by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) in a sheath flow cuvette. This method was combined with detergent differential fractionation, which is a protein fractionation method using a series of detergent-containing buffers to sequentially extract protein fractions from cells, to analyze the proteins in HT29 human colon adenocarcinoma cells. In addition, on-column labeling was demonstrated for protein analysis by SDS-DALT-CE with LIF, and applied to analysis of proteins in a single HT29 cancer cell. Most proteins had molecular masses from 10 to 120 kDa. Similar protein profiles were obtained for single cells and protein extract of a large cell population.     

New products from the reaction of acetyllycoctonine with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS)

Six new artificial products 11-16 were obtained from the reaction of acetyllycoctonine (10) with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS). The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of spectral data. It is emphasized that the varieties and yields of the products in this reaction depended greatly upon reaction conditions and the types of substrate.