Thiol–ene coupling reaction of fatty acid monomers

The reactivities and reaction rates of the thiol–ene coupling reaction of 2‐ethyl‐(hydroxymethyl)‐1,3‐propanediol trimercapto acetate and 2‐ethyl‐(hydroxymethyl)‐1,3‐propanediol trimercapto propionate with two common unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters (methyl oleate and methyl linoleate) were evaluated. The reactions were monitored with real‐time IR and ¹H NMR, which both showed that the mercapto acetate was more reactive than the mercapto propionate. Both thiols were more prone to add to the monounsaturated methyl oleate than to methyl linoleate, which contained two unconjugated double bonds. According to bond energy calculations, the thiol hydrogen of mercapto acetate was somewhat more difficult to abstract than the hydrogen of mercapto propionate. Consequently, the formed S? C bond in the acetate case was stronger than in the propionate case, and so the equilibrium was more shifted toward the addition products. The real‐time IR measurements also showed that the cis unsaturation in methyl oleate isomerized much more quickly than that in methyl linoleate, and this also had an impact on the overall addition rate of the thiols because a trans unsaturation was more reactive than a cis unsaturation. The higher isomerization rates in the oleate systems, compared with those of the linoleate systems, was suggested to be due to a more restricted rotation along the C? C bond of the reacted unsaturation in linoleate. This study showed the importance of trans unsaturations in obtaining reasonable reaction rates in thiol–ene reactions with fatty acid derivatives. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 6346–6352, 2004     

Adsorption of hydrophobic polyelectrolytes onto oppositely charged surfaces

We present a scaling theory for the adsorption of a weakly charged polyelectrolyte chain in a poor solvent onto an oppositely charged surface. Depending on the fraction of charged monomers and on the solvent quality for uncharged monomers, the globule in the bulk of the solution has either a spherical conformation or a necklace structure. At sufficiently high surface charge density, a chain in the globular conformation adsorbs in a flat pancake conformation due to the Coulombic attraction to the oppositely charged surface. Different adsorption regimes are predicted depending on two screening lengths (the Debye screening length monitored by the salt concentration and the Gouy-Chapman length monitored by the surface charge density), on the degree of ionization of the polymer and on the solvent strength. At low bulk ionic strength, an increase in the surface charge density may induce a transition from an adsorbed necklace structure to a uniform pancake due to the enhanced screening of the intra-chain Coulombic repulsion by the counterions localized near the surface. Received 12 April 2001     

A comparative analysis of linear,nonlinear and improved nonlinear thermodynamic models of voltage-dependent ion channel kinetics

The linear, nonlinear and improved nonlinear thermodynamic models of the voltage-dependent ion channels were proposed to deduce the exact functional form of the rate constants. In this context, we present a comparative analysis of the linear, nonlinear and improved nonlinear thermodynamic models of voltage-dependent channel kinetics based on the sodium activation experimental data of Cav3.1 channel. We also provide some insight on the assumptions used to derive the thermodynamic models of the channels and show that the improved nonlinear thermodynamic model provides a simple and physically plausible approach to describe the behavior of the voltage-dependent ion channels.     

Rhenium carbonyl complexes with monodentate-coordinated diphosphines: activation of terminal phosphino groups towards amine-oxide oxidation

Terminal phosphino groups of [Re₂(CO)₉(η¹-P-P)] (P-P = diphosphines) are activated towards oxidation by Me₃NO. The respective reactions of Me₃NO with [Re₂(CO)₉{η¹-P(o-anisyl)₂(CH₂)₃PPh₂}], [Re₂(CO)₉{η¹-PPh₂(CH₂)₃P(o-anisyl)₂}] and [Re₂(CO)₉(η¹-trans-PPh₂CHCHPPh₂)] were studied to investigate the mechanism of this oxidation. The results are consistent with an intramolecular pathway involving a cyclic intermediate, without exchange of the coordinated and terminal phosphino groups. A mechanism which involves an interaction of the terminal phosphino group with a carbonyl ligand is proposed. In sharp contrast to eq-[Re₂(CO)₉(η¹-P-P)] (P-P = Ph₂P(CH₂)_nPPh₂, n = 1-6), eq-[Re₂(CO)₉(η¹-trans-PPh₂CHCHPPh₂)] appears to be indefinitely stable towards equatorial → axial isomerization at room temperature, thus, allowing its crystal structure to be determined.     

