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.     

Nonlinear frequency response analysis: a recent review and perspectives

The nonlinear frequency response analysis (NFRA) can be seen as an extension of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. NFRA gives a full and detailed representation of the system response and can establish a connection between model parameters and the experimentally observed phenomena. In this article, different theoretical NFRA approaches and the most recent application examples are discussed. A simple electrochemical example is used to showcase the benefits and disadvantages of analyzing the system response by using different approaches. In addition, it was shown how to extract experimental harmonic values and analyze them.     

Slow quenching for a one-dimensional kinetic Ising model: Residual energy and domain growth

A one-dimensional kinetic Ising model with Glauber dynamics subjected to a slow continuous quench to zero temperature is studied. For a rather general class of cooling schemes, described by a time-dependent temperatureT(t), the mean domain sizeL(t) is calculated along with the residual energye _res (r) as a function of the cooling rater. If the attempt frequency =₀ exp(–/kT), entering into the transition rates, is temperature dependent (i.e., the barrier is non-zero), the asymptotic growth ofL(t) is given byL()–L(t)~exp[–/kT(t)]. For this case the residual energy exhibits a power-law behaviore _res(r) ~r ^{/2(1 + )} forr small, where =4J/ andJ is the nearest neighbor coupling constant. For =0 and for certain cooling schemes the residual energy is zero andL(t)~t1/2, independent ofr.     

Simultaneous analysis of oxidized and reduced glutathione in cell extracts by capillary zone electrophoresis

Glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) levels in cells constitute a thiol redox system. They can be used as an indicator of oxidative stress of the cell. In this study, a capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method is described that enables quantitation of GSH and GSSG from cellular extracts. The CZE buffer used was 20 mM ammonium acetate containing 5% (v/v) acetic acid at pH 3.1 in conjunction with a polybrene coated capillary operated in reverse polarity mode. Effects of different acids used to prepare cell samples were investigated on CZE performance. The acids include meta phosphoric acid (MPA), trichloroacetic acid (TCA), phosphoric acid (PA) and sulfosalicylic acid (SSA) and are used to stabilize GSH and GSSG before performing CZE analysis. The method features a limit of detection of 4 microM and a limit of quantitation of 12 microM for both GSSG and GSH and recoveries of 94% for GSH and 100% for GSSG. Quantitative analysis of GSSG and GSH in HaCaT cell extracts (5% SSA, w/v) was performed with this method and changes in the ratio of GSH to GSSG in N-ethylmaleimide treated cell sample was observed by comparing with control cell samples.     

Generalizations of the neumann system a curve-theoretical approach-part I

The following observation, due to E. Trubowitz, illustrates an intimate relationship between spectral theory and Hamiltonian mechanics in the presence of constraints. Let q(s) be a real periodic function such that the Hill operator, has only a finite number g^R of simple eigenvalues. There exist g^R + 1 periodic eigenfunctions x₁,…, x and corresponding eigenvalues a₁,…, a of L such that where y_r = dx_r/ds. The equations Lx_r = a_rx_r, r = 1,…,g_R+1, make up the classical Neumann system, a system of harmonic oscillators constrained to the unit sphere. H. Flaschka obtained similar results about the Neumann system from a more general point of view. His assumption, that there exists an operator of odd order that commutes with L, leads to algebraic curve theory by the method of Krichever and from there to the Neumann formulas above. The familiar Lax pairs, the constants of motion and the quadrics of the Neumann system emerge as consequences of the Riemann-Roch theoreni. The existence of isospectral deformations of L, the Korteweg de-Vries hierarchy of the soliton equations, underlies the complete integrability of the Neumann system. This paper extends Flaschka's techniques, replacing L by an operator of order n 2 2. Higher Neumann systems are defined in a way that leads naturally to interesting symplectic manifolds, Lax pairs and integrals of motion. C. Tomei, using scattering theory, obtained some of our n = 3 formulas.     

Gas-phase derivatization of [C3H5]+ ions using tandem mass spectrometry methods A13C labelling study

The study of specifically ¹³C-labelled precursors sheds further light on the gas-phase chemistry of allyl and 2-propenyl cations. It is demonstrated that both species are formed from allyl and 2-propenyl bromide upon 70 eV electron impact ionization without skeletal reorganization. Gas-phase derivatization of the [C₃ H₅]⁺ ions with benzene facilitates, as suggested and observed earlier, the distinction of the two isomers using collision-induced dissociation of the Wheland complexes (or isomers thereof). The ¹³C labelling data clearly demonstrate that 64% of allyl cations survive the derivatization while 36% isomerize to 2-phenylpropyl cations; the latter are also formed via the reaction of 2-propenyl cation with benzene, protonation of α-methylstyrene and water loss from protonated 2-phenyl-2-propanol, respectively. Unimolecular loss of C₂H₄ from protonated allylbenzene proceeds via two competing reaction channels: one involves heterolysis of 1-phenylpropyl cations (～30%); the major pathway (～70%), however, involves decomposition via propylene benzenium ions.     

Methylene-azaphosphirane as a reactive intermediate

Reaction of the transient phosphinidene complexes R-P=W(CO)5 with N-substituted-diphenylketenimines leads unexpectedly to the novel 2-aminophosphindoles, as confirmed by an X-ray crystal structure determined for one of the derivatives. Experimental evidence for a methylene-azaphosphirane intermediate was found by using the iron-complexed phosphinidene iPr2N-P=Fe(CO)4, which affords the 2-aminophosphindole together with the novel methylene-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[1,3]azaphosphole. Analysis of the reaction pathways with DFT indicates that the initially formed methylene-azaphosphirane yields both phosphorus heterocycles by way of a [1,5]- or [1,3]-sigmatropic shift, respectively, followed by a H-shift. Strain underlies both rearrangements, which causes these remarkably selective conversions that can be tuned by changing the substituents.     

Quantification of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the picogram/liter range in water of the river Elbe

Sampling and determination of dissolved and particlebound PCBs and HCB in the river Elbe are described. A new filtration/adsorption unit for sampling of dissolved lipophilic contaminants was developed. The detection limit for dissolved PCBs and HCB was 5 pg/l. The data show that more than 98% of the PCBs and of HCB in the water of the river Elbe are particle-bound.