What is the form of muscimol from fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria) in water? An insight from NMR experiment supported by molecular modeling

The biologically active alkaloid muscimol is present in fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria), and its structure and action is related to human neurotransmitter _γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The current study reports on determination of muscimol form present in water solution using multinuclear ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments supported by density functional theory molecular modeling. The structures of three forms of free muscimol molecule both in the gas phase and in the presence of water solvent, modeled by polarized continuous model, and nuclear magnetic isotropic shieldings, the corresponding chemical shifts, and indirect spin–spin coupling constants were calculated. Several J-couplings observed in proton and carbon NMR spectra, not available before, are reported. The obtained experimental spectra, supported by theoretical calculations, favor the zwitterion form of muscimol in water. This structure differs from NH isomer, previously determined in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution. In addition, positions of signals C3 and C5 are reversed in both solvents.     

Synthesis and crystal and molecular structure of newN-substituted γ-hydroxybutyramides

TheN-(2-phenylethyl)amide of-(1, 1-ethylenedioxy)-ethyl--hydroxybutyric acid (II) and theN-(p-methoxybenzyl)amide of-(1, 1-ethylenedioxy)-ethyl--hydroxybutyric acid (III) have been synthesized and the crystal structure ofIII has been solved. CompoundIII, C₁₆H₂₃O₅N, crystallizes in the monoclinic space groupP2₁/c witha=12.572(2),b=11.149(2),c=12.317(2) Å and=106.53(1)°. The structure was solved by direct methods, and refined by full-matrix least squares to giveR=0.040 (R _w =0.047) for 2004 intensities. The dioxolane ring has a deformed half-chair conformation.     

Extraction of glyphosate by a supported liquid membrane technique

The possible application of the supported liquid membrane (SLM) technique for the extraction of glyphosate is presented. For the extraction of this compound the SLM system has been applied with utilisation of Aliquat 336 as a cationic carrier incorporated into the membrane phase. The extraction efficiency of glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] is dependent on the donor phase pH, carrier concentration in the organic phase and NaCl concentration in the acceptor phase. The optimal extraction conditions are: donor phase pH>11, acceptor phase of 2 M NaCl solution and the organic phase composed of 20% (w/w) Aliquot 336 solution in di-hexyl ether. Counter-coupled transport of chloride anions from the acceptor phase to the donor phase is a driving force of the mass transfer in this system.     

Spektralphotometrische Bestimmung des Molekulargewichts von Dextran

Ohne Zusammenfassung

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Spectrophotometric determination of the molecular weight of Dextran

     

Relaxation processes in semidilute solutions of polymers in liquid crystal solvents

We investigate the relaxation phenomena in a polymer (polystyrene)/liquid crystal (4-cyano-4'-n-octyl-biphenyl) system, in its homogeneous isotropic phase near the isotropic-isotropic, isotropic-nematic, and isotropic-smectic coexistence curve, using both polarized and depolarized photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS). We study this system for different polystyrene molecular weights (4750, 12 500, and 65 000 g/mol), different compositions (50, 40, 30, and 10% polystyrene (PS) by weight), and different temperatures close to phase boundaries. First of all, we determine the phase diagrams of this system for the different molecular weights. The shape of the phase diagrams strongly depends on the molecular weight. However, in all cases, at low temperatures, these systems separate into an almost pure liquid crystalline (LC) phase and polystyrene-rich phase. PCS measurements show that the relaxation processes in the homogeneous phase are not affected by the proximity of the nematic, or smectic, boundaries (even at a temperature of 0.1 degrees C above the phase separation in two phases). In polarized PCS experiments, we always see three relaxation processes well separated in time: one, very fast, with a relaxation time of the order of 10(-5) s; a second one with a relaxation time within the range 10(-2)-10(-3) s; and a last one, very slow, with a relaxation time of the order of 1 s. Both the fast and slow modes are independent of the wave vector magnitude, while the intermediate relaxation process is diffusive. In depolarized PCS experiments, the intermediate mode disappears and only the fast and slow relaxation processes remain, and they are independent of the magnitude of the wave vector. The diffusive mode is the classical diffusive mode, which is associated with the diffusion of polymer chains in all polymer solutions. The fast mode is due to the rotational diffusion of 4-cyano-4'-n-octyl-biphenyl (8CB) molecules close to polystyrene chains (transient network). Finally, we assign the slowest mode to reorientational processes of small aggregates of PS chains that are not dissolved in 8CB.     

α-phosphoryl sulfoxides. X. A general synthesis of optically active α-chlorovinyl sulfoxides

A general and efficient synthesis of enantiomeric α-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides 1 using (+)-(S)_C(S)_S-α-chloro-α-dimethoxyphosphorylmethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide as a key substrate for the Horner-Wittig reaction with carbonyl compounds is described. The ratio of geometrical isomers of 1 was determined and briefly investigated. The X-ray diffraction structures of (Z)-1-chloro-1-p-tolylsulfinyl-2-phenyl-ethene and (Z)-1-chloro-1-p-tolylsulfinyl-2-(2-thienyl)-ethene are reported.     

Problems with the ζ-function method

The -function method for evaluating effective actions is applied to an operator containing a potential localized on two parallel planes. This operator is characterized by a continuous spectrum and broken translation invariance. In this case, the -method leads to a divergent volume factor independent of the physical parameters. In a suitable regularization scheme, only the next to leading order term reproduces a physically interesting result.     

Influence of Gold Nanoparticle Film Porosity on the Chemiresistive Sensing Performance

The porosity of 1‐hexanethiol‐functionalised gold nanoparticle films was assessed and utilised as chemiresistor sensors. Electrochemical capacitance measurements showed that the accessibility of electrolytes of different ionic strengths into the pores depended on the thickness of the electric double layer formed. A large variation in capacitance was measured in 0.01–1000 mM NaClO₄, implying a wide pore size distribution. The change in morphology of the nanoparticle films upon storage in air, water and ethanol for two weeks was investigated. There was a significant decrease in the electrochemical capacitance at high electrolyte concentrations for the ethanol‐stored films compared to the freshly‐prepared films suggesting a decrease in the number of small pores of radii in the range of 0.3–3 nm. This was further supported by optical topographical measurements where a decrease in the thickness of ethanol‐stored films was observed relative to the freshly‐prepared films. The porous nature of the nanoparticle films was found to have an effect on the chemical sensing behaviour. When used as chemiresistor sensors, for the detection of heptane in water, the ethanol‐stored films provided larger resistance changes and longer response times. This suggests that the more densely packed ethanol‐stored films provided more sites that enabled film swelling, and that diffusion of the analyte occurred through the narrower water‐filled pores. This demonstrates the effect of different storage conditions on film morphology and subsequently sensor response.     

PIN-photodiode with a large spot size input waveguide

Polarization insensitive optical coupling of a large spot size input waveguide to a small spot size photodiode is achieved by the introduction of a transition waveguide. The coupling efficiency to the photodetector and the related absorption efficiency of the photodiode depend mainly on the refractive indices of the different InGaAsP layers. Waveguide alignments, waveguide widths and the n-contact etch depth do not influence the absorption efficiency relative to a 1-dB tolerance.