Homoatomic P --> P coordination: a versatile synthetic approach to polyphosphorus dications

Polyphosphorus dications have been synthesised and comprehensively characterised as diphosphine (dppe, dmpe and dpph) linked Ar2P+ Lewis acids (Ar = C6H5); this application of unique homoatomic coordination chemistry provides important building blocks for extended systems.     

Stéréochimie des réactions de substitution des alcoxygermanes par les organolithiens et par les réactifs de Grignard

The reactions of organolithium reagents and Grignard reagents with optically active alkoxygermanes R₃GeOR′ have been studied [R₃GeOR′ = ()-i-PrPhNpGeOCH₃, ()-i-PrPhNPGeOMen and ()-MePhNpGeOMen]. Saturated reagents (e.g. butyllithium) give retention of configuration at germanium whilst unsaturated reagents (e.g. allyl- or benzyllithium) lead to inversion.     

Some symmetry-induced isotope effects in the kinetics of recombination reactions

Symmetry-induced isotope effects in recombination and collision-induced dissociation reactions are discussed. Progress on understanding the anomalous isotope effects in ozone is reviewed. Then, calculations are performed for the simpler reaction xNe+yNe+H<-->xNeyNe+H, where x and y label either identical or different isotopes. The atomic masses in the model are chosen so that symmetry is the only difference between the systems. Starting from a single potential energy surface, the properties of the bound, quasibound, and continuum states of the neon dimer are calculated. Then, the vibration rotation infinite order sudden approximation is used to calculate cross sections for all possible inelastic and dissociative processes. A rate constant matrix that exactly satisfies detailed balance is constructed. It allows recombination to occur both via direct three-body collisions and via tunneling into the quasibound states of the energy transfer mechanism. The eigenvalue rate coefficients are determined. Significant isotope effects are clearly found, and their behavior depends on the pressure, temperature, and mechanism of the reaction. Both spin statistics and symmetry breaking produce isotope effects. Under most conditions the breaking of symmetry enhances the rates, but a wide spectrum of effects is observed; they range from isotope effects with a normal mass dependence to huge, mass-independent isotope effects to cancellation and even to reversal of the isotope effects. This is the first calculation of symmetry-induced isotope effects in recombination rates from first principles. The relevance of the present effects to ozone recombination is discussed.     

Reaction de Cycloaddition dipolaire-1,3-des thiazolones et des selenazolones mesoioniques avec l'acetylene dicarboxylate de methyle—II: Influence de la nature des substituants sur la reactivite observee et sur la nature des produits obtenus

Mesoionic thiazolones and selenazolones react with dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate to give thiophenes or pyridones. We show that the reactivity of the mesoionic thiazolones towards dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate may be explained by second order perturbation theory, limited to frontier orbitals. The influence of the temperature and of the nature of the substituants on the evolution of the primary cycloadduct can be explained by a competition between a retro Diels-Alder reaction giving a thiophene and a desulfurisation or a deselenurisation giving a pyridone.     

A concise asymmetric synthesis of the ADE fragment of nakadomarin A

The ADE fragment of nakadomarin A has been synthesized in nine linear steps from commercial material. The key transformation is an asymmetric azomethine ylide [1,3]-dipolar cycloaddition to establish the AD-spirocyclic system containing three of the four stereocenters of the natural product. [reaction: see text]     

ENHANCEMENT OF THE SENSITIVITY OF RADIATIVE and NON-RADIATIVE DETECTION TECHNIQUES IN THE STUDY OF PHOTOSENSITIZATION BY WATER SOLUBLE SENSITIZERS USING A REVERSE MICELLE SYSTEMS*,†

