Deuterium NMR studies of inositol liquid crystals [1]

Deuterium NMR investigations are presented on members of two new mesogenic series derived from the naturally occurring stereoisomers myo- and scW/o-inositol. Tetraethers of these two series exhibit thermotropic columnar phases in which the columns are apparently formed by stacked hydrogen bonded dimers of these molecules which chemically are vicinal diols. Deuterium NMR measurements were performed on the tetraoctyl homologues 2e (a cis diol) and 3e (a trans diol) of these series. We have investigated mixtures of these diols with small amounts of benzene-d₆ as probe molecules as well as samples of the neat diol compounds deuteriated at their hydroxyl groups. The results obtained show that the mesophases of both compounds are uniaxial and align partially in a magnetic field upon slow cooling from their isotropic liquids. The alignment is with the director parallel to the field direction indicating that the anisotropic magnetic susceptibility of this mesophase is positive. The deuterium quadrupole splitting of the benzene-d₆ probe in both systems is temperature dependent and in the trans diol 3e it even changes sign. This is interpreted in terms of a model in which the benzene-d₆ probe equilibrates rapidly between two (or more) solvation sites with quadrupole splittings of opposite signs The deuterium spectra of the neat deuterium labelled cis diol 2e exhibit two different signals due to the two deuterons which are located at the axial and equatorial hydroxyl groups. This indicates that there is no fast intra- or intermolecular exchange of the hydroxyl hydrogens. The overall quadrupole splittings of the hydroxyl deuterons in this compound are highly reduced compared to their static values and this is interpreted in terms of motional modes involving both reorientation of the hydroxyl deuterons about their C-O axis and overall reorientation of the molecules (or pairs of molecules) around the columnar axes. The corresponding spectra of the neat deuteriated trans diol 3e exhibit a single spectrum indicating that both hydroxyl deuterons in this compound are equivalent, or very nearly so. Within the mesophase region the spectrum undergoes gradual changes due to the increase in the molecular mobility, but the overall motional narrowing is less than in the cis isomer 2e. Apparently due to stronger hydrogen bonding in the trans isomer 3e the precession of the hydroxyl groups is hindered and a fast molecular reorientation is only possible at high temperatures.     

Characterisation of combinatorial libraries of mucin-2 antigen peptides by high-resolution mass spectrometry

An epitope motif, TX(1)TX(2)T, of mucin-2 glycoprotein was identified by means of a mucin-2-specific monoclonal antibody, mAb 994, raised against a synthetic mucin-derived 15-mer peptide conjugate. For determination of the epitope sequence recognised with highest affinity by mAb 994, a combinatorial approach was applied using the portioning-mixing technique excluding Cys. Antibody binding of libraries was most profound when Gln was at the X(1) position. Analytical characterisation of the TQTX(2)T library was conducted by amino acid analysis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) and electrospray ionisation Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (ESI-FTICR) mass spectrometric methods. Control libraries were prepared by mixing 19 individual peptides corresponding to the TQTX(2)T sequence. Thus, mixtures of 6, 10 and 19 pentapeptides were analysed and compared with the combinatorial mixture. MALDI-TOFMS was able to detect only partially the components in the 6- and 10-member mixtures, but failed to characterise a more complex 19-member mixture. In contrast, ESI-FTICRMS resolved all mixtures of higher complexity and provided direct identification at monoisotopic resolution, such as for a peptide library containing 'isobaric' lysine and glutamine (Delta m = 0.0364 Da). The results of this study suggest that ESI-FTICRMS is a powerful tool for characterisation of combinatorial peptide libraries of higher complexity.     

Synthese und Abbau von 1-(5-Nitro-2-thiazolyl)-2-imidazolidinon und Derivaten

1-(5-Nitro-2-thiazolyl)-2-imidazolidinone is synthesized from 2-amino-5-nitro-thiazole and 2-chloroethyl-isocyanate. The structure of this new potent schistosomicide is established by acid and alkaline degradation as well as by synthesis starting from 2-imidazolidinone. A number of derivatives of 1-(5-nitro-2-thiazolyl)-2-imidazolidinone are reported.     

