A marker method for the solution of the damped Burgers' equation

A new method for the solution of the damped Burgers' equation is described. The marker method relies on the definition of a convective field associated with the underlying partial differential equation; the information about the approximate solution is associated with the response of an ensemble of markers to this convective field. Some key aspects of the method, such as the selection of the shape function and the initial loading, are discussed in some details. The marker method is applicable to a general class of nonlinear dispersive partial differential equations. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2006     

Block copolymers of acrylic acid and butyl acrylate prepared by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization: Synthesis,characterization, and use in emulsion polymerization

Amphiphilic block copolymers of poly(acrylic acid‐b‐butyl acrylate) were prepared by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization in a one‐pot reaction. These copolymers were characterized by NMR, static and dynamic light scattering, tensiometry, and size exclusion chromatography. The aggregation characteristics of the copolymers corresponded to those theoretically predicted for a star micelle. In a butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate emulsion polymerization, low amounts of these copolymers could stabilize latices with solid contents up to 50%. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 684–698, 2003     

Promotion by phosphorus compounds of ruthenium-catalyzed methyl formate homologation

Trivalent phosphorus compounds are promoters for methyl formate homologation to ethanol and ethyl formate catalyzed by ruthenium compounds in the presence of iodide at 220°C and 27 MPa of synthesis gas. Under these conditions the phosphines are quaternized, but decomposition of phosphonium salts occurs during the reaction. Promotion is also observed for methyltriphenyl-phosphonium bromide and triphenylphosphine sulfide, but benzyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide, triphenylarsine, and triphenylantimony are not effective. The major ruthenium species present is Ru(CO)₃I₃^- but with triphenylantimony a trimethylantimony complex, Ru(CO)₂(Sb(CH₃)₃)₂I₂, can be isolated in high yield.     

Toward a microchip-based solid-phase extraction method for isolation of nucleic acids

A silica-based solid-phase extraction system suitable for incorporation into a microchip platform (nu-total analytical system; nu-TAS) would find utility in a variety of genetic analysis protocols, including DNA sequencing. The extraction procedure utilized is based on adsorption of the DNA onto bare silica. The procedure involves three steps: (i) DNA adsorption in the presence of a chaotropic salt, (ii) removal of contaminants with an alcohol/water solution, and (iii) elution of the adsorbed DNA in a small volume of buffer suitable for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Multiple approaches for incorporation of this protocol into a microchip were examined with regard to extraction efficiency, reproducibility, stability, and the potential to provide PCR-amplifiable DNA. These included packing microchannels with silica beads only, generating a continuous silica network via sol-gel chemistry, and combinations of these. The optimal approach was found to involve immobilizing silica beads packed into the channel using a sol-gel network. This method allowed for successful extraction and elution of nanogram quantities of DNA in less than 25 min, with the DNA obtained in the elution buffer fraction. Evaluation of the eluted DNA indicated that it was of suitable quality for subsequent amplification by PCR.     

Catalytic (3 + 2) annulation of donor–acceptor aminocyclopropane monoesters and indoles

The efficient catalytic activation of donor–acceptor aminocyclopropanes lacking the commonly used diester acceptor is reported here in a (3 + 2) dearomative annulation with indoles. Bench-stable tosyl-protected aminocyclopropyl esters were converted into cycloadducts in 46–95% yields and up to 95 : 5 diastereomeric ratio using catalytic amounts of triethylsilyl triflimide. Tricyclic indoline frameworks containing four stereogenic centers including all-carbon quaternary centers were obtained.

A catalytic dearomatization of indoles with D–A aminocyclopropane monoesters for the synthesis of highly substituted indolines.     

Design and parallel solid-phase synthesis of ring-fused 2-pyridinones that target pilus biogenesis in pathogenic bacteria

A new method for the solid-phase synthesis of enantiomerically enriched highly substituted ring-fused 2-pyridinones 13 has been developed. The synthesis mediates introduction of substituents at two positions in the 2-pyridinone ring in a diverse manner and is suitable for parallel synthesis. (19)F NMR spectroscopy was used as a tool to monitor each of the five steps in the reaction sequence. The optimized conditions thus obtained were then used to prepare a library of 20 2-pyridinones with high yields. The library members were chosen from a statistical multivariate design to ensure diversity and reliable data for structure-activity relationships. Screening of the library against the bacterial periplasmic chaperone PapD was performed using surface plasmon resonance. Three new 2-pyridinones with a higher affinity for the chaperone PapD than the previous best 13[10,1] were found, and important structural features could be deduced.     

BIOCHEMICAL FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUANTUM EFFICIENCY OF HYDROGEN PRODUCTION BY MEMBRANES OF GREEN PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA*

Abstract— Photohydrogen production, 200-700 μmol H₂ h^?1 (mg bacteriochlorophyll a)^?1 has been obtained in a system containing unit membrane vesicles (Complex I) from the green photosynthetic bacterium Chiorobium limicola f. thiosulfatophilum, ascorbate, N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylene-diamine, dithioerythritol, an oxygen scavenging mixture, either methyl viologen (MV) or clostridial ferredoxin (CPS Fd) as electron carrier, and either CPS hydrogenase or platinum asbestos as catalyst. All components are necessary for maximum activity, and spinach Fd cannot be substituted for CPS Fd. Higher rates of photohydrogen production are obtained using MV or CPS Fd with hydrogenase than with MV and Pt asbestos. The highest quantum efficiencies (7–10% at 0.2–0.9 mW absorbed light and over 20% at lower light) were obtained with CPS Fd, hydrogenase and non-saturating 812 nm light. With saturating white light, however, rates of photohydrogen production varied relatively little among the various combinations of electron carrier and catalyst tested. The reaction rate is unaffected by 0.03% Triton X-100, and is insensitive to treatment with antimycin a or m-chloro-carbonyl cyanide phenylhydrazone. This indicates that neither electron flow through an endogenous cyclic chain, nor maintenance of a proton gradient are involved in this process.     

The ring-closing metathesis of vinyl ethers with Grubbs'' catalyst for the synthesis of dihydropyrans

A series of acyclic vinyl ethers have been prepared and treated with Grubbs' ruthenium catalyst ((Cy₃P)₂RuCl₂=CHPh). Contrary to previous findings, it has been shown that certain vinyl ethers are excellent substrates for the ring closing metathesis with ruthenium based catalysts.