Sample records for aromatic reactive intermediates

  1. Precise through-space control of an abiotic electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murphy, Kyle E.; Bocanegra, Jessica L.; Liu, Xiaoxi; Chau, H.-Y. Katharine; Lee, Patrick C.; Li, Jianing; Schneebeli, Severin T.

    2017-04-01

    Nature has evolved selective enzymes for the efficient biosynthesis of complex products. This exceptional ability stems from adapted enzymatic pockets, which geometrically constrain reactants and stabilize specific reactive intermediates by placing electron-donating/accepting residues nearby. Here we perform an abiotic electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction, which is directed precisely through space. Ester arms--positioned above the planes of aromatic rings--enable it to distinguish between nearly identical, neighbouring reactive positions. Quantum mechanical calculations show that, in two competing reaction pathways, both [C-H...O]-hydrogen bonding and electrophile preorganization by coordination to a carbonyl group likely play a role in controlling the reaction. These through-space-directed mechanisms are inspired by dimethylallyl tryptophan synthases, which direct biological electrophilic aromatic substitutions by preorganizing dimethylallyl cations and by stabilizing reactive intermediates with [C-H...N]-hydrogen bonding. Our results demonstrate how the third dimension above and underneath aromatic rings can be exploited to precisely control electrophilic aromatic substitutions.

  2. Nitration of naphthalene and remarks on the mechanism of electrophilic aromatic nitration.

    PubMed

    Olah, G A; Narang, S C; Olah, J A

    1981-06-01

    Naphthalene was nitrated with a variety of nitrating agents. Comparison of data with Perrin's electrochemical nitration [Perrin, C. L. (1977) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 99, 5516-5518] shows that nitration of naphthalene gives an alpha-nitronaphthalene to beta-nitronaphthalene ratio that varies between 9 and 29 and is thus not constant. Perrin's data, therefore, are considered to be inconclusive evidence for the proposed one-electron transfer mechanism for the nitration of naphthalene and other reactive aromatics. Moodie and Schoefield [Hoggett, J. G., Moodie, R. B., Penton, J. R. & Schoefield, K. (1971) Nitration and Aromatic Reactivity (Cambridge Univ. Press, London)], as well as Perrin, independently concluded that, in the general scheme of nitration of reactive aromatics, there is the necessity to introduce into the classical Ingold mechanism an additional step involving a distinct intermediate preceding the formation of the Wheland intermediate (sigma complexes). This view coincides with our two-step mechanistic picture [Kuhn, S. J. & Olah, G. A. (1961) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 83, 4564-4571] of the nitronium salt nitration of aromatic hydrocarbons (including benzene and toluene), in which low substrate selectivity but high positional selectivity was found, indicating the independence of substrate from positional selectivity.

  3. Nitration of naphthalene and remarks on the mechanism of electrophilic aromatic nitration*

    PubMed Central

    Olah, George A.; Narang, Subhash C.; Olah, Judith A.

    1981-01-01

    Naphthalene was nitrated with a variety of nitrating agents. Comparison of data with Perrin's electrochemical nitration [Perrin, C. L. (1977) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 99, 5516-5518] shows that nitration of naphthalene gives an α-nitronaphthalene to β-nitronaphthalene ratio that varies between 9 and 29 and is thus not constant. Perrin's data, therefore, are considered to be inconclusive evidence for the proposed one-electron transfer mechanism for the nitration of naphthalene and other reactive aromatics. Moodie and Schoefield [Hoggett, J. G., Moodie, R. B., Penton, J. R. & Schoefield, K. (1971) Nitration and Aromatic Reactivity (Cambridge Univ. Press, London)], as well as Perrin, independently concluded that, in the general scheme of nitration of reactive aromatics, there is the necessity to introduce into the classical Ingold mechanism an additional step involving a distinct intermediate preceding the formation of the Wheland intermediate (σ complexes). This view coincides with our two-step mechanistic picture [Kuhn, S. J. & Olah, G. A. (1961) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 83, 4564-4571] of the nitronium salt nitration of aromatic hydrocarbons (including benzene and toluene), in which low substrate selectivity but high positional selectivity was found, indicating the independence of substrate from positional selectivity. PMID:16593026

  4. Breslow Intermediates from Aromatic N-Heterocyclic Carbenes (Benzimidazolin-2-ylidenes, Thiazolin-2-ylidenes).

    PubMed

    Berkessel, Albrecht; Paul, Mathias; Sudkaow, Panyapon; Wessels, Alina; Schlörer, Nils E; Neudörfl, Jörg M

    2018-04-12

    We report the first generation and characterization of the elusive Breslow intermediates derived from aromatic N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), namely benzimidazolin-2-ylidenes (NMR, X-ray) and thiazolin-2-ylidenes (NMR). In the former case, the diaminoenols were generated by reaction of the free N,N-bis-Dipp- and N,N-bis-Mes-benzimidazolin-2-ylidenes with aldehydes, while the dimer of 3,4,5-trimethylthiazolin-2-ylidene served as the starting material in the latter case. The unambiguous NMR-identification of the first thiazolin-2-ylidene based Breslow intermediate rests on double 13C labeling of both the NHC and the aldehyde component. Acyl anion reactivity was proven by benzoin formation with excess aldehyde. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Elucidation of the iron(IV)–oxo intermediate in the non-haem iron halogenase SyrB2

    PubMed Central

    Wong, Shaun D.; Srnec, Martin; Matthews, Megan L.; Liu, Lei V.; Kwak, Yeonju; Park, Kiyoung; Bell, Caleb B.; Alp, E. Ercan; Zhao, Jiyong; Yoda, Yoshitaka; Kitao, Shinji; Seto, Makoto; Krebs, Carsten; Bollinger, J. Martin; Solomon, Edward I.

    2013-01-01

    SUMMARY Mononuclear non-haem iron (NHFe) enzymes catalyse a wide variety of oxidative reactions including halogenation, hydroxylation, ring closure, desaturation, and aromatic ring cleavage. These are highly important for mammalian somatic processes such as phenylalanine metabolism, production of neurotransmitters, hypoxic response, and the biosynthesis of natural products.1–3 The key reactive intermediate in the catalytic cycles of these enzymes is an S = 2 FeIV=O species, which has been trapped for a number of NHFe enzymes4–8 including the halogenase SyrB2, the subject of this study. Computational studies to understand the reactivity of the enzymatic NHFe FeIV=O intermediate9–13 are limited in applicability due to the paucity of experimental knowledge regarding its geometric and electronic structures, which determine its reactivity. Synchrotron-based nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) is a sensitive and effective method that defines the dependence of the vibrational modes of Fe on the nature of the FeIV=O active site.14–16 Here we present the first NRVS structural characterisation of the reactive FeIV=O intermediate of a NHFe enzyme. This FeIV=O intermediate reacts via an initial H-atom abstraction step, with its subsquent halogenation (native) or hydroxylation (non-native) rebound reactivity being dependent on the substrate.17 A correlation of the experimental NRVS data to electronic structure calculations indicates that the substrate is able to direct the orientation of the FeIV=O intermediate, presenting specific frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) which can activate the selective halogenation versus hydroxylation reactivity. PMID:23868262

  6. Degradation and ecotoxicity of dye Reactive Black 5 after reductive-oxidative process : Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

    PubMed

    Cuervo Lumbaque, Elisabeth; Gomes, Monike Felipe; Da Silva Carvalho, Vanessa; de Freitas, Adriane Martins; Tiburtius, Elaine Regina Lopes

    2017-03-01

    This research paper describes the study of a reduction-oxidation system using commercial steel wool (Fe 0 ) and H 2 O 2 for degradation of the dye Reactive Black 5 and aromatic compounds in water. The reductive process alone allowed the almost complete removal of color (97 ± 1 %) after 60 min of reaction. The decrease in spectral area (λ = 599 nm) associated with the chromophore group indicates breakage of the azo bonds. Moreover, the significant change in UV spectra can be associated with the formation of aromatic amines. Regarding the transformation products, a spectrophotometric method based on the diazotization reaction was employed to identify aromatic amines after reductive process, using sulfanilic acid as a model of aromatic amines. In addition, association with Fenton reagents improved the efficiency in the system with 93 ± 1 % degradation of intermediates formed during the reductive process. Ecotoxicological analysis revealed that the dye solution, after the reductive and oxidative processes, was not toxic to Lactuca sativa seeds. For Daphnia magna, the EC 50 (%) values observed revealed that dye solution has an EC 50 (%) = 74.1 and after reductive process, the toxicity increased (EC 50 (%) = 63.5), which might be related to the formation of aromatic amines. However, after the Fenton process, the EC 50 (%) was >100. These results demonstrated that the Fenton reaction using steel wool as an iron source was very efficient to decrease color, aromatic transformation products, and the ecotoxicity of Reactive Black 5 in solution.

  7. Chirped-Pulse Fourier Transform Microwave Spectroscopy Coupled with a Flash Pyrolysis Microreactor: Structural Determination of the Reactive Intermediate Cyclopentadienone.

    PubMed

    Kidwell, Nathanael M; Vaquero-Vara, Vanesa; Ormond, Thomas K; Buckingham, Grant T; Zhang, Di; Mehta-Hurt, Deepali N; McCaslin, Laura; Nimlos, Mark R; Daily, John W; Dian, Brian C; Stanton, John F; Ellison, G Barney; Zwier, Timothy S

    2014-07-03

    Chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy (CP-FTMW) is combined with a flash pyrolysis (hyperthermal) microreactor as a novel method to investigate the molecular structure of cyclopentadienone (C5H4═O), a key reactive intermediate in biomass decomposition and aromatic oxidation. Samples of C5H4═O were generated cleanly from the pyrolysis of o-phenylene sulfite and cooled in a supersonic expansion. The (13)C isotopic species were observed in natural abundance in both C5H4═O and in C5D4═O samples, allowing precise measurement of the heavy atom positions in C5H4═O. The eight isotopomers include: C5H4═O, C5D4═O, and the singly (13)C isotopomers with (13)C substitution at the C1, C2, and C3 positions. Microwave spectra were interpreted by CCSD(T) ab initio electronic structure calculations and an re molecular structure for C5H4═O was found. Comparisons of the structure of this "anti-aromatic" molecule are made with those of comparable organic molecules, and it is concluded that the disfavoring of the "anti-aromatic" zwitterionic resonance structure is consistent with a more pronounced C═C/C-C bond alternation.

  8. The hexadehydro-Diels-Alder reaction.

    PubMed

    Hoye, Thomas R; Baire, Beeraiah; Niu, Dawen; Willoughby, Patrick H; Woods, Brian P

    2012-10-11

    Arynes (aromatic systems containing, formally, a carbon-carbon triple bond) are among the most versatile of all reactive intermediates in organic chemistry. They can be 'trapped' to give products that are used as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyes, polymers and other fine chemicals. Here we explore a strategy that unites the de novo generation of benzynes-through a hexadehydro-Diels-Alder reaction-with their in situ elaboration into structurally complex benzenoid products. In the hexadehydro-Diels-Alder reaction, a 1,3-diyne is engaged in a [4+2] cycloisomerization with a 'diynophile' to produce the highly reactive benzyne intermediate. The reaction conditions for this simple, thermal transformation are notable for being free of metals and reagents. The subsequent and highly efficient trapping reactions increase the power of the overall process. Finally, we provide examples of how this de novo benzyne generation approach allows new modes of intrinsic reactivity to be revealed.

  9. Metabolic engineering of the shikimate pathway

    DOEpatents

    Juminaga, Darmawi; Keasling, Jay D.

    2017-01-10

    The present disclosure relates to engineered microorganisms that produce amino acids and amino acid intermediates. In particular, the disclosure relates to recombinant nucleic acids encoding operons that increase production of aromatic amino acids and the aromatic amino acid intermediate shikimate; microorganisms with increased production of aromatic amino acids and the aromatic amino acid intermediate shikimate; and methods related to the production of aromatic amino acids, the aromatic amino acid intermediate shikimate, and commodity chemicals derived therefrom.

  10. Advanced Model Compounds for Understanding Acid-Catalyzed Lignin Depolymerization: Identification of Renewable Aromatics and a Lignin-Derived Solvent.

    PubMed

    Lahive, Ciaran W; Deuss, Peter J; Lancefield, Christopher S; Sun, Zhuohua; Cordes, David B; Young, Claire M; Tran, Fanny; Slawin, Alexandra M Z; de Vries, Johannes G; Kamer, Paul C J; Westwood, Nicholas J; Barta, Katalin

    2016-07-20

    The development of fundamentally new approaches for lignin depolymerization is challenged by the complexity of this aromatic biopolymer. While overly simplified model compounds often lack relevance to the chemistry of lignin, the direct use of lignin streams poses significant analytical challenges to methodology development. Ideally, new methods should be tested on model compounds that are complex enough to mirror the structural diversity in lignin but still of sufficiently low molecular weight to enable facile analysis. In this contribution, we present a new class of advanced (β-O-4)-(β-5) dilinkage models that are highly realistic representations of a lignin fragment. Together with selected β-O-4, β-5, and β-β structures, these compounds provide a detailed understanding of the reactivity of various types of lignin linkages in acid catalysis in conjunction with stabilization of reactive intermediates using ethylene glycol. The use of these new models has allowed for identification of novel reaction pathways and intermediates and led to the characterization of new dimeric products in subsequent lignin depolymerization studies. The excellent correlation between model and lignin experiments highlights the relevance of this new class of model compounds for broader use in catalysis studies. Only by understanding the reactivity of the linkages in lignin at this level of detail can fully optimized lignin depolymerization strategies be developed.

  11. Identifying the Tautomeric Form of a Deoxyguanosine-Estrogen Quinone Intermediate.

    PubMed

    Stack, Douglas E

    2015-09-10

    Mechanistic insights into the reaction of an estrogen o-quinone with deoxyguanosine has been further investigated using high level density functional calculations in addition to the use of 4-hyroxycatecholestrone (4-OHE₁) regioselectivity labeled with deuterium at the C1-position. Calculations using the M06-2X functional with large basis sets indicate the tautomeric form of an estrogen-DNA adduct present when glycosidic bonds cleavage occurs is comprised of an aromatic A ring structure. This tautomeric form was further verified by use of deuterium labelling of the catechol precursor use to form the estrogen o-quinone. Regioselective deuterium labelling at the C1-position of the estrogen A ring allows discrimination between two tautomeric forms of a reaction intermediate either of which could be present during glycosidic bond cleavage. HPLC-MS analysis indicates a reactive intermediate with a m/z of 552.22 consistent with a tautomeric form containing no deuterium. This intermediate is consistent with a reaction mechanism that involves: (1) proton assisted Michael addition; (2) re-aromatization of the estrogen A ring; and (3) glycosidic bond cleavage to form the known estrogen-DNA adduct, 4-OHE₁-1-N7Gua.

  12. Palladium-catalysed electrophilic aromatic C-H fluorination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamamoto, Kumiko; Li, Jiakun; Garber, Jeffrey A. O.; Rolfes, Julian D.; Boursalian, Gregory B.; Borghs, Jannik C.; Genicot, Christophe; Jacq, Jérôme; van Gastel, Maurice; Neese, Frank; Ritter, Tobias

    2018-02-01

    Aryl fluorides are widely used in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries, and recent advances have enabled their synthesis through the conversion of various functional groups. However, there is a lack of general methods for direct aromatic carbon-hydrogen (C-H) fluorination. Conventional methods require the use of either strong fluorinating reagents, which are often unselective and difficult to handle, such as elemental fluorine, or less reactive reagents that attack only the most activated arenes, which reduces the substrate scope. A method for the direct fluorination of aromatic C-H bonds could facilitate access to fluorinated derivatives of functional molecules that would otherwise be difficult to produce. For example, drug candidates with improved properties, such as increased metabolic stability or better blood-brain-barrier penetration, may become available. Here we describe an approach to catalysis and the resulting development of an undirected, palladium-catalysed method for aromatic C-H fluorination using mild electrophilic fluorinating reagents. The reaction involves a mode of catalysis that is unusual in aromatic C-H functionalization because no organometallic intermediate is formed; instead, a reactive transition-metal-fluoride electrophile is generated catalytically for the fluorination of arenes that do not otherwise react with mild fluorinating reagents. The scope and functional-group tolerance of this reaction could provide access to functional fluorinated molecules in pharmaceutical and agrochemical development that would otherwise not be readily accessible.

  13. Insertion of benzene rings into the amide bond: one-step synthesis of acridines and acridones from aryl amides.

    PubMed

    Pintori, Didier G; Greaney, Michael F

    2010-01-01

    Insertion of benzene rings into the amide bond using the reactive intermediate benzyne is described. Aromatic amides undergo smooth insertion when treated with O-triflatophenyl silane benzyne precursors, producing versatile aminobenzophenone products in good to excellent yield. The process is entirely metal-free and has been exemplified on the synthesis of biologically active acridones and acridines.

  14. Study of the electrochemical oxidation and reduction of C.I. Reactive Orange 4 in sodium sulphate alkaline solutions.

    PubMed

    del Río, A I; Molina, J; Bonastre, J; Cases, F

    2009-12-15

    Synthetic solutions of hydrolysed C.I. Reactive Orange 4, a monoazo textile dye commercially named Procion Orange MX-2R (PMX2R) and colour index number C.I. 18260, was exposed to electrochemical treatment under galvanostatic conditions and Na2SO4 as electrolyte. The influence of the electrochemical process as well as the applied current density was evaluated. Ti/SnO2-Sb-Pt and stainless steel electrodes were used as anode and cathode, respectively, and the intermediates generated on the cathode during electrochemical reduction were investigated. Aliquots of the solutions treated were analysed by UV-visible and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy confirming the presence of aromatic structures in solution when an electro-reduction was carried out. Electro-oxidation degraded both the azo group and aromatic structures. HPLC measures revealed that all processes followed pseudo-first order kinetics and decolourisation rates showed a considerable dependency on the applied current density. CV experiments and XPS analyses were carried out to study the behaviour of both PMX2R and intermediates and to analyse the state of the cathode after the electrochemical reduction, respectively. It was observed the presence of a main intermediate in solution after an electrochemical reduction whose chemical structure is similar to 2-amino-1,5-naphthalenedisulphonic acid. Moreover, the analysis of the cathode surface after electrochemical reduction reveals the presence of a coating layer with organic nature.

  15. Putting corannulene in its place. Reactivity studies comparing corannulene with other aromatic hydrocarbons.

    PubMed

    George, Stephen R D; Frith, Thomas D H; Thomas, Donald S; Harper, Jason B

    2015-09-14

    A series of aromatic hydrocarbons were investigated so as to compare the reactivity of corannulene with planar aromatic hydrocarbons. Corannulene was found to be more reactive than benzene, naphthalene and triphenylene to Friedel-Crafts acylation whilst electrophilic aromatic bromination was also used to confirm that triphenylene was less reactive than corannulene and that pyrene, perylene and acenaphthene were more so. The stabilisation of a neighbouring carbocation by the various aromatic systems was investigated through consideration of the rates of methanolysis of a series of benzylic alcohols. The reactivity series was found to parallel that observed for the electrophilic aromatic substitutions and both series are supported by computational studies. As such, a reactivity scale was devised that showed that corannulene was less reactive than would be expected for an aromatic planar species of similar pi electron count.

  16. Synthesis and bioelectrochemical behavior of aromatic amines.

    PubMed

    Shabbir, Muhammad; Akhter, Zareen; Ahmad, Iqbal; Ahmed, Safeer; Bolte, Michael; McKee, Vickie

    2017-12-01

    Four aromatic amines 1-amino-4-phenoxybenzene (A 1 ), 4-(4-aminophenyloxy) biphenyl (A 2 ), 1-(4-aminophenoxy) naphthalene (A 3 ) and 2-(4-aminophenoxy) naphthalene (A 4 ) were synthesized and characterized by elemental, spectroscopic (FTIR, NMR), mass spectrometric and single crystal X-ray diffraction methods. The compounds crystallized in monoclinic crystal system with space group P2 1 . Intermolecular hydrogen bonds were observed between the amine group and amine/ether acceptors of neighboring molecules. Electrochemical investigations were done using cyclic voltammetry (CV), square wave voltammetry (SWV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). CV studies showed that oxidation of aromatic amines takes place at about 0.9 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) and the electron transfer (ET) process has irreversible nature. After first scan reactive intermediate were generated electrochemically and some other cathodic and anodic peaks also appeared in the succeeding scans. DPV study revealed that ET process is accompanied by one electron. DNA binding study of aromatic amines was performed by CV and UV-visible spectroscopy. These investigations revealed groove binding mode of interaction of aromatic amines with DNA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Cross-benzoin and Stetter-type reactions mediated by KOtBu-DMF via an electron-transfer process.

    PubMed

    Ragno, Daniele; Zaghi, Anna; Di Carmine, Graziano; Giovannini, Pier Paolo; Bortolini, Olga; Fogagnolo, Marco; Molinari, Alessandra; Venturini, Alessandro; Massi, Alessandro

    2016-10-18

    The condensation of aromatic α-diketones (benzils) with aromatic aldehydes (benzoin-type reaction) and chalcones (Stetter-type reaction) in DMF in the presence of catalytic (25 mol%) KOtBu is reported. Both types of umpolung processes proceed with good efficiency and complete chemoselectivity. On the basis of spectroscopic evidence (MS analysis) of plausible intermediates and literature reports, the occurrence of different ionic pathways have been evaluated to elucidate the mechanism of a model cross-benzoin-like reaction along with a radical route initiated by an electron-transfer process to benzil from the carbamoyl anion derived from DMF. This mechanistic investigation has culminated in a different proposal, supported by calculations and a trapping experiment, based on double electron-transfer to benzil with formation of the corresponding enediolate anion as the key reactive intermediate. A mechanistic comparison between the activation modes of benzils in KOtBu-DMF and KOtBu-DMSO systems is also described.

  18. Photolysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on Fe3+-montmorillonite surface under visible light: Degradation kinetics, mechanism, and toxicity assessments.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Song; Jia, Hanzhong; Nulaji, Gulimire; Gao, Hongwei; Wang, Fu; Wang, Chuanyi

    2017-10-01

    Photochemical behavior of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on Fe 3+ -modified montmorillonite was explored to determine their potential kinetics, pathways, and mechanism under visible light. Depending on the type of PAH molecules, the transformation rate follows the order of benzo[a]pyrene ≈ anthracene > benzo[a]anthracene > phenanthrene. Quantum simulation results confirm the crucial role of "cation-π" interaction between Fe 3+ and PAHs on their transformation kinetics. Primary intermediates, including quinones, ring-opening products and benzene derivatives, were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), and the possible photodegradation pathway of benzo[a]pyrene was proposed. Meanwhile, radical intermediates, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free organic radicals, were detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique. The photolysis of selected PAHs, such as anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene, on clay surface firstly occurs by electron transfer from PAHs to Fe 3+ -montmorillonite, followed by degradation involving photo-induced ROS such as ·OH and ·O 2 - . To investigate the acute toxicity of photolysis products, the Microtox ® toxicity test was performed during the photodegradation processes of various PAHs. As a result, the photo-irradiation initially induces increased toxicity by generating reactive intermediates, such as free organic radicals, and then the toxicity gradually decreases with increasing of reaction time. Overall, the present study provides useful information to understand the fate and photo-transformation of PAHs in contaminated soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Factors That Affect Oxygen Activation and Coupling of the Two Redox Cycles in the Aromatization Reaction Catalyzed by NikD, an Unusual Amino Acid Oxidase

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kommoju, Phaneeswara-Rao; Bruckner, Robert C.; Ferreira, Patricia

    2009-10-21

    NikD is a flavoprotein oxidase that catalyzes the oxidation of piperideine-2-carboxylate (P2C) to picolinate in a remarkable aromatization reaction comprising two redox cycles and at least one isomerization step. Tyr258 forms part of an 'aromatic cage' that surrounds the ring in picolinate and its precursors. Mutation of Tyr258 to Phe does not perturb the structure of nikD but does affect the coupling of the two redox cycles and causes a 10-fold decrease in turnover rate. Tyr258Phe catalyzes a quantitative two-electron oxidation of P2C, but only 60% of the resulting dihydropicolinate intermediate undergoes a second redox cycle to produce picolinate. Themore » mutation does not affect product yield with an alternate substrate (3,4-dehydro-l-proline) that is aromatized in a single two-electron oxidation step. Wild-type and mutant enzymes exhibit identical rate constants for oxidation of P2C to dihydropicolinate and isomerization of a reduced enzyme-dihydropicolinate complex. The observed rates are 200- and 10-fold faster, respectively, than the mutant turnover rate. Release of picolinate from Tyr258Phe is 100-fold faster than turnover. The presence of a bound substrate or product is a key factor in oxygen activation by wild-type nikD, as judged by the 10-75-fold faster rates observed for complexes of the reduced enzyme with picolinate, benzoate, or 1-cyclohexenoate, a 1-deaza-P2C analogue. The reduced Tyr258Phe-1-cyclohexenoate complex is 25-fold less reactive with oxygen than the wild-type complex. We postulate that mutation of Tyr258 causes subtle changes in active site dynamics that promote release of the reactive dihydropicolinate intermediate and disrupt the efficient synchronization of oxygen activation observed with wild-type nikD.« less

  20. Phenylethynyl Containing Reactive Additives

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Connell, John W. (Inventor); Smith, Joseph G., Jr. (Inventor); Hergenrother, Paul M. (Inventor)

    2002-01-01

    Phenylethynyl containing reactive additives were prepared from aromatic diamines containing phenylethynyl groups and various ratios of phthalic anhydride and 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride in glacial acetic acid to form the imide in one step or in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidi none to form the amide acid intermediate. The reactive additives were mixed in various amounts (10% to 90%) with oligomers containing either terminal or pendent phenylethynyl groups (or both) to reduce the melt viscosity and thereby enhance processability. Upon thermal cure, the additives react and become chemically incorporated into the matrix and effect an increase in crosslink density relative to that of the host resin. This resultant increase in crosslink density has advantageous consequences on the cured resin properties such as higher glass transition temperature and higher modulus as compared to that of the host resin.

  1. Phenylethynyl Containing Reactive Additives

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Connell, John W. (Inventor); Smith, Joseph G., Jr. (Inventor); Hergenrother, Paul M. (Inventor)

    2002-01-01

    Phenylethynyl containing reactive additives were prepared from aromatic diamine, containing phenylethvnvl groups and various ratios of phthalic anhydride and 4-phenylethynviphthalic anhydride in glacial acetic acid to form the imide in one step or in N-methyl-2-pvrrolidinone to form the amide acid intermediate. The reactive additives were mixed in various amounts (10% to 90%) with oligomers containing either terminal or pendent phenylethynyl groups (or both) to reduce the melt viscosity and thereby enhance processability. Upon thermal cure, the additives react and become chemically incorporated into the matrix and effect an increase in crosslink density relative to that of the host resin. This resultant increase in crosslink density has advantageous consequences on the cured resin properties such as higher glass transition temperature and higher modulus as compared to that of the host resin.

  2. EPR and pulsed ENDOR study of intermediates from reactions of aromatic azides with group 13 metal trichlorides

    PubMed Central

    Bencivenni, Giorgio; Cesari, Riccardo; Nanni, Daniele; El Mkami, Hassane

    2010-01-01

    Summary The reactions of group 13 metal trichlorides with aromatic azides were examined by CW EPR and pulsed ENDOR spectroscopies. Complex EPR spectra were obtained from reactions of aluminium, gallium and indium trichlorides with phenyl azides containing a variety of substituents. Analysis of the spectra showed that 4-methoxy-, 3-methoxy- and 2-methoxyphenyl azides all gave ‘dimer’ radical cations [ArNHC6H4NH2]+• and trimers [ArNHC6H4NHC6H4NH2]+• followed by polymers. 4-Azidobenzonitrile, with its electron-withdrawing substituent, did not react. In general the aromatic azides appeared to react most rapidly with AlCl3 but this reagent tended to generate much polymer. InCl3 was the least reactive group 13 halide. DFT computations of the radical cations provided corroborating evidence and suggested that the unpaired electrons were accommodated in extensive π-delocalised orbitals. A mechanism to account for the reductive conversion of aromatic azides to the corresponding anilines and thence to the dimers and trimers is proposed. PMID:21049080

  3. Control of Maillard-type off-flavor development in ultrahigh-temperature-processed bovine milk by phenolic chemistry.

    PubMed

    Kokkinidou, Smaro; Peterson, Devin G

    2014-08-13

    The application of phenolic compounds to suppress Maillard chemistry and off-flavor development in ultrahigh-termperature (UHT)-processed milk during processing and storage was investigated. Five phenolic compounds were examined for structure-reactivity relationships (catechin, genistein, daidzein, 1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene, and 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene). The levels of key transient Maillard reaction (MR) intermediates (reactive carbonyl species) and select off-flavor markers (methional, 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline) were quantified by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/ToF, respectively. The addition of phenolic compounds prior to UHT processing significantly reduced the concentration of MR intermediates and related off-flavor compounds compared to a control sample (p < 0.05). All phenolic compounds demonstrated unique structure reactivity and, notably, those with a more activated A-ring for aromatic electrophilic substitution (catechin, genistein, and 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene) showed the strongest suppression effect on the off-flavor markers and reactive carbonyl species. Sensory studies were in agreement with the analytical data. The cooked flavor intensity was rated lower for the recombination model samples of the catechin-treated UHT milk compared to the control UHT milk. Additionally, consumer acceptability studies showed catechin-treated UHT milk to have significantly higher liking scores when compared the control sample (Fisher's LSD = 0.728).

  4. Determination of aromatics and olefins in wide-boiling petroleum fractions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spakowski, A E; Evans, A; Hibbard, R R

    1950-01-01

    A chromatographic method is described herein for the analysis of aromatics and olefins in wide boiling petroleum fractions. The fuel is split into four fractions: nonaromatic, intermediate, pure aromatic, and wash. The analysis, which need be run only on the intermediate cut to determine aromatics in the fuel, is based on specific dispersion. With analysis times of less than 8 hours, accuracies of 1 percent were attained.

  5. Structure, aromaticity and reactivity of corannulene and its analogues: a conceptual density functional theory and density functional reactivity theory study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deng, Youer; Yu, Donghai; Cao, Xiaofang; Liu, Lianghong; Rong, Chunying; Lu, Tian; Liu, Shubin

    2018-04-01

    Corannulene is an interesting yet special molecule, which has witnessed widespread applications. It is aromatic, but not planar and the total number of 20 π electrons is in conflict with Hückel's 4n + 2 rule. In this work, we design a series of analogous model systems based on this molecule with the central ring size extended from five members to three to eight members. A number of theoretical and analytical tools available in the literature are employed to systematically examine their structure, aromaticity and reactivity properties. We found that structurally speaking, they change from bowl-like to planar and then to saddle shapes as the central ring size increases from three to eight. From the reactivity perspective, species with five and six-membered-rings in the centre are chemically more stable and less reactive, which are confirmed by the numerical results from aromaticity indexes and quantities from the information-theoretic approach. Overall, our results show that only corannulene and its six-membered-ring, coronene, analogue are aromatic. Even though these two systems are aromatic in nature, they are markedly different in a number of ways in structure, reactivity and other properties. These results should provide with us insights and understanding about the phenomenon of three-dimensional and non-planarity aromaticity.

  6. Efficient and Scalable Synthesis of 4-Carboxy-Pennsylvania Green Methyl Ester: A Hydrophobic Building Block for Fluorescent Molecular Probes.

    PubMed

    Woydziak, Zachary R; Fu, Liqiang; Peterson, Blake R

    2014-01-01

    Fluorinated fluorophores are valuable tools for studies of biological systems. However, amine-reactive single-isomer derivatives of these compounds are often very expensive. To provide an inexpensive alternative, we report a practical synthesis of 4-carboxy-Pennsylvania Green methyl ester. Derivatives of this hydrophobic fluorinated fluorophore, a hybrid of the dyes Oregon Green and Tokyo Green, are often cell permeable, enabling labeling of intracellular targets and components. Moreover, the low pKa of Pennsylvania Green (4.8) confers bright fluorescence in acidic cellular compartments such as endosomes, enhancing its utility for chemical biology investigations. To improve access to the key intermediate 2,7-difluoro-3,6-dihydroxyxanthen-9-one, we subjected bis-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)methanone to iterative nucleophilic aromatic substitution by hydroxide on scales of > 40 g. This intermediate was used to prepare over 15 grams of pure 4-carboxy-Pennsylvania Green methyl ester in 28% overall yield without requiring chromatography. This compound can be converted into the amine reactive N -hydroxysuccinimidyl ester in essentially quantitative yield for the synthesis of a wide variety of fluorescent molecular probes.

