Anticancer agent development: X-ray crystal structure and keto-enol tautomerism of dimethyl 1-hydroxy-6,7-methylenedioxy-4-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyphenyl-trans-3,4-dihydronaphthalene-2,3-dicarboxylate

Structural and conformational information obtained from the crystal structure and solution¹H nmr investigations of the title compound are compared. The 4-aryltetralone, C₂₄H₂₄O₁₀, crystallizes as a chloroform solvate in the monoclinic space group, P2₁/n, witha=12.519(4),b=17.938(6),c=12.534(9)Å,=111.90(5)°, and D_calc=1.51 g cm^–3 forZ=4. The data for this compound were collected at –150°C. Least-squares refinement of 2796 observed [F _o5(F _o)] reflections led to the final agreement index ofR=0.062. A threefold static disorder was observed for one of the carboxyl groups. The second carboxyl group participates in an intramolecular hydrogen bond and is thus ordered. The¹H nmr spectrum revealed the title compound to exist as a keto-enol tautomeric mixture in solution. Vicinal hydrogen coupling constant analysis proved reliable in ascertaining B-ring stereochemistry of 2,3-disubstituted-4-aryltetralones.     

Self-assembly of a hydrophobic groove

Heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin interacts with 5,15-diphenylporphine to produce a 2:1 complex in dimethyl sulfoxide. This complex possesses a hydrophobic groove that circumscribes the metal binding site of the porphyrin moiety.     

HYDROXYSTILBAZOLES AND HYDROXYAZAPHENANTHRENES: PHOTOCYCLIZATION AND FLUORESCENCE STUDIES

Abstract— As models for novel fluorescent probes, we have synthesized three isomeric hydroxystilbazole systems (4′-hydroxy-substituted 2-, 3-, and 4-stiIbazoles), examined their photocyclization-oxi-dation to four hydroxyazaphenanthrene systems, and made a preliminary study of their absorption and fluorescence spectra. All three stilbazoles can be prepared easily by addition of the isomeric picoline anions to 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, followed by dehydration and deprotection. Photocyclization proceeds efficiently, furnishing a single product isomer from each of the 2- and 4-stilbazole systems, and two isomeric azaphenanthrenes from the 3-stilbazole. The stilbazoles all have intense UV absorbance bands whose maxima depend upon solvent and pH; all three isomers have relatively similar spectra under neutral conditions and all three show a large red shift in base; in acid, however, the 2-and 4-stilbazole isomers show a greater red shift than the 3-stilbazole. The fluorescence of the stilbazoles is also solvent dependent, shifting to the red in more polar medium; red shifts are also observed in acid and base, but in acid, the 3-stilbazole shows a larger shift. The azaphenanthrene photocyclization products show absorbance spectra typical for quinolines and isoquinolines; their absorptivities are less than the stilbazoles, but their fluorescence is more intense. In general, the benzoquinolines have longer wavelength but weaker fluorescence than the benzoisoquinolines. Also, those isomers in which the resonance effects of the hydroxy and nitrogen groups can reinforce one another show longer wavelength emissions of greater intensity. All seven systems show dual fluorescence in water under neutral conditions, suggesting the emission from both non-ionized and ionized species in the excited state. In one case, the benzoisoquinoline system derived from 4′-hydroxy-4-stilbazole, an emission at 640 nm, observed in water over a wide pH range, is ascribed to a zwitterionic phototautomer. These stilbazoles, benzoquinolines and benzoisoquinolines may prove to be useful spectroscopic probes.     

THE ROLE OF SOLAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION IN 'NATURAL' WATER PURIFICATION

Abstract— The concentration of Escherichia coli in the input and output of a tertiary wastewater system (4 lagoons) has been monitored over an 11 month period. The integrated flux of biologically active solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation was measured during this period. By also determining (1) the effective temperature in the system, (2) the growth rate of E. coli at the effective temperature, (3) the penetration of the solar UV into the lagoons, (4) the dose-response relation for killing of E. coli by UV and (5) the retention time of water in the system, it is possible to compare the 'die off' expected from solar UV exposure to the actual 'die off' observed for different batches of water.
The observed killing of E. coli was quite close to the values calculated, considering the numerous factors involved. Solar UV light would thus seem to be a very important factor in the natural purification of water. Because each successful species must possess characteristics (physiological or behavioral) which provide adequate resistance to solar UV, the ecological role of solar UV radiation has not been widely appreciated.     

The prism algorithm for two-electron integrals

A new approach to the evaluation of two-electron repulsion integrals over contracted Gaussian basis functions is developed. The new scheme encompasses 20 distinct, but interrelated, paths from simple shell-quartet parameters to the target integrals, and, for any given integral class, the path requiring the fewest floating-point operations (FLOPS ) is that used. Both theoretical (FLOP counting) and practical (CPU timing) measures indicate that the method represents a substantial improvement over the HGP algorithm.