Syntheses,crystal structures,and spectroscopic properties of copper(II) complexes with 3,14-diethyl-2,6,13,17-tetraazatricyclo(16.4.0.07,12)docosane

[Cu(L)(NO₃)₂] (1) and [Cu(L)(H₂O)₂](SCN)₂ (2) [L?=?3,14-diethyl-2,6,13,17-tetraazatricyclo(16.4.0.0^7,12)docosane] have been prepared and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction at 100?K. For these constrained macrocycle complexes, copper(II) exists in a tetragonally distorted octahedral environment with the four nitrogen atoms of the macrocyclic ligands and two oxygen atoms from either nitrate or water in axial positions. The macrocyclic ligands in both complexes adopt the most stable trans-III conformation. The Cu–N distances are 2.021(2)–2.047(2)?Å and typical but the axial ligands are weakly coordinating, with Cu–O bond lengths, 2.506(2)?Å for 1 and 2.569(2)?Å for 2, due to the pseudo Jahn–Teller effect. The crystals are stabilized by a 3-D network by intra and intermolecular hydrogen bonds that are formed among the secondary nitrogen hydrogen atoms and nitrate in 1, and intermolecular hydrogen bonds are formed by water and thiocyanates in 2. The electronic absorption and IR spectral properties are also discussed.     

Efficiency of random search procedures along the silicon cluster series: Si(n) (n=5-10, 15, and 20)

The efficiency of the simplest isomeric search procedure consisting in random generation of sets of atomic coordinates followed by density functional theory geometry optimization is tested on the silicon cluster series (Si(5-10, 15, 20)). Criteria such as yield, isomer distributions and recurrences are used to clearly establish the performance of the approach with respect to increasing cluster size. The elimination of unphysical candidate structures and the use of distinct box shapes and theoretical levels are also investigated. For the smaller Si(n) (n=5-10) clusters, the generation of random coordinates within a spherical box is found to offer a reasonable alternative to more complex algorithms by allowing straightforward identification of every known low-lying local minima. The simple stochastic search of larger clusters (i.e. Si(15) and Si(20)) is however complicated by the exponentially increasing number of both low- and high-lying minima leading to rather arbitrary and non-comprehensive results.     

[Co(3,3-tri)(men)Cl][ZnCl_4]和[Co(3,3-tri)(cmen)Cl][ZnCl_4]两体系配合物的合成及两经式异构体的晶体结构

分别合成了 [Co(3, 3-tri)(men)Cl][ZnCl4]、[Co(3, 3-tri)(cmen)Cl][ZnCl4] (3, 3-tri = N-(3-胺基丙基)-1, 3-丙二胺,men = N-甲基乙二胺,cmen = 1, 2-二胺基-丙烷) 2体系的部分配合物异构体,用单晶 X-射线衍射分析方法解析了2异构体的晶体结构。其中 [Co(3, 3-tri)(men)Cl][ZnCl4] 体系的一异构体Ⅰ的化学简式为 CoCl(C9H27N5)ZnCl4,晶体属正交晶系,空间群 Pca21,a = 16.788(2),b = 7.964(1),c = 14.416(2) 牛琕 =1927.3(4) ?,Dc = 1.747 g/cm3,Z = 4,F(000) = 1032,Mr = 506.91,R = 0.0352,wR =0.0935;[Co(3, 3-tri)(cmen)Cl]2+ 体系的一异构体Ⅱ的化学简式为 CoCl(C9H27N5)ZnCl4稨2O, 晶体属三斜晶系,空间群 P ,a = 9.511(3), b = 9.972(3),c = 11.694(3) 牛琣 = 68.367(5),b = 85.196(6),?= 86.580(5),V = 1026.9(5)?3,Dc = 1.698 g/cm3,Z = 2,F(000) = 536,Mr = 524.92,R = 0.0494,wR = 0.1180。两异构体中 Co3+ 为六配位,晶胞中对映体比例均为1:1。在配合物异构体Ⅰ和Ⅱ中,三元胺以经式排布,三元胺配体(3, 3-tri)仲胺上的氢相对于Cl分别处于顺位(syn-)和反位(anti-);二元胺配体氮(或邻位碳)取代的胺基氮原子(N*)与三元胺配体中的仲氮原子分别处于对位(trans(N*))和邻位(cis(N*))。     

