Synthesis of dendritic–linear block copolymers by living ring-opening polymerization of lactones and lactides using dendritic initiators

Polyether dendrons have been successfully used as macroinitiators for the living ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactones and lactides. A hydroxyl group located at the focal point of dendrimers of different generations was transformed into diethyl aluminum alkoxides by reaction with triethyl aluminum. The dendritic aluminum alkoxides proved to be efficient macroinitiators for the living ROP of ε-caprolactone (εCL), 1,4,8-trioxa(4,6)spiro[9]undecanone (TOSUO), D ,L - and L ,L -lactide. Formation of these block copolymers of unusual macromolecular architecture was supported by size exclusion chromatography and spectroscopy. The versatility of this synthetic approach allowed ω-functional dendrimer block-polyesters, such as macromonomer, and macromolecules with novel architectures, to be prepared. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1923–1930, 1999     

Dissociation behavior of poly(α‐hydroxy acrylic acid)

Dissociation behavior of poly(α‐hydroxy acrylic acid) (PHA) was investigated by potentiometric titration in the presence of NaCl and/or divalent metal chlorides. It was found that pH values of PHA aqueous solutions increased with time when the degree of dissociation, α, is high (α ≧ 0.5 for NaCl system) and decreased in the lower α region (α < 0.5 for NaCl). The increase of pH was attributed to lactone ring formation that occurs between a carboxyl group and a neighbor hydroxyl group upon protonation to the former, and the decrease of pH to an induction effect by lactone ring to −COOH group. The pH‐increasing process was analyzed by assuming it being of a first order to obtain a time constant. On the basis of time constant thus estimated and pKa values for divalent counterion systems, a correlation between counterion binding and lactone ring formation was discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1523–1531, 1999     

Preparation of Poly(serine ester)s by Ring-opening Polymerization of N-Trityl Serine Lactone Under Catalysis of ZnEt2

Poly(N-trityl serine lactone)(PTSL) and mPEG-block-poly(N-trityl serine lactone)(mPEG-b-PTSL, PEG=polyethylene glycol) were synthesized via the ring-opening polymerization of N-trityl serine lactone(TSL) with diethyl zinc(ZnEt₂) as catalyst. The structures of these polymers were confirmed with hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance(¹H NMR) spectroscopy, carbon nuclear magnetic resonance(¹³C NMR) spectroscopy and infrared(IR) spectrometer. The thermal decomposition temperature and glass transition temperature of PTSL were 241 and 161 ℃, respectively. A series of mPEG-b-PTSL with different molecular weights(M_n's from 7000 to 32000) was obtained by tuning the TSL/mPEG feed ratio. After the removal of the trityl groups, mPEG-block-poly(serine lactone)(mPEG- b-PSL) was obtained as a new kind of cationic block copolymer. Low cytotoxicity of these polymers to L929 cells was confirmed via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay.     

Lyciumaside and Lyciumate: A New Diacylglycoside and Sesquiterpene Lactone from Lycium shawii

One new diacylglycoside named lyciumaside ( 1 ) and a new sesquiterpene lactone named lyciumate ( 2 ) were isolated from Lycium shawii Roem . & Schult . The structures of the two new compounds were elucidated based on 1D‐ (¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR and NOE) and 2D‐NMR (COSY, HSQC, and HMBC) spectroscopic techniques, and mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS). Preliminary evaluations demonstrated lyciumaside ( 1 ) possesses strong antioxidant activity with an IC₅₀ = 30 μg/ml (80% inhibition) while it was inactive in α‐glucosidase and urease enzymes assays.     

(Z)-N-(4-Decenoyl)homoserine lactone, a new quorum-sensing molecule, produced by endobacteria associated with Mortierella alpina A-178

N-Acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) are the conserved quorum-sensing signal molecules in Gram-negative bacteria. (Z)-N-(4-Decenoyl)homoserine lactone (1), a new AHL, was isolated from the culture broth of the fungus Mortierella alpina A-178 harboring bacterial endosymbionts, called endobacteria. The structure and absolute configuration of 1 were elucidated by EI-MS, chemical synthesis, and chiral GC analysis. The compound induced the expression of a QS-regulated reporter gene in Agrobacterium tumefaciens NTL4, although its activity was lower than that of N-decanoylhomoserine lactone (6).     

