Guest-induced assembly of tetracarboxyl-cavitand and tetra(3-pyridyl)-cavitand into a heterodimeric capsule via hydrogen bonds and CH-halogen and/or CH-pi interaction: control of the orientation of the encapsulated guest

The guest- or solvent-induced assembly of a tetracarboxyl-cavitand 1 and a tetra(3-pyridyl)-cavitand 2 into a heterodimeric capsule 1.2 in a rim-to-rim fashion via four intermolecular CO(2)H.N hydrogen bonds has been investigated both in solution and in the solid state. In the (1)H NMR study, a 1:1 mixture of1a and 2a (R = (CH(2))(6)CH(3)) in CDCl(3) gave a mixture of various complicated aggregates, whereas this mixture in CDCl(2)CDCl(2) or p-xylene-d(10) exclusively produced the heterodimeric capsule 1a.2a. It was found that an appropriate 1,4-disubstituted-benzene is a suitable guest for inducing the exclusive formation of 1a.2a in CDCl(3). The ability of a guest to induce the formation of guest-encapsulating heterodimeric capsule, guest@(1a.2a), increased in the order p-ethyltoluene < 1-ethyl-4-methoxybenzene < or = 1-ethyl-4-iodobenzene < or = 1,4-dibromobenzene < 1-iodo-4-methoxybenzene < or= 1,4-dimethoxybenzene < or = 1,4-diiodobenzene. The (1)H NMR study revealed that a CH-halogen interaction between the inner protons of the methylene-bridge rims (-O-H(out)CH(in)-O-) of the 1a and 2a units and the halogen atoms of 1,4-dihalobenzenes and a CH-pi interaction between the methoxy protons of 1,4-dimethoxybenzene and the aromatic cavities of the 1a and 2a units play important roles in the formation of 1,4-dihalobenzene@(1a.2a) and 1,4-dimethoxybenzene@(1a.2a), respectively. A preliminary single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of guest@(1b.2b) (R = (CH(2))(2)Ph; guest = 1-iodo-4-methoxybenzene or p-xylene) confirmed that the guest encapsulated in 1b.2b is oriented with the long axis of the guest along the long axis of 1b.2b and that the iodo and the methoxy groups of the encapsulated 1-iodo-4-methoxybenzene are specifically oriented with respect to the cavities of the 2b and 1b units, respectively.     

Direct polyesterification with thionyl chloride in pyridine improved by a modification of monomer sequences in copolymers

The direct polyesterification with thionyl chloride (SOCl₂) in pyridine was further investigated. Copolycondensations of dicarboxylic acids, bisphenols, and hydroxybenzoic acids were significantly affected by the reaction temperatures and combinations of monomers which could change relative rates of alcoholyses of the activated dicarboxylic acids and the hydroxyacids consequently to vary monomer sequences in the copolymers resulted. The sequences were tried to be varied more directly by stepwise reactions of monomers in copolycondensations of dicarboxylic acids, bisphenols, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHB), as well as PHB and m-hydroxybenzoic acid (MHB). The reactions proceeded smoothly and satisfactorily when carried out by initial reaction of dicarboxylic acids and PHB followed by bisphenols likely to favor sequential to random distributions of monomers. Reverse addition of PHB and bisphenols, and then dicarboxylic acids resulted in rapid precipitation due to some oligomerization of PHB at an earlier stage of reaction, and largely retarded the reaction. This was also the case for the copolycondensation of PHB and MHB. Copolymers of high inherent viscosities with up to 65 mol% PHB could be obtained by initial reaction of MHB followed by PHB.     

Induction of a remarkable conformational change in a human telomeric sequence by the binding of naphthyridine dimer: inhibition of the elongation of a telomeric repeat by telomerase

The binding of a dimeric form of the 2-amino-1,8-naphthyridine derivative (naphthyridine dimer) to a human telomeric sequence, TTAGGG, was investigated by UV melting, CD spectra, and CSI-MS measurements. Both the 9-mer d(TTAGGGTTA) and the 15-mer d(TTAGGGTTAGGGTTA) showed apparent melting temperatures (T(m)) of 45.6 and 63.6 degrees C, respectively, in the presence of naphthyridine dimer (30 microM) in sodium cacodylate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.0) containing 100 mM NaCl. The CD spectra at 235 and 255 nm of the 9-mer increased in intensity accompanied with strong induced CDs at 285 and 340 nm upon complex formation with naphthyridine dimer. UV titration of the binding of naphthyridine dimer to the 9-mer at 320 nm showed a hypochromism of the spectra. A Scatchard plot of the data showed the presence of multiple binding sites with different association constants. Cold spray ionization mass spectrometry of the complex between naphthyridine dimer and the 9-mer clearly showed that one to three molecules of the ligand bound to the dimer duplex of the 9-mer. Telomeric repeat elongation assay showed that the binding of naphthyridine dimer to the telomeric sequence inhibits the elongation of the sequence by telomerase.     

