The enantiospecific,stereospecific total synthesis of the ring-A oxygenated sarpagine indole alkaloids (+)-majvinine, (+)-10-methoxyaffinisine,and (+)-N(a)-methylsarpagine,as well as the total synthesis of the alstonia bisindole alkaloid macralstonidine

The first stereospecific, enantiospecific total synthesis of the ring-A oxygenated sarpagine indole alkaloids (+)-N(a)-methylsarpagine (8), (+)-majvinine (14), and (+)-10-methoxyaffinisine (49), as well as the first total synthesis of the Alstonia bisindole alkaloid macralstonidine (9), has been accomplished. This approach employed the Sch?llkopf chiral auxiliary for the stereospecific construction of the desired d-(+)-tryptophan unit required for the asymmetric Pictet-Spengler reaction. In addition, the strategy was doubly convergent for the enolate-mediated Pd(0) coupling process and the asymmetric Pictet-Spengler reaction can be employed to synthesize both macroline (2) and N(a)-methylsarpagine (8), the coupling of which provides macralstonidine (9). This approach to ring-A substituted alkoxyindole alkaloids should find wide application for the synthesis of other alkaloids for it is stereospecific and either enantiomer can be prepared with ease.     

A synthesis of 2-β-D-ribofuranosyl-4-selenazolecarboxamide (selenazofurin) and certain N-substituted amide derivatives suitable for large scale syntheses

A new process suitable for large scale synthesis of the antitumor-antiviral agent, 2-β-D-ribofuranosyl-4-selenazolecarboxamide (selenazofurin, 1 ), has been developed. Thus, 1-O-acetyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-ribofuranose ( 3 ) was converted with cyanotrimethylsilane and stannic chloride to the crystalline 2,5-anhydro-3,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-allononitrile ( 4 ) without chromatography. Cyanosugar 4 in ethanol was treated with hydrogen selenide gas to afford stereospecifically the unstable 2,5-anhydro-3,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-allonoselenoamide ( 5 ) which was converted in situ by ethyl bromopyruvate to the stable ethyl 2-(2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-ribofuranosyl)-4-selenazolecarboxylate ( 6). Selenazole ethyl ester 6 was deprotected with sodium methoxide affording methyl 2-β-D-ribofuranosyl-4-selenazolecarboxylate ( 7 ) which was aminated with ammonia to provide selenazofurin ( 1 ) or with other amines to provide N-substituted selenazofurin amides.     

Total synthesis of indole and dihydroindole alkaloids. VIII. Studies on the synthesis of bisindole alkaloids in the vinblastine-vincristine series. The chloroindolenine approach.

Studies on the syntheses of 18′-epi-4′-deoxo-4′-epivinblastine (IX, R = CO₂CH₃; R₁ = H), 18′-decarbomethoxy-18′-epi-4′-deoxo-4′-epivinblastine (IX, R = R₁ = H) and related analogues are described. The synthetic method employs a coupling reaction involving chloroindolenine derivatives of the cleavamine series (for example, III) with vindoline (V) under acidic conditions. The complete structures, including absolute configuration, of the resulting dimers are established by a combination of chemical and spectroscopic techniques, including X-ray analysis.     

The ion kinetic energy spectra of some chlorinated insecticides

The ion kinetic energy (IKE) spectra of the p,p′ and o,p′ DDT, DDD and DDE isomers have been examined. The results indicated that the decomposing [M-CCl₃] ions (b) (m/e 235) for the p,p′ and o,p′ DDT isomers were not energetically similar, suggesting retention of the positional identity of the aromatic chlorine substituents. Similar results were obtained for the [M – CHCl₂] ions (b) for the p,p′ and o,p′ DDD isomers. The IKE spectra of p,p′ and o,p′ DDE were indistinguishable, indicating loss of substituent identity of the aromatic chlorine group. The mechanistic and analytical consequences of these data are discussed. The IKE spectra of the four hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (V to VIII) are different and these spectra are obviously useful in the analysis and characterization of these structurally similar compounds. The differences in their reactivity must in some part be due to their different stereochemical orientations of the chlorine substituents.     

Characterization of internal surface reversed-phase silica supports for liquid chromatography

Internal surface reversed-phase (ISRP) supports synthesized from commercially available porous silica particles with a variety of nominal pore diameters and specific surface areas are characterized with regard to physical and chromatographic properties. Bonded phase coverage, pore size, capacity and efficiency measurements are made upon the various ISRP supports in order to evaluate the effect that the physical properties of silica have upon the chromatographic performance of ISRP packings. In addition, various models that describe the pore structure of silica supports are discussed.     

Rotational equilibria in 2-aryl-n-propanols, 2-aryl-n-propyl methyl ethers and 2-aryl-n-propyl acetates. Trends consistent with a CH---O hydrogen bond

An ¹H-nmr study of rotational isomerism in the title compounds reveals an increasing population of ?auche aryl/OMe and gauche aryl/OCOMe conformations as electron donor groups on the aromatic ring are replaced by electron withdrawing groups.     

Lcao-Xα calculations of rotational energy barriers—prototypes of chemical reactions

The LCAO -X α method is used to compute the X α rotational barrier for ethane both in the rigid-rotor approximation and for optimized staggered and eclipsed geometries. The problem of how to pick points and weights in three dimensions for fitting the nonanalytic exchange and correlation functionals of local density-functional theory is examined; a variational weighting procedure is developed which greatly reduces the size of errors due to the 3-D grid as compared to simple volume-element weighting. The accuracy of the X α results for the optimized geometries and the barrier height of ethane is found to be comparable to that of large-basis Hartree–Fock calculations.     

Determination of amifloxacin and two of its principal metabolites in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography using automated column switching

The automated determination of amifloxacin and two of its principal metabolites in human plasma and urine by column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography is described. Plasma or urine samples, diluted 1:1 with 0.5 M sodium citrate buffer pH 2.5, were directly injected onto a cation-exchange pre-column. Following a 2.0-min wash of the pre-column with water at a flow-rate of 1.1 ml/min, the effluent from the pre-column was directed to the analytical column by a column-switching device. The precision of the plasma and urine methods ranged from a +/- 1.9 to +/- 3.6% for all compounds. The accuracies of the methods were within a range of -3.3% to 6.4% of the nominal values for all compounds. Linear responses were observed for all the standards in the range 0.10-5.0 micrograms/ml for plasma and 0.50-100 micrograms/ml for urine for all three compounds. The minimum quantifiable levels were 0.10 and 0.50 micrograms/ml for plasma and urine, respectively. The analytical methods may be used to quantify amifloxacin and the piperazinyl-N-desmethyl and piperazinyl-N-oxide metabolites in plasma and urine samples obtained from humans, monkeys, dogs and rats.     

Determination of nitrite and nitrate in human serum

A simple and effective assay for nitrite and nitrate in human serum has been developed using ion chromatography. Initial experiments using isocratic carbonate-bicarbonate elution with conductivity detection on a Dionex QIC system with an AS4A-SC column showed promise but were unsatisfactory because of co-elution problems with nitrite. Carbonate and chloride were investigated as eluents using a gradient system, and direct UV detection at 214 nm was used in place of conductivity detection. Dionex AS4A, AS9A, AS12, Nucleopac PA-100 and Carbopac PA-100 columns were compared for selectivity and resistance to overload. The final method, using a chloride concentration gradient, pH buffering and direct UV detection with a Carbopac PA-100 column, shows good resolution, does not suffer from chloride overload and is simple to use. The method is being used in an investigation of the role of nitric oxide in pre-eclampsia, a hypertensive disorder during pregnancy.