  7. 40 CFR Table 2c to Subpart E of... - Reactivity Factors for Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Reactivity Factors for Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures 2C Table 2C to Subpart E of Part 59 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... Coatings Pt. 59, Subpt. E, Table 2C Table 2C to Subpart E of Part 59—Reactivity Factors for Aromatic...

  8. 40 CFR Table 2c to Subpart E of... - Reactivity Factors for Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Reactivity Factors for Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures 2C Table 2C to Subpart E of Part 59 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... Coatings Pt. 59, Subpt. E, Table 2C Table 2C to Subpart E of Part 59—Reactivity Factors for Aromatic...

  9. 40 CFR Table 2c to Subpart E of... - Reactivity Factors for Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Reactivity Factors for Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures 2C Table 2C to Subpart E of Part 59 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... Coatings Pt. 59, Subpt. E, Table 2C Table 2C to Subpart E of Part 59—Reactivity Factors for Aromatic...

  10. Compactness Aromaticity of Atoms in Molecules

    PubMed Central

    Putz, Mihai V.

    2010-01-01

    A new aromaticity definition is advanced as the compactness formulation through the ratio between atoms-in-molecule and orbital molecular facets of the same chemical reactivity property around the pre- and post-bonding stabilization limit, respectively. Geometrical reactivity index of polarizability was assumed as providing the benchmark aromaticity scale, since due to its observable character; with this occasion new Hydrogenic polarizability quantum formula that recovers the exact value of 4.5 a03 for Hydrogen is provided, where a0 is the Bohr radius; a polarizability based–aromaticity scale enables the introduction of five referential aromatic rules (Aroma 1 to 5 Rules). With the help of these aromatic rules, the aromaticity scales based on energetic reactivity indices of electronegativity and chemical hardness were computed and analyzed within the major semi-empirical and ab initio quantum chemical methods. Results show that chemical hardness based-aromaticity is in better agreement with polarizability based-aromaticity than the electronegativity-based aromaticity scale, while the most favorable computational environment appears to be the quantum semi-empirical for the first and quantum ab initio for the last of them, respectively. PMID:20480020

  11. Intrinsic Chemiluminescence Generation during Advanced Oxidation of Persistent Halogenated Aromatic Carcinogens.

    PubMed

    Mao, Li; Liu, Yu-Xiang; Huang, Chun-Hua; Gao, Hui-Ying; Kalyanaraman, Balaraman; Zhu, Ben-Zhan

    2015-07-07

    The ubiquitous distribution coupled with their carcinogenicity has raised public concerns on the potential risks to both human health and the ecosystem posed by the halogenated aromatic compounds (XAr). Recently, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been increasingly favored as an "environmentally-green" technology for the remediation of such recalcitrant and highly toxic XAr. Here, we show that AOPs-mediated degradation of the priority pollutant pentachlorophenol and all other XAr produces an intrinsic chemiluminescence that directly depends on the generation of the extremely reactive hydroxyl radicals. We propose that the hydroxyl radical-dependent formation of quinoid intermediates and electronically excited carbonyl species is responsible for this unusual chemiluminescence production. A rapid, sensitive, simple, and effective chemiluminescence method was developed to quantify trace amounts of XAr and monitor their real-time degradation kinetics. These findings may have broad biological and environmental implications for future research on this important class of halogenated persistent organic pollutants.

  12. Charge-transfer mechanism for electrophilic aromatic nitration and nitrosation via the convergence of (ab initio) molecular-orbital and Marcus-Hush theories with experiments.

    PubMed

    Gwaltney, Steven R; Rosokha, Sergiy V; Head-Gordon, Martin; Kochi, Jay K

    2003-03-19

    The highly disparate rates of aromatic nitrosation and nitration, despite the very similar (electrophilic) properties of the active species: NO(+) and NO(2)(+) in Chart 1, are quantitatively reconciled. First, the thorough mappings of the potential-energy surfaces by high level (ab initio) molecular-orbital methodologies involving extensive coupled-cluster CCSD(T)/6-31G optimizations establish the intervention of two reactive intermediates in nitration (Figure 8) but only one in nitrosation (Figure 7). Second, the same distinctive topologies involving double and single potential-energy minima (Figures 6 and 5) also emerge from the semiquantitative application of the Marcus-Hush theory to the transient spectral data. Such a striking convergence from quite different theoretical approaches indicates that the molecular-orbital and Marcus-Hush (potential-energy) surfaces are conceptually interchangeable. In the resultant charge-transfer mechanism, the bimolecular interactions of arene donors with both NO(+) and NO(2)(+) spontaneously lead (barrierless) to pi-complexes in which electron transfer is concurrent with complexation. Such a pi-complex in nitration is rapidly converted to the sigma-complex, whereas this Wheland adduct in nitrosation merely represents a high energy (transition-state) structure. Marcus-Hush analysis thus demonstrates how the strongly differentiated (arene) reactivities toward NO(+) and NO(2)(+) can actually be exploited in the quantitative development of a single coherent (electron-transfer) mechanism for both aromatic nitrosation and nitration.

  13. Nitrenes, carbenes, diradicals, and ylides. Interconversions of reactive intermediates.

    PubMed

    Wentrup, Curt

    2011-06-21

    Rearrangements of aromatic and heteroaromatic nitrenes and carbenes can be initiated with either heat or light. The thermal reaction is typically induced by flash vacuum thermolysis, with isolation of the products at low temperatures. Photochemical experiments are conducted either under matrix isolation conditions or in solution at ambient temperature. These rearrangements are usually initiated by ring expansion of the nitrene or carbene to a seven-membered ring ketenimine, carbodiimide, or allene (that is, a cycloheptatetraene or an azacycloheptatetraene when a nitrogen is involved). Over the last few years, we have found that two types of ring opening take place as well. Type I is an ylidic ring opening that yields nitrile ylides or diazo compounds as transient intermediates. Type II ring opening produces either dienylnitrenes (for example, from 2-pyridylnitrenes) or 1,7-(1,5)-diradicals (such as those formed from 2-quinoxalinylnitrenes), depending on which of these species is better stabilized by resonance. In this Account, we describe our achievements in elucidating the nature of the ring-opened species and unraveling the connections between the various reactive intermediates. Both of these ring-opening reactions are found, at least in some cases, to dominate the subsequent chemistry. Examples include the formation of ring-opened ketenimines and carbodiimides, as well as the ring contraction reactions that form five-membered ring nitriles (such as 2- and 3-cyanopyrroles from pyridylnitrenes, N-cyanoimidazoles from 2-pyrazinyl and 4-pyrimidinylnitrenes, N-cyanopyrazoles from 2-pyrimidinylnitrenes and 3-pyridazinylnitrenes, and so forth). The mechanisms of formation of the open-chain and ring-contraction products were unknown at the onset of this study. In the course of our investigation, several reactions with three or more consecutive reactive intermediates have been unraveled, such as nitrene, seven-membered cyclic carbodiimide, and open-chain nitrile ylide. It has been possible in some cases to observe them all and determine their interrelationships by means of a combination of matrix-isolation spectroscopy, photochemistry, flash vacuum thermolysis, and computational chemistry. These studies have led to a deeper understanding of the nature of reactive intermediates and chemical reactivity. Moreover, the results indicate new directions for further exploration: ring-opening reactions of carbenes, nitrenes, and cyclic cumulenes can be expected in many other systems.

  14. 40 CFR Table 2c to Subpart E of... - Reactivity Factors for Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Reactivity Factors for Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures 2C Table 2C to Subpart E of Part 59 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures Bin Boiling range (degrees F) Criteria Reactivityfactor 21 280-290 Aromatic...

  15. 40 CFR Table 2c to Subpart E of... - Reactivity Factors for Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Reactivity Factors for Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures 2C Table 2C to Subpart E of Part 59 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures Bin Boiling range (degrees F) Criteria Reactivityfactor 21 280-290 Aromatic...

  16. Experimental study and detailed modeling of toluene degradation in a low-pressure stoichiometric premixed CH4/O2/N2 flame.

    PubMed

    Bakali, A El; Dupont, L; Lefort, B; Lamoureux, N; Pauwels, J F; Montero, M

    2007-05-17

    Temperature and mole fraction profiles have been measured in laminar stoichiometric premixed CH4/O2/N2 and CH4/1.5%C6H5CH3/O2/N2 flames at low pressure (0.0519 bar) by using thermocouple, molecular beam/mass spectrometry (MB/MS), and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) techniques. The present study completes our previous work performed on the thermal degradation of benzene in CH4/O2/N2 operating at similar conditions. Mole fraction profiles of reactants, final products, and reactive and stable intermediate species have been analyzed. The main intermediate aromatic species analyzed in the methane-toluene flame were benzene, phenol, ethylbenzene, benzylalcohol, styrene, and benzaldehyde. These new experimental results have been modeled with our previous model including submechanisms for aromatics (benzene up to p-xylene) and aliphatic (C1 up to C7) oxidation. Good agreement has been observed for the main species analyzed. The main reaction paths governing the degradation of toluene in the methane flame were identified, and it occurs mainly via the formation of benzene (C6H5CH3 + H = C6H6 + CH3) and benzyl radical (C6H5CH3 + H = C6H5CH2 + H2). Due to the abundance of methyl radicals, it was observed that recombination of benzyl and methyl is responsible for main monosubstitute aromatic species analyzed in the methane-toluene flame. The oxidation of these substitute species led to cyclopentadienyl radical as observed in a methane-benzene flame.

  17. Inorganic nanoparticles for the spatial and temporal control of organic reactions: Applications to radical degradation of biopolymer networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walker, Joan Marie

    Nanoparticles of gold and iron oxide not only possess remarkable optical and magnetic properties, respectively, but are also capable of influencing their local environment with an astounding degree of precision. Using nanoparticles to direct the reactivity of organic molecules near their surface provides a unique method of spatial and temporal control. Enediynes represent an exceptional class of compounds that are thermally reactive to produce a diradical intermediate via Bergman cycloaromatization. While natural product enediynes are famously cytotoxic, a rich chemistry of synthetic enediynes has developed utilizing creative means to control this reactivity through structure, electronics, metal chelation, and external triggering mechanisms. In a heretofore unexplored arena for Bergman cyclization, we have investigated the reactivity of enediynes in connection with inorganic nanoparticles in which the physical properties of the nanomaterial are directly excited to thermally promote aromatization. As the first example of this methodology, gold nanoparticles conjugated with (Z)-octa-4-en-2,6-diyne-1,8-dithiol were excited with 514 nm laser irradiation. The formation of aromatic and polymeric products was confirmed through Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Water soluble analogues Au-PEG-EDDA and Fe3O4-PEG-EDDA (EDDA = (Z)-octa-4-en-2,6-diyne-1,8-diamine) show similar reactivity under laser irradiation or alternating magnetic field excitation, respectively. Furthermore, we have used these functionalized nanoparticles to attack proteinaceous substrates including fibrin and extracellular matrix proteins, capitalizing on the ability of diradicals to disrupt peptidic bonds. By delivering a locally high payload of reactive molecules and thermal energy to the large biopolymer, network restructuring and collapse is achieved. As a synthetic extension towards multifunctional nanoparticles, noble metal seed-decorated iron oxides have also been prepared and assessed for their catalytic activity. These materials provide a conceptual framework for controlling and manipulating reaction dynamics across nanometer length scales.

  18. Genetic susceptibility to the cross-reactivity of aromatic antiepileptic drugs-induced cutaneous adverse reactions.

    PubMed

    Wang, Wei; Hu, Fa-Yun; Wu, Xin-Tong; An, Dong-Mei; Yan, Bo; Zhou, Dong

    2014-08-01

    The cross-allergic reactions among aromatic antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are common, but little is known about the genetic mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic associations of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes with the cross-reactivity of cutaneous adverse drug reactions (cADRs) induced by different aromatic AEDs. We reviewed 60 Chinese patients with a history of cADRs induced by an aromatic AED, and which re-challenged other aromatic AEDs as an alternative to the causative AED owing to some particular reasons. According to whether developing another episode of cADRs, these patients were automatically divided into the cross-reactivity group and tolerant control group. High-resolution HLA-A, -B, -DRB1 genotyping were performed for each patient. One out of 10 patients (10%, 1/10) carried the HLA-A*2402 allele in the cross-reactivity group. However, 23 patients (46%, 23/50) carried this allele in the tolerant control group. The difference of the HLA-A*2402 allele between the two groups is statistically significant (P=0.040, OR=0.130, 95% CI: 0.015-1.108). In addition, the frequency differences of other HLA alleles between the two groups, including the HLA-B*1502 allele, did not reach statistical significance (P>0.05). The HLA genes contribute to the genetic susceptibility of the cross-reactivity of cADRs among aromatic AEDs. Our results suggest that HLA-B*1502 is not a major responsible allele for the cross-reactivity of cADRs to aromatic AEDs, but the HLA-A*2402 allele may be a protective marker for the cross-allergic reactions among aromatic AEDs in Han Chinese. Further studies are warranted to test the potential predictive value of the HLA-A*2402 allele in future. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  19. Anion-π Catalysis of Enolate Chemistry: Rigidified Leonard Turns as a General Motif to Run Reactions on Aromatic Surfaces.

    PubMed

    Cotelle, Yoann; Benz, Sebastian; Avestro, Alyssa-Jennifer; Ward, Thomas R; Sakai, Naomi; Matile, Stefan

    2016-03-18

    To integrate anion-π, cation-π, and ion pair-π interactions in catalysis, the fundamental challenge is to run reactions reliably on aromatic surfaces. Addressing a specific question concerning enolate addition to nitroolefins, this study elaborates on Leonard turns to tackle this problem in a general manner. Increasingly refined turns are constructed to position malonate half thioesters as close as possible on π-acidic surfaces. The resulting preorganization of reactive intermediates is shown to support the disfavored addition to enolate acceptors to an absolutely unexpected extent. This decisive impact on anion-π catalysis increases with the rigidity of the turns. The new, rigidified Leonard turns are most effective with weak anion-π interactions, whereas stronger interactions do not require such ideal substrate positioning to operate well. The stunning simplicity of the motif and its surprisingly strong relevance for function should render the introduced approach generally useful. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. NMR analysis of a kinetically trapped intermediate of a disulfide-deficient mutant of the starch-binding domain of glucoamylase.

    PubMed

    Sugimoto, Hayuki; Noda, Yasuo; Segawa, Shin-ichi

    2011-09-16

    A thermally unfolded disulfide-deficient mutant of the starch-binding domain of glucoamylase refolds into a kinetically trapped metastable intermediate when subjected to a rapid lowering of temperature. We attempted to characterise this intermediate using multidimensional NMR spectroscopy. The (1)H-(15)N heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectrum after a rapid temperature decrease (the spectrum of the intermediate) showed good chemical shift dispersion but was significantly different from that of the native state, suggesting that the intermediate adopts a nonnative but well-structured conformation. Large chemical shift changes for the backbone amide protons between the native and the intermediate states were observed for residues in the β-sheet consisting of strands 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 as well as in the C-terminal region. These residues were found to be in close proximity to aromatic residues, suggesting that the chemical shift changes are mainly due to ring current shifts caused by the aromatic residues. The two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) spectroscopy experiments showed that the intermediate contained substantial, native-like NOE connectivities, although there were fewer cross peaks in the spectrum of the intermediate compared with that of the native state. It was also shown that there were native-like interresidue NOEs for residues buried in the protein, whereas many of the NOE cross peaks were lost for the residues involved in a surface-exposed aromatic cluster. These results suggest that, in the intermediate, the aromatic cluster at the surface is structurally less organised, whereas the interior of the protein has relatively rigid, native-like side-chain packing. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Geometric and electronic structure contributions to function in non-heme iron enzymes.

    PubMed

    Solomon, Edward I; Light, Kenneth M; Liu, Lei V; Srnec, Martin; Wong, Shaun D

    2013-11-19

    Mononuclear non-heme Fe (NHFe) enzymes play key roles in DNA repair, the biosynthesis of antibiotics, the response to hypoxia, cancer therapy, and many other biological processes. These enzymes catalyze a diverse range of oxidation reactions, including hydroxylation, halogenation, ring closure, desaturation, and electrophilic aromatic substitution (EAS). Most of these enzymes use an Fe(II) site to activate dioxygen, but traditional spectroscopic methods have not allowed researchers to insightfully probe these ferrous active sites. We have developed a methodology that provides detailed geometric and electronic structure insights into these NHFe(II) active sites. Using these data, we have defined a general mechanistic strategy that many of these enzymes use: they control O2 activation (and limit autoxidation and self-hydroxylation) by allowing Fe(II) coordination unsaturation only in the presence of cosubstrates. Depending on the type of enzyme, O2 activation either involves a 2e(-) reduced Fe(III)-OOH intermediate or a 4e(-) reduced Fe(IV)═O intermediate. Nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) has provided the geometric structure of these intermediates, and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) has defined the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), the electronic structure that controls reactivity. This Account emphasizes that experimental spectroscopy is critical in evaluating the results of electronic structure calculations. Therefore these data are a key mechanistic bridge between structure and reactivity. For the Fe(III)-OOH intermediates, the anticancer drug activated bleomycin (BLM) acts as the non-heme Fe analog of compound 0 in heme (e.g., P450) chemistry. However BLM shows different reactivity: the low-spin (LS) Fe(III)-OOH can directly abstract a H atom from DNA. The LS and high-spin (HS) Fe(III)-OOHs have fundamentally different transition states. The LS transition state goes through a hydroxyl radical, but the HS transition state is activated for EAS without O-O cleavage. This activation is important in one class of NHFe enzymes that utilizes a HS Fe(III)-OOH intermediate in dioxygenation. For Fe(IV)═O intermediates, the LS form has a π-type FMO activated for attack perpendicular to the Fe-O bond. However, the HS form (present in the NHFe enzymes) has a π FMO activated perpendicular to the Fe-O bond and a σ FMO positioned along the Fe-O bond. For the NHFe enzymes, the presence of π and σ FMOs enables enzymatic control in determining the type of reactivity: EAS or H-atom extraction for one substrate with different enzymes and halogenation or hydroxylation for one enzyme with different substrates.

  2. Assessing the superelectrophilic dimension through sigma-complexation, SNAr and Diels-Alder reactivity.

    PubMed

    Buncel, Erwin; Terrier, François

    2010-05-21

    In the domain of organic chemistry, S(N)Ar substitutions represent a class of reactions of overwhelming importance, both in synthesis and in the understanding of structure-reactivity relationships, especially the role of sigma-complex intermediates. The primary factor necessary for achievement of S(N)Ar reactions is the presence of a good leaving group, which allows facile rearomatization of the ring undergoing nucleophilic attack. Consistent is the finding that the superelectrophilic chloronitrobenzofuroxans--or furazans--exhibit a very high S(N)Ar reactivity, allowing a number of C-C, C-N, C-O couplings to be achieved that are not accessible with the classical series of nitro-substituted aromatics. Of particular interest is the synthesis of a number of indoles, indolizines, pyrroles and extended pi-excessive aromatic structures like azulene substituted by superelectrophilic moieties. The remarkable driving force for the facile completion of these reactions is the 10 orders of magnitude greater reactivity of 10pi-electron-deficient heteroaromatics such as 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan (DNBF) than of the most reactive trinitrobenzene derivatives in sigma-adduct complexation. Among the factors that have been recognized as governing superelectrophilicity, there is the poor aromaticity of 6-membered 10pi-electron structures investigated, with a common origin for sigma-complexation and pericyclic processes. A remarkable capacity of these structures is actually to contribute to a variety of Diels-Alder reactions. As an example, the DNBF molecule formally behaves as a nitroalkene, being susceptible to act as a dienophile as well as a heterodiene. Another remarkable Diels-Alder pathway is the capacity of the 6-membered carbocyclic ring of DNBF to act as a carbodiene. Also noteworthy is the successful Diels-Alder trapping of the dinitroso intermediate associated with 1-oxide/3-oxide tautomerism of the furoxan moiety of 4-aza-6-nitrobenzofuroxan. A point of fundamental importance in taking advantage of the reactivity of superelectrophilic structures at hand has been a successful calibration of their reactivity within the electrophilicity E scale developed by Mayr to describe nucleophile-electrophile combinations in general. It has thus been established that the E parameters measuring the electrophilicity of neutral heteroaromatics lie in the same region of the E scale as a number of highly reactive cationic reagents. Besides a reactivity rather similar to that of the 4-nitrobenzenediazonium cation (vide supra), the most electrophilic neutral molecules (DNBF, DNTP, DNBZ) are as electrophilic as tropylium cations or a number of metal-coordinated carbenium ions. Furthermore, there is a remarkable link between the pK(a)(H(2)O) and E scales, as evidenced by the existence of a unique linear relationship spanning more than 20 orders of reactivity. This relationship appears as being a nice probe to predict the feasibility of S(N)Ar substitutions and related sigma-complexation processes. Also revealing in terms of feasibility of the reactions is the existence of a close correlation between the electrochemical oxidation potential E degrees of sigma-adducts and their positioning on the pK(a)(H(2)O) scale. Our data can also be used to evaluate the potential of a theoretical model recently derived from DFT calculations, namely the global electrophilicity index omega, for the description of nucleophile-electrophile combinations. While showing several significant deviations, a reasonably linear omega vs. pK(a)(H(2)O) relationship is obtained when restricting the correlation to structurally similar electrophilic moieties. On this basis, valuable information could be derived regarding the polar character of some DA reactions. Overall, the global electrophilicity (omega) approach may be a promising avenue in future work of electrophile-nucleophile combinations.

  3. Metabolic Engineering of the Shikimate Pathway for Production of Aromatics and Derived Compounds—Present and Future Strain Construction Strategies

    PubMed Central

    Averesch, Nils J. H.; Krömer, Jens O.

    2018-01-01

    The aromatic nature of shikimate pathway intermediates gives rise to a wealth of potential bio-replacements for commonly fossil fuel-derived aromatics, as well as naturally produced secondary metabolites. Through metabolic engineering, the abundance of certain intermediates may be increased, while draining flux from other branches off the pathway. Often targets for genetic engineering lie beyond the shikimate pathway, altering flux deep in central metabolism. This has been extensively used to develop microbial production systems for a variety of compounds valuable in chemical industry, including aromatic and non-aromatic acids like muconic acid, para-hydroxybenzoic acid, and para-coumaric acid, as well as aminobenzoic acids and aromatic α-amino acids. Further, many natural products and secondary metabolites that are valuable in food- and pharma-industry are formed outgoing from shikimate pathway intermediates. (Re)construction of such routes has been shown by de novo production of resveratrol, reticuline, opioids, and vanillin. In this review, strain construction strategies are compared across organisms and put into perspective with requirements by industry for commercial viability. Focus is put on enhancing flux to and through shikimate pathway, and engineering strategies are assessed in order to provide a guideline for future optimizations. PMID:29632862

  4. Total OH reactivity measurements for the OH-initiated oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence of NOx

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sato, Kei; Nakashima, Yoshihiro; Morino, Yu; Imamura, Takashi; Kurokawa, Jun-ichi; Kajii, Yoshizumi

    2017-12-01

    The total OH reactivity of the secondary products formed from the OH-initiated oxidation of toluene, p-xylene, and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene was directly measured in the presence of NOx using a laboratory environmental chamber in order to investigate unidentified reactive species in urban air. The total OH reactivity was also calculated from the concentrations of the reactants and products, which were monitored by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The difference between the measured and calculated OH reactivity, the so-called missing OH reactivity, comprised 58-81% of the total OH reactivity of the secondary products. These results suggest that the secondary products formed from the oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons may be important candidates in accounting for the missing OH reactivity in the analyses of urban environments. The Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM) calculations were performed to predict the temporal variation in the total OH reactivity for the oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons. The MCM calculations successfully reproduced the observed total OH reactivity when the particle and semi-volatile product concentrations were negligibly low. The MCM calculations were used to identify the missing secondary products. The results suggest that important components of the missing OH reactivity are unsaturated multifunctional products such as unsaturated dicarbonyls, unsaturated epoxydicarbonyls, and furanones.

  5. Dehalogenation of aromatics by nucleophilic aromatic substitution.

    PubMed

    Sadowsky, Daniel; McNeill, Kristopher; Cramer, Christopher J

    2014-09-16

    Nucleophilic aromatic substitution has been implicated as a mechanism for both the biotic and abiotic hydrodehalogenation of aromatics. Two mechanisms for the aqueous dehalogenation of aromatics involving nucleophilic aromatic substitution with hydride as a nucleophile are investigated using a validated density functional and continuum solvation protocol. For chlorinated and brominated aromatics, nucleophilic addition ortho to carbon-halogen bonds via an anionic intermediate is predicted to be the preferred mechanism in the majority of cases, while concerted substitution is predicted to be preferred for most fluorinated aromatics. Nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions with the hydroxide and hydrosulfide anions as nucleophiles are also investigated and compared.

  6. A Simple Visualization of Double Bond Properties: Chemical Reactivity and UV Fluorescence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grayson, Scott M.

    2012-01-01

    A simple, easily visualized thin-layer chromatography (TLC) staining experiment is presented that highlights the difference in reactivity between aromatic double bonds and nonaromatic double bonds. Although the stability of aromatic systems is a major theme in organic chemistry, the concept is rarely reinforced "visually" in the undergraduate…

  7. Dose of 3-methylcholanthrene enhances vitamin C accumulation and mRNA expression of its transporter in the liver of ODS rats and in HepG2 cells.

    PubMed

    Sone, Yasuko; Ueta, Etsuko; Sannomaru, Yasuko; Miyake, Noriko; Sone, Hirohito; Otsuka, Yuzuru; Kondo, Kazuo; Kurata, Tadao; Suzuki, Emiko

    2011-01-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds including 3-methylcholanthrene induce harmful reactive intermediates and reactive oxygen species. This study reports the effect of 3-methylcholanthrene on the accumulation of vitamin C and the expression of vitamin C transporters. ODS rats were given l-ascorbic acid daily and intraperitoneal injections of 10 mg 3-methylcholanthrene in total. On day 10, vitamin C concentrations and the expression of vitamin C transporter in the tissues were measured. As a result, the levels of sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter (SVCTs) 1 and the l-ascorbic acid concentration in 3-methylcholanthrene-treated livers and hepatocytes have increased significantly. However, the content of vitamin C in the urine and TBARS in the liver have not changed. These results suggest that the administration of 3-methylcholanthrene elevates the requirement for vitamin C via (SVCTs) 1 due to xenobitics-metabolizing, such as the induction of cytochrome P450 family. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Structure of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-guanosine adducts.

    PubMed

    Jeffrey, A M; Blobstein, S H; Weinstein, I B; Beland, F A; Harvey, R G; Kasai, H; Nakanishi, K

    1976-07-01

    Arene oxides have been proposed as the reactive intermediates in the process of carcinogenesis induced by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The present study defines the structures of four guanosine adducts formed by the reaction of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-5,6-oxide with polyguanylic acid. The modified polymer was hydrolyzed to nucleotides and the hydrophobic guanosine adducts separated from unmodified guanosine by LH-20 column chromatograhy. The adducts were further resolved into four components (I-IV) by reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography. Analysis of the ultraviolet, circular dichroism, mass, and proton magnetic resonance spectra of these compounds, or their acetate and free base derivatives, indicates that in all four compounds the aromatic hydrocarbon is present on the 2 amino group of guanine. Compounds I and IV, and II and III constitute diastereoisomeric pairs, respectively. In the I and IV pair, the adducts result from addition at the 6 position of the original dimethylbenz[a]anthracene oxide, whereas in the II and III pair, the addition occurs at the 5 position. Indirect evidence suggests that trans opening of the oxide occurred in all cases but this remains to be established.

  9. PERFLUORINATED AROMATIC COMPOUNDS

    DTIC Science & Technology

    decafluorodiphenylamine, 3,3’,4,4’-tetra substituted- hexafluorobiphenyls, tetrafluororesorcinol, perfluoroaromatic thioethers, and dithiols. These...and other perfluorinated aromatic compounds are the intermediates employed in the synthesis of perfluorinated model compounds and polymers.

  10. Forming a Two-Ring Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon without a Benzene Intermediate: the Reaction of Propargyl with Acetylene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Osborn, David; Savee, John; Selby, Talitha; Welz, Oliver; Taatjes, Craig

    The reaction of acetylene (HCCH) with a resonance-stabilized free radical is a commonly invoked mechanism for the generation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are likely precursors of soot particles in combustion. In this work, we examine the sequential addition of acetylene to the propargyl radical (H2CCCH) at temperatures of 800 and 1000 K. Using time-resolved multiplexed photoionization mass spectrometry with tunable ionizing radiation, we identified the isomeric forms of the C5H5 and C7H7 intermediates in this reaction sequence, and confirmed that the final C9H8 product is the two-ring aromatic compound indene. We identified two different resonance-stabilized C5H5 intermediates, with different temperature dependencies. Furthermore, the C7H7 intermediate is the tropyl radical (c-C7H7) , not the benzyl radical (C6H5CH2) , as is usually assumed in combustion environments. These experimental results are in general agreement with the latest electronic structure / master equation results of da Silva et al. This work shows a pathway for PAH formation that bypasses benzene / benzyl intermediates.

  11. Development of genetically engineered bacteria for production of selected aromatic compounds

    DOEpatents

    Ward, Thomas E.; Watkins, Carolyn S.; Bulmer, Deborah K.; Johnson, Bruce F.; Amaratunga, Mohan

    2001-01-01

    The cloning and expression of genes in the common aromatic pathway of E. coli are described. A compound for which chorismate, the final product of the common aromatic pathway, is an anabolic intermediate can be produced by cloning and expressing selected genes of the common aromatic pathway and the genes coding for enzymes necessary to convert chorismate to the selected compound. Plasmids carrying selected genes of the common aromatic pathway are also described.

  12. Intermediates in the Formation of Aromatics in Hydrocarbon Combustion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Walch, Stephen P.; Langhoff, S. R. (Technical Monitor)

    1994-01-01

    The formation of the first benzene ring is believed to be the rate limiting step in soot formation. Two different mechanisms have been proposed for formation of cyclic C6 species. The first involves the reaction of two acetylenes to give CH2CHCCH (vinyl acetylene), the loss of a H to give CHCHCCH (n-C41-13) or CH2CCCH (iso-C4H3), and addition of another acetylene to n-C4H3, followed by ring closure to give phenyl radical. Miller and Melius argue that only n-C4H3 leads to phenyl radical and since iso-C4H3 is more stable than n-C4H3 this mechanism is unlikely. An alternative mechanism proposed by them is formation of benzene from the dimerization of two CH2CCH (propargyl) radicals (formed by the reaction of singlet methylene with C2H2). We report reaction pathways and accurate energetics (from CASSCF/internally contracted CI calculations) for the reactions of CH(pi-2) and CH2-1 with acetylene, the reaction of vinylidene with acetylene, and the reaction of n-C4H3 and iso-C4H3 with acetylene. These calculations identify two new reactive intermediates CHCHCH ( a A"-2 ground state in Cs symmetry; spin coupling is a doublet from three singly occupied orbitals) and CHCCH (B-3 ground state in C2 symmetry) from the reaction of CH with acetylene. These species dimerize with no barrier to form benzene and para-benzyne, respectively. CHCCH is proposed as a reactive intermediate which can add to benzene to give higher polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons or fullerenes. The addition of a C3H2 unit releases two C-C bond energies and thus the resulting addition product contains sufficient energy to break several CH bonds leading to a reduction in the H to C ratio as the cluster size increases. It is found that iso-C4H3 adds to acetylene to initially give a fulvene radical but that this species rearranges to phenyl radical. Thus, the reaction of acetylene with iso-C4H3 does lead to phenyl radical and the cyclization pathway may also contribute to formation of the initial benzene ring.

  13. The role of metabolic activation of analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the development of renal papillary necrosis and upper urothelial carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Bach, P H; Bridges, J W

    1984-08-01

    There has been no cogent hypothesis to explain the molecular basis of analgesic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) associated renal papillary necrosis (RPN) and upper urothelial carcinoma (UUC). The microsomal cytochrome P-450 enzyme system may generate reactive intermediates which promote pathophysiological effects in the lung, liver and renal cortex, but the absence of P-450 activity in the medulla suggests that it is unlikely that similar events lead to RPN and UUC. Other enzymes (eg. peroxidases) convert substituted aromatics into benzoquinoneimines (an intermediate that has previously been defined in P-450-mediated toxicity). The medulla is rich in fatty acid peroxidases involved in the metabolism of arachidonic acid. NSAID and analgesics interact with key enzymes in this pathway, which could lead to the co-oxygenation of exogenous and endogenous compounds via the peroxidase, lipoxygenase, or prostaglandin hydroperoxidase enzymes. The generation of reactive molecules in the medulla could explain both RPN and UUC via the alkylation of macromolecules. The formation of free radicals would give rise to extensive lipid peroxidation, (there are large quantities of free polyunsaturated fatty acids in the medullary interstitial cells), an event of major potential importance to local cell destruction and genotoxic effects. At present this proposed mechanism of co-oxygenation offers the most attractive working hypothesis to explain the molecular pathogenesis of both RPN and UUC.

