Functionalized arylzinc compounds in ethereal solvent: direct synthesis from aryl iodides and zinc powder and application to Pd-catalyzed reaction with allylic halides

Arylzinc compounds, ArZnX, were conveniently prepared in high yields by the reaction of zinc powder with aryl iodides, which contain electron-withdrawing groups such as CO(2)CH(3), CN, Br, or CF(3) at the ortho-, meta- or para-position, or electron-donating groups such as CH(3), OCH(3), or H, at 70 degrees C in THF, at 100 degrees C, or at 130 degrees C in diglyme, respectively. Pd(dba)(2) exhibited an outstanding efficient catalytic effect for the cross-coupling of these ethereal solutions of ArZnX with allylic halides to afford a variety of functionalized allylbenzenes in high yields; the reactions were mostly carried out at 0 degrees C for 5-30 min in the presence of 5 mol % of catalyst. The conversion of the aryl iodides to allylbenzenes via two reactions could be accomplished in one pot.     

Determination of ethanol in alcoholic beverages by high-performance liquid chromatography-flame ionization detection using pure water as mobile phase

A method for the determination of ethanol in alcoholic beverages by high-performance liquid chromatography-flame ionization detection (HPLC-FID) was developed. An FID system could be directly connected to an HPLC system using pure water as a mobile phase. In a durability test using triacontylsilyl (C30)-silica gel stationary phase for 96 h, no significant change in the retention time of four alcohol compounds was observed. So the HPLC separation of alcoholic beverages was carried out on the C30-silica gel stationary phase. On application to the analysis of six kinds of alcoholic beverages, ethanol could be determined accurately by the proposed method.     

Generation of an abasic site in an oligonucleotide by using acid-labile 1-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosine and its application to postsynthetic modification

We developed a new convenient method for generation of an abasic site at the 3'-terminus of an oligonucleotide. This method uses a 1-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosine residue, which easily undergoes depurination under acidic conditions. The abasic site of the oligonucleotide can be further modified with external functional groups. We report herein the chemical stability of 1-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosine in the oligodeoxynucleotide and the application to the postsynthetic modification of an oligonucleotide by utilizing the chemical property of 1-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosine. [Structure: see text]     

Determination of midazolam and its metabolite as a probe for cytochrome P450 3A4 phenotype by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

This study demonstrated the analysis of midazolam and its metabolites by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with a sonic spray ionization (SSI) interface. The analytical column was a YMC-Pak Pro C18 (50 mm x 2.0 mm i.d.) using 10 mM ammonium acetate (pH 4.8)-methanol (1:1) at a flow rate of 0.2 ml min(-1). The drift voltage was 100 V. The sampling aperture was heated at 110 degrees C and the shield temperature was 230 degrees C. The lower limits for the detection of midazolam and 1'-hydroxymidazolam were 26.3 and 112.76 pg injected, respectively. The calibration curves for midazolam and 1'-hydroxymidazolam were linear in the range of 0.1-5 microg ml(-1). Within-day relative standard deviations was less than 7%. The method was applied to the determination of midazolam in monkey plasma, and the analysis of midazolam and its metabolites in an in vitro study with recombinant cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4. This method is sufficiently sensitive and useful to elucidate the kinetics of midazolam metabolite formation. We also investigated the effect of propofol on the metabolism of midazolam using recombinant CYP3A4. Propofol competitively inhibited the metabolism of midazolam to 1'-hydroxymidazolam by CYP3A4.     

Unusual C25 steroids produced by a sponge-derived Penicillium citrinum

[structure: see text] Structurally unique steroids, isocyclocitrinol A (1) and 22-acetylisocyclocitrinol A (2), were isolated from the extract of a saltwater culture of sponge-derived Penicilliun citrinum. The structures were established by analysis of 1D and 2D NMR data. The absolute structures were determined on the basis of X-ray structure analysis and application of modified Mosher's method. Furthermore, the structure of cyclocitrinol (3a) previously isolated from a terrestrial P. citrinum was revised as 3b. Compounds 1 and 2 showed weak antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterococcus durans.     

Transition metal complexes coordinated by an NAD(P)H model compound and their enhanced hydride-donating abilities in the presence of a base

The ruthenium(II) and rhenium(I) complexes containing an NAD(P)H model compound, 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (BNAH), as ligand, [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(BNAH)]2+ (1 a) and [Re(bpy)(CO)3(BNAH)]+ (1 b), were quantitatively produced by the reaction of the corresponding metal hydrido complexes with BNA(+) (1-benzylnicotinamidium cation). In the presence of base with pK(a) = 8.9, 1 a and 1 b have much greater reducing power than "free" BNAH. The oxidation potentials of 1 a in the absence and the presence of triethylamine were 0.55 V and -0.04 V, respectively, versus Ag/AgNO(3), whereas that of "free" BNAH was 0.30 V. Spectroscopic results clearly showed that the base extracts a proton from the carbamoyl group on 1 a and 1 b to give the deprotonated BNAH coordinating to the transition-metal complexes [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(BNAH-H+)]+ (3 a) and [Re(bpy)(CO)3(BNAH-H+)] (3 b); this deprotonation underlies the enhancement in reducing ability. The deprotonated forms 3 a and 3 b can efficiently reduce other NAD(P) models to give the corresponding 1,4-dihydro form, resulting in the deprotonated BNA+ being coordinated to the metal complexes [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(BNA(+)-H+)]2+ (2 a) and [Re(bpy)(CO)3(BNA+-H+)]+ (2 b); "free" BNAH and the protonated adducts 1 a and 1 b cannot act in this way. X-ray crystallography was performed on the PF6- salt of 2 a, and showed that the deprotonated nitrogen atom on the carbamoyl group coordinates to the ruthenium(II) metal center with a bond length of 2.086(3) Angstroms. Infrared spectral data suggested that the deprotonated carbamoyl group on the reduced forms 3 a and 3 b is converted to the imido group, and that the oxygen atom coordinates to the metal center.     

Evidence for a Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Mechanism in a Biomimetic System for Monoamine Oxidase B Catalysis

Mechanistic studies with 5-ethyl-3-methyllumiflavinium (Fl⁺) perchlorate, a biomimetic model for flavoenzyme monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) catalysis, and the tertiary, allyl amine 1-methyl-4-(1-methyl-1 H-pyrrol-2-yl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MMTP) reveal that proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) may be an important pathway for MAO catalysis. The first step involves a single-electron transfer (SET) leading to the free radicals Fl^. and MMTP^., the latter produced by deprotonation of the initially formed and highly acidic MMTP^.+. Molecular oxygen (O₂) is found to play a hitherto unrecognized role in the early steps of the oxidation. MMTP and several structurally similar tertiary amines are the only tertiary amines oxidized by MAO, and their structural/electronic properties provide the key to understanding this behavior. A general hypothesis about the role of SET in MAO catalysis, and the recognition that PCET occurs with appropriately substituted substrates is presented.