Preparation,stability, reactivity and synthetic utility of a cadmium stabilized complex of difluoromethylene phosphonic acid ester

Diethyl bromodifluoromethyl phosphonate reacts readily with cadmium metal to form a stable cadmium complex. Depending on solvent, this functionalized organocadmium reagent exhibits stability for days to months. It reacts with a variety of electrophiles and serves as a synthetically useful source for the introduction of the difluoromethylene phosphonate group into organic compounds.The synthetic utility of a wide variety of fluoromethylene phosphonium ylides has been a major effort in our laboratory over the past several years [1]. The generation and capture of difluoromethylene ylides ($\text{1}$) as a general route to difluoromethylene olefins has been of especial interest to us [2]. In an effort to increase the nucleophilicity of the ylide, we have attempted to prepare the analogous phosphonate ylide ($\text{2}$). Although we have achieved modest success [3] by $\text{insitu}$ capture of ($\text{2}$) in the reaction of

sodium dialkyl phosphites with diethyl bromodifluoromethylphosphonate ($\text{3}$), attempts to pregenerate ($\text{2}$), either from diethyl difluoromethylphosphonate ($\text{4}$) or ($\text{3}$), have met with little success. ($\text{2}$) appears to have minimal stability even at low temperatures, and scale up processes of synthetic value would seem to be difficult.     

Trapping effect of eugenol on hydroxyl radicals induced by L-DOPA in vitro

Many researchers have stated that eugenol might inhibit lipid peroxidation at the stage of initiation, propagation, or both, and many attempts have been made to elucidate the mechanism of its antioxidant activity. Nevertheless, details of its mechanism are still obscure. This study was carried out to investigate the trapping effect of eugenol on hydroxyl radical generated from L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) in MiliQ water and the generation mechanism of the hydroxyl radical by this system which uses no metallic factor. This was studied by adding L-DOPA and 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) to phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or MiliQ water, and the generation of hydroxyl radical was detected on an ESR spectrum. By this method, the effect of antioxidants was detected as a modification of ESR spectra. We found that the eugenol trapped hydroxyl radicals directly, because it had no iron chelating action, did not trap L-DOPA semiquinone radical and inhibited hydroxyl radicals with or without iron ion.     

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of both syn- and anti-3,5-dihydroxy esters: application to 1,3-polyol/alpha-pyrone natural product synthesis

[reaction: see text] We describe a catalytic asymmetric synthesis of both syn- and anti-3,5-dihydroxy esters. The method relies upon catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of alpha,beta-unsaturated imidazolides and amides, using lanthanide-BINOL complexes, and diastereoselective reduction of ketones. The method was applied to the enantioselective syntheses of 1,3-polyol/alpha-pyrone natural products 9a, 9b, and strictifolione (10). The absolute stereochemistry of 9a and 9b was also determined.     

Photoinduced phase transition accompanied with the changes in magnetic properties

Recently, many studies have been started in search for materials which show a photoinduced phase transition (PIPT). In this work, we review two systems as typical examples of PIPT accompanied with changes in magnetic characteristics; (1) organo-metal complex [Fe(2-pic)₃]Cl₂ EtOH (2-pic = 2-amino-methyl-pyridine) and (2) III-V based magnetic semiconductors (In_1-x , Mn _x )As. In the former case, we show several nonlinear characteristics in dynamical process of photoinduced spin state transition from low-spin to high-spin states. In the latter one, photocarrier-induced ferromagnetic order has been observed by both magnetic and transport measurements.     

The reaction process of firefly bioluminescence triggered by photolysis of caged-ATP

The reaction process of firefly bioluminescence was studied by photolyzing caged-ATP to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within 100 ms. The intensity of luminescence increases markedly to reach a maximum within 1 s, maintains almost the same intensity up to 5 s and then decays monotonically. The rise γ(1) and decay γ(2) rate constants were determined to be about 5 s(-1) and 1 × 10(-2) s(-1), respectively, so as to phenomenologically fit the time course. A second luminescence peak appears after around 350 s. The dependence of the rate constants on the concentrations of reactants and a viscous reagent revealed that two kinds of reaction contribute the observed time course: (1) an intrinsic reaction by ATP photolyzed from caged-ATP that is already trapped in luciferase; and (2) a diffusion-controlled reaction by free ATP in the buffer solution outside luciferase. Numerical analysis based on reaction kinetics related γ(1) and γ(2) to the rate constants of a three-step reaction model, and accurately described the effects of concentration of reactants and a viscous reagent on the time courses of bioluminescence. Thus, it has been clearly concluded that the binding mode of caged-ATP at the catalytic center of luciferase is very different from that of ATP.     