  14. Protonation at the aromatic ring of samarium benzophenone dianion species. Isolation and structural characterization of a samarium(III) enolate complex

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hou, Z.; Yoshimura, Takashi; Wakatsuki, Yasuo

    1994-11-30

    The reduction of aromatic compounds into their dihydro derivatives by dissolving metal/alcohol systems (the Birch reduction) is a useful methodology in organic synthesis. Of particular importance is the reduction of aromatic carbonyl compounds such as aromatic acids, esters, amides, and monoaryl ketones, which usually generates in situ useful metal enolate intermediates that upon further reaction with electrophiles yield a variety of cyclohexadiene derivatives. One of the possible processes to generate these metal enolate intermediates is thought to be the monoprotonation of dianionic species at the para position of the aromatic rings. On the other hand, the reduction of diaryl ketonesmore » by alkali metals in liquid ammonia or by lanthanide metals in THF/HMPA or DME has been well known to afford the corresponding ketone dianions. The first X-ray structure of metal ketone dianion complexes, [Yb([mu]-[eta][sup 1],[eta][sup 2]-OCPh[sub 2]) (HMPA)[sub 2

  15. Dechlorination of chlorinated phenols by subnanoscale Pd 0 /Fe 0 intercalated in smectite: pathway, reactivity, and selectivity.

    PubMed

    Jia, Hanzhong; Wang, Chuanyi

    2015-12-30

    Smectite clay was employed as templated matrix to prepare subnanoscale Pd(0)/Fe(0) particles, and their components as well as intercalated architectures were well characterized by X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (X-EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, as-prepared Pd(0)/Fe(0) subnanoscale nanoparticles were evaluated for their dechlorination effect using chlorinated phenols as model molecules. As a result, pentachlorophenol (PCP) is selectively transformed to phenol in a stepwise dechlorination pathway within 6h, and the dechlorination rate constants show linearly relationship with contents of Pd as its loadings <0.065%. Comparing with PCP, other chlorinated phenols display similar degradation pattern but within much shorter time frame. The dechlorination rate of chlorinated phenols increases with decreasing in number of -Cl attached to aromatic ring, which can be predicted by the total charge of the aromatic ring, exhibiting an inversely linear relationship with the dechlorination rates. While the selectivity of dechlorination depends on the charges associated with the individual aromatic carbon. Chloro-functional groups at the ortho-position are easier to be dechlorinated than that at meta- and para- positions yielding primarily 3,4,5-TCP as intermediate from PCP, further to phenol. The effective dechlorination warrants their potential utilizations in development of in-situ remediation technologies for organic pollutants in contaminated water. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Influence of the physicochemical and aromatic properties on the chemical reactivity and its relation with carcinogenic and anticoagulant effect of 17β-aminoestrogens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soriano-Correa, Catalina; Raya, Angélica; Barrientos-Salcedo, Carolina; Esquivel, Rodolfo O.

    2014-06-01

    Activity of steroid hormones is dependent upon a number of factors, as solubility, transport and metabolism. The functional differences caused by structural modifications could exert an influence on the chemical reactivity and biological effect. The goal of this work is to study the influence of the physicochemical and aromatic properties on the chemical reactivity and its relation with the carcinogenic risk that can associate with the anticoagulant effect of 17β-aminoestrogens using quantum-chemical descriptors at the DFT-B3LYP, BH&HLYP and M06-2X levels. The relative acidity of (H1) of the hydroxyl group increases with electron-withdrawing groups. Electron-donor groups favor the basicity. The steric hindrance of the substituents decreases the aromatic character and consequently diminution the carcinogenic effect. Density descriptors: hardness, electrophilic index, atomic charges, molecular orbitals, electrostatic potential and their geometric parameters permit analyses of the chemical reactivity and physicochemical features and to identify some reactive sites of 17β-aminoestrogens.

  17. Experimental and modeling study of fuel interactions with an alkyl nitrate cetane enhancer, 2-ethyl-hexyl nitrate

    DOE PAGES

    Goldsborough, S. S.; Johnson, M. V.; Banyon, C.; ...

    2014-07-15

    Our study investigates the autoignition behavior of two gasoline surrogates doped with an alkyl nitrate cetane enhancer, 2-ethyl-hexyl nitrate (2EHN) to better understand dopant interactions with the fuels, including influences of accelerating kinetic pathways and enhanced exothermicity. A primary reference fuel (PRF) blend of n-heptane/iso-octane, and a toluene reference fuel (TRF) blend of n-heptane/iso-octane/toluene are used where the aromatic fraction of the latter is set to 20% (liquid volume), while the content of n-heptane is adjusted so that the overall reactivity of the undoped fuels is similar, e.g., Anti-Knock Index (AKI) of similar to 91, Cetane Number (CN) similar tomore » 25. Doping levels of 0.1, 1.0 and 3.0% (liquid volume basis) are used where tests are conducted within a rapid compression machine (RCM) at a compressed pressure of 21 bar, covering temperatures from 675 to 1025 K with stoichiometric fuel-oxygen ratios at O-2 = 11.4%. At the experimental conditions, it is found that the doping effectiveness of 2EHN is fairly similar between the two fuels, though 2EHN is more effective in the aromatic blend at the lowest temperatures, while it is slightly more effective in the non-aromatic blend at intermediate temperatures. Furthermore, kinetic modeling of the experiments indicates that although some of the reactivity trends can be captured using a detailed model, the extents of predicted Cetane Number enhancement by 2EHN are too large, while differences in fuel interactions for the two fuels result in excessive stimulation of the non-aromatic blend. Sensitivity analysis using the kinetic model indicates that the CH 2O and CH 3O 2 chemistry are very sensitive to the dopant at all conditions. The rate of 2EHN decomposition is only important at low temperatures where its decomposition rate is slow due to the high activation energy of the reaction. At higher temperatures, dopant-derived 3-heptyl radicals are predicted to play an important role stimulating ignition. Finally, nitrogen chemistry is important through the 'NO - NO 2 loop' where this can generate substantial amounts of OH. But, at the highest doping levels the formation of methyl and ethyl nitrite, and nitric acid significantly competes with this so that less OH is generated and this constrains the reactivity enhancement of 2EHN.« less

  18. Initial Reactivity of Linkages and Monomer Rings in Lignin Pyrolysis Revealed by ReaxFF Molecular Dynamics.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Tingting; Li, Xiaoxia; Guo, Li

    2017-10-24

    The initial conversion pathways of linkages and their linked monomer units in lignin pyrolysis were investigated comprehensively by ReaxFF MD simulations facilitated by the unique VARxMD for reaction analysis. The simulated molecular model contains 15 920 atoms and was constructed on the basis of Adler's softwood lignin model. The simulations uncover the initial conversion ratio of various linkages and their linked aryl monomers. For linkages and their linked monomer aryl rings of α-O-4, β-O-4 and α-O-4 & β-5, the C α /C β ether bond cracking dominates the initial pathway accounting for at least up to 80% of their consumption. For the linkage of β-β & γ-O-α, both the C α -O ether bond cracking and its linked monomer aryl ring opening are equally important. Ring-opening reactions dominate the initial consumption of other 4-O-5, 5-5, β-1, β-2, and β-5 linkages and their linked monomers. The ether bond cracking of C α -O and C β -O occurs at low temperature, and the aryl ring-opening reactions take place at relatively high temperature. The important intermediates leading to the stable aryl ring opening are the phenoxy radicals, the bridged five-membered and three-membered rings and the bridged six-membered and three-membered rings. In addition, the reactivity of a linkage and its monomer aryl ring may be affected by other linkages. The ether bond cracking of α-O-4 and β-O-4 linkages can activate its neighboring linkage or monomer ring through the formed phenoxy radicals as intermediates. The important intermediates revealed in this article should be of help in deepening the understanding of the controlling mechanism for producing aromatic chemicals from lignin pyrolysis.

  19. A quantitative approach to nucleophilic organocatalysis

    PubMed Central

    Lakhdar, Sami; Maji, Biplab; Ofial, Armin R

    2012-01-01

    Summary The key steps in most organocatalytic cyclizations are the reactions of electrophiles with nucleophiles. Their rates can be calculated by the linear free-energy relationship log k(20 °C) = s N(E + N), where electrophiles are characterized by one parameter (E) and nucleophiles are characterized by the solvent-dependent nucleophilicity (N) and sensitivity (s N) parameters. Electrophilicity parameters in the range –10 < E < –5 were determined for iminium ions derived from cinnamaldehyde and common organocatalysts, such as pyrrolidines and imidazolidinones, by studying the rates of their reactions with reference nucleophiles. Iminium activated reactions of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes can, therefore, be expected to proceed with nucleophiles of 2 < N < 14, because such nucleophiles are strong enough to react with iminium ions but weak enough not to react with their precursor aldehydes. With the N parameters of enamines derived from phenylacetaldehyde and MacMillan’s imidazolidinones one can rationalize why only strong electrophiles, such as stabilized carbenium ions (–8 < E < –2) or hexachlorocyclohexadienone (E = –6.75), are suitable electrophiles for enamine activated reactions with imidazolidinones. Several mechanistic controversies concerning iminium and enamine activated reactions could thus be settled by studying the reactivities of independently synthesized intermediates. Kinetic investigations of the reactions of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) with benzhydrylium ions showed that they have similar nucleophilicities to common organocatalysts (e.g., PPh3, DMAP, DABCO) but are much stronger (100–200 kJ mol–1) Lewis bases. While structurally analogous imidazolylidenes and imidazolidinylidenes have comparable nucleophilicities and Lewis basicities, the corresponding deoxy Breslow intermediates differ dramatically in reactivity. The thousand-fold higher nucleophilicity of 2-benzylidene-imidazoline relative to 2-benzylidene-imidazolidine is explained by the gain of aromaticity during electrophilic additions to the imidazoline derivatives. O-Methylated Breslow intermediates are a hundred-fold less nucleophilic than deoxy Breslow intermediates. PMID:23019481

  20. Simulation chamber studies of the atmospheric degradation of xylene oxidation products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clifford, G.; Rea, G.; Thuener, L.; Wenger, J.

    2003-04-01

    Aromatic compounds are emitted to the atmosphere from their use in automobile fuels and solvents. In addition to being important primary pollutants, many aromatics, including the xylenes, possess high photochemical reactivity and make a major contribution to the formation of oxidants, such as ozone and nitrates, in the troposphere. The atmospheric oxidation of aromatics produces a wide variety of products and the atmospheric reactivity of many of these species is unknown. The aim of this work was to study the atmospheric degradation processes for dimethylphenols, tolualdehydes and dicarbonyl compounds which are produced from the hydroxyl radical initiated oxidation of the xylenes. Experiments on the hydroxyl (OH) and nitrate radical initiated oxidation of dimethylphenols and tolualdehydes have been performed in a large atmospheric simulation chamber in our laboratory. The chamber is made of FEP foil and has a volume of about 4750 litres. It is equipped with gas chromatography, GC-MS, and in situ FTIR spectroscopy for chemical analysis and a scanning mobility particle sizer for aerosol measurements. Rate coefficients have been determined for the reactions of hydroxyl and nitrate radicals with dimethylphenols and tolualdehydes. Gas-phase products and the yield of secondary organic aerosol have also been determined for the OH-initiated oxidation of these compounds. Mechanisms for the formation of the products are proposed. The photolysis of the unsaturated dicarbonyls, butenedial and 4-oxo-pent-2-enal, has been studied using real sunlight at the European Photoreactor (EUPHORE) in Valencia, Spain. Photolysis rates were measured and indicate that photolysis by sunlight is the major atmospheric degradation process for these compounds. Product studies show the formation of a ketene intermediate that decays to form five membered ring compounds such as furanones and maleic anhydride. Mechanisms for the formation of the products are proposed. Finally, the data obtained in this work is used to access the atmospheric impact of xylene oxidation products and to provide valuable information on their pollution forming potential.

  1. Oxidation of clofibric acid in aqueous solution using a non-thermal plasma discharge or gamma radiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madureira, Joana; Ceriani, Elisa; Pinhão, Nuno; Marotta, Ester; Melo, Rita; Cabo Verde, Sandra; Paradisi, Cristina; Margaça, Fernanda M. A.

    2017-11-01

    In this work, we study degradation of clofibric acid (CFA) in aqueous solution using either ionizing radiation from a $^{60}$Co source or a non-thermal plasma produced by discharges in the air above the solution. The results obtained with the two technologies are compared in terms of effectiveness of CFA degradation and its by-products. In both cases the CFA degradation follows a quasi-exponential decay in time well modelled by a kinetic scheme which considers the competition between CFA and all reaction intermediates for the reactive species generated in solution as well as the amount of the end product formed. A new degradation law is deduced to explain the results. Although the end-product CO$_2$ was detected and the CFA conversion found to be very high under the studied conditions, HPLC analysis reveals several degradation intermediates still bearing the aromatic ring with the chlorine substituent. The extent of mineralization is rather limited. The energy yield is found to be higher in the gamma radiation experiments.

  2. Oxidation of clofibric acid in aqueous solution using a non-thermal plasma discharge or gamma radiation.

    PubMed

    Madureira, Joana; Ceriani, Elisa; Pinhão, Nuno; Marotta, Ester; Melo, Rita; Cabo Verde, Sandra; Paradisi, Cristina; Margaça, Fernanda M A

    2017-11-01

    In this work, we study degradation of clofibric acid (CFA) in aqueous solution using either ionizing radiation from a 60 Co source or a non-thermal plasma produced by discharges in the air above the solution. The results obtained with the two technologies are compared in terms of effectiveness of CFA degradation and its by-products. In both cases the CFA degradation follows a quasi-exponential decay in time well modelled by a kinetic scheme which considers the competition between CFA and all reaction intermediates for the reactive species generated in solution as well as the amount of the end product formed. A new degradation law is deduced to explain the results. Although the end-product CO 2 was detected and the CFA conversion found to be very high under the studied conditions, HPLC analysis reveals several degradation intermediates still bearing the aromatic ring with the chlorine substituent. The extent of mineralization is rather limited. The energy yield is found to be higher in the gamma radiation experiments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Structure of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-guanosine adducts.

    PubMed Central

    Jeffrey, A M; Blobstein, S H; Weinstein, I B; Beland, F A; Harvey, R G; Kasai, H; Nakanishi, K

    1976-01-01

    Arene oxides have been proposed as the reactive intermediates in the process of carcinogenesis induced by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The present study defines the structures of four guanosine adducts formed by the reaction of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-5,6-oxide with polyguanylic acid. The modified polymer was hydrolyzed to nucleotides and the hydrophobic guanosine adducts separated from unmodified guanosine by LH-20 column chromatograhy. The adducts were further resolved into four components (I-IV) by reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography. Analysis of the ultraviolet, circular dichroism, mass, and proton magnetic resonance spectra of these compounds, or their acetate and free base derivatives, indicates that in all four compounds the aromatic hydrocarbon is present on the 2 amino group of guanine. Compounds I and IV, and II and III constitute diastereoisomeric pairs, respectively. In the I and IV pair, the adducts result from addition at the 6 position of the original dimethylbenz[a]anthracene oxide, whereas in the II and III pair, the addition occurs at the 5 position. Indirect evidence suggests that trans opening of the oxide occurred in all cases but this remains to be established. PMID:821053

  4. A Computational Study of Structure and Reactivity of N-Substitued-4-Piperidones Curcumin Analogues and Their Radical Anions.

    PubMed

    Martínez-Cifuentes, Maximiliano; Weiss-López, Boris; Araya-Maturana, Ramiro

    2016-12-02

    In this work, a computational study of a series of N -substitued-4-piperidones curcumin analogues is presented. The molecular structure of the neutral molecules and their radical anions, as well as their reactivity, are investigated. N -substituents include methyl and benzyl groups, while substituents on the aromatic rings cover electron-donor and electron-acceptor groups. Substitutions at the nitrogen atom do not significantly affect the geometry and frontier molecular orbitals (FMO) energies of these molecules. On the other hand, substituents on the aromatic rings modify the distribution of FMO. In addition, they influence the capability of these molecules to attach an additional electron, which was studied through adiabatic (AEA) and vertical electron affinities (VEA), as well as vertical detachment energy (VDE). To study electrophilic properties of these structures, local reactivity indices, such as Fukui ( f ⁺) and Parr ( P ⁺) functions, were calculated, and show the influence of the aromatic rings substituents on the reactivity of α,β-unsaturated ketones towards nucleophilic attack. This study has potential implications for the design of curcumin analogues based on a 4-piperidone core with desired reactivity.

  5. Aromatic ring generation as a dust precursor in acetylene discharges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Bleecker, Kathleen; Bogaerts, Annemie; Goedheer, Wim

    2006-04-01

    Production of aromatic hydrocarbon compounds as an intermediate step for particle formation in low-pressure acetylene discharges is investigated via a kinetic approach. The detailed chemical reaction mechanism contains 140 reactions among 55 species. The cyclic hydrocarbon chemistry is mainly based on studies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon formation in cosmic environments. The model explicitly includes organic chain, cyclic molecules, radicals, and ions up to a size of 12 carbon atoms. The calculated density profiles show that the aromatic formation yields are quite significant, suggesting that aromatic compounds play a role in the underlying mechanisms of particle formation in hydrocarbon plasmas.

  6. Metal Triflates for the Production of Aromatics from Lignin.

    PubMed

    Deuss, Peter J; Lahive, Ciaran W; Lancefield, Christopher S; Westwood, Nicholas J; Kamer, Paul C J; Barta, Katalin; de Vries, Johannes G

    2016-10-20

    The depolymerization of lignin into valuable aromatic chemicals is one of the key goals towards establishing economically viable biorefineries. In this contribution we present a simple approach for converting lignin to aromatic monomers in high yields under mild reaction conditions. The methodology relies on the use of catalytic amounts of easy-to-handle metal triflates (M(OTf) x ). Initially, we evaluated the reactivity of a broad range of metal triflates using simple lignin model compounds. More advanced lignin model compounds were also used to study the reactivity of different lignin linkages. The product aromatic monomers were either phenolic C2-acetals obtained by stabilization of the aldehyde cleavage products by reaction with ethylene glycol or methyl aromatics obtained by catalytic decarbonylation. Notably, when the method was ultimately tested on lignin, especially Fe(OTf) 3 proved very effective and the phenolic C2-acetal products were obtained in an excellent, 19.3±3.2 wt % yield. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Four groups of new aromatic halogenated disinfection byproducts: effect of bromide concentration on their formation and speciation in chlorinated drinking water.

    PubMed

    Pan, Yang; Zhang, Xiangru

    2013-02-05

    Bromide is naturally present in source waters worldwide. Chlorination of drinking water can generate a variety of chlorinated and brominated disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Although substantial efforts have been made to examine the effect of bromide concentration on the formation and speciation of halogenated DBPs, almost all previous studies have focused on trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. Given that about 50% of total organic halogen formed in chlorination remains unknown, it is still unclear how bromide concentration affects the formation and speciation of the new/unknown halogenated DBPs. In this study, chlorinated drinking water samples with different bromide concentrations were prepared, and a novel approach-precursor ion scan using ultra performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry-was adopted for the detection and identification of polar halogenated DBPs in these water samples. With this approach, 11 new putative aromatic halogenated DBPs were identified, and they were classified into four groups: dihalo-4-hydroxybenzaldehydes, dihalo-4-hydroxybenzoic acids, dihalo-salicylic acids, and trihalo-phenols. A mechanism for the formation of the four groups of new aromatic halogenated DBPs was proposed. It was found that increasing the bromide concentration shifted the entire polar halogenated DBPs as well as the four groups of new DBPs from being less brominated to being more brominated; these new aromatic halogenated DBPs might be important intermediate DBPs formed in drinking water chlorination. Moreover, the speciation of the four groups of new DBPs was modeled: the speciation patterns of the four groups of new DBPs well matched those determined from the model equations, and the reactivity differences between HOBr and HOCl in reactions forming the four groups of new DBPs were larger than those in reactions forming trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids.

  8. Computational Study of the Thermodynamics of Atmospheric Nitration of PAHs via OH-Radical-Initiated Reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jariyasopit, N.; Cheong, P.; Simonich, S. L.

    2011-12-01

    Nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) are an important class of PAH derivatives that are more toxic than their parent PAHs (1) and are emitted from direct emission and secondary emission to the atmosphere. The secondary emissions, particularly the OH-radical initiated and NO3-radical-initiated reactions, have been shown to influence the NPAH concentrations in the atmosphere. Gas-phase reactions are thought to be the major sources of NPAHs containing four or fewer rings (2). Besides NPAHs, PAHs lead to a number of other products including oxygenated, hydroxy substituted and ring-opened PAH derivatives (3). For some PAHs, the OH-initiated and NO3-initiated reactions result in the formation of different NPAH isomers, allowing the ratio of these isomers to be used in the determination of direct or secondary emission sources. Previous studies have shown that the PAH gas-phase reactions with OH radical is initiated by the addition of OH radical to the aromatic ring to form hydroxycyclohexadienyl radicals (4). In the presence of NO2, these reactive intermediates readily nitrate with the elimination of water (4). The hydroxycyclohexadienyl-type radical intermediates are also prone to react with other species in the atmosphere or revert back to the original compound (3). The objective of this study was to investigate the thermodynamics of PAH nitration through day-time OH-radical-initiated reactions. The theoretical investigation were carried out using Density Functioanl Theory (B3LYP) and the 6-31G(d) basis set, as implemented in Gaussian03. A number of different PAHs were studied including fluoranthene, pyrene, as well as the molecular weight 302 PAHs such as dibenzo[a,l]pyrene. Computations were also used to predict unknown NPAHs formed by OH-radical-initiated reaction. All intermediates for the OH-radical addition and the following nitration were computed. We have discovered that the thermodynamic stability of the intermediates involved in the PAH oxygenation and nitration pathways are critical in explaining the atmospheric abundances of NPAHs. Specifically, we have found that the experimentally most abundant species had the most stable intermediates. Interestingly, the overall free energy of reaction was not a factor in determining the relative abundances of NPAHs.

  9. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Zhe-Chen; Bierbaum, Veronica M.

    The likely existence of aromatic anions in many important extraterrestrial environments, from the atmosphere of Titan to the interstellar medium (ISM), is attracting increasing attention. Nitrogen and oxygen atoms are also widely observed in the ISM and in the ionospheres of planets and moons. In the current work, we extend previous studies to explore the reactivity of prototypical aromatic anions (deprotonated toluene, aniline, and phenol) with N and O atoms both experimentally and computationally. The benzyl and anilinide anions both exhibit slow associative electron detachment (AED) processes with N atom, and moderate reactivity with O atom in which AED dominatesmore » but ionic products are also formed. The reactivity of phenoxide is dramatically different; there is no measurable reaction with N atom, and the moderate reactivity with O atom produces almost exclusively ionic products. The reaction mechanisms are studied theoretically by employing density functional theory calculations, and spin conversion is found to be critical for understanding some product distributions. This work provides insight into the rich gas-phase chemistry of aromatic ion-atom reactions and their relevance to ionospheric and interstellar chemistry.« less

  10. Experimental and kinetic modeling investigation of rich premixed toluene flames doped with n-butanol.

    PubMed

    Li, Yuyang; Yuan, Wenhao; Li, Tianyu; Li, Wei; Yang, Jiuzhong; Qi, Fei

    2018-04-25

    n-Butanol is a promising renewable biofuel and has a lot of advantages as a gasoline additive compared with ethanol. Though the combustion of pure n-butanol has been extensively investigated, the chemical structures of large hydrocarbons doped with n-butanol, especially for aromatic fuels, are still insufficiently understood. In this work, rich premixed toluene/n-butanol/oxygen/argon flames were investigated at 30 Torr with synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry (SVUV-PIMS). The blending ratio of n-butanol was varied from 0 to 50%, while the equivalence ratio was maintained at a quite rich value (1.75) for the purpose of studying the influence of n-butanol on the aromatic growth process. Flame species including radicals, reactive molecules, isomers and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were identified and their mole fraction profiles were measured. A kinetic model of toluene/n-butanol combustion was developed from our recently reported toluene and n-butanol models. It is observed that the production of most toluene decomposition products and larger aromatics was suppressed as the blending ratio of n-butanol increases. Meanwhile, the addition of n-butanol generally enhanced the formation of most observed C2-C4 hydrocarbons and C1-C4 oxygenated species. The rate of production (ROP) analysis and experimental observations both indicate that the interaction between toluene and n-butanol in their decomposition processes mainly occurs at the formation of small intermediates, e.g. acetylene and methyl. In particular, the interaction between toluene and n-butanol in methyl formation influences the formation of large monocyclic aromatics such as ethylbenzene, styrene and phenylacetylene, making their maximum mole fractions decay slowly upon increasing the blending ratio of n-butanol compared with toluene and benzyl. The increase of the blending ratio of n-butanol reduces the formation of key PAH precursors such as benzyl, fulvenallenyl, benzene, phenyl and propargyl, which leads to a remarkable reduction in the formation of PAHs.

  11. GLOBAL INVENTORY OF VOLATILE COMPOUND EMISSIONS FROM ANTHROPOGENIC SOURCES

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report describes a global inventory anthropogenic volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions that includes a separate inventory for each of seven pollutant groups--paraffins, olefins, aromatics, formaldehyde, other aldehydes, other aromatics, and marginally reactive compounds....

  12. Cation Radical Accelerated Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution via Organic Photoredox Catalysis.

    PubMed

    Tay, Nicholas E S; Nicewicz, David A

    2017-11-15

    Nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S N Ar) is a direct method for arene functionalization; however, it can be hampered by low reactivity of arene substrates and their availability. Herein we describe a cation radical-accelerated nucleophilic aromatic substitution using methoxy- and benzyloxy-groups as nucleofuges. In particular, lignin-derived aromatics containing guaiacol and veratrole motifs were competent substrates for functionalization. We also demonstrate an example of site-selective substitutive oxygenation with trifluoroethanol to afford the desired trifluoromethylaryl ether.

  13. Quantifying reactivity for electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions with Hirshfeld charge.

    PubMed

    Liu, Shubin

    2015-03-26

    An electrophilic aromatic substitution is a process where one atom or group on an aromatic ring is replaced by an incoming electrophile. The reactivity and regioselectivity of this category of reactions is significantly impacted by the group that is already attached to the aromatic ring. Groups promoting substitution at the ortho/para and meta position are called ortho/para and meta directing groups, respectively. Earlier, we have shown that regioselectivity of the electrophilic aromatic substitution is dictated by the nucleophilicity of the substituted aromatic ring, which is proportional to the Hirshfeld charge on the regioselective site. Ortho/para directing groups have the largest negative charge values at the ortho/para positions, whereas meta directing groups often have the largest negative charge value at the meta position. The electron donation or acceptance feature of a substitution group is irrelevant to the regioselectivity. In this contribution, we extend our previous study by quantifying the reactivity for this kind of reactions. To that end, we examine the transition-state structure and activation energy of an identity reaction for a series of monosubstituted-benzene molecules reacting with hydrogen fluoride using BF3 as the catalyst in the gas phase. A total of 18 substitution groups will be considered, nine of which are ortho/para directing and the other nine groups meta directing. From this study, we found that the barrier height of these reactions strongly correlates with the Hirshfeld charge on the regioselective site for both ortho/para and meta directing groups, with the correlation coefficient R(2) both better than 0.96. We also discovered a less accurate correlation between the barrier height and HOMO energy. These results reconfirm the validity and effectiveness of employing the Hirshfeld charge as a reliable descriptor of both reactivity and regioselectivity for this vastly important category of chemical transformations.

  14. Removal of Intermediate Aromatic Halogenated DBPs by Activated Carbon Adsorption: A New Approach to Controlling Halogenated DBPs in Chlorinated Drinking Water.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Jingyi; Zhang, Xiangru; Zhu, Xiaohu; Li, Yu

    2017-03-21

    During chlorine disinfection of drinking water, chlorine may react with natural organic matter (NOM) and bromide ion in raw water to generate halogenated disinfection byproducts (DBPs). To mitigate adverse effects from DBP exposure, granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption has been considered as one of the best available technologies for removing NOM (DBP precursor) in drinking water treatment. Recently, we have found that many aromatic halogenated DBPs form in chlorination, and they act as intermediate DBPs to decompose and form commonly known DBPs including trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. In this work, we proposed a new approach to controlling drinking water halogenated DBPs by GAC adsorption of intermediate aromatic halogenated DBPs during chlorination, rather than by GAC adsorption of NOM prior to chlorination (i.e., traditional approach). Rapid small-scale column tests were used to simulate GAC adsorption in the new and traditional approaches. Significant reductions of aromatic halogenated DBPs were observed in the effluents with the new approach; the removals of total organic halogen, trihalomethanes, and haloacetic acids by the new approach always exceeded those by the traditional approach; and the effluents with the new approach were considerably less developmentally toxic than those with the traditional approach. Our findings indicate that the new approach is substantially more effective in controlling halogenated DBPs than the traditional approach.

  15. Reactions of substituted benzene anions with N and O atoms: Chemistry in Titan's upper atmosphere and the interstellar medium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Zhe-Chen; Bierbaum, Veronica M.

    2016-06-01

    The likely existence of aromatic anions in many important extraterrestrial environments, from the atmosphere of Titan to the interstellar medium (ISM), is attracting increasing attention. Nitrogen and oxygen atoms are also widely observed in the ISM and in the ionospheres of planets and moons. In the current work, we extend previous studies to explore the reactivity of prototypical aromatic anions (deprotonated toluene, aniline, and phenol) with N and O atoms both experimentally and computationally. The benzyl and anilinide anions both exhibit slow associative electron detachment (AED) processes with N atom, and moderate reactivity with O atom in which AED dominates but ionic products are also formed. The reactivity of phenoxide is dramatically different; there is no measurable reaction with N atom, and the moderate reactivity with O atom produces almost exclusively ionic products. The reaction mechanisms are studied theoretically by employing density functional theory calculations, and spin conversion is found to be critical for understanding some product distributions. This work provides insight into the rich gas-phase chemistry of aromatic ion-atom reactions and their relevance to ionospheric and interstellar chemistry.

  16. Adsorption and separation of reactive aromatic isomers and generation and stabilization of their radicals within cadmium(II)-triazole metal-organic confined space in a single-crystal-to-single-crystal fashion.

    PubMed

    Liu, Qi-Kui; Ma, Jian-Ping; Dong, Yu-Bin

    2010-05-26

    A series of reactive group functionalized aromatics, namely 2-furaldehyde, 3-furaldehyde, 2-thenaldehyde, 3-thenaldehyde, o-toluidine, m-toluidine, p-toluidine, and aniline, can be absorbed by a CdL(2) (1; L = 4-amino-3,5-bis(4-pyridyl-3-phenyl)-1,2,4-triazole) porous framework in both vapor and liquid phases to generate new G(n) [symbol: see text] CdL(2) (n = 1, 2) host-guest complexes. In addition, the CdL(2) framework can be a shield to protect the active functional group (-CHO and -NH(2)) substituted guests from reaction with the outside medium containing their reaction partners. That is, aldehyde-substituted guests within the CdL(2) host become "stable" in the aniline phase and vice versa. Moreover, 1 displays a very strict selectivity for these reactive group substituted aromatic isomers and can completely separate these guest isomers under mild conditions (i.e., 2-furaldehyde vs 3-furaldehyde, 2-thenaldehyde vs 3-thenaldehyde, and o-toluidine vs m-toluidine vs p-toluidine). All adsorptions and separations are directly performed on the single crystals of 1. More interestingly, these reactive group substituted aromatics readily transform to the corresponding radicals within the CdL(2) host upon ambient light or UV light (355 nm) irradiation. Furthermore, the generated organic radicals are alive for 1 month within the interior cavity in air under ambient conditions. Simple organic radicals are highly reactive short-lived species, and they cannot be generally isolated and conserved under ambient conditions. Thus, the CdL(2) host herein could be considered as a radical generator and storage vessel.

  17. Synthesis of a Fluorescent Acridone Using a Grignard Addition, Oxidation, and Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction Sequence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodrich, Samuel; Patel, Miloni; Woydziak, Zachary R.

