Formation of a new crystalline silicate structure by grafting dialkoxysilyl groups on layered octosilicate

Dialkoxydichlorosilanes ((RO)2SiCl2, R = alkyl) react almost completely with interlayer silanol groups in a layered silicate octosilicate to create a new crystalline silicate structure consisting of new five-membered rings arranged regularly on both sides of the silicate layers. The introduction of dialkoxysilyl groups to the interlamellar region of layered silicates with regular reaction sites provides a new methodology for the design and construction of novel crystalline silicate frameworks by a soft chemical route.     

Ultrafast dynamics of myoglobin probed by time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopy

Recent experimental work carried out in this laboratory on the ultrafast dynamics of myoglobin (Mb) is summarized with a stress on structural and vibrational energy relaxation. Studies on the structural relaxation of Mb following CO photolysis revealed that the structural change of heme itself, caused by CO photodissociation, is completed within the instrumental response time of the time-resolved resonance Raman apparatus used (approximately 2 ps). In contrast, changes in the intensity and frequency of the iron-histidine (Fe-His) stretching mode upon dissociation of the trans ligand were found to occur in the picosecond regime. The Fe-His band is absent for the CO-bound form, and its appearance upon photodissociation was not instantaneous, in contrast with that observed in the vibrational modes of heme, suggesting appreciable time evolution of the Fe displacement from the heme plane. The band position of the Fe-His stretching mode changed with a time constant of about 100 ps, indicating that tertiary structural changes of the protein occurred in a 100-ps range. Temporal changes of the anti-Stokes Raman intensity of the v4 and v7 bands demonstrated immediate generation of vibrationally excited heme upon the photodissociation and decay of the excited populations, whose time constants were 1.1 +/- 0.6 and 1.9 +/- 0.6 ps, respectively. In addition, the development of the time-resolved resonance Raman apparatus and prospects in this research field are described.     

Synthesis of enantiopure 1,2-diamine attached to cross-linked polystyrene and its application to an insoluble catalyst for asymmetric hydrogenation

A novel enantiopure 1,2-diamine (5) having two phenolic hydroxy groups was attached into chloromethylated polystyrene through benzyl ether linkage, which was used as a chiral ligand of the catalyst in asymmetric hydrogenation of acetophenone.     

Presence of peroxyradicals in cigarette smoke and the scavenging effect of shikonin, a naphthoquinone pigment

Using a new method having been developed for the purpose of quantitative determination for peroxyradicals, the presence of peroxyradicals was proved in cigarette smoke. In brief, peroxyradicals in cigarette smoke were measured by ESR spectrometry coupled to non-reductive scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). As a result, peroxyradicals were found to be major reactive oxygen species (ROS) since the concentration of peroxyradicals recovered from cigarette smoke was much higher than that of any of other ROS (superoxide and hydroxyl radical) and nitric oxide. Furthermore, several antioxidants (ascorbic acid, reduced glutathione, epigallocatechin gallate, shikonin) were examined for scavenging activity against peroxyradicals in the cigarette smoke. Among them shikonin alone exerted the scavenging activity, suggesting that shikonin is promising antioxidant for cigarette filters because of its effectiveness against broad range of ROS including peroxyradicals, heat resistance, nonvolatility and high affinity to the filter.     

Araguspongines B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and J, new vasodilative bis-1-oxaquinolizidine alkaloids from an okinawan marine sponge, Xestospongia sp

Nine new vasodilative alkaloids, araguspongines A, B (1), C (2), D (3), E (4), F (5), G (6), H (7), and J (8), were isolated from an Okinawan marine sponge, Xestospongia sp. On the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence, the absolute stereostructures of araguspongines B, D, E, F, G, H, and J were determined respectively as 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and the relative stereostructure of araguspongine C was determined as 2 having two 1-oxaquinolizidine moieties. Araguspongines B, D, and E each comprised a pair of the enantiomers, 1a and 1b, 3a and 3b, and 4a and 4b, respectively.     

