A boundary element method for molecular electrostatics with electrolyte effects

A boundary element method is developed to compute the electrostatic potential inside and around molecules in an electrolyte solution. A set of boundary integral equations are derived based on the integral formulations of the Poisson equation and the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation. The boundary integral equations are then solved numerically after discretizing the molecular surface into a number of flat triangular elements. The method is applied to a spherical molecule for which analytical solutions are available. Use is made of both constant and linearly varying unknowns over the boundary elements, and the method is tested for various values of parameters such as the dielectric constant of the molecule, ionic strength, and the location of the interior point charge. The use of the boundary integral method incorporating the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation is also briefly discussed.     

The synthesis of a precursor of polybenzimidazole (PBI) and blends with polyamic acid (PAA)

The precursor of polybenzimidazole (PBI), poly(3,3′-diamino-4,4′-benzidine isophthalamide) (PDABI), was synthesized from poly(3,3′-dinitro-4,4′-benzidine isophthalamide) (PDNBI) by reduction. With increasing temperature, the NH₂ moiety which was protected by SnCl₅^?1 could cyclize and form PBI. Blends with polyamic acid (LaRC-TPI) were prepared. Clear blend films were prepared at up to 400°C. The IR spectra displayed shifts in the NH stretching band, thereby providing evidence for specific interactions related to the miscibility of their cured blends. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Determination of pyrethrin and pyrethroid pesticides in urine and water matrixes by liquid chromatography with diode array detection

The following pyrethrin and pyrethroid pesticides were determined in urine and water matrixes by liquid chromatography with diode array detection (LC-DAD): pyrethrin I, pyrethrin II, tetramethrin, baythroid, bifenthrin, fenvalerate, phenothrin, allethrin, resmethrin, cis-permethrin, and trans-permethrin. In addition, 3-phenoxybenzyl alcohol, a metabolite of various pyrethroids, was also successfully determined by the analytical method. The matrix extraction was simple, inexpensive, and fast, using only sodium chloride and acetonitrile. The acetonitrile extract was filtered and analyzed by LC-DAD. The method detection limits for the pyrethrin pesticides in 5 mL urine were determined to range from 0.002 to 0.04 microg/mL, depending on the individual pyrethrin. Recoveries from spiked tap water ranged from 77 to 96%; recoveries from urine ranged from 80 to 117%. This method is especially well-suited to clinical investigations, in which rapid analysis of forensic samples is often required.     

Indium-mediated one-pot reductive conversion of nitroarenes to N-arylacetamides

N-Arylacetamides were prepared in excellent yields from nitroarenes in the presence of acetic anhydride, acetic acid and indium by a one-pot procedure.     

Catalytic degradation of polystyrene using HUSY catalysts

Summary The addition of carbon dioxide to phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE) was investigated in a semi-batch reactor using immobilized quaternary ammonium chloride catalysts. Five different catalysts were prepared with the following supports : (1) soluble poly(ST-<Emphasis Type=Italic>co</Emphasis>-VBC) [C1], (2) insoluble poly(ST-DVB-VBC) [C2], (3) macroporous poly(ST-DVB-VBC) [C3], (4) poly(ST-<Emphasis Type=Italic>co</Emphasis>-VBC)-MMT [C4] (5) modified MCM-41 [C5]. The addition of carbon dioxide to PGE can be considered as a pseudo-first order process with respect to the concentration of PGE. The pseudo-first order rate constant for the catalysts decreased in the series C1&gt;C3&gt;C2&gt;C4&gt;C5. The activation energy for C1 to C5 catalysts was 8.6, 20.9, 19.9, 23.9, and 26.8 kJ/mol, respectively. The immobilized catalysts can be reused in least 4 successive runs without any considerable loss of their initial reactivities.     

Isochorismate pyruvate lyase: a pericyclic reaction mechanism?

