Relative stability of major types of beta-turns as a function of amino acid composition: a study based on Ab initio energetic and natural abundance data

Folding properties of small globular proteins are determined by their amino acid sequence (primary structure). This holds both for local (secondary structure) and for global conformational features of linear polypeptides and proteins composed from natural amino acid derivatives. It thus provides the rational basis of structure prediction algorithms. The shortest secondary structure element, the beta-turn, most typically adopts either a type I or a type II form, depending on the amino acid composition. Herein we investigate the sequence-dependent folding stability of both major types of beta-turns using simple dipeptide models (-Xxx-Yyy-). Gas-phase ab initio properties of 16 carefully selected and suitably protected dipeptide models (for example Val-Ser, Ala-Gly, Ser-Ser) were studied. For each backbone fold most probable side-chain conformers were considered. Fully optimized 321G RHF molecular structures were employed in medium level [B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p)//RHF/3-21G] energy calculations to estimate relative populations of the different backbone conformers. Our results show that the preference for beta-turn forms as calculated by quantum mechanics and observed in Xray determined proteins correlates significantly.     

Cu/SiO2催化剂上苯胺和乙二醇一步合成吲哚的研究

采用浸渍法，制备了用于合成吲哚的Cu/SiO2催化剂，研究了不同载体和活性组分Cu对苯胺和乙二醇一步合成吲哚反应的催化活性，发现γ-Al2O3、活性炭、Na-Y，SiO2-MgO、MCM41、SiO26种载体中，SiO2是最好的载体；催化剂活性组分Cu含量为0.78mmol/gSiO2时，吲哚的收率高达88%，考察了水蒸汽、氢气、反应温度及接触时间等因素对反应性能的影响，并对催化剂进行了TG测试，得到了Cu/Sio2催化剂催化合成吲哚适应反应条件。     

量子点PbS修饰纳米结构TiO2复合膜的光电化学研究

用光电流作用谱、光电流-电势图等光电化学方法研究了ITO(铟锡氧化物导电玻璃)/TiO₂ /Q-PbS(量子点PbS)膜电极的光电转换性质。结果表明，由于量子尺寸的效应，在膜电极制备中，随着ITO/TiO₂电极在饱和Pb(CH₃COO)₂溶液中浸泡时间的不同，所制备的Q-PbS颗粒大小不同，禁带宽度随着浸泡时间的增大而减小，浸泡时间为40 s、在80 ℃烘干下制备的Q-PbS的禁带宽度为1.68 eV，其价带位置为-5.072 eV。Q-PbS修饰ITO/TiO₂电极可使光电流发生明显的红移，从而提高宽禁带半导体的光电转换效率。     

Linked crystallites in the conducting topmost layer of polymer bilayer films controlled by temperature: from micro- to nanocrystallites.

Temperature has great impact on the structure and size of the linked crystallites of the conducting topmost layer formed at the surface of a polycarbonate film via the reaction BEDT-TTF+IBr [BEDT-TTF=bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene]. We show that fine temperature control permits formation of a semiconducting topmost layer of alpha'-(BEDT-TTF)(2)(I(x)Br(1-x))(3) crystallites with either micro- or nanometre size, a result that opens a route to miniaturized conducting plastic materials.     

Interfacial properties of self-organized TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotubes studied by impedance spectroscopy

The semiconductor properties of the interface TiO₂/electrolyte in high organized porous oxide structures were analyzed by means of impedance spectroscopy near the flat band potential. The impedance and capacitance studies performed on the as-anodized and thermally treated samples (anatase) indicate the presence of a duplex structure formed by (1) the oxide at the bottom of the pores and (2) the walls of pores with different donor densities and surface state concentrations.     

Competitive adsorption and desorption of a bi-solute mixture: effect of activated carbon type

This study aims to clarify the effects of carbon activation type and physical form on the extent of adsorption capacity and desorption capacity of a bi-solute mixture of phenol and 2-chlorophenol (2-CP). For this purpose, two different PACs; thermally activated Norit SA4 and chemically activated Norit CA1, and their granular countertypes with similar physical characteristics, thermally activated Norit PKDA and chemically activated Norit CAgran, were used. The thermally activated carbons were better adsorbers for phenol and 2-CP compared with chemically activated carbons, but adsorption was more reversible in the latter case. 2-CP was adsorbed preferentially by each type of activated carbon, but adsorption of phenol was strongly suppressed in the presence of 2-CP. The simplified ideal adsorbed solution (SIAS) model underestimated the 2-CP loadings and overestimated the phenol loadings. However, the improved and modified forms of the SIAS model could better predict the competitive adsorption. The type of carbon activation was decisive in the application of these models. For each activated carbon type, phenol was desorbed more readily in the bi-solute case, but desorption of 2-CP was less compared with single-solute. This was attributed to higher energies of 2-CP adsorption.     

Synthesis of nitro and amino derivatives of benzothiacrown ethers

The condensation reaction of 1,2-bis(2-haloethoxy)-4-nitrobenzenes with acyclic α,ω-(oxa)alkanedithiols in the presence of alkali metal carbonates produced a series of nitrobenzodithiacrown ethers with macrocycles of different size. The structures of three ethers were established by X-ray diffraction. A new method was developed for the synthesis of nitrobenzomonothia-15-crown-5 ether. Nitro derivatives of benzodithiacrown ethers were tested as reagents for extraction of palladium(II), platinum(IV), and rhodium(III) from hydrochloric acid solutions. Extraction of Pd^II salts was found to be highly selective compared to that of Pt^IV and Rh^III salts. Benzodithia-15-crown-5 ether is the most efficient extractant for palladium(II). Reduction of nitrobenzothiacrown ethers with hydrazine hydrate in the presence of a platinum catalyst afforded their amino derivatives. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 958–966, May, 2007.     

Synthesis of homochiral 2-C-perfluoroalkyl substituted d- and l-riboses

Homochiral 2-C-perfluoroalkyl substituted d- and l-riboses were synthesized via Barbier, Grignard and Ruppert type reactions. The influence of the size of the perfluoroalkyl groups, attached to C-2, on the furanose/pyranose as well as on the α-furanose/β-furanose and α-pyranose/β-pyranose ratio in solution was studied.     

Methyl trifluoropyruvate in the Pictet-Spengler reaction

Condensation of methyl trifluoropyruvate with 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethylamine, tryptamine, and (D, L)-tryptophan yielded 1-methoxycarbonyl-1-trifluoromethyl-6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, 1-methoxycarbonyl-1-trifluoromethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole, and Z-1-methoxycarbonyl-1-trifluoromethyl-3-carboxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole, respectively. The Z configuration of the latter was determined by x-ray structural analysis.A. N. Nesmayanov Institute of Organoelemental Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117813 Moscow, Russia. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1831–1836, August, 1992.