Iodine(III)‐Catalyzed Rearrangements of Imides: A Versatile Route to α,α‐Dialkylated α‐Hydroxy Carboxylamides

A tertiary hydroxy group α to a carboxyl moiety comprises a key structural motif in many bioactive substances. With the herein presented metal‐free rearrangement of imides triggered by hypervalent λ³‐iodane, an easy and selective way to gain access to such a compound class, namely α,α‐disubstituted‐α‐hydroxy carboxylamides, was established. Their additional methylene bromide side chain constitutes a useful handle for rapid diversification, as demonstrated by a series of further functionalizations. Moreover, the in situ formation of an iodine(III) species under the reaction conditions was proven. Our findings clearly corroborate that hypervalent λ³‐benziodoxolones are involved in these organocatalytic reactions.     

Development of a novel approach for the production of dried genomic DNA for use as standards for qualitative PCR testing of food-borne pathogens

As part of a multi-centre European project, FOOD-PCR, the feasibility of a novel approach for production of dried bacterial DNA that could be used as certified reference materials (CRM) was assessed. Selected strains of Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157, Campylobacter jejuni and Yersinia enterocolitica were used to produce genomic DNA (gDNA). These preparations gave support to method development for qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection methods for food-borne pathogens. Purified gDNA was transformed into stable and dry gDNA by using polypropylene vials as carrier and applying a vacuum-drying technique. The gDNA preparations were shown to be sufficiently stable under ambient transport conditions without cooling and proved to have long-term stability at 5°C of at least 22 months. The dried DNA was easily reconstituted by addition of distilled water then gentle shaking. These studies have shown that production of stable and dry bacterial gDNA material is feasible and could help satisfy the increasing need for certified reference DNA positive control samples in the field of PCR testing for detection and verification of food-borne microbial pathogens.

     

A historical note on the entropy principle of Müller and Liu

Received July 12, 2001 / Published online February 28, 2002     

Depth profiling of latex blends of fluorinated and fluorine‐free acrylates with laser‐induced secondary mass spectrometry

We explored phase separation and self‐assembly of perfluoroalkyl segments at the surface of polymer films obtained from latices of semifluorinated acrylate copolymers and the corresponding latex blends of nonfluorinated and semifluorinated polyacrylates. With laser‐induced secondary mass spectrometry the fluorine distribution was measured after annealing above the minimum film‐forming temperature of the polymers up to a depth of several micrometers. Depth profiles of a semifluorinated acrylate homopolymer and latex blends thereof with fluorine‐free alkylacrylates with 25, 50, and 75 mol % semifluorinated acrylate as well as a copolymer comprised of alkyl acrylate and semifluorinated acrylate (50/50 mol %) were investigated. In the case of latex blends containing both semifluorinated polyacrylates and fluorine‐free or low‐fluorine polymers, self‐assembly accounted for enrichment of the perfluoroalkyl segments at the surface. Coatings exhibiting low surface energy and having a substantially reduced total fluorine content were obtained. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 360–367, 2003     

Acoustic wavefront imaging

We introduce a new class of experiments which provide graphic insights into the propagation of acoustic waves in anisotropic media. Simply stated, we have devised a means of observing the expanding acoustic wavefront from a point disturbance in a solid. The data may be viewed as a movie or a series of snapshots. The observed wavefronts represent the group-velocity surfaces of acoustic waves, which reflect the basic elastic anisotropy of the solid. The technique has been applied to coherent acoustic waves with frequencies in the megahertz range (at ambient temperatures) and to incoherent heat pulses in the hundred-gigahertz range (at liquid-helium temperatures). In this article, we first provide a pedagogical introduction to wave propagation in elastically anisotropic media, reviewing some early methods for visualizing acoustic waves. Next, we describe the “acoustic wavefront imaging” method and give representative results in crystals and composite materials. Finally, we show how this method relates to recent advances in phonon imaging and internal diffraction of ultrasound.     

Stationary axisymmetric solutions in the vacuum Jordan-Brans-Dicke theory

It is shown that any stationary axisymmetric solution to the vacuum field equations of the Jordan-Brans-Dicke (JBD) theory may be obtained from a composition of any stationary axisymmetric vacuum Einstein spacetime with the Weyl class of metrics. Thus, generating solution techniques can be used to obtain any stationary axisymmetric JBD vacuum solution. In this manner, C. B. G. McIntosh's results concerning this topic are improved upon.     

