A Short and Highly Stereoselective Synthesis of Cerebrosterol

Ｃｅｒｅｂｒｏｓｔｅｒｏｌ (2 4Ｓ ｈｙｄｒｏｘｙｃｈｏｌｅｓｔｅｒｏｌ,1)ｆｏｒｍｅｄｉｎｓｍａｌｌａｍｏｕｎｔｓｉｎｈｕｍａｎａｎｄａｎｉｍａｌｂｒａｉｎ1ｆｒｏｍｃｈｏｌｅｓ ｔｅｒｏｌｉｓｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｆｏｒｃｈｏｌｅｓｔｅｒｏｌｈｏｍｅｏｓｔａｓｉｓｉｎｔｈｉｓｏｒｇａｎ .Ｔｈｅｅｘｃｅｓｓｃｈｏｌｅｓｔｅｒｏｌｉｓｃｏｎｖｅｒｔｅｄｉｎｔｏ 2 4Ｓ ｈｙｄｒｏｘｙ ｃｈｏｌｅｓｔｅｒｏｌｂｙａｕｎｉｑｕｅｂｒａｉｎ ｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｃ 2 4Ｓ ｈｙｄｒｏｘｙｌａｓｅ ,ｗｈｉｃｈｃｏｕｌｄｂｅｒ…     

Interaction between Metal in Metallo Enzyme and Small Biological Molecules

ＩｎｔｅｒａｃｔｉｏｎｂｅｔｗｅｅｎＭｅｔａｌｉｎＭｅｔａｌｌｏＥｎｚｙｍｅａｎｄＳｍａｌｌＢｉｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＭｏｌｅｃｕｌｅｓ￥ＨｕＪｉｅ－Ｈａｎ；ＳｈｕＺａｎ－Ｙｏｎｇ；ＴａｏＬｉ－Ｍｅｉ；ＣｈｅｎｇＧｕｏ－Ｂａｏ（ＤａｌｉａｎＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔ...     

Study on the anodic reaction of Ni in an alkaline solution by transient pH detection based on scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM)

The anodic reaction of Ni in an alkaline solution was studied by the tip–substrate voltammetry mode of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). A platinum microdisc electrode was selected as the tip electrode, which functioned as a pH sensor with transient response capability. The pH value of the solution near the Ni electrode surface varied while the Ni substrate oxidation reaction occurred, and the pH variation could be detected by the tip faradic current. The cyclic voltammogram results showed that two types of hydroxides: i.e. α‐Ni(OH)₂ and β‐Ni(OH)₂ were formed during Ni oxidation in the lower potential region. In the proceedings of α‐Ni(OH)₂ → γ‐NiOOH and β‐Ni(OH)₂ → β‐NiOOH, the process of OH^? concentration decrease in the solution was ahead and behind of electron transfer in the solid phase, respectively. These results indicate that the OH^? adsorption process occurs as an elementary step in the former reaction and the H⁺ diffusion process from the inner to the outer layer of the solid phase occurs as a subsequent step in the latter reaction. The results also revealed that the oxide film on the Ni surface has a two‐layer structure. The real potential of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on the Ni surface with different cycles is also analyzed in the paper. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Core‐Shell Selenium/Carbon Colloids and Hollow Carbon Capsules

A novel Se/C nanocomposite with core‐shell structures has been prepared through a facile one‐pot microwave‐induced hydrothermal process. The new material consists of a trigonal‐Se (t‐Se) core and an amorphous‐C (a‐C) shell. The Se/C composite can be converted to hollow carbon capsules by thermal treatment. These products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).     