    2015-01-01

    A three-pot synthesis oriented for an undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory was developed to construct a fluorescent acridone molecule. This laboratory experiment utilizes Grignard addition to an aldehyde, alcohol oxidation, and iterative nucleophilic aromatic substitution steps to produce the final product. Each of the intermediates and the…

  18. Photochemical reactions of aromatic compounds and the concept of the photon as a traceless reagent.

    PubMed

    Hoffmann, Norbert

    2012-11-01

    Electronic excitation significantly changes the reactivity of chemical compounds. Compared to ground state reactions, photochemical reactions considerably enlarge the application spectrum of a particular functional group in organic synthesis. Multistep syntheses may be simplified and perspectives for target oriented synthesis (TOS) and diversity oriented synthesis (DOS) are developed. New compound families become available or may be obtained more easily. In contrast to common chemical reagents, photons don't generate side products resulting from the transformation of a chemical reagent. Therefore, they are considered as a traceless reagent. Consequently, photochemical reactions play a central role in the methodology of sustainable chemistry. This aspect has been recognized since the beginning of the 20th century. As with many other photochemical transformations, photochemical reactions of aromatic, benzene-like compounds illustrate well the advantages in this context. Photochemical cycloadditions of aromatic compounds have been investigated for a long time. Currently, they are applied in various fields of organic synthesis. They are also studied in supramolecular structures. The phenomena of reactivity and stereoselectivity are investigated. During recent years, photochemical electron transfer mediated reactions are particularly focused. Such transformations have likewise been performed with aromatic compounds. Reactivity and selectivity as well as application to organic synthesis are studied.

  19. Phase I and phase II reductive metabolism simulation of nitro aromatic xenobiotics with electrochemistry coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Bussy, Ugo; Chung-Davidson, Yu-Wen; Li, Ke; Li, Weiming

    2014-11-01

    Electrochemistry combined with (liquid chromatography) high resolution mass spectrometry was used to simulate the general reductive metabolism of three biologically important nitro aromatic molecules: 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM), niclosamide, and nilutamide. TFM is a pesticide used in the Laurential Great Lakes while niclosamide and nilutamide are used in cancer therapy. At first, a flow-through electrochemical cell was directly connected to a high resolution mass spectrometer to evaluate the ability of electrochemistry to produce the main reduction metabolites of nitro aromatic, nitroso, hydroxylamine, and amine functional groups. Electrochemical experiments were then carried out at a constant potential of -2.5 V before analysis of the reduction products by LC-HRMS, which confirmed the presence of the nitroso, hydroxylamine, and amine species as well as dimers. Dimer identification illustrates the reactivity of the nitroso species with amine and hydroxylamine species. To investigate xenobiotic metabolism, the reactivity of nitroso species to biomolecules was also examined. Binding of the nitroso metabolite to glutathione was demonstrated by the observation of adducts by LC-ESI(+)-HRMS and the characteristics of their MSMS fragmentation. In conclusion, electrochemistry produces the main reductive metabolites of nitro aromatics and supports the observation of nitroso reactivity through dimer or glutathione adduct formation.

  20. An Unconventional Redox Cross Claisen Condensation-Aromatization of 4-Hydroxyprolines with Ketones.

    PubMed

    Tang, Mi; Sun, Rengwei; Li, Hao; Yu, Xinhong; Wang, Wei

    2017-08-18

    Reaction of α-amino acids, particularly prolines and their derivatives with carbonyl compounds via decarboxylative redox process, is a viable strategy for synthesis of structurally diverse nitrogen centered heterocyclics. In these processes, the decarboxylation is the essential driving force for the processes. The realization of the redox process without decarboxylation may offer an opportunity to explore new reactions. Herein, we report the discovery of an unprecedented redox Claisen-type condensation aromatization cascade reaction of 4-substituted 4-hydroxyproline and its esters with unreactive ketones. We found that the use of propionic acid as a catalyst and a co-solvent can change the reaction course. The commonly observed redox decarboxylation and aldol condensation reactions are significantly minimized. Moreover, unreactive ketones can effectively participate in the Claisen condensation reaction. The new reactivity enables a redox cyclization via an unconventional Claisen-type condensation reaction of in situ formed enamine intermediates from ketone precursors with 4-substituted 4-hydroxyproline and its esters as electrophilic acylation partners. Under the reaction conditions, the cascade process proceeds highly regio- and stereoselectively to afford highly synthetically and biologically valued cis-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolizin-1-ones with a broad substrate scope in efficient 'one-pot' operation, whereas such structures generally require multiple steps.

  1. Insights into the photo-induced formation of reactive intermediates from effluent organic matter: The role of chemical constituents.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Huaxi; Lian, Lushi; Yan, Shuwen; Song, Weihua

    2017-04-01

    In the present study, the formation of triplet states of organic matters ( 3 OM ∗ ) from effluent organic matter (EfOM) under simulated solar irradiation was investigated. EfOM was separated into hydrophobic (HPO), transphilic (TPI), and hydrophilic (HPI) components. The quantum yield coefficients (ƒ TMP ) of 3 OM ∗ were measured for each component and compared to those of reference natural organic matter (NOM). NaBH 4 reduction was performed on the EfOM, and the effect of aromatic ketones moieties on triplet formation was also determined. Furthermore, the apparent quantum yield of 1 O 2 (Φ 1O2 ) and O 2 •- (Φ O2•- ) was measured. Our results suggested that the HPI fraction acted as a sink for 3 OM ∗ . A linear correlation was observed between ƒ TMP and Φ 1O2 for NOM/EfOM, except for NaBH 4 -reduced effluent and HPI components. Both ƒ TMP and Φ 1O2 were positively correlated with the contribution rates of NaBH 4 -reducible moieties (aromatic ketones) toward 3 OM ∗ . Aromatic ketones were primarily responsible for the production of 3 OM ∗ from EfOM, whereas quinone moieties played a key role in the production of 3 OM ∗ in NOM-enriched solutions. Understanding the role of chemical constituents on the photo activity of EfOM/NOM is essential for providing useful insights on their photochemical effects in aquatic systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. P[N(i-Bu)CH(2)CH(2)](3)N: nonionic Lewis base for promoting the room-temperature synthesis of α,β-unsaturated esters, fluorides, ketones, and nitriles using Wadsworth-Emmons phosphonates.

    PubMed

    Chintareddy, Venkat Reddy; Ellern, Arkady; Verkade, John G

    2010-11-05

    The bicyclic triaminophosphine P(RNCH(2)CH(2))(3)N (R = i-Bu, 1c) serves as an effective promoter for the room-temperature stereoselective synthesis of α,β-unsaturated esters, fluorides, and nitriles from a wide array of aromatic, aliphatic, heterocyclic, and cyclic aldehydes and ketones, using a range of Wadsworth-Emmons (WE) phosphonates. Among the analogues of 1c [R = Me (1a), i-Pr (1b), Bn (1d)], 1a and 1b performed well, although longer reaction times were involved, and 1d led to poorer yields than 1c. Functionalities such as cyano, chloro, bromo, methoxy, amino, ester, and nitro were well tolerated. We were able to isolate and characterize (by X-ray means; see above) the reactive WE intermediate species formed from 2b and 1c.

  3. Solid polymer battery electrolyte and reactive metal-water battery

    DOEpatents

    Harrup, Mason K.; Peterson, Eric S.; Stewart, Frederick F.

    2000-01-01

    In one implementation, a reactive metal-water battery includes an anode comprising a metal in atomic or alloy form selected from the group consisting of periodic table Group 1A metals, periodic table Group 2A metals and mixtures thereof. The battery includes a cathode comprising water. Such also includes a solid polymer electrolyte comprising a polyphosphazene comprising ligands bonded with a phosphazene polymer backbone. The ligands comprise an aromatic ring containing hydrophobic portion and a metal ion carrier portion. The metal ion carrier portion is bonded at one location with the polymer backbone and at another location with the aromatic ring containing hydrophobic portion. The invention also contemplates such solid polymer electrolytes use in reactive metal/water batteries, and in any other battery.

  4. Oxidation kinetics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by permanganate.

    PubMed

    Forsey, Steven P; Thomson, Neil R; Barker, James F

    2010-04-01

    The reactivity of permanganate towards polycyclic aromatics hydrocarbons (PAHs) is well known but little kinetic information is available. This study investigated the oxidation kinetics of a selected group of coal tar creosote compounds and alkylbenzenes in water using permanganate, and the correlation between compound reactivity and physical/chemical properties. The oxidation of naphthalene, phenanthrene, chrysene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, acenaphthene, fluorene, carbazole isopropylbenzene, ethylbenzene and methylbenzene closely followed pseudo first-order reaction kinetics. The oxidation of pyrene was initially very rapid and did not follow pseudo first-order kinetics at early times. Fluoranthene was only partially oxidized and the oxidation of anthracene was too fast to be captured. Biphenyl, dibenzofuran, benzene and tert-butylbenzene were non-reactive under the study conditions. The oxidation rate was shown to increase with increasing number of polycyclic rings because less energy is required to overcome the aromatic character of a polycyclic ring than is required for benzene. Thus the rate of oxidation increased in the series naphthalene

  5. Low temperature oxidation of benzene and toluene in mixture with n-decane

    PubMed Central

    Herbinet, Olivier; Husson, Benoit; Ferrari, Maude; Glaude, Pierre-Alexandre; Battin-Leclerc, Frédérique

    2013-01-01

    The oxidation of two blends, benzene/n-decane and toluene/n-decane, was studied in a jet-stirred reactor with gas chromatography analysis (temperatures from 500 to 1100 K, atmospheric pressure, stoichiometric mixtures). The studied hydrocarbon mixtures contained 75% of aromatics in order to highlight the chemistry of the low-temperature oxidation of these two aromatic compounds which have a very low reactivity compared to large alkanes. The difference of behavior between the two aromatic reactants is highly pronounced concerning the formation of derived aromatic products below 800 K. In the case of benzene, only phenol could be quantified. In the case of toluene, significant amounts of benzaldehyde, benzene, and cresols were also formed, as well as several heavy aromatic products such as bibenzyl, phenylbenzylether, methylphenylbenzylether, and ethylphenylphenol. A comparison with results obtained with neat n-decane showed that the reactivity of the alkane is inhibited by the presence of benzene and, to a larger extent, toluene. An improved model for the oxidation of toluene was developed based on recent theoretical studies of the elementary steps involved in the low-temperature chemistry of this molecule. Simulations using this model were successfully compared with the obtained experimental results. PMID:23762017

  6. Evaluation of specific ultraviolet absorbance as an indicator of the chemical composition and reactivity of dissolved organic carbon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Weishaar, J.L.; Aiken, George R.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Fram, Miranda S.; Fujii, Roger; Mopper, K.

    2003-01-01

    Specific UV absorbance (SUVA) is defined as the UV absorbance of a water sample at a given wavelength normalized for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration. Our data indicate that SUVA, determined at 254 nm, is strongly correlated with percent aromaticity as determined by 13C NMR for 13 organic matter isolates obtained from a variety of aquatic environments. SUVA, therefore, is shown to be a useful parameter for estimating the dissolved aromatic carbon content in aquatic systems. Experiments involving the reactivity of DOC with chlorine and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), however, show a wide range of reactivity for samples with similar SUVA values. These results indicate that, while SUVA measurements are good predictors of general chemical characteristics of DOC, they do not provide information about reactivity of DOC derived from different types of source materials. Sample pH, nitrate, and iron were found to influence SUVA measurements.

  7. Yellow phosphorus process to convert toxic chemicals to non-toxic products

    DOEpatents

    Chang, S.G.

    1994-07-26

    The present invention relates to a process for generating reactive species for destroying toxic chemicals. This process first contacts air or oxygen with aqueous emulsions of molten yellow phosphorus. This contact results in rapid production of abundant reactive species such as O, O[sub 3], PO, PO[sub 2], etc. A gaseous or liquid aqueous solution organic or inorganic chemicals is next contacted by these reactive species to reduce the concentration of toxic chemical and result in a non-toxic product. The final oxidation product of yellow phosphorus is phosphoric acid of a quality which can be recovered for commercial use. A process is developed such that the byproduct, phosphoric acid, is obtained without contamination of toxic species in liquids treated. A gas stream containing ozone without contamination of phosphorus containing species is also obtained in a simple and cost-effective manner. This process is demonstrated to be effective for destroying many types of toxic organic, or inorganic, compounds, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), aromatic chlorides, amines, alcohols, acids, nitro aromatics, aliphatic chlorides, polynuclear aromatic compounds (PAH), dyes, pesticides, sulfides, hydroxyamines, ureas, dithionates and the like. 20 figs.

  8. Yellow phosphorus process to convert toxic chemicals to non-toxic products

    DOEpatents

    Chang, Shih-Ger

    1994-01-01

    The present invention relates to a process for generating reactive species for destroying toxic chemicals. This process first contacts air or oxygen with aqueous emulsions of molten yellow phosphorus. This contact results in rapid production of abundant reactive species such as O, O.sub.3, PO, PO.sub.2, etc. A gaseous or liquid aqueous solution organic or inorganic chemicals is next contacted by these reactive species to reduce the concentration of toxic chemical and result in a non-toxic product. The final oxidation product of yellow phosphorus is phosphoric acid of a quality which can be recovered for commercial use. A process is developed such that the byproduct, phosphoric acid, is obtained without contamination of toxic species in liquids treated. A gas stream containing ozone without contamination of phosphorus containing species is also obtained in a simple and cost-effective manner. This process is demonstrated to be effective for destroying many types of toxic organic, or inorganic, compounds, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), aromatic chlorides, amines, alcohols, acids, nitro aromatics, aliphatic chlorides, polynuclear aromatic compounds (PAH), dyes, pesticides, sulfides, hydroxyamines, ureas, dithionates and the like.

  9. Spectroscopic Diagnosis of Excited-State Aromaticity: Capturing Electronic Structures and Conformations upon Aromaticity Reversal.

    PubMed

    Oh, Juwon; Sung, Young Mo; Hong, Yongseok; Kim, Dongho

    2018-03-06

    Aromaticity, the special energetic stability derived from cyclic [4 n + 2]π-conjugated electronic structures, has been the topic of intense interest in chemistry because it plays a critical role in rationalizing molecular stability, reactivity, and physical/chemical properties. Recently, the pioneering work by Colin Baird on aromaticity reversal, postulating that aromatic (antiaromatic) character in the ground state reverses to antiaromatic (aromatic) character in the lowest excited triplet state, has attracted much scientific attention. The completely reversed aromaticity in the excited state provides direct insight into understanding the photophysical/chemical properties of photoactive materials. In turn, the application of aromatic molecules to photoactive materials has led to numerous studies revealing this aromaticity reversal. However, most studies of excited-state aromaticity have been based on the theoretical point of view. The experimental evaluation of aromaticity in the excited state is still challenging and strenuous because the assessment of (anti)aromaticity with conventional magnetic, energetic, and geometric indices is difficult in the excited state, which practically restricts the extension and application of the concept of excited-state aromaticity. Time-resolved optical spectroscopies can provide a new and alternative avenue to evaluate excited-state aromaticity experimentally while observing changes in the molecular features in the excited states. Time-resolved optical spectroscopies take advantage of ultrafast laser pulses to achieve high time resolution, making them suitable for monitoring ultrafast changes in the excited states of molecular systems. This can provide valuable information for understanding the aromaticity reversal. This Account presents recent breakthroughs in the experimental assessment of excited-state aromaticity and the verification of aromaticity reversal with time-resolved optical spectroscopic measurements. To scrutinize this intriguing and challenging scientific issue, expanded porphyrins have been utilized as the ideal testing platform for investigating aromaticity because they show distinct aromatic and antiaromatic characters with aromaticity-specific spectroscopic features. Expanded porphyrins exhibit perfect aromatic and antiaromatic congener pairs having the same molecular framework but different numbers of π electrons, which facilitates the study of the pure effect of aromaticity by comparative analyses. On the basis of the characteristics of expanded porphyrins, time-resolved electronic and vibrational absorption spectroscopies capture the changes in electronic structure and molecular conformations driven by the change in aromaticity and provide clear evidence for aromaticity reversal in the excited states. The approaches described in this Account pave the way for the development of new and alternative experimental indices for the evaluation of excited-state aromaticity, which will enable overarching and fundamental comprehension of the role of (anti)aromaticity in the stability, dynamics, and reactivity in the excited states with possible implications for practical applications.

  10. Peroxide Activation for Electrophilic Reactivity by the Binuclear Non-heme Iron Enzyme AurF

    DOE PAGES

    Park, Kiyoung; Li, Ning; Kwak, Yeonju; ...

    2017-05-01

    Binuclear non-heme iron enzymes activate O 2 for diverse chemistries that include oxygenation of organic substrates and hydrogen atom abstraction. This process often involves the formation of peroxo-bridged biferric intermediates, only some of which can perform electrophilic reactions. To elucidate the geometric and electronic structural requirements to activate peroxo reactivity, the active peroxo intermediate in 4-aminobenzoate N-oxygenase (AurF) has been characterized spectroscopically and computationally. A magnetic circular dichroism study of reduced AurF shows that its electronic and geometric structures are poised to react rapidly with O 2. Nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopic definition of the peroxo intermediate formed in this reactionmore » shows that the active intermediate has a protonated peroxo bridge. Density functional theory computations on the structure established here show that the protonation activates peroxide for electrophilic/single-electron-transfer reactivity. As a result, this activation of peroxide by protonation is likely also relevant to the reactive peroxo intermediates in other binuclear non-heme iron enzymes.« less

  11. Peroxide Activation for Electrophilic Reactivity by the Binuclear Non-heme Iron Enzyme AurF

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Park, Kiyoung; Li, Ning; Kwak, Yeonju

    Binuclear non-heme iron enzymes activate O 2 for diverse chemistries that include oxygenation of organic substrates and hydrogen atom abstraction. This process often involves the formation of peroxo-bridged biferric intermediates, only some of which can perform electrophilic reactions. To elucidate the geometric and electronic structural requirements to activate peroxo reactivity, the active peroxo intermediate in 4-aminobenzoate N-oxygenase (AurF) has been characterized spectroscopically and computationally. A magnetic circular dichroism study of reduced AurF shows that its electronic and geometric structures are poised to react rapidly with O 2. Nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopic definition of the peroxo intermediate formed in this reactionmore » shows that the active intermediate has a protonated peroxo bridge. Density functional theory computations on the structure established here show that the protonation activates peroxide for electrophilic/single-electron-transfer reactivity. As a result, this activation of peroxide by protonation is likely also relevant to the reactive peroxo intermediates in other binuclear non-heme iron enzymes.« less

  12. Thiol dioxygenase turnover yields benzothiazole products from 2-mercaptoaniline and O2-dependent oxidation of primary alcohols.

    PubMed

    Morrow, William P; Sardar, Sinjinee; Thapa, Pawan; Hossain, Mohammad S; Foss, Frank W; Pierce, Brad S

    2017-10-01

    Thiol dioxygenases are non-heme mononuclear iron enzymes that catalyze the O 2 -dependent oxidation of free thiols (-SH) to produce the corresponding sulfinic acid (-SO 2 - ). Previous chemical rescue studies identified a putative Fe III -O 2 - intermediate that precedes substrate oxidation in Mus musculus cysteine dioxygenase (Mm CDO). Given that a similar reactive intermediate has been identified in the extradiol dioxygenase 2, 3-HCPD, it is conceivable that these enzymes share other mechanistic features with regard to substrate oxidation. To explore this possibility, enzymatic reactions with Mm CDO (as well as the bacterial 3-mercaptopropionic acid dioxygenase, Av MDO) were performed using a substrate analogue (2-mercaptoaniline, 2ma). This aromatic thiol closely approximates the catecholic substrate of homoprotocatechuate of 2, 3-HPCD while maintaining the 2-carbon thiol-amine separation preferred by Mm CDO. Remarkably, both enzymes exhibit 2ma-gated O 2 -consumption; however, none of the expected products for thiol dioxygenase or intra/extradiol dioxygenase reactions were observed. Instead, benzothiazoles are produced by the condensation of 2ma with aldehydes formed by an off-pathway oxidation of primary alcohols added to aqueous reactions to solubilize the substrate. The observed oxidation of 1º-alcohols in 2ma-reactions is consistent with the formation of a high-valent intermediate similar to what has been reported for cytochrome P450 and mononuclear iron model complexes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Photocatalytic degradation of paracetamol: intermediates and total reaction mechanism.

    PubMed

    Moctezuma, Edgar; Leyva, Elisa; Aguilar, Claudia A; Luna, Raúl A; Montalvo, Carlos

    2012-12-01

    The advanced oxidation of paracetamol (PAM) promoted by TiO(2)/UV system in aqueous medium was investigated. Monitoring this reaction by HPLC and TOC, it was demonstrated that while oxidation of paracetamol is quite efficient under these conditions, its mineralization is not complete. HPLC indicated the formation of hydroquinone, benzoquinone, p-aminophenol and p-nitrophenol in the reaction mixtures. Further evidence of p-nitrophenol formation was obtained following the reaction by UV-vis spectroscopy. Continuous monitoring by IR spectroscopy demonstrated the breaking of the aromatic amide present in PAM and subsequent formation of several aromatic intermediate compounds such as p-aminophenol and p-nitrophenol. These aromatic compounds were eventually converted into trans-unsaturated carboxylic acids. Based on these experimental results, an alternative deacylation mechanism for the photocatalytic oxidation of paracetamol is proposed. Our studies also demonstrated IR spectroscopy to be a useful technique to investigate oxidative mechanisms of pharmaceutical compounds. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. BINDING OF CARCINOGENS TO DNA AND COVALENT ADDUCTS DNA DAMAGE - PAH, AROMATIC AMINES, NITRO-AROMATIC COMPOUNDS, AND HALOGENATED COMPOUNDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    DNA adducts are the covalent addition products resulting from binding of reactive chemical species to DNA bases. The cancer initiating role of DNA adducts is well-established, and is clearly reflected in the high cancer incidence observed in individuals with deficiencies in any o...

  15. Computational Study of Chemical Reactivity Using Information-Theoretic Quantities from Density Functional Reactivity Theory for Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions.

    PubMed

    Wu, Wenjie; Wu, Zemin; Rong, Chunying; Lu, Tian; Huang, Ying; Liu, Shubin

    2015-07-23

    The electrophilic aromatic substitution for nitration, halogenation, sulfonation, and acylation is a vastly important category of chemical transformation. Its reactivity and regioselectivity is predominantly determined by nucleophilicity of carbon atoms on the aromatic ring, which in return is immensely influenced by the group that is attached to the aromatic ring a priori. In this work, taking advantage of recent developments in quantifying nucleophilicity (electrophilicity) with descriptors from the information-theoretic approach in density functional reactivity theory, we examine the reactivity properties of this reaction system from three perspectives. These include scaling patterns of information-theoretic quantities such as Shannon entropy, Fisher information, Ghosh-Berkowitz-Parr entropy and information gain at both molecular and atomic levels, quantitative predictions of the barrier height with both Hirshfeld charge and information gain, and energetic decomposition analyses of the barrier height for the reactions. To that end, we focused in this work on the identity reaction of the monosubstituted-benzene molecule reacting with hydrogen fluoride using boron trifluoride as the catalyst in the gas phase. We also considered 19 substituting groups, 9 of which are ortho/para directing and the other 9 meta directing, besides the case of R = -H. Similar scaling patterns for these information-theoretic quantities found for stable species elsewhere were disclosed for these reactions systems. We also unveiled novel scaling patterns for information gain at the atomic level. The barrier height of the reactions can reliably be predicted by using both the Hirshfeld charge and information gain at the regioselective carbon atom. The energy decomposition analysis ensued yields an unambiguous picture about the origin of the barrier height, where we showed that it is the electrostatic interaction that plays the dominant role, while the roles played by exchange-correlation and steric effects are minor but indispensable. Results obtained in this work should shed new light for better understanding of the factors governing the reactivity for this class of reactions and assisting ongoing efforts for the design of new and more efficient catalysts for such kind of transformations.

  16. Understanding the mechanism of catalytic fast pyrolysis by unveiling reactive intermediates in heterogeneous catalysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hemberger, Patrick; Custodis, Victoria B. F.; Bodi, Andras; Gerber, Thomas; van Bokhoven, Jeroen A.

    2017-06-01

    Catalytic fast pyrolysis is a promising way to convert lignin into fine chemicals and fuels, but current approaches lack selectivity and yield unsatisfactory conversion. Understanding the pyrolysis reaction mechanism at the molecular level may help to make this sustainable process more economic. Reactive intermediates are responsible for product branching and hold the key to unveiling these mechanisms, but are notoriously difficult to detect isomer-selectively. Here, we investigate the catalytic pyrolysis of guaiacol, a lignin model compound, using photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation, which allows for isomer-selective detection of reactive intermediates. In combination with ambient pressure pyrolysis, we identify fulvenone as the central reactive intermediate, generated by catalytic demethylation to catechol and subsequent dehydration. The fulvenone ketene is responsible for the phenol formation. This technique may open unique opportunities for isomer-resolved probing in catalysis, and holds the potential for achieving a mechanistic understanding of complex, real-life catalytic processes.

  17. Absolute fragmentation cross sections in atom-molecule collisions: Scaling laws for non-statistical fragmentation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chen, T.; Gatchell, M.; Stockett, M. H.

    2014-06-14

    We present scaling laws for absolute cross sections for non-statistical fragmentation in collisions between Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH/PAH{sup +}) and hydrogen or helium atoms with kinetic energies ranging from 50 eV to 10 keV. Further, we calculate the total fragmentation cross sections (including statistical fragmentation) for 110 eV PAH/PAH{sup +} + He collisions, and show that they compare well with experimental results. We demonstrate that non-statistical fragmentation becomes dominant for large PAHs and that it yields highly reactive fragments forming strong covalent bonds with atoms (H and N) and molecules (C{sub 6}H{sub 5}). Thus nonstatistical fragmentation may be an effectivemore » initial step in the formation of, e.g., Polycyclic Aromatic Nitrogen Heterocycles (PANHs). This relates to recent discussions on the evolution of PAHNs in space and the reactivities of defect graphene structures.« less

  18. Reaction Electronic Flux Perspective on the Mechanism of the Zimmerman Di-π-methane Rearrangement.

    PubMed

    Matute, Ricardo A; Pérez, Patricia; Chamorro, Eduardo; Villegas-Escobar, Nery; Cortés-Arriagada, Diego; Herrera, Barbara; Gutiérrez-Oliva, Soledad; Toro-Labbé, Alejandro

    2018-06-01

    The reaction electronic flux (REF) offers a powerful tool in the analysis of reaction mechanisms. Noteworthy, the relationship between aromaticity and REF can eventually reveal subtle electronic events associated with reactivity in aromatic systems. In this work, this relationship was studied for the triplet Zimmerman di-π-methane rearrangement. The aromaticity loss and gain taking place during the reaction is well acquainted by the REF, thus shedding light on the electronic nature of reactions involving dibenzobarrelenes.

  19. A thermodynamic analysis of the environmental indicators of natural gas combustion processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elsukov, V. K.

    2010-07-01

    Environmental indicators of the natural gas combustion process are studied using the model of extreme intermediate states developed at the Melent’ev Institute of Power Engineering Systems. Technological factors responsible for generation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and hydrogen cyanide are revealed. Measures for reducing the amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, hydrogen cyanide, nitrogen oxide, and other pollutants emitted from boilers are developed.

  20. Catalytic conversion of isophorone to jet-fuel range aromatic hydrocarbons over a MoO(x)/SiO2 catalyst.

    PubMed

    Chen, Fang; Li, Ning; Wang, Wentao; Wang, Aiqin; Cong, Yu; Wang, Xiaodong; Zhang, Tao

    2015-07-28

    For the first time, jet fuel range C8-C9 aromatic hydrocarbons were synthesized in high carbon yield (∼80%) by the catalytic conversion of isophorone over MoO(x)/SiO2 at atmospheric pressure. A possible reaction pathway was proposed according to the control experiments and the intermediates generated during the reaction.

  1. Vertical characteristics of VOCs in the lower troposphere over the North China Plain during pollution periods.

    PubMed

    Sun, Jie; Wang, Yuesi; Wu, Fangkun; Tang, Guiqian; Wang, Lili; Wang, Yinghong; Yang, Yuan

    2018-05-01

    In recent years, photochemical smog and gray haze-fog have frequently appeared over northern China. To determine the spatial distribution of volatile organic compounds (VOC) during a pollution period, tethered balloon flights were conducted over a suburban site on the North China Plain. Statistical analysis showed that the VOCs concentrations peaked at the surface, and decreased with altitude. A rapid decrease appeared from the surface to 400 m, with concnetrations of alkanes, alkenes, aromatics and halocarbons decreasing by 48.0%, 53.3%, 43.3% and 51.1%, respectively. At heights in the range of 500-1000 m, alkenes concnetrations decline by 40.2%; alkanes and halocarbons concnetrations only decreased by 24.8% and 6.4%, respectively; and aromatics increased slightly by 5.5%. High concentrations VOCs covered a higher range of height (400 m) on heavy pollution days due to lacking of diffusion power. The VOCs concentrations decreased by 50% at 200 m on light pollution days. The transport of air mass affected the composition and concentration of high-altitude VOCs, especially on lightly polluted days. These air masses originated in areas with abundant traffic and combustion sources. Reactive aromatics (k OH >20,000 ppm -1  min -1 and k OH <20,000 ppm -1  min -1 ) were the main contributor to the ozone formation, accounting for 37%, on the surface on light pollution days. The contribution increased to 52% with pollution aggravated, and increased to 64% with height. The contributions of reactive aromatics were influenced by the degree of air mass aging. Under the umbrella of aging air mass, the contribution of reactive aromatics increased with height. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Aromatization of n-hexane by platinum-containing molecular sieves. 2. n-Hexane reactivity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mielczarski, E.; Suk Bong Hong; Davis, M.E.

    Pt/KL, Pt/BaKL, Pt/KBaKL, Pt/NaY, Pt/CsNaY, Pt/NaFAU(C), Pt/hex, Pt/SSZ-24, Pt/silica, and Pt/carbon were tested as catalysts for the aromatization of n-hexane at 460-510 C and atmospheric total pressure in order to study the influence of Pt cluster size and support acidity/basicity, microstructure, and chemical composition on activity and selectivity. Analysis of the catalytic and NH{sub 3} temperature-programmed desorption results from Pt/KL, Pt/BaKL, and Pt/KBaKL reveals that the presence of any acidity increases hydrogenolysis at the expense of benzene production. In addition, no increase in aromatization selectivity is observed by the addition of base sites to a Pt/zeolite catalyst, confirming that aromatizationmore » of n-hexane over Pt clusters on nonacidic carriers is monofunctional. High selectivity to benzene over most of the zeolite samples demonstrates that support microstructure does not contribute directly to the aromatization selectivity over Pt catalysts. High selectivity to benzene is observed for a Pt/carbon catalyst suggesting that a zeolitic support is not necessary for good performance. In fact, similar reactivity is obtained from microporous (Pt/SSZ-24) and nonmicroporous (Pt/silica) silica supported platinum catalysts with similar H/Pt values. A clear trend of increasing benzene selectivity with decreasing Pt cluster size is found. These observations suggest that the exceptional reactivity of Pt/KL for the aromatization of n-hexane results from the lack of any acidity in the support and the ability of zeolite L to stabilize the formation of extremely small Pt clusters.« less

  3. Electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrogen peroxide on a platinum electrode in the imitation of oxidative drug metabolism of lidocaine.

    PubMed

    Nouri-Nigjeh, Eslam; Bruins, Andries P; Bischoff, Rainer; Permentier, Hjalmar P

    2012-10-21

    Electrochemistry in combination with mass spectrometry has shown promise as a versatile technique not only in the analytical assessment of oxidative drug metabolism, but also for small-scale synthesis of drug metabolites. However, electrochemistry is generally limited to reactions initiated by direct electron transfer. In the case of substituted-aromatic compounds, oxidation proceeds through a Wheland-type intermediate where resonance stabilization of the positive charge determines the regioselectivity of the anodic substitution reaction, and hence limits the extent of generating drug metabolites in comparison with in vivo oxygen insertion reactions. In this study, we show that the electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrogen peroxide on a platinum electrode generates reactive oxygen species, presumably surface-bound platinum-oxo species, which are capable of oxygen insertion reactions in analogy to oxo-ferryl radical cations in the active site of Cytochrome P450. Electrochemical oxidation of lidocaine at constant potential in the presence of hydrogen peroxide produces both 3- and 4-hydroxylidocaine, suggesting reaction via an arene oxide rather than a Wheland-type intermediate. No benzylic hydroxylation was observed, thus freely diffusing radicals do not appear to be present. The results of the present study extend the possibilities of electrochemical imitation of oxidative drug metabolism to oxygen insertion reactions.

