Synthesis and structural, electronic, and optical properties of oligo(thienylfuran)s in comparison with oligothiophenes and oligofurans

[structure: see text] Alternate thiophene/furan oligomers having four and six heterocycles, i.e., oligo(thienylfuran) dimer and trimer 2 (n = 4 and 6), were newly synthesized by repetitive Stille coupling reactions. The structural, electronic, and optical properties of these oligomers were investigated by X-ray crystallography (for n = 4), cyclic voltammetry (CV), UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, and DFT calculations, and the results were compared with those of corresponding oligothiophenes (1) and oligofurans (3). The inter-ring torsional energy profiles calculated for bithiophene 1 (n = 2), thienylfuran 2 (n = 2), and bifuran 3 (n = 2) at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level indicated that the most stable conformers of 2 (n = 2) and 3 (n = 2) are fully coplanar with transoid structure while that of 1 (n = 2) is twisted with a dihedral angle of 158 degrees . In accord with this, X-ray crystallographic analysis of 2 (n = 4) revealed that the pi-conjugated system is nearly planar with the inter-ring C=C-C=C dihedral angles between the thiophene and furan rings of 173.6(7) degrees , -177.0(7) degrees , and 172.6(6) degrees . In the packing structure, these nearly planar molecules are arranged in a herringbone pattern. The CV on a series of oligo(thienylfuran)s 2 showed irreversible oxidation peaks at +0.90, +0.42, and +0.29 V vs Fc/Fc(+) for n = 2, 4, and 6, which were 0.15-0.18 V lower than those for corresponding oligothiophenes 1 and were closer to those for oligofurans 3. On the other hand, the UV-vis spectra of 2 showed the longest wavelength absorption to be almost identical with those of the corresponding 1, and more bathochromically shifted than those of the corresponding 3. The results of CV and UV-vis measurements were supported by DFT calculations (B3LYP/ 6-311+G(2d,p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d)). Thus, oligo(thienylfuran)s 2 have HOMOs which are higher than those of oligothiophenes 1 and close to those of 3, and HOMO-LUMO gaps which are close to those of 1 and smaller than those of 3. In fluorescence spectra, the quantum yield of 2 increased with elongation of the pi-system (n = 2 (3.5%), 4 (19%), 6 (24%)).     

Angular polycyclic thiophenes containing two thiophene rings. Part II

The syntheses of naphtho[1,2–6:7,6-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 4 ), naphtho[1,2–6:7,8-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 5 ), naphtho[2,1-b:7,6-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 8 ), naphtho[2,1-b:7,8-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 9 ), naphtho-[1,2–6:5,6-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 14 ), naphtho[1,2–6:6,5-b]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 17 ) and naphtho[2,1–6:-6,5-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 23 ) are reported.     

Laser-induced fluorescence of cyclohexadienyl (c-C6H7) radical in the gas phase

A laser-induced fluorescence spectrum was observed in the 500-560 nm region when a mixture of 1,4-cyclohexadiene and oxalyl chloride was photolyzed at 193 nm. The observed excitation spectrum was assigned to the A (2)A(2)<--X (2)B(1) transition of the cyclohexadienyl radical c-C6H7, produced by abstraction of a hydrogen atom from 1,4-cyclohexadiene by Cl atoms. The origin of the A<--X transition of c-C(6)H(7) was at 18 207 cm(-1). From measurements of the dispersed fluorescence spectra and ab initio calculations, the frequencies of several vibrational modes in both the ground and excited states of c-C(6)H(7) were determined: nu(5)(C-H in-plane bend)=1571, nu(8)(C-H in-plane bend)=1174, nu(10)(C-C-C in-plane bend)=981, nu(12)(C-C-C in-plane bend)=559, nu(16)(C-C-C out-of-plane bend)=375, and nu(33)(C-C-C in-plane bend)=600 cm(-1) for the ground state and nu(8)=1118, nu(10)=967, nu(12)=502, nu(16)=172, and nu(33)=536 cm(-1) for the excited states.     

Determination of trace elements and radioactive materials by substoichiometric isotope dilution analysis

Substoichiometric isotope dilution analysis has been applied for the determination of trace elements in liquid samples, of carrier content in radioisotope solution and of concentration of organic reagent. Cu in mineral acids and in ZnSe single crystal was determined by the substoichiometric extraction with dithizone. The values of 1.8 and 0.018 ppm in nitric acid and distilled one and of 1.4 and 0.44 ppm in ZnSe were obtained. Cu and P carrier contents in⁶⁴Cu and³²P solutions were determined by the substoichiometric extractions with dithizone in CCl₄ and with molybdic acid into MIBK in the series of the solutions adding various amounts of Cu or P carrier. An analogous method has been applied for the determination of dithizone and diethyldithiocarbamate solutions. The method was also applied for the determination of⁶⁰Co radioactivity in environmental samples. The analytical result of water samples is described.     

Solvent extraction of permanganates (Na, K) by 18-crown-6 ether from water into 1,2-dichloroethane: elucidation of an extraction equilibrium based on component equilibria

Ion-pair formation constants (K_MLA mol⁻¹ dm³) of Na⁺– and K⁺–18-crown-6 ether (18C6) complexes with MnO₄⁻ in water (w) were determined potentiometrically at 25 °C. Simultaneously, extraction constants (K_ex mol⁻² dm⁶) of the permanganates with 18C6 from w into 1,2-dichloroethane at 25 °C were obtained from the spectrophotometric determination of distribution ratios of the permanganates. These K_ex values were divided into K_MLA and other three component equilibrium constants and thereby extraction-selectivity and -ability were discussed in comparison with corresponding metal picrate–18C6 extraction systems reported before.     

