Efficient catalysis in dynamic nanomicelles of PS-750-M suspended in water

This review demonstrates the multiple roles of surfactants in aqueous micellar catalysis. It covers the design and recent applications of proline-based amphiphile PS-750-M, including completely organic solvent-free amide couplings, C–H fluorination of arenes and heteroarenes achieved via radical pathway facilitated by the shielding effect of micelles. In addition, it critically sheds light on selective hydrogenolysis and cross-couplings of water-sensitive acid chlorides in water, catalyzed by phosphine ligand-free Pd (0) nanoparticles. The metal-micelle interaction responsible for catalytic activities as probed by various spectroscopic techniques is also discussed.     

13C NMR investigations of molecular order of rod-like,bent-core,and thiophene mesogens

In this review, methods to obtain the orientational order of topologically variant molecular mesogens using by one- and two-dimensional (2D) solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are described. Besides ¹³C chemical shifts, the ¹³C─¹H dipolar couplings measured from 2D-separated local field (SLF) technique are used for computing the order parameters of a variety of mesogens. The investigated molecules are composed of a variable number of rings in the core, that is, core ranging from simply one ring to five rings. Among the mesogens investigated, a special focus has been placed on mesogens with thiophene rings, which are gaining popularity as liquid crystalline organic semiconductors. The replacement of a phenyl ring by thiophene in the core has a dramatic influence on molecular topology, as observed from the measured order parameters. The review highlights the advantages of the 2D SLF method for understanding the local dynamics and for mapping the topology of mesogens through the measured order parameters. SLF NMR studies of as many as 24 molecular mesogens that vary in terms of the molecular structure as well as topology are covered in the review. Order parameters of the rings have been estimated from the ¹³C─¹H dipolar couplings in the nematic, smectic A, smectic C, and tilted hexatic phases as well as in B₁ and B₂ mesophases of various mesogens. It is anticipated that, in the years to come, the 2D SLF method would provide advanced molecular information on structurally complex mesogens that are emerging in liquid crystal science through the incessant efforts of synthetic chemists. The mini review covers the orientational order of topologically variant molecular mesogens determined by 1D and 2D solid-state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Accordingly, rod-like, bent-core, and thiophene mesogens were subjected to 2D SLF measurements to get the order parameters from which the topology was established. The replacement of phenyl ring by thiophene and its influence on order parameters as well as on molecular topology is also discussed.     

Sensitivity-enhanced IPAP experiments for measuring one-bond C–C and C–H residual dipolar couplings in proteins

Sensitivity-enhanced 2D IPAP experiments using the accordion principle for measuring one-bond 13C'-13Calpha and 1Halpha-13Calpha dipolar couplings in proteins are presented. The resolution of the resulting spectra is identical to that of the decoupled HSQC spectra and the sensitivity of the corresponding 1D acquisitions are only slightly lower than those obtained with 3D HNCO and 3D HN(COCA)HA pulse sequences due to an additional delay 2Delta. For cases of limited resolution in the 2D 15N-1HN HSQC spectrum the current pulse sequences can easily be modified into 3D versions by introducing a poorly digitized third dimension, if so desired. The experiments described here are a valuable addition to the suites available for determination of residual dipolar couplings in biological systems.     

Phase Transitions in Traffic Models

It is suggested that the question of existence of a jamming phase transition in a broad class of single-lane cellular-automaton traffic models may be studied using a correspondence to the asymmetric chipping model. In models where such correspondence is applicable, jamming phase transition does not take place. Rather, the system exhibits a smooth crossover between free-flow and jammed states, as the car density is increased.     

Radical Couplings as Key Steps for the Preparation of Derivatives of Nonactic Acid

Summary. Free radical couplings from furan, as cheap starting material, were studied in view of developing a rapid strategy en route to the synthesis of derivatives of nonactin. The chain containing the alcohol function was introduced in one or two steps in 86% yield. For the introduction of the second chain with the ester function two different coupling methods were tested. Starting from the advanced intermediates obtained nonactin derivatives can be prepared by catalytic hydrogenation of the furan ring.     

Hydrogel‐like elastic membrane consisting of semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks based on a phosphorylcholine polymer and a segmented polyurethane

To obtain a hydrogel‐like elastic membrane, we prepared semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) by the radical polymerization of methacrylates such as 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), 2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate, and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate diffused into segmented polyurethane (SPU) membranes swollen with a monomer mixture. The values of Young's modulus for the hydrated semi‐IPN membranes were less than that for an SPU membrane because of higher hydration, but they were much higher than that for a hydrated MPC polymer gel (non‐SPU). According to a thermal analysis, the MPC polymer influenced the segment association of SPU. The diffusion coefficient of 8‐anilino‐1‐naphthalenesulfonic acid sodium salt from the semi‐IPN membrane could be controlled with different MPC unit concentrations in the membrane, and it was about 7 × 10² times higher than that of the SPU membrane. Fibroblast cell adhesion on the semi‐IPN membrane was effectively reduced by the MPC units. We concluded that semi‐IPNs composed of the MPC polymer and SPU may be novel polymer materials possessing attractive mechanical, diffusive‐release, and nonbiofouling properties. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 68–75, 2003     

The samarium(II)-mediated intermolecular couplings of ketones and β-alkoxyacrylates: a short asymmetric synthesis of an antifungal γ-butyrolactone

The samarium(II) iodide-mediated coupling of ketones with β-alkoxyacrylates gives β-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactones in moderate yield. The process has been applied to the asymmetric synthesis of an antifungal, γ-butyrolactone natural product.     

Syntheses and spectroscopic properties of energy transfer systems based on squaraines

The purpose of this project was to prepare fluorescent dyes that could absorb energy at relatively short wavelengths, and fluoresce in the near-IR region. To achieve this, copper- and palladium-mediated C-N couplings were used to prepare the ‘cassettes’, i.e the carbazole derivative 3b and the carbazole-, phenothiazine-, and phenoazine-squaraines 4b-d. These compounds have carbazole, phenothiazine, and phenoazine donor-components that absorb around about 300-320 nm, and squaraine acceptor-parts that fluoresce in the range 650-700 nm. The efficiencies of energy transfer from the donor to the acceptor, and the overall quantum yields of the cassettes were determined.     

Probing the water coordination of protein-targeted MRI contrast agents by pulsed ENDOR spectroscopy.

A novel methodology based on electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy is used for the direct determination of the water coordination number (q) of gadolinium-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. Proton ENDOR spectra can be obtained at approximately physiological concentrations for metal complexes in frozen aqueous solutions either in the presence or absence of protein targets. It is shown that, depending on the structure of the co-ligand, the water hydration number of a complex in aqueous solution can be significantly different to when the complex is noncovalently bound to a protein. From the ENDOR spectra of the exchangeable protons, precise information on the metal-proton distance can be derived as well. These essential parameters directly correlate with the efficacy of MRI contrast agents and should therefore aid the development of novel, highly efficient compounds targeted to various proteins.     

Traveling waves for a four-compartment lattice epidemic system with exposed class and standard incidence

This paper is considering the problem of traveling wave solutions (TWS) for a susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) epidemic model with discrete diffusion. The threshold condition for the existence and nonexistence of TWS is obtained. More specifically, such kind of solutions are governed by the threshold number ?₀. We can find a critical wave speed c^? if ?₀ > 1, by employing the Schauder's fixed point theorem, limiting argument and two-sided Laplace transform, we confirm that there exists TWS for c > c^?, while there exists no TWS for c < c^?. We also obtain the nonexistence of TWS for ?₀ ≤ 1. At last, we give some biological explanations from the epidemiological perspective.