Investigations of nitrogen diffusion in austenitic CrNi steels

Parameters of the diffusion of N (up to 0.3 wt.%) in austenitic stainless steels (12 to 19 wt.% Cr, 12 to 16 wt.% Ni, up to 2 wt.% Mo) were determined within the temperature range of 1283–1573K. The small concentration gradients of N were successfully investigated using (1) mechanical serial sectioning technique in combination with either chemical N analysis or X-ray precision lattice parameter determination, and (2) measurements on microsections by means of either electron probe microanalysis or Kossel technique.The diffusion coefficients of N were found to be independent of its concentration. The alloying elements Cr and Mo reduce the N diffusivity in austenitic stainless steels which on the other hand is increased by Ni.     

Electron distribution on an intramolecular hydrogen bond: A semiempirical AM1 study

Dipole moments of seven molecules were studied by AM1, each containing an intramolecular hydrogen bond between a hydroxyl group and a carbonyl or nitro group as hydrogen acceptors. The hydrogen bond causes two electron shifts: from H to O within the hydroxyl group and from C to O within the carbonyl group. The latter is accompanied by withdrawal of electrons from even more distant atoms. If the total electron density change is expressed as a vector, its direction is close to the direction of the O-H bond. This electron redistribution is in agreement with the previous, somewhat, puzzling experimental results. However, it differs from the commonly accepted picture according to which electron density changes on the hydrogen acceptor moiety are less important than those on the O-H bond.Dedicated to Professor Viktor Gutmann on the occasion of his 70th birthday.     

Production and energetic use of biogas from energy crops and wastes in Germany

The production of biogas for reducing fossil CO₂ emissions is one of the key strategic issues of the German government and has resulted in the development of new process techniques and new technologies for the energetic use of biogas. Progress has been made in cultivating energy crops for biogas production, in using new reactor systems for anaerobic digestion, and in applying more efficient technologies for combined heat and power production. Recently, integration of fuel cells within the anaerobic digestion process was started, and new technologies for biogas upgrading and conversion to hydrogen were tested. This article describes the trends in Germany for achieving more efficient energy production.     

First Cr(III)-SNS complexes and their use as highly efficient catalysts for the trimerization of ethylene to 1-hexene

Cr(III) complexes of tridentate SNS ligands have been prepared and evaluated as catalysts for ethylene trimerization, with several giving very high activity and excellent selectivity toward 1-hexene when activated with methylaluminoxane. The new complexes illustrate the potential of sulfur-based ligands on early transition metals for catalysis.     

Dammarane triterpenes of Commiphora confusa resin

Fractionation of a steam distilled residue of Commiphora confusa resin has yielded four novel dammarane triterpenes characterised as (20S)-3beta-acetoxy-12beta,16beta-trihydroxydammar-24-ene, (20S)-12beta,16beta-trihydroxydammar-24-ene-3beta-O-beta-glucopyranoside, (20S)-3beta-acetoxy-12beta,16beta,25-tetrahydroxydammar-23-ene, and (20S)-3beta,12beta,16beta,25-pentahydroxydammar-23-ene. The known compounds beta-amyrin, 3beta-amyrinacetate, 2-methoxyfuranodienone, 2-acetoxyfuranodienone, (20R)-3beta-acetoxy-16beta-dihydroxydammar-24-ene, (20R)-3beta,16beta-trihydroxydammar-24-ene, 3beta-acetoxy-16beta-hydroxydammar-24-ene, 3beta-hydroxydammar-24-ene, 3beta-acetoxydammar-24-ene, and beta-sistosterol were also isolated from the same extract. The structures of the compounds were determined using spectroscopic, physical, and chemical methods.     