  4. Oxygen Activation and Radical Transformations in Heme Proteins and Metalloporphyrins

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    As a result of the adaptation of life to an aerobic environment, nature has evolved a panoply of metalloproteins for oxidative metabolism and protection against reactive oxygen species. Despite the diverse structures and functions of these proteins, they share common mechanistic grounds. An open-shell transition metal like iron or copper is employed to interact with O2 and its derived intermediates such as hydrogen peroxide to afford a variety of metal–oxygen intermediates. These reactive intermediates, including metal-superoxo, -(hydro)peroxo, and high-valent metal–oxo species, are the basis for the various biological functions of O2-utilizing metalloproteins. Collectively, these processes are called oxygen activation. Much of our understanding of the reactivity of these reactive intermediates has come from the study of heme-containing proteins and related metalloporphyrin compounds. These studies not only have deepened our understanding of various functions of heme proteins, such as O2 storage and transport, degradation of reactive oxygen species, redox signaling, and biological oxygenation, etc., but also have driven the development of bioinorganic chemistry and biomimetic catalysis. In this review, we survey the range of O2 activation processes mediated by heme proteins and model compounds with a focus on recent progress in the characterization and reactivity of important iron–oxygen intermediates. Representative reactions initiated by these reactive intermediates as well as some context from prior decades will also be presented. We will discuss the fundamental mechanistic features of these transformations and delineate the underlying structural and electronic factors that contribute to the spectrum of reactivities that has been observed in nature as well as those that have been invented using these paradigms. Given the recent developments in biocatalysis for non-natural chemistries and the renaissance of radical chemistry in organic synthesis, we envision that new enzymatic and synthetic transformations will emerge based on the radical processes mediated by metalloproteins and their synthetic analogs. PMID:29286645

  5. Enzymes involved in a novel anaerobic cyclohexane carboxylic acid degradation pathway.

    PubMed

    Kung, Johannes W; Meier, Anne-Katrin; Mergelsberg, Mario; Boll, Matthias

    2014-10-01

    The anaerobic degradation of cyclohexane carboxylic acid (CHC) has so far been studied only in Rhodopseudomonas palustris, in which CHC is activated to cyclohexanoyl coenzyme A (cyclohexanoyl-CoA [CHCoA]) and then dehydrogenated to cyclohex-1-ene-1-carboxyl-CoA (CHeneCoA). This intermediate is further degraded by reactions of the R. palustris-specific benzoyl-CoA degradation pathway of aromatic compounds. However, CHeneCoA is not an intermediate in the degradation of aromatic compounds in all other known anaerobic bacteria; consequently, degradation of CHC was mostly unknown in anaerobic bacteria. We identified a previously unknown CHC degradation pathway in the Fe(III)-reducing Geobacter metallireducens by determining the following CHC-induced in vitro activities: (i) the activation of CHC to CHCoA by a succinyl-CoA:CHC CoA transferase, (ii) the 1,2-dehydrogenation of CHCoA to CHeneCoA by CHCoA dehydrogenase, and (iii) the unusual 1,4-dehydrogenation of CHeneCoA to cyclohex-1,5-diene-1-carboxyl-CoA. This last represents a previously unknown joint intermediate of the CHC and aromatic compound degradation pathway in bacteria other than R. palustris. The enzymes catalyzing the three reactions were purified and characterized as specific enzymes after heterologous expression of the encoding genes. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR revealed that expression of these genes was highly induced during growth with CHC but not with benzoate. The newly identified CHC degradation pathway is suggested to be present in nearly all CHC-degrading anaerobic bacteria, including denitrifying, Fe(III)-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and fermenting bacteria. Remarkably, all three CHC degradation pathways always link CHC catabolism to the catabolic pathways of aromatic compounds. We propose that the capacity to use CHC as a carbon source evolved from already-existing aromatic compound degradation pathways. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  6. Enzymes Involved in a Novel Anaerobic Cyclohexane Carboxylic Acid Degradation Pathway

    PubMed Central

    Kung, Johannes W.; Meier, Anne-Katrin; Mergelsberg, Mario

    2014-01-01

    The anaerobic degradation of cyclohexane carboxylic acid (CHC) has so far been studied only in Rhodopseudomonas palustris, in which CHC is activated to cyclohexanoyl coenzyme A (cyclohexanoyl-CoA [CHCoA]) and then dehydrogenated to cyclohex-1-ene-1-carboxyl-CoA (CHeneCoA). This intermediate is further degraded by reactions of the R. palustris-specific benzoyl-CoA degradation pathway of aromatic compounds. However, CHeneCoA is not an intermediate in the degradation of aromatic compounds in all other known anaerobic bacteria; consequently, degradation of CHC was mostly unknown in anaerobic bacteria. We identified a previously unknown CHC degradation pathway in the Fe(III)-reducing Geobacter metallireducens by determining the following CHC-induced in vitro activities: (i) the activation of CHC to CHCoA by a succinyl-CoA:CHC CoA transferase, (ii) the 1,2-dehydrogenation of CHCoA to CHeneCoA by CHCoA dehydrogenase, and (iii) the unusual 1,4-dehydrogenation of CHeneCoA to cyclohex-1,5-diene-1-carboxyl-CoA. This last represents a previously unknown joint intermediate of the CHC and aromatic compound degradation pathway in bacteria other than R. palustris. The enzymes catalyzing the three reactions were purified and characterized as specific enzymes after heterologous expression of the encoding genes. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR revealed that expression of these genes was highly induced during growth with CHC but not with benzoate. The newly identified CHC degradation pathway is suggested to be present in nearly all CHC-degrading anaerobic bacteria, including denitrifying, Fe(III)-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and fermenting bacteria. Remarkably, all three CHC degradation pathways always link CHC catabolism to the catabolic pathways of aromatic compounds. We propose that the capacity to use CHC as a carbon source evolved from already-existing aromatic compound degradation pathways. PMID:25112478

  7. A mechanism-mediated model for carcinogenicity: Model content and prediction of the outcome of rodent carcinogenicity bioassays currently being conducted on 25 organic chemicals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Purdy, R.

    A hierarchical model consisting of quantitative structure-activity relationships based mainly on chemical reactivity was developed to predict the carcinogenicity of organic chemicals to rodents. The model is comprised of quantitative structure-activity relationships, QSARs based on hypothesized mechanisms of action, metabolism, and partitioning. Predictors included octanol/water partition coefficient, molecular size, atomic partial charge, bond angle strain, atomic acceptor delocalizibility, atomic radical superdelocalizibility, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy of hypothesized intermediate nitrenium ion of primary aromatic amines, difference in charge of ionized and unionized carbon-chlorine bonds, substituent size and pattern on polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, the distance between lone electron pairsmore » over a rigid structure, and the presence of functionalities such as nitroso and hydrazine. The model correctly classified 96% of the carcinogens in the training set of 306 chemicals, and 90% of the carcinogens in the test set of 301 chemicals. The test set by chance contained 84% of the positive thiocontaining chemicals. A QSAR for these chemicals was developed. This posttest set modified model correctly predicted 94% of the carcinogens in the test set. This model was used to predict the carcinogenicity of the 25 organic chemicals the U.S. National Toxicology Program was testing at the writing of this article. 12 refs., 3 tabs.« less

  8. Cobalt(II) ion as a promoter of hydroxyl radical and possible 'crypto-hydroxyl' radical formation under physiological conditions. Differential effects of hydroxyl radical scavengers.

    PubMed

    Moorhouse, C P; Halliwell, B; Grootveld, M; Gutteridge, J M

    1985-12-13

    Co(II) ions react with hydrogen peroxide under physiological conditions to form a 'reactive species' that can hydroxylate aromatic compounds (phenol and salicylate) and degrade deoxyribose to thiobarbituric-acid-reactive material. Catalase decreases the formation of this species but superoxide dismutase or low concentrations of ascorbic acid have little effect. EDTA, present in excess over the Co(II), can accelerate deoxyribose degradation and aromatic hydroxylation. In the presence of EDTA, deoxyribose degradation by the reactive species is inhibited competitively by scavengers of the hydroxyl radical (.OH), their effectiveness being related to their second-order rate constants for reaction with .OH. In the absence of EDTA the scavengers inhibit only at much higher concentrations and their order of effectiveness is changed. It is suggested that, in the presence of EDTA, hydroxyl radical is formed 'in free solution' and attacks deoxyribose or an aromatic molecule. In the absence of EDTA, .OH radical is formed in a 'site-specific' manner and is difficult to intercept by .OH scavengers. The relationship of these results to the proposed 'crypto .OH' radical is discussed.

  9. Generating carbyne equivalents with photoredox catalysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Zhaofeng; Herraiz, Ana G.; Del Hoyo, Ana M.; Suero, Marcos G.

    2018-02-01

    Carbon has the unique ability to bind four atoms and form stable tetravalent structures that are prevalent in nature. The lack of one or two valences leads to a set of species—carbocations, carbanions, radicals and carbenes—that is fundamental to our understanding of chemical reactivity. In contrast, the carbyne—a monovalent carbon with three non-bonded electrons—is a relatively unexplored reactive intermediate; the design of reactions involving a carbyne is limited by challenges associated with controlling its extreme reactivity and the lack of efficient sources. Given the innate ability of carbynes to form three new covalent bonds sequentially, we anticipated that a catalytic method of generating carbynes or related stabilized species would allow what we term an ‘assembly point’ disconnection approach for the construction of chiral centres. Here we describe a catalytic strategy that generates diazomethyl radicals as direct equivalents of carbyne species using visible-light photoredox catalysis. The ability of these carbyne equivalents to induce site-selective carbon-hydrogen bond cleavage in aromatic rings enables a useful diazomethylation reaction, which underpins sequencing control for the late-stage assembly-point functionalization of medically relevant agents. Our strategy provides an efficient route to libraries of potentially bioactive molecules through the installation of tailored chiral centres at carbon-hydrogen bonds, while complementing current translational late-stage functionalization processes. Furthermore, we exploit the dual radical and carbene character of the generated carbyne equivalent in the direct transformation of abundant chemical feedstocks into valuable chiral molecules.

  10. Ligand-accelerated non-directed C-H functionalization of arenes.

    PubMed

    Wang, Peng; Verma, Pritha; Xia, Guoqin; Shi, Jun; Qiao, Jennifer X; Tao, Shiwei; Cheng, Peter T W; Poss, Michael A; Farmer, Marcus E; Yeung, Kap-Sun; Yu, Jin-Quan

    2017-11-22

    The directed activation of carbon-hydrogen bonds (C-H) is important in the development of synthetically useful reactions, owing to the proximity-induced reactivity and selectivity that is enabled by coordinating functional groups. Palladium-catalysed non-directed C-H activation could potentially enable further useful reactions, because it can reach more distant sites and be applied to substrates that do not contain appropriate directing groups; however, its development has faced substantial challenges associated with the lack of sufficiently active palladium catalysts. Currently used palladium catalysts are reactive only with electron-rich arenes, unless an excess of arene is used, which limits synthetic applications. Here we report a 2-pyridone ligand that binds to palladium and accelerates non-directed C-H functionalization with arene as the limiting reagent. This protocol is compatible with a broad range of aromatic substrates and we demonstrate direct functionalization of advanced synthetic intermediates, drug molecules and natural products that cannot be used in excessive quantities. We also developed C-H olefination and carboxylation protocols, demonstrating the applicability of our methodology to other transformations. The site selectivity in these transformations is governed by a combination of steric and electronic effects, with the pyridone ligand enhancing the influence of sterics on the selectivity, thus providing complementary selectivity to directed C-H functionalization.

  11. Ligand-accelerated non-directed C-H functionalization of arenes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Peng; Verma, Pritha; Xia, Guoqin; Shi, Jun; Qiao, Jennifer X.; Tao, Shiwei; Cheng, Peter T. W.; Poss, Michael A.; Farmer, Marcus E.; Yeung, Kap-Sun; Yu, Jin-Quan

    2017-11-01

    The directed activation of carbon-hydrogen bonds (C-H) is important in the development of synthetically useful reactions, owing to the proximity-induced reactivity and selectivity that is enabled by coordinating functional groups. Palladium-catalysed non-directed C-H activation could potentially enable further useful reactions, because it can reach more distant sites and be applied to substrates that do not contain appropriate directing groups; however, its development has faced substantial challenges associated with the lack of sufficiently active palladium catalysts. Currently used palladium catalysts are reactive only with electron-rich arenes, unless an excess of arene is used, which limits synthetic applications. Here we report a 2-pyridone ligand that binds to palladium and accelerates non-directed C-H functionalization with arene as the limiting reagent. This protocol is compatible with a broad range of aromatic substrates and we demonstrate direct functionalization of advanced synthetic intermediates, drug molecules and natural products that cannot be used in excessive quantities. We also developed C-H olefination and carboxylation protocols, demonstrating the applicability of our methodology to other transformations. The site selectivity in these transformations is governed by a combination of steric and electronic effects, with the pyridone ligand enhancing the influence of sterics on the selectivity, thus providing complementary selectivity to directed C-H functionalization.

  12. Anticonvulsant hypersensitivity syndrome. In vitro assessment of risk.

    PubMed Central

    Shear, N H; Spielberg, S P

    1988-01-01

    Arene oxide metabolites of aromatic anticonvulsants (phenytoin, phenobarbital, and carbamazepine) may be involved in the pathogenesis of hypersensitivity reactions. We investigated 53 patients with clinical sensitivity to anticonvulsants by exposing their lymphocytes in vitro to drug metabolites generated by a murine hepatic microsomal system. The diagnosis of a hypersensitivity reaction was corroborated by in vitro rechallenge for each drug (phenytoin, n = 34; phenobarbital, n = 22; carbamazepine, n = 25) when cytotoxicity (% dead cells) exceeded 3 SD above the mean result for controls. Cross-reactivity among the drugs was noted. 7 out of 10 patients who had received all three anticonvulsants had adverse reactions to each. 40 out of 50 patients tested to all three drugs in vitro were positive to each. Adverse reactions were indistinguishable among anti-convulsants. Skin rash (87%), fever (94%), hepatitis (51%), and hematologic abnormalities (51%) were common clinical features of each drug. 62% of reactions involved more than two organs. Cells from patients' parents exhibited in vitro toxicity that was intermediate between values for controls and patients. In vitro testing can help diagnose hypersensitivity to anticonvulsants. Cells from patients may also be used for prospective individualization of therapy to decrease risk of adverse reaction. Cross-reactivity among the major anticonvulsants is common and should be considered before deciding on alternative therapy. Images PMID:3198757

  13. Organic functional group transformations in water at elevated temperature and pressure: Reversibility, reactivity, and mechanisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shipp, Jessie; Gould, Ian R.; Herckes, Pierre; Shock, Everett L.; Williams, Lynda B.; Hartnett, Hilairy E.

    2013-03-01

    Many transformation reactions involving hydrocarbons occur in the presence of H2O in hydrothermal systems and deep sedimentary systems. We investigate these reactions using laboratory-based organic chemistry experiments at high temperature and pressure (300 °C and 100 MPa). Organic functional group transformation reactions using model organic compounds based on cyclohexane with one or two methyl groups provided regio- and stereochemical markers that yield information about reversibility and reaction mechanisms. We found rapidly reversible interconversion between alkanes, alkenes, dienes, alcohols, ketones, and enones. The alkane-to-ketone reactions were not only completely reversible, but also exhibited such extensive reversibility that any of the functional groups along the reaction path (alcohol, ketone, and even the diene) could be used as the reactant and form all the other groups as products. There was also a propensity for these ring-based structures to dehydrogenate; presumably from the alkene, through a diene, to an aromatic ring. The product suites provide strong evidence that water behaved as a reactant and the various functional groups showed differing degrees of reactivity. Mechanistically-revealing products indicated reaction mechanisms that involve carbon-centered cation intermediates. This work therefore demonstrates that a wide range of organic compound types can be generated by abiotic reactions at hydrothermal conditions.

  14. Biological Reactive Intermediates (BRIs) Formed from Botanical Dietary Supplements

    PubMed Central

    Dietz, Birgit M.; Bolton, Judy L.

    2013-01-01

    The use of botanical dietary supplements is increasingly popular, due to their natural origin and the perceived assumption that they are safer than prescription drugs. While most botanical dietary supplements can be considered safe, a few contain compounds, which can be converted to reactive biological reactive intermediates (BRIs) causing toxicity. For example, sassafras oil contains safrole, which can be converted to a reactive carbocation forming genotoxic DNA adducts. Alternatively, some botanical dietary supplements contain stable BRIs such as simple Michael acceptors that react with chemosensor proteins such as Keap1 resulting in induction of protective detoxification enzymes. Examples include curcumin from turmeric, xanthohumol from hops, and Z-ligustilide from dang gui. Quinones (sassafras, kava, black cohosh), quinone methides (sassafras), and epoxides (pennyroyal oil) represent BRIs of intermediate reactivity, which could generate both genotoxic and/or chemopreventive effects. The biological targets of BRIs formed from botanical dietary supplements and their resulting toxic and/or chemopreventive effects are closely linked to the reactivity of BRIs as well as dose and time of exposure. PMID:20970412

  15. Novel Scheme for Biosynthesis of Aryl Metabolites from l-Phenylalanine in the Fungus Bjerkandera adusta

    PubMed Central

    Lapadatescu, Carmen; Giniès, Christian; Le Quéré, Jean-Luc; Bonnarme, Pascal

    2000-01-01

    Aryl metabolite biosynthesis was studied in the white rot fungus Bjerkandera adusta cultivated in a liquid medium supplemented with l-phenylalanine. Aromatic compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry following addition of labelled precursors (14C- and 13C-labelled l-phenylalanine), which did not interfere with fungal metabolism. The major aromatic compounds identified were benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde (bitter almond aroma), and benzoic acid. Hydroxy- and methoxybenzylic compounds (alcohols, aldehydes, and acids) were also found in fungal cultures. Intracellular enzymatic activities (phenylalanine ammonia lyase, aryl-alcohol oxidase, aryl-alcohol dehydrogenase, aryl-aldehyde dehydrogenase, lignin peroxidase) and extracellular enzymatic activities (aryl-alcohol oxidase, lignin peroxidase), as well as aromatic compounds, were detected in B. adusta cultures. Metabolite formation required de novo protein biosynthesis. Our results show that l-phenylalanine was deaminated to trans-cinnamic acid by a phenylalanine ammonia lyase and trans-cinnamic acid was in turn converted to aromatic acids (phenylpyruvic, phenylacetic, mandelic, and benzoylformic acids); benzaldehyde was a metabolic intermediate. These acids were transformed into benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, and benzoic acid. Our findings support the hypothesis that all of these compounds are intermediates in the biosynthetic pathway from l-phenylalanine to aryl metabolites. Additionally, trans-cinnamic acid can also be transformed via β-oxidation to benzoic acid. This was confirmed by the presence of acetophenone as a β-oxidation degradation intermediate. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a β-oxidation sequence leading to benzoic acid synthesis has been found in a white rot fungus. A novel metabolic scheme for biosynthesis of aryl metabolites from l-phenylalanine is proposed. PMID:10742235

  16. Effects of methyltestosterone on immunity against Salmonella Pullorum in dwarf chicks.

    PubMed

    Li, H; Zhang, Y; Zuo, S F; Lian, Z X; Li, N

    2009-12-01

    This study was conducted to determine effects of methyltestosterone on innate immunity and adaptive immunity against Salmonella Pullorum in dwarf chicks. In vivo experiment, comparisons of pathological sections, viable counts of bacteria, specific antibody levels, and subsets of T lymphocytes were set forth between chicks with or without 10(-7) M methyltestosterone treatment (2 d of age through 21 d of age) and challenged with 5 x 10(8) virulent Salmonella Pullorum (7 d of age), and in vitro experiment, phagocytic and killing abilities, reactive oxygen intermediate production, and reactive nitrogen intermediate production of monocytes-macrophages treated with high (10(-8) M/10(6) cell) or physiological (10(-14) M/10(6) cell) concentration of methyltestosterone were examined after Salmonella Pullorum infection. The results showed that (1) in vivo, administration of methyltestosterone enhanced susceptibility to Salmonella Pullorum infection and depressed cellular immunity against Salmonella Pullorum, whereas it had no effect on humoral immunity in dwarf chicks; (2) in vitro, at high concentration, methyltestosterone reduced (P < 0.05) monocytes-macrophages mediated reactive oxygen intermediate-dependent killing of Salmonella Pullorum, whereas low concentration of methyltestosterone enhanced (P < 0.05) reactive oxygen intermediate-dependent killing of Salmonella Pullorum in male dwarf chicks but not in females; and (3) although challenged with Salmonella Pullorum, phagocytic ability and monocytes-macrophages mediated reactive nitrogen intermediate-dependent killing were not affected by methyltestosterone in vitro. The results indicated that methyltestosterone affected the immune response to Salmonella Pullorum in dwarf chicks by changing monocytes-macrophages mediated reactive oxygen intermediate-dependent killing and cellular immunity, and the effects were dose-dependent; furthermore, the former 2 pathways played important roles in preventing Salmonella Pullorum infection in dwarf chicks, although the mechanism needs further study.

  17. Peroxo and Oxo Intermediates in Mononuclear Non-heme Iron Enzymes and Related Active Sites

    PubMed Central

    Wong, Shaun D.; Liu, Lei V.; Decker, Andrea; Chow, Marina S.

    2009-01-01

    Summary FeIII–OOH and FeIV=O intermediates have now been documented in a number of non-heme iron active sites. In this Opinion we use spectroscopy combined with electronic structure calculations to define the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) of these species and their contributions to reactivity. For the low-spin FeIII–OOH species in activated bleomycin we show that the reactivity of this non-heme iron intermediate is very different from that of the analogous Compound 0 of cytochrome P450. For FeIV=O S = 1 model species we experimentally define the electronic structure and its contribution to reactivity, and computationally evaluate how this would change for the FeIV=O S = 2 intermediates found in non-heme iron enzymes. PMID:19278895

  18. Understanding the mechanism of catalytic fast pyrolysis by unveiling reactive intermediates in heterogeneous catalysis

    PubMed Central

    Hemberger, Patrick; Custodis, Victoria B. F.; Bodi, Andras; Gerber, Thomas; van Bokhoven, Jeroen A.

    2017-01-01

    Catalytic fast pyrolysis is a promising way to convert lignin into fine chemicals and fuels, but current approaches lack selectivity and yield unsatisfactory conversion. Understanding the pyrolysis reaction mechanism at the molecular level may help to make this sustainable process more economic. Reactive intermediates are responsible for product branching and hold the key to unveiling these mechanisms, but are notoriously difficult to detect isomer-selectively. Here, we investigate the catalytic pyrolysis of guaiacol, a lignin model compound, using photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation, which allows for isomer-selective detection of reactive intermediates. In combination with ambient pressure pyrolysis, we identify fulvenone as the central reactive intermediate, generated by catalytic demethylation to catechol and subsequent dehydration. The fulvenone ketene is responsible for the phenol formation. This technique may open unique opportunities for isomer-resolved probing in catalysis, and holds the potential for achieving a mechanistic understanding of complex, real-life catalytic processes. PMID:28660882

  19. Impact of aromatics and monoterpenes on simulated tropospheric ozone and total OH reactivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Porter, William C.; Safieddine, Sarah A.; Heald, Colette L.

    2017-11-01

    The accurate representation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in models is an important step towards the goal of understanding and predicting many changes in atmospheric constituents relevant to climate change and human health. While isoprene is the most abundant non-methane VOC, many other compounds play a large role in governing pollutant formation and the overall oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. We quantify the impacts of aromatics and monoterpenes, two classes of VOC not included in the standard gas-phase chemistry of the chemical transport model GEOS-Chem, on atmospheric composition. We find that including these compounds increases mean total summer OH reactivity by an average of 11% over the United States, Europe, and Asia. This increased reactivity results in higher simulated levels of O3, raising maximum daily 8-h average O3 in the summer by up to 14 ppb at some NOx-saturated locations.

  20. Methemoglobin Formation and Characterization of Hemoglobin Adducts of Carcinogenic Aromatic Amines and Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines.

    PubMed

    Pathak, Khyatiben V; Chiu, Ting-Lan; Amin, Elizabeth Ambrose; Turesky, Robert J

    2016-03-21

    Arylamines (AAs) and heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are structurally related carcinogens formed during the combustion of tobacco or cooking of meat. They undergo cytochrome P450 mediated N-hydroxylation to form metabolites which bind to DNA and lead to mutations. The N-hydroxylated metabolites of many AAs also can undergo a co-oxidation reaction with oxy-hemolgobin (HbO2) to form methemoglobin (met-Hb) and the arylnitroso intermediates, which react with the β-Cys(93) chain of Hb to form Hb-arylsulfinamide adducts. The biochemistry of arylamine metabolism has been exploited to biomonitor certain AAs through their Hb arylsulfinamide adducts in humans. We examined the reactivity of HbO2 with the N-hydroxylated metabolites of 4-aminobiphenyl (ABP, HONH-ABP), aniline (ANL, HONH-ANL), and the HAAs 2-amino-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (AαC, HONH-AαC), 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP, HONH-PhIP), and 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx, HONH-MeIQx). HONH-ABP, HO-ANL, and HONH-AαC induced methemoglobinemia and formed Hb sulfinamide adducts. However, HONH-MeIQx and HONH-PhIP did not react with the oxy-heme complex, and met-Hb formation and chemical modification of the β-Cys(93) residue were negligible. Molecular modeling studies showed that the distances between the H-ON-AA or H-ON-HAA substrates and the oxy-heme complex of HbO2 were too far away to induce methemoglobinemia. Different conformational changes in flexible helical and loop regions around the heme pocket induced by the H-ON-AA or H-ON-HAAs may explain the different proclivities of these chemicals to induce methemoglobinemia. Hb-Cys(93β) sulfinamide and sulfonamide adducts of ABP, ANL, and AαC were identified, by Orbitrap MS, following the proteolysis of Hb with trypsin, Glu-C, or Lys-C. Hb sulfinamide and sulfonamide adducts of ABP were identified in the blood of mice exposed to ABP, by Orbitrap MS. This is the first report of the identification of intact Hb sulfinamide adducts of carcinogenic AAs in vivo. The high reactivity of HONH-AαC with HbO2 suggests that the Hb sulfinamide adduct of AαC may be a promising biomarker of exposure to this HAA in humans.

  1. Measuring protection of aromatic wine thiols from oxidation by competitive reactions vs wine preservatives with ortho-quinones.

    PubMed

    Nikolantonaki, Maria; Magiatis, Prokopios; Waterhouse, Andrew L

    2014-11-15

    Quinones are central intermediates in wine oxidation that can degrade the quality of wine by reactions with varietal thiols, such as 3-sulfanylhexanol, decreasing desirable aroma. Protection by wine preservatives (sulphur dioxide, glutathione, ascorbic acid and model tannin, phloroglucinol) was assessed by competitive sacrificial reactions with 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone, quantifying products and ratios by HPLC-UV-MS. Regioselectivity was assessed by product isolation and identification by NMR spectroscopy. Nucleophilic addition reactions compete with two electron reduction of quinones by sulphur dioxide or ascorbic acid, and both routes serve as effective quenching pathways, but minor secondary products from coupled redox reactions between the products and reactants are also observed. The wine preservatives were all highly reactive and thus all very protective against 3-sulfanylhexanol loss to the quinone, but showed only additive antioxidant effects. Confirmation of these reaction rates and pathways in wine is needed to assess the actual protective action of each tested preservative. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Iron traps terrestrially derived dissolved organic matter at redox interfaces

    PubMed Central

    Riedel, Thomas; Zak, Dominik; Biester, Harald; Dittmar, Thorsten

    2013-01-01

    Reactive iron and organic carbon are intimately associated in soils and sediments. However, to date, the organic compounds involved are uncharacterized on the molecular level. At redox interfaces in peatlands, where the biogeochemical cycles of iron and dissolved organic matter (DOM) are coupled, this issue can readily be studied. We found that precipitation of iron hydroxides at the oxic surface layer of two rewetted fens removed a large fraction of DOM via coagulation. On aeration of anoxic fen pore waters, >90% of dissolved iron and 27 ± 7% (mean ± SD) of dissolved organic carbon were rapidly (within 24 h) removed. Using ultra-high-resolution MS, we show that vascular plant-derived aromatic and pyrogenic compounds were preferentially retained, whereas the majority of carboxyl-rich aliphatic acids remained in solution. We propose that redox interfaces, which are ubiquitous in marine and terrestrial settings, are selective yet intermediate barriers that limit the flux of land-derived DOM to oceanic waters. PMID:23733946

  3. Hydride-Meisenheimer Complex Formation and Protonation as Key Reactions of 2,4,6-Trinitrophenol Biodegradation by Rhodococcus erythropolis

    PubMed Central

    Rieger, Paul-Gerhard; Sinnwell, Volker; Preuß, Andrea; Francke, Wittko; Knackmuss, Hans-Joachim

    1999-01-01

    Biodegradation of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (picric acid) by Rhodococcus erythropolis HLPM-1 proceeds via initial hydrogenation of the aromatic ring system. Here we present evidence for the formation of a hydride-Meisenheimer complex (anionic ς-complex) of picric acid and its protonated form under physiological conditions. These complexes are key intermediates of denitration and productive microbial degradation of picric acid. For comparative spectroscopic identification of the hydride complex, it was necessary to synthesize this complex for the first time. Spectroscopic data revealed the initial addition of a hydride ion at position 3 of picric acid. This hydride complex readily picks up a proton at position 2, thus forming a reactive species for the elimination of nitrite. Cell extracts of R. erythropolis HLPM-1 transform the chemically synthesized hydride complex into 2,4-dinitrophenol. Picric acid is used as the sole carbon, nitrogen, and energy source by R. erythropolis HLPM-1. PMID:9973345

  4. Aromatic Radicals-Acetylene Particulate Matter Chemistry

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-12-01

    in the fuel itself. For example, alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons form major constituents of gasoline, diesel and jet fuels due to their high energy... jet stirred reactor data at stoichiometric conditions the model shows greater consumption of fuel , oxygen and earlier formation of the intermediates...reaction time of 0.1s, which are the typical reaction times for complete conversion of the fuel in a plug flow reactor or the residence time in a jet

  5. Non-methane organic gas emissions from biomass burning: identification, quantification, and emission factors from PTR-ToF during the FIREX 2016 laboratory experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koss, Abigail R.; Sekimoto, Kanako; Gilman, Jessica B.; Selimovic, Vanessa; Coggon, Matthew M.; Zarzana, Kyle J.; Yuan, Bin; Lerner, Brian M.; Brown, Steven S.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Krechmer, Jordan; Roberts, James M.; Warneke, Carsten; Yokelson, Robert J.; de Gouw, Joost

    2018-03-01

    Volatile and intermediate-volatility non-methane organic gases (NMOGs) released from biomass burning were measured during laboratory-simulated wildfires by proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF). We identified NMOG contributors to more than 150 PTR ion masses using gas chromatography (GC) pre-separation with electron ionization, H3O+ chemical ionization, and NO+ chemical ionization, an extensive literature review, and time series correlation, providing higher certainty for ion identifications than has been previously available. Our interpretation of the PTR-ToF mass spectrum accounts for nearly 90 % of NMOG mass detected by PTR-ToF across all fuel types. The relative contributions of different NMOGs to individual exact ion masses are mostly similar across many fires and fuel types. The PTR-ToF measurements are compared to corresponding measurements from open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (OP-FTIR), broadband cavity-enhanced spectroscopy (ACES), and iodide ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry (I- CIMS) where possible. The majority of comparisons have slopes near 1 and values of the linear correlation coefficient, R2, of > 0.8, including compounds that are not frequently reported by PTR-MS such as ammonia, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), nitrous acid (HONO), and propene. The exceptions include methylglyoxal and compounds that are known to be difficult to measure with one or more of the deployed instruments. The fire-integrated emission ratios to CO and emission factors of NMOGs from 18 fuel types are provided. Finally, we provide an overview of the chemical characteristics of detected species. Non-aromatic oxygenated compounds are the most abundant. Furans and aromatics, while less abundant, comprise a large portion of the OH reactivity. The OH reactivity, its major contributors, and the volatility distribution of emissions can change considerably over the course of a fire.

  6. Hydrocarbon emissions speciation in diesel and biodiesel exhausts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Payri, Francisco; Bermúdez, Vicente R.; Tormos, Bernardo; Linares, Waldemar G.

