Retention Behavior of Nucleic Acid Bases and Purine Derivatives on Titania

The retention of nucleic acid bases and purine derivatives on titania was studied using a 0.4 mM acetic acid–sodium acetate buffer (pH 6.0) and 70% aqueous methanol as mobile phases. We observed that the retention strength of tested analytes on titania was dependent on the structural differences between pyrimidine and purine skeletons and the variety and number of substituents. The retention order was purine derivatives with methyl groups, pyrimidine bases and purine derivatives with hydrophilic functional groups, which were retained most strongly on titania. We concluded that the retention of each analyte was caused by the analyte’s hydrophobicity in the case of purine derivatives with methyl groups and pyrimidine bases. In the case of purine and its derivatives with hydrophilic functional groups, it was considered that the retention was dependent on the analyte’s ability to form chelates, and the variety and number of functional groups on C6 and C2.     

Selective hydrogenation of benzophenones to benzhydrols. Asymmetric synthesis of unsymmetrical diarylmethanols

[reaction: see text] trans-RuCl2[P(C6H4-4-CH3)3]2(NH2CH2CH2NH2) acts as a highly effective precatalyst for the hydrogenation of a variety of benzophenone derivatives to benzhydrols that proceeds smoothly at 8 atm and 23-35 degrees C in 2-propanol containing t-C4H9OK with a substrate/catalyst ratio of 2000-20000. Use of a BINAP/chiral diamine Ru complex effects asymmetric hydrogenation of various ortho-substituted benzophenones and benzoylferrocene to chiral diarylmethanols with consistently high ee.     

Preparation and characterization of novel branched beta-cyclodextrins having beta-D-galactose residues on the non-reducing terminal of the side chains and their specific interactions with peanut (Arachis hypogaea) agglutinin

Six novel branched beta-cyclodextrins (betaCDs) having beta-D-galactose residues on the non-reducing terminal of the sugar side chains, namely 6(1),6(4)-di-O-(beta-D-galactosyl)-betaCD (10), 6-O-(beta-D-galactosyl)-betaCD (11), 6(1),6(4)-di-O-(beta-lactosyl)-betaCD (14), 6-O-(beta-lactosyl)-betaCD (15), 6(1),6(4)-di-O-(4'-O-beta-D-galactosyl-beta-lactosyl)-betaCD (18), and 6-O-(4'-O-beta-D-galactosyl-beta-lactosyl)-betaCD (19), were chemically synthesized using the trichloroacetimidate method. The reaction products were separated by HPLC on an amino column into dibranched and monobranched betaCDs. Their structures were confirmed by mass spectrometry (MS) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR spectroscopic analysis. To study the length of the sugar side chains attached to the CD ring, which leads to differences in the functions of the branched CDs, interactions of these compounds with peanut (Arachis hypogaea) agglutinin (PNA) were investigated using an optical biosensor and an inhibition assay based on hemagglutination. The results showed that all branched betaCDs interacted with PNA, and the binding affinity was 18>14>10 and 19>15>11 when the derivatives were compared on the basis of side chain length.     

Pd(0)‐catalyzed polyaddition of bifunctional vinyloxiranes with 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds: The synthesis of polymers containing hydroxy and carbonyl groups

The palladium(0)‐catalyzed polyaddition of bifunctional vinyloxiranes [1,4‐bis(2‐vinylepoxyethyl)benzene ( 1a ) and 1,4‐bis(1‐methyl‐2‐vinylepoxyethyl)benzene ( 1b )] with 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds [methyl acetoacetate ( 4 ), dimethyl malonate ( 6 ), and Meldrum's acid ( 8 )] was investigated under various conditions. The polyaddition of 1 with 4 was carried out in tetrahydrofuran with phosphine ligands such as PPh₃ and 1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe). Polymers having hydroxy, ketone, and ester groups in the side groups ( 5 ) were obtained in good yields despite the kinds of ligands employed. The number‐average molecular weight value of 5b was higher than that of 5a . The polyaddition of 1b and 6 was affected by the kinds of ligands employed. The corresponding polymer 7b was not obtained when PPh₃ and 1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene were used. The polyaddition was carried out with dppe as the ligand and gave polymer 7b in a good yield. The molecular weight of the polymer obtained from 1b and 8 was much higher than those of polymers 5b and 7b . The polyaddition with Pd₂(dba)₃ · CHCl₃/dppe as a catalyst (where dba is dibenzylideneacetone) produced polymer 9b in a 92% yield (number‐average molecular weight = 45,600). The stereochemistries of all the obtained polymers were confirmed as an E configuration by the coupling constant of the vinyl proton. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2487–2494, 2002     

