Determination of thermodynamic properties of macroporous glycidyl methacrylate‐based copolymers by inverse gas chromatography

Macroporous crosslinked poly(glycidyl methacrylate‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (PGME) was synthesized by suspension copolymerization and modified by ring‐opening reaction of the pendant epoxy groups with ethylene diamine (EDA). Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) at infinite dilution was applied to determine the thermodynamic interactions of PGME and modified copolymer, PGME‐en. The specific surface areas of the initial and modified copolymer samples were determined by the BET method, from low‐temperature nitrogen adsorption isotherms. The specific retention volumes, V, of 10 organic compounds of different chemical nature and polarity (nonpolar, donor, or acceptor) were determined in the temperature range 333–413 K. The weight fraction activity coefficients of test sorbates, , and Flory–Huggins interaction parameters, , were calculated and discussed in terms of interactions of sorbates with PGME and PGME‐en. Also, the partial molar free energy, , partial molar heat of mixing, , sorption molar free energy, ΔG, sorption enthalpy ΔH, and sorption entropy, ΔS, were calculated. Glass transitions in PGME and PGME‐en, determined from IGC data, were observed in the temperature range 373–393 K and 363–373 K, respectively. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2524–2533, 2005     

Photocurrent generation in multilayer self-assembly films fabricated from water-soluble poly(phenylene vinylene)

A novel, water-soluble, cationic PPV derivative poly[(2,5-bis(3-bromotrimethylammoniopropoxy)-phenylene-1,4-divinylene)-alt-1,4-(2,5-bis(2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy))phenylene vinylene] (BH-PPV) has been synthesized by a Heck coupling reaction. Multilayered assemblies of the BH-PPV and the sodium salt of hexa(sulfobutyl)fullerenes (C(60)-HS) were fabricated successfully by an alternate deposition technique. The multilayer structures were studied by UV/Vis spectroscopy, small angle X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. The photoinduced charge transfer property of the self-assembled multilayer film was also measured by a three-electrode cell technique. A steady and rapid cathodic 5.5 microA cm(-2) photocurrent response was measured as the irradiation of the multilayer film was switched on and off. Importantly, the response of on/off cycling is prompt and reproducible. A possible mechanism for the electron-transfer process is proposed.     

Application of the semilocalized approach to chemical reactivity of butadiene

The semilocalized approach to chemical reactivity (J. Mol. Struct. (Theochem) 588 (2002) 99; Int. J. Quant. Chem. 94 (2003) 302) is applied to study the addition reaction of an electrophile or nucleophile to the butadiene molecule. In accordance with the classical concept of the reaction center and its neighborhood (substituent), only one of the two H₂C=CH-fragments of butadiene is supposed to be under a direct attack of the reagent, whereas the remaining H₂C=CH-group is assumed to play the role of the substituent and thereby to participate in the process indirectly by exerting certain electron-donating or accepting effect upon the former group and/or the reagent. The main aim of the study consists in revealing the role of the H₂C=CH-substituent in the formation of the known higher reactivity of the terminal carbon atom of the attacked C=C-bond (as compared to the internal atom) irrespective of the nature of the reagent. To this end, we seek to obtain an explicit algebraic representation of the interdependence between the direction and the extent of the total influence of the H₂C=CH-substituent, on the one hand, and the nature of the reagent, on the other hand. The expressions for electron density and bond order redistributions among separate fragments of contacting molecules derived previously in the form of power series are shown to yield the above-anticipated representation. On this basis, it is demonstrated that the electron-donating effect of the initially occupied (bonding) orbital of the substituent and the electron-accepting effect of its initially vacant (antibonding) orbital upon the remaining fragments of the whole reacting system may be considered independently whatever the nature of the reagent. However, a strong interdependence is established between the actual relative extents of these two components of the total effect of the H₂C=CH-group and the electron-donating (accepting) properties of the reagent. Moreover, this group of atoms is shown to manifest itself as an electron-donating (accepting) substituent under influence of an electrophilic (nucleophilic) attack. Using this principal result of the paper, the actual reactivity of butadiene with respect to electrophile (nucleophile) is interpreted by invoking a model system of a substituted ethene containing a simple (one-orbital) electron-donating (accepting) substituent, and a terminal addition easily follows for both types of the reagent.     

NMR spectroscopy techniques for screening and identifying ligand binding to protein receptors

Binding events of ligands to receptors are the key for an understanding of biological processes. Gaining insight into protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions in solution has recently become possible on an atomic level by new NMR spectroscopic techniques. These experiments identify binding events either by looking at the resonance signals of the ligand or the protein. Ideally, both techniques together deliver a complete picture of ligand binding to a receptor. The approaches discussed in this review allow screening of compound libraries as well as a detailed identification of the groups involved in the binding events. Also, characterization of the binding strength and kinetics is possible, competitive binding as well as allosteric effects can be identified, and it has even been possible to identify ligand binding to intact viruses and membrane-bound proteins.     