    Diesel engine emissions are composed of a long list of organic compounds, ranging from C 2 to C 12+, and coming from the hydrocarbons partially oxidized in combustion or produced by pyrolisis. Many of these are considered as ozone precursors in the atmosphere, since they can interact with nitrogen oxides to produce ozone under atmospheric conditions in the presence of sunlight. In addition to problematic ozone production, Brookes, P., and Duncan, M. [1971. Carcinogenic hydrocarbons and human cells in culture. Nature.] and Heywood, J. [1988. Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals.Mc Graw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-1000499-8.] determined that the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present in exhaust gases are dangerous to human health, being highly carcinogenic. The aim of this study was to identify by means of gas chromatography the amount of each hydrocarbon species present in the exhaust gases of diesel engines operating with different biodiesel blends. The levels of reactive and non-reactive hydrocarbons present in diesel engine exhaust gases powered by different biodiesel fuel blends were also analyzed. Detailed speciation revealed a drastic change in the nature and quantity of semi-volatile compounds when biodiesel fuels are employed, the most affected being the aromatic compounds. Both aromatic and oxygenated aromatic compounds were found in biodiesel exhaust. Finally, the conservation of species for off-side analysis and the possible influence of engine operating conditions on the chemical characterization of the semi-volatile compound phase are discussed. The use of oxygenated fuel blends shows a reduction in the Engine-Out emissions of total hydrocarbons. But the potential of the hydrocarbon emissions is more dependent on the compositions of these hydrocarbons in the Engine-Out, to the quantity; a large percent of hydrocarbons existing in the exhaust, when biodiesel blends are used, are partially burned hydrocarbons, and are interesting as they have the maximum reactivity, but with the use of pure biodiesel and diesel, the most hydrocarbons are from unburned fuel and they have a less reactivity. The best composition in the fuel, for the control of the hydrocarbon emissions reactivity, needs to be a fuel with high-saturated fatty acid content.

  7. Biotechnological production of aromatic compounds of the extended shikimate pathway from renewable biomass.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jin-Ho; Wendisch, Volker F

    2017-09-10

    Aromatic chemicals that contain an unsaturated ring with alternating double and single bonds find numerous applications in a wide range of industries, e.g. paper and dye manufacture, as fuel additives, electrical insulation, resins, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, in food, feed and cosmetics. Their chemical production is based on petroleum (BTX; benzene, toluene, and xylene), but they can also be obtained from plants by extraction. Due to petroleum depletion, health compliance, or environmental issues such as global warming, the biotechnological production of aromatics from renewable biomass came more and more into focus. Lignin, a complex polymeric aromatic molecule itself, is a natural source of aromatic compounds. Many microorganisms are able to catabolize a plethora of aromatic compounds and interception of these pathways may lead to the biotechnological production of value-added aromatic compounds which will be discussed for Corynebacterium glutamicum. Biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids not only gives rise to l-tryptophan, L-tyrosine and l-phenylalanine, but also to aromatic intermediates such as dehydroshikimate or chorismate from which value-added aromatic compounds can be derived. In this review, we will summarize recent strategies for the biotechnological production of aromatic and related compounds from renewable biomass by Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas putida, C. glutamicum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In particular, we will focus on metabolic engineering of the extended shikimate pathway. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Rubber-Modified Epoxies. I. Cure, Transitions, and Morphology.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-10-01

    thermosetting systems has been developed. An aromatic tetrafunctional diamine-cured diglycidyl ether of bis- phenol A epoxy resin [maximum glass transition...systems has been developed. An aromatic tetrafunctional diamine-cured digly- cidyl ether of bisphenol A epoxy resin [maximum glass transition...epoxy resins are brittle materials. The crack resistance can be improved by the addition of reactive liquid rubber to uncured neat epoxy systems (1-3

  9. A NOVEL METABOLIC ACTIVATION PATHWAY FOR POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS: REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES-MEDIATED DNA DAMAGE AND MORPHOLOGICAL CELL TRANSFORMATION IN MOUSE EMBRYO CELLS BY K-REGION DIOL METABOLITES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Benzo[ a ]pyrene (BP) is a well-studied polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (P AH) .Many
    mechanisms have been suggested to explain its carcinogenic activity, yet many questions still
    remain. K-region dihydrodiols (diols) ofPAHs are common metabolites and some are genotoxic. W...

  10. Direct Characterization of a Reactive Lattice-Confined Ru 2 Nitride by Photocrystallography

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Das, Anuvab; Reibenspies, Joseph H.; Chen, Yu-Sheng

    2017-02-16

    Reactive metal–ligand (M–L) multiply bonded complexes are ubiquitous intermediates in redox catalysis and have thus been long-standing targets of synthetic chemistry. The intrinsic reactivity of mid-to-late M–L multiply bonded complexes renders these structures challenging to isolate and structurally characterize. Although synthetic tuning of the ancillary ligand field can stabilize M–L multiply bonded complexes and result in isolable complexes, these efforts inevitably attenuate the reactivity of the M–L multiple bond. Here, we report the first direct characterization of a reactive Ru2 nitride intermediate by photocrystallography. Photogeneration of reactive M–L multiple bonds within crystalline matrices supports direct characterization of these critical intermediatesmore » without synthetic derivatization.« less

  11. Oxygen activation by mononuclear nonheme iron dioxygenases involved in the degradation of aromatics.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yifan; Li, Jiasong; Liu, Aimin

    2017-04-01

    Molecular oxygen is utilized in numerous metabolic pathways fundamental for life. Mononuclear nonheme iron-dependent oxygenase enzymes are well known for their involvement in some of these pathways, activating O 2 so that oxygen atoms can be incorporated into their primary substrates. These reactions often initiate pathways that allow organisms to use stable organic molecules as sources of carbon and energy for growth. From the myriad of reactions in which these enzymes are involved, this perspective recounts the general mechanisms of aromatic dihydroxylation and oxidative ring cleavage, both of which are ubiquitous chemical reactions found in life-sustaining processes. The organic substrate provides all four electrons required for oxygen activation and insertion in the reactions mediated by extradiol and intradiol ring-cleaving catechol dioxygenases. In contrast, two of the electrons are provided by NADH in the cis-dihydroxylation mechanism of Rieske dioxygenases. The catalytic nonheme Fe center, with the aid of active site residues, facilitates these electron transfers to O 2 as key elements of the activation processes. This review discusses some general questions for the catalytic strategies of oxygen activation and insertion into aromatic compounds employed by mononuclear nonheme iron-dependent dioxygenases. These include: (1) how oxygen is activated, (2) whether there are common intermediates before oxygen transfer to the aromatic substrate, and (3) are these key intermediates unique to mononuclear nonheme iron dioxygenases?

  12. Organic intermediates in the anaerobic biodegradation of coal to methane under laboratory conditions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Orem, William H.; Voytek, Mary A.; Jones, Elizabeth J.; Lerch, Harry E.; Bates, Anne L.; Corum, Margo D.; Warwick, Peter D.; Clark, Arthur C.

    2010-01-01

    Organic intermediates in coal fluids produced by anaerobic biodegradation of geopolymers in coal play a key role in the production of methane in natural gas reservoirs. Laboratory biodegradation experiments on sub-bituminous coal from Texas, USA, were conducted using bioreactors to examine the organic intermediates relevant to methane production. Production of methane in the bioreactors was linked to acetate accumulation in bioreactor fluid. Long chain fatty acids, alkanes (C19–C36) and various low molecular weight aromatics, including phenols, also accumulated in the bioreactor fluid and appear to be the primary intermediates in the biodegradation pathway from coal-derived geopolymers to acetate and methane.

  13. Power-dependent speciation of volatile organic compounds in aircraft exhaust

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beyersdorf, Andreas J.; Thornhill, K. Lee; Winstead, Edward L.; Ziemba, Luke D.; Blake, Donald R.; Timko, Michael T.; Anderson, Bruce E.

    2012-12-01

    As part of the third NASA Aircraft Particle Emissions Experiment (APEX-3, November 2005), whole air samples were collected to determine the emission rates of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from aircraft equipped with three different gas-turbine engines (an Allison Engine 3007-A1E, a Pratt-Whitney 4158, and a Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4B). Samples were collected 1 m behind the engine exhaust plane of the engines while they were operated at powers ranging from idle up to 30% of maximum rated thrust. Exhaust emission indices (mass emitted per kilogram of fuel used) for CO and non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) were calculated based on enhancements over background relative to CO2. Emissions of all NMHCs were greatest at low power with values decreasing by an order of magnitude with increasing power. Previous studies have shown that scaling idle hydrocarbon emissions to formaldehyde or ethene (which are typically emitted at a ratio of 1-to-1 at idle) reduces variability amongst engine types. NMHC emissions were found to scale at low power, with alkenes contributing over 50% of measured NMHCs. However, as the power increases hydrocarbon emissions no longer scale to ethene, as the aromatics become the dominant species emitted. This may be due in part to a shift in combustion processes from thermal cracking (producing predominantly alkenes) to production of new molecules (producing proportionally more aromatics) as power increases. The formation of these aromatics is an intermediate step in the production of soot, which also increases with increasing power. The increase in aromatics relative to alkenes additionally results in a decrease in the hydroxyl radical reactivity and ozone formation potential of aircraft exhaust. Samples collected 30 m downwind of the engine were also analyzed for NMHCs and carbonyl compounds (acetone, 2-butanone and C1-C9 aldehydes). Formaldehyde was the predominant carbonyl emitted; however, the ratio of ethene-to-formaldehyde varied between the aircraft, possibly due to the sampling of transient emissions such as engine start-up and power changes. A large portion of the measured emissions (27-42% by mass) in the plume samples was made up of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) with oxygenated compounds being most significant.

  14. Thermal Decomposition Mechanisms of Lignin Model Compounds: From Phenol to Vanillin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scheer, Adam Michael

    Lignin is a complex, aromatic polymer abundant in cellulosic biomass (trees, switchgrass etc.). Thermochemical breakdown of lignin for liquid fuel production results in undesirable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that lead to tar and soot byproducts. The fundamental chemistry governing these processes is not well understood. We have studied the unimolecular thermal decomposition mechanisms of aromatic lignin model compounds using a miniature SiC tubular reactor. Products are detected and characterized using time-of-flight mass spectrometry with both single photon (118.2 nm; 10.487 eV) and 1 + 1 resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) as well as matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy. Gas exiting the heated reactor (300 K--1600 K) is subject to a free expansion after a residence time of approximately 100 micros. The expansion into vacuum rapidly cools the gas mixture and allows the detection of radicals and other highly reactive intermediates. By understanding the unimolecular fragmentation patterns of phenol (C6H5OH), anisole (C6H 5OCH3) and benzaldehyde (C6H5CHO), the more complicated thermocracking processes of the catechols (HO-C 6H4-OH), methoxyphenols (HO-C6H4-OCH 3) and hydroxybenzaldehydes (HO-C6H4-CHO) can be interpreted. These studies have resulted in a predictive model that allows the interpretation of vanillin, a complex phenolic ether containing methoxy, hydroxy and aldehyde functional groups. This model will serve as a guide for the pyrolyses of larger systems including lignin monomers such as coniferyl alcohol. The pyrolysis mechanisms of the dimethoxybenzenes (H3C-C 6H4-OCH3) and syringol, a hydroxydimethoxybenzene have also been studied. These results will aid in the understanding of the thermal fragmentation of sinapyl alcohol, the most complex lignin monomer. In addition to the model compound work, pyrolyisis of biomass has been studied via the pulsed laser ablation of poplar wood. With the REMPI scheme, aromatic lignin decomposition products are directly and selectively detected. A number of these products are the lignin model compounds listed above, providing a direct link between the model compound studies and the pyrolysis of actual biomass.

  15. Application of CWPO to the treatment of pharmaceutical emerging pollutants in different water matrices with a ferromagnetic catalyst.

    PubMed

    Munoz, Macarena; Mora, Francisco J; de Pedro, Zahara M; Alvarez-Torrellas, Silvia; Casas, Jose A; Rodriguez, Juan J

    2017-06-05

    CWPO has proved to be effective for the treatment of representative pharmaceuticals (sulfamethoxazole, atenolol, metronidazole, diltiazem, trimethoprim and ranitidine) in different water matrices (ultrapure water, surface water, WWTP effluent and hospital wastewater). Complete removal of the pollutants and the aromatic intermediates was achieved using the stoichiometric dose of H 2 O 2 , a catalyst (Fe 3 O 4 /γ-Al 2 O 3 ) load of 2gL -1 , pH 3 and temperature of 50-75°C. Accordingly, the ecotoxicity was reduced to negligible values. The degradation was faster when the pharmaceuticals were together, being the reaction time for the elimination of the most refractory species (metronidazole) shortened from 4h to 1h. The mineralization of the drugs was fairly different, being the most reactive species those containing several aromatic rings (X TOC ∼80%) and the most refractory that bearing an imidazolium ring (X TOC ∼35%). The water matrix affected the kinetics of the process but in all cases complete conversion of the drugs was reached within 1h. The presence of dissolved organic matter (surface water) seemed to promote drugs degradation while the occurrence of inorganic ions (real WTTP and hospital effluents) partially inhibited it due to scavenging effects. Remarkably, the process was successfully operated at the typical concentrations of main micropollutant sources (μgL -1 ). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Nitrate formation during ozonation as a surrogate parameter for abatement of micropollutants and the N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation potential.

    PubMed

    Song, Yang; Breider, Florian; Ma, Jun; von Gunten, Urs

    2017-10-01

    In this study, nitrate formation from ammonium and/or dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) was investigated as a novel surrogate parameter to evaluate the abatement of micropollutants during ozonation of synthetic waters containing natural organic matter (NOM) isolates, a natural water and secondary wastewater effluents. Nitrate formation during ozonation was compared to the changes in UV absorbance at 254 nm (UVA 254 ) including the effect of pH. For low specific ozone doses UVA 254 was abated more efficiently than nitrate was formed. This is due to a relatively slow rate-limiting step for nitrate formation from the reaction between ozone and a proposed nitrogen-containing intermediate. This reaction cannot compete with the fast reactions between ozone and UV-absorbing moieties (e.g., activated aromatic compounds). To further test the kinetics of nitrate formation, two possible intermediates formed during ozonation of DON were tested. At pH 7, nitrate was formed during ozonation of acetone oxime and methyl nitroacetate with second-order rate constants of 256.7 ± 4.7 M -1  s -1 and 149.5 ± 5.8 M -1  s -1 , respectively. The abatement of the selected micropollutants (i.e., 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), carbamazepine (CBZ), bezafibrate (BZF), ibuprofen (IBU), and p-chlorobenzoic acid (pCBA)) was investigated for specific ozone doses ≤1.53 mgO 3 /mgDOC and its efficiency depended strongly on the reactivity of the selected compounds with ozone. The relative abatement of micropollutants (i.e., EE2 and CBZ) with high ozone reactivity showed linear relationships with nitrate formation. The abatement of micropollutants with intermediate-low ozone reactivity (BZF, IBU, and pCBA) followed one- and two-phase behaviors relative to nitrate formation during ozonation of water samples containing high and low concentrations of nitrate-forming DON, respectively. During ozonation of a wastewater sample, the N-nitrosodimethylamine formation potential (NDMA-FP) during chloramination decreased with increasing specific ozone doses. A good correlation was obtained between NDMA-FP abatement and nitrate formation. Therefore, nitrate formation after pre-ozonation may be a useful parameter to estimate the reduction of the NDMA-FP during post-chloramination. Overall, the results of this study suggest that nitrate formation (possibly in combination with UVA 254 abatement) during ozonation of DON-containing waters may be a good surrogate for assessing the abatement of micropollutants and the NDMA-FP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Non-methane hydrocarbons at a high-altitude rural site in the Mediterranean (Greece)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moschonas, Nektarios; Glavas, Sotirios

    Acetylene, C 3-C 10 paraffins, olefins, aromatic hydrocarbons and the biogenic isoprene, were determined in six sampling periods from May to October in 1996-1997. The concentrations of the determined species were generally lower than those measured in southeastern US and western France, but higher than those measured in more remote regions. Acetylene and C 3-C 5 hydrocarbons exhibited seasonal variation with higher concentrations in the late October sampling period. The aromatic hydrocarbons, except benzene, exhibited maximum concentrations in the summer. Isoprene had maximum concentrations in the summer, with its concentration linearly increasing as a function of the logarithm of temperature, in agreement with past studies. Its emission flux was calculated to be on the lower end of similar studies in US. The main destruction route of all hydrocarbons was determined to be due to their photochemical reactions. The photochemical reactivity, calculated in terms of propylene equivalent concentration, was in the summer dominated by isoprene which accounts for 69% of the total, aromatics with 16%, olefins with 11% and paraffins with 4%. In the May and October periods, the aromatics contributed the most (˜37%) to the photochemical reactivity. Air mass back trajectories indicated higher concentrations when air masses arrived from northwestern and northeastern, compared to southern, directions.

  18. Toward a Molecular Understanding of Energetics in Li–S Batteries Using Nonaqueous Electrolytes: A High-Level Quantum Chemical Study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Assary, Rajeev S.; Curtiss, Larry A.; Moore, Jeffrey S.

    2014-06-05

    The Li-S battery (secondary cell or redox flow) technology is a promising future alternative to the present lithium intercalation-based energy storage and, therefore, a molecular level understanding of the chemical processes and properties such as stability of intermediates, reactivity of polysulfides and reactivity towards the non-aqueous electrolytes in the Li-S batteries is of great interest. In this paper, quantum chemical methods (G4MP2, MP2, and B3LYP) were utilized to compute reduction potentials of lithium polysulfides and polysulfide molecular clusters, energetics of disproportionation and association reactions of likely intermediates, and their reactions with ether-based electrolytes. Based on the computed reaction energetics inmore » solution, a probable mechanism during the discharge process for polysulfide anions and lithium polysulfides in solution is proposed and likely intermediates such as S42-,S32-, S22-, and S31- radical were identified. Additionally, the stability and reactivity of propylene carbonate and tetraglyme solvent molecules were assessed against the above-mentioned intermediates and other reactive species by computing the reaction energetics required to initiate the solvent decomposition reactions in solution. Calculations suggest that the propylene carbonate molecule is unstable against the polysulfide anions such as S22-, S32-, and S42- (ΔH† < 0.8 eV) and highly reactive towards Li2S2 and Li2S3. Even though the tetraglyme solvent molecule exhibits increased stability towards polysulfide anions compared to propylene carbonate, this molecule too is vulnerable to nucleophilic attack from Li2S2 and Li2S3 species in solutions. Hence, a long- term stability of the ether molecules is unlikely if high concentration of these reactive intermediates present in the Li-S energy storage systems.« less

  19. Presence and potential significance of aromatic-ketone groups in aquatic humic substances

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Leenheer, J.A.; Wilson, M.A.; Malcolm, R.L.

    1987-01-01

    Aquatic humic- and fulvic-acid standards of the International Humic Substances Society were characterized, with emphasis on carbonyl-group nature and content, by carbon-13 nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy, proton nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. After comparing spectral results of underivatized humic and fulvic acids with spectral results of chemically modified derivatives, that allow improved observation of the carbonyl group, the data clearly indicated that aromatic ketone groups comprised the majority of the carbonyl-group content. About one ketone group per monocyclic aromatic ring was determined for both humic and fulvic acids. Aromatic-ketone groups were hypothesized to form by photolytic rearrangements and oxidation of phenolic ester and hydrocarbon precursors; these groups have potential significance regarding haloform formation in water, reactivity resulting from active hydrogen of the methyl and methylene adjacent to the ketone groups, and formation of hemiketal and lactol structures. Aromatic-ketone groups also may be the point of attachment between aliphatic and aromatic moieties of aquatic humic-substance structure. ?? 1987.

  20. VOCs composition and reactivity during the combined pollution process at a comprehensive site in Guangzhou, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zou, Yu

    2017-04-01

    Guangzhou, one of China's megacities, is beset with frequent occurrence of high-concentration ozone and haze events. Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs) were continuously monitor by online instrument at GPACS(the Guangzhou Panyu Atmospheric Composition Station) of the China Meteorological Administration during the two combined pollution processes from September 2th,2011 to September 5th,2011(P1) and from June 12th,2012 to June 15th ,2012(P2) to determine the VOCs composition and reactivity of ozone formation and secondary organic aerosol(SOA) formation. The results showed that during P1 and P2, alkanes occupied the largest proportion accounting for 57 and 57% of the VOC concentration, respectively, followed by aromatics (24 and 31%, respectively) and lastly alkenes (19 and 12%, respectively). As can be seen from the MIR-weighted concentrations, the alkenes and aromatics were dominant, accounting for 28 and 54% (P1), respectively, as well as 22 and 61% (P2), respectively. In terms of SOA formation potential by FAC estimation, alkanes, alkenes and aromatics were accounting for 13.2%, 21.4%, 65.4% (P1), respectively, and 4.6%, 13.8%, 81.6% (P2),respectively. Toluene, isoprene, ethylbenzene and m,p-Xylene had a high reactivity to the ozone and SOA formation during P1 and P2. It should be noted that the concentration of isoprene was not high, but it had a very high reactivity. Therefore, the isoprene emissions need to be considered with respect to the control of ozone and PM in Guangzhou.

  1. A new era for homolytic aromatic substitution: replacing Bu3SnH with efficient light-induced chain reactions.

    PubMed

    Gurry, Michael; Aldabbagh, Fawaz

    2016-04-28

    Herein is a pertinent review of recent photochemical homolytic aromatic substitution (HAS) literature. Issues with using the reductant Bu3SnH in an oxidative process where the net loss of a hydrogen atom occurs is discussed. Nowadays more efficient light-induced chain reactions are used resulting in HAS becoming a synthetic mechanism of choice rivaling organometallic, transition-metal and electrophilic aromatic substitution protocols. The review includes aromatic substitution as part of a tandem or cascade reaction, Pschorr reaction, as well as HAS facilitated by ipso-substitution, and Smiles rearrangement. Recently visible-light photoredox catalysis, which is carried out at room temperature has become one of the most important means of aromatic substitution. The main photoredox catalysts used are polypyridine complexes of Ru(ii) and Ir(iii), although eosin Y is an alternative allowing metal-free HAS. Other radical initiator-free aromatic substitutions have used 9-mesityl-10-methylacridinium ion and N,N-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)perylene-3,4,9,10-bis(dicarboximide) as the photoredox catalyst, UV-light, photoinduced electron-transfer, zwitterionic semiquinone radical anions, and Barton ester intermediates.

  2. On the stereochemical course of palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of allylic silanolate salts with aromatic bromides.

    PubMed

    Denmark, Scott E; Werner, Nathan S

    2010-03-17

    The stereochemical course of palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of an enantioenriched, alpha-substituted, allylic silanolate salt with aromatic bromides has been investigated. The allylic silanolate salt was prepared in high geometrical (Z/E, 94:6) and high enantiomeric (94:6 er) purity by a copper-catalyzed S(N)2' reaction of a resolved allylic carbamate. Eight different aromatic bromides underwent cross-coupling with excellent constitutional site-selectivity and excellent stereospecificity. Stereochemical correlation established that the transmetalation event proceeds through a syn S(E)' mechanism which is interpreted in terms of an intramolecular delivery of the arylpalladium electrophile through a key intermediate that contains a discrete Si-O-Pd linkage.

  3. Pyrimidine Nucleobase Radical Reactivity in DNA and RNA.

    PubMed

    Greenberg, Marc M

    2016-11-01

    Nucleobase radicals are major products of the reactions between nucleic acids and hydroxyl radical, which is produced via the indirect effect of ionizing radiation. The nucleobase radicals also result from hydration of cation radicals that are produced via the direct effect of ionizing radiation. The role that nucleobase radicals play in strand scission has been investigated indirectly using ionizing radiation to generate them. More recently, the reactivity of nucleobase radicals resulting from formal hydrogen atom or hydroxyl radical addition to pyrimidines has been studied by independently generating the reactive intermediates via UV-photolysis of synthetic precursors. This approach has provided control over where the reactive intermediates are produced within biopolymers and facilitated studying their reactivity. The contributions to our understanding of pyrimidine nucleobase radical reactivity by this approach are summarized.

  4. Pyrimidine nucleobase radical reactivity in DNA and RNA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Greenberg, Marc M.

    2016-11-01

    Nucleobase radicals are major products of the reactions between nucleic acids and hydroxyl radical, which is produced via the indirect effect of ionizing radiation. The nucleobase radicals also result from hydration of cation radicals that are produced via the direct effect of ionizing radiation. The role that nucleobase radicals play in strand scission has been investigated indirectly using ionizing radiation to generate them. More recently, the reactivity of nucleobase radicals resulting from formal hydrogen atom or hydroxyl radical addition to pyrimidines has been studied by independently generating the reactive intermediates via UV-photolysis of synthetic precursors. This approach has provided control over where the reactive intermediates are produced within biopolymers and facilitated studying their reactivity. The contributions to our understanding of pyrimidine nucleobase radical reactivity by this approach are summarized.

  5. Fast screening of analytes for chemical reactions by reactive low-temperature plasma ionization mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Wei; Huang, Guangming

    2015-11-15

    Approaches for analyte screening have been used to aid in the fine-tuning of chemical reactions. Herein, we present a simple and straightforward analyte screening method for chemical reactions via reactive low-temperature plasma ionization mass spectrometry (reactive LTP-MS). Solution-phase reagents deposited on sample substrates were desorbed into the vapor phase by action of the LTP and by thermal desorption. Treated with LTP, both reagents reacted through a vapor phase ion/molecule reaction to generate the product. Finally, protonated reagents and products were identified by LTP-MS. Reaction products from imine formation reaction, Eschweiler-Clarke methylation and the Eberlin reaction were detected via reactive LTP-MS. Products from the imine formation reaction with reagents substituted with different functional groups (26 out of 28 trials) were successfully screened in a time of 30 s each. Besides, two short-lived reactive intermediates of Eschweiler-Clarke methylation were also detected. LTP in this study serves both as an ambient ionization source for analyte identification (including reagents, intermediates and products) and as a means to produce reagent ions to assist gas-phase ion/molecule reactions. The present reactive LTP-MS method enables fast screening for several analytes from several chemical reactions, which possesses good reagent compatibility and the potential to perform high-throughput analyte screening. In addition, with the detection of various reactive intermediates (intermediates I and II of Eschweiler-Clarke methylation), the present method would also contribute to revealing and elucidating reaction mechanisms. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. Heterogeneous Diels–Alder catalysis for biomass-derived aromatic compounds

    DOE PAGES

    Settle, Amy E.; Berstis, Laura; Rorrer, Nicholas A.; ...

    2017-05-17

    In this tutorial review, we provide an overview of heterogeneous Diels–Alder catalysis for the production of lignocellulosic biomass-derived aromatic compounds. Diels–Alder reactions afford an extremely selective and efficient route for carbon–carbon cycloadditions to produce intermediates that can readily undergo subsequent dehydration or dehydrogenation reactions for aromatization. As a result, catalysis of Diels–Alder reactions with biomass-derived dienes and dienophiles has seen a growth of interest in recent years; however, significant opportunities remain to (i) tailor heterogeneous catalyst materials for tandem Diels–Alder and aromatization reactions, and (ii) utilize biomass-derived dienes and dienophiles to access both conventional and novel aromatic monomers. As such,more » this review discusses the mechanistic aspects of Diels–Alder reactions from both an experimental and computational perspective, as well as the synergy of Brønsted–Lewis acid catalysts to facilitate tandem Diels–Alder and aromatization reactions. Heterogeneous catalyst design strategies for Diels–Alder reactions are reviewed for two exemplary solid acid catalysts, zeolites and polyoxometalates, and recent efforts for targeting direct replacement aromatic monomers from biomass are summarized. In conclusion, we point out important research directions for progressing Diels–Alder catalysis to target novel, aromatic monomers with chemical functionality that enables new properties compared to monomers that are readily accessible from petroleum.« less

  7. Role of carbonyls and aromatics in the formation of tropospheric ozone in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    da Silva, Débora Bonfim Neves; Martins, Eduardo Monteiro; Corrêa, Sergio Machado

    2016-05-01

    The ozone in Rio de Janeiro has been in violation of national air quality standards. Among all of the monitoring stations, the Bangu neighbourhood has the most violations of the national standard of 160 μg m(-3) for the years 2012 and 2013. This study evaluated the reactivity of the carbonyls and aromatics in the tropospheric ozone formation processes. The samples were collected between July and October of 2013. Carbonyls were sampled using SiO2 cartridges coated with C18 and impregnated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine and were analysed by HPLC. Activated carbon cartridges and GC/MS were used to measure the concentration of monoaromatic hydrocarbons. An air quality monitoring station provided the concentrations of the criteria pollutants and the meteorological parameters. Cluster analysis and a Pearson correlation matrix were used to determine the formation of groups and the correlation of the variables. The evaluation of the volatile organic compounds (VOC) reaction with OH radicals and the MIR scale was used to extrapolate the reactivity of VOCs to the ozone formation. The average concentrations obtained were 19.7 and 51.9 μg m(-3) for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, respectively. The mean concentrations obtained for aromatics were 1.5, 6.7, 1.5, 2.6 and 1.6 μg m(-3) for benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, m+p-xylene and o-xylene, respectively. The cluster analysis indicated the presence of three similar groups, with one formed by gaseous criteria pollutants, another formed by the meteorological parameters, ozone and fine particles, and the last group formed by the aromatics. For the two reactivity scales evaluated, acetaldehyde and toluene were the main ozone precursors.

  8. Enhanced adsorbability and photocatalytic activity of TiO2-graphene composite for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons removal in aqueous phase.

    PubMed

    Bai, Hongzhen; Zhou, Jun; Zhang, Hongjian; Tang, Guping

    2017-02-01

    Photodegradation via titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) has been used to remove polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from environmental media broadly. In this study, a series of TiO 2 -graphene composites (P25-GR) with different GR weight ratios were synthesized via hydrothermal reaction of graphene oxide (GO) and P25. Their structures were characterized and the proprieties were tested in aqueous phase. Phenanthrene (PHE), fluoranthene (FLAN), and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) were selected as models of PAHs. The experiment indicated that P25-2.5%GR exhibited enhancement in both adsorption and photodegradation, ∼80% of PAHs were removed after 2h photocatalysis. The influence of photodegradation rate was studied, including PAHs initial concentration and pH. Aromatic intermediates were identified during the reaction process and the degradation pathways were portrayed. This work explored the enhanced photocatalysis performance was attributed to the PAH-selective adsorbability and the strong electron transfer ability of the composite. The analysis of the degradation intermediates confirmed that the reaction proceeded with the formation of free radicals, leading to the gradual PAH mineralization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Reactivity study on thermal cracking of vacuum residues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    León, A. Y.; Díaz, S. D.; Rodríguez, R. C.; Laverde, D.

    2016-02-01

    This study focused on the process reactivity of thermal cracking of vacuum residues from crude oils mixtures. The thermal cracking experiments were carried out under a nitrogen atmosphere at 120psi between 430 to 500°C for 20 minutes. Temperature conditions were established considering the maximum fractional conversion reported in tests of thermogravimetry performed in the temperature range of 25 to 600°C, with a constant heating rate of 5°C/min and a nitrogen flow rate of 50ml/min. The obtained products were separated in to gases, distillates and coke. The results indicate that the behaviour of thermal reactivity over the chemical composition is most prominent for the vacuum residues with higher content of asphaltenes, aromatics, and resins. Finally some correlations were obtained in order to predict the weight percentage of products from its physical and chemical properties such as CCR, SARA (saturates, aromatics, resins, asphaltenes) and density. The results provide new knowledge of the effect of temperature and the properties of vacuum residues in thermal conversion processes.

  10. pH-Independent Recognition of Polyhydroxy Compounds by Niobium(V) Porphyrin Complex with Unique Sugar Selectivity.

    PubMed

    Doi, Takuya; Kachikawa, Norihide; Yasui, Takashi; Yuchi, Akio

    2017-01-01

    The niobium(V) complex with tetraphenylporphin having OH - as an auxilliay ligand exists as a dimeric complex, [Nb 2 (tpp) 2 O 3 ] at a total concentration >10 -4.5 mol dm -3 , and reacts with an aliphatic or aromatic polyhydroxy compound to form a monomeric complex containing chelate rings by coordination of the deprotonated species, and to cause an appreciable UV-Vis spectral change. In contrast to phenylboronic acid (PBA), the reactivity of [Nb 2 (tpp) 2 O 3 ] is independent of pH at least between 4 and 8. Aliphatic comounds are more reactive than aromatic compounds in dioxane-water, while the reactivity order is reversed in the two-phase reaction. The sugar selectivity order of [Nb 2 (tpp) 2 O 3 ] in dioxane-water (10:1) (sorbose > fructose > mannose > arabinose, galactose > glucose) is appreciably different from that of PBA (fructose > sorbose > arabinose > galactose > mannose > glucose). This may be related to the difference in size of the Lewis acidic center.

