Tandem reduction-olefination for the stereoselective synthesis of (Z)-α-fluoro-α,β-unsaturated esters

A tandem stereoselective reduction-olefination reaction of ethyl 2-acyl-2-fluoro-2-diethylphosphonoacetate employing NaBH₄ in EtOH was developed. The one-pot reaction gave α-fluoro-α,β-unsaturated esters with excellent (Z)-selectivity. A plausible mechanism involving a diastereoselective reduction predicted by the Felkin-Anh model, followed by olefination similar to the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction, has been proposed.     

Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric determination of patulin in apple juice using atmospheric pressure photoionization

This paper describes a comparison between atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and the recently introduced atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) technique for the liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric (LC/MS) determination of patulin in clear apple juice. A column switching technique for on-line extraction of clear apple juice was developed. The parameters investigated for the optimization of APPI were the ion source parameters fragmentor voltage, capillary voltage, and vaporizer temperature, and also mobile phase composition and flow rate. Furthermore, chemical noise and signal suppression of analyte signals due to sample matrix interference were investigated for both APCI and APPI. The results indicated that APPI provides lower chemical noise and signal suppression in comparison with APCI. The linear range for patulin in apple juice (correlation coefficient >0.999) was 0.2-100 ng mL(-1). Mean recoveries of patulin in three apple juices ranged from 94.5 to 103.2%, and the limit of detection (S/N = 3), repeatability and reproducibility were 1.03-1.50 ng mL(-1), 3.9-5.1% and 7.3-8.2%, respectively. The total analysis time was 10.0 min.     

MALDI mass spectrometry‐based sequence analysis of arginine‐containing glycopeptides: improved fragmentation of glycan and peptide chains by modifying arginine residue

This paper describes an improved method for the sequence analysis of Arg‐containing glycopeptide by MALDI mass spectrometry (MS). The method uses amino group derivatization (4‐aza‐6‐(2,6‐dimethyl‐1‐piperidinyl)‐5‐oxohexanoic acid N‐succinimidyl ester) and removal (carboxypeptidase B) or modification (peptidylarginine deiminase 4) of the arginine residue of the peptide. The derivatization attaches a basic tertiary amine moiety onto the peptides, and the enzymatic treatment removes or modifies the arginine residue. Fragmentation of the resulting glycopeptide under low‐energy collision‐induced dissociation yielded a simplified ion series of both the glycan and the peptide that can facilitate their sequencing. The feasibility of the method was studied using α₁‐acid glycoprotein‐derived N‐linked glycopeptides, and glycan and peptide in each glycopeptide were successfully sequenced by MALDI tandem MS (MS/MS). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sequential flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of iron(II) and iron(III) by copper(II)-catalyzed reaction with Tiron

A flow injection method for the sequential determination of iron(II) and iron(III) was developed. It is based on the differential reaction kinetics of iron(II) and iron(III) with Tiron in a double-injection FI system. The proposed method employs the accelerating action of copper(II) for the oxidation of iron(II) in the presence of Tiron. A linear calibration graph is obtained for iron (II) and iron(III) in the concentration range 1.8 × 10^–5– 1.8 × 10^–4 mol/L; the throughput of samples is 30 injections/h.     

Three distinct read-out modes for enzyme activity can operate in a semi-wet supramolecular hydrogel

Assays of hydrolytic enzyme activity, such as of glycosidases and phosphatase, as well as several proteases, using a semi-wet supramolecular hydrogel array composed of a glycosylated amino acetate are described. It has been demonstrated that the microcavity formed by gel fibrils is suitable to immobilize native enzymes without denaturation under semi-wet conditions, and thus the nanofiber has been rationally used as a sensing domain to monitor enzymatic reactions. By using a fluorogenic substrate, reducing the size of the hydrogel can significantly improve the problem of suppressed diffusion within the gel matrix thus making the hydrogel a promising semi-wet matrix for evaluating enzyme activity. Confocal laser scanning microscopy observations have shown that an environmentally sensitive fluorescent probe accumulates in the hydrophobic domain of the gel fiber and emits fluorescence more strongly upon hydrolytic cleavage of the substrate peptides. Not only a simple environmentally sensitive probe but also a FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer)-type read-out mode can be devised to analyze the enzymatic hydrolysis-triggered redistribution of the probe between the nanospace and the nanofiber to accomplish a more clearly distinguished enzyme assay. Thus, it is clear that three distinct read-out modes, that is, 1) fluorogenic substrates, 2) substrates bearing an environmentally sensitive probe, or 3) a substrate exhibiting FRET, can operate under the semi-wet hydrogel conditions used in these investigations. In addition, owing to the unique properties of the present supramolecular hydrogel in semi-wet conditions, that is, its phase-segregation properties and dynamics, the supramolecular substrate/enzyme array has successfully been used for high-throughput screening of single and multiple enzymes based on their activity, lysate analysis, and quantitative evaluation of inhibitor potency and selectivity.     

