NMR-microscopy with TrueFISP at 11.75T

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that a fully balanced gradient echo technique (TrueFISP) can be used for microscopic experiments at high static magnetic field strengths. TrueFISP experiments were successfully performed on homogeneous and inhomogeneous objects at 11.75T. High-resolution TrueFISP images were obtained from phantoms, plants, formalin-fixed samples, and from an isolated beating rat heart with an in-plane resolution of 78 micro m and a slice thickness of 500 micro m. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain of TrueFISP compared to conventional gradient echo or spin echo sequences will allow faster acquisition times or an improvement in spatial resolution for microscopic experiments.     

Micropatterning of DNA-tagged vesicles

We present a novel concept for the creation of lipid vesicle microarrays based on a patterning approach termed Molecular Assembly Patterning by Lift-off (MAPL). A homogeneous MAPL-based single-stranded DNA microarray was converted into a vesicle array by the use of vesicles tagged with complementary DNAs, permitting sequence-specific coupling of vesicles to predefined surface regions through complementary DNA hybridization. In the multistep process utilized to fulfill this achievement, active spots consisting of PLL-g-PEGbiotin with a resistant PLL-g-PEG background, as provided by the MAPL process, was converted into a DNA array by addition of complexes of biotin-terminated DNA and NeutrAvidin. This was then followed by addition of POPC vesicles tagged with complementary cholesterol-terminated DNA, thus providing specific coupling of vesicles to the surface through complementary DNA hybridization. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy monitoring were used to optimize the multistep surface modification process. It was found that the amount of adsorbed biotinDNA-NeutrAvidin complexes decreases with increasing molar ratio of biotinDNA to NeutrAvidin and decreasing ionic strength of the buffer solution. Modeling of the QCM-D data showed that the shape of the immobilized vesicles depends on the amount of available anchoring groups between the vesicles and the surface. Fluorescent microscopy images confirmed the possibility to create well-defined patterns of DNA-tagged, fluorescently labeled vesicles in the micrometer range.     

Hyperbranched thermolabile polycarbonates derived from a A2+B3 monomer system

Hyperbranched polycarbonates were synthesized successfully via the A₂ + B₃ route by the reaction of a bis(carbonylimidazolide) with triethanolamine. These polymers containing the carbonate group as thermolabile moiety are decomposing into volatile products at around 200°C. The polymers were characterized with ¹H/¹³C NMR spectroscopy, SEC, DSC and TGA techniques.     

A new and versatile Ugi/SNAr synthesis of fused 4,5-dihydrotetrazolo[1,5-a]quinoxalines

A combinatorial synthetic route yielding fused tetrazolo[1,5-a]quinoxalines is described. The use of 2-fluorophenylisocyanide in the Ugi-tetrazole reaction (tetrazole-U-4CR) followed by a nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr) affords the tricylic tetrazolo[1,5-a]quinoxaline moiety in good yields and with high diversity.     

Total synthesis and conformational analysis of the antifungal agent (-)-PF1163B

[reaction: see text]. (-)-PF1163B, a new macrocyclic antifungal antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces sp., has been prepared in eight steps from (S)-citronellene. The key step is a ring-closing metathesis reaction of an ester and amide derivative obtained from a substituted N-methyl-l-tyrosine.