  11. Secondary organic aerosol and ozone formation from photo-oxidation of unburned diesel fuel in a surrogate atmospheric environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Weihua; Cocker, David R.

    2018-07-01

    Diesel fuel is a complex mixture of intermediate volatility organic compounds (IVOCs). Previous studies focused on secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and ozone formation from photo-oxidation of organic vapor from diesel exhaust and their components such as aromatics and heavy alkanes. However, there are few studies on atmospheric behavior of unburnt diesel. Therefore, in this study, ten unburnt #2 commercial diesel samples and one FACE9A research diesel fuel were photo-oxidized in the University of California Riverside, College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research & Technology dual environmental chambers to investigate their SOA and ozone production potential. Photochemical aging rapidly produced significant SOA (yield ∼20.3-37.7%) in the presence of a surrogate reactive organic gas (ROG) mixture used to mimic urban atmospheric reactivity. SOA yields were consistent with n-Heptadecane yields under similar conditions. Doubling NOx concentrations within relevant urban concentration levels enhanced SOA formation by 33% and ozone formation by 48%. SOA formation in this study was approximately fourteen times higher than previously reported for very high NOx conditions. An SOA experiment designed to mimic the previous work achieved similar yields to the earlier work. SOA formed under urban relevant NOx concentrations were consistent with semi-volatile-oxygenated organic aerosol (SV-OOA) and underwent little further chemical processing once produced.

  12. Thiol Reactivity of Curcumin and Its Oxidation Products.

    PubMed

    Luis, Paula B; Boeglin, William E; Schneider, Claus

    2018-04-16

    The polypharmacological effects of the turmeric compound curcumin may be partly mediated by covalent adduction to cellular protein. Covalent binding to small molecule and protein thiols is thought to occur through a Michael-type addition at the enone moiety of the heptadienedione chain connecting the two methoxyphenol rings of curcumin. Here we show that curcumin forms the predicted thiol-Michael adducts with three model thiols, glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, and β-mercaptoethanol. More abundant, however, are respective thiol adducts of the dioxygenated spiroepoxide intermediate of curcumin autoxidation. Two electrophilic sites at the quinone-like ring of the spiroepoxide are identified. Addition of β-mercaptoethanol at the 5'-position of the ring gives a 1,7-dihydroxycyclopentadione-5' thioether, and addition at the 1'-position results in cleavage of the aromatic ring from the molecule, forming methoxyphenol-thioether and a tentatively identified cyclopentadione aldehyde. The curcuminoids demethoxy- and bisdemethoxycurcumin do not form all of the possible thioether adducts, corresponding with their increased stability toward autoxidation. RAW264.7 macrophage-like cells activated with phorbol ester form curcumin-glutathionyl and the 1,7-dihydroxycyclopentadione-5'-glutathionyl adducts. These studies indicate that the enone of the parent compound is not the only functional electrophile in curcumin, and that its oxidation products provide additional electrophilic sites. This suggests that protein binding by curcumin may involve oxidative activation into reactive quinone methide and spiroepoxide electrophiles.

  13. Development of Selective Colorimetric Probes for Hydrogen Sulfide Based on Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution

    PubMed Central

    Montoya, Leticia A.; Pearce, Taylor F.; Hansen, Ryan J.; Zakharov, Lev N.; Pluth, Michael D.

    2013-01-01

    Hydrogen sulfide is an important biological signalling molecule and an important environmental target for detection. A major challenge in developing H2S detection methods is separating the often similar reactivity of thiols and other nucleophiles from H2S. To address this need, the nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reaction of H2S with electron-poor aromatic electrophiles was developed as a strategy to separate H2S and thiol reactivity. Treatment of aqueous solutions of nitrobenzofurazan (7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole, NBD) thioethers with H2S resulted in thiol extrusion and formation of nitrobenzofurazan thiol (λmax = 534 nm). This reactivity allows for unwanted thioether products to be converted to the desired nitrobenzofurazan thiol upon reaction with H2S. The scope of the reaction was investigated using a Hammett linear free energy relationship study, and the determined ρ = +0.34 is consistent with the proposed SN2Ar reaction mechanism. The efficacy of the developed probes was demonstrated in buffer and in serum with associated sub-micromolar detection limits as low as 190 nM (buffer) and 380 nM (serum). Furthermore, the sigmoidal response of nitrobenzofurazan electrophiles with H2S can be fit to accurately quantify H2S. The developed detection strategy offers a manifold for H2S detection that we foresee being applied in various future applications. PMID:23735055

  14. Development of selective colorimetric probes for hydrogen sulfide based on nucleophilic aromatic substitution.

    PubMed

    Montoya, Leticia A; Pearce, Taylor F; Hansen, Ryan J; Zakharov, Lev N; Pluth, Michael D

    2013-07-05

    Hydrogen sulfide is an important biological signaling molecule and an important environmental target for detection. A major challenge in developing H2S detection methods is separating the often similar reactivity of thiols and other nucleophiles from H2S. To address this need, the nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reaction of H2S with electron-poor aromatic electrophiles was developed as a strategy to separate H2S and thiol reactivity. Treatment of aqueous solutions of nitrobenzofurazan (7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole, NBD) thioethers with H2S resulted in thiol extrusion and formation of nitrobenzofurazan thiol (λmax = 534 nm). This reactivity allows for unwanted thioether products to be converted to the desired nitrobenzofurazan thiol upon reaction with H2S. The scope of the reaction was investigated using a Hammett linear free energy relationship study, and the determined ρ = +0.34 is consistent with the proposed SN2Ar reaction mechanism. The efficacy of the developed probes was demonstrated in buffer and in serum with associated submicromolar detection limits as low as 190 nM (buffer) and 380 nM (serum). Furthermore, the sigmoidal response of nitrobenzofurazan electrophiles with H2S can be fit to accurately quantify H2S. The developed detection strategy offers a manifold for H2S detection that we foresee being applied in various future applications.

  15. Synthesis and accumulation of aromatic aldehydes in an engineered strain of Escherichia coli.

    PubMed

    Kunjapur, Aditya M; Tarasova, Yekaterina; Prather, Kristala L J

    2014-08-20

    Aromatic aldehydes are useful in numerous applications, especially as flavors, fragrances, and pharmaceutical precursors. However, microbial synthesis of aldehydes is hindered by rapid, endogenous, and redundant conversion of aldehydes to their corresponding alcohols. We report the construction of an Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655 strain with reduced aromatic aldehyde reduction (RARE) that serves as a platform for aromatic aldehyde biosynthesis. Six genes with reported activity on the model substrate benzaldehyde were rationally targeted for deletion: three genes that encode aldo-keto reductases and three genes that encode alcohol dehydrogenases. Upon expression of a recombinant carboxylic acid reductase in the RARE strain and addition of benzoate during growth, benzaldehyde remained in the culture after 24 h, with less than 12% conversion of benzaldehyde to benzyl alcohol. Although individual overexpression results demonstrated that all six genes could contribute to benzaldehyde reduction in vivo, additional experiments featuring subset deletion strains revealed that two of the gene deletions were dispensable under the conditions tested. The engineered strain was next investigated for the production of vanillin from vanillate and succeeded in preventing formation of the byproduct vanillyl alcohol. A pathway for the biosynthesis of vanillin directly from glucose was introduced and resulted in a 55-fold improvement in vanillin titer when using the RARE strain versus the wild-type strain. Finally, synthesis of the chiral pharmaceutical intermediate L-phenylacetylcarbinol (L-PAC) was demonstrated from benzaldehyde and glucose upon expression of a recombinant mutant pyruvate decarboxylase in the RARE strain. Beyond allowing accumulation of aromatic aldehydes as end products in E. coli, the RARE strain expands the classes of chemicals that can be produced microbially via aldehyde intermediates.

  16. Studies in Aromatic and Amine Nitration.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-05-20

    of Commerce, May 1978. 4. J. Hoggett , R. Moodie, F. Penton, and K. Schofield, Nitration and Aromatic Reactivity (Cambridge University Press, 1971). 5...Moodie, K. Schofield, and G. Tobin, J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Comm., 180 (1978); (b) J. Hoggett , R. Moodie, and K. Schofield, Chem. Comm. 605 (1969). 10. (a) S...W. Benson, Thermochemical Kinetics (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1968); (b) G. Charlot, D. Bezier, and J. Courtot, Selected Constants--Oxydo

  17. Reactivity of lignin with different composition of aromatic syringyl/guaiacyl structures and erythro/threo side chain structures in β-O-4 type during alkaline delignification: as a basis for the different degradability of hardwood and softwood lignin.

    PubMed

    Shimizu, Satoko; Yokoyama, Tomoya; Akiyama, Takuya; Matsumoto, Yuji

    2012-07-04

    The reactivity of lignin during alkaline delignification was quantitatively investigated focusing on the effect of the structural differences between syringyl and guaiacyl aromatic nuclei and between erythro and threo in the side chain of β-O-4 type lignin substructure on the β-O-4 bond cleavage rate. It was known that the ratio of this reaction rate of the erythro to threo isomers of the dimeric β-O-4 type lignin model compound with two guaiacyl aromatic nuclei was ca. 4. However, the presence of a syringyl nucleus strongly influenced the rate, and the ratio of the syringyl type analogue was in the range between 2.7 and 8.0 depending on the reaction temperature. The effect of syringyl nucleus on the enhancement of the reaction rate appeared to be greater when the syringyl nucleus consists of the cleaving ether bond rather than being a member of the carbon framework.

  18. Breaking Benzene Aromaticity-Computational Insights into the Mechanism of the Tungsten-Containing Benzoyl-CoA Reductase.

    PubMed

    Culka, Martin; Huwiler, Simona G; Boll, Matthias; Ullmann, G Matthias

    2017-10-18

    Aromatic compounds are environmental pollutants with toxic and carcinogenic properties. Despite the stability of aromatic rings, bacteria are able to degrade the aromatic compounds into simple metabolites and use them as growth substrates under oxic or even under anoxic conditions. In anaerobic microorganisms, most monocyclic aromatic growth substrates are converted to the central intermediate benzoyl-coenzyme A, which is enzymatically reduced to cyclohexa-1,5-dienoyl-CoA. The strictly anaerobic bacterium Geobacter metallireducens uses the class II benzoyl-CoA reductase complex for this reaction. The catalytic BamB subunit of this complex harbors an active site tungsten-bis-pyranopterin cofactor with the metal being coordinated by five protein/cofactor-derived sulfur atoms and a sixth, so far unknown, ligand. Although BamB has been biochemically and structurally characterized, its mechanism still remains elusive. Here we use continuum electrostatic and QM/MM calculations to model benzoyl-CoA reduction by BamB. We aim to elucidate the identity of the sixth ligand of the active-site tungsten ion together with the interplay of the electron and proton transfer events during the aromatic ring reduction. On the basis of our calculations, we propose that benzoyl-CoA reduction is initiated by a hydrogen atom transfer from a W(IV) species with an aqua ligand, yielding W(V)-[OH - ] and a substrate radical intermediate. In the next step, a proton-assisted second electron transfer takes place with a conserved active-site histidine serving as the second proton donor. Interestingly, our calculations suggest that the electron for the second reduction step is taken from the pyranopterin cofactors rather than from the tungsten ion. The resulting cationic radical, which is distributed over both pyranopterins, is stabilized by conserved anionic amino acid residues. The stepwise mechanism of the reduction shows similarities to the Birch reduction known from organic chemistry. However, the strict coupling of protons and electrons allows the reaction to proceed under milder conditions.

  19. Aromatic hydroxylation by cytochrome P450: model calculations of mechanism and substituent effects.

    PubMed

    Bathelt, Christine M; Ridder, Lars; Mulholland, Adrian J; Harvey, Jeremy N

    2003-12-10

    The mechanism and selectivity of aromatic hydroxylation by cytochrome P450 enzymes is explored using new B3LYP density functional theory computations. The calculations, using a realistic porphyrin model system, show that rate-determining addition of compound I to an aromatic carbon atom proceeds via a transition state with partial radical and cationic character. Reactivity is shown to depend strongly on ring substituents, with both electron-withdrawing and -donating groups strongly decreasing the addition barrier in the para position, and it is shown that the calculated barrier heights can be reproduced by a new dual-parameter equation based on radical and cationic Hammett sigma parameters.

  20. Spectral radiance measurements and calculated soot concentrations along the length of an experimental combustor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Norgren, C. T.; Ingebo, R. D.

    1976-01-01

    Radiometric data were obtained over a range of parametric test conditions at three positions along the length of an experimental combustor segment corresponding to the primary, intermediate, and dilution zones. The concentration of soot entrained in the combustion gases was calculated by a technique using spectral radiance measurements. Tests were conducted primarily with Jet A fuel, although limited data were taken with two fuels having higher aromatic content, diesel oil number 2 and a blend of 40 percent tetralin in Jet A fuel. Radiometric observation of the combustion gases indicated that the maximum total radiance peaked at the intermediate zone, which was located immediately upstream of the dilution holes. Soot concentrations calculated from optical measurements in the dilution zone compared favorably with those obtained by in situ gas sampling at the exhaust. The total radiance increased with the higher aromatic content fuels.

  1. Investigation of applicability of Electro-Fenton method for the mineralization of naphthol blue black in water.

    PubMed

    Özcan, Ayça Atılır; Özcan, Ali

    2018-07-01

    In this study, mineralization and color removal performance of electro-Fenton method were examined in water containing naphthol blue black (NBB), a diazo dye. NBB was totally converted to intermediate species in a 15-min electrolysis at 60 mA, but complete de-colorization took 180 min. A very high oxidation rate constant ((3.35 ± 0.21) x 10 10  M -1 s -1 ) was obtained for NBB, showing its high reactivity towards hydroxyl radicals. A very high total organic carbon (TOC) removal value (45.23 mg L -1 ) was obtained in the first 60 min of the electro-Fenton treatment of an aqueous solution of NBB (0.25 mM) at 300 mA, indicating the mineralization efficiency of the electro-Fenton method. Mineralization current efficiency values obtained at 300 mA gradually decreased from 24.18% to 4.47% with the electrolysis time, indicating the presence of highly parasitic reactions. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses revealed that the cleavage of azo bonds of NBB led to formation of different aromatic and aliphatic oxidation intermediates. Ion chromatography analysis showed that ammonium, nitrate and sulfate were the mineralization end-products. The concentration of sulfate ion reached to its quantitative value at the 4th h of electrolysis. On the other hand, the total concentration of ammonium and nitrate ions reached to only 61% of the stoichiometric amount of initial nitrogen after a 7 h electrolysis. Finally, it can be said that the electro-Fenton method is a suitable and efficient method for the removal of NBB and its intermediates from water. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Multicomponent Macrocyclization Reactions (MCMRs) Employing Highly Reactive Acyl Ketene and Nitrile Oxide Intermediates

    PubMed Central

    Knapp, John M.; Fettinger, James C.; Kurth, Mark J.

    2011-01-01

    An efficient synthesis of spiro-fused macrolactams by a multicomponent macrocyclization reaction (MCMR) is reported. The use of highly reactive, transient intermediates in this MCMR permits short reaction times, even at high dilution. The methods employed for this MCMR were first developed as a four component strategy for the synthesis of β-ketoamide isoxazolines. PMID:21827181

  3. Organometallics in High Energy Chemistry.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-10-31

    Luines Physeical ftaenc Chemistry DepatneWu. SJI International. Menlo PWr *. CaiOwrnia M10 Rceived Nouvber 8. 1IM The otslytic formation of6nw carbon...support the idea that the metalloazocyclopropane intermediate is the reactive intermediate that leads to transalkylation. A discussion of the...exceptionally good correlation between the catalytic reactivity patterns of palladium black in its reactions with tertiary amines and those of homogeneous

  4. Lifetimes and reactivities of some 1,2-didehydroazepines commonly used in photoaffinity labeling experiments in aqueous solutions.

    PubMed

    Rizk, Mary S; Shi, Xiaofeng; Platz, Matthew S

    2006-01-17

    The reactive 1,2-didehydroazepine (cyclic ketenimine) intermediates produced upon photolysis of phenyl azide, 3-hydroxyphenyl azide, 3-methoxyphenyl azide, and 3-nitrophenyl azide in water and in HEPES buffer were studied by laser flash photolysis techniques with UV-vis detection of the transient intermediates. The lifetimes of the 1,2-didehydroazepines were obtained along with the absolute rate constants of their reactions with typical amino acids, nucleosides, and other simple reagents present in a biochemical milieu. The nitro substituent greatly accelerates the bimolecular reactions of the cyclic ketenimines, and the 3-methoxy group greatly decelerates the absolute reactivity of 1,2-didehydroazepines. The intermediate produced by photolysis of 3-hydroxyphenyl azide is much more reactive than the intermediate produced by photolysis of 3-methoxyphenyl azide. We propose that the hydroxyl-substituted 1,2-didehydoazepines rapidly (<10 micros) tautomerize in water to form azepinones and much more rapidly than the corresponding 3-methoxy-substituted cyclic ketenimines undergo hydrolysis. Azepinones react more rapidly with nucleophiles than do methoxy-substituted 1,2-didehydroazepines and are the active species present upon the photolysis of 3-hydroxyphenyl azide in aqueous solution.

  5. Experimental demonstration of radicaloid character in a RuV=O intermediate in catalytic water oxidation

    PubMed Central

    Moonshiram, Dooshaye; Alperovich, Igor; Concepcion, Javier J.; Meyer, Thomas J.; Pushkar, Yulia

    2013-01-01

    Water oxidation is the key half reaction in artificial photosynthesis. An absence of detailed mechanistic insight impedes design of new catalysts that are more reactive and more robust. A proposed paradigm leading to enhanced reactivity is the existence of oxyl radical intermediates capable of rapid water activation, but there is a dearth of experimental validation. Here, we show the radicaloid nature of an intermediate reactive toward formation of the O-O bond by assessing the spin density on the oxyl group by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR). In the study, an 17O-labeled form of a highly oxidized, short-lived intermediate in the catalytic cycle of the water oxidation catalyst cis,cis-[(2,2-bipyridine)2(H2O)RuIIIORuIII(OH2)(bpy)2]4+ was investigated. It contains Ru centers in oxidation states [4,5], has at least one RuV = O unit, and shows |Axx| = 60G 17O hyperfine splittings (hfs) consistent with the high spin density of a radicaloid. Destabilization of π-bonding in the d3 RuV = O fragment is responsible for the high spin density on the oxygen and its high reactivity. PMID:23417296

  6. Selective Oxidation of Lignin Model Compounds.

    PubMed

    Gao, Ruili; Li, Yanding; Kim, Hoon; Mobley, Justin K; Ralph, John

    2018-05-02

    Lignin, the planet's most abundant renewable source of aromatic compounds, is difficult to degrade efficiently to welldefined aromatics. We developed a microwave-assisted catalytic Swern oxidation system using an easily prepared catalyst, MoO 2 Cl 2 (DMSO) 2 , and DMSO as the solvent and oxidant. It demonstrated high efficiency in transforming lignin model compounds containing the units and functional groups found in native lignins. The aromatic ring substituents strongly influenced the selectivity of β-ether phenolic dimer cleavage to generate sinapaldehyde and coniferaldehyde, monomers not usually produced by oxidative methods. Time-course studies on two key intermediates provided insight into the reaction pathway. Owing to the broad scope of this oxidation system and the insight gleaned with regard to its mechanism, this strategy could be adapted and applied in a general sense to the production of useful aromatic chemicals from phenolics and lignin. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Vertical Stratification of Peat Pore Water Dissolved Organic Matter Composition in a Peat Bog in Northern Minnesota

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tfaily, Malak M.; Wilson, Rachel M.; Cooper, William T.; Kostka, Joel E.; Hanson, Paul; Chanton, Jeffrey P.

    2018-02-01

    We characterized dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition throughout the peat column at the Marcell S1 forested bog in northern Minnesota and tested the hypothesis that redox oscillations associated with cycles of wetting and drying at the surface of the fluctuating water table correlate with increased carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen turn over. We found significant vertical stratification of DOM molecular composition and excitation-emission matrix parallel factor analysis components within the peat column. In particular, the intermediate depth zone ( 50 cm) was identified as a zone where maximum decomposition and turnover is taking place. Surface DOM was dominated by inputs from surface vegetation. The intermediate depth zone was an area of high organic matter reactivity and increased microbial activity with diagenetic formation of many unique compounds, among them polycyclic aromatic compounds that contain both nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms. These compounds have been previously observed in coal-derived compounds and were assumed to be responsible for coal's biological activity. Biological processes triggered by redox oscillations taking place at the intermediate depth zone of the peat profile at the S1 bog are assumed to be responsible for the formation of these heteroatomic PACs in this system. Alternatively, these compounds could stem from black carbon and nitrogen derived from fires that have occurred at the site in the past. Surface and deep DOM exhibited more similar characteristics, compared to the intermediate depth zone, with the deep layer exhibiting greater input of microbially degraded organic matter than the surface suggesting that the entire peat profile consists of similar parent material at different degrees of decomposition and that lateral and vertical advection of pore water from the surface to the deeper horizons is responsible for such similarities. Our findings suggest that molecular composition of DOM in peatland pore water is dynamic and is a function of ecosystem activity, water table, redox oscillation, and pore water advection.

  8. Vertical Stratification of Peat Pore Water Dissolved Organic Matter Composition in a Peat Bog in Northern Minnesota: Pore Water DOM composition in a peat bog

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tfaily, Malak M.; Wilson, Rachel M.; Cooper, William T.

    We characterized dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition throughout the peat column at the Marcell S1 forested bog in northern Minnesota and tested the hypothesis that redox oscillations associated with cycles of wetting and drying at the surface of the fluctuating water table correlate with increased carbon, sulfur and nitrogen turn over. We found significant vertical stratification of DOM molecular composition and EEM-PARAFAC components within the peat column. In particular the intermediate depth zone (~ 50 cm) was identified as a zone where maximum decomposition and turnover is taking place. Surface DOM was dominated by inputs from surface vegetation. The intermediate-depthmore » zone was an area of high organic matter reactivity and increased microbial activity with diagenetic formation of many unique compounds, among them polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) that contain both nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms. These compounds have been previously observed in coal-derived compounds and were assumed to be responsible for coal's biological activity. Biological processes triggered by redox oscillations taking place at the intermediate depth zone of the peat profile at the S1 bog are assumed to be responsible for the formation of these heteroatomic PACs in this system. Alternatively these compounds could stem from black carbon and nitrogen derived from fires that have occurred at the site in the past. Surface and deep DOM exhibited more similar characteristics, compared to the intermediate-depth zone, with the deep layer exhibiting greater input of microbially degraded organic matter than the surface suggesting that the entire peat profile consists of similar parent material at different degrees of decomposition and that lateral and vertical advection of pore water from the surface to the deeper horizons is responsible for such similarities. Our findings suggest that molecular composition of DOM in peatland pore water is dynamic and is a function of ecosystem activity, water table and redox oscillation and porewater advection.« less

  9. Are soluble factors relevant for polymorphonuclear leukocyte dysregulation in septicemia?

    PubMed Central

    Wenisch, C; Graninger, W

    1995-01-01

    Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) of twelve patients with gram-negative septicemia exhibited a decreased capacity to phagocytize Escherichia coli and generate reactive oxygen products which normalized within 7 days of treatment. Ex vivo exchange of plasma from age-, sex-, and blood-group-identical normal controls resulted in an increase of both phagocytic capacity and reactive oxygen intermediate generation in PMNs of septicemic patients and transiently reduced phagocytosis and reactive oxygen intermediate production in PMNs of normal controls. These results suggest that extrinsic factors are crucial for PMN function. PMID:7697538

  10. Reactive Metabolites in the Biotransformation of Molecules Containing a Furan Ring

    PubMed Central

    Peterson, Lisa A.

    2012-01-01

    Many xenobiotics containing a furan ring are toxic and/or carcinogenic. The harmful effects of these compounds require furan ring oxidation. This reaction generates an electrophilic intermediate. Depending on the furan ring substituents, the intermediate is either an epoxide or a cis-enedione with more ring substitution favoring epoxide formation. Either intermediate reacts with cellular nucleophiles such as protein or DNA to trigger toxicities. The reactivity of the metabolite determines which cellular nucleophiles are targeted. The toxicity of a particular furan is also influenced by the presence of competing metabolic pathways or efficient detoxification routes. GSH plays an important role in modulating the harmful effects of this class of compound by reacting with the reactive metabolite. However, this may not represent a detoxification step in all cases. PMID:23061605

  11. Aromatic aldehydes at the active site of aldehyde oxidoreductase from Desulfovibrio gigas: reactivity and molecular details of the enzyme-substrate and enzyme-product interaction.

    PubMed

    Correia, Hugo D; Marangon, Jacopo; Brondino, Carlos D; Moura, Jose J G; Romão, Maria J; González, Pablo J; Santos-Silva, Teresa

    2015-03-01

    Desulfovibrio gigas aldehyde oxidoreductase (DgAOR) is a mononuclear molybdenum-containing enzyme from the xanthine oxidase (XO) family, a group of enzymes capable of catalyzing the oxidative hydroxylation of aldehydes and heterocyclic compounds. The kinetic studies reported in this work showed that DgAOR catalyzes the oxidative hydroxylation of aromatic aldehydes, but not heterocyclic compounds. NMR spectroscopy studies using (13)C-labeled benzaldehyde confirmed that DgAOR catalyzes the conversion of aldehydes to the respective carboxylic acids. Steady-state kinetics in solution showed that high concentrations of the aromatic aldehydes produce substrate inhibition and in the case of 3-phenyl propionaldehyde a suicide substrate behavior. Hydroxyl-substituted aromatic aldehydes present none of these behaviors but the kinetic parameters are largely affected by the position of the OH group. High-resolution crystallographic structures obtained from single crystals of active-DgAOR soaked with benzaldehyde showed that the side chains of Phe425 and Tyr535 are important for the stabilization of the substrate in the active site. On the other hand, the X-ray data of DgAOR soaked with trans-cinnamaldehyde showed a cinnamic acid molecule in the substrate channel. The X-ray data of DgAOR soaked with 3-phenyl propionaldehyde showed clearly how high substrate concentrations inactivate the enzyme by binding covalently at the surface of the enzyme and blocking the substrate channel. The different reactivity of DgAOR versus aldehyde oxidase and XO towards aromatic aldehydes and N-heterocyclic compounds is explained on the basis of the present kinetic and structural data.

  12. In situ high temperature MAS NMR study of the mechanisms of catalysis. Ethane aromatization on Zn-modified zeolite BEA.

    PubMed

    Arzumanov, Sergei S; Gabrienko, Anton A; Freude, Dieter; Stepanov, Alexander G

    2009-04-01

    Ethane conversion into aromatic hydrocarbons over Zn-modified zeolite BEA has been analyzed by high-temperature MAS NMR spectroscopy. Information about intermediates (Zn-ethyl species) and reaction products (mainly toluene and methane), which were formed under the conditions of a batch reactor, was obtained by (13)C MAS NMR. Kinetics of the reaction, which was monitored by (1)H MAS NMR in situ at the temperature of 573K, provided information about the reaction mechanism. Simulation of the experimental kinetics within the frames of the possible kinetic schemes of the reaction demonstrates that a large amount of methane evolved under ethane aromatization arises from the stage of direct ethane hydrogenolysis.

  13. Mild Aromatic Palladium-Catalyzed Protodecarboxylation: Kinetic Assessment of the Decarboxylative Palladation and the Protodepalladation Steps

    PubMed Central

    Dickstein, Joshua S.; Curto, John M.; Gutierrez, Osvaldo; Mulrooney, Carol A.; Kozlowski, Marisa C.

    2013-01-01

    Mechanism studies of a mild palladium catalyzed decarboxylation of aromatic carboxylic acids are described. In particular, reaction orders and activation parameters for the two stages of the transformation were determined. These studies guided development of a catalytic system capable of turnover. Further evidence reinforces that the second stage, protonation of the aryl palladium intermediate, is the rate-determining step of the reaction. The first step, decarboxylative palladation is proposed to occur through an intramolecular electrophilic palladation pathway, which is supported by computational and mechansim studies. In contrast to the reverse reaction (C-H insertion), the data support an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism involving a stepwise intramolecular protonation sequence for the protodepalladation portion of the reaction. PMID:23590518

  14. Elastomer toughened polyimide adhesives

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    St.clair, A. K.; St.clair, T. L. (Inventor)

    1983-01-01

    A rubber-toughened addition-type polyimide composition is disclosed which has excellent high temperature bonding characteristics in the fully cured state, and improved peel strength and adhesive fracture resistance physical property characteristics. The process for making the improved adhesive involves preparing the rubber containing amic acid prepolymer by chemically reacting an amine-terminated elastomer and an aromatic diamine with an aromatic dianhydride with which a reactive chain stopper anhydride was mixed, and utilizing solvent or mixture of solvents for the reaction.

  15. Reaction of bromine and chlorine with phenolic compounds and natural organic matter extracts--Electrophilic aromatic substitution and oxidation.

    PubMed

    Criquet, Justine; Rodriguez, Eva M; Allard, Sebastien; Wellauer, Sven; Salhi, Elisabeth; Joll, Cynthia A; von Gunten, Urs

    2015-11-15

    Phenolic compounds are known structural moieties of natural organic matter (NOM), and their reactivity is a key parameter for understanding the reactivity of NOM and the disinfection by-product formation during oxidative water treatment. In this study, species-specific and/or apparent second order rate constants and mechanisms for the reactions of bromine and chlorine have been determined for various phenolic compounds (phenol, resorcinol, catechol, hydroquinone, phloroglucinol, bisphenol A, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, hesperetin and tannic acid) and flavone. The reactivity of bromine with phenolic compounds is very high, with apparent second order rate constants at pH 7 in the range of 10(4) to 10(7) M(-1) s(-1). The highest value was recorded for the reaction between HOBr and the fully deprotonated resorcinol (k = 2.1 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1)). The reactivity of phenolic compounds is enhanced by the activating character of the phenolic substituents, e.g. further hydroxyl groups. With the data set from this study, the ratio between the species-specific rate constants for the reactions of chlorine versus bromine with phenolic compounds was confirmed to be about 3000. Phenolic compounds react with bromine or chlorine either by oxidation (electron transfer, ET) or electrophilic aromatic substitution (EAS) processes. The dominant process mainly depends on the relative position of the hydroxyl substituents and the possibility of quinone formation. While phenol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and bisphenol A undergo EAS, hydroquinone, catechol, gallic acid and tannic acid, with hydroxyl substituents in ortho or para positions, react with bromine by ET leading to quantitative formation of the corresponding quinones. Some compounds (e.g. phloroglucinol) show both partial oxidation and partial electrophilic aromatic substitution and the ratio observed for the pathways depends on the pH. For the reaction of six NOM extracts with bromine, electrophilic aromatic substitution accounted for only 20% of the reaction, and for one NOM extract (Pony Lake fulvic acid) it accounted for <10%. This shows that for natural organic matter samples, oxidation (ET) is far more important than bromine incorporation (EAS). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Settle, Amy E.; Berstis, Laura; Rorrer, Nicholas A.

