Low temperature static magnetization of an organic ferromagnet, β-p-NPNN

A ³He refrigerator mountable to a commercial SQUID magnetometer has been developed, which enables us to measure static magnetizations of a sample at temperatures below 2 K conveniently. The design and usage of the system are outlined. We have applied this to study static magnetic properties of an organic ferromagnet, β-p-NPNN, and have confirmed that the saturation magnetization is 1 μ_B per molecule. No hysteretic behavior has been detected, when the field was applied along the easy axis. This indicates that β-p-NPNN is a very soft magnet, as expected for an isotropic Heisenberg magnet based on organic radicals.     

Fluorescence maxima of 10-methylacridone-metal ion salt complexes: a convenient and quantitative measure of lewis acidity of metal ion salts

Aromatic carbonyl compounds such as 10-methylacridone form the Lewis acid complexes including paramagnetic and redox active Lewis acids. The fluorescence energies of the Lewis acid complexes are well correlated with the O2*--Lewis acid complexes derived from the gzz-values of the ESR spectra of the superoxide anion-Lewis acid complexes, thus providing a quantitative measure of the Lewis acidity.     

Highly (Z)-selective synthesis of beta-monosubstituted alpha,beta-unsaturated cyanides using the peterson reaction

[reaction: see text] The Peterson reaction between (t-BuO)Ph(2)SiCH(2)CN and various aldehydes furnishes the corresponding beta-monosubstituted alpha,beta-unsaturated cyanides with high Z selectivity (Z:E = 92:8 to >98:2).     

Amidase and peptidase activities of polyclonal immunoglobulin G present in the sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Polyclonal Immunoglobulin (Ig) G from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthy subjects hydrolyzed carbobenzoxy−Val−Gly−Arg p-nitroanilide and D−Pro−Phe−Arg p-nitroanilide. RA IgG exhibited higher activity against the former substrate, but not the latter. On the other hand, RA IgG showed reduced activity against D−Pro−Phe−Arg methylcoumarinamide, when compared with those of the healthy controls. These results suggest that RA IgGs differ from normal IgGs in the substrate specificity of amidase activity. Preliminary studies have shown that two out of three RA IgG samples cleaved a pentapeptide—Gln−Arg−Arg−Arg−Ala−Ala— which is assumed to be associated with the risk of developing RA (Gregersen, P. K. et al. (1987), Arthritis Rheum. 30, 1205–1213). By contrast, virtually no cleavage of the same peptide was observed with IgG from healthy controls. A peptide analog, Gln−Arg−Arg−Trp−Ala, was not cleaved at all by any IgGs examined either from RA patients or healthy controls.     

Hydroxylation of ionized aromatics including carboxylic acid or amine using recombinant Streptomyces lividans cells expressing modified biphenyl dioxygenase genes

The bphA1(2072)A2A3A4 gene cluster codes for a shuffled biphenyl dioxygenase holoenzyme with broad substrate specificity. These bphA1(2072)A2A3A4 genes were expressed in the actinomycetes Streptomyces lividans using a thiostrepton-inducible promoter P_tipA. Biotransformation experiments of various aromatics including carboxylic acid or amine in their molecular structure, such as 1-naphthoic acid, 2-(1-naphthyl)acetic acid, diphenylamine, and 1-benzyl-4-piperidone, were performed using the recombinant S. lividans cells. These ionized aromatics were converted to the corresponding 1,2-dihydrodiol, mono- or tri-hydroxy forms in 48 h. The structure of the converted products was determined by their EI-MS, ¹H- and ¹³C NMR analysis, and several products were found to be novel compounds.     

Dependence of selective enclathration on types of cholic acid crystals

Competitive recrystallizations of cholic acid (CA) from 1:1 binary mixtures of seven mono-substituted benzenes are demonstrated. The order of preference for guests to be incorporated into the cholic acid crystals are as follows: benzene, toluene > n-amylbenzene, n-hexylbenzene > ethylbenzene, n-propylbenzene, n-butylbenzene. These seven compounds afford bilayer type inclusion crystals that are classified into four types based on the host frameworks and host-guest stoichiometries. The order of selective enclathration corresponds to the four types as follows: 1:1 alpha G > 2:1 alpha G > 1:1 beta T or 2:1 alpha T. The preference for the alpha G type was also confirmed by investigating the host frameworks of the crystals obtained from binary mixtures. The dependence of the selectivity on the different types of CA crystals can be understood in terms of the fit of the guest molecule in the host cavity.     

