The Additive Influence of Propane-1,2-Diol on SDS Micellar Structure and Properties

Micellar systems are colloids with significant properties for pharmaceutical and food applications. They can be used to formulate thermodynamically stable mixtures to solubilize hydrophobic food-related substances. Furthermore, micellar formation is a complex process in which a variety of intermolecular interactions determine the course of formation and most important are the hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions between surfactant–solvent and solvent–solvent. Glycols are organic compounds that belong to the group of alcohols. Among them, propane-1,2-diol (PG) is a substance commonly used as a food additive or ingredient in many cosmetic and hygiene products. The nature of the additive influences the micellar structure and properties of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). When increasing the mass fraction of propane-1,2-diol in binary mixtures, the c.m.c. values decrease because propane-1,2-diol is a polar solvent, which gives it the ability to form hydrogen bonds, decreasing the cohesivity of water and reducing the dielectric constant of the aqueous phase. The values of ΔGm0 are negative in all mixed solvents according to the reduction in solvophobic interactions and increase in electrostatic interaction. With the rising concentration of cosolvent, the equilibrium between cosolvent in bulk solution and in the formed micelles is on the side of micelles, leading to the formation of micelles at a lower concentration with a small change in micellar size. According to the ¹H NMR, with the addition of propylene glycol, there is a slight shift of SDS peaks towards lower ppm regions in comparison to the D₂O peak. The shift is more evident with the increase in the amount of added propane-1,2-diol in comparison to the NMR spectra of pure SDS. Addition of propane-1,2-diol causes the upfield shift of the protons associated with hydrophilic groups, causing the shielding effect. This signifies that the alcohol is linked with the polar head groups of SDS due to its proximity to the SDS molecules.     

Synthesis and transformations of methyl (E)-2-(acetylamino)-3-cyanoprop-2-enoate und methyl (E)-2-(benzoylamino)-3-cyanoprop-2-enoate,versatile reagents for the preparation of polyfunctional heterocyclic systems

Methyl (E)-2-(acetylamino)-3-cyanoprop-2-enoate ( 2a ), and its 2-benzoyl analog 2b ere prepared from the corresponding methyl (Z)-2-(acylamino)-3-(dimethylamino)propenoates 1 Multifunctional compounds 2 are versatile synthons for preparation of polysubstituted heterocyclic systems such as pyrroles 4 , pyrimidines 5 and 6 , pyridazines 7 , pyrazoles 8 , 9 , and 11 , and isoxazoles 10 .     

Novel approach to the synthesis of 3-acyl substituted indolizines. The synthesis of 3-(indolizinyl-2)alanine and 4-(indolizinyl-3) homoalanine derivatives

A novel approach to the synthesis of 3-acylindolizines and the transformations of some acids into tryptophane analogues are described. Reaction of ethyl 2-pyridinylacetate and methyl 2-quinolinylacetate with N-trifluoroacetyl-5-bromo-4-oxonorvaline methylester led to N-trifluoroacetyl-3-(1-ethoxycarbonylindolizinyl-2) alanine methyl ester and N-trifluoroacetyl-3-(3-methoxycarbonylpyrrolo [1,2-a]quinolinyl-2) alanine methyl ester, respectively. Treatment of ethyl 2-pyridinylacetate and 2-pyridinylacetonitrile, first with N,N-dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMFDMA), followed by reaction with phenacyl bromide, gave the corresponding 3-benzoylindolizines, while the reaction of ethyl 2-pyridinylacetate and 2-pyridinylacetonitrile with DMFDMA, followed by treatment with (S)-N-trifluoroacetyl-5-bromo-4-oxonorvaline methyl ester, gave the corresponding N-trifluoroacetyl-4-oxo-4-(indolizinyl-3)homoalanine methyl esters.     