Application of negative ion MS/MS to the identification of N-glycans released from carcinoembryonic antigen cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1)

Structures of N-glycans released from rat CEACAM1 expressed in human embryonic kidney cells were determined by MALDI and negative ion nanospray MS/MS techniques. The major carbohydrates were bi-, tri- and tetra-antennary complex glycans with and without sialic acid, fucose and bisecting GlcNAc residues. High-mannose glycans, predominantly Man(5)GlcNAc(2), were also found. The negative ion fragmentation technique easily identified the branching pattern of the triantennary glycans (mainly branched on the 6-antenna) and the presence of 'bisecting' GlcNAc residues (attached to the 4-position of the core mannose), features that are difficult to determine by traditional techniques. Sialic acids were in both alpha2-3 and alpha2-6 linkage as determined by MALDI-TOF MS following linkage-specific derivatization.     

Combination of “living” nitroxide-mediated and photoiniferter-induced “grafting from” free-radical polymerizations: From branched copolymers to unimolecular micelles and microgels

We report on solution properties of lightly grafted copolymers composed of polystyrene (PS) backbone (degree of polymerization of PS backbone, N_b=95) and variable length of poly(tert-butyl methacrylate) P(tBuMA) side chains (degree of polymerization of side chains, N_sc=14-222) at fixed number of grafting sites n = 11 and polydispersity index (M_w/M_n) ranging from 1.05 to 2.63. Synthesis of these graft copolymers is based on a novel synthetic route [Gromadzki D, Makuška R, Netopilík M, Holler P, Lokaj J, Janata M, et al. Eur Polym J 2008;44:59-71] involving two independent controlled/“living” polymerization mechanisms, namely nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization (NMP) for the synthesis of the backbone and photoinduced “grafting from” iniferter process for building of P(tBuMA) branches. The viscosity-related contraction factors g^′<1 confirmed high degree of branching of the studied graft copolymers. Dilute solutions of graft copolymers in non-selective solvent (THF), examined by dynamic light scattering (DLS), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and viscometry, revealed a transition from comb-like conformation through wormlike-star to a microgel architecture under increasing number of monomeric units in side chains. These data were further supported by the structure factors R_η/R_h and R_g/R_h obtained by independent measurements and extrapolated to infinite dilution. Persistence lengths of the samples exhibiting comb-like topology were larger compared to linear polystyrene backbone and P(tBuMA) side chains in THF suggesting stiffening of the main chain with increasing size of the attached side chains. Unimolecular micelles were detected by DLS and SAXS in solvent selective for grafts, tert-amyl alcohol.     

Photoisomerisation in single molecules of nitroprusside embedded in mesopores of xerogels

Photoswitchable hybrid materials are successfully prepared by embedding guanidinium nitroprussides (GuNP, (CN₃H₆)₂[Fe(CN)₅NO]) into mesopores of transparent xerogel monoliths. The such prepared hybrid materials exhibit a higher photostability than the corresponding GuNP solutions, whereby the chemical stability of the [Fe(CN)₅NO]²⁻-anion in titania gel is nearly infinite. By irradiation with light in the blue-green spectral range one nitrosyl isomer is formed by a 180° rotation of the NO ligand changing the Fe–NO into a Fe–ON coordination (SI), which is detected by the shift of the ν(NO) stretching vibration from 1945 cm⁻¹ (Fe–NO) to 1820  cm⁻¹ (Fe–ON). Consequently there is enough space around the NO-ligand for such movement in xerogel mesopores. The embedding in silica xerogels increases the achievable population of the isomeric nitrosyl configuration to about 15% with respect to a single crystalline powder where only 9% are reached.