Investigations providing a plausible mechanism in the hexamethyldisilazane-catalyzed trimerization of alkyl isocyanates

Using HMDS as catalyst for the trimerization of isocyanates presents many advantages as the expected isocyanurate is not contaminated by the catalyst or other side-products resulting from its degradation. In addition, HMDS presents a low toxicity, and is compatible with industrial applications. This article describes the hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS)-catalyzed trimerization of octylisocyanate. Experimental investigations and mechanistic considerations indicate that the true catalyst of the trimerization is trimethylsilyloctylamine, which results from the preliminary condensation of HMDS with octylisocyanate.     

Highly sensitive routine method for urinary 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene quantitation using liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection and automated off-line solid phase extraction

Many workers and also the general population are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was recently classified as carcinogenic for humans (group 1) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Biomonitoring of PAHs exposure is usually performed by urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) analysis. 1-OHP is a metabolite of pyrene, a non-carcinogenic PAH. In this work, we developed a very simple but highly sensitive analytical method of quantifying one urinary metabolite of BaP, 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (3-OHBaP), to evaluate carcinogenic PAHs exposure. After hydrolysis of 10 mL urine for two hours and concentration by automated off-line solid phase extraction, the sample was injected in a column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography fluorescence detection system. The limit of quantification was 0.2 pmol L(-1) (0.05 ng L(-1)) and the limit of detection was estimated at 0.07 pmol L(-1) (0.02 ng L(-1)). Linearity was established for 3-OHBaP concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 74.5 pmol L(-1) (0.1 to 20 ng L(-1)). Relative within-day standard deviation was less than 3% and relative between-day standard deviation was less than 4%. In non-occupationally exposed subjects, median concentrations for smokers compared with non-smokers were 3.5 times higher for 1-OHP (p<0.001) and 2 times higher for 3-OHBaP (p<0.05). The two urinary biomarkers were correlated in smokers (ρ=0.636; p<0.05; n=10) but not in non-smokers (ρ=0.09; p>0.05; n=21).     

Quinolinone and pyridopyrimidinone inhibitors of DNA-dependent protein kinase

8-Substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-quinolin-4-ones and 9-substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones with selected aryl and heteroaryl groups as the substituent have been synthesised as potential inhibitors of DNA-dependent protein kinase. A multiple-parallel approach, employing Suzuki cross-coupling methodology, was utilised in the preparation of 8-substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-quinolin-4-ones. For this purpose 8-bromo-2-morpholin-4-yl-quinolin-4-one was required as an intermediate. This compound was obtained by adapting a literature route in which thermal cyclocondensation of (2-bromoanilino)-morpholin-4-yl-5-methylene-2,2-dimethyl[1,3]dioxane-4,6-dione afforded 8-bromo-2-morpholin-4-yl-quinolin-4-one. A multiple-parallel approach, employing Suzuki cross-coupling methodology, was also utilised to prepare 9-substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones using 9-hydroxy-2-morpholin-4-yl-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one O-trifluoromethanesulfonate as an intermediate. 8-Substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-quinolin-4-ones and 9-substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones were both inhibitors of DNA-dependent protein kinase. When the substituent was dibenzothiophen-4-yl, dibenzofuran-4-yl or biphen-3-yl, IC50 values in the low nanomolar range were observed. Interestingly, the pyridopyrimidinones and quinolinones were essentially equipotent with the corresponding 8-substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-chromen-4-ones previously reported (I. R. Hardcastle, X. Cockcroft, N. J. Curtin, M. Desage El-Murr, J. J. J. Leahy, M. Stockley, B. T. Golding, L. Rigoreau, C. Richardson, G. C. M. Smith and R. J. Griffin, J. Med. Chem., 2005, 48, 7829-7846).     

