Interactions of thiophenes and acidophilic,thermophilic bacteria

The growth and oxygen consumption of a variety of thermophilic, acidophilic bacteria in the presence of thiophene-2-carboxylate (T2C) and dibenzothiophene (DBT) have been determined. T2C was extremely toxic to the acidophiles in comparison with neutrophiles, but appeared to be degraded by a heterotrophicSulfolobus- like thermophile. DBT proved to be unstable at high temperatures, even in the absence of bacteria, and was not a substrate for the thermophiles.     

Filiation structurale des phases de´rive´es de BaFeF5

Au sein d'un re´seau de type BaFeF₅ des chai?nes d'octae`dres fluore´sa`sommets communs peuvent disparai?tre en donnant naissance a des canaux dont l'occupation partielle ou totale par des files de cations Sr²⁺ et de couples d'anions F^?, conduit respectivement aux phases Sr₃(FeF₆)₂ ou Sr₅T₃F₁₉ (T = Cr, Co, Ga). Une discussion cristallochimique permet d'expliquer l'existence d'un domaine de solutions solides au sein du diagramme ternaire SrF₂BaF₂FeF₃.     

Diazoniapentaphenes. Synthesis from pyridine‐2‐carboxaldehyde and structural verifications

Reactions of pyridine‐2‐carboxaldehyde (9) with α,α′‐dibromo‐o‐ and p‐xylenes led to the corresponding bis‐pyridinium aldehydes 10 and 14. These aldehydes were quite reactive and the respective hydrates 11 and 15 were also formed. Cyclization of 10 or 11 with 48% HBr led to 12 while cyclization with PPA followed by conversion to the bis tribromide and loss of bromine led to 1. Cyclization of 14 or 15 with 48% HBr led to 3. Attempts to react α,α′‐dibromo‐m‐xylene with pyridine‐2‐carboxaldehyde (9) were not successful for the preparation of the bis‐pyridinium aldehyde 13. The bis‐pyridinium acetals 4, 5 and 6 were prepared and cyclized to afford 1, 2 and 3 , respectively, by the previously reported procedures. The structures of 1 and 2 were verified by ¹H‐NMR and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy while that of 3 was confirmed by X‐ray analysis.     

Local dynamic mechanical properties in model free-standing polymer thin films

High-frequency sinusoidal oscillations of a coarse-grained polymer model are used to calculate the local dynamic mechanical properties (DMPs) of free-standing polymer thin films. The storage modulus G(') and loss modulus G(") are examined as a function of position normal to the free surfaces. It is found that mechanically soft layers arise near the free surfaces of glassy thin films, and that their thickness becomes comparable to the entire film thickness as the temperature approaches the glass transition T(g). As a result, the overall stiffness of glassy thin films decreases with film thickness. It is also shown that two regions coexist in thin films just at the bulk T(g); a melt-like region (G(')G(")) in the middle of the film. Our findings on the existence of a heterogeneous distribution of DMPs in free-standing polymer thin films provide insights into recent experimental measurements of the mechanical properties of glassy polymer thin films.     

Towards the Synthesis of Azoacetylenes

The synthesis of azoacetylenes (=dialkynyldiazenes) 1 and 2 has been investigated. They represent a still elusive class of chromophores with potentially very interesting applications as novel bistable photochemical molecular switches or as antitumor agents (Fig. 1). Our synthetic efforts have led us alongside three different approaches (Scheme 1). In a first route, it was envisioned to generate the azo (=diazene) bond by photolysis of N,N′‐dialkynylated 1,3,4‐thiadiazolidine‐2,5‐diones that are themselves challenging targets (Scheme 2). Attempts are described to obtain the latter by alkynylation of the parent heterocycle with substituted alkynyliodonium salts. In a conceptually similar approach, the no‐less‐challenging dialkynylated 9,10‐dihydro‐9,10‐diazanoanthracene ( 29 ) was to be generated by alkynylation of the unsubstituted hydrazine 28 (Scheme 6). In a second route, the generation of the N?N bond from Br‐substituted divinylidenehydrazines (ketene‐azines) 35 was attempted in a synthetic scheme involving an aza‐Wittig reaction between azinobis(phosphorane) 36 and (triisopropylsilyl)ketene 37 (Scheme 7). Finally, a third approach, based on the formation of the central azo bond as the key step, was explored. This route involved the extrapolation of a newly discovered condensation reaction of N,N‐disilylated anilines with nitroso compounds (Scheme 11, and Tables 1 and 2) to the transformation of N,N‐disilylated ynamine 55 and nitroso‐alkyne 54 (Scheme 13).     

Characterization of archaeological frankincense by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A simple gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method has been developed for the characterization of frankincense in archaeological samples. After trimethylsilylation of the methanolic extract, 15 triterpenoids have been found among the chemical constituents of commercial olibanum (alpha-boswellic acid, 3-O-acetyl-alpha-boswellic acid, beta-boswellic acid, 3-O-acetyl-beta-boswellic acid, alpha-amyrin, beta-amyrin, lupeol, 3-epi-beta-amyrin, 3-epi-beta-amyrin, 3-epi-lupeol, alpha-amyrenone, beta-amyrenone, lupenone, 3alpha-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-24-oic acid and 3-O-acetyl-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-24-oic acid). These compounds have been unequivocally identified by retention time and mass spectral comparison with pure standards previously isolated, for the most part, in our laboratory. Within these triterpenes, acid ones, the corresponding O-acetates, and their products of degradation were found to be characteristic of frankincense (Boswellia resin). The presence of these unusual triterpenic compounds in an archaeological resinous sample, recovered during excavations from Dahshour site (Egypt, XIIth Dynasty), enabled us to identify unambiguously frankincense resin among several other materials. Additional chromatographic peaks of this sample were assigned to broad chemical classes using retention time and mass spectra features.     

Isolation and Structural Characterization of Di‐ and Tetra‐protonated Forms of the Macrocyclic Hexaamine trans‐6,13‐Dimethyl‐1,4,8‐11‐tetraazacyclodecane‐6,13‐diamine

Cations derived by protonation of the ligand title compound (L¹) have been structurally characterized in their di‐ and tetra‐ protonated forms in the salts [H₂L¹][ClO₄]₂·2H₂O and [H₄L¹][ZnCl₄]₂·4H₂O. In both structures, one half of the formula unit comprises the asymmetric unit of the structure, the macrocycle being centrosymmetric, with the two macrocycles adopting similar conformations. In both salts, a pair of diagonally opposed macrocyclic secondary amine groups are protonated; in the [H₄L¹]⁴⁺ salt, the additional pair of protons are accommodated on the exocyclic pendant amine groups. The dispositions of the pendent amines differ between the two structures, being ‘equatorial’ with respect to the macrocyclic ring in the [H₂L¹]²⁺ salt, and ‘axial’ in the [H₄L¹]⁴⁺ salt. In other structurally characterized compounds containing [H₄L¹]⁴⁺ the equatorial disposition was found in the ferricyanide adduct, while in the tetraperchlorate salt the axial disposition was identified. The differences in disposition of the exocyclic groups are ascribed to the extensive H‐bonding in the lattices.