Fine Tuning of Heme Reactivity: Hydrogen-Bonding and Dipole Interactions Affecting Ligand Binding to Hemoproteins

Heme reactivity in hemoproteins is governed by the microenvironment near the ligand binding site. In order to quantify polarity effects on heme ligand binding, the kinetics of O₂ and CO binding have been measured for a series of synthetic heme models equipped with a range of groups of varying dipole moments positioned near the heme coordination site. For hemes with polar aprotic groups, both O₂ on (k′) and off rates (k) are found to be dependent on the dipole moment. For model systems containing protic groups, the O₂ off rate is substantially reduced due to hydrogen bonding with the coordinated O₂. The hydrogen-bonding stabilization is estimated to be 0.7 and 1.6 kcal/mol for an alcohol and a secondary amide, respectively. CO binding displays little correlation with a polarity effect; instead it seems to depend upon the size and position of the polar group.     

Wetting behavior of pulmonary surfactant aqueous solutions

The wetting properties of pulmonary surfactant aqueous solutions with respect to solid surfaces with different degree of hydrophobicity have been studied. The contact angles θ of drops from a pulmonary surfactant solution onto SiO₂-glass surfaces have been measured as a function of their degree of hydrophobicity θ _w. The completely hydrophilic SiO₂-glass surface is essentially hydrophobized by the animal-derived pulmonary surfactant Curosurf. The hydrophobization depends on the surfactant concentration—the contact angles increase with increasing the Curosurf concentration C _s in the low concentration range, but they remain almost constant in a wide range of C _s >90 μg/ml. Additions like NaCl and bovine serum albumin influence the θ-values. The contact angles θ naturally increase with increasing θ _w but this dependence is not linear—the curve steepens at larger θ _w values. The thickness h of the wetting thin liquid films from Curosurf aqueous solutions depends on the hydrophobicity θ _w of the solid surface and the h(θ _w) curves always pass a minimum. The h-values, as well as the h(θ _w) curve, are mainly determined by the steric and hydrophobic disjoining pressures, which depend on the orientations and conformations of the molecules adsorbed on the solid surface from the very complicated multi-component aqueous solutions.     

Photolysis of 3-(1-acyl-5-aryl-3-pyrazolinyl)coumarins—Effective Fluorescence Decay

Photophysical characteristics of new 3-(1-acyl-5-aryl-3-pyrazolinyl)coumarins have been measured. These coumarin derivatives are found to be effective fluorophores and show high values of quantum yields of fluorescence both in nonpolar and in polar solvents. The 3-(1-acyl-5-aryl-3-pyrazolinyl)coumarins turned to be photosensitive compounds and undergo photolysis under irradiation in the range of 310–465 nm. Photolysis is suggested to include retro-cyclization and retro-condensation steps. The process is accompanied by a sharp drop of fluorescence that can be of interest for the creation of new media in optical recording of information.     

One-pot five-component high diastereoselective synthesis of polysubstituted 2-piperidinones from aromatic aldehydes,nitriles, dialkyl malonates and ammonium acetate

Molecular Diversity - A novel five-component diastereoselective synthesis of polysubstituted 2-piperidinones is reported. The Knoevenagel condensation–Michael addition–Mannich cascade...     

Novel ligands based on bromosubstituted hydroxycarbonyl [2.2]paracyclophane derivatives: synthesis and application in asymmetric catalysis

New planar-chiral hydroxycarbonyl [2.2]paracyclophane derivatives, 4-acetyl-13-bromo-5-hydroxy[2.2]paracyclophane (Br-АНРС, 63%) and 4-benzoyl-13-bromo-5-hydroxy[2.2]paracyclophane (Br-BHPC, 53%), were synthesized and reacted with the enantiomers of α-phenylethylamine to form corresponding Schiff bases, 12-bromo-4-hydroxy-5[1-(1-phenyl-ethylimino)-ethyl]-[2.2]paracyclophane and 12-bromo-4-hydroxy-5[1-(1-phenyl-ethylimino)-(phenyl)methylen-[2.2]paracyclophane. The diastereomers of the imines were resolved and their absolute configurations and consequently the corresponding configurations of the enantiomers of Br-АНРС were determined by X-ray diffraction. Enantiomerically pure Schiff bases were applied as ligands to form catalysts for the enantioselective addition reaction of diethylzinc with benzaldehyde where 1-phenylpropanol was obtained with 77–91% ee.     

Non-linear inplane vibrations of wrinkling films

This paper presents analytical investigations of non-linear effects caused by wrinkling of films in the course of contraction and shearing. As shown, such non-linearities are important even for very small amplitudes of vibrations. Approximate analytical solutions for inplane vibrations are derived.     

Dynamics of film

The general theory of films as two-dimensional continua are elaborated upon. As physical realizations of such a model this paper examines: inextensible films, elastic films, and nets.The suggested dynamic equations have enabled us to find out the characteristic speeds of wave propagation of the invariants of external and internal geometry and formulate the criteria of instability of their shape. Also included herein is a detailed account of the equation describing the film motions beyond the limits of the shape stability accompanied by the formation of wrinkles.The theory is illustrated by examples.The effort was supported by Dr. A. Amos, Materials and Structures Division, Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.This paper presents the results of one phase of research carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under Contract No. NAS7-100 sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.