Synthesis and properties of new crystalline poly(arylene ether nitriles)

Crystalline poly(arylene ether nitrile) could be prepared by the polycondensation of 2,6-dihalobenzonitrile with resorcinol at 200°C in N-methylpyrrolidone in the presence of sodium carbonate. A reaction temperature of at least 200°C was necessary to attain high molecular weight polymer. Spectral data indicated that the polymer had the structure of a poly(meta-phenylene ether) with pendent nitrile groups on every other phenylene unit. Despite this structure, the crystallinity and the crystallization rate of the polymer were greater than those of the corresponding polymer with a para-linked structure. The glass transition temperature and the melting temperature of the polymer were almost the same as those of poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK^TM). A series of other new poly(arylene ether nitriles) were also examined. The polymers derived from 4,4′-biphenol, dihydroxytetra-phenylmethane, dihydroxydiphenylsulfone, and 1,5-isoquinolinediol had high glass transition temperatures. The poly(arylene ether nitriles) exhibited excellent tensile strength compared with the corresponding ketone- or sulfone-containing polymers. Comparing the three different kinds of polymers containing the same bisphenol units, the order of glass transition temperature was found to be sulfone- > nitrile- > ketone-containing polymers, while the order of tensile strength was nitrile- > ketone- > sulfone-containing polymers. The excellent mechanical properties are attributable to dipole-dipole interactions of nitrile groups. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Salvaging Reactive Fullerenes from Soot by Exohedral Derivatization

The awesome allotropy of carbon yields innumerable topologically possible cage structures of molecular carbon. This field is also related to endohedral metallofullerenes constructed by metal‐atom encapsulation. Stable and soluble empty fullerenes and endohedral metallofullerenes are available in pure form in macroscopic amounts from carbon arc production or other physical processes followed by extraction and subsequent chromatographic separation. However, many other unidentified fullerene species, which must be reactive and insoluble in their pristine forms, remain in soot. These “missing” species must have extremely small HOMO–LUMO gaps and may have unconventional cage structures. Recent progress in this field has demonstrated that reactive fullerenes can be salvaged by exohedral derivatization, which can stabilize the reactive carbon cages. This concept provides a means of preparing macroscopic amounts of unconventional fullerenes as their derivatives.     

Polyhydrazides. III. N-methylated polyhydrazides by ring-opening of poly-p-phenylene-1,3,4-oxadiazole

A new ring-opening reaction of 1,3,4-oxadiazole by methylating reagents was developed in fuming sulfuric acid or polyphosphoric acid and then, by applying this reaction to poly-p-phenylene-1,3,4-oxadiazole, a high molecular weight poly-N-methylterephthalylhydrazide was obtained. Various methylating reagents were investigated as ring-opening reagents. The degrees of ring-opening in polymers were estimated and related to the properties of the polymers.     

Oxygenation of alkyl sulfides with ferrous perchlorate/ascorbic acid/oxygen system

In the oxidation of alkyl sulfides bearing acidic α-hydrogens eiher with phenobarbital induced rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450, or with the Udenfriend's model system (ferous perchlorate/ascorbic acid/oxygen system), both S-dealkylation and S-monoxygenation took place concurrently. Meanwhile, in the oxidation of simple alkyl sulfides, steeoselective S-monooxygenation was found of occur predominantly.     

Adsorption and structural change of beta-lactoglobulin at the diacylglycerol-water interface

Diacylglycerol (DAG)/water and triacylglycerol (TAG)/water emulsions were prepared using beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) as an emulsifier. The oil phase (20% in emulsion) was mixed with beta-LG solution (1% beta-LG in water, pH 7) to prepare the emulsions. A fine oil-in-water emulsion was produced from both DAG and TAG oils. The interfacial protein concentration of the TAG emulsion was higher than that of the DAG emulsion. The zeta potential of the DAG oil droplet was higher than that of the TAG oil droplet. The front-surface fluorescence spectroscopy results revealed that tryptophan residues in beta-LG moved to the more hydrophobic environment during the adsorption of protein on the oil droplet surfaces. Changes in secondary structure of beta-LG during the adsorption were determined by FT-IR spectroscopy. Decreases in the beta-sheet content concomitant with increases in the alpha-helix content were observed during the adsorption to the oil droplets, and the degree of structural change was greater for beta-LG in the TAG emulsion than in the DAG emulsion, indicating the increased unfolding of adsorbed beta-LG on the TAG oil droplet surface. Results of interfacial tension measurement supported this speculation, that is, the increased unfolding of the protein at the TAG-water interface. Trypsin- and proteinase K-catalyzed proteolysis was used to probe the topography of the adsorbed beta-LG on the oil droplet surface. SDS-PAGE analyses of liberated peptides after the proteolysis indicated the higher susceptibility of beta-LG adsorbed on the DAG oil droplet surface than on the TAG oil droplet surface. On the basis of all the results, we discussed the conformation of the adsorbed beta-LG on the two oil droplet surfaces.