Facile chemoselective synthesis of dehydroalanine-containing peptides

Useful methodology is described for the synthesis of dehydroalanine residues (II) within peptides. The unnatural amino acid (Se)-phenylselenocysteine (I) can be incorporated into growing peptide chains via standard peptide synthesis procedures. Subsequent oxidative elimination affords a dehydroalanine at the desired position. The oxidation conditions are mild and tolerate functionalities commonly found in peptides, including variously protected cysteine residues. To illustrate its utility, cyclic lanthionines have been synthesized by this method.     

Molar volumes and ion pairing of lithium halides in alcohols

The concentration dependence of the apparent molar volumes of lithium halides (and electrolytes in general) in alcohols (and solvents permitting association in general) is, in the first instance, due to changes in the degree of association and to the inherent difference between the apparent molar volumes of the ions and of the ion pairs. Previous publications on the molar volumes of electrolytes in organic solvents, disregarding altogether ion pairing, appear to be incorrect. Data from the literature for lithium chloride and lithium bromide in normal primary alcohols and several branched alcohols from C₁ to C₈ and data from our laboratory for lithium halides in 1-hexanol and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol served for the determination of φ _V and φ _E . Electrical and structural contributions to the values of these functions for the ions and for the ion pairs are discussed.     

NMR studies on the stereospecific polymerization of methyl vinyl ether. Part I. Polymerization by metal halides: Penultimate effect

Methyl vinyl ether (MVE) was polymerized under various conditions by BF₃·O(C₂H₅)₂ and SnCl₄·CCl₃CO₂H catalysts. The effect of polymerization conditions on the steric structure of poly(methyl vinyl ether) (PMVE) was studied by NMR spectra. It was found that the triad isotacticity of PMVE decreased and the syndiotacticity and heterotacticity increased with increasing polarity of the solvent and increasing polymerization temperature. This result coincided with the qualitative conclusion estimated from softening point and infrared spectra. However, the variation of tacticity by the change of the polarity of a solvent was not so large as expected. There was no large difference between the behavior of BF₃·O(C₂H₅)₂ and SnCl₄·CCl₃CO₂H as catalysts. From the relation between the difference of free energy of monomer addition due to the steric structure of the polymer and the polymerization temperature, it was concluded that the penultimate effect really existed and was due to only the difference in enthalpy in the MVE–BF₃. O(C₂H₅)₂ or MVE–SnCl₄·CCl₃CO₂H systems. The penultimate effect was not greatly changed by the polymerization conditions in these systems.     

Birefringence induite dans les directions remarquables d'une suspension de particules rigides en ecoulement

A theoretical formula is derived for the flow birefringence exhibited along the streamlines and in the direction of the shear rate (G) by dilute suspensions of rigid spheroid-like macromolecules; numerical values are computed up to σ = G/D = 900 (D = rotary diffusion coefficient). These results provide two tests for identifying prolate and oblate particles; when combined with the data for observation perpendicular to the plane of flow, they confirm the connection between non-Newtonian viscosity and the Maxwell effect for monodisperse samples; for vanishing rate of shear, they allow a mixture of particles to be characterized by means of a mean rotary diffusion constant ($\text{D}$) and a mean shape coefficient ($\text{R}$).     

Wang resin-type linker containing a nitro group for polymer support oligosaccharide synthesis: polymer-supported glycosyl donor

A nitro-introduced Wang resin-type linker for soluble and insoluble polymer support oligosaccharide synthesis is described. The linker was used for connecting glycosyl donors and polymer supports, and was completely stable under the glycosylation conditions tested. The cleavage of the linker was performed under reductive conditions without affecting the protecting groups to release disaccharides.     

Segregation of two amphiphilic molecules within nonspherical micelles: A neutron scattering study

The internal structure of the disk-like aggregate of a lyotropic nematic phase formed by two amphiphiles, potassium laurate and decanol, in the presence of water was studied by neutron scattering with contrast variation method. These experiments show that the two amphiphiles are not distributed uniformly in the aggregate. The potassium laurate concentration is higher in the rim of the disk, where the interface exhibits a semitoroidal curvature, than in its central core, where the curvature is lower. This segregation of the two amphiphiles within the aggregate may be invoked to explain the existence of finite bilayered aggregates which had been suggested to be unstable relative to infinite bilayers by previous models.     

Correlating second harmonic optical responses of single Ag nanoparticles with morphology

Femtosecond laser excited second harmonic (SH) activity from single Ag nanoparticles is reported. A correlation of SH single-particle measurements with high-resolution imaging of particle morphology by TEM was achieved by creating position markers on an optical and electron transparent substrate (Si3N4 thin film, approximately 100 nm). We compared the SH activity of single Ag nanoparticles (nanospheres versus nanorods) and cluster structures (composed of two or multiple particles, e.g., dimers and trimers). The direct correlation of single-particle structures and SH activity, spectral and power dependence, strongly suggests one-photon resonant driven nonlinear oscillator response mechanism.     

Assay for monoamine oxidases A and B by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A sensitive method for the assay of monoamine oxidases A and B is described which employs high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Rat brain mitochondria were used as a preparation of the enzymes. p-Sulfamoylbenzaldehyde and benzaldehyde formed enzymatically from p-sulfamoylbenzylamine (the substrate of monoamine oxidase A) and benzylamine (the substrate of monoamine oxidase B), respectively, are converted simultaneously into fluorescent compounds with 2,2'-dithiobis(1-aminonaphthalene). These compounds are separated by reversed-phase chromatography on mu Bondapak CN. The limits of detection for p-sulfamoylbenzaldehyde and benzaldehyde formed enzymatically are 30 and 10 pmol per assay tube, respectively.