Basis set and density functional dependence of vibrational Raman optical activity calculations

We present an extensive investigation of the dependence of the scattering intensity difference of right and left circularly polarized light observed in vibrational Raman optical activity (VROA) on the choice of basis set and exchange-correlation functional. These dependencies are investigated for five molecules for which accurate experimental data are available: (S)-methyloxirane, (R)-epichlorhydrin, (S)-glycidol, (M)-spiro[2,2]pentane-1,4-diene, and (M)-sigma-[4]-helicene. Calculations are presented using the SVWN exchange-correlation functional (LDA), the BLYP exchange-correlation functional, and the B3LYP hybrid functional, using six different basis sets: the cc-pVDZ, cc-pVTZ, aug-cc-pVDZ, aug-cc-pVTZ, Sadlej's polarized basis set, and a minimal VROA basis set recently proposed by Zuber and Hug. It is demonstrated that results from pure gradient-corrected and hybrid functionals are comparable and that the aug-cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets yield similar results. Furthermore, the combination of the small basis set by Zuber and Hug with an accurate force field represents the best compromise between computational accuracy and computational efficiency.     

FLUORESCENCE STUDIES WITH HUMAN EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence studies have been performed with human epidermal growth factor, a small globular protein having two adjacent tryptophan residues near its C-terminus. Based on the relatively red fluorescence and accessibility to solute quenchers, the two tryptophan residues are found to be exposed to solvent. Anisotropy decay measurements show the dominant depolarizing process to have a sub-nanosecond rotational correlation time indicating the existence of rapid segmental motion of the fluorescing tryptophan residues. From an analysis of the low-temperature excitation anisotropy spectrum of the protein (and in comparison with that of tryptophan, the peptide melittin, and the dipeptide trp-trp), it is concluded that homo-energy transfer and/or exciton interaction occurs between the adjacent tryptophan residues. A thermal transition in the structure of the protein, which is observed by circular dichroism measurements, is not sensed by the steady-state fluorescence of the protein. This result, in conjunction with the anisotropy decay results, indicates that the two tryptophan residues are in a highly flexible C-terminus segment, which is not an integral part of the three-dimensional structure of the protein. Fluorescence measurements with three site-directed mutants also show very little variation.     

Catalytic (3 + 2) annulation of donor–acceptor aminocyclopropane monoesters and indoles

The efficient catalytic activation of donor–acceptor aminocyclopropanes lacking the commonly used diester acceptor is reported here in a (3 + 2) dearomative annulation with indoles. Bench-stable tosyl-protected aminocyclopropyl esters were converted into cycloadducts in 46–95% yields and up to 95 : 5 diastereomeric ratio using catalytic amounts of triethylsilyl triflimide. Tricyclic indoline frameworks containing four stereogenic centers including all-carbon quaternary centers were obtained.

A catalytic dearomatization of indoles with D–A aminocyclopropane monoesters for the synthesis of highly substituted indolines.     

Dérivés propargyliques,XII et dérivés de la décahydroquinoléine,II Alkynyl-4, alkényl-4 et alkyl-4-décahydroquinolinols-4 N-substitués

The authors describe the synthesis of decahydro-4-quinolinones and N-substituted 4-alkynyl-, 4-allyl- and 4-alkyldecahydro-4-quinolinols and discuss the stereochemical problems of this compounds.     

Vaporisation et dissociation thermique des sulfures de phosphore P4S3, P4S7 et P4S10 a l'etat gazeux

Résumé Nous avons montré par spectrométrie Raman à chaud et mesure des tensions de vapeur que P₄S₃ se vaporise de façon congruente tandis que P₄S₇ et P₄S₁₀ se dissocient dès le début de leur vaporisation. P₄S₇ donne réversiblement P₄S₃ et soufre. P₄S₁₀ se dissocie irréversiblement en P₄S₇ et soufre. A l'état de vapeur non saturante, P₄S₃ se dissocie au-dessus de 600° avec formation de phosphore, de soufre et d'autres espèces non identifiées.Nous avons mesuré expérimentalement la capacité calorifique de P₄S₃ liquide, calculé celle de P₄S₃ gazeux et son entropie standard. Nous avons aussi estimé l'enthalpie standard de vaporisation de P₄S₃ à l'aide des mesures des tensions de vapeur saturante. Nous en avons déduit l'entropie standard de P₄S₃ liquide et son point d'ébullition.

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It is shown by Raman spectroscopy at high temperature and by vapor tensimetric measurements that the vaporisation of P₄S₃ is congruent, whereas P₄S₇ and P₄S₁₀ dissociate at the beginning of vaporisation. P₄S₇ gives P₄S₃ and sulfur reversibly. The dissociation of P₄S₁₀ into P₄S₇ and sulfur is irreversible. Above 600°, in non-saturated vapour the dissociation of P₄S₃ gives phosphorus, sulfur and some unidentified gaseous species. The heat capacity of liquid P₄S₃ has been measured. That of gaseous P₄S₃ and its standard entropy have been calculated. The vaporisation standard enthalpy of P₄S₃ has been estimated from the experimental results on the saturated vapour pressures. The standard entropy of liquid P₄S₃ and its boiling point have been derived from these data.