The study of photosensitization processes in aqueous solution is complicated by the unsuit-ability of water as solvent for the commonly used techniques for monitoring radiative and non-radiative relaxation processes. The infrared luminescence method is hampered by the relatively weak intensity of emission and short lifetime of singlet molecular oxygen, O₂(¹Δ_g), in water. Photoacoustic and photothermal detection of the dominant non-radiative relaxation process for O₂(¹Δ_g) is also inhibited by the unfavorable physico-chemical properties of water which reduce the sensitivities of these techniques for the study of sensitizers in aqueous with respect to non-aqueous media. Such problems have been alleviated by incorporating the sensitizer in the aqueous core of aerosol OT reverse micelles. It is demonstrated that the sensitivity of both radiative and non-radiative detection depends not on the local environment of the sensitizer but on the overall composition of the medium, which, in the case of reverse micelle solutions, is predominantly hydrocarbon. This produces a 4.5 and 6-fold enhancement of the sensitivity of luminescence and optoacoustic detection, respectively, in comparison to purely aqueous solution. The utility of the method is demonstrated for Rose Bengal, where quantum yields of intersystem crossing (φ_isc) of 0.78 (LIOAC) and singlet oxygen generation (φ_δ) of 0.81 (LIOAC) and 0.80 (TRLD) were measured. Phenazine was also studied for comparative purposes and to corroborate values obtained for Rose Bengal.     

An efficient preparation of isosteric phosphonate analogues of sphingolipids by opening of oxirane and cyclic sulfamidate intermediates with alpha-lithiated alkylphosphonic esters

D-erythro-(2S,3R,4E)-Sphingosine-1-phosphonate (1), the isosteric phosphonate analogue of naturally occurring sphingosine 1-phosphate (1a), and D-ribo-phytosphingosine 1-phosphonate (2), the isosteric phosphonate analogue of D-ribo-phytosphingosine-1-phosphate (2a), were synthesized starting with methyl 2,3-O-isopropylidene-d-glycerate (4) and D-ribo-phytosphingosine (3), respectively. Oxirane 12 was formed in eight steps from 4, and cyclic sulfamidate 22 was formed in five steps from 3. The phosphonate group was introduced via regioselective ring-opening reactions of oxirane 12 and cyclic sulfamidate 22 with lithium dialkyl methylphosphonate, affording 13 and 23, respectively. The synthesis of 1 was completed by S(N)2 displacement of chloromesylate intermediate 14b with azide ion, followed by conversion of the resulting azido group to a NHBoc group and deprotection. The synthesis of 2 was completed by cleavage of the acetal, N-benzyl, and alkyl phosphonate ester groups.     

Calculation of the 1J(PP) angular dependence in P2H4

Using the results obtained from an MO SCF ab initio calculation on P₂H₄ in four different conformations, the ¹J(PP) NMR coupling constants have been calculated. The ¹J(PP) values are highly dependent upon the rotational angle φ (?238.0 Hz in the eclipsed conformation, 10.9 Hz in the staggered one). The shape of the theoretical ¹J(PP) plot seems to be in good agreement with experimentally measured ¹J(PP) values.     

Characterization of dynamic and steady-state protein phosphorylation using a fluorescent phosphoprotein gel stain and mass spectrometry

Protein phosphorylation plays a vital role in the regulation of most aspects of cellular activity, being key to propagating messages within signal transduction pathways and to modulating protein function. Pro-Q Diamond phosphoprotein gel stain is suitable for the fluorescence detection of phosphoserine-, phosphothreonine-, and phosphotyrosine-containing proteins directly in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gels. The technology is especially appropriate for profiling steady-state and dynamic phosphorylation on a proteome-wide scale, as demonstrated through detection of the native phosphorylation of cardiac mitochondrial phosphoproteins and changes in this profile arising from the activity of a protein kinase. For example, Pro-Q Diamond phosphoprotein gel stain was employed to demonstrate that among the 46 subunits of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex, NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I), a 42 kDa subunit is phosphorylated in the steady-state. However, exposure of mitochondria to cAMP-dependent protein kinase increases phosphorylation of this 42 kDa subunit and results in de novo phosphorylation of an 18 kDa subunit as well. Since Pro-Q Diamond dye binds to phosphorylated residues noncovalently, the staining technology is fully compatible with modern microchemical analysis procedures, such as peptide mass profiling by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and post-source decay analysis of peptide phosphorylation.     

Bistable ferroelectric liquid crystal photoswitch triggered by a dithienylethene dopant

The spontaneous polarization (PS) of a ferroelectric liquid crystal is modulated reversibly by photocyclization of the dopant 1,2-bis[5'-(4' '-heptyloxyphenyl)-2'-methylthien-3'-yl]perfluorocyclopentene. The magnitude of PS photomodulation increases with dopant concentration up to 3 mol %, and the resulting photoswitch is fatigue resistant and bistable. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of a bistable ferroelectric liquid crystal photoswitch to be reported in the literature.