Bildung Siliciumorganischer Verbindungen. LV. Die Konformeren des 1,3,5,7-Tetrasila-bicyclo[3,3,1]nonans und 2,4,6,8,9-Pentasila-bicyclo[3,3,1]nonans

Formation of Organosilicon Compounds. LV. Conformeres of the 1,3,5,7-Tetrasilabicyclo [3,3,1] nonane and 2,4,6,8,9-Pentasila-bicyclo [3,3,1] nonane Two types of carbosilanes with a bicyclo [3,3,1] nonane structure are reported, derivatives of 1,3,5,7-Tetrasila-bicyclo-[3,3,1] nonane (a) and of 2,4,6,8,9-Pentasila-bicyclo [3,3,1] nonane (b) with an inverse structure in respect to the Si- and C-atoms. By means of NMR-investigations the structure can be determined. Derivatives of (a) are present in the Si₄C₁₁H₂₈ with fully methylated Si-atoms, the 1,5 dichloro-1,3,5,7-tetrasila-bicyclo [3,3,1] nonane and Si₄Cl₆C₅H₁₀ with fully chlorinated Si-atoms with twofold boat conformation. In the derivatives of type (b) as Si₅H₁₀C₄H₆ with hydrogenated Si-atoms as well as in 9,9-dichloro-2,4,6,8,9-pentasila-bicyclo [3,3,1] nonane a change in conformation is observed, whereas a rigid chair conformation is found for both rings in the Si-chlorimated derivative Si₅Cl₁₀C₄H₁₀. A comparison of atom-resp. H? H distances in cyclohexane and 1,3,5-Trisilacyclohexane gives evidence that the boat conformation is more preferable for the 1,3,5-Trisilacyclohexane than for cyclohexane due to larger H? H-distances (caused by Si? C-distances).     

Development of an in situ fiber optic Raman system to monitor hydrothermal vents

The development of a field portable fiber optic Raman system modified from commercially available components that can operate remotely on battery power and withstand the corrosive environment of the hydrothermal vents is discussed. The Raman system is designed for continuous monitoring in the deep-sea environment. A 785 nm diode laser was used in conjunction with a sapphire ball fiber optic Raman probe, single board computer, and a CCD detector. Using the system at ambient conditions the detection limits of SO(4)(2-), CO(3)(2-) and NO(3)(-) were determined to be approximately 0.11, 0.36 and 0.12 g l(-1) respectively. Mimicking the cold conditions of the sea floor by placing the equipment in a refrigerator yielded slightly worse detection limits of approximately 0.16 g l(-1) for SO(4)(-2) and 0.20 g l(-1) for NO(3)(-). Addition of minerals commonly found in vent fluid plumes also decreased the detection limits to approximately 0.33 and 0.34 g l(-1) respectively for SO(4)(-2) and NO(3)(-).     

Catalytic-kinetic absorptiostat technique with the indigo carmine—hydrogen peroxide reaction as the indicator reaction

The absorptiostat method previously described is used for the catalytic-kinetic determination of sulphur compounds (sulphide, thioacetamide. thiourea and thiosulphate) in the micromolar range by means of their catalytic action for the indigo carmine—hydrogen peroxide indicator reaction. The thiosulphate catalyst is activated by iron(III) or aluminium(III); aluminium(III) is deactivated by fluoride. On this basis, iron(III) is determined in the ng range, and aluminium(III) and fluoride in the μg range.     

Quantum theory of cavity-assisted sideband cooling of mechanical motion

We present a quantum-mechanical theory of the cooling of a cantilever coupled via radiation pressure to an illuminated optical cavity. Applying the quantum noise approach to the fluctuations of the radiation pressure force, we derive the optomechanical cooling rate and the minimum achievable phonon number. We find that reaching the quantum limit of arbitrarily small phonon numbers requires going into the good-cavity (resolved phonon sideband) regime where the cavity linewidth is much smaller than the mechanical frequency and the corresponding cavity detuning. This is in contrast to the common assumption that the mechanical frequency and the cavity detuning should be comparable to the cavity damping.