Templating S100A9 amyloids on Aβ fibrillar surfaces revealed by charge detection mass spectrometry,microscopy, kinetic and microfluidic analyses

The mechanism of amyloid co-aggregation and its nucleation process are not fully understood in spite of extensive studies. Deciphering the interactions between proinflammatory S100A9 protein and Aβ₄₂ peptide in Alzheimer''s disease is fundamental since inflammation plays a central role in the disease onset. Here we use innovative charge detection mass spectrometry (CDMS) together with biophysical techniques to provide mechanistic insight into the co-aggregation process and differentiate amyloid complexes at a single particle level. Combination of mass and charge distributions of amyloids together with reconstruction of the differences between them and detailed microscopy reveals that co-aggregation involves templating of S100A9 fibrils on the surface of Aβ₄₂ amyloids. Kinetic analysis further corroborates that the surfaces available for the Aβ₄₂ secondary nucleation are diminished due to the coating by S100A9 amyloids, while the binding of S100A9 to Aβ₄₂ fibrils is validated by a microfluidic assay. We demonstrate that synergy between CDMS, microscopy, kinetic and microfluidic analyses opens new directions in interdisciplinary research.

Templating mechanism of S100A9 amyloids on Aβ fibrillar surfaces during amyloid co-aggregation process was revealed by synergy of biophysical methods including charge detection mass spectrometry, microscopy, kinetic and microfluidic analyses.     

NMR spectroscopic investigation of inclusion complexes between cyclodextrins and the neurotoxin tetramethylenedisulfotetramine

The binding stoichiometry, strength and structure of inclusion complexes formed between the neurotoxin tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TETS) and both native and modified cyclodextrins (CyDs) were investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Of all six examined cases, native β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CyD) and its chemically modified counterpart heptakis‐(2,3,6‐tris‐(2‐hydroxypropyl))‐β‐cyclodextrin (2HP‐β‐CyD) were found to associate most strongly with TETS as reflected in the magnitude of their binding constants (K = 537 ± 26 M^?1 for β‐CyD and K = 514 ± 49 M^?1 for 2HP‐β‐CyD). Two‐dimensional rotating‐frame Overhauser effect spectroscopy NMR experiments confirm close proximity of the TETS molecule to both β‐CyD and 2HP‐β‐CyD as intermolecular, through‐space interactions between the H3 and H5 protons located in the interior of the CyD cavity and the methylene protons of TETS were identified. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Air‐Stable Spirofluorene‐Containing Ladder‐Type Bis(alkynyl)borane Compounds with Readily Tunable Full Color Emission Properties

A series of air‐stable spiro‐fused ladder‐type boron(III) compounds has been designed, synthesized, and the electrochemistry and photophysical behavior have been characterized. By simply varying the substituents on the pyridine ring and extending the π‐conjugation of the spiro framework, the emission color of these compounds can be easily fine‐tuned spanning the visible spectrum from blue to red. All compounds exhibit a broad and structureless emission band across the entire visible region, assigned as an intramolecular charge‐transfer transition originating from the thiophene of the spiro framework to the pyridine‐borane moieties. In addition, these compounds demonstrate high photoluminescence quantum yields of up to 0.81 in dichloromethane solution and 0.86 in doped thin films. Some of the compounds have also been employed as emissive materials, in which solution‐processed organic light‐emitting devices (OLEDs) with tunable emission colors spanning the visible spectrum from blue, green to red have been realized, demonstrating the potential applications of these boron compounds in OLEDs.     

Upgrade of beamline BL08B at Taiwan Light Source from a photon‐BPM to a double‐grating SGM beamline

During the last 20 years, beamline BL08B has been upgraded step by step from a photon beam‐position monitor (BPM) to a testing beamline and a single‐grating beamline that enables experiments to record X‐ray photo‐emission spectra (XPS) and X‐ray absorption spectra (XAS) for research in solar physics, organic semiconductor materials and spinel oxides, with soft X‐ray photon energies in the range 300–1000 eV. Demands for photon energy to extend to the extreme ultraviolet region for applications in nano‐fabrication and topological thin films are increasing. The basic spherical‐grating monochromator beamline was again upgraded by adding a second grating that delivers photons of energy from 80 to 420 eV. Four end‐stations were designed for experiments with XPS, XAS, interstellar photoprocess systems (IPS) and extreme‐ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) in the scheduled beam time. The data from these experiments show a large count rate in core levels probed and excellent statistics on background normalization in the L‐edge adsorption spectrum.