Sequence selective recognition in the minor groove of dsDNA by pyrrole,imidazole-substituted bis-benzimidazole conjugates

A series of pyrrole, imidazole-substituted bis-benzimidazole conjugates, Py-Py-Im-gamma-biBenz, Py-Py-gamma-biBenz, Py-Im-gamma-biBenz, and Im-Py-gamma-biBenz (1-4), were prepared in an attempt to target dsDNA sequences possessing both A/T and G/C bps. The dsDNA interactions and sequence specificity of the conjugates have been characterized via spectrofluorometric titrations and thermal melting studies. All conjugates form 1:1 complexes with dsDNA at subnanomolar concentrations. The Im moiety selectively recognizes a G/C bp embedded in the A/T-rich binding site. This represents the first clear example of sequence selective recognition in a 1:1 motif.(1) The equilibrium association constant (K(1)) for complexation of a specific nine-bp dsDNA site, 5'-gcggTATGAAATTcgacg-3', by conjugate 1 is approximately 2.6 x 10(9) M(-1). Displacement of the G/C position or G/C-->A/T substitution within the nine-bp site decreases the K(1) by approximately 8-fold, whereas two continuous G/C bps decrease the K(1) by approximately 50-fold magnitude. The K(1) values for seven-bp dsDNA, 5'-gcggtaTGAAATTcgacg-3' and 5'-gcggtaCAAAATTcgacg-3', binding sites by conjugates Py-Im-gamma-biBenz (3) and Im-Py-gamma-biBenz (4) are approximately 2.3 x 10(9) and approximately 1.2 x 10(9) M(-1), respectively. However, the conjugates with no Im moiety, Py-Py-gamma-biBenz (2) and Py-Py-Py-gamma-biBenz (5 and 6), are specific for seven- to nine-bp A/T-rich sites and single A/T-->G/C bp substitution within the binding site decreases the K(1) values by 1-2 orders of magnitude.     

Proton transfer reaction ion trap mass spectrometer

Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry is a relatively new field that has attracted a great deal of interest in the last few years. This technique uses H(3)O(+) as a chemical ionization (CI) reagent to measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the parts per billion by volume (ppbv) to parts per trillion by volume (pptv) range. Mass spectra acquired with a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) are simple because proton transfer chemical ionization is "soft" and results in little or no fragmentation. Unfortunately, peak identification can still be difficult due to isobaric interferences. A possible solution to this problem is to couple the PTR drift tube to an ion trap mass spectrometer (ITMS). The use of an ITMS is appealing because of its ability to perform MS/MS and possibly distinguish between isomers and other isobars. Additionally, the ITMS duty cycle is much higher than that of a linear quadrupole so faster data acquisition rates are possible that will allow for detection of multiple compounds. Here we present the first results from a proton transfer reaction ion trap mass spectrometer (PTR-ITMS). The aim of this study was to investigate ion injection and storage efficiency of a simple prototype instrument in order to estimate possible detection limits of a second-generation instrument. Using this prototype a detection limit of 100 ppbv was demonstrated. Modifications are suggested that will enable further reduction in detection limits to the low-ppbv to high-pptv range. Furthermore, the applicability of MS/MS in differentiating between isobaric species was determined. MS/MS spectra of the isobaric compounds methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) and methacrolein (MACR) are presented and show fragments of different mass making differentiation possible, even when a mixture of both species is present in the same sample. However, MS/MS spectra of acetone and propanal produce fragments with the same molecular masses but with different intensity ratios. This allows quantitative distinction only if one species is predominant. Fragmentation mechanisms are proposed to explain the results.     

Versatile and facile synthesis of diverse semisynthetic tetracycline derivatives via Pd-catalyzed reactions

A diverse collection of tetracycline derivatives has been synthesized utilizing Heck, Suzuki, and other palladium-coupling reactions via tetracycline arenediazonium and iodoarene salts. Large numbers of tetracyclines are now possible via these reactions, including numerous upper periphery derivatives of doxycycline, minocycline, sancycline, and methacycline modified at positions C7, C9, and C6-C13 on the tetracycline naphthacene ring. Application of palladium-coupling reactions to the tetracyclines has yielded new tetracycline classes with differing structural attributes, greatly increasing the structural diversity of this family of antibiotics, one of the last of the early antibiotic families to be expanded by organic and medicinal chemistry.