Calculating the knowledge-based similarity of functional groups using crystallographic data

A knowledge-based method for calculating the similarity of functional groups is described and validated. The method is based on experimental information derived from small molecule crystal structures. These data are used in the form of scatterplots that show the likelihood of a non-bonded interaction being formed between functional group A (the `central group') and functional group B (the `contact group' or `probe'). The scatterplots are converted into three-dimensional maps that show the propensity of the probe at different positions around the central group. Here we describe how to calculate the similarity of a pair of central groups based on these maps. The similarity method is validated using bioisosteric functional group pairs identified in the Bioster database and Relibase. The Bioster database is a critical compilation of thousands of bioisosteric molecule pairs, including drugs, enzyme inhibitors and agrochemicals. Relibase is an object-oriented database containing structural data about protein-ligand interactions. The distributions of the similarities of the bioisosteric functional group pairs are compared with similarities for all the possible pairs in IsoStar, and are found to be significantly different. Enrichment factors are also calculated showing the similarity method is statistically significantly better than random in predicting bioisosteric functional group pairs.     

The modulation of face-face π-π interactions in Lewis acid catalysis

The enantiomeric excess observed for the exo-adduct from the Lewis acid catalysed Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and methacrolein can be increased up to 21% by simple modification of the electronics of the aromatic ring in a series of stilbene-derived diol ligands, suggesting that the proposed face-face π-π interaction between the catalyst and the dienophile can be modulated by altering the electron density on the aromatic ring.     

Interference of Copper(II) ions with Non-covalent Interactions in Uridine or Uridine 5′-Monophosphate Systems with Adenosine,Cytidine, Thymidine and their Monophosphates in Aqueous Solution

Coordination reactions of copper(II) ions and their effect on non-covalent interactions in uridine (Urd) or uridine 5′-monophosphate (UMP) systems with nucleosides (Ado, Cyd, Thd) and nucleotides (AMP and CMP) in aqueous solutions have been studied. At high pH the effective coordination centers are deprotonated N(3) atoms from Urd and Thd, whereas at low pH, the N(3) atoms of pyrimidine nucleosides are blocked for coordination and the metallation sites are endocyclic nitrogen atoms from Ado, Cyd, AMP and CMP. Moreover, at low pH, the main reaction center in nucleotide solutions is the phosphate group. The NMR study has proven the occurrence of non-covalent ion-dipole interactions and stacking interactions in the systems considered. Introduction of a copper ion in the majority of systems causes the disappearance of weak interactions between ligands. The structures of the complexes in solution have been inferred from the equilibrium study: an analysis of the pH range of their occurrence with respect to the pH range of deprotonation of particular groups in the compounds studied, using Vis, EPR and ¹³C as well as ³¹P NMR spectral analysis.     

Organoelement Compounds with Al?Al,Ga?Ga,and In?In Bonds

In the attempt to synthesize compounds with aluminum in a low oxidation state and an Al Al bond, by the reduction of alkylaluminum halides with alkali metals, analogous to a Wurtz coupling, in general the deposition of elemental aluminum and the formation of the corresponding trialkylaluminum compounds is observed. Thus, tetrasubstituted dialuminum compounds R₂Al AlR₂, apart from a few poorly characterized examples, were for a long time considered part of an unverified class of substances. Only with the sterically very highly shielded tetrakis[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]dialuminum did we achieve the synthesis of the first completely characterized organoelement compound with unlimited stability, which shows aluminum in the oxidation state + II and has an Al Al bond. In the meantime, corresponding compounds for the elements gallium and indium have been obtained. With the simple access to tetrasubstituted dimetal compounds, a fascinating new research area has opened for preparative chemistry, in which the particular interest will naturally lie in the reactive properties of the metal-metal bond.     

Critical micelle concentrations for alkyltrimethylammonium bromides in water from 25 to 160°C

Critical micelle concentrations were determined by conductance measurements for decyl-, dodecyl-, tetradecyl- and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide in water at 25, 60, 95, 130, and 160°C. The results are discussed in terms of the equilibrium model and the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann model for micelle formation. The free energies of transferring a methylene group from water to the oil-like interior of the micelle are found to be –781 at 25°C, –796 at 60°C, –819 at 95°C, –815 at 130°C, and –787 at 160°C cal-mol^–1.     

Exploring bioanalytical applications of assisted protein reassembly

Reassembly of protein from its peptide fragments is a technique that can have many applications in the bioanalytical field. Typically, a reporter protein fragmented into its two peptides is employed as a label in this study. This fragments of peptide can reassemble yielding an active functional reporter. This reassembly of the protein can be assisted by non-covalently interacting peptides or proteins, which are attached to the fragmented reporter. This technique has been employed in several applications including study of protein–protein interactions, antibody screening, immunoassays, and high-throughput screening. This review focuses on different reporters employed in the study of reassembly of proteins and applications of this strategy in bioanalysis.