Nonlinear optical detection of proteins based on localized surface plasmons in surface immobilized gold nanospheres

A new nonlinear optical method is presented to detect proteins binding to a gold surface without using fluorescent-dye labeling. After exposure of the protein-binding surface to a gold nanosphere solution, the nanospheres are immobilized above a gold surface with a nanogap supported by the protein. The gold nanospheres immobilized on the gold surface show strong localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance, and the formation of this structure results in a marked increase in the optical second harmonic (SH) activity of the gold surface arising from a large enhancement of the electric field localized adjacent to the nanospheres on the LSP resonance. The SH image, therefore, gives a high contrast ratio, 7.0:1, of protein-binding spots to control spots. The contrast ratio is much greater than those obtained by linear reflectivity imaging.     

Sonoporation-mediated transduction of siRNA ameliorated experimental arthritis using 3 MHz pulsed ultrasound

The goal of this feasibility study was to examine whether sonoporation assisted transduction of siRNA could be used to ameliorate arthritis locally. If successful, such approach could provide an alternative treatment for the patients that have or gradually develop adverse response to chemical drugs. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) produced by synovial fibroblasts has an important role in the pathology of rheumatoid arthritis, inducing inflammation and bone destruction. In this study, we injected a mixture of microbubbles and siRNA targeting TNF-α (siTNF) into the articular joints of rats, and transduced siTNF into synovial tissue by exposure to a collimated ultrasound beam, applied through a probe 6 mm in diameter with an input frequency of 3.0 MHz, an output intensity of 2.0 W/cm² (spatial average temporary peak; SATP), a pulse duty ratio of 50%, and a duration of 1 min. Sonoporation increased skin temperature from 26.8 °C to 27.3 °C, but there were no adverse effect such as burns. The mean level of TNF-α expression in siTNF-treated knee joints was 55% of those in controls. Delivery of siTNF into the knee joints every 3 days (i.e., 7, 10, 13, and 16 days after immunization) by in vivo sonoporation significantly reduced paw swelling on days 20–23 after immunization. Radiographic scores in the siTNF group were 56% of those in the CIA group and 61% of those in the siNeg group. Histological examination showed that the number of TNF-α positive cells was significantly lower in areas of pannus invasion into the ankle joints of siTNF- than of siNeg-treated rats. These results indicate that transduction of siTNF into articular synovium using sonoporation may be an effective local therapy for arthritis.     

Structural Transitions from Triangular to Square Molecular Arrangements in the Quasi-One-Dimensional Molecular Conductors (DMEDO-TTF)(2)XF(6) (X = P, As, and Sb)

A series of quasi-one-dimensional molecular conductors (DMEDO-TTF)(2)XF(6) (X = P, As, and Sb), where DMEDO-TTF is dimethyl(ethylenedioxy)tetrathiafulvalene, undergo characteristic structural transitions in the range of 130-195 K for the PF(6) salt and 222-242 K for the AsF(6) salt. The dramatic structural transition is induced by the order of the ethylenedioxy moiety, and the resulting anion rotation leads to the reconstruction of the H···F interaction between the methyl groups and the anions. The unique hydrogen bonds play a crucial role in the transition. As a result, the molecular packing is rearranged entirely; the high-temperature molecular stacks with an ordinary quasi-triangular molecular network transforms to a quasi-square-like network, which has never been observed among organic conductors. Nonetheless, the low-temperature phase exhibits a good metallic conductivity as well, so the transition is a metal-metal (MM) transition. The resistivity measured along the perpendicular direction to the conducting ac-plane (ρ(⊥)) and the calculation of the Fermi surface demonstrate that the high-temperature metal phase is a one-dimensional metal, whereas the low-temperature metal phase has considerable interchain interaction. In the SbF(6) salt, a similar structural transition takes place around 370 K, so that the quasi-square-like lattice is realized even at room temperature. Despite the largely different MM transition temperatures, all these salts undergo metal-insulator (MI) transitions approximately at the same temperature of 50 K. The low-temperature insulator phase is nonmagnetic, and the reflectance spectra suggest the presence of charge disproportionation with small charge difference (0.14).     

Polyelectrolyte complex films derived from polyethyleneoxide-maleic acid copolymer and chitosan: preparation and characterization

Polyelectrolyte complex films were prepared with polyethyleneoxide-maleic acid copolymer and chitosan using a casting/solvent evaporation method. The films were examined in terms of their IR spectra, surface and cross-section morphologies, cytotoxicity, and swelling behavior at different pH levels. To assess the potential of these films as a biomedical device, the profiles of the release of model drug from the CS/PEOMA films were examined at pH 4.8. The surface morphology of the films was quite smooth and uniform, and the cross-sectional morphology was dense and homogeneous. The swelling behaviors of CS/PEOMA films were found to depend on the pH of the solution as well as on the CS/PEOMA composition. Drug release from different CS/PEOMA films at pH 4.8 was found to be dependent on film composition. The results showed the potential applicability of CS/PEOMA film as a drug delivery vehicle.