Rydberg-London potential for diatomic molecules and unbonded atom pairs

We propose and test a pair potential that is accurate at all relevant distances and simple enough for use in large-scale computer simulations. A combination of the Rydberg potential from spectroscopy and the London inverse-sixth-power energy, the proposed form fits spectroscopically determined potentials better than the Morse, Varnshi, and Hulburt-Hirschfelder potentials and much better than the Lennard-Jones and harmonic potentials. At long distances, it goes smoothly to the London force appropriate for gases and preserves van der Waals's "continuity of the gas and liquid states," which is routinely violated by coefficients assigned to the Lennard-Jones 6-12 form.     

Polar Substituent Effects in the Solvolysis of Primary and Tertiary Alkyl Halides. Polar Effect IX

When the Hammett-Taft equation log (k/k_o)=ρ^q · σ is applied to the solvolysis of the 3-substituted propyl bromides 6a-6i in ethanol/water 4:1 (v/v) log k correlates linearly with σ except in cases where R exerts an anchimeric effect. The reaction constant ρ^q for 6 is ? 0.12 and is typical for a nucleophilic solvent-assisted k_s process at a primary C-atom. The tertiary halides 1 and 3 , however, which react with little or no nucleophilic solvent assistance, i.e. by k_c processes, lead to larger ρ^q values of ?0.71 and ?1.14, respectively. The reaction constant p^q is therefore a sensitive gauge for charge development in the transition state for solvolysis of saturated compounds.     

Model studies for the synthesis of galbonolide B

The construction of the fourteen membered ring present in galbonolide B 1 is reported. The 10,11-diene system present in the southern portion of has been constructed using an ester enolate rearrangement/silicon mediated fragmentation cascade, whilst the macrocycle has been synthesised following a Johnson rearrangement/mercury assisted ring closure protocol.     

Multiple-steering QM-MM calculation of the free energy profile in chorismate mutase

A novel technique for computing free energy profiles in enzymatic reactions using the multiple steering molecular dynamics approach in the context of an efficient QM-MM density functional scheme is presented. The conversion reaction of chorismate to prephenate catalyzed by the Bacillus subtilis enzyme chorismate mutase has been chosen as an illustrative example.     

Einsatz der echten Integration in der Atomabsorptions-Spektroskopie

An improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio in atomic absorption spectroscopy may be obtained by each of the following three methods of signal averaging:

increase of the time constant

digital signal averaging

true integration of the signal

The most adequate of these methods appears to be true integration. Two examples are presented to demonstrate the improved signal-to-noise ratio due to the application of this method:

trace analysis of mercury in water by means of flameless AAS. The detection limit appears to be 0.2 ng which corresponds to a concentration of 2 · 10^?13 g/ml.

trace analysis of copper in human urine by means of flame AAS: 1,3 · 10^?8 g/ml copper could be detected without any solvent extraction process.

     

Differentiation of tautomers by ion cyclotron resonance spectrometry: \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}${\rm (CH}_{\rm 3} {\rm)}_{\rm 2} \mathop {\rm N}\limits^{\rm + } {\rm = CH}_{\rm 2} {\rm vs H}_{\rm 3} {\rm C}\mathop {\rm N}\limits^{\rm + } {\rm H = CHCH}_{\rm 3}$\end{document}

Ion cyclotron resonance spectrometry and deuterium labeling have been used to determine that nondecomposing \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}${\rm (CH}_{\rm 3} {\rm)}_{\rm 2} \mathop {\rm N}\limits^{\rm + } {\rm = CH}_{\rm 2}$\end{document} ions do not isomerize to \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}${\rm CH}_{\rm 3} {\rm CH = }\mathop {\rm N}\limits^{\rm + } {\rm HCH}_{\rm 3}$\end{document}.     

Poly(butyl methacrylate-g-methoxypoly(ethylene glycol)) and poly(methyl methacrylate-g-methoxypoly(ethylene glycol)) graft copolymers: preparation and aqueous solution properties

A series of water-soluble, amphiphilic graft copolymers has been prepared by free-radical copolymerization of methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) macromonomers, with either methyl methacrylate or butyl methacrylate as the comonomers, in water/ethanol solvent mixtures. Lower molecular weight copolymers were obtained by increasing the concentration of the initiator, azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), used in the polymerization reaction. However, the route used also led to the formation of significant quantities of tetramethylsuccinodinitrile, a toxic byproduct resulting from the cage reaction of AIBN. Static fluorescence measurements using pyrene as a probe, along with 1H NMR experiments, showed that the graft copolymers form aggregates in water at very low concentrations (approximately 0.01 g l(-1)) with the pendant hydrophilic graft chains forming a stabilizing shell around the hydrophobic backbone. An increase in the hydrophile-lipophile balance of the graft copolymers was found to lead to smaller aggregates with lower aggregation numbers and highly swollen hydrophilic shells, as revealed by small angle neutron scattering (SANS).     

Substrate affinities for membrane transport proteins determined by 13C cross-polarization magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

We have devised methods in which cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CP-MAS) solid-state NMR is exploited to measure rigorous parameters for binding of (13)C-labeled substrates to membrane transport proteins. The methods were applied to two proteins from Escherichia coli: a nucleoside transporter, NupC, and a glucuronide transporter, GusB. A substantial signal for the binding of methyl [1-(13)C]-beta-d-glucuronide to GusB overexpressed in native membranes was achieved with a sample that contained as little as 20 nmol of GusB protein. The data were fitted to yield a K(D) value of 4.17 mM for the labeled ligand and 0.42 mM for an unlabeled ligand, p-nitrophenyl beta-d-glucuronide, which displaced the labeled compound. CP-MAS was also used to measure binding of [1'-(13)C]uridine to overexpressed NupC. The spectrum of NupC-enriched membranes containing [1'-(13)C]uridine exhibited a large peak from substrate bound to undefined sites other than the transport site, which obscured the signal from substrate bound to NupC. In a novel application of a cross-polarization/polarization-inversion (CPPI) NMR experiment, the signal from undefined binding was eliminated by use of appropriate inversion pulse lengths. By use of CPPI in a titration experiment, a K(D) value of 2.6 mM was determined for uridine bound to NupC. These approaches are broadly applicable to quantifying binding of substrates, inhibitors, drugs, and antibiotics to numerous membrane proteins.     

Carbon Participation in the Solvolysis of Tertiary Norbornyl Derivatives Norbornanes. Part 15. 6-substituted 2-methylnorbornyl 2-exo- and 2-endo-2,4-dinitrophenyl ethers

The solvolysis rates and products of the tertiary 2-methyl-2-exo- and -2-endo-norbornyl 2,4-dinitrophenyl ethers 1 and 2 , (X = 2,4-(NO₂)₂₂C₆H₃O) have been determined. The different sensitivities of the rates of these ethers to the inductive effect of substituents at C(6) indicate that graded bridging of C(2) by C(6) occurs in the ionization of the exo-ethers 1 , not, however, in the ionization of the endo-ethers 2. In both cases hydrolysis leads to 2-methyl-2-exo-norbornanols only. Consequently, substitution takes place with retention at C(2) in the exo-series 1 and with inversion at C(2) in the endo-series 2. It is concluded that stereoelectronic and polar effects, rather than steric bulk effects, determine the high exo/endo rate ratios of the parent norbornyl derivatives 1a and 2a .