Why is polonium simple cubic and so highly anisotropic?

Using the state-of-the-art ab initio electronic structure calculations, we explain why alpha-Po prefers the simple cubic structure (it is due to the relativistic mass-velocity and Darwin terms), elucidate its extreme elastic anisotropy (this is an intrinsic property of the simple cubic crystal structure), and predict a transformation to a mixture of two trigonal structures at pressures of 1-3 GPa.     

End-labeling of peptide nucleic acid with osmium complex. Voltammetry at carbon and mercury electrodes

Peptide nucleic acid (PNA), the DNA mimic with electrically neutral pseudopeptide backbone, is intensively used in biotechnologies and particularly in single-base mismatch detection in DNA hybridization sensors. We propose a simple method of covalent end-labeling of PNA with osmium tetroxide, 2,2′-bipyridine (Os,bipy). Os,bipy-modified PNA (PNA–Os,bipy) produces voltammetric stripping peaks at carbon and mercury electrodes. Peak potential (E_p) of one of the anodic peaks of PNA–Os,bipy at the pyrolytic graphite electrode (PGE) differs from E_p of the reagent, allowing PNA–Os,bipy analysis directly in the reaction mixture. At the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) the PNA–Os,bipy yields a catalytic peak Cat_p, in addition to the redox couples. Using Cat_p it is possible to detect purified PNA–Os,bipy down to 1 pM concentration at accumulation time 60 s. To our knowledge this is the highest sensitivity of the electrochemical detection of PNA.     

Covalent Labeling of Nucleosides with VIII‐ and VI‐Valent Osmium Complexes

Osmium tetroxide complexes with nitrogen ligands [Os(VIII)L] have been widely applied as probes of the DNA structure and as electroactive labels of DNA. Here we describe the electrochemical behavior of Os(VIII)2,2‐bipyridine (Os, bipy)‐base‐labeled nucleosides. We show that electroactive label can be introduced also in the nucleoside ribose residues using six‐valent osmium complex. Cyclic voltammograms of sugar‐Os(VI)‐modified ribosides are similar but not identical to those of the base‐modified ribosides. Our results showing the electroactivity of sugar modified ribosides pave the way to facile end‐labeling of RNA.     

Voltammetry of Os(VI)‐Modified Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides (PSs), such as dextran, yeast mannan, starch and amylose, were modified with complexes of six‐valent osmium with nitrogen ligands [Os(VI)L] and voltammetric behavior of PS‐Os(VI)L adducts was studied at mercury and carbon electrodes. Using Os(VI)temed as a modification agent and adsorptive transfer stripping (ex situ) method it was possible to determine PSs at submicromolar concentrations directly in the reaction mixture in an excess of monomeric glucose or sucrose both at Hg and carbon electrodes. Conventional (in situ) PS determination in the reaction mixture was possible only with mercury electrodes. The above methods have great potentiality in biological research.     

Metabolism of the crucifer phytoalexins wasalexin A and B in the plant pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans

Wasalexins A and B are crucifer phytoalexins produced by two substantially different plant species, a wild species abundant in the Canadian prairies and a condiment plant widely cultivated in Japan. Interestingly, both plant species are resistant to an economically important fungal plant pathogen, the blackleg fungus [Leptosphaeria maculans (Desm.) Ces. et de Not., asexual stage Phoma lingam (Tode ex Fr.) Desm.]. The transformation of wasalexins A and B in cultures of isolates of L. maculans, an isolate highly virulent towards canola (BJ 125) and a less common isolate which is virulent towards wasabi (Laird 2/Mayfair 2) was investigated. It was established that both fungal isolates are able to efficiently metabolize and detoxify wasalexins A and B through reduction in the case of wasalexin A or through hydrolysis followed by reduction in the case of wasalexin B. Moreover, a close structural analogue of wasalexins, which does not occur naturally, was also found to be reduced in cultures of L. maculans. The structures of the new metabolic products were elucidated using spectroscopic methods and were confirmed by synthesis. Bioassays indicated that the biotransformation of wasalexins is a detoxification process that may contribute to the aggressive nature of these fungal isolates towards plants that produce wasalexins.     

Effect of spin-orbit coupling on reduction potentials of octahedral ruthenium(II/III) and osmium(II/III) complexes

Reduction potentials of several M(2+/3+) (M = Ru, Os) octahedral complexes, namely, [M(H2O)6](2+/3+), [MCl6](4-/3-), [M(NH3)6](2+/3+), [M(en)3](2+/3+) [M(bipy)3](2+/3+), and [M(CN)6](4-/3-), were calculated using the CASSCF/CASPT2/CASSI and MRCI methods including spin-orbit coupling (SOC) by means of first-order quasi-degenerate perturbation theory. It was shown that the effect of SOC accounts for a systematic shift of approximately -70 mV in the reduction potentials of the studied ruthenium (II/III) complexes and an approximately -300 mV shift for the osmium(II/III) complexes. SOC splits the sixfold-degenerate (2)T(2g) ground electronic state (in ideal octahedral symmetry) of the M(3+) ions into the E((5/2)g) Kramers doublet and G((3/2)g) quartet, which were calculated to split by 1354-1573 cm(-1) in the Ru(3+) complexes and 4155-5061 cm(-1) in the Os(3+) complexes. It was demonstrated that this splitting represents the main contribution to the stabilization of the M(3+) ground state with respect to the closed-shell (1)A(1g) ground state in M(2+) systems. Moreover, it was shown that the accuracy of the calculated reduction potentials depends on the calculated solvation energies of both the oxidized and reduced forms. For smaller ligands, it involves explicit inclusion of the second solvation sphere into the calculations, whereas implicit solvation models yield results of sufficient accuracy for complexes with larger ligands. In such cases (e.g., [M(bipy)3](2+/3+) and its derivatives), very good agreement between the calculated (SOC-corrected) values of the reduction potentials and the available experimental values was obtained. These results led us to the conclusion that especially for Os(2+/3+) complexes, inclusion of SOC is necessary to avoid systematic errors of approximately 300 mV in the calculated reduction potentials.     

A remarkably simple protocol for the N-formylation of amino acid esters and primary amines

A simple, convenient, and wide scope protocol for the N-formylation of amino acid esters and primary amines has been developed utilizing only imidazole in warm DMF.     

Spin–orbit coupling in biradicals. 5. Zero-field splitting in triplet dimethylnitrenium,dimethylphosphenium and dimethylarsenium cations

The spin dipole–spin dipole and spin–orbit coupling contributions to the zero-field splitting parameters D and E of [CH₃–N–CH₃]⁺, [CH₃–P–CH₃]⁺, and [CH₃–As–CH₃]⁺ have been calculated from CASSCF(14,14)/cc-pVTZ wave functions and the Breit–Pauli Hamiltonian at T₁ B3LYP/cc-pVTZ optimized geometries. The spin–orbit coupling contributions represent a minor correction for the dimethylnitrenium cation, which has a triplet ground state. They dominate the spin–spin terms by an order of magnitude in the dimethylphosphenium cation and by more than two orders of magnitude in the dimethylarsenium cation, both of which have a singlet ground state. The properties of all these biradicaloids follow expectations based on the simple algebraic 2-in-2 model of biradical structure.