Simultaneous Determination of Ascorbic Acid and Uric Acid by Using a PVC/TTF‐TCNQ Composite Electrode as Detector in a FIA System

A PVC/TTF‐TCNQ composite electrode has been employed as detector in a flow injection system. The proposed method allows the simultaneous detection of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) in mixtures by using a FIA system in a simple manner, without pre‐treatment or modified electrode. This method is based on the amperometric determination of (a) ascorbic acid at 0.15 V and (b) both analytes at 0.35 V, being the response linear in the range 1×10^?2–4×10^?4 M for both analytes with detection limits (S/N=3) of 1.2×10^?4 M and 8.1×10^?5 M for AA and UA, respectively.     

New Nitrogenous Bisabolene‐Type Sesquiterpenes from a Hainan Sponge Axinyssa aff. variabilis

Two new uncommon nitrogenous sesquiterpenes, 11‐ethoxy‐3‐formamidotheonellin ( 1 ) and 7‐ethoxy‐3‐formamidobisabolane‐8,10‐diene ( 2 ), together with two known related sesquiterpenes, 3‐formamidotheonellin (=theonellin formamide; 3 ) and theonellin isothiocyanate ( 4 ), were isolated from the Hainan sponge Axinyssa aff. variabilis. Their structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis and by comparison of their NMR data with those of known compounds.     

Sesquiterpenoids and Phenylpropane Derivatives from Sonchus uliginosus

Six new compounds were isolated from the whole plant of Sonchus uliginosus, including three eudesmane‐type sesquiterpenoids (1β,6α)‐1,6,14‐trihydroxyeudesm‐3‐en‐12‐oic acid γ‐lactone ( 1 ), (1β,6α)‐1,6,14‐trihydroxyeudesma‐3,11(13)‐dien‐12‐oic acid γ‐lactone ( 2 ), and (1β,6α)‐1,6‐dihydroxy‐14‐O‐[(4‐hydroxyphenyl)acetyl]eudesma‐3,11(13)‐dien‐12‐oic acid γ‐lactone ( 3 ), and three phenylpropane derivatives, 4‐hydroxy‐γ,3,5‐trimethoxybenzenepropanol ( 6 ), γ,3,4,5‐tetramethoxybenzenepropanol ( 7 ), and γ,3,4,5‐tetramethoxybenzenepropanol acetate ( 8 ), together with the two known compounds 4 and 5 . The new structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic methods, such as IR, EI‐MS, HR‐ESI‐MS, 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR, and by comparison of the spectroscopic data with those reported for structurally related compounds.     

Triterpenoids from Rhaponticum Uniflorum

The isolation and identification of twenty‐one components (including four new triterpenoid saponins and one new triterpenoid acid) from the root of Rhaponticum uniflorum (L.) DC. (Compositae) are described. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectral analysis and chemical trans formation. The new compounds were identified as 3‐O‐α‐L‐arabinopyranosyl‐urs‐12,18(19)‐dien‐28‐oic acid β‐D‐glucopyranosyl ester, 3β‐ hydroxyurs‐12,18(19)‐dien‐28‐oic acid β‐D‐glucopyranosyl ester, 3β‐hydroxyurs‐12,19(29)‐dien‐28‐oic acid β‐D‐glucopyranosylester, 3‐O‐α‐L‐arabinopyranosyl‐urs‐9(11),12‐dien‐28‐oic acid β‐D‐glucopyranosyl ester and 2 α,3 α, 19α,25‐tetrahydroxyurs‐12‐en‐23,28‐dioic acid.     

Synthesis and properties of novel polyurethanes containing 3,4‐dioxybenzylidenecyanoacetate group as a nonlinear optical chromophore

Methyl 3,4‐di‐(2′‐hydroxyethoxy)benzylidenecyanoacetate ( 3 ) was prepared by hydrolysis of methyl 3,4‐di‐(2′‐vinyloxyethoxy)benzylidenecyanoacetate ( 2 ). Diol 3 was condensed with 2,4‐toluenediisocyanate, 3,3′‐dimethoxy‐4,4′‐biphenylenediisocyanate, and 1,6‐hexamethylenediisocyanate to yield polyurethanes 4 – 6 containing the nonlinear optical chromophore 3,4‐dioxybenzylidenecyanoacetate. The resulting polyurethanes 4 – 6 were soluble in common organic solvents such as acetone and dimethylformamide. Polymers 4 – 6 indicated thermal stability up to 300 °C in thermogravimetric thermograms with glass‐transition temperature values obtained from differential scanning calorimetric thermograms in the range of 78–102 °C. The second‐harmonic generation coefficients (d₃₃) of the poled polymer films were around 6.9 × 10^?9 esu. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1742–1748, 2002     