Synthesis of an analog of ( )-goniopypyrone from 3- O- benzyl-1,2- O-isopropylidene-5- C-phenyl-α-D-gluco-pentofuranose

8,9-Dimethoxy-7-epi-goniopypyrone, an analog of ( )-go-niopypyrone, was synthesized from 3-O-benzyl-1, 2-O-iso-propylidene-5-C-phenyl-α-D-gluco-pentofuranose (3).     

绿色单体二氧化碳参与的新型聚合反应

二氧化碳(CO₂)是一种丰富、廉价、无毒以及可再生的一碳资源,也是一种可用于聚合的绿色单体.基于CO₂的聚合是近年来的研究热点之一.目前广泛报道的是CO₂和环氧单体的聚合反应,经过几十年的发展已经成功实现工业化生产.最近几年,一些CO₂参与的新型聚合反应被陆续报道,这些工作大都通过两种途径实现从CO₂到高分子材料的转变.第一个途径是先将CO₂转化为可以聚合的单体,例如:内酯、环状碳酸酯和2,5-二呋喃甲酸等,再利用开环或者逐步聚合将单体转化为聚合物;另一个途径是直接以CO₂为单体和其他类型单体共聚得到聚合物.这两种途径对于发展CO₂参与的新型聚合反应,拓展CO₂基聚合物种类都具有重要意义.本综述按照CO₂直接还是间接参与聚合反应分类总结了近年来在CO₂制备高分子材料方面的进展,并对未来发展方向进行了简单阐述.     

Integrated Solid-Phase Extraction,Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Quadrupole-Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry,and Multidimensional Data-Mining Techniques to Unravel the Metabolic Network of Dehydrocostus Lactone in Rats

Dehydrocostus lactone (DL) is among the representative ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with excellent anticancer, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, an advanced strategy based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC–Q-Orbitrap HRMS) was integrated to comprehensively explore the metabolic fate of DL in rats. First, prior to data collection, all biological samples (plasma, urine, and feces) were concentrated and purified using solid-phase extraction (SPE) pre-treatment technology. Then, during data collection, in the full-scan (FS) data-dependent acquisition mode, FS-ddMS² was intelligently combined with FS-parent ion list (PIL)-dynamic exclusion (DE) means for targeted monitoring and deeper capture of more low-abundance ions of interest. After data acquisition, data-mining techniques such as high-resolution extracted ion chromatograms (HREICs), multiple mass defect filters (MMDFs), diagnostic product ions (DPIs), and neutral loss fragments (NLFs) were incorporated to extensively screen and profile all the metabolites in multiple dimensions. As a result, a total of 71 metabolites of DL (parent drug included) were positively or tentatively identified. The results suggested that DL in vivo mainly underwent hydration, hydroxylation, dihydrodiolation, sulfonation, methylation, dehydrogenation, dehydration, N-acetylcysteine conjugation, cysteine conjugation, glutathione conjugation, glycine conjugation, taurine conjugation, etc. With these inferences, we successfully mapped the “stepwise radiation” metabolic network of DL in rats, where several drug metabolism clusters (DMCs) were discovered. In conclusion, not only did we provide a refined strategy for inhibiting matrix effects and fully screening major-to-trace metabolites, but also give substantial data reference for mechanism investigation, in vivo distribution visualization, and safety evaluation of DL.     

Macrotricyclic host molecules with basket shaped cavities

The syntheses of several macrotricyclic hexalactams (1–3) and of a corresponding hexalactone (4) are described in detail for the first time. The molecules have a basket shaped skeleton and contain a non-collapsible cavity, the size and shape of which is varied by use of spacer groups. Compounds1–3 selectively form crystalline adducts with ethanol as guest; the macrotricyclic hexaester4 does not. Evidence for an interaction of1 with ethanol was obtained by exchange experiments with perdeuteroethanol. Complexation experiments in solution did not show significant host/guest interactions with the guest chosen.