Development of a high-sensitivity chromatographic separation system for pyridylaminated aldopentoses and aldohexoses

A rare sugar is considered to be a monosaccharide rarely found in nature. To investigate their natural distribution and biological roles, a robust analytical system must be used to isolate, identify, and quantify them. Herein, we report the development of such a system that can specifically quantify and chromatographically separate four aldopentoses and eight aldohexoses tagged with 2-aminopyridine. Purified monosaccharides derivatized with a pyridylamino moiety (PA–monosaccharides) are first chromatographed over a high-performance anion-exchange resin. But, because two of the PA–aldohexoses used in this study, PA–talose and PA–idose, co-elute with the common saccharides, PA–glucose and PA–mannose, respectively, a second chromatographic step, reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, is used to completely separate them. Thus, as shown by the results of this study, chromatographic separation of PA–monosaccharides is achievable and provides a quantitative measurement of common and rare isomeric aldopentoses and aldohexoses.     

Characteristic reactions of group 9 transition metal compounds in organic synthesis

Group 9 metal compounds in organic synthesis have two characteristic reactions. The first occurs because the group 9 metals have a high affinity to carbon–carbon or carbon–nitrogen π‐bonds. The first type of characteristic reactions in these group 9 metal compounds includes Pauson–Khand reactions, the Pauson–Khand‐type reactions ([2 + 2 + 1] cyclization), the other cyclizations and coupling reactions. The second occurs because the group 9 metals have a high affinity to carbonyl groups. The second type of characteristic reactions includes carbonylations such as hydroformylations, the carbonylations of methanol, amidocarbonylations and other carbonylations. The first characteristic reactions are applied for the synthesis of fine chemicals such as pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. However, the second characteristic reactions are utilized not only for fine chemicals but also for important bulk commodity chemicals such as aldehydes, carboxylic acids and alcohols. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rod-like liquid crystals of organic transition metal complexes. I. Reversible transformation between blue smectogen and red nematogen

Two novel types of transition-metal-containing liquid crystals, bis(p-n-koxydithiobenzoato)nickel(II) (abbreviated as (C_nO-DTB)₂Ni), and (p-n-alkoxydithiobenzoato)(p-n-alkoxyperthiobenzoato)nickel(II) (abbreviated as (C_nO-DTB)(C_nO-PTB)Ni), were synthesized. It was found that the (C_nO-DTB)₂Ni complex for n = 8 has smectic H and C mesophases, and that the (C_nO-DTB)₂Ni complexes for n = 4 and 8 easily transform into the corresponding monoperthio complexes, _nO-PTB)Ni, by heating at temperatures between 230°C and 285°C. It was confirmed that the transformation originates from an intermolecular reaction between the (C_nO-DTB)₂Ni complexes at high temperatures, and that the origin of the extra sulphurs in the resulting (C_nO-DTB)(C_nO-PTB)Ni complexes is the neighbouring (C_nO-DTB)₂Ni complexes. Interestingly, each of the (C_nO-DTB)(C_nO-PTB)Ni complexes (n = 4 and 8), has nematic mesophase and exhibits a unique double melting behaviour via the nematic phase, which is the first example in liquid crystals. The reversible transformation between the blue smectic rod-like (C_nO-DTB)₂Ni complex and the red nematic Λ-like (C_nO-DTB)(C_nO-PTB)Ni complex is possible.     

Zeta Functions of Graph Coverings

We give a decomposition formula for the zeta function of a group covering of a graph.     

The first total synthesis of lactonamycin, a hexacyclic antitumor antibiotic

The total synthesis of lactonamycin has been achieved. The synthesis includes sequential intramolecular conjugate addition of alcohols to the acetylenic ester, stereoselective glycosylation of the tertiary alcohol, and Michael-Dieckmann type cyclization with the thioester, by which the highly convergent route has been established.     

9,9′‐spirobifluorene‐containing polycarbonates: Transparent polymers with high refractive index and low birefringence

Syntheses of 2,2′‐bisalcoholic group‐substituted 9,9′‐spirobifluorene monomers 2 were performed by the reaction of 2,2′‐dihydroxy‐9,9′‐spirobifluorene 2a with haloalcohols. Polycarbonates consisting of 9,9′‐spirobifluorene skeleton in the main chain (PC 4 ) were synthesized by the polycondensation of 2,2′‐bisalcoholic monomers 2 and triphosgene or diphenyl carbonate. PC 4 showed good thermal stability: the 5% weight loss temperature was over 330 °C under both nitrogen and air atmospheres. The glass transition temperature was in a range of 16–269 °C estimated by differential scanning calorimetry, depending on the flexibility of the alkylene or oxyethylene chains of 2 . PC 4 showed high solubility toward ordinary organic solvents such as CHCl₃, benzene, and THF, making possible the preparation of the flexible thin films. Very high refractive index in a range of 1.62–1.66 at 589 nm was observed although PC 4 consists only of C, H, and O atoms, whereas very low degree of birefringence was confirmed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3658–3667, 2010     

Pyrene-appended alpha-cyclodextrin as a fluorescent pH probe responding to a wide range.

Pyrene-appended alpha-cyclodextrin (3) in which a trimethylenediamine linker connected the pyrene residue to the alpha-cyclodextrin moiety showed pH-dependent fluorescence intensity changes. The fluorescence intensity was almost linearly changed within the pH range of 5 - 10. The unique fluorescence response of 3 to the pH was due not only to the favorable pK(a) values (pK(a1) = 6.4 and pK(a2) = 8.8), but also to the almost equal contributions of the amino groups to the pyrene's fluorescence quenching.     

Solvent-dependent conformational switching of the aromatic N-methyl amides depending upon the acceptor properties of solvents

An aromatic N-methyl amide containing N-(2-pyridyl) and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide moieties switches its conformation from cis to trans depending upon the acceptor number of solvents.