Protein secondary structure and stability determined by combining exoproteolysis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

In the post-genomic era, several projects focused on the massive experimental resolution of the three-dimensional structures of all the proteins of different organisms have been initiated. Simultaneously, significant progress has been made in the ab initio prediction of protein three-dimensional structure. One of the keys to the success of such a prediction is the use of local information (i.e. secondary structure). Here we describe a new limited proteolysis methodology, based on the use of unspecific exoproteases coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), to map quickly secondary structure elements of a protein from both ends, the N- and C-termini. We show that the proteolytic patterns (mass spectra series) obtained can be interpreted in the light of the conformation and local stability of the analyzed proteins, a direct correlation being observed between the predicted and the experimentally derived protein secondary structure. Further, this methodology can be easily applied to check rapidly the folding state of a protein and characterize mutational effects on protein conformation and stability. Moreover, given global stability information, this methodology allows one to locate the protein regions of increased or decreased conformational stability. All of this can be done with a small fraction of the amount of protein required by most of the other methods for conformational analysis. Thus limited exoproteolysis, together with MALDI-TOF MS, can be a useful tool to achieve quickly the elucidation of protein structure and stability.     

Electrode Kinetics and Ternary Complex Formation of Cd2+‐Antibiotics‐Vitamin‐B5 System. A Polarographic Study

Cd²⁺ complexes with antibiotics viz. neomycin, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, penicillin‐V and penicillin‐G as primary ligands and vitamin‐B₅ as secondary ligand have been reported at pH = 7.30 ± 0.01 and μ = 1.0 M KNO₃ at 298 K by polarographic technique.¹ Cd²⁺ formed 1:1:1, 1:1:2, and 1:2:1 complexes with a stability constants trend of neomycin < chlortetracycline < oxytetracycline < tetracycline < penicillin‐V < penicillin‐G can be explained on the basis of the nature of ligands, bonding, and steric hindrance of these drugs. The nature of electrode processes were reversible and diffusion controlled. The values of stability constants showed that these drugs can be used to reduce the toxicity of Cd.     

Simultaneous Spectrophotometric Determination of Group B Vitamins Using Parallel Factor Analysis: PARAFAC

In this work, a simple and rapid analytical procedure was applied for simultaneous determination of folic acid (vitamin B₀), thiamin (vitamin B₁), riboflavin (vitamin B₂) and pyridoxal (vitamin B₆) based on the absorbance data in the pH range 2.0‐12.0 at 25 °C using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The effect of the pH as the most important factor on the sensitivity of the determination was studied. The spectral data were recorded in 400‐650 nm intervals and a 2‐12 pH range for all four vitamins. The calibration set was constructed in the concentration ranges of 4‐22, 1‐20, 6‐26, and 4‐20 μg mL^?;1 for B₆,B₂,B₁ and B₀, respectively. The root mean squares errors of prediction for the prediction set, (RMSEP), are 0.65, 0.63, 1.13 and 0.34 for B₀,B₁,B₂ and B₆, respectively. The recovery percent for the validation set are in the range of 90.6 to 107.0%. The effect of the experimental conditions and diverse species were discussed. The optimum values of these factors were searched according to the relative standard deviation of the prediction set of mixtures solutions.     

Two‐dimensional chromatography as a tool for studying band broadening in size‐exclusion chromatography

Comprehensive 2‐D size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC×SEC) has been realized. SEC×SEC is not a useful technique for characterizing complex polymers. However, it is potentially an elegant tool to study band‐broadening phenomena. If narrow fractions can be collected from the first dimension, the band broadening in the second dimension is only due to chromatographic dispersion. This would allow a clear distinction to be made between chromatographic band broadening (column and extra‐column) and SEC selectivity (band broadening due to sample polydispersity). In comparison with MALDI‐MS, SEC×SEC allows the study of polymers across a much broader molar‐mass range.     

Formation and Crystal Structure of Stable Five‐coordinate Diorgano Cobalt(III) Complexes

The mer‐octahedral complexes(2‐carbonyl)(4‐Me)(6‐tBu)phenolato[C,O]hydridotris(trimethylphosphine)cobalt(III) ( 1 ) or ‐(1‐carbonyl)(2‐oxo)(1,2‐diphenylethene)[C,O]hydridotris(trimethylphosphine)cobalt(III) ( 2 ) via formal insertion of propynoic acid ethyl ester into Co‐H functions afford pentacoordinate vinylcobalt(III) 3 and 4 , respectively, that are diamagnetic and attain a square pyramidal structure as exemplified by an X‐ray diffraction analysis of 3 .