Stereoselective synthesis of tetrasubstituted (Z)-alkenes from aryl alkyl ketones utilizing the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction

Tetrasubstituted (Z)-alkenes were readily prepared through the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reactions of methyl 2-[bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)phosphono]propionate with aryl alkyl ketones by employing Sn(OSO(2)CF(3))(2) and N-ethylpiperidine.     

Stimulatory effect of red light on starch accumulation in a marine green alga,chlamydomonas sp. strain MGA161

A marine green alga,Chlamydomonas sp. strain MGA161 was cultivated under illumination of red and white lights. The growth rate under red light illumination was almost the same as that in the basic conditions under white light illumination, but red light-grown cells accumulated almost twice as much starch as white light-grown cells. Although there was a slight decrease in carbonic anhydrase activity, red light-illuminated cells had almost 2.3 times the fructose-l,6-diphos-phatase activity of white light-illuminated cells. Red light might stimulate starch accumulation by increasing the amounts of enzymes related to carbon fixation through the phytochrome system. Cells grown under red light degraded 1.6 times as much starch and produced 1.7 times as much hydrogen and 1.6 times as much ethanol compared with cells grown under white light during 12 h of dark anaerobic fermentation.     

The synthesis of 1H-benzimidazole derivatives containing a 9H-xanthene or 9H-thioxanthene ring

2-(9H-Xanthen-9-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazole ( 2a ) was prepared by condensing 9H-xanthene-9-acetic acid ( 1a ) with 1,2-benzenediamine. Similarly, 2-(9H-thioxanthen-9-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazole ( 2b ) and its S,S-dioxide ( 2d ) were obtained. Compound 2d was also prepared by oxidizing 2b with hydrogen peroxide in acetic acid. Heating of 9H-thioxanthene-9-acetic acid 10-oxide ( 1c ) with 1,2-benzenediamine gave 9-methylene-9H-thioxanthene ( 3 ). 2-(9H-Thioxanthen-9-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazole S-oxide ( 2c ) was obtained by oxidizing 2b with m-chloroperbenzoic acid in acetone.     

Synthesis of all of the four possible stereoisomers of pestalotin,a gibberellin synergist isolated from pestalotia cryptomeriaecola sawada

(-)-Pestalotin [(6S, l'S)-6-(1'-hydroxypentyl)-4-methoxy-5,6-d dihydro-2-pyrone 1a]and its three other stereoisomers were synthesized either by utilizing the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation as the keystep or by derivation from D-(+)-glyceraldehyde acetonide.     

Recent progress of high-power negative ion beam development for fusion plasma heating

A negative-ion-based neutral beam injector (N-NBI) has been constructed for JT-60U. The N-NBI is designed to inject 500 keV, 10 MW neutral beams using two ion sources, each producing a 500 keV, 22 A D⁻ ion beam. In the preliminary experiment using one ion source, a D⁻ ion beam of 13.5 A has been successfully accelerated with an energy of 400 keV (5.4 MW) for 0.12 s at an operating pressure of 0.22 Pa. This is the highest D⁻ beam current and power in the world. Co-extracted electron current was effectively suppressed to the ratio of Ie/I_D⁻ < 1. The highest energy beam of 460 keV, 2.4 A, 0.44 s has also been obtained. To realize 1 MeV class NBI system for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), demonstration of ampere class negative ion beam acceleration up to 1 MeV is an important mile stone. To achieve the mile stone, a prototype accelerator and a 1 MV, 1 A test facility called MeV Test Facility (MTF) were constructed. Up to now, an H⁻ ion beam was accelerated up to the energy of 805 keV with an acceleration drain current of 150 mA for 1 s in a five stage electrostatic multi-aperture accelerator.     

