A revised structure for hermonionic acid

Hermonionic acid and its decarboxylated product have been isolated from $\text{Garcinia}$$\text{quaesita}$. ¹³C NMR spectral and chemical evidence indicate that hermonionic acid is 2-0-[2-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-3-methoxy- 4-hydroxy-5-(3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienyl]-4-methoxy-5-(3-methylbut-2-enyl-6-hydroxybenzoic acid. The previously assigned dienone structure for this acid is incorrect.     

Free-energy calculations of protein-ligand cation-pi and amino-pi interactions: from vacuum to proteinlike environments

To probe the role of cation-pi and amino-pi interactions in the context of protein-ligand interactions, the stability of 55 X-ray cation/amino-pi motifs involving the Ade moieties of cofactor molecules and Arg, Lys, Asn, or Gln side chains of their host protein was evaluated using quantum chemistry calculations. The conjunction of vacuum interaction energies, vibrational entropy, and solvation contributions led to identify Arg-Ade as the most favorable cation/amino-pi complex in the solvents considered, followed by Asn/Gln-Ade and Lys-Ade: their minimum interaction free energies are approximately equal to -7, -4, and -2 kcal/mol, respectively, in the solvents of dielectric constant similar to that estimated for proteins (i.e., acetone, THF, and CCl(4)). Remarkably, these free-energy values of cation/amino-pi interactions correlate well with their frequency of occurrences in protein-ligand structures, which corroborates our approach in the absence of experimental data.     

Efficient nickel-mediated intramolecular amination of aryl chlorides

The use of an in situ generated Ni(0) catalyst associated with 2,2'-bipyridine or N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene (SIPr) as a ligand and NaO-t-Bu as the base for the intramolecular coupling of aryl chlorides with amines is described. The procedure has been applied to the formation of five-, six-, and seven-membered rings. [reaction: see text]     

Fluorescent properties of oligonucleotide-conjugated thiazole orange probes

The fluorescence properties of thiazole orange, linked via a (1) hydrophobic alkyl or a (2) hydrophilic ethylene glycol chain to the central internucleotidic phosphate group of a pentadeca-2'-deoxyriboadenylate (dA15), are evaluated. Linkage at the phosphate group yields two stereoisomers, S-isomer of the phosphorus chiral center (Sp) and R-isomer of the phosphorus chiral center (Rp); these are studied separately. The character of the linkage chain and the chirality of the internucleotidic phosphate linkage site influence the fluorescent properties of these thiazole orange-oligonucleotide conjugates (TO-probes). Quantum yields of fluorescence (phifl) of between 0.04 and 0.07 were determined for the single-stranded conjugates. The fluorescence yield increased by up to five times upon hybridization with the complementary sequence (d5'[CACT15CAC3']); (phifl values of between 0.06-0.35 were determined for the double-stranded conjugates. The phifl value (0.17) of thiazole orange, 1-(N,N'-trimethylaminopropyl)-4-[3-methyl-2,3-dihydro-(benzo-1,3-thiazole)-2-methylidene]-quinolinium iodide (TO-Pro 1) in the presence of the oligonucleotide duplex (TO-Pro 1: dA15.d5'[CACT15CAC3'] (1:1)) is much less than that for some of the hybrids of the conjugates. Our studies, using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence experiments, show that a number of discrete fluorescent association species between the thiazole orange and the helix are formed. Time-resolved studies on the four double-stranded TO-probes revealed that the fluorescent oligonucleotide-thiazole orange complexes are common, only the distribution of the species varies with the character of the chain and the chirality at the internucleotidic phosphate site. Those TO-probes in which the isomeric structure of the phosphate-chain linkage is Rp, and therefore such that the fluorophore is directed toward the minor groove, have higher phifl values than the Sp isomer. Of the systems studied, thiazole orange linked by an alkyl chain to the internucleotidic phosphate (Rp isomer) has the highest phifl and the greatest fraction of the longest-lived fluorescent thiazole orange species (in the hybrid form).     

Asymmetric catalytic Mannich reactions catalyzed by urea derivatives: enantioselective synthesis of beta-aryl-beta-amino acids

Highly enantioselective addition reactions between silyl ketene acetals and N-Boc aldimines are catalyzed by the thiourea-based catalyst 1c. Extraordinary scope is observed in this methodology with regard to the imine substrate, with aryl and heteroaromatic derivatives generally affording nearly quantitative yields of beta-amino ester product in up to 98% enantioselectivity.     

