Non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis of the positional isomers of a sulfated monosaccharide

A non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) method coupled to indirect absorbance detection has been developed for the separation of the three positional isomers of monosulfated fucose. The optimized electrolyte was composed of 12 mM ethanolamine, 2 mM trimesic acid buffer in a methanol-ethanol (1:1, v/v) mixture. As the retained electrolyte entails no separating agent other than the pH buffer, the NACE separation of the positional isomers has been ascribed mainly to selective ion-pairing with the electrolyte counter-ion and the possibility of a selective solvation effect in the alcohol mixture. In the absence of pure isomeric standards, peak identification was completed by MS and NMR spectroscopy and selective enzymatic desulfation. This method should be of interest for the structure elucidation of monosulfated fucose-based polysaccharides and for the screening of sulfoesterase of unknown activity.     

On the affinity of cytosine towards electrophiles

Ab initio SCF computations on the intrinsic preferences of the H⁺, CH ₃ ⁺ and C₂H ₅ ⁺ cations towards the two principal sites of protonation or alkylation on cytosine, N₃ or O₂, show that this preference undergoes a continuous modification with the increase in size and complexity of the cation. N₃ is the preferred site of fixation of H⁺, O₂ the preferred site of C₂H ₅ ⁺ , while CH ₃ ⁺ has no marked preference. The exchange repulsion term of the binding energy appears responsible for the preference of C₂H ₅ ⁺ for O₂.This work was supported by the Ligue Francaise contre le Cancer and the National Foundation for Cancer Research (USA)     

Computer simulation of ion recombination in irradiated nonpolar liquids

A review of the results of computer simulation of the diffusion controlled recombination of ions is presented. The ions generated in clusters of two and three pairs of oppositely charged ions were considered. The recombination kinetics and the ion escape probability at infinite time with and without external electric field have been computed. These results are compared with the calculations based on the single-pair theory.     

Indium(III) one-dimensional polymers with pyrazine and pyrazine, 2-carboxylic acid as the spacer molecules

The reactions of indium(III) chloride tetrahydrate with pyrazine (C₄H₄N₂) and pyrazine, 2-carboxylic acid afford two polymeric frameworks, the structures of which were characterized in the solid state by single crystal analysis. The former is a one-dimensional infinite structure interlinked by the pyrazine spacer, while the latter is a one-dimensional ‘zigzag’ polymeric structure. A dimeric indium(III) pyrazine complex is also reported.     

A convenient synthesis of new aminomethylenedioxypyrroloindoles via an iminium salt

Cyclization of 2-(1-pyrrolyl)piperonylcarboxamide derivatives gave iminium perchlorates which afforded 9-(N-substituted-imino) and 9-(N-substituted amino)-6,7-methylenedioxypyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles.     

Efforts to expand the genetic alphabet: identification of a replicable unnatural DNA self-pair

Six unnatural nucleotides featuring fluorine-substituted phenyl nucleobase analogues have been synthesized, incorporated into DNA, and characterized in terms of the structure and replication properties of the self-pairs they form. Each unnatural self-pair is accommodated in B-form DNA without detectable structural perturbation, and all are thermally stable and selective to roughly the same degree. Furthermore, the efficiency of polymerase-mediated mispair synthesis is similar for each unnatural nucleotide in the template. In contrast, the efficiency of polymerase-mediated self-pair extension is highly dependent on the specific fluorine substitution pattern. The most promising unnatural base pair candidate of this series is the 3-fluorobenzene self-pair, which is replicated with reasonable efficiency and selectivity.     

