Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Biological Activities of O, O-Dialkyl α-[1-（2-Chlorothiazol-5-ylmethyl）-5-methyl- 1 H-1,2,3-triazol-4-ylcarbonyloxy]alkylphosphonates

In order to search for novel agrochemicals with high activity and low toxicity, a series of phosphonate derivatives containing 1,2,3-triazole and thiazole rings were designed and synthesized using 2-chloro-5-（chloromethyl）- thiazole as the starting material. Their structures were confirmed by IR, ^1H NMR, ^31p NMR, EI-MS or ESI-MS and elemental analyses. The crystal structure of 7a was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Preliminary bioassays indicated that most of the target compounds did not display insecticidal activities, but a fraction of them possessed herbicidal and fungicidal activities to some extent.     

Total Synthesis of (+)‐β‐Himachalene

An enantioselective synthesis of (+)‐β‐himachalene ( 2 ) was accomplished starting from (1S,2R)‐1,2‐epoxy‐p‐menth‐8‐ene ( 3 ) in 15 or 16 steps with an overall yield of ca. 6% (Schemes 3, 5, and 6). Key transformations include an Ireland–Claisen rearrangement, a Corey oxidative cyclization, and a ring expansion.     

Acyl and α-Ketoacyl Complexes of Pt(II) with Weak Donor Ligands

Treatment of trans-Pt(COCOPh)(Cl)(PPh₃)₂ (1a) with AgBF₄in THF led to the formation of a metastatic complex trans-[Pt(COCOPh)(THF)(PPh₃)₂](BF₄) (2) which readily underwent ligand substitution to give a cationic aqua complex trans-[Pt(COCOPh)(OH₂)(PPh₃)₂](BF₄) (5a). Complex 5a has been characterized spectroscopically and crystallographically. Analogous reaction of trans-Pt(COCOOMe)(Cl)(PPh₃)₂ (1b) with Ag(CF₃SO₃) in dried CH₂C1₂ was found first to yield a methoxyoxalyl triflato complextrans-Pt(COCOOMe)(OTf)(PPh₃)₂ (6). Attempts to crystallize the triflato product in CH₂-cl₂hexane under ambient conditions also afforded an aqua complex of the triflate salt f/wu-[Pt(COCOOMe)(OH₂)(PPhj)₂](CF₃SO₃) (5b). Complex 5a in a noncoordinating solvent such as CH₂C1₂ or CHCl₃ suffered spontaneous decarbonylation to form first cis-[Pt(COPh)(CO)(PPh₃)₂l(BF₄) (3a) then the thermodynamically stable isomer trans-[Pt(COPh)(CO)(PPh₃)₂](BF₄) (3b). Crystallization of complex 3b under ambient conditions resulted in an aqua benzoyl complex trans-[Pt(COPh)(OH₂)(PPh₃)₂](BF₄) (7). The replacement of the H_2O ligand in complex 7 by CO was done simply by bubbling CO into the solution of 7. The single crystal structures of 5b and 7 have been determined by X-ray diffraction. The distances of the Pt-O bonds in 5a, 5b, and 7 support that the aqua ligand is a weak donor in such cationic aquaorganoplatinum(lI) complexes, in agreement with their lability to the substitution reactions.     

The Constituents of the Leaves of Chamaecyparis Formosensis Matsum

Forty one terpenoidal compounds were isolated from the essential oil of Chamaecyparis formosensis Matsum. The dominant component is α-pinene. Other major components include β-pinene, 3-carene, α-terpineol, γ-muurolene, and kaurene.     

Stereoselective Synthesis of （E）-α-Aryltellurenylvinyl-stannanes and Their Application in the Synthesis of Stereodefined Trisubstituted Alkenes

(E)-α-Aryltellurenylvinylstannanes have been synthesized stereoselectively via the hydrozirconation of alkynylstannanes, followed by the reactions with aryltellurenyl iodides. (E)-α-Aryltellurenylvinylstannanes can undergo sequential cross coupling reactions with both electrophiles and nucleophiles in the presence of transition metal complexes to form two carbon-carbon bonds in the same olefinic carbon leading to trisubstituted alkenes stereoselectively.     

Anti-Inflammatory,Antidiabetic Properties and In Silico Modeling of Cucurbitane-Type Triterpene Glycosides from Fruits of an Indian Cultivar of Momordica charantia L.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease and one of the fastest-growing health challenges of the last decades. Studies have shown that chronic low-grade inflammation and activation of the innate immune system are intimately involved in type 2 diabetes pathogenesis. Momordica charantia L. fruits are used in traditional medicine to manage diabetes. Herein, we report the purification of a new 23-O-β-d-allopyranosyl-5β,19-epoxycucurbitane-6,24-diene triterpene (charantoside XV, 6) along with 25ξ-isopropenylchole-5(6)-ene-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (1), karaviloside VI (2), karaviloside VIII (3), momordicoside L (4), momordicoside A (5) and kuguaglycoside C (7) from an Indian cultivar of Momordica charantia. At 50 µM compounds, 2–6 differentially affected the expression of pro-inflammatory markers IL-6, TNF-α, and iNOS, and mitochondrial marker COX-2. Compounds tested for the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes at 0.87 mM and 1.33 mM, respectively. Compounds showed similar α-amylase inhibitory activity than acarbose (0.13 mM) of control (68.0–76.6%). Karaviloside VIII (56.5%) was the most active compound in the α-glucosidase assay, followed by karaviloside VI (40.3%), while momordicoside L (23.7%), A (33.5%), and charantoside XV (23.9%) were the least active compounds. To better understand the mode of binding of cucurbitane-triterpenes to these enzymes, in silico docking of the isolated compounds was evaluated with α-amylase and α-glucosidase.     