Nitration Reaction Catalyzed by Horseradish Peroxidase in the Presence of H2O2 and NaNO2

The enzymatic nitration of phenol and m-cresol catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase was studied in the presence of H2O2 and NaNO2. The results showed that the nitration products of phenol were 2-nitro and 4-nitrophenols. There was also a small amount of by-products of hydroquinone and catechol. The influences of various reaction parameters, including pH, organic solvent type, and concentrations of NaNO2 and H2O2, on the nitration products were investigated. The yields of 4-nitrophenol and 2-nitrophenol were 14% and 12%, respectively. The nitration products of m-cresol were 4-nitro-m-cresol and 6-nitro-m-cresol, and the yields of 4-nitro-m-cresol and 6-nitro-m-cresol were 19% and 30%, respectively.     

The effect of stoichiometry on ab initio-based thermochemistry predictions

The effect of various reaction schemes used to convert total reaction enthalpies obtained via ab initio methods into enthalpies of formation has been studied employing a new optimization technique. The reaction schemes, conventional, isostoichiometric, and isodesmic have been defined and generated for 47 species for which highly accurate experimental enthalpies of formation in addition to total reaction enthalpies at 298 K at G2 and G3 levels of theory are known. The main finding is that the effect of reaction schemes in ab initio-based thermochemistry predictions is small, especially, for enthalpy predictions involving high-level ab initio methods.     

Site-directed 13C solid-state NMR studies on membrane proteins: strategy and goals toward revealing conformation and dynamics as illustrated for bacteriorhodopsin labeled with [1-13C]amino acid residues

We have so far demonstrated that well-resolved and site-specifically assigned (13)C peaks as recorded by site-directed NMR study on (13)C-labeled membrane proteins can serve as a convenient probe to reveal their local conformation and dynamics. We attempted here to clarify the extent to which (13)C NMR spectra of (13)C-labeled fully hydrated bacteriorhodopsin (bR) as a typical membrane protein are visible or well resolved in the presence of inherent fluctuation motions with frequency of 10(2)-10(8) Hz, especially at the membrane surfaces. Accordingly, we estimated the relative proportion of (13)C NMR signals from the surface areas with and without peak suppression by the accelerated transverse relaxation effect by surface-bound Mn(2+) ions, which could be effective for residues within 8.7 angstroms of the membrane surface. It turned out that the experimental findings are consistent with the predicted amount of amino acid residues under consideration located within 8.7 angstroms of the surface for [1-(13)C]Val- and Ile-labeled bR and also [3-(13)C]Ala-bR. In contrast, (13)C NMR peaks from such surfaces area are almost completely or partially suppressed for [1-(13)C]Gly-, Ala-, Leu-, Phe- and Trp-labeled bR, as a result of plausible interference of the fluctuation frequency with frequency of magic angle spinning (10(4) Hz). We further assigned several (13)C NMR signals of [1-(13)C] Val-, Trp- and Ile-labeled bR on the basis of a variety of site-directed mutants with reference to those of the wild type. Further, we recorded the (13)C NMR of bR in lipid bilayers to search for the optimal conditions to be able to obtain signals with the highest peak intensities and spectral resolution. Backbone dynamics turn out to be essential for recording (13)C NMR spectra so as to escape from motional frequencies of the order of 10(4)-10(5) Hz, either in the direction of accelerated fluctuation or slowed motions in the direction of forming the 2D array.     

Photoelectrochemistry of p-type Cu2O semiconductor electrode in ionic liquid

We investigated the photoelectrochemical characteristics and photo-stability of Cu₂O layered on a copper plate using a hydrophobic ionic liquid. Our findings revealed that Cu₂O is stable under white light irradiation, provided water is removed from the electrolyte. Methyl viologen derivative, a well-established electron acceptor, was introduced to the ionic liquid electrolyte, allowing the photo-induced electron transfer reaction at the Cu₂O/electrolyte interface to be characterized. The methyl viologen derivative exhibited two distinct redox reactions at −0.56 V and −0.98 V vs. Ag/AgCl, clearly indicating that no dimer formation or co-proportionation reaction occurred. The excessive photocurrents being continuously generated resulted from a viable photo-induced electron transfer reaction from the Cu₂O to the acceptor. However, in contrast, the reduction of the Cu₂O by water in the aqueous solution causes this electron transfer to be inhibited. We further demonstrate that these findings are vital to understanding the role of the Cu₂O and its photoelectrochemical applications.