Lipase-catalyzed transformation of poly(lactic acid) into cyclic oligomers

Enzymatic transformations into cyclic oligomers were carried out with the objective of developing chemical recycling of poly(lactic acid)s, such as poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA), poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA) and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), which are typical biodegradable polymers. They were degraded by lipase in an organic solvent to produce the corresponding cyclic oligomer with a molecular weight of several hundreds. PDLLA (with a Mw of 84,000) was quantitatively transformed into cyclic oligomers by lipase RM (Lipozyme RM IM) in chloroform/hexane at 60 degrees C. PLLA (with a Mw of 120,000) was transformed into cyclic oligomer by lipase CA (Novozym 435) at a higher temperature of 100 degrees C in o-xylene. The oligomer structure was identified by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF (matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight) mass spectrometry.     

Thermal decomposition of the solvent-extracted chloro complexes of vanadium(IV) with trioctylamine and trioctylmethylammonium chloride

The complexes (R₃NHVO(OH)Cl₂)₂ and (R₃RNVO(OH)Cl₂)₂ prepared by drying in vacuo the organic solutions from the extraction into benzene of aqueous vanadyl chloride solution with trioctylamine (TOA, R₃N) and trioctylmethylammonium chloride (TOMAC, R₃RNCl), were studied by thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis under an atmosphere of nitrogen, and the products of their thermal decomposition, such as volatile matter and residues, by gas chromatography. X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. It was found that the complexes with TOA and TOMAC thermally decompose to V₂O₃ at 200–300° by cracking of the compounds R₃NHVO(OH)Cl₂ and R₃RNVO(OH)Cl₂ formed via dissociation of the complexes at about 150°.

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Zusammenfassung Die Komplexe (R₃NHVO(OH)Cl₂)₂ und (R₃RNVO(OH)Cl₂)₂ wurden hergestellt, indem benzolische und wässrige Vanadylchlorid-Lösungen mit Trioctylamin (TOA, R₃N) und Trioctylmethylammoniumchlorid (TOMAC, R₃RNCl) extrahiert und die erhaltenen Lösungen im Vakuum eingedampft wurden. Die Komplexen wurden in Stickstoffatmosphäre mittels TG und DTA untersucht und die thermischen Zersetzungsprodukte, und zwar sowohl die flüchtigen Verbindungen als auch die Rückstände, gaschromatographisch bzw. röntgendiffraktometrisch und IR-spektroskopisch bestimmt. Es wurde festgestellt, daß die Komplexe mit TOA und TOMAC bei 150° in die Verbindungen R₃NHVO(OH)Cl₂ und R₃RNVO(OH)Cl₂ dissoziieren, die bei 200–300° thermisch zu V₂O₃ zersetzt werden.

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(R₃NHVO(OH)Cl₂)₂ (R₃RNVO(OH)Cl₂)₂ (R₃,) ( , R₃RNCl). , , . , 200–300° V₂₃ R₃NV()l₂ R₃RNVO(OH)Cl₂, 150°.

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We wish to thank the Koei Chemical Co. Ltd. for samples of TOA and TOMAC.     

Total synthesis of (-)-tuberostemonine

The first total synthesis of the complex pentacyclic Stemona alkaloid tuberostemonine was accomplished in 24 steps and in 1.4% overall yield from a hydroindole intermediate which is readily obtained in three steps from Cbz-l-tyrosine. An innovative synthetic strategy was applied that relays the single stereocenter of the amino acid precursor into nine of the ten stereogenic carbons of the target molecule. Among the highlights of the synthetic methodology are the 3-fold use of ruthenium catalysis, first in an azepine ring-closing metathesis and then in an alkene isomerization followed by a cross-metathesis propenyl-vinyl exchange, as well as the stereoselective attachment of the gamma-butyrolactone moiety to the core tetracycle by use of a lithiated ortho ester.     

