Molybdenum alkynyls as alkynyl transfer reagents

Molybdenum alkynyl complexes [Mo(C identical to CR)(eta 3-allyl)(CO)2(phen)] feature long Mo-Calkynyl bond distances and propensity to undergo the cleavage of these bonds, a property that allowed their use as acetylide transfer reagents.     

Synthesis of 1-substituted-6-methyluracils

A series of 6-methyl-1H-pyrimidin-2,4-diones bearing different substituents in the 1-position of the uracil ring were prepared starting from substituted ureas and diketene.     

Formation of compound I by photo-oxidation of compound II

[reaction: see text] Compound I is the heme-iron(IV)-oxo porphyrin radical cation formed in peroxidase and catalase enzymes by reaction with hydrogen peroxide. As an alternative to chemical oxidations of porphyrin-iron(III) species, various compound I species were produced by 355 nm laser flash photolysis photooxidation of the corresponding compound II species, porphyrin-iron(IV)-oxo derivatives. The method is demonstrated by production and kinetic studies of the compound I species from 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin-iron, from horseradish peroxidase, and from wild-type horse skeletal myoglobin.     

Density functional investigations of the properties and thermochemistry of UF6 and UF5 using valence-electron and all-electron approaches

The structural properties and thermochemistry of UF6 and UF5 have been investigated using both Hartree-Fock and density functional theory (DFT) approximations. Within the latter approach, the local spin-density approximation, the generalized gradient approximation, and hybrid density functionals were considered. To describe the uranium atom we employed small-core (60 electrons) and large-core (78 electrons) relativistic effective core potentials (RECPs), as well as the all-electron approximation based on the two-component third-order Douglas-Kroll-Hess Hamiltonian. For structural properties, we obtained very good agreement with experiment with DFT and both large and small-core RECPs. The best match with experiment is given by the hybrid functionals with the small-core RECP. The bond dissociation energy (BDE) was obtained from the relative energies of the fragments [UF6 --> UF5 + F], corrected for zero-point energy and spin-orbit interaction. Very good agreement was found between the BDE obtained from all-electron calculations and those calculated with the small-core RECP, while those from the large-core RECP are off by more than 50%. In order to obtain good agreement with experiment in the BDE it is imperative to work with hybrid density functionals and a small-core RECP.     

Natural polyelectron population analysis

A method to perform a polyelectron population analysis of correlated molecular orbital wave functions on the basis of natural atomic orbitals (NAO s), as given by Weinhold, is presented. The method allows calculations of the probabilities of finding various types of electronic events occuring in some target AO positions, including the contributions of ionic and covalent resonance structures. This method is general and neither the theory nor the developed algorithm limit the number of electrons and holes that can be considered. Thus, the analyzed MO wave function can be a usual CI or a MCSCF one, and apart from Weinhold's NAO s. any other type of orthogonal AO s can be used as analyzers, provided that these AO s are linear combinations of the SCF-AO s. Numerical applications are given for ethylene, formaldehyde, butadiene, and acroleine, by adopting various AO basis-set levels (STO ?4G , 4–31G , and 6–31G ) and by analyzing correlated wave functions (CISD ). Improvements in the polyelectron populations when increasing the quality of AO basis sets and the corresponding valence NAO s are revealed by several examples. Furthermore, it is shown that the electroegativity of oxygen in acroleine only has an effect on contributions of ionic and covalent resonance structures, but not on delocalization of the double bonds. 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of Antitumor Lycorines by Intramolecular Diels-Alder Reaction

Pharmacologically interesting lycorines were obtained by a short, efficient method based on an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction between an alpha-pyrone and an alkyne, followed by loss of CO(2) in a retro Diels-Alder reaction. The cyclization precursors (pyrones 9) were obtained in good yields in two or three steps from the corresponding homophthalic acid or anhydride.     

Density functional investigations of the properties and thermochemistry of UFn and UCln (n=1,...,6)

The structural properties and thermochemistry of the UF(n) and UCl(n) (n=1,...,6) molecules have been investigated using hybrid density functional theory and a small-core (60 electrons) relativistic effective core potential for the uranium atom. For the first time Bond dissociation energies for this whole series are computed and shown to be in good agreement with experiment. The geometry and electronic structure of each molecule was characterized.     

Effect of Nitrogen Methylation on Cation and Anion Coordination by Hexa- and Heptaazamacrocycles. Catalytic Properties of These Ligands in ATP Dephosphorylation

The stability constants of the complexes formed by 1,10-dimethyl-1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaazacyclooctadecane (L) and 1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7,10,13,16,19-heptaazacyclohenicosane (L1) with Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+), and Pb(2+), as well as that for the formation of PbL2(2+) (L2 = 1,4,7,13-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaazacyclooctadecane), were determined by means of potentiometric (pH-metric) titrations in 0.15 mol dm(-)(3) NaClO(4) at 298.1 +/- 0.1 K. The enthalpy changes for the formation of Cu(2+) complexes with L and L1 were measured by means of microcalorimetry. These thermodynamic data were compared with those previously reported for L2, 1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaazacyclooctadecane (L3), and 1,4,7,10,13,16,19-heptaazacyclohenicosane (L4) evidencing that nitrogen methylation can produce lower or higher complex stability depending on the metal ion and the number of methylated nitrogens. The equilibria of complexation of ATP(4)(-), ADP(3)(-), AMP(2)(-), P(2)O(7)(4)(-), and [Co(CN)(6)](3)(-) by Land L1 were studied by means of pH-metric titrations in 0.15 mol dm(-)(3) NaClO(4) at 298.1 +/- 0.1 K. The catalytic reactions of ATP dephosphorylation induced by these ligands in solution were followed by (31)P NMR spectroscopy at different temperature and pH values. L is the most appropriate receptor, among L-L4, in the recognition of the nucleotide. The catalytic efficiency of hexa- and heptaazaligands increases in the order L < L3 < L2 and L1 < L4, respectively, L4 being the most efficient. Namely, di- and tetramethylation of L3 produces opposite effects on its catalytic properties.     

A DFT study of the Boulton-Katritzky rearrangement of (5R)-4-nitrosobenz[c]isoxazole and its anion: pseudopericyclic reactions with aromatic transition states

The nature of the Boulton-Katritzky rearrangement of (5R)-4-nitrosobenz[c]isoxazole and its anion was studied employing three methodologies: calculation of magnetic properties (magnetic susceptibility, magnetic susceptibility anisotropy, and the nucleus-independent chemical shifts), the natural bonding orbital analysis, and the ACID (anisotropy of the current-induced density) method. The deep analysis of the results indicates a pseudopericyclic character for these reactions despite the aromaticity of the transition states.     

Causes of Cell Death Following Ultraviolet B and C Exposures and the Role of Carotenes

Abstract— Ultraviolet B radiation (wavelength 290–310 nm) does not induce any specific lethal effects in the fungus Phy-comyces blakesleeanus , according to a heterokaryon test that responds to the nature of the lethal damage. This agent is about 10 times less lethal than UVC radiation from germicidal lamps (254 nm), but it kills cells through the same photoreactivable lesions, due to the UV absorption of DNA. Carotenes do not protect Phycomyces against UV damage, either B or C, lethal or not. This was shown by Darwinian competition experiments between strains containing very different carotene concentrations and between strains containing similar concentrations of different carotenes (phytoene, lycopene, β-car-otene). A shading effect of carotenes against UV radiation is likely, but it was insignificant under the conditions of the experiments.