Morphological analysis of photocured polyurethane acrylate networks. Correlation with viscoelastic properties

In this paper, we investigate the final morphology of photocured polyurethane acrylates based on polypropylene oxide by means of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Small Angle X‐ray Scattering (SAXS), and dynamic mechanical measurements. Two interrelated structural features on two different size scales can occur in these systems. TEM analysis demonstrates the presence of inhomogeneities on the length scale of 10–200 manometers, mostly constituted by clusters of small hard units (diacrylated diisocyanate) connected by polyacrylate chains. The bimodal shape of the dynamic mechanical relaxation spectra corroborates this two‐phase structure. Besides, a suborganization of the reacted diisocyanate hard segments inside the polyurethane acrylate matrix is revealed by SAXS measurements, depending on the nature of the hydroxylacrylate used for the synthesis of the precursor. Finally, UV‐exposure time is found to induce modifications on the viscoelastic properties of the final network, even at high double‐bond conversion: this effect can be due to a postreaction and to an increase of the crosslinking density inside the hard segments domains. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 919–937, 1999     

Photochemistry of organic iron(III) complexing ligands in oceanic systems

Iron is a limiting nutrient for primary production in marine systems, and photochemical processes play a significant role in the upper ocean biogeochemical cycling of this key element. In recent years, progress has been made toward understanding the role of biologically produced organic ligands in controlling the speciation and photochemical redox cycling of iron in ocean surface waters. Most (>99%) of the dissolved iron in seawater is now known to be associated with strong organic ligands. New data concerning the structure and photochemical reactivity of strong Fe(III) binding ligands (siderophores) produced by pelagic marine bacteria suggest that direct photolysis via ligand-to-metal charge transfer reactions may be an important mechanism for the production of reduced, biologically available iron (Fe[II]) in surface waters. Questions remain, however, about the importance of these processes relative to secondary photochemical reactions with photochemically produced radical species, such as superoxide (O2-). The mechanism of superoxide-mediated reduction of Fe(III) in the presence of strong Fe(III) organic ligands is also open to debate. This review highlights recent findings, including both model ligand studies and experimentallobservational studies of the natural seawater ligand pool.     

Self pulsing properties of optically pumped FIR NH3 lasers

We report on measurements of periodic and chaotic self-pulsing beyond the second threshold of far-infrared NH₃ lasers. While the instabilities of the 81 m¹⁴NH₃ laser follow a simple pattern, for the 374 m¹⁵NH₃ laser different pulsing properties are found in different parameter ranges.Pulses under conditions of high pumping power are measured in detail, in view of possible applications of these coherent, high-repetition rate far-infrared pulsed lasers.     

Effect of the diisocyanate on the structure and properties of polyurethane acrylate prepolymers

In this study, we investigated the role of diisocyanate on the properties of polyurethane acrylate (PUA) prepolymers based on polypropylene oxide (M̄_n = 2000 g · mol⁻¹). The diisocyanates studied were isophorone diisocyanate, 4‐4′dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, and toluene diisocyanate (pure 2,4‐TDI, pure 2,6‐TDI, and a TDI mixture, TDI_tech). The molecular structure of the diisocyanate had a major role on the course of the polycondensation and, more precisely, on the sequence length distribution of the final prepolymer. Moreover, the structural organization of the prepolymer also strongly depended on the nature of the diisocyanate. Two types of behaviors were particularly emphasized. On the one hand, the PUA synthesized from 2,4‐TDI displayed an enhanced intermixing between soft polyether segments and hard urethane groups, as revealed by the analysis of hydrogen bonding in Fourier transform infrared. Consecutively, the glass transition shifted to higher temperatures for these polymers. On the other hand, strong hard–hard inter‐urethane associations were observed in 2,6‐TDI‐based prepolymers; these led to microphase segregation between polyether chains and urethane groups, as revealed by optical microscopy. This inhomogeneous structure was thought to be responsible for the unusual rheological behavior of these PUA prepolymers. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2750–2768, 2000     

Observation of two-neutrino double-beta decay in 136Xe with the EXO-200 detector

We report the observation of two-neutrino double-beta decay in (136)Xe with T(1/2) = 2.11 ± 0.04(stat) ± 0.21(syst) × 10(21) yr. This second-order process, predicted by the standard model, has been observed for several nuclei but not for (136)Xe. The observed decay rate provides new input to matrix element calculations and to the search for the more interesting neutrinoless double-beta decay, the most sensitive probe for the existence of Majorana particles and the measurement of the neutrino mass scale.