High pressure FTIR study of intramolecular hydrogen bonding and conformation of a small peptide in solution

Effect of pressure on conformational equilibria of a small peptide N-acetyl-l-Pro-l-Leu-Gly-NH₂ in a chloroform solution has been studied by FTIR spectroscopy. Absorption in the NH stretching region was measured at pressures in the 1–1080 bar range and at 296 K, and decomposed into component bands by least-squares fitting. Intensity ratios of bands which were assigned to a hydrogen-bond-free conformer and intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded conformers with 10- and 13-membered hydrogen bonded rings, respectively, were examined as a function of pressure. It was found that the conformer with the 13-membered ring has definitely smaller partial molar volume than the other two conformers which have nearly the same volume with each other. On the basis of a simple dielectric model, we have shown that the conformer with the 13-membered hydrogen-bonded ring has a considerably large dipole moment which is consistent with the α-helical structure suggested by the previous variable-temperature FTIR study.     

Double tracer whole body autoradiography using a short-lived positron emitter and a long-lived beta emitter

We investigated glucose and amino acid metabolism in tumors and other organs using whole body autoradiography with a short-lived positron emitter and a long-lived beta emitter. The radioactive compounds used were 2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) with a half life of 109.8 min and L-[methyl-14C]-methionine (14C-MET) with a half life of 5,730 years. A Donryu rat weighing about 150 g was subcutaneously inoculated at the back with experimental tumors of AH109A and AH272. 74 MBq (2 mCi) of 18F-FDG and 740 kBq (20 microCi) of 14C-MET was administered and after 30 min, the rat was sacrificed. Whole body frozen sections were obtained using autocryotome. For the 18F-FDG autoradiogram, the frozen sections were exposed to an X-ray film for 6 h. After seven days, these frozen sections were again exposed to 14C-MET for a week. Cross-contamination was minimized by adjusting the exposure time, the interval of exposures and the administered dose. The accumulation of the tracers was represented as the optical density ratio of the tissue of interest to the muscle. The tumor ratios were 12.5 for 18F-FDG and 8.6 for 14C-MET showing the highest accumulation in the whole body autoradiogram. In contrast the inflammatory tissue ratios were 1.27 for 18F-FDG and 0.77 for 14C-MET showing very low amino acid metabolism. With the present double tracer whole body autoradiogram, 18F-FDG accumulation was seen in the brain and the heart but not to the liver as against 14C-MET accumulation which was seen to the liver but not to the brain and the heart.     

A New Approach to the Construction of BEDT-TTF Derivatives Condensed with Heterocycles via BF3-promoted Reactions of Organotin Thiolates

The synthesis of BEDT-TTF derivatives fused with heterocycles (3–7) has been accomplished via the BF₃-promoted reaction of organotin thiolates (8 and 9) with electrophiles (10 and 11). Electrical conductivities of radical cation salts derived from some of them were also investigated.     

GENERATION AND PARTICIPATION OF O-2 IN 2-NITROPROPANE DIOXYGENASE REACTION

Abstract— 2-Nitropropane dioxygenase (EC 1. 13. 11) of the yeast Hansenula mrakii catalyzes the oxygenative denitrification of 2-nitropropane as follows:

The enzyme is significantly inhibited by superoxide dismutase and various scavengers for superoxide such as cytochrome c , epinephrine, thiols and polyhydric phenols. The scavengers added to the reaction mixture were oxidized or reduced. The addition of superoxide dismutase and the omission of 2-nitropropane or oxygen prevented the oxidation and the reduction of the scavengers. The enzyme catalyzes the formation of nitrite from 2-nitropropane by KO₂ added anaerobically.
One mole of NADH is bound per mole of the enzyme and predominantly the pro-R hydrogen of bound NADH is transferred to superoxide formed enzymatically or provided externally. The enzyme shows incomplete stereospecificity for hydrogen transfer from NADH.     

Hydration structure around a non-electrolyte molecule as revealed by monte carlo calculation: have you seen the “iceberg”?

Monte Carlo calculations have been carried out for pure water and an infinitely dilute aqueous solution of methanol at 298.15 K at ordinary density by the Metropolis method in NTV ensemble. The hydration structure around methanol revealed by a graphic display technique indicates a structure-forming effect near the hydrophobic group.