Remarkably Selective Ag(+) Extraction and Transport by Thiolariat Ethers

Synthesis and metal binding properties of thiolariat ethers, where a sulfide side chain is introduced into a framework of a crown ether, have been performed. Remarkably high Ag(+) selectivity among heavy metal ions was observed in solvent extraction and transport across a liquid membrane using thiolariat ethers with a 15-crown-5 ring as carriers. Thiolariat ethers with a 12-crown-4 or a 18-crown-6 do not exhibit such a high Ag(+) selectivity. The former binds metal ions weakly, and the latter recognizes Pb(2+) as well as Ag(+). The corresponding oxygen analogs, i.e. lariat ethers, do not show Ag(+) selectivity. The Ag(+) binding strength of the sulfoxide and sulfone analogs is much lower than that of thiolariat ethers. Thiolariat ethers with a benzocrown framework containing a sulfide chain at the 4 position of the benzene nucleus showed very low affinity to Ag(+). Extractability and transport ability using various thiolariat ether derivatives strongly suggested that this high Ag(+) selectivity is a result of the synergistic coordination of the ring oxygen and the sulfur atom of the thiolariat ether. NMR chemical shifts of protons and carbons in the proximity of the sulfur atom of the thiolariat ether were changed significantly in accordance with the synergistic coordination described above. 1:1 Complexation between a thiolariat ether and Ag(+) were supported by a Job plot using the chemical shift of the methylene protons adjacent to the sulfur atom.     

Nickel-catalyzed addition of P(O)-H bonds to propargyl alcohols: one-pot generation of phosphinoyl 1,3-butadienes

[reaction: see text] Diphenylphosphine oxide and related P(O)H compounds react with propargyl alcohols at room temperature in the presence of a catalytic amount of Ni(0) complex and Ph(2)P(O)OH to produce high yields of phosphinoyl 1,3-dienes though an efficient in situ dehydration process.     

Regioselective 1,4-addition of nucleophiles to 1,3-diene monoepoxides catalyzed by palladium complex

1,3-Diene monoepoxides react with nucleophiles in the presence of palladium complex as a catalyst under neutral conditions to give 1,4-adducts selectively. The 1,4-adducts are allylic alcohols and there is a possibility of another nucleophilic attack. Ester of Monarch butterfly pheromone was prepared.     

Characterization of molecular transport in poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchannels for electrophoresis fabricated with synchrotron radiation-lithography and UV-photolithography

In the present paper, a study was undertaken of molecular transport in ploy(dimethylsiloxane) microchannels that were fabricated by ultraviolet (UV)-photolithography and synchrotron radiation (SR)-lithography characterized and compared for microchip capillary electrophoresis by evaluating in-channel molecular dispersion. A fluorescent tag, sulforhodamine B was used as the probing molecule. It was found that microchannels made by SR-lithography fabrication were superior to those made by UV-photolithography fabrication in terms of molecular transport performance. A deep insight into surface conditions characterized by scanning electron microscopy suggested it was related to the difference in surface roughness. Chromatographic retention in electropherograms further supported such a conclusion, which depended on the phase ratio of the channel surface. The results revealed for PDMS microchannels in this work were in good agreement with the phenomenon found for glass microchannels in the literature.     

Improved assay for catechol-O-methyltransferase activity utilizing norepinephrine as an enzymatic substrate and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

We have previously established a rapid catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) assay using norepinephrine (NE) as a natural substrate and flow-injection analysis. In this study, the method is improved for screening of COMT inhibitors or activators using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic separation with fluorescence detection. The excess substrate, NE, was removed by the addition of borate in the eluent for HPLC to make an ionic complex with NE, which was eluted faster than the enzymatic product, normetanephrine. The method had good precision and accuracy, and was able to assay one sample in 5 min, showing the usability for screening of COMT inhibitors or activators.     

Adsorption and reactions of NO on clean and CO-precovered Ir(111)

Adsorption and reactions of NO on clean and CO-precovered Ir(111) were investigated by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HR-EELS), infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS), and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Two NO adsorption states, indicative of fcc-hollow sites and atop sites, were present on the Ir(111) surface at saturation coverage. NO adsorbed on hollow sites dissociated to Na and Oa at temperatures above 283 K. The dissociated Na desorbed to form N2 by recombination of Na at 574 K and by a disproportionation reaction between atop-NO and Na at 471 K. Preadsorbed CO inhibited the adsorption of NO on atop sites, whereas adsorption on hollow sites was not affected by the coexistence of CO. The adsorbed CO reacted with dissociated Oa and desorbed as CO2 at 574 K.     