Small-angle neutron scattering study on microstructure of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) in water

By employing small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), we investigated the microstructures of, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (NE) in deuterated water D₂O, as related to macroscopic behaviors of fluidity, turbidity and synerisis. SANS revealed following results: (i) microphase separation occurs at around above 17 °C in a temperature range of transparent sol below 30 °C. In the microdomain appeared in the transparent sol state, both block chains of PNIPA and PEG are swollen by water; (ii) for the NE solution of polymer concentration W_p > 3.5% (w/v), corresponding to opaque gel above 30 °C, a percolated structure, i.e., network-like domain is formed by NE as a result of macrophase separation due to dehydration of the PNIPA chains. As the temperature increases toward 40 °C, the network domain is squeezed along a direction parallel to the NE interface, which leads to increase of the interfacial thickness given by swollen PEG chains and to the macroscopic synerisis behavior.     

Radiation-induced polymerization of 3-octylthiophene

In order to develop a new synthetic method and to study mechanism of oxidative polymerization of conducting polymers, polymerization of 3-octylthiophene in several organic solvents by γ-irradiation was examined. Polymers bimodal distribution with molecular weights at 500–1000 and 2000–3000 were generated by the irradiation of chloroform solutions. The values of monomer conversion (G(?M)) decreased from 445 to 10 with doses from 0.99 kGy to 594 kGy. The large G(?M) values and dose dependence of G(?M) cannot be explained with widely accepted mechanism for electrochemical polymerization or chemical oxidative polymerization. Another mechanism, which proceeds through chain reactions, is proposed. This mechanism explains the large G(?M) and the dependence on the dose.     

Synthesis of chlorophyll-a derivatives possessing (un)substituted 13-exo-methylene moiety and their optical properties

Chlorophyll-a derivatives possessing an un/mono/disubstituted methylene moiety at the 13¹-position were prepared by (un)substituted methylation of the 13-carbonyl group and successive dehydration. Substitution of the 13¹-oxo to the methylene group slightly blue-shifted electronic absorption and emission bands in a solution and decreased chemical stability to give an oxidation product cleaved at the E-ring. Further mono/disubstitution at the methylene terminal increased wavelengths of absorption and emission maxima as well as oxidative tolerance.     

Construction of a High‐Mannose‐Type Glycan Library by a Renewed Top‐Down Chemo‐Enzymatic Approach

A comprehensive method for the construction of a high‐mannose‐type glycan library by systematic chemo‐enzymatic trimming of a single Man9‐based precursor was developed. It consists of the chemical synthesis of a non‐natural tridecasaccharide precursor, the orthogonal demasking of the non‐reducing ends, and trimming by glycosidases, which enabled a comprehensive synthesis of high‐mannose‐type glycans in their mono‐ or non‐glucosylated forms. It employed glucose, isopropylidene, and N‐acetylglucosamine groups for blocking the A‐, B‐, and C‐arms, respectively. After systematic trimming of the precursor, thirty‐seven high‐mannose‐type glycans were obtained. The power of the methodology was demonstrated by the enzymatic activity of human recombinant N‐acetylglucosaminyltransferase‐I toward M7–M3 glycans, clarifying the substrate specificity in the context of high‐mannose‐type glycans.     

Temperature-controlled photosensitization properties of benzophenone-conjugated thermoresponsive copolymers

We previously found that a copolymer, poly(NIPAM- co-BP), consisting of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and benzophenone (BP) units, behaves as a photosensitizer showing temperature-controlled oxygenation activity by singlet oxygen ( (1)O 2) in water ( J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 8751-8753 ). This polymer shows a heat-induced oxygenation enhancement at <20 degrees C, while showing suppression at >20 degrees C. This is driven by a heat-induced phase transition of the polymer from coil to micelle and then to globule state, controlling the stability and diffusion of (1)O 2 and the location of substrate. In the present work, effects of polymer concentration and BP content of the polymer on the oxygenation activity were studied at 5-35 degrees C. Increase in the polymer concentration leads to activity decrease at >20 degrees C due to strong polymer aggregation, suppressing incident light absorption of the BP units. With a decrease in BP content of the polymer, heat-induced oxygenation enhancement at <20 degrees C is more pronounced because formation of small size micelles accelerates (1)O 2 oxygenation. The obtained findings reveal that the polymer with low BP content, when used at high concentration, shows clear-cut off- on- off activity change against the temperature window: very low activity at <5 degrees C and >25 degrees C, and very high activity at middle temperature range.