High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of formate as benzimidazole in biological samples

Formate was determined as benzimidazole by high-performance liquid chromatography after reaction with o-phenylenediamine at 130 degrees C for 2 h in 1 M perchloric acid. The useful concentration range was 1.6-40 mumol/l and the determination limit was 20 pmol. The recoveries from rat liver homogenate and human urine were 90.3 +/- 2.9 and 89.4 +/- 2.5%, respectively. Using this method, the activity of formaldehyde dehydrogenase in biological samples could be measured, and also the formate concentration in the liver and urine of rats to which methanol had been administered.     

Nb2O5·nH2O as a heterogeneous catalyst with water-tolerant Lewis acid sites

Niobic acid, Nb(2)O(5)·nH(2)O, has been studied as a heterogeneous Lewis acid catalyst. NbO(4) tetrahedra, Lewis acid sites, on Nb(2)O(5)·nH(2)O surface immediately form NbO(4)-H(2)O adducts in the presence of water. However, a part of the adducts can still function as effective Lewis acid sites, catalyzing the allylation of benzaldehyde with tetraallyl tin and the conversion of glucose into 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural in water.     

Regio- and Z-Selective Alkyne Hydroamination and Hydrophenoxylation using Tetrafluoro-λ6-Sulfanyl Alkynes under Superbasic,Naked Anion Conditions

Alkyne hydroamination is an effective approach for the production of enamines and enamine-containing N-heterocycles. However, stereoselectivity control is a considerable challenge in this reaction because of the electronic repulsion between an incoming nitrogen lone pair and the alkyne π-system. Herein, we propose a methodology involving β-regio- and Z-selective alkyne hydroamination by using tetrafluoro-λ⁶-sulfanyl (SF₄) alkynes under superbasic, naked anion conditions. The reaction is compatible with a wide variety of N-heterocycles, including indoles, carbazoles, pyrazoles, and imidazoles, and selectively furnishes SF₄-linked Z-vinyl enamines with β-regioselectively. Moreover, the method can be extended to the β- and Z-controlled, base-mediated alkyne hydrophenoxylation with phenols to provide SF₄-linked Z-vinyl ethers in high yields. As the SF₄ unit has attracted attention as a bioisostere for alkynes, p-benzenes, bicyclo[1.1.1]pentyl (BCP) groups, and cubanes in medicinal chemistry, this chemistry represents an effective approach to creating novel drug candidates incorporating SF₄-containing molecules.     

Current State of Microflow Trifluoromethylation Reactions

The trifluoromethyl group is a powerful structural motif in drugs and polymers; thus, developing trifluoromethylation reactions is an important area of research in organic chemistry. Over the past few decades, significant progress has been made in developing new methods for the trifluoromethylation of organic molecules, ranging from nucleophilic and electrophilic approaches to transition-metal catalysis, photocatalysis, and electrolytic reactions. While these reactions were initially developed in batch systems, more recent microflow versions are highly attractive for industrial applications owing to their scalability, safety, and time efficiency. In this review, we discuss the current state of microflow trifluoromethylation. Approaches for microflow trifluoromethylation based on different trifluoromethylation reagents are described, including continuous flow, flow photochemical, microfluidic electrochemical reactions, and large-scale microflow reactions.     

Reaction of an alkyne with dinickel-diphenylsilyl complexes. An emissive disilane formed via the consecutive Si-C and Si-Si bond-making processes

[{Ni(dmpe)}(2)(μ-SiHPh(2))(2)] (dmpe = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane) reacted with PhC≡CPh to yield fluorescent 1,2-bis{(E)-1,2-diphenylethenyl}-1,1,2,2-tetraphenyldisilane via addition of the Si-H bond of the ligand to the alkyne and subsequent coupling of the tertiary silyl ligands forming the Si-Si bond.     