Catalytic Active Site for NO Decomposition Elucidated by Surface Science and Real Catalyst

Comprehensive studies combining surface science and real catalyst were performed to get further insight into catalytic active site and reaction mechanism for NO decomposition over supported palladium and cobalt oxide-based catalysts. On palladium single-crystal model catalysts, adsorption, dissociation and desorption behavior of NO was found to be closely related to the surface structures, the stepped surface palladium being active for dissociation of NO. In accordance with this result, the activity of powder Pd/Al₂O₃ catalysts for NO decomposition was directly related to the number of step sites exposed on the surface, suggesting that the step sites act as the catalytic active site for NO decomposition on Pd/Al₂O₃. NO decomposition over cobalt oxide was found to be significantly promoted by addition of alkali metals. Surface science study and catalyst characterization led to the same conclusion that the interface between the alkali metal and Co₃O₄ serves as the catalytic active site. From the results of in situ Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and isotopic transient kinetic analysis, a reaction mechanism was proposed in which the reaction is initiated by NO adsorption onto alkali metals to form NO₂⁻ species and then NO₂⁻ species react with the adsorbed NO species to form N₂ over the interface between the alkali metal and Co₃O₄.     

Cobalt(III) complexes of monodentate N9-bound adeninate (ade-), [Co(ade-kappaN9)Cl(en)2]+ (en = 1,2-diaminoethane): syntheses, crystal structures, and protonation behaviors of the geometrical isomers

In acidic aqueous solution, a cobalt(III) complex containing monodentate N(9)-bound adeninate (ade(-)), cis-[Co(ade-kappaN(9))Cl(en)(2)]Cl (cis-[1]Cl), underwent protonation to the adeninate moiety without geometrical isomerization or decomposition of the Co(III) coordination sphere, and complexes of cis-[CoCl(Hade)(en)(2)]Cl(2) (cis-[2]Cl(2)) and cis-[Co(H(2)ade)Cl(en)(2)]Cl(3) (cis-[3]Cl(3)) could be isolated. The pK(a) values of the Hade and H(2)ade(+) complexes are 6.03(1) and 2.53(12), respectively, at 20 degrees C in 0.1 M aqueous NaCl. The single-crystal X-ray analyses of cis-[2]Cl(2).0.5H(2)O and cis-[3]Cl(2)(BF(4)).H(2)O revealed that protonation took place first at the adeninate N(7) and then at the N(1) atoms to form adenine tautomer (7H-Hade-kappaN(9)) and cationic adeninium (1H,7H-H(2)ade(+)-kappaN(9)) complexes, respectively. On the other hand, addition of NaOH to an aqueous solution of cis-[1]Cl afforded a mixture of geometrical isomers of the hydroxo-adeninato complex, cis- and trans-[Co(ade-kappaN(9))(OH)(en)(2)](+). The trans-isomer of chloro-adeninato complex trans-[Co(ade-kappaN(9))Cl(en)(2)]BF(4) (trans-[1]BF(4)) was synthesized by a reaction of cis-[2](BF(4))(2) and sodium methoxide in methanol. This isomer in acidic aqueous solution was also stable toward isomerization, affording the corresponding adenine tautomer and adeninium complexes (pK(a) = 5.21(1) and 2.48(9), respectively, at 20 degrees C in 0.1 M aqueous NaCl). The protonated product of trans-[Co(7H-Hade-kappaN(9))Cl(en)(2)](BF(4))(2).H(2)O (trans-[2](BF(4))(2).H(2)O) could also be characterized by X-ray analysis. Furthermore, the hydrogen-bonding interactions of the adeninate/adenine tautomer complexes cis-[1]BF(4), cis-[2](BF(4))(2), and trans-[2](BF(4))(2) with 1-cyclohexyluracil in acetonitrile-d(3) were investigated by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The crystal structure of trans-[Co(ade)(H(2)O)(en)(2)]HPO(4).3H(2)O, which was obtained by a reaction of trans-[Co(ade)(OH)(en)(2)]BF(4) and NaH(2)PO(4), was also determined.     

Epoxyquinol A, a highly functionalized pentaketide dimer with antiangiogenic activity isolated from fungal metabolites

A unique pentaketide dimer structure of a novel fungal metabolite with antiangiogenic activity, designated as epoxyquinol A (1), was determined on the basis of NMR spectral data as well as the X-ray crystallographic analysis. 1 inhibits the endothelial migration induced by vascular endothelial growth factor (ED100 = 3 mug/mL).