Organocatalytic asymmetric direct alkylation of alpha-diazoester via C-H bond cleavage

A new variant of phosphoric acid-catalyzed C-C bond forming reaction, direct alkylation of alpha-diazoester, via C-H bond cleavage is presented. The resulting products, beta-amino-alpha-diazoesters, are highly functionalized and useful synthetic precursors for various types of beta-amino acids.     

Direct mono-insertion of isocyanides into terminal alkynes catalyzed by rare-earth silylamides

Rare-earth silylamide complexes, Ln[N(SiMe3)2]3 (Ln = Y, La, Sm, Yb), effectively catalyzed the coupling reaction of isocyanides with both aliphatic and aromatic terminal alkynes under mild conditions.     

Alkaline phosphatase encapsulated in gellan-chitosan hybrid capsules

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was encapsulated in gellan-chitosan polyion complex (PIC) capsules using a convenient procedure. The recovery of ALP was about 50% when the capsules were prepared by dropping a solution of ALP and gellan mixture (ALP/gellan) into a chitosan solution. When p-nitrophenyl phosphate (p-NPP) and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate (BCIP) were incubated with ALP/gellan-chitosan capsules as substrates for ALP, the transparent colorless capsules changed to yellow and blue, respectively. The encapsulation of ALP into the PIC capsules was also confirmed by SDS-PAGE and immunoblot analyses. The ALP and polypeptides of more than 30 kDa remained without release even after incubation at 4 degrees C for 14 d. The biochemical properties of the encapsulated ALP activity were similar to those of the intact enzyme. When the solution containing p-NPP was loaded on a column packed with ALP/gellan-chitosan capsules at 27 degrees C, approximately 75% of p-NPP was hydrolyzed by passing through the column. No significant leakage of ALP was observed during the procedure, indicating that the capsules were resistant to pressure in the chromatographic operation. Furthermore, 70% of the hydrolytic activity of the packed capsules remained after storage at 4 degrees C for one month. These results suggest that the polyion complex capsules could be useful materials for protein fixation without chemical modification. [Diagram: see text] Encapsulation of ALP into PIC capsules and the morphological changes seen in the absence of the ALP substrate and in the presence of p-NPP and BICP.     

The birch reduction of heterocyclic compounds. 11. Birch reduction and reductive alkylation of furamides

The Birch reduction-alkylation of some N,N-dialkylfuramides and its application to the useful intermediates for the natural product synthesis are described.     

Polytypic phase transition in alkyl chain-functionalized valence tautomeric complexes

A novel series of valence tautomeric (VT) complexes, [Co(Cnbpy)(3,5-DTBQ)2] (Cnbpy = 4,4'-dialkyl-2,2'-bipyridine (alkyl = (C(n)H(2n+1)) where n = 0 (CoC0bpy), 1 (CoC1bpy), 5 (CoC5bpy), 9 (CoC9bpy) and 13 (CoC13bpy); 3,5-DTBQ = 3,5-di-tert-butylsemiquinonate or catecholate), including two previously reported complexes (CoC0bpy and CoC1bpy), were systematically prepared and their properties examined. Introduction of alkyl groups into VT chromophores leads to unexpected variations in the VT process, depending on the lengths of the alkyl chains. An even more interesting observation is that significant polytypic phase transitions with crystallographic symmetry changes accompanying the abrupt VT conversion are induced for the first time in CoC9bpy and CoC13bpy.     

Bidirectional and colorimetric recognition of sodium and potassium ions

Host 1 based on the phenolphthalein skeleton and two crown ether moieties demonstrated opposite behaviors toward sodium and potassium cations caused by bidirectional complexation. [reaction: see text]     

Watson-Crick pairing of nucleobases functionalized with open-shell molecular entities in crystalline solids

A Watson-Crick type molecular complex of adenine and thymine bases substituted with the stable radical of nitronylnitroxide has been synthesized, which forms a double-chain spin system in the crystal.     

Possibility of a non-amino acid pathway in the biosynthesis of marine-derived oxazoles

A novel avenue for oxazoles via Beckmann rearrangement of alpha-formyl ketoxime dimethyl acetals is described that indicates the possibility of a non-amino acid biosynthetic pathway in marine natural products.