Influence of amino acid side chain packing on Fe-methionine coordination in thermostable cytochrome C

Paramagnetic NMR and optical studies of the oxidized forms of mesophile Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytochrome c(551) and its quintuple mutant (F7A/V13M/F34Y/E43Y/V78I), and thermophile Hydrogenobacter thermophilus cytochrome c(552) demonstrated that the amino acid side chain packings in the protein interior influence the coordination bond between the heme iron and the axial methionine in the proteins. The strength of heme axial coordinations was found to correlate with the overall protein thermostability.     

Determination of radioactive nuclides of uranium and thorium series and estimation of α-flux in LSI constituent materials

Gamma-rays of nuclides of uranium and thorium series in silicone resin and ceramics were measured with a Ge(Li) detector. The state of radioactive equilibrium was determined by comparing the concentrations of uranium and thorium with the radioactive concentrations of²¹⁴Pb and²¹²Pb. The radioactive equilibrium was attained in silicone resin but not in ceramics. The -flux was calculated from the concentrations of uranium and thorium and their daughter nuclides. The calculated values of -flux agreed with that of -flux measured.     

Aryl-aryl coupling reaction using a novel and highly active palladium reagent prepared from Pd(OAc)2, 1,3-bis[diphenylphosphino]propane (DPPP), and Bu3P

A palladium-assisted coupling reaction of aryl triflate with arene was investigated, and a novel Pd reagent prepared from equimolar Pd(OAc)2, 1,3-Bis[diphenylphosphino]propane (DPPP), and Bu3P was developed. This method is useful for intramolecular biaryl coupling reactions, not only between aryl triflate and arene (triflate-amide), but also between aryl halide and arene (halo-amide).     

De novo design, synthesis, and function of semiartificial myoglobin conjugated with coiled-coil two-alpha-helix peptides

The introduction of a flavin chromophore on the myoglobin (Mb) surface and an effective electron-transfer (ET) reaction through the flavin were successfully achieved by utilizing the self-assembly of heterostranded coiled-coil peptides. We have prepared a semiartificial Mb, named Mb-1alphaK, in which an amphiphilic and cationic alpha-helix peptide is conjugated at the heme propionate (Heme-1alphaK). Heme-1alphaK has a covalently bound iron-protoporphyrin IX (heme) at the N terminus of a 1alphaK peptide sequence. This sequence was designed to form a heterostranded coiled-coil in the presence of a counterpart amphiphilic and anionic 1alphaE peptide sequence in a parallel orientation. Two peptides, Fla(1)-1alphaE and Fla(31)-1alphaE, both incorporating a 10-methylisoalloxazine moiety as an artificial flavin molecule, were also prepared (Fla=2-[7-(10-methyl)isoalloxazinyl]-2-oxoethyl). Heme-1alphaK was successfully inserted into apomyoglobin to give Mb-1alphaK. Mb-1alphaK recognized the flavin-modified peptides and a two-alpha-helix structure was formed. In addition, an efficient ET from reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide to the heme center through the flavin unit was observed. The ET rate was faster in the presence of Fla(1)-1alphaE than in the presence of Fla(31)-1alphaE or the equivalent molecule that has no peptide chain. These results demonstrate that the introduction of a functional chromophore on the Mb surface can be achieved by using specific peptide-peptide interactions. Moreover, the dependence of the ET rate on the position of the flavin indicated that the distance between the heme active site and the flavin chromophore was regulated by the three-dimensional structure of the designed polypeptide.     

Synthesis of stable and cell-type selective analogues of cyclic ADP-ribose, a Ca(2+)-mobilizing second messenger. Structure--activity relationship of the N1-ribose moiety

We previously developed cyclic ADP-carbocyclic ribose (cADPcR, 2) as a stable mimic of cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR, 1), a Ca(2+)-mobilizing second messenger. A series of the N1-ribose modified cADPcR analogues, designed as novel stable mimics of cADPR, which were the 2"-deoxy analogue 3, the 3"-deoxy analogue 4, the 3"-deoxy-2"-O-(methoxymethyl) analogue 5, the 3"-O-methyl analogue 6, the 2",3"-dideoxy analogue 7, and the 2",3"-dideoxydidehydro analogue 8, were successfully synthesized using the key intramolecular condensation reaction with phenylthiophosphate-type substrates. We investigated the conformations of these analogues and of cADPR and found that steric repulsion between both the adenine and N9-ribose moieties and between the adenine and N1-ribose moieties was a determinant of the conformation. The Ca(2+)-mobilizing effects were evaluated systematically using three different biological systems, i.e., sea urchin eggs, NG108-15 neuronal cells, and Jurkat T-lymphocytes. The relative potency of Ca(2+)-mobilization by these cADPR analogues varies depending on the cell-type used: e.g., 3"-deoxy-cADPcR (4) > cADPcR (2) > cADPR (1) in sea urchin eggs; cADPR (1) > cADPcR (2) approximately 3"-deoxy-cADPcR (4) in T-cells; and cADPcR (2) > cADPR (1) > 3"-deoxy-cADPcR (4) in neuronal cells, respectively. These indicated that the target proteins and/or the mechanism of action of cADPR in sea urchin eggs, T-cells, and neuronal cells are different. Thus, this study represents an entry to cell-type selective cADPR analogues, which can be used as biological tools and/or novel drug leads.