    In this tutorial review, we provide an overview of heterogeneous Diels–Alder catalysis for the production of lignocellulosic biomass-derived aromatic compounds. Diels–Alder reactions afford an extremely selective and efficient route for carbon–carbon cycloadditions to produce intermediates that can readily undergo subsequent dehydration or dehydrogenation reactions for aromatization. As a result, catalysis of Diels–Alder reactions with biomass-derived dienes and dienophiles has seen a growth of interest in recent years; however, significant opportunities remain to (i) tailor heterogeneous catalyst materials for tandem Diels–Alder and aromatization reactions, and (ii) utilize biomass-derived dienes and dienophiles to access both conventional and novel aromatic monomers. As such,more » this review discusses the mechanistic aspects of Diels–Alder reactions from both an experimental and computational perspective, as well as the synergy of Brønsted–Lewis acid catalysts to facilitate tandem Diels–Alder and aromatization reactions. Heterogeneous catalyst design strategies for Diels–Alder reactions are reviewed for two exemplary solid acid catalysts, zeolites and polyoxometalates, and recent efforts for targeting direct replacement aromatic monomers from biomass are summarized. In conclusion, we point out important research directions for progressing Diels–Alder catalysis to target novel, aromatic monomers with chemical functionality that enables new properties compared to monomers that are readily accessible from petroleum.« less

  17. Study on the reactive transient α-λ3-iodanyl-acetophenone complex in the iodine(III)/PhI(I) catalytic cycle of iodobenzene-catalyzed α-acetoxylation reaction of acetophenone by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hao-Yang; Zhou, Juan; Guo, Yin-Long

    2012-03-30

    Hypervalent iodine compounds are important and widely used oxidants in organic chemistry. In 2005, Ochiai reported the PhI-catalyzed α-acetoxylation reaction of acetophenone by the oxidation of PhI with m-chloroperbenzoic acid (m-CPBA) in acetic acid. However, until now, the most critical reactive α-λ(3)-iodine alkyl acetophenone intermediate (3) had not been isolated or directly detected. Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) was used to intercept and characterize the transient reactive α-λ(3)-iodine alkyl acetophenone intermediate in the reaction solution. The trivalent iodine species was detected when PhI and m-CPBA in acetic acid were mixed, which indicated the facile oxidation of a catalytic amount of PhI(I) to the iodine(III) species by m-CPBA. Most importantly, 3·H(+) was observed at m/z 383 from the reaction solution and this ion gave the protonated α-acetoxylation product 4·H(+) at m/z 179 in MS/MS by an intramolecular reductive elimination of PhI. These ESI-MS/MS studies showed the existence of the reactive α-λ(3)-iodine alkyl acetophenone intermediate 3 in the catalytic cycle. Moreover, the gas-phase reactivity of 3·H(+) was consistent with the proposed solution-phase reactivity of the α-λ(3)-iodine alkyl acetophenone intermediate 3, thus confirming the reaction mechanism proposed by Ochiai. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Reaction of 2-acetylaminofluorene-N-sulfate with RNA and glutathione: evidence for the generation of two reactive intermediates with different reactivities towards RNA and glutathione.

    PubMed

    van den Goorbergh, J A; Meerman, J H; de Wit, H; Mulder, G J

    1985-11-01

    The sulfate ester of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF-N-sulfate) is one of the reactive intermediates of this carcinogen. This ester breaks down spontaneously to a very reactive nitrenium ion, which reacts with nucleophilic groups in protein, DNA, RNA and glutathione (GSH). Reactions involving the nitrenium ion with several nucleophiles under various conditions were studied. The adduct formation to RNA was much higher in Tris-HCI buffer than in phosphate buffer (at pH 7.4), while adduct formation to deoxy-guanosine monomers was the same in both buffers. The presence of 150 mM KCI had the same decreasing effect in both cases. Ionic strength effects may be involved in these phenomena. GSH decreased RNA adduct formation by 20-45%, while other thiols were much more effective. On the other hand, RNA did not decrease the formation of GSH conjugates from AAF-N-sulfate. The decrease in RNA adduct formation by thiols corresponded with an increase in the formation of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) from AAF-N-sulfate, while no N-hydroxy-AAF was formed. These results suggest that two independent reactive intermediates are formed from AAF-N-sulfate, with different reactivities towards RNA and glutathione. Possibly these intermediates are the 'hard' triplet state nitrenium ion and the 'soft' singlet state nitrenium ion. Cysteine, cysteamine and penicillamine were most effective in the inhibition of RNA adduct formation; the extent of inhibition correlated with the extent of AAF formation. The mechanisms involved are discussed.

  19. Mutagenicity of diesel exhaust particle extracts: influence of fuel composition in two diesel engines

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Clark, C.R.; Henderson, T.R.; Royer, R.E.

    The influence of diesel fuel composition on mutagenicity of exhaust particle associated organic compounds has been investigated using nine fuels varying in aromatic content and distillation properties. The tests were conducted with Oldsmobile Delta-88 and Peugot 504 diesel cars operated according to the EPA Federal Test Procedure. The particulate exhaust from each test was collected on a filter, extracted in dichloromethane and the resulting extract evaluated for mutagenicity in Salmonella strain TA-100. Mutagenicity of extracts of particles collected from the Oldsmobile were highest in the higher aromatic content fuels (greater than 30%) but similar for intermediate (20%) and low (13%)more » aromatic content fuels. No influence of aromaticity on mutagenicity was observed in samples collected from the Peugeot under the same conditions. Thus, fuel aromatic content may enhance the production of mutagenic combustion products at higher concentrations, but may be dependent upon engine type. A good correlation was observed between mutagenicity of the particle extracts and the initial boiling point of the fuel (r . 0.89). Gas chromatography/mass spectrometric analysis of the aromatic fraction of the fuels showed that the fuel producing the most mutagenic combustion products was highest in phenanthrene type compounds.« less

  20. Catalytic and reactive polypeptides and methods for their preparation and use

    DOEpatents

    Schultz, Peter

    1993-01-01

    Catalytic and reactive polypeptides include a binding site specific for a reactant or reactive intermediate involved in a chemical reaction of interest. The polypeptides further include at least one active functionality proximate the bi.

  1. The benzylperoxyl radical as a source of hydroxyl and phenyl radicals.

    PubMed

    Sander, Wolfram; Roy, Saonli; Bravo-Rodriguez, Kenny; Grote, Dirk; Sanchez-Garcia, Elsa

    2014-09-26

    The benzyl radical (1) is a key intermediate in the combustion and tropospheric oxidation of toluene. Because of its relevance, the reaction of 1 with molecular oxygen was investigated by matrix-isolation IR and EPR spectroscopy as well as computational methods. The primary reaction product of 1 and O2 is the benzylperoxyl radical (2), which exists in several conformers that can easily interconvert even at cryogenic temperatures. Photolysis of radical 2 at 365 nm results in a formal [1,3]-H migration and subsequent cleavage of the O-O bond to produce a hydrogen-bonded complex between the hydroxyl radical and benzaldehyde (4). Prolonged photolysis produces the benzoyl radical (5) and water, which finally yield the phenyl radical (7), CO, and H2O. Thus, via a sequence of exothermic reactions 1 is transformed into radicals of even higher reactivity, such as OH and 7. Our results have implications for the development of models for the highly complicated process of combustion of aromatic compounds. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Private Philanthropy and Basic Research in Mid-Twentieth Century America: The Hickrill Chemical Research Foundation.

    PubMed

    Gortler, Leon; Weininger, Stephen J

    2017-02-01

    The Hickrill Chemical Research Foundation, located north of New York City on the estate of its patrons, Sylvan and Ruth Alice Norman Weil, had a short (1948-59) but productive life. Ruth Alice Weil received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1947, directed by William von Eggers Doering of Columbia University. She intended that Hickrill contribute to cancer chemotherapy while providing resources for Doering's more speculative research. Ultimately, Doering's commitment to theoretical organic chemistry set Hickrill's research agenda. Lawrence Knox, an African American with a Harvard Ph.D., supervised the laboratory's daily activities. Hickrill's two dozen postdoctoral fellows produced path-breaking results in Hückel aromatic theory and reactive intermediate chemistry, fostering the postwar emphasis on "basic science." This essay places the Laboratory's successes in the wider context of postwar politics and scientific priorities. Private philanthropic support of basic science arose because it received little pre-World War II government support. In the immediate postwar period, modest organisations like Hickrill still met a need, but the increasing governmental defence- and non-defence-related support for science eventually rendered them unnecessary.

  3. Theoretical and conceptual density functional theory (DFT) study on selectivity of 4-hydroxyquinazoline electrophilic aromatic nitration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Makhloufi, A.; Belhadad, O.; Ghemit, R.; Baitiche, M.; Merbah, M.; Benachour, DJ.

    2018-01-01

    In common with other aza-heterocycles, 4-hydroxyquinazoline and their derivatives are important pharmacophores and versatile lead molecule used in several specific biological activities. The potency of these compounds depends on the nature and/or position of their substituents. In this paper, we report a theoretical study of the most probable nitration reaction centers of 4-hydroxyquinazoline for electrophilic attack, the mono and di-nitration was also discussed. In parallel, a computational study has been performed in gas by using the B3LYP/6311 G(d) level. The stability of the four nitro isomers is rationalized by means of the global index and local reactivity indices. Their molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and Milliken charge were explored. Molecular geometries and NMR H spectra was examined. In addition, stationary points of reactant, transition state and intermediate were optimized in water condensed phase at the same level. The relative energies of the regioisomeric δ-complexes confirm that the substitution at C6 (6-nitro σ-complexes) is favored in these conditions, what was in agreement with our others calculating results (in gas).

  4. Time-resolved studies define the nature of toxic IAPP intermediates, providing insight for anti-amyloidosis therapeutics

    PubMed Central

    Abedini, Andisheh; Plesner, Annette; Cao, Ping; Ridgway, Zachary; Zhang, Jinghua; Tu, Ling-Hsien; Middleton, Chris T; Chao, Brian; Sartori, Daniel J; Meng, Fanling; Wang, Hui; Wong, Amy G; Zanni, Martin T; Verchere, C Bruce; Raleigh, Daniel P; Schmidt, Ann Marie

    2016-01-01

    Islet amyloidosis by IAPP contributes to pancreatic β-cell death in diabetes, but the nature of toxic IAPP species remains elusive. Using concurrent time-resolved biophysical and biological measurements, we define the toxic species produced during IAPP amyloid formation and link their properties to induction of rat INS-1 β-cell and murine islet toxicity. These globally flexible, low order oligomers upregulate pro-inflammatory markers and induce reactive oxygen species. They do not bind 1-anilnonaphthalene-8-sulphonic acid and lack extensive β-sheet structure. Aromatic interactions modulate, but are not required for toxicity. Not all IAPP oligomers are toxic; toxicity depends on their partially structured conformational states. Some anti-amyloid agents paradoxically prolong cytotoxicity by prolonging the lifetime of the toxic species. The data highlight the distinguishing properties of toxic IAPP oligomers and the common features that they share with toxic species reported for other amyloidogenic polypeptides, providing information for rational drug design to treat IAPP induced β-cell death. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.12977.001 PMID:27213520

  5. Indium-mediated asymmetric Barbier-type propargylations: additions to aldehydes and ketones and mechanistic investigation of the organoindium reagents.

    PubMed

    Haddad, Terra D; Hirayama, Lacie C; Buckley, Jannise J; Singaram, Bakthan

    2012-01-20

    We report a simple, efficient, and general method for the indium-mediated enantioselective propargylation of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes under Barbier-type conditions in a one-pot synthesis affording the corresponding chiral alcohol products in very good yield (up to 90%) and enantiomeric excess (up to 95%). The extension of this methodology to ketones demonstrated the need for electrophilic ketones more reactive than acetophenone as the reaction would not proceed with just acetophenone. Using the Lewis acid indium triflate [In(OTf)(3)] induced regioselective formation of the corresponding homoallenic alcohol product from acetophenone. However, this methodology demonstrated excellent chemoselectivity in formation of only the corresponding secondary homopropargylic alcohol product in the presence of a ketone functionality. Investigation of the organoindium intermediates under our reaction conditions shows the formation of allenylindium species, and we suggest that these species contain an indium(III) center. In addition, we have observed the presence of a shiny, indium(0) nugget throughout the reaction, irrespective of the stoichiometry, indicating disproportionation of indium halide byproduct formed during the reaction.

  6. Real-world emissions and calculated reactivities of organic species from motor vehicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sagebiel, John C.; Zielinska, Barbara; Pierson, William R.; Gertler, Alan W.

    To obtain real-world motor vehicle emission rates for the hydrocarbon ozone precursors, a series of experiments was conducted in the Fort McHenry Tunnel, Baltimore, Maryland and in the Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel, Pennsylvania. Air samples collected in the tunnels were analyzed for approximately 200 non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) species up to C 20, and formaldehyde. Emission rates were determined from tunnel inlet and outlet fluxes. Traffic composition analysis allowed emissions to be split into light-duty (LD; mostly spark-ignition) and heavy-duty (HD; mostly diesel) contributions. LD emissions of NMHC at Tuscarora were 293 mg/veh-mile, with paraflins constituting 35%, olefins 23%, aromatics 42%, and 6 mg/veh-mile of formaldehyde. At Fort McHenry, LD hydrocarbon emissions were 615 mg/veh-mile, with 38% paraffins, 18% olefins, and 44% aromatics, and 7 mg/veh-mile of formaldehyde. In both tunnels, HD emissions were approximately double LD emissions, but with higher percent paraffins, lower percent olefins, and an order of magnitude more formaldehyde. Through use of reactivity adjustment factors, the reactivity of the NMHC emissions with respect to ozone formation was assessed. Reactivity followed emissions, with HD emissions approximately twice the reactivity of LD emissions (on a per vehicle-mile basis). The mass specific reactivity (g-O 3/g-emission) was nearly constant among all vehicles. The effect of grade (assessed at Fort McHenry) was approximately a factor of 2 for both emissions and reactivity. However, since fuel-specific emissions (g-emission/gallon fuel consumed for LD and HD vehicles were nearly independent of grade at Fort McHenry, the fuel-specific ozone reactivity (g-O 3/gallon fuel consumed) was also nearly constant over the down- and up-grades.

  7. Cyclization of arylacetoacetates to indene and dihydronaphthalene derivatives in strong acids. Evidence for involvement of further protonation of O,O-diprotonated beta-ketoester, leading to enhancement of cyclization.

    PubMed

    Kurouchi, Hiroaki; Sugimoto, Hiromichi; Otani, Yuko; Ohwada, Tomohiko

    2010-01-20

    The chemical features, such as substrate stability, product distribution, and substrate generality, and the reaction mechanism of Brønsted superacid-catalyzed cyclization reactions of aromatic ring-containing acetoacetates (beta-ketoesters) were examined in detail. While two types of carbonyl cyclization are possible, i.e., keto cyclization and ester cyclization, the former was found to take place exclusively. The reaction constitutes an efficient method to synthesize indene and 3,4-dihydronapthalene derivatives. Acid-base titration monitored with (13)C NMR spectroscopy showed that the acetoacetates are fully O(1),O(3)-diprotonated at H(0) = -11. While the five-membered ring cyclization of the arylacetoacetates proceeded slowly at H(0) = -11, a linear increase in the rate of the cyclization was found with increasing acidity in the high acidity region of H(0) = -11.8 to -13.3. Therefore, the O(1),O(3)-diprotonated acetoacetates exhibited some cyclizing reactivity, but they are not the reactive intermediates responsible for the acceleration of the cyclization in the high acidity region. The reactive cationic species might be formed by further protonation (or protosolvation) of the O(1),O(3)-diprotonated acetoacetates; i.e., they may be tricationic species. Thermochemical data on the acid-catalyzed cyclization of the arylacetoacetates showed that the activation energy is decreased significantly as compared with that of the related acid-catalyzed cyclization reaction of a compound bearing a single functional group, such as a ketone. These findings indicate that intervention of the trication contributes to the activation of the cyclization of arylacetoacetates in strong acid, and the electron-withdrawing nature of the O-protonated ester functionality significantly increases the electrophilicity of the ketone moiety.

  8. [Macromolecular aromatic network characteristics of Chinese power coal analyzed by synchronous fluorescence and X-ray diffraction].

    PubMed

    Ye, Cui-Ping; Feng, Jie; Li, Wen-Ying

    2012-07-01

    Coal structure, especially the macromolecular aromatic skeleton structure, has a strong influence on coke reactivity and coal gasification, so it is the key to grasp the macromolecular aromatic skeleton coal structure for getting the reasonable high efficiency utilization of coal. However, it is difficult to acquire their information due to the complex compositions and structure of coal. It has been found that the macromolecular aromatic network coal structure would be most isolated if small molecular of coal was first extracted. Then the macromolecular aromatic skeleton coal structure would be clearly analyzed by instruments, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), fluorescence spectroscopy with synchronous mode (Syn-F), Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) etc. Based on the previous results, according to the stepwise fractional liquid extraction, two Chinese typical power coals, PS and HDG, were extracted by silica gel as stationary phase and acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran (THF), pyridine and 1-methyl-2-pyrollidinone (NMP) as a solvent group for sequential elution. GPC, Syn-F and XRD were applied to investigate molecular mass distribution, condensed aromatic structure and crystal characteristics. The results showed that the size of aromatic layers (La) is small (3-3.95 nm) and the stacking heights (Lc) are 0.8-1.2 nm. The molecular mass distribution of the macromolecular aromatic network structure is between 400 and 1 130 amu, with condensed aromatic numbers of 3-7 in the structure units.

  9. Inverse kinetic solvent isotope effect in TiO2 photocatalytic dehalogenation of non-adsorbable aromatic halides: a proton-induced pathway.

    PubMed

    Chang, Wei; Sun, Chunyan; Pang, Xibin; Sheng, Hua; Li, Yue; Ji, Hongwei; Song, Wenjing; Chen, Chuncheng; Ma, Wanhong; Zhao, Jincai

    2015-02-09

    An efficient redox reaction between organic substrates in solution and photoinduced h(+) vb /e(-) cb on the surface of photocatalysts requires the substrates or solvent to be adsorbed onto the surface, and is consequentially marked by a normal kinetic solvent isotope effect (KSIE ≥ 1). Reported herein is a universal inverse KSIE (0.6-0.8 at 298 K) for the reductive dehalogenation of aromatic halides which cannot adsorb onto TiO2 in a [D0 ]methanol/[D4 ]methanol solution. Combined with in situ ATR-FTIR spectroscopy investigations, a previously unknown pathway for the transformation of these aromatic halides in TiO2 photocatalysis was identified: a proton adduct intermediate, induced by released H(+) /D(+) from solvent oxidation, accompanies a change in hybridization from sp(2) to sp(3) at a carbon atom of the aromatic halides. The protonation event leads these aromatic halides to adsorb onto the TiO2 surface and an ET reaction to form dehalogenated products follows. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Blood pressure reactivity to psychological stress is associated with clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure.

    PubMed

    Sherwood, Andrew; Hill, LaBarron K; Blumenthal, James A; Adams, Kirkwood F; Paine, Nicola J; Koch, Gary G; O'Connor, Christopher M; Johnson, Kristy S; Hinderliter, Alan L

    2017-09-01

    Cardiovascular (CV) reactivity to psychological stress has been implicated in the development and exacerbation of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although high CV reactivity traditionally is thought to convey greater risk of CVD, the relationship between reactivity and clinical outcomes is inconsistent and may depend on the patient population under investigation. The present study examined CV reactivity in patients with heart failure (HF) and its potential association with long-term clinical outcomes. One hundred ninety-nine outpatients diagnosed with HF, with ejection fraction ≤40%, underwent an evaluation of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate reactivity to a laboratory-based simulated public-speaking stressor. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to examine the prospective association between BP and heart rate reactivity on a combined end point of death or CV hospitalization over a 5-year median follow-up period. Both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) reactivity, quantified as continuous variables, were inversely related to risk of death or CV hospitalization (Ps < .01) after controlling for established risk factors, including HF disease severity and etiology. In similar models, heart rate reactivity was unrelated to outcome (P = .12). In models with tertiles of reactivity, high SBP reactivity, compared with intermediate SBP reactivity, was associated with lower risk (hazard ratio [HR] = .498, 95% CI .335-.742, P =.001), whereas low SBP reactivity did not differ from intermediate reactivity. For DBP, high reactivity was marginally associated with lower risk compared with intermediate DBP reactivity (HR = .767, 95% CI .515-1.14, P =.193), whereas low DBP reactivity was associated with greater risk (HR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.027-2.155, P =.0359). No relationship of heart rate reactivity to outcome was identified. For HF patients with reduced ejection fraction, a robust increase in BP evoked by a laboratory-based psychological challenge was associated with lower risk for adverse CVD events and may be a novel and unique marker of left ventricular systolic reserve that is accompanied by a more favorable long-term prognosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Aromaticity and Antiaromaticity in Zintl Clusters

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sun, Zhong -Ming; Liu, Chao; Popov, Ivan Aleksandrovich

    Originally, the concepts of aromaticity and antiaromaticity were introduced to explain the stability and reactivity of unsaturated organic compounds. Since then, they have been extended to other species with delocalized electrons including various saturated systems, organometallic compounds, and even inorganic clusters and molecules. In this study, we focus on the most recent progress of using these concepts to guide experimental synthesis and rationalize geometrical and electronic structures of a particular family of polyanions composed of Group 14 and 15 elements, namely Zintl clusters.

  12. Aromaticity and Antiaromaticity in Zintl Clusters

    DOE PAGES

    Sun, Zhong -Ming; Liu, Chao; Popov, Ivan Aleksandrovich; ...

    2018-05-18

    Originally, the concepts of aromaticity and antiaromaticity were introduced to explain the stability and reactivity of unsaturated organic compounds. Since then, they have been extended to other species with delocalized electrons including various saturated systems, organometallic compounds, and even inorganic clusters and molecules. In this study, we focus on the most recent progress of using these concepts to guide experimental synthesis and rationalize geometrical and electronic structures of a particular family of polyanions composed of Group 14 and 15 elements, namely Zintl clusters.

  13. Electronic Structure of the Ferryl Intermediate in the α-Ketoglutarate Dependent Non-Heme Iron Halogenase SyrB2: Contributions to H Atom Abstraction Reactivity.

    PubMed

    Srnec, Martin; Wong, Shaun D; Matthews, Megan L; Krebs, Carsten; Bollinger, J Martin; Solomon, Edward I

    2016-04-20

    Low temperature magnetic circular dichroism (LT MCD) spectroscopy in combination with quantum-chemical calculations are used to define the electronic structure associated with the geometric structure of the Fe(IV)═O intermediate in SyrB2 that was previously determined by nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy. These studies elucidate key frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) and their contribution to H atom abstraction reactivity. The VT MCD spectra of the enzymatic S = 2 Fe(IV)═O intermediate with Br(-) ligation contain information-rich features that largely parallel the corresponding spectra of the S = 2 model complex (TMG3tren)Fe(IV)═O (Srnec, M.; Wong, S. D.; England, J; Que, L; Solomon, E. I. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2012, 109, 14326-14331). However, quantitative differences are observed that correlate with π-anisotropy and oxo donor strength that perturb FMOs and affect reactivity. Due to π-anisotropy, the Fe(IV)═O active site exhibits enhanced reactivity in the direction of the substrate cavity that proceeds through a π-channel that is controlled by perpendicular orientation of the substrate C-H bond relative to the halide-Fe(IV)═O plane. Also, the increased intrinsic reactivity of the SyrB2 intermediate relative to the ferryl model complex is correlated to a higher oxyl character of the Fe(IV)═O at the transition states resulting from the weaker ligand field of the halogenase.

  14. N,N-Diethylurea-Catalyzed Amidation between Electron-Defficient Aryl Azides and Phenylacetaldehydes

    PubMed Central

    Xie, Sheng; Ramström, Olof; Yan, Mingdi

    2015-01-01

    Urea structures, of which N,N-diethylurea (DEU) proved to be the most efficient, were discovered to catalyze amidation reactions between electron-defficient aryl azides and phenylacetaldehydes. Experimental data support 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between DEU-activated enols and electrophilic phenyl azides, especially perfluoroaryl azides, followed by rearrangement of the triazoline intermediate. The activation of the aldehyde under near-neutral conditions was of special importance in inhibiting dehydration/aromatization of the triazoline intermediate, thus promoting the rearrangement to form aryl amides. PMID:25616121

  15. Phenylethynyl terminated reactive oligomer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bryant, Robert G. (Inventor); Jensen, Brian J. (Inventor); Hergenrother, Paul M. (Inventor)

    1995-01-01

    A composition of matter having the general structure: ##STR1## (wherein X is F, Cl, or NO.sub.2, and Y is CO, SO.sub.2 or C(CF.sub.3).sub.2) is employed to terminate a nucleophilic reagent, resulting in the exclusive production of phenylethynyl terminated reactive oligomers which display unique thermal characteristics. A reactive diluent having the general structure: ##STR2## (wherein R is any aliphatic or aromatic moiety) is employed to decrease the melt viscosity of a phenylethynyl terminated reactive oligomer and to subsequently react therewith to provide a thermosetting material of enhanced density. These materials have features which make them attractive candidates for use as composite matrices and adhesives.

  16. Anaerobic oxidation of toluene, phenol, and p-cresol by the dissimilatory iron-reducing organism, GS-15

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lovley, D.R.; Lonergan, D.J.

    1990-01-01

    The dissimilatory Fe(III) reducer, GS-15, is the first microorganism known to couple the oxidation of aromatic compounds to the reduction of Fe(III) and the first example of a pure culture of any kind known to anaerobically oxidize an aromatic hydrocarbon, toluene. In this study, the metabolism of toluene, phenol, and p-cresol by GS-15 was investigated in more detail. GS-15 grew in an anaerobic medium with toluene as the sole electron donor and Fe(III) oxide as the electron acceptor. Growth coincided with Fe(III) reduction. [ring-14C]toluene was oxidized to 14CO2, and the stoichiometry of 14CO2 production and Fe(III) reduction indicated that GS-15 completely oxidized toluene to carbon dioxide with Fe(III) as the electron acceptor. Magnetite was the primary iron end product during toluene oxidation. Phenol and p-cresol were also completely oxidized to carbon dioxide with Fe(III) as the sole electron acceptor, and GS-15 could obtain energy to support growth by oxidizing either of these compounds as the sole electron donor. p-Hydroxybenzoate was a transitory extracellular intermediate of phenol and p-cresol metabolism but not of toluene metabolism. GS-15 oxidized potential aromatic intermediates in the oxidation of toluene (benzylalcohol and benzaldehyde) and p-cresol (p-hydroxybenzylalcohol and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde). The metabolism described here provides a model for how aromatic hydrocarbons and phenols may be oxidized with the reduction of Fe(III) in contaminated aquifers and petroleum-containing sediments.

  17. A new metalation complex for organic synthesis and polymerization reactions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hirshfield, S. M.

    1971-01-01

    Organometallic complex of N,N,N',N' tetramethyl ethylene diamine /TMEDA/ and lithium acts as metalation intermediate for controlled systhesis of aromatic organic compounds and polymer formation. Complex of TMEDA and lithium aids in preparation of various organic lithium compounds.

  18. Structure dependence of the rate coefficients of hydroxyl radical+aromatic molecule reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wojnárovits, László; Takács, Erzsébet

    2013-06-01

    The rate coefficients of hydroxyl radical addition to the rings of simple aromatic molecules (kOH) were evaluated based on the literature data. By analyzing the methods of kOH determination and the data obtained the most probable values were selected for the kOH's of individual compounds and thereby the most reliable dataset was created for monosubstituted aromatics and p-substituted phenols. For these compounds the rate coefficients fall in a narrow range between 2×109 mol-1 dm3 s-1 and 1×1010 mol-1 dm3 s-1. Although the values show some regular trend with the electron donating/withdrawing nature of the substituent, the log kOH-σp Hammett substituent constant plots do not give straight lines because these high kOH's are controlled by both, the chemical reactivity and the diffusion. However, the logarithms of the rate coefficients of the chemical reactivity controlled reactions (kchem), are calculated by the equation 1/kOH=1/kchem+1/kdiff, and accepting for the diffusion controlled rate coefficient kdiff=1.1×1010 mol-1 dm3 s-1, show good linear correlation with σp.

  19. Identification of acidic and aromatic residues in the Zta activation domain essential for Epstein-Barr virus reactivation.

    PubMed

    Deng, Z; Chen, C J; Zerby, D; Delecluse, H J; Lieberman, P M

    2001-11-01

    Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lytic cycle transcription and DNA replication require the transcriptional activation function of the viral immediate-early protein Zta. We describe a series of alanine substitution mutations in the Zta activation domain that reveal two functional motifs based on amino acid composition. Alanine substitution of single or paired hydrophobic aromatic amino acid residues resulted in modest transcription activation defects, while combining four substitutions of aromatic residues (F22/F26/W74/F75) led to more severe transcription defects. Substitution of acidic amino acid residue E27, D35, or E54 caused severe transcription defects on most viral promoters. Promoter- and cell-specific defects were observed for some substitution mutants. Aromatic residues were required for Zta interaction with TFIIA-TFIID and the CREB-binding protein (CBP) and for stimulation of CBP histone acetyltransferase activity in vitro. In contrast, acidic amino acid substitution mutants interacted with TFIIA-TFIID and CBP indistinguishably from the wild type. The nuclear domain 10 (ND10) protein SP100 was dispersed by most Zta mutants, but acidic residue mutations led to reduced, while aromatic substitution mutants led to increased SP100 nuclear staining. Acidic residue substitution mutants had more pronounced defects in transcription activation of endogenous viral genes in latently infected cells and for viral replication, as measured by the production of infectious virus. One mutant, K12/F13, was incapable of stimulating EBV lytic replication but had only modest transcription defects. These results indicate that Zta stimulates viral reactivation through two nonredundant structural motifs, one of which interacts with general transcription factors and coactivators, and the other has an essential but as yet not understood function in lytic transcription.

  20. Recent Developments in Organophosphorus Flame Retardants Containing P-C Bond and Their Applications

    PubMed Central

    Wendels, Sophie; Chavez, Thiebault; Bonnet, Martin; Gaan, Sabyasachi

    2017-01-01

    Organophosphorus compounds containing P-C bonds are increasingly developed as flame retardant additives due to their excellent thermal and hydrolytic stability and ease of synthesis. The latest development (since 2010) in organophosphorus flame retardants containing P-C bonds summarized in this review. In this review, we have broadly classified such phosphorus compounds based on the carbon unit linked to the phosphorus atom i.e., could be a part of either an aliphatic or an aromatic unit. We have only considered those published literature where a P-C bond was created as a part of synthetic strategy to make either an intermediate or a final organophosphorus compound with an aim to use it as a flame retardant. General synthetic strategies to create P-C bonds are briefly discussed. Most popular synthetic strategies used for developing P-C containing phosphorus based flame retardants include Michael addition, Michaelis–Arbuzov, Friedels–Crafts and Grignard reactions. In general, most flame retardant derivatives discussed in this review have been prepared via a one- to two-step synthetic strategy with relatively high yields greater than 80%. Specific examples of P-C containing flame retardants synthesized via suitable synthetic strategy and their applications on various polymer systems are described in detail. Aliphatic phosphorus compounds being liquids or low melting solids are generally applied in polymers via coatings (cellulose) or are incorporated in the bulk of the polymers (epoxy, polyurethanes) during their polymerization as reactive or non-reactive additives. Substituents on the P atoms and the chemistry of the polymer matrix greatly influence the flame retardant behavior of these compounds (condensed phase vs. the gas phase). Recently, aromatic DOPO based phosphinate flame retardants have been developed with relatively higher thermal stabilities (>250 °C). Such compounds have potential as flame retardants for high temperature processable polymers such as polyesters and polyamides. A vast variety of P-C bond containing efficient flame retardants are being developed; however, further work in terms of their economical synthetic methods, detailed impact on mechanical properties and processability, long term durability and their toxicity and environmental impact is much needed for their potential commercial exploitations. PMID:28773147

  1. Stabilities and partitioning of arenonium ions in aqueous media.

    PubMed

    Lawlor, D A; More O'Ferrall, R A; Rao, S N

    2008-12-31

    The phenathrenonium ion is formed as a reactive intermediate in the solvolysis of 9-dichloroacetoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene in aqueous acetonitrile and undergoes competing reactions with water acting as a base and nucleophile. Measurements of product ratios in the presence of azide ion as a trap and 'clock' yield rate constants kp = 3.7 x 10(10) and kH2O = 1.5 x 10(8) s(-1), respectively. Combining these with rate constants for the reverse reactions (protonation of phenanthrene and acid-catalyzed aromatization of its water adduct) gives equilibrium constants pKa = -20.9 and pK(R) = -11.6. For a series of arenonium and benzylic cations, correlation of log kp with pKa, taking account of the limit to kp set by the relaxation of water (10(11) s(-1)), leads to extrapolation of kp = 9.0 x 10(10) s(-1) and pKa = -24.5 for the benzenonium ion and kp = 6.5 x 10(10) s(-1) and pKa = -22.5 for the 1-naphthalenonium ion. Combining these pKa's with estimates of equilibrium constants pKH2O for the hydration of benzene and naphthalene, and the relationship pKR = pKa + pKH2O based on Hess's law, gives pKR = -2.3 and -8.0 respectively, and highlights the inherent stability of the benzenonium ion. A correlation exists between the partitioning ratio, kp/kH2O, for carbocations reacting in water and KH2O the equilibrium constant between the respective reaction products, i.e., log(kp/kH2O) = 0.46pKH2O - 3.7. It implies that kp exceeds kH2O only when KH2O > 10(8). This is consistent with the proton transfer (a) possessing a lower intrinsic reactivity than reaction of the carbocation with water as a nucleophile and (b) being rate-determining in the hydration of alkenes (and dehydration of alcohