An artificial ionophore based on a polyhydroxylated steroid dimer

The Na+ transporting properties of the first member of a new class of artificial ionophores, based on a C2-symmetric polyhydroxylated steroid dimer, are described.     

Chemical waves and pattern formation in the 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/water lamellar system

The present work deals with the spatially extended oscillatory Belousov Zhabotinsky reaction-diffusion system carried out in an anisotropic environment of phosphatidylcholines/water binary system, which presents layered aqueous domains separated by lipid bilayers. We report the occurrence of stable Turing patterns, spiral waves, and other exotic structures in phospholipids bilayers that are generally used as a models for cell plasma membranes.     

Determination of activation energies in the annealing of cobalt recoil atoms in single and double complexes

Activation energies for the recombination of point defects generated by the /n,/ reaction in Ba (CoEDTA)₂·4H₂O, t-(Co(en)₂(NO₂)₂)Cl and (Co(en)₂(NO₂)₂) (CoEDTA)·1H₂O, have been evaluated using isothermal step annealing. The reselts were interpreted in terms of compound structures. It is possible to relate the recoil atom behaviour between single complexes and the double one.     

Quassinoids from Picrasma crenata

From woods of Picrasma crenata, a new stereoisomer dihydronorneoquassin was obtained together with others well knowns dihydronorneoquassin, parain, alpha-neoquassin, beta-neoquassin and quassin. The structures were determined by spectroscopic data and chemical evidence.     

Time-resolved spectroscopy of solid poly(1-vinyl naphthalene)following electron beam pulse radiolysis: pulse radiolytic studies on polymers

Transient emission studies following pulse radiolysis of solid poly(1-vinyl naphthalene) show existence of excited monomers and two excimers. Quenching experiments indicate that excimers are not formed directly by recombination of ions but probably by trapping of migrating monomeric excitation in performed traps whose density is approximately one in 10³.     

Thermal stability and bond dissociation energy of fluorinated polymers: A critical evaluation

Intrinsic bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of selected fluorinated polymers are critically evaluated. Two distinctive approaches were followed. In the first one, according to Wu and Rodgers [E.-C. Wu, A.S. Rodgers, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 98 (1976) 6112-6115], starting from the gas-phase enthalpy of polymerization we obtained the polymer backbone BDE through appropriate thermodynamic cycles. Revised experimental results indicate that the CC BDEs of all the polymers taken into account fall within a limited energy interval, comparable to the average experimental uncertainty. Central to the second methodology adopted, is a model compound approach. Thanks to the large number of reliable thermodynamic data available in the scientific literature and to simple end-capping rules, C₂ molecules were chosen as suitable models for infinite linear polymers and alternating copolymers between ethylene and fluorinated olefins. For partially fluorinated polymers, like polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), alternating ethylene-tertrafluoroethylene (ETFE) and alternating ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), the weight loss due to HF and HCl evolution during heating experiments was successfully related to the threshold energy E_o(HX) for 1,2-elimination from chemically activated hydrofluoro and hydrofluorochlorocarbons according to the modified Rice-Rampsberger-Kassel (RRKM) unimolecular theory.     

Photocatalysis of sprayed nitrogen-containing Fe2O3–ZnO and WO3–ZnO composite powders in gas-phase acetaldehyde decomposition

Two series of nano-sized N-containing MO_x–ZnO (M: Fe, W) composite powders were synthesized by spray pyrolysis. The nitrogen content was controlled from 500 to 2100 ppm by changing the powder ingredients and spray pyrolysis temperature. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectra indicated that the N-containing MO_x–ZnO powders absorbed not only ultraviolet light (λ<387 nm) like pure ZnO powder, but also part of visible light (λ<650 nm). Acetaldehyde decomposition was used as a probe reaction to evaluate the photocatalysis of these composite powders. The photocatalytic activity of the N-containing ZnO powder was pronouncedly enhanced by the WO₃ addition under both UV and visible-light irradiation. However, that of the N-containing ZnO powder was suppressed by the Fe₂O₃ addition. A model of the semiconductor energy-band structure is proposed to explain the enhancement and suppression of photocatalytic activity.     

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric peptide mapping of high molecular weight glutenin subunits 1Bx7 and 1Dy10 in Cheyenne cultivar

This study describes the verification of the cDNA-deduced amino acid sequences of high molecular weight glutenin subunits 1Dy10 and 1Bx7 in Cheyenne cultivar by direct matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) analysis of their tryptic fragments omitting chromatographic pre-separation. These polypeptides have a conserved structure consisting of a long central repetitive domain that prevents the application of conventional sequencing procedures such as Edman degradation. The published sequence of subunit 1Dy10 contains 7 Lys and 13 Arg residues; thus the production of 21 tryptic peptides is expected. The cDNA-deduced sequence for 1Bx7 subunit includes 5 Lys and 15 Arg residues, but the presence of three Arg-Pro bonds, which are normally not cleaved by trypsin, predicts only 19 tryptic peptides. Three different matrices (DHB, SA and HCCA) in combination with the most compatible sample preparation procedures were used in order to obtain the maximum 1Dy10 and 1Bx7 sequence coverage. MALDI analysis of the 1Dy10 tryptic digest resulted in the identification of all 21 expected peptides. In the case of 1Bx7 MALDI analysis resulted in the identification of 17 of the 19 expected peptides, giving a sequence coverage of 99.3%. These results were sufficient to rule out glycosylation of the 1Dy10 and 1Bx7 proteins and to assess the absence of any other post-translational modification, to within the detection limits of the method.     

二苯并-18-冠-6-甲醛聚合物柱色谱分离富集化学发光法测定痕量金

研究了用一种新的高分子冠醚聚合物(二苯并-18-冠-6-甲醛聚合物)作为色谱柱的固定相，分离富集痕量金，再用化学发光法进行测定；在盐酸介质中，高分子冠醚对金的吸附率可达100％，吸附的金可被硫脲完全解吸，吸附容量为19.40mg/g；化学发光法测定操作简便，效果令人满意；研究结果表明：把高分子冠醚聚合物作为分离富集手段与具有高灵敏度的化学发光法结合进行痕量分析是一种很有前途的方法。     

Supramolecular adducts between macrocyclic Gd(iii) complexes and polyaromatic systems: a route to enhance the relaxivity through the formation of hydrophobic interactions

The set-up of reversible binding interactions between the hydrophobic region of macrocyclic GBCAs (Gadolinium Based Contrast Agents) and SO₃⁻/OH containing pyrene derivatives provides new insights for pursuing relaxivity enhancements of this class of MRI contrast agents. The strong binding affinity allows attaining relaxation enhancements up to 50% at pyrene/GBCA ratios of 3 : 1. High resolution NMR spectra of the Yb-HPDO3A/pyrene system fully support the formation of a supramolecular adduct based on the set-up of hydrophobic interactions. The relaxation enhancement may be accounted for in terms of the increase of the molecular reorientation time (τ_R) and the number of second sphere water molecules. This effect is maintained in blood serum and in vivo, as shown by the enhancement of contrast in T_1w-MR images obtained by simultaneous injection of GBCA and pyrene derivatives in mice.

The set-up of reversible binding interactions between the hydrophobic region of macrocyclic gadolinium based contrast agents and SO₃⁻/OH containing pyrene derivatives provides new insights for pursuing relaxivity enhancement of MRI contrast agents.