Isochorismate pyruvate lyase (IPL) catalyzes the cleavage of isochorismate to give salicylate and pyruvate, a key step in bacterial siderophore biosynthesis. We investigated the enzyme from Pseudomonas aeruginosa using isochorismate selectively deuterated at C2 as a substrate. Monitoring the reaction by 2H NMR spectroscopy revealed that the label is quantitatively transferred from C2 to C9, producing stoichiometric amounts of [3-2H]pyruvate as product. Moreover, the deuterium kinetic isotope effect of 2.34 +/- 0.08 on kcat indicates that C-H cleavage is significantly rate limiting. Consistent with these data, hybrid density functional theory (HDFT) calculations at the Becke3LYP/DZ+(2d,p) level of theory predict a concerted but highly asynchronous pericyclic transition structure, in which carbon-oxygen bond cleavage is more advanced than hydrogen atom transfer from C2 to C9; the calculated 2H isotope effect of 2.22 at C2 is in excellent accord with the experimental value. Together, these findings indicate that IPL should be added to the small set of proteins that are known to catalyze pericyclic reactions. They also raise the possibility that enzymes, such as chorismate pyruvate lyase, salicylate synthase, 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate lyase, and anthranilate synthase, which accelerate formally similar reaction steps, may also exploit pericyclic mechanisms.     

Unusually stable molecular capsule formation of a tetraphenyleneurea cavitand

An unusually stable molecular capsule was formed by heating phenyleneurea-spanned resorcinarene cavitand with 4-methyl-N-p-tolylbenzamide. The molecular capsule behaved as a discrete molecular entity showing a cylindrical D(4d) structure and showed no guest exchange in toluene-d(8) even at 100 degrees C. [structure: see text]     

Enantiomer separation of a novel aminothiazolecarboxamide fungicide using polysaccharide-derived chiral stationary phases

The direct enantioseparation of a novel aminothiazolecarboxamide fungicide, ethaboxam, on polysaccharide-derived chiral stationary phases (CSPs) is described. Good resolution is achieved with several polysaccharide-derived CSPs. Chiralcel OD (OD-H) and Chiralpak AS are excellent for direct enantiomer separation of ethaboxam. The elution behavior and the effects of eluent composition on the resolution of ethaboxam are also investigated. Furthermore, the mechanism for chiral recognition using molecular mechanics is discussed.     

Zeolite-mediated photochemical charge separation using a surface-entrapped ruthenium-polypyridyl complex

Employing the strategy of quaternization of the 2,2' N atoms of the conjugated bipyridine ligand 1,4-bis[2-(4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyrid-4-yl)ethenyl]benzene (L), a polypyridyl complex of ruthenium(II) was tethered on the surface of zeolite Y. Electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of the complex suggest that, upon visible photoexcitation of the MLCT band, the electron is localized on the conjugated ligand rather than the bipyridines. Electron transfer from the surface complex to bipyridinium ions (methyl viologen) within the zeolite was observed. Visible light photolysis of the ruthenium-zeolite solid ion-exchanged with diquat and suspended in a propyl viologen sulfonate solution led to permanent formation of the blue propyl viologen sulfonate radical ion in solution. The model that is proposed involves intrazeolitic charge transfer to ion-exchanged diquat followed by interfacial (zeolite to solution) electron transfer to propyl viologen sulfonate in solution. Because of the slow intramolecular back-electron-transfer reaction and the forward electron propagation via the ion-exchanged diquat, Ru(III) is formed. This Ru(III) complex formed on the zeolite is proposed to react rapidly with water in the presence of light, followed by reaction with the propyl viologen sulfonate, to form pyridones and regeneration of Ru(II), which then continues the photochemical process.     

Nonspecific interactions of a carboxylate-substituted PPE with proteins. A cautionary tale for biosensor applications

Two carboxylate-substituted, fluorescent (Phi = 0.08), water-soluble poly(p-phenyleneethynylene)s (PPE) and a water-soluble model compound were exposed to a series of proteins and bovine serum. While the anionic PPEs do not have any specific binding sites, they form stable complexes with histone, lysozyme, myoglobin, and hemoglobin. The complex formation was evidenced by fluorescence quenching. Bovine serum albumin does not quench the fluorescence of the PPEs but enhances it, probably due to its surfactant character. These results imply that the use of charged conjugated polymers as biosensors, while an attractive proposition, has to take into account strong nonspecific interactions between conjugated polymers and the host of proteins that is found in cells and complex biological fluids.