Cumulative indices for Spectrochima Acta, Part A and Spectrochimica Acta, Part B

This article is an electronic publication in Spectrochimica Acta Electronica (SAE), a section of Spectrochimica Acta, Part B (SAB). The hardcopy text is accompanied by an electronic archive, stored on the SAE homepage at http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/sabe. The archive contains data, index and program files. The main article discusses the bibliographical purpose of the program and data files. A collective index for Spectrochimica Acta for volumes since it was split into Parts A and B, and continuing through 1991 for SAA and 1997 for SAB, is presented in DBF format, along with rudimentary data entry and access software.     

Thermodynamic analysis of receptors based on guanidinium/boronic acid groups for the complexation of carboxylates, alpha-hydroxycarboxylates, and diols: driving force for binding and cooperativity

The thermodynamics of guanidinium and boronic acid interactions with carboxylates, alpha-hydroxycarboxylates, and diols were studied by determination of the binding constants of a variety of different guests to four different hosts (7-10). Each host contains a different combination of guanidinium groups and boronic acids. The guests included molecules with carboxylate and/or diol moieties, such as citrate, tartrate, and fructose, among others. The Gibbs free energies of binding were determined by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, by use of indicator displacement assays. The receptor based on three guanidinium groups (7) was selective for the tricarboxylate guest. The receptors that incorporated boronic acids (8-10) had higher affinities for guests that included alpha-hydroxycarboxylate and catechol moieties over guests containing only carboxylates or alkanediols. Isothermal titration calorimetry revealed the enthalpic and entropic contributions to the Gibbs free energies of binding. The binding of citrate and tartrate was investigated with hosts 7-10, for which all the binding events were exothermic, with positive entropy. Because of the selectivity of hosts 8-10, a simple boronic acid (14) was also investigated and determined to be selective for alpha-hydroxycarboxylates and catechols over amino acids and alkanediols. Further, the cooperativity of 8 and 9 in binding tartrate was also investigated, revealing little or no cooperativity with 8, but negative cooperativity with 9. A linear entropy/enthalpy compensation relationship for all the hosts 7-10, 14, and the carboxylate-/diol-containing guests was also obtained. This relationship indicates that increasing enthalpy of binding is offset by similar losses in entropy for molecular recognition involving guanidinium and boronic acid groups.     

Integrating chemosensors for amine-containing compounds into cross-linked dendritic hosts

Trifluoroacetylazo dye 1, a known chemosensor for amines, has been integrated into cross-linked dendrimer hosts. Thus, boronic acid 16 was linked to iododye 9 via a Suzuki coupling reaction. In situ deprotection and alkylation with dendrons 3 and 4, containing 8 homoallyl or allyl ether groups, respectively, afforded dendrons 18 and 19 with chemosensor units at their focal point. Conversion of 18 (19) to the bis-imine of butane 1,4-diamine, extensive cross-linking via the ring closing metathesis reaction with Grubbs catalyst 25, and hydrolysis produced dendrimer hosts 28 and 29. Host-guest studies with a small library of amines and alcohols showed 28 and 29 to selectively signal certain diamines but not due to template mediated imprinting.     

Templateless assembly of molecularly aligned conductive polymer nanowires: a new approach for oriented nanostructures

Although oriented carbon nanotubes, oriented nanowires of metals, semiconductors and oxides have attracted wide attention, there have been few reports on oriented polymer nanostructures such as nanowires. In this paper we report the assembly of large arrays of oriented nanowires containing molecularly aligned conducting polymers (polyaniline) without using a porous membrane template to support the polymer. The uniform oriented nanowires were prepared through controlled nucleation and growth during a stepwise electrochemical deposition process in which a large number of nuclei were first deposited on the substrate using a large current density. After the initial nucleation, the current density was reduced stepwise in order to grow the oriented nanowires from the nucleation sites created in the first step. The usefulness of these new polymer structures is demonstrated with a chemical sensor device for H(2)O(2), the detection of which is widely investigated for biosensors. Finally, we demonstrated that controlled nucleation and growth is a general approach and has potential for growing oriented nanostructures of other materials.     

9-BBN: An amino acid protecting group for functionalization of amino acid side chains in organic solvents

9-Borabicyclononane (9-BBN) has been utilized to protect functionalized amino acids for potential chemoselective side chain manipulation. The 9-BBN group imparts organic solubility to otherwise hydrophilic molecules and is tolerant of a wide range of reaction conditions. The high degree of solubility of these molecules in THF is particularly noteworthy. It is cleaved with either aqueous HCl or by exchange with ethylenediamine in methanol. [reaction: see text]