Synthesis and properties of new macrocyclic compounds: Utilization of bond character of hypervalent sulfur in tetraazathiapentalene derivatives

2,3‐Bis[(p‐isothiocyanatomethylphenyl)methyl]‐6,7‐dihydro‐5H‐2a‐thia(2a‐S_IV)‐2,3,4a,7a‐tetraaza‐cyclopent[cd]indene‐1,4(2H,3H)‐dithione ( 3 ), prepared by the reaction of 2,3‐dimethyl‐6,7‐dihydro‐5H‐2a‐thia(2a‐S^IV)‐2,3,4a,7a‐tetraazacyclopent‐[cd]indene‐1,4(2H,3H)‐dithione ( 1 ) with p‐xylylene diisothio‐cyanate, reacted with N,N′‐dialkyl substituted diamines to give macrocyclic compounds bearing hypervalent sulfur by a ring closure reaction in good yields. These macrocyclic compounds were converted into ring‐expanded macrocyclic compounds with release of the hypervalent sulfur by treating with NaBH₄ and CF₃COOH.     

Photobase generation from amineimide derivatives and their use for curing an epoxide/thiol system

The structural effects of amineimide derivatives on photobase generation and the use of the resultant base for thermal curing of an epoxide/thiol system are investigated. The results of UV spectral change and gas chromatographic‐mass spectrometric analysis indicated that amineimide derivatives undergo photolysis by UV irradiation and generate bases. The order of conversion of the photolysis for the functional groups introduced to amineimide derivatives was NO₂ > N(CH₃)₂ > CN > OCH₃ > H. By using aminimide derivatives with NO₂ and N(CH₃)₂ groups, the curing of the epoxide/thiol system was shifted to lower temperature after UV irradiation. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4045–4052, 2002     

Catalytic asymmetric 1,4-addition reactions using alpha,beta-unsaturated N-acylpyrroles as highly reactive monodentate alpha,beta-unsaturated ester surrogates

Synthesis and application of alpha,beta-unsaturated N-acylpyrroles as highly reactive, monodentate ester surrogates in the catalytic asymmetric epoxidation and Michael reactions are described. alpha,beta-Unsaturated N-acylpyrroles with various functional groups were synthesized by the Wittig reaction using ylide 2. A Sm(O-i-Pr)(3)/H(8)-BINOL complex was the most effective catalyst for the epoxidation to afford pyrrolyl epoxides in up to 100% yield and >99% ee. Catalyst loading was successfully reduced to as little as 0.02 mol % (substrate/catalyst = 5000). The high turnover frequency and high volumetric productivity of the present reaction are also noteworthy. In addition, a sequential Wittig olefination-catalytic asymmetric epoxidation reaction was developed, providing efficient one-pot access to optically active epoxides from various aldehydes in high yield and ee (96-->99%). In a direct catalytic asymmetric Michael reaction of hydroxyketone promoted by the Et(2)Zn/linked-BINOL complex, Michael adducts were obtained in good yield (74-97%), dr (69/31-95/5), and ee (73-95%). This represents the first direct catalytic asymmetric Michael reaction of unmodified ketone to an alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid derivative. The properties of alpha,beta-unsaturated N-acylpyrrole are also discussed. Finally, the utility of the N-acylpyrrole unit for further transformations is demonstrated.     

Electroluminescence of a bichromophoric molecule with a benzoxyazolylcoumarin and carbazole moiety

The electroluminescent properties of a bichromophoric molecule in which a benzoxyazolylcoumarin and carbazole moiety is combined with 1,2-ethylene linkage, i.e. 3-(2-benzoxyazolyl)-7-[2-(9-carbazolyl)ethoxy]-coumarin (CmCz), were investigated. CmCz exhibits fluorescence of different colors in a solid state and solution. Two types of device were made. One consisted of a vacuum vapor-deposited film of CmCz as an emission layer to utilize fluorescence in the solid state; the second consisted of a spin-cast film doped with CmCz as an emission material to utilize fluorescence in the solution. The device with a vapor-deposited CmCz film between electrodes shows a green emission with a luminance of less than 10⁻² cd/m². The multiple layer device in which the CmCz film was sandwiched between a hole transport layer and electron transport layer showed a green emission whose spectrum is identical to the photoluminescent spectrum in the vapor-deposited CmCz film. A maximum luminance of the multiple layer device is about 5000 cd/m². On the other hand, the devices consisting of a spin-cast film containing a hole transport material, an electron transport material and CmCz showed a blue emission whose spectra are identical to the photoluminescent spectrum of CmCz in chloroform. Luminance of these devices is over 100 cd/m². © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.