New Results in the Synthesis of Styrylazulene Derivatives: Application of the ‘Anil synthesis’ to the preparation of azulenes substituted with styryl groups at the seven-membered ring

The synthesis of 4,6,8-trimethyl-1-[(E)-4-R-styryl]azulenes 5 (R=H, MeO, Cl) has been performed by Wittig reaction of 4,6,8-trimethylazulene-1-carbaldehyde ( 1 ) and the corresponding 4-(R-benzyl)(triphenyl)phosphonium chlorides 4 in the presence of EtONa/EtOH in boiling toluene (see Table 1). In the same way, guaiazulene-3-carbaldehyde ( 2 ) as well as dihydrolactaroviolin ( 3 ) yielded with 4a the corresponding styrylazulenes 6 and 7 , respectively (see Table 1). It has been found that 1 and 4b yield, in competition to the Wittig reaction, alkylation products, namely 8 and 9 , respectively (cf. Scheme 1). The reaction of 4,6,8-trimethylazulene ( 10 ) with 4b in toluene showed that azulenes can, indeed, be easily alkylated with the phosphonium salt 4b . 4,6,8-Trimethylazulene-2-carbaldehyde ( 12 ) has been synthesized from the corresponding carboxylate 15 by a reduction (LiAlH₄) and dehydrogenation (MnO₂) sequence (see Scheme 2). The Swern oxidation of the intermediate 2-(hydroxymethyl)azulene 16 yielded only 1,3-dichloroazulene derivatives (cf. Scheme 2). The Wittig reaction of 12 with 4a and 4b in the presence of EtONa/EtOH in toluene yielded the expected 2-styryl derivatives 19a and 19b , respectively (see Scheme 3). Again, the yield of 19b was reduced by a competing alkylation reaction of 19b with 4b which led to the formation of the 1-benzylated product 20 (see Scheme 3). The ‘anil synthesis’ of guaiazulene ( 21 ) and the 4-R-benzanils 22 (R=H, MeO, Cl, Me₂N) proceeded smoothyl under standard conditions (powered KOH in DMF) to yield the corresponding 4-[(E)-styryl]azulene derivatives 23 (see Table 4). In minor amounts, bis(azulen-4-yl) compounds of type 24 and 25 were also formed (see Table 4). The ‘anil reaction’ of 21 and 4-NO₂C₆H₄CH=NC₆H₅ ( 22e ) in DMF yielded no corresponding styrylazulene derivative 23e . Instead, (E)-1,2-bis(7-isopropyl-1-methylazulen-4-yl)ethene ( 27 ) was formed (see Scheme 4). The reaction of 4,6,8-trimethylazulene ( 10 ) and benzanil ( 22a ) in the presence of KOH in DMF yielded the benzanil adducts 28 to 31 (cf. Scheme 5). Their direct base-catalyzed transformation into the corresponding styryl-substituted azulenes could not be realized (cf. Scheme 6). However, the transformation succeeded smoothly with KOH in boiling EtOH after N-methylation (cf. Scheme 6).     

Separation of Dihydro-Isocoumarins and Dihydro-Stilbenoids from Hydrangea macrophylla ssp. serrata by Use of Counter-Current Chromatography

Previously, different Hydrangea macrophylla ssp. serrata cultivars were investigated by untargeted LC-MS analysis. From this, a list of tentatively identified and unknown compounds that differ significantly between these cultivars was obtained. Due to the lack of reference compounds, especially for dihydro-isocoumarins, we aimed to isolate and structurally characterise these compounds from the cultivar ‘Yae-no-amacha’ using NMR and LC-MS methods. For purification and isolation, counter-current chromatography was used in combination with reversed-phase preparative HPLC as an orthogonal and enhanced purification workflow. Thirteen dihydro-isocoumarins in combination with other metabolites could be isolated and structurally identified. Particularly interesting was the clarification of dihydrostilbenoid glycosides, which were described for the first time in H. macrophylla ssp. serrata. These results will help us in further studies on the biological interpretation of our data.     

Multivalency as a Chemical Organization and Action Principle

Multivalent interactions can be applied universally for a targeted strengthening of an interaction between different interfaces or molecules. The binding partners form cooperative, multiple receptor–ligand interactions that are based on individually weak, noncovalent bonds and are thus generally reversible. Hence, multi‐ and polyvalent interactions play a decisive role in biological systems for recognition, adhesion, and signal processes. The scientific and practical realization of this principle will be demonstrated by the development of simple artificial and theoretical models, from natural systems to functional, application‐oriented systems. In a systematic review of scaffold architectures, the underlying effects and control options will be demonstrated, and suggestions will be given for designing effective multivalent binding systems, as well as for polyvalent therapeutics.