Resistance properties of a macroporous silica-based N,N,N′,N′-tetraoctyl-3-oxapentane-1,5-diamide-impregnated polymeric adsorption material against nitric acid, temperature and γ-irradiation

The resistance of a novel silica-based N,N,N′,N′-tetraoctyl-3-oxapentane-1,5-diamide (TODGA) polymeric adsorption material (TODGA/SiO₂-P) against nitric acid, temperature and γ-irradiation had been investigated. The adsorption property of the treated TODGA/SiO₂-P was evaluated by a 3 M HNO₃ solution containing 0.01 M Nd(III). It was found that both 3 and 0.01 M HNO₃ concentrations did not decrease the stability of TODGA/SiO₂-P at 25°C. The quantity of TODGA leaked from TODGA/SiO₂-P was equivalent to its solubility in the corresponding HNO₃ aqueous solution. The effect of 3 M HNO₃ on the leakage of TODGA at 80°C was significantly higher than that in 0.01 M HNO₃ as well as in all cases at 25°C. The amount of Nd(III) adsorbed towards the treated TODGA/SiO₂-P was determined in the range of 0.143–0.148 mmol/g for the HNO₃ concentration effect and 0.142–0.0506 mmol/g for the temperature effect. γ-Irradiation showed a more noticeable destruction effect on TODGA/SiO₂-P. The content of TODGA leaked increased with an increase in the γ-irradiation dose (ID) from 1.06 to 3.72 MGy in terms of the linear equation [TODGA]=794.5ID+84.0. The amount of Nd(III) adsorbed onto the irradiated TODGA/SiO₂-P decreased rapidly from 0.134 to 0.0438 mmol/g, which was lower than 0.153 mmol/g, the adsorption of fresh TODGA/SiO₂-P for Nd(III), according to the equation Q_Nd(III)=−0.0301ID+0.160, showing that a large quantity of TODGA leaked from TODGA/SiO₂-P. The adsorbed amount of Nd(III) decreased obviously in this order: the HNO₃ concentration effect, temperature effect and γ-irradiation.     

ToF‐SIMS observation of PTFE surfaces modified by α‐particle irradiation

The surface structure of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) upon α‐particle irradiation has been investigated at doses in the range of 1 × 10⁷ to 1 × 10¹¹ Rad and compared with the surface structure of the unirradiated polymer. Both neat and 25% fiberglass content PTFE were studied. The samples, maintained at nominal room temperature, were irradiated in vacuum by 5.5 MeV ⁴He²⁺ ions generated in a tandem accelerator beam line. Static time‐of‐flight SIMS (ToF‐SIMS) was employed to probe chemical changes at the surface as a function of the irradiation level. In general, the data are indicative of increased cross‐linking at α‐doses less than 1 × 10⁹ Rad, followed by increased fragmentation and unsaturation at α‐doses greater than 1 × 10⁹ Rad. Throughout the irradiation regime, scission is a constant factor promoting cross‐linking, branching, and unsaturation. However, at α‐doses greater than 1 × 10¹⁰ Rad, extreme structural degradation of the polymer becomes evident and is accompanied by conversion to oxygen‐functionalized and aliphatic compounds. Thus, for PTFE in an α‐particle field, an upper exposure limit of ～10¹⁰ Rad is essential for nominal retention of molecular structure. Finally, a quantitative relationship between α‐dose and characteristic fragment ion intensity is developed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemical Bonding and Pressure‐Induced Change of the Electron Configuration of Ytterbium in β‐YbAgGa2

Single‐phase polycrystalline samples of the intermetallic compound β‐YbAgGa₂ were synthesized by inductive heating and subsequent annealing for eight weeks at 670 K. Magnetic properties were characterized by susceptibility measurements and indicated intermediate valence of ytterbium at ambient pressure. Angle‐dispersive X‐ray powder diffraction data of orthorhombic β‐YbAgGa₂ indicate stability of the phase in the investigated pressure range from 0.1 MPa (ambient pressure) to 19 GPa. The pressure‐induced volume decrease is accompanied by an increase of the effective valence from 2.17 at ambient conditions to 2.71 at 16 GPa as evaluated by X‐ray absorption spectroscopy at the Yb L_III threshold. Analysis of the chemical bonding in β‐YbAgGa₂ by integrating the electron density of the polyanion in basins as defined by the electron localization function results in an electron count Yb^2.7+[(Ag^0.2—)(Ga1(3b)^1.0—)(Ga2(4b)^1.5—)]. This finding is close to the expected values calculated by means of the Zintl rules and fits well the results of magnetic susceptibility measurements and XAS investigations.     

Synthesis of chiral α-amino acids

A novel method for the synthesis of chiral α-amino acids has been developed where the acid functionality was constructed by oxidizing a hydroxymethyl group introduced by Evans’ method in the α-position of an appropriate acid substrate and the amino part came from the amide of the original carboxyl group following a modified Hofmann rearrangement reaction.