Equivalent electric circuit analyses of ionic thermocurrent in sodium-doped CaF2 crystals

The characteristics of high-temperature ionic thermocurrent (HT ITC) in CaF₂ doped with different sodium concentrations were studied by the Teflon-insulated electrode ITC method. It was shown that, with increasing sodium concentration, the HT ITC band moved toward a Na⁺-F_V dipole band with a peak at 162 K. The results of analyses of the HT ITC spectra using an equivalent electric circuit proved that the activation energy of space charge migration related to HT ITC was also strongly dependent on the doped sodium concentrations if varied from 0.94 to 0.46 eV with increasing sodium concentration in our ITC study. In addition, the broadening of the Na⁺-F_V dipole band was observed in 3 nominal mole% NaF-doped CaF₂, which was accompanied by a considerable decrease of the activation energy from 0.46 to 0.29 eV without showing marked temperature shifts of the peak ITC bands.     

Determination of midazolam and its metabolite as a probe for cytochrome P450 3A4 phenotype by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

This study demonstrated the analysis of midazolam and its metabolites by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with a sonic spray ionization (SSI) interface. The analytical column was a YMC-Pak Pro C18 (50 mm x 2.0 mm i.d.) using 10 mM ammonium acetate (pH 4.8)-methanol (1:1) at a flow rate of 0.2 ml min(-1). The drift voltage was 100 V. The sampling aperture was heated at 110 degrees C and the shield temperature was 230 degrees C. The lower limits for the detection of midazolam and 1'-hydroxymidazolam were 26.3 and 112.76 pg injected, respectively. The calibration curves for midazolam and 1'-hydroxymidazolam were linear in the range of 0.1-5 microg ml(-1). Within-day relative standard deviations was less than 7%. The method was applied to the determination of midazolam in monkey plasma, and the analysis of midazolam and its metabolites in an in vitro study with recombinant cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4. This method is sufficiently sensitive and useful to elucidate the kinetics of midazolam metabolite formation. We also investigated the effect of propofol on the metabolism of midazolam using recombinant CYP3A4. Propofol competitively inhibited the metabolism of midazolam to 1'-hydroxymidazolam by CYP3A4.     

Phonon-assisted luminescence anomalies in Eu2+ doped Ca1-xSrxF2 mixed crystals

Abstract

With increasing X on Ca_1-xSr_xF₂ mixed crystals doped with Eu²⁺ (4f⁶5d) ions, the absorption peak shifted linearly to that of SrF₂:Eu, while the luminescence one moved parabolically with a minimum at around x=0.5. The linewidth broadened nearly twice as large as that of CaF₂ in the vicinity of x=0.5 and subsequently renarrowed for x > 0.5. The temperature dependences of the luminescence intensity and life time revealed that the nonradiative activation energy has a minimum of 0.40 eV around x=0.5. From the calculated result of the lineshape, these non-linear behaviors against x were explained by adjusting the electron-phonon coupling strength.     

First investigation at elevated pressures to confirm the exact nature of the gated electron-transfer systems: volume profiles of the gated reduction reaction and nongated reverse oxidation reaction involving a [Cu(dmp)2(solvent)]2+/[Cu(dmp)2]+ couple (dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline)

Redox reactions involving the [Cu(dmp)2]2+/+ couple (dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) in acetonitrile were examined at elevated pressures up to 200 MPa. Activation volumes were determined as -8.8 and -6.3 cm3 mol-1 for the reduction cross-reaction by [Co(bipy)3]2+ (bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine) and for the oxidation cross-reaction by [Ni(tacn)2]3+ (tacn = 1,4,7-triazacyclononane), respectively. The activation volume for the hypothetical gated mode of the self-exchange reaction estimated from the reduction cross-reaction was -13.9 cm3 mol-1, indicating extensive electrostrictive rearrangement of solvent molecules around the CuII complex during the change in the coordination geometry before the electron-transfer step. On the other hand, the activation volume for the self-exchange reaction estimated from the oxidation cross-reaction was -2.7 +/- 1.5 cm3 mol-1. Although this value was within the range that can be interpreted by the concept of the ordinary concerted process, from theoretical considerations it was concluded that the reverse (oxidation) cross-reaction of the gated reduction reaction of the [Cu(dmp)2(CH3CN)]2+/[Cu(dmp)2]+ couple proceeds through the product excited state while the direct self-exchange reaction between [Cu(dmp)2(CH3CN)]2+ and [Cu(dmp)2]+ proceeds through an ordinary concerted process.