High enantioselectivity in rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1-substituted 2-propenyl acetates

[reaction: see text] Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of 1-substituted 2-propenyl acetates with dimethyl malonate proceeded with high enantioselectivity in the presence of cesium carbonate as a base and a rhodium catalyst generated from Rh(dpm)(C(2)H(4))(2) (dpm = dipivaloylmethanato) and a chiral phosphino-oxazoline whose basic skeleton is axially chiral binaphthyl to give branch alkylation products in greater than 90% ee.     

Reverse zymography using fluorogenic substrates for protease inhibitor detection

A novel, sensitive method for detecting protease inhibitors by using fluorescent protease substrates in gels is described. The protease inhibitors were separated on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gels containing a copolymerized peptide substrate, namely 4-methyl-coumaryl-7-amide (MCA). As the incorporated substrates in the gel, Boc-Phe Ser-Arg-MCA was used for trypsin, Suc-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-MCA for alpha-chymotrypsin, and Z-Phe-Arg-MCA for papain. After electrophoresis, washing and incubating the gel with the target protease solutions allowed the substrate to be cleaved by the protease, and the release of the fluorescent 7 amino-4 methyl-coumarin (AMC), which was detected under a UV transilluminator. The uncleaved peptide-MCA substrate remained where the inhibitors were present, and was visualized as dark blue bands on the light-green fluorescent background gel. This new method offers several advantages over other previous methods including: (i) greatly increased sensitivity can be achieved in a shorter period of time, which may be useful for discovering new protease inhibitors in small amounts of crude material; (ii) the procedure is quite simple and quick since the incubation period is very short and no time is needed for staining and destaining steps; (iii) since these probes using substrate specificity/target proteases, they are excellent tools for detection and discrimination of unknown protease inhibitors for various target proteases.     

Synthesis of functionalized porphyrins as oxygen ligand receptors

Oxophilic synthetic receptors were designed and synthesized using a porphyrin scaffold, with the aim of constructing a preorganized complementary binding site for phenols and carbohydrates. We pursued three strategies for phenol recognition: (1) Lewis acid/Lewis base combinations serving as a hydrogen bond donor and acceptor for the OH group, (2) Lewis base/pi-pi stacking, targeting both the OH group and the aromatic moiety of phenols, and (3) exchange of the axial hydroxyl ligand on a trivalent and oxophilic metal center of aluminum porphyrin. For the recognition of acidic phenols, the most promising recognition motif was Lewis base/pi-pi stacking, which can bind to phenols with a hydrogen bond and pi-pi stacking interactions. [5-(8-Quinolyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrinato]zinc binds to p-nitrophenol with a binding constant of 540 M(-)(1) in CHCl(3) at 25 degrees C. For carbohydrate recognition, we designed the metalloporphyrin receptor having 8-quinolyl groups and o-carbomethoxymethoxyphenyl groups, where these Lewis basic parts serve as the cooperative hydrogen bonding sites for the hydroxyl groups of glucoside. The receptor binds to beta-octyl glucoside with a binding constant of 7.35 x 10(4) M(-)(1) in CHCl(3) at 15 degrees C, demonstrating importance of formation of a highly ordered hydrogen bonding network between the receptor and the guest. These binding features have significant implications for the rational design of oxophilic artificial receptors.     

Living cationic ring-opening polymerization by water-stable initiator: synthesis of a well-defined optically active polythiourethane

Living cationic ring-opening polymerization under air and water was achieved using a well-defined water-resistant cationic initiator in dichloromethane without purification at ambient temperature.     

Diastereoselective Iodocarbocyclization Reaction of 2- or 3-Oxy-4-pentenylmalonate Derivatives

1,2- Or 1,3-asymmetric induction in the iodocarbocyclization reaction of 4-pentenylmalonate derivatives having a stereogenic center at an allylic or a homoallylic position has been investigated. The iodocarbocyclization reactions of 3-oxy-4-pentenylmalonate derivatives proceeded with high cis-selectivity through stereoelectronic control of the oxygenated substituent at an allylic position. In the reaction of (S)-2-siloxy-4-pentenylmalonate, an excellent diastereoselectivity was achieved through the utilization of double stereodifferentiation with a chiral titanium catalyst. Furthermore, as an application of the present reaction, the asymmetric syntheses of cyclosarkomycin and a synthetic intermediate of brefeldin A from optically pure 2- and 3-oxy-4-pentenylmalonate derivatives are also described.