Accreditation of reference material producers: the example of IRMM's Reference Materials Unit

The potential approaches for third-party assessment of reference material producers are revisited and the activities of the Reference Materials (RM) Unit of the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) to obtain accreditation to ISO Guide 34 and ISO 17025 are described. Accreditation was related to the Unit as all matrix RM activities of the institute are concentrated there. A management system was established that allows sufficient flexibility to be applicable to a wide range of RMs while being precise enough to ensure compliance with ISO Guides 30, 31 and especially 34 and 35. Accreditation was achieved in 2004 with independent scopes for testing and RM production and was confirmed and extended in 2005. The key aspects of the RM Unit's management system for RM production are presented. Presented at BERM-10, April 2006, Charleston, SC, USA     

Electronic structures and MCD spectra of trigonal Cr(III)S6 systems

MCD, electronic absorption, external heavy atom, and crystal field data are presented for the low energy region (² E _g, ² T _1g, ⁴ T _2g) and high energy region (² T _2g, ⁴ T _1g) of Cr(dtp)₃, Cr(dtc)₃, and Cr(exan)₃. At low energy, MCD intensities of ² E(² E _g) and ² E(² T _g) are as large or larger than ⁴ T _2g, and the MCD technique is advantageous over electronic absorption in this respect. The MCD positions of ² E _g and ² T _1g are nearly the same for these molecules ( 13 kK and 13.6 kK) · ⁴ T _2g of this region appears trigonally split ( 500 cm^–1) in the MCD of dtp but to a smaller extent than in the electronic crystal spectrum of Lebedda and Palmer ( 600 cm^–1). MCD did not resolve such components for exan and dtc. The higher energy region includes ² T _2g and ⁴ T _1g, and the combined MCD and electronic absorption data of the three compounds taken together lead us to conclude the ordering ² A ₁(² T _2g)<² E(² T _2g)<⁴ E(⁴ T _1g). The potentially useful external heavy atom affect on the solution-observed electronic ² E and ⁴ E bands of Cr(dtp)₃ did not shed additional light on this order of E states. Finally, it is concluded that the order of ⁴ T _1g and ² T _2g cannot be decided from O _h crystal field calculations because of experimental uncertainties about choosing centers of gravity. In addition, ⁴ T _1g and ² T _2g are close together so that ordering ² E<⁴ E does not guarantee ² T _2g<⁴ T _1g. However, it can be concluded that the ratio C/B4 is not correct, whereas the larger 7<(C/B)<8 is consistent with the data of all three molecules because of small B parameters ( 0.4). Locating OO transitions may somewhat decrease C/B and Dq.

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Zusammenfassung In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden folgende Meßergebnisse mitgeteilt; MCD, elektronische Absorption, Einfluß eines äußeren schweren Atoms sowie Kristallfelddaten für den Bereich niedriger Energie (² E _g, ² T _1g, ⁴ T _2g) und den Bereich hoher Energie (² T _2g, ⁴ T _1g) von Cr(dtp)₃, Cr(dtc)₃ und Cr(exan). Bei niedriger Energie sind die MCD-Intensitäten von ² E(² E _g) und ² E(² T _1g) genau so groß, oder größer als ⁴ T _2g, und die MCD-Technik bietet Vorteile gegenüber der elektronischen Absorptionsmethode. Die MCD-Werte von ² E _g und ² T _1g sind für die genannten Moleküle etwa gleich ( 13 kK und 13,6 kK). ⁴ T _2g dieses Gebietes erscheint trigonal aufgespalten ( 500 cm^–1) bei MCD von dtp, aber in einem geringeren Maß als im elektronischen Kristallspektrum von Lebedda und Palmer ( 600 cm^–1) MCD löste solche Komponenten bei exan und dtc nicht auf. Der Bereich höherer Energie enthält ² T _2g und ⁴ T _1g, und aus der Kombination von Daten der MCD-Methode sowie der elektronischen Absorption schlossen wir auf die Anordnung ² A _1g(² T _2g)<² E(² T _2g)<⁴ E(⁴ T _1g). Der möglicherweise nützliche Effekt eines äußeren schweren Atoms auf die in Lösung beobachteten elektronischen ² E- und ⁴E-Banden von Cr(dtp)₃ brachte bezüglich dieser Anordnung der E-Zustände nichts Neues. Weiterhin wird gefolgert, daß die Ordnung von ⁴ T _1g und ² T _2g nicht aus O _h-Kristallfeldberechnungen entschieden werden kann, da experimentelle Unsicherheiten bezüglich der Wahl von Schwerpunkten bestehen. Außerdem liegen ⁴ T _1g und ² T _2g nahe zusammen, sodaß aus der Anordnung ² E<⁴ E nicht notwendig ² T _2g<⁴ T _1g folgt. Es kann jedoch gefolgert werden, daß das Verhältnis C/B4 nicht korrekt ist, während 7<(C/B)<8 konsistent mit den Daten aller drei Moleküle ist, da die B-parameter klein sind (0,4). Die Vokalisierung der OO-Übergänge könnten C/B und Dq etwas erniedrigen.

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Presented in part at the 161st American Chemical Society National Meeting, Los Angeles, California, March–April, 1971.

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NDEA Pre-Doctoral Fellow.