Rigid-body dynamics in the isothermal-isobaric ensemble: a test on the accuracy and computational efficiency

We have developed a time-reversible rigid-body (rRB) molecular dynamics algorithm in the isothermal-isobaric (NPT) ensemble. The algorithm is an extension of rigid-body dynamics [Matubayasi and Nakahara, J Chem Phys 1999, 110, 3291] to the NPT ensemble on the basis of non-Hamiltonian statistical mechanics [Martyna, G. J. et al., J Chem Phys 1994, 101, 4177]. A series of MD simulations of water as well as fully hydrated lipid bilayer systems have been undertaken to investigate the accuracy and efficiency of the algorithm. The rRB algorithm was shown to be superior to the state-of-the-art constraint-dynamics algorithm SHAKE/RATTLE/ROLL, with respect to computational efficiency. However, it was revealed that both algorithms produced accurate trajectories of molecules in the NPT as well as NVT ensembles, as long as a reasonably short time step was used. A couple of multiple time-step (MTS) integration schemes were also examined. The advantage of the rRB algorithm for computational efficiency increased when the MD simulation was carried out using MTS on parallel processing computer systems; total computer time for MTS-MD of a lipid bilayer using 64 processors was reduced by about 40% using rRB instead of SHAKE/RATTLE/ROLL.     

Aqueous Titanate Sols from Ti Alkoxide-α-Hydroxycarboxylic Acid System and Preparation of Titania Films from the Sols

Aqueous titanate sols were prepared by reactions of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TIP) with -hydroxycarboxylic acids in water. IR and Raman spectra, and elemental analyses of the precipitates obtained from the sols revealed that the carboxylates were chelated to titanium but the Ti species were polymerized to form a cluster that had a colloidal nature. Spin-coating of titania (TiO₂) thin films from these sols was also examined. Interestingly, it was found that (004) preferentially oriented anatase films with refractive index of 2.54 were obtained from TIP-lactic acid-NH₃ (1:1:1, molar ratio) aqueous sol. This crystallographic orientation was characteristic of the TIP-lactic acid-NH₃ (1:1:1) system, and was not affected by the kinds of substrates used and the heating rate of the film. TEM observation indicated that small anatase grains had already formed at 200°C. Therefore, the crystallographic orientation might depend strongly on the structure of the chemical species of the precursor solutions.     

Highly sensitive automatic analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in indoor and outdoor air

A method for the quantitation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in indoor and outdoor air by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a spectrofluorometric detection and programmed excitation and emission wavelength pairs is proposed. The mobile phase is a linear gradient of methanol-water. The relative standard deviations (n = 5) are in the range 0.38-1.7% at concentration levels of 0.69-11.40 ng ml(-1). The determination limits (S N = 10 ) are 0.5-15.9 pg. The proposed method was successfully applied to quantitate 12 PAHs in gas phase and particulates in indoor and outdoor air. The recoveries of PAHs from gas phase and particulates were 95.7-117.5 and 94.8-112.4%, respectively. This highly sensitive automatic HPLC analysis for PAHs both in gas phase and particulates can be applied to indoor and outdoor survey.     

Synthesis of pyrido[1′,2′:1,2]imidazo[4,5-b]quinoxalines

Synthesis of pyrido[1′,2′:1,2]imidazo[4,5-b]quinoxalines by the facile cyclizations of 2,3-dichloroquinoxalines with 2-aminopyridines and of 2-amino-3-chloroquinoxalines with various substituted pyridines is described.     

Conjugate addition of grignard reagents to N-(α,β-unsaturated)acylpyrazoles. Diastereoselective β-alkylation using 3-phenyl-l-menthopyrazole

The conjugate additions of N-(α,β-unsaturated)acylpyrazoles were carried out by the treatment with Grignard reagents in the presence of cuprous halides. The reaction of 2-(α,β-unsaturated)acyl-3-phenyl-l-menthopyrazoles 3a-h occurred in higher chemical yields and with asymmetric inductions on β-position, where the addition of magnesium bromide as a Lewis acid influenced to the yields and the diastereoselectivities. In the case of α-methylated 2-(α,β-unsaturated)acyl-3-phenyl-l-menthopyrazoles 3i-n , the excellent asymmetric induction on the α-position was also observed through the diastereofacial protonation.     

Metallic Na formation in/on NaCl crystals with irradiation by electron or vacuum ultraviolet photons

Metallic Na was formed in/on NaCl single crystals by irradiating them with a variety of radiation sources, namely, 21 MeV electron pulses, an electron beam of 30 keV and photon fluxes in the VUV region. The physical states were analysed using several methods, optical absorption, lifetime measurement of positron annihilation, Auger electron spectroscopy and UV photoelectron spectroscopy. Metallic Na was obtained in different physical states; clusters were formed in bulk, thin layers (islands) and thick layers on the surface.