Lecithin/propanol-based microemulsions used as media for a cholesterol oxidase-catalyzed reaction

Reverse micelles, Winsor III and IV systems were examined as reaction media for the enzymatic conversion of cholesterol to cholestenone by cholesterol oxidase at 298.2 K. The micelles and the microemulsions, stabilized by soybean lecithin and ethanol or 1-propanol as cosolvent, were characterized with respect to phase behavior and distribution of 1-propanol between the phases of the Winsor III systems. The used oils were dodecane, tetradecane, and hexadecane. The Winsor IV systems and the surfactant-rich phase in the Winsor III systems exhibit bicontinuous structures. The reaction yield for the enzymatic conversion performed in a Winsor IV system was much higher than in a Winsor III system or in reverse micelles.     

Stereoselectivity and competing reactions as studied by lipase-catalyzed esterifications in aqueous lecithin-based gelatin gels

 The enzyme catalyzed conversion of R/S-(±)-2-octanol with hexanoic acid to R/S-(±)-2-octyl hexanoate has been studied in different microenvironments and in the presence of the competing substrate ethanol. The reactions were performed in various gels made from aqueous gelatin solutions and liposome dispersions or isotropic liquid solutions, with or without oil and ethanol. The lipase Candida sp. (SP 525) was dissolved in the dispersions or solutions stabilized by the naturally occurring zwitterionic surfactant soybean lecithin. The sectioned porous gel was immersed in hexane containing 0.33 mol dm^-3 of racemic 2-octanol and hexanoic acid. Since ethanol acts both as a substrate and as a part of the gel it is of fundamental interest to know the phase behaviour of the used systems. Partial phase diagrams for the systems ethanol–water–soybean lecithin and ethanol/water (7:3)–oil–soybean lecithin were determined at 298.2 K. The oil was either castor oil or hexadecane. The conversion of R-2-octyl hexanoate was about 0.45 when no or small amounts of ethanol was present, but decreased considerably with high amounts of ethanol present and ethyl hexanoate became the main product. Hydrolysis of R-2-octyl hexanoate was favoured in the latter systems and hexanoic acid formed was immediately esterified to ethyl hexanoate. The conversion of R-2-octyl hexanoate and ethyl hexanoate depends only on the ethanol content present in the systems and is thus independent of the environment of the enzyme. However, the chiral esters synthesized from racemic 2-octanol and hexanoic acid showed high optical purities regardless of the ethanol content. Received: 1 July 1996 Accepted: 30 August 1996     

Synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted (E,Z)-1,3-dienes from lithium dicyclohexyl(trans-1-alkenyl)(1-alkynyl)borates

Treatment of lithium dicyclohexyl(trans-1-alkenyl)(1-alkynyl)borates with either boron trifluoride etherate or tri-n-butyltin chloride results in the preferential migration of the alkenyl group from boron to the adjacent alkynyl carbon atom. Protonolysis of the resultant organoboron intermediates with acetic acid affords the corresponding 1,4-disubstituted (E,Z)-1,3-dienes in good yields, provided that the (Z)-alkenyl moiety of the diene does not contain a tertiary alkyl group. Demonstration that this novel procedure is applicable for the preparation of (E,Z)-1,3-dienes containing functional groups has been shown by the synthesis in 66% yield of methyl (10E, 12Z)-hexadecadienoate, a precursor via lithium aluminium hydride reduction of the sex pheromone of the female silk moth, Bombyx mori.     

Non-equilibrium dynamics for impurities in semiconductors

This paper summarizes the ‘first-principles’ calculations of the vibrational properties of impurities, which are critical to the optical identification of defects. The issue of temperature control for non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) is discussed. Applications of NEMD include the calculations of the temperature-dependence of vibrational lifetimes and of the thermal conductivity of semiconductors as a function of their impurity content.     

Effects of feedback from collimating, focusing, and spot-array generating outcoupler gratings in surface-emitting semiconductor lasers

We experimentally demonstrate that a grating outcoupler used for complex beam shaping (spot-array generation) can produce unintentional optical feedback that severely disturbs the integrated in-plane laser that illuminates the coupler. Simulations show that these outcouplers, in contrast to conventional collimating or focusing outcouplers, tend to produce high levels of feedback in spite of the detuning used to suppress feedback. Further, this feedback is focused to high intensity in the laser gain medium. This focused light acts as a seed for the nonlinear self-focusing that causes wave-front distortion and filamentation, which degrades the beam quality.     

First principles determination of the bound levels of HeLi-

An analytical potential energy curve is developed from high quality ab initio calculations for the He+Li- interaction. The HeLi- electrostatic complex is found to have an Re of 18.5 bohrs and a De of 0.974 cm(-1). Numerical solution of the rovibrational Schr?dinger equation with this potential indicates two bound levels, (v,J)=(0,0) and (0,1), for all naturally occurring isotopologs (i.e., 4He7Li-, 4He6Li-, 3He7Li-, and 3He6Li-). For the common isotopolog, 4He7Li-, a D0 of 0.207 cm(-1) and an R0 of 26.5 bohrs is determined.