Crystal structure of thiogermanic acid H(4)Ge(4)S(10)

X-ray diffraction analysis reveals the thiogermanic acid H(4)Ge(4)S(10) possesses discrete adamantane-like Ge(4)S(10)(4)(-) complex anions. Each thioanion is composed of four corner shared GeS(2.5)(-) tetrahedral units. Crystals were grown from anhydrous liquid hydrogen sulfide reactions with glassy germanium sulfide at room temperature. The crystal structure was solved and refined from single crystal diffractometer data (Mo Kalpha radiation) obtained at 173 K. H(4)Ge(4)S(10) is triclinic, centrosymmetric space group Ponemacr;, with a = 8.621(4) A, b = 9.899(4) A, c = 10.009(4) A, alpha = 85.963(7) degrees, beta = 64.714(7) degrees, gamma = 89.501(8) degrees, and Z = 2. Average bridging and terminal d(Ge-S) distances are 2.229 and 2.206 A, respectively. Vibrational mode assignments are reported from Raman scattering and IR absorption spectra of polycrystalline samples. The nu(s)(Ge-S-Ge) and nu(s)(Ge-S(-)) stretching modes are observed at 354 and 405 cm(-)(1), respectively.     

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of pretreated hardwoods

A series of correlations was made between the performance of 15 wood species in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) and their respective chemical compositions. A compelling inverse trend (p < 0.001) was demonstrated between the percent conversion of glucan to ethanol during SSF and the Klason lignin content of the wood samples before dilute acid pretreatment. No significant relationships were found between the glucan, xylan, and ash compositions of the native wood samples and ethanol yield. This observation is unique and provides a convenient predictor of biomass conversion efficiency.     

Polymer-assisted, multi-step solution phase synthesis and biological screening of histone deacetylase inhibitors

The polymer-assisted solution phase synthesis (PASP) of an array of histone deacetylase (HDAc) inhibitors is described. HDAc inhibitors have considerable potential as new anti-proliferative agents. Selected compounds were shown to inhibit both human endothelial cell proliferation, and the formation of tubules (neovascularisation) in an in vitro model of angiogenesis.     

A chemical sensor for the liquid-ordered phase

The mixing properties of exchangeable phospholipids, derived from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, with an exchangeable form of cholesterol have been used to monitor the transition from the liquid-disordered to the liquid-ordered phase in cholesterol-containing bilayers, made from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, respectively.     

Optical and Electrical Properties of Polymerizing Plasmas and Their Correlation with DLC Film Properties

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were grown from radiofrequency plasmas of acetylene-argon mixtures, at different excitation powers, P. The effects of this parameter on the plasma potential, electron density, electron temperature, and plasma activity were investigated using a Langmuir probe. The mean electron temperature increased from about 0.5 to about 7.0 eV while the mean electron density decreased from about 1.2 × 10⁹ to about 0.2 × 10⁹ cm^–3 as P was increased from 25 to 150 W. Both the plasma potential and the plasma activity were found to increase with increasing P. Through actinometric optical emission spectrometry, the relative concentrations of CH, [CH], and H, [H], in the discharge were mapped as a function of the applied power. A rise in [H] and a fall in [CH] with increasing P were observed and are discussed in relation to the plasma characteristics and the subimplantation model. The optical properties of the films were calculated from ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic data; the surface resistivity was measured by the two-point probe method. The optical gap, E _G, and the surface resistivity, _s, fall with increasing P. E _G and _s are in the ranges of about 2.0–1.3 eV and 10¹⁴–10¹⁶ /, respectively. The plasma power also influences the film self-bias, V _b, via a linear dependence, and the effect of V _b on ion bombardment during growth is addressed together with variation in the relative densities of sp² and sp³ bonds in the films as determined by Raman spectroscopy.     

Furans in Synthesis. The Preparation of Spiro-Cyclic Systems.

Furan-terminated cationic cyclizations allylic alcohols, enones, and N-acyl iminium ions as initiators have been explored as routes to highly functionalized spiro[4,5]decanes, spiro[5,5]undecanes, spiro[4,6]undecanes, and spiro[5,6]dodecanes.     

Hydrogen storage in the dehydrated prussian blue analogues M3[Co(CN)6]2 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn)

The porosity and hydrogen storage properties for the dehydrated Prussian blue analogues M3[Co(CN)6]2 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) are reported. Argon sorption isotherms measured at 87 K afford BET surface areas ranging from 560 m2/g for Ni3[Co(CN)6]2 to 870 m2/g for Mn3[Co(CN)6]2; the latter value is comparable to the highest surface area reported for any known zeolite. All six compounds show significant hydrogen sorption at 77 K and 890 Torr, varying from 1.4 wt % and 0.018 kg H2/L for Zn3[Co(CN)6]2 to 1.8 wt % and 0.025 kg H2/L for Cu3[Co(CN)6]2. Fits to the sorption data employing the Langmuir-Freundlich equation give maximum uptake quantities, resulting in a predicted storage capacity of 2.1 wt % and 0.029 kg H2/L for Cu3[Co(CN)6]2 at saturation. Enthalpies of adsorption for the frameworks were calculated from hydrogen isotherms measured at 77 and 87 K and found to increase with M varying in the order Mn < Zn < Fe < Co < Cu < Ni. In all cases, the binding enthalpies, which lie in the range of 5.3-7.4 kJ/mol, are higher than the 4.7-5.2 kJ/mol measured for Zn4O(1,4-benzenedicarboxylate)3.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of iron(II) ion by chlorine dioxide in aqueous solution

The mechanism by which an excess of iron(II) ion reacts with aqueous chlorine dioxide to produce iron(III) ion and chloride ion has been determined. The reaction proceeds via the formation of chlorite ion, which in turn reacts with additional iron(II) to produce the observed products. The first step of the process, the reduction of chlorine dioxide to chlorite ion, is fast compared to the subsequent reduction of chlorite by iron(II). The overall stoichiometry is The rate is independent of pH over the range from 3.5 to 7.5, but the reaction is assisted by the presence of acetate ion. Thus the rate law is given by At an ionic strength of 2.0 M and at 25°C, k_u = (3.9 ± 0.1) × 10³ L mol^?1 s^?1 and k_c = (6 ± 1) × 10⁴ L mol^?1 s^?1. The formation constant for the acetatoiron(II) complex, K_f, at an ionic strength of 2.0 M and 25°C was found to be (4.8 ± 0.8) × 10^?2 L mol^?1. The activation parameters for the reaction were determined and compared to those for iron(II) ion reacting directly with chlorite ion. At 0.1 M ionic strength, the activation parameters for the two reactions were found to be identical within experimental error. The values of ΔH? and ΔS? are 64 ± 3 kJ mol^?1 and + 40 ± 10 J K^?1 mol^?1 respectively. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 554–565, 2004     

Continuous sample deposition from reversed-phase liquid chromatography to tracks on a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization precoated target for the analysis of protein digests

Peptide mass fingerprinting by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-mass spectrometry (MS) is one of the standard high-throughput methods for protein identification today. Traditionally this method has been based on spotting peptide mixtures onto MALDI targets. While this method works well for more abundant proteins, low-abundance proteins mixed with high-abundance proteins tend to go undetected due to ion suppression effects, instrumental dynamic range limitations and chemical noise interference. We present an alternative approach where liquid chromatography (LC) effluent is continuously collected as linear tracks on a MALDI target. In this manner the chromatographic separation is spatially preserved on the target, which enables generation of off-line LC-MS and LC-MS/MS data by MALDI. LC-MALDI sample collection provides improved sensitivity and dynamic range, spatial resolution of peptides along the sample track, and permits peptide mass mapping of low-abundance proteins in mixtures containing high-abundance proteins. In this work, standard and ribosomal protein digests are resolved and captured using LC-MALDI sample collection and analyzed by MALDI-TOF-MS.     

Preparation of perhydroisoquinolines via the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of N-3,5-hexadienoyl ethyl acrylimidates: a formal synthesis of (+/-)-reserpine

The intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of N-3,5-hexadienoyl ethyl acrylimidates provides an efficient method for the synthesis of cis-fused hexahydroisoquinolones. As a demonstration of the stereochemical control offered by this cycloaddition, two approaches to the construction of the DE rings of reserpine are reported. In the second entry, N-((4-(trimethylsilyl)ethoxymethoxy)methyl-6-benzyloxy-3Z,5E-hexadienoyl)-1-aza-2-ethoxy-1,3-butadiene (40) undergoes cycloaddition to produce as the major product (4aS,7R,8aS)-7-benzyloxy-5-((2-trimethylsilyl)ethoxymethoxy)methyl-3,4,4a,7,8,8a-hexahydroisoquinol-3-one (41). Cycloadduct 41 is then stereospecifically elaborated to (4aS,5S,6R,7R,8aR)-6-methoxy-5-methoxycarbonyl-7-(3,4,5-trimethoxy)benzoyldecahydroisoquinoline-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester (3), a key intermediate previously transformed to reserpine.