X‐Ray Single Crystal Refinement and Superconductivity of La3Ni2B2N3

Crystalline samples of La₃Ni₂B₂N₃ were synthesized using solid state metathesis reactions from combinations of La, LaCl₃, NiCl₂ together with Li₃BN₂. The structure was determined by single crystal X‐ray diffraction (I4/mmm (No. 139), a = 372.95(2) pm, c = 2056.3(2) pm, R₁ = 0.027, wR₂ = 0.062) and confirmed earlier results from neutron powder diffraction. La₃Ni₂B₂N₃ contains BN units capping square planar Ni layers. Isolated nitrogen atoms reside in La₆ octahedra. Magnetic measurements on several bulk samples exhibit superconductivity at temperatures below 14.6 K.     

A New 18(13 → 12β)‐abeo‐Lanostadiene Triterpenoid from Ganoderma fornicatum

A new triterpenoid, fornicatin C (= (3β)‐3‐hydroxy‐18(13 → 12β)‐abeo‐lanosta‐13(17),24‐dien‐18‐oic acid; 1 ), was isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma fornicatum, together with the known compounds fornicatin A ( 2 ) and fornicatin B ( 3 ), among other constituents. The structure of 1 was elucidated by means of spectroscopic techniques, and those of 2 and 3 were identified by comparing their spectroscopic data with those reported in the literature.     

N,N′‐Bis(2‐pyridylmeth­yl)ferrocene‐1,1′‐diyldicarboxamide and N,N′‐bis­(3‐pyridylmeth­yl)ferrocene‐1,1′‐diyldicarboxamide

The mol­ecules of N,N′‐bis­(2‐pyridylmeth­yl)ferrocene‐1,1′‐diyl­dicarboxamide, [Fe(C₁₂H₁₁N₂O)₂], contain intra­molecular N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds and are linked into sheets by three independent C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The mol­ecules of the isomeric compound N,N′‐bis­(3‐pyridylmeth­yl)ferrocene‐1,1′‐diyldicarboxamide lie across inversion centres, and the mol­ecules are linked into sheets by a combination of N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking inter­actions between pyridyl groups.     

Higher triplet excited states of benzophenones and bimolecular triplet energy transfer measured by using nanosecond-picosecond two-color/two-laser flash photolysis

The lifetimes of benzophenone in the higher triplet excited state (BP(T(n))) and several BP derivatives in the T(n) states were measured directly to be tau(T(n))=37+/-7 ps and 20-33 ps, respectively, by using the nanosecond-picosecond (ns-ps) two-color/two-laser flash photolysis method. Based on the direct measurements of tau(T(n)) of BP(T(n)), the triplet energy transfer (TET) from BP(T(n)) to quenchers (Q), such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), benzene (Bz), and p-dichlorbenzene (DCB), was investigated. The fast TET from BP(T(n)) to Q can be attributed to the lifetime-dependent quenching process, according to the Ware theoretical model of the bimolecular energy transfer reaction. The contribution of the lifetime-dependent term on k(TET) was 27, 60, and 86% for CCl4, Bz, and DCB as the Q of BP(T(n)), respectively, indicating that the TET from BP(T(n)) to Q is influenced not only by tau(T(n)), but also by the size of Q.     

New Clerodane Diterpenoids from Casearia membranacea

Bioassay‐guided fractionation of an AcOEt extract of Casearia membranacea resulted in the isolation of six new clerodane diterpenes, caseamembrins G–L ( 1 – 6 ). The structures of the new compounds, including their relative configurations, were established by an extensive study of their spectral data, especially 2D NMR. The cytotoxic activities of the isolated diterpenes against human oral epidermoid (KB), cervical epitheloid (Hela), and liver (Hep59T/VGH) carcinoma cell lines were investigated.