Synthesis of β-ketoenamine donors having O, N, Se/Te donor functionalities and their reaction chemistry with Pd(II) and Pt(II) metal ions

Monoanionic tridentate ligands LH_a and LH_b containing ONSe and ONTe donor sequences and their Pd²⁺ and Pt²⁺ derivatives were synthesized and characterized. The formation of a five- and a six-membered ring around the central metal atom and associative phenomena in solutions provide extra stability to the metal complexes.     

A simplified assay of furosemide in plasma and urine by high-pressure liquid chromatography.

A simplified high-pressure liquid chromatograhic method for determination of furosemide in plasma and urine has been developed using a fluorometric detector directly coupled to the column effluent. The method includes an ether extraction from acidified biologic samples. The mobile phase used for chromatography on a reversed-phase column (C15 hydrocarbon permanently bonded to silica particles) is sufficiently acidic to induce fluorescence of furosemide. The methylester of furosemide is employed as an internal standard. The sensitivity is 0.1 and 0.25 microgram per ml plasma and urine, respectively. The applicability to pharmacokinetic studies of furosemide is shown.     

The stereoselective α-alkylation of chiral β-hydroxy esters and some applications thereof

The stereoselectivity of the α-alkylation of chiral β-hydroxy ester is discussed. The configuration of the alkylated product was proved chemically (Scheme 2). A one pot aldol-alkylation reaction was developed leading stereoselectively to racemic (s*,s*)-α-alkyl-β-hydroxy ester (Scheme 3,4). Baker's yeast reduction of 2-alkyl-3-keto ester led to valuable chiral (2RS,3S)-intermediates, which were converted via the corresponding dianion to compounds with a chiral quaternary C atom (Scheme 6). Synthetic applications of the above findings are shown in the synthesis of various chiral compounds (Scheme 8 and 9).     

Formation of Zn(1-x)MnxS nanowires within mesoporous silica of different pore sizes

Arrays of highly ordered Zn(1-x)MnxS quantum wires with x ranging from 0.01 to 0.3 and with lateral dimensions of 3, 6, and 9 nm were synthesized within mesoporous SiO2 host structures of the MCM-41 and SBA-15 type. The hexagonal symmetry of these arrays (space group p6m) and the high degree of order was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. Physisorption measurements show the progressive filling of the pores of the SiO2 host structures, while TEM and Raman studies reveal the wire-like character of the incorporated Zn(1-x)MnxS nanostructures. X-ray absorption near-edge structure, extended X-ray absorption fine structure, photoluminescence excitation (PLE), and electron paramagnetic resonance studies confirm the good crystalline quality of the incorporated Zn(1-x)MnxS guest species and, in particular, that the Mn2+ ions are randomly distributed and are situated on tetrahedrally coordinated cation sites of the Zn(1-x)MnxS wires for all x up to 0.3. The amount of Mn2+ ions loosely bound to the surface of the Zn(1-x)MnxS nanowires is less than 4% of the total Mn content even for the 3 nm nanostructures up to the highest Mn content of x = 0.3. The effects of the reduction of the lateral dimensions on electronic properties of the diluted magnetic semiconductor were studied by PLE spectroscopy. Due to the quantum confinement of the excitons in the wires an increase of the direct band gap with decreasing particle size is observed.     

Preparation of highly selective stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of enantiomers by direct copolymerization of monomers with single or twin chiral ligands

Uniformly sized macroporous polymer beads, which can be used as chiral stationary phase (CSP), have been prepared by the staged templated suspension polymerization process using chiral monomer as one of the copolymerization components. This approach enables the preparation of CSPs for which properties such as pore size, pore volume, surface area, chemistry, and chiral ligands can be tuned over a broad range. Several types of well-defined chiral monomers were prepared and allowed to assess synergistic effect of multiple selectors attached to a branched linker as well as the effect of the length and chemistry of the linker. Microscale batch screening was used for simple and rapid evaluation of selectivity. The most promising candidate CSPs were prepared on a larger scale and packed into HPLC columns. Their performance was demonstrated on the separation of racemic N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)-alpha-amino acid alkylamides. The highest separation factors alpha of up to 27 were observed for CSPs prepared from monomers containing the branched spacer. These highly selective CSPs also enabled the separation of larger amounts of the target racemates upon column overload conditions.     

Autocorrelated 13c-13c double quantum coherence two-dimensional nmr spectroscopy: Utilization of a modified version of the technique as an adjunct in the total assignment of the 1h- and 13c-nmr spectra of the mutagen phenanthro[3,4-b]thiophene

Development of successively higher field nmr spectrometers has facilitated the study of increasingly more complex molecules, although smaller molecules such as phenanthro[3,4-b]thiophene still offer very substantial assignment problems because of the highly congested nature of their ¹H- and ¹³C-nmr spectra. Assignments of such spectra, if they are to be unequivocal, frequently require the utilization of two-dimensional nmr spectroscopic techniques. Total assignments of the ¹H- and ¹³C-nmr spectra of phenanthro[3,4-b]thiophene are reported. Assignments were based on a conventional high resolution 500 MHz ¹H-nmr spectrum, autocorrelated two-dimensional ¹H-nmr spectra (COSY), two-dimensional ¹H-¹³C chemical shift correlation spectra and a modified version of autocorrelated ¹³C-¹³C double quantum coherence two-dimensional nmr spectroscopy. From NOE measurements, a separation of 1.99 Å between H1 and H11 was computed, suggesting that phenanthro[3,4-b]thiophene has a pronounced helical conformation in solution.     

A modular approach toward functionalized three-dimensional macromolecules: from synthetic concepts to practical applications

A new strategy for the preparation of functional, multiarm star polymers via nitroxide-mediated "living" radical polymerization has been explored. The generality of this approach to the synthesis of three-dimensional macromolecular architectures allows for the construction of nanoscopically defined materials from a wide range of different homo, block, and random copolymers combining both apolar and polar vinylic repeat units. Functional groups can also be included along the backbone or as peripheral/chain end groups, thereby modulating the reactivity and polarity of defined portions of the stars. This modular approach to the synthesis of three-dimensional macromolecules permits the application of these tailored materials as multifunctional hosts for hydrogen bonding, nanoparticle formation, and as scaffolds for catalytic groups. Examples of applications of the functional stars in catalysis include their use in a Heck-type coupling as well as an enantioselective addition reaction.     

Syntheses of 3,7-dimethylpentadecan-2-ols from intermediates formed from co-oligomerisation reactions of butadiene with diethyl malonate and acetaldehyde

The products of the reaction of butadiene with diethyl malonate catalysed by a palladium complex and of butadiene with acetaldehyde catalysed by a nickel(0) complex have been used in two syntheses of 3,7-dimethylpentadecan-2-ol.     

Encapsulation of functional moieties within branched star polymers: effect of chain length and solvent on site isolation

Porphyrin and pyrene photoactive cores have been encapsulated within an isolating polymeric shell using an efficient and general strategy based on the use of dendritic initiators for the ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone to yield functional core star polymers. The isolation of the core functionalities has been studied using fluorescence quenching and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) techniques as well as solvatochromic probes. With increasing chain length as well as solvent polarity, enhanced site isolation of the core has been observed. These findings have been correlated to actual molecular dimensions independently measured by pulsed field gradient spin-echo (PGSE) NMR. The developed synthetic methodology offers a rapid route to efficient encapsulation of functional moieties and therefore has potential for the design of new materials.