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Zusammenfassung Mittels Raman-Spektrometrie bei erhöhter Temperatur und durch Messung der Dampfdrucke wurde festgestellt, daß sich P₄S₃ verflüchtigt, während P₄S₇ und P₄S₁₀ mit Beginn der Verflüchtigung dissoziieren. P₄S₇ ergibt reversibel P₄S₃ und Schwefel. Im Zustand ungesättigten Dampfes dissoziiert P₄S₃ oberhalb von 600° unter Bildung von Phosphor, Schwefel und anderer nicht identifizierter Substanzen.Die Wärmekapazität von flüssigem P₄S₃ wurde gemessen, während die vom gasförmigem P₄S₃ sowie seine Standard-Entropie berechnet wurden. Die Standard-Enthalpie der Verflüchtigung des P₄S₃ wurde durch Messungen der Sättigungs-Dampfdrucke ermittelt. Daraus wurden die Standard-Entropie des flüssigen P₄S₃ sowie sein Siedepunkt berechnet.

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- - , P₄S₃ , P₄S₇ P₄S₁₀ . P₄S₇ P₄S₃ , P₄S₁₀ P₄S₇ . 600° P₄S₃ , . P₄S₃, P₄S₃ . P₄S₃. P₄S₃ .

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Nous remercions Monsieur Letoffe du laboratoire du Professeur J. Bousquet, INSA de Lyon, 20 Avenue Albert Einstein 401, 69621 Villeurbanne, qui a r6alis6 pour nous les déterminations expérimentales des capacités calorifiques de P₄S₈ liquide.     

Vitamin D: a concise synthesis of the C19 hydroxylated enyne A-ring, an interesting precursor for the preparation of C19 substituted vitamin D analogues

A new C₁₉ hydroxylated enyne 15, as potential A-ring building block of vitamin D analogues, was synthesized in enantiomerically pure form in nine steps from (−)-(S)-limonene. This short synthesis involved ozonolyzis of 1,2-limonene oxide followed by a Criegee rearrangement, epoxide trans diaxial ring opening by lithium acetylide, elimination, epoxidation and syn β-elimination of the resulting homopropargylic oxirane.     

A mechanistic investigation of the carbon-carbon bond cleavage of aryl and alkyl cyanides using a cationic RhIII silyl complex

Cationic Rh(III) complex [Cp(PMe(3))Rh(SiPh(3))(CH(2)Cl(2))]BAr(4)' (1) activates the carbon-carbon bond of aryl and alkyl cyanides (R-CN, where R = Ph, (4-(CF(3))C(6)H(4)), (4-(OMe)C(6)H(4)), Me, (i)Pr, (t)Bu) to produce complexes of the general formula [Cp*(PMe(3))Rh(R)(CNSiPh(3))]BAr(4)'. With the exception of the (t)BuCN case, every reaction proceeds at room temperature (t(1/2) < 1 h for aryl cyanides, t(1/2) < 14 h for alkyl cyanides). A general mechanism is presented on the basis of (1) an X-ray crystal structure determination of an intermediate isolated from the reaction involving 4-methoxybenzonitrile and (2) kinetic studies performed on the C-C bond cleavage of para-substituted aryl cyanides. Initial formation of an eta(1)-nitrile species is observed, followed by conversion to an eta(2)-iminoacyl intermediate, which was observed to undergo migration of R (aryl or alkyl) to rhodium to form the product [Cp*(PMe(3))Rh(R)(CNSiPh(3))]BAr(4)'.     

A facility for the production of iodine-123 by spallation of caesium

A facility for the continuous production of iodine-123 by spallation of elemental caesium by 482 MeV protons has been in operation at a TRIUMF beam dump for about 2 years. Radioxenon from the target is efficiently trapped on alumina which is subsequently used to remove the¹²¹Te decay product. The yield is 100 mCi/h from a 20 gm/cm² target at 10 μA. Impurities are¹²⁵I<2% and¹²¹Te<0.2% at 27 hours after end of production. The¹²³I consists mainly of iodide along with significant iodate impurity. The product is used extensively in Canadian clinics for thyroid analyses and for labelling radiopharmaceuticals.     

Droplet evaporation study applied to DNA chip manufacturing

DNA chips are potentially powerful technologies for genotyping and gene expression profiling that rely on comparative analyses of up to thousands of "spots of analysis" on a glass support. The spot quality throughout the support influences spot-to-spot variations within an array and the repeatability of data across experiments. For glass slide DNA microarrays, droplets of DNA solution are deposited on functionalized glass slides and left to react through complete evaporation of the droplet. On hydrophobic flat surfaces, different modes of droplet evaporation can be attained. Under atmospheric pressure, water droplets tend to evaporate under two main regimes. Initially, the droplet flattens with a constant contact area, and then the droplet shrinks at a constant contact angle. As a result, the diameter and morphology of thousands of spots on microarrays are not uniform. This leads to poor and unreliable data processing results. In this work, we report the evaporation of an aqueous solution under a constant contact area mode. Evaporation under reduced pressure and the effect of reagent additives to the solution have been investigated. Video microscopy and digital image analysis techniques were applied to monitor the evaporation of the droplets. A mixture of surfactants was developed to maintain a constant area regime during evaporation and to form homogeneous spots. The control of some physicochemical properties (wetting, evaporation rate) of the droplet allows the formation of well-controlled spots compatible with DNA grafting. The influence of surfactant molecules on the mechanisms of evaporation is also discussed.