A mild and efficient palladium-catalyzed cyanation of aryl chlorides with K4[Fe(CN)6

An efficient palladium-catalyzed cyanation of aryl chlorides is established. In the presence of a highly effective Pd/CM-phos catalyst, cyanation of aryl chlorides proceeds at 70 °C in general, which is the mildest reaction temperature achieved so far for this process. Common functional groups such as keto, aldehyde, ester, nitrile and -NH(2), and heterocyclic coupling partners including N-H indoles are well tolerated. Moreover, a sterically hindered nonactivated ortho,ortho-disubstituted electrophile is shown to be a feasible coupling partner in cyanation.     

18O assisted analysis of a γ,δ-epoxyketone cyclization: synthesis of the C16-C28 fragment of ammocidin D

The C16-C28 fragment common to the cytotoxic macrolide ammocidin D has been prepared by a stereospecific 5-exo closure of a γ,δ-epoxyketone followed by a rearrangement to a pyran acetal. The reaction pathway was traced by (18)O labeling of the keto carbonyl and observation of (18)O induced (13)C shifts in the pyran acetal product. NMR data of the synthetic C16-C28 fragment compared favorably to the natural product providing support of the assigned stereochemistry.     

Oleanolic triterpene saponins from the roots of Panax bipinnatifidus

Ten oleanane-type saponins (1-10), including three new compounds, namely bifinosides A-C (1-3), were isolated from the roots of Panax bipinnatifidus SEEM. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic methods.     

Franck-Condon simulation, including anharmonicity, of the photodetachment spectrum of P2H(-): restricted-spin coupled-cluster single-double plus perturbative triple and unrestricted-spin coupled-cluster single-double plus perturbative triple -F12x potential energy functions of P2H and P2H(-)

Geometry optimization and harmonic vibrational frequency calculations have been carried out on the X?(2)A(') state of P(2)H and the X?(1)A(') state of P(2)H(-) using the restricted-spin coupled-cluster single-double plus perturbative triple excitation [RCCSD(T)] and explicitly correlated unrestricted-spin coupled-cluster single-double plus perturbative triple excitation [UCCSD(T)-F12x] methods. For RCCSD(T) calculations, basis sets of up to the augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence quintuple-zeta (aug-cc-pV5Z) quality were employed, and contributions from extrapolation to the complete basis set limit and from core correlation of the P 2s(2)2p(6) electrons were also included. For UCCSD(T)-F12x calculations, different atomic orbital basis sets of triple-zeta quality with different associated complementary auxiliary basis sets and different geminal Slater exponents were used. When the P 2s(2)2p(6) core electrons were correlated in these F12x calculations, appropriate core-valence basis sets were employed. In addition, potential energy functions (PEFs) of the X?(2)A(') state of P(2)H and the X?(1)A(') state of P(2)H(-) were computed at different RCCSD(T) and UCCSD(T)-F12x levels, and were used in variational calculations of anharmonic vibrational wavefunctions, which were then utilized to calculate Franck-Condon factors (FCFs) between these two states, employing a method which includes allowance for anharmonicity and Duschinsky rotation. The photodetachment spectrum of P(2)H(-) was then simulated using the computed FCFs. Simulated spectra obtained using the RCCSD(T)/aug-cc-pV5Z and UCCSD(T)-F12x(x = a or b)/aug-cc-pCVTZ PEFs are compared and found to be essentially identical. Based on the computed FCFs, a more detailed assignment of the observed vibrational structure than previously reported, which includes "hot bands," has been proposed. Comparison between simulated and available experimental spectra has been made, and the currently most reliable sets of equilibrium geometrical parameters for P(2)H and its anion have been derived. The photodetachment spectrum of P(2)D, yet to be recorded, has also been simulated.     

Efficient and facile formation of two-component nanoparticles via aromatic moiety directed self-assembly

Here we present a two-component self-assembling system employing the interaction of aromatic groups (Fmoc) to construct nanoparticles. Spherical particles of around 70 nm were formed spontaneously by a simple trigonal Fmoc-conjugate, which were then stabilized by Fmoc-dipeptides at physiological pH in aqueous solution. These novel particles, being well-tolerated by cells, capable of encapsulating hydrophobic compounds, and readily decorated by short peptides, are promising carriers for drug delivery.     

A versatile palladium catalyst system for Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of alkenyl tosylates and mesylates

A general and effective palladium system for Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of alkenyl electrophiles under mild reaction conditions is reported. With the Pd(OAc)(2)/CM-phos system, a variety of alkenyl tosylates are coupled well with ArB(OH)(2). Moreover, the first successful examples of using alkenyl mesylates in alkenylation are also described.     

The effect of pressure on halothane binding to hydrated DMPC bilayers

Halothane binding to hydrated dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) bilayer membranes has been examined over a wide range of pressures from 10⁵ to 4?×?10⁸?Pa. We show that the solvation of halothane by the membrane and bulk water are both pressure dependent, with an increased pressure driving halothane into the membrane. Analysis of these results shows that this pressure dependence is not the cause of pressure reversal, the process whereby general anaesthetics lose their efficacy at pressures of about 8?×?10⁶ to about 2.5?×?10⁷?Pa.     

A Dynamic Frictional Contact Problem with Normal Damped Response

We consider a mathematical model which describes the frictional contact between a viscoelastic body and a reactive foundation. The process is assumed to be dynamic and the contact is modeled with a general normal damped response condition and a local friction law. We present a variational formulation of the problem and prove the existence and uniqueness of the weak solution, using results on evolution equations with monotone operators and a fixed point argument. We then introduce and study a fully discrete numerical approximation scheme of the variational problem, in terms of the velocity variable. The numerical scheme has a unique solution. We derive error estimates under additional regularity assumptions on the data and the solution.     

A new simple synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted 1-amino-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triones from ethoxycarbonylhydrazones and isocyanates

The 3,5-disubstituted 1-amino-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triones were synthesized in good yields from aromatic aldehyde or ketone ethoxycarbonylhydrazones by treatment with aryl or methyl isocyanates in boiling triethylamine followed by hydrolysis with hydrochloric acid solution.     

The measurement of slope using shearography

This paper presents an optical method which is based on speckle-shearing interferometry for the measurement of the slope at any point of an object. The object under study is illuminated by an expanded laser beam and its image is recorded on a photographic plate placed at the image plane of an image-shearing camera. A second exposure on the photographic film is made after the light source is moved slightly. The resulting photograph yields a fringe pattern which represents lines of constant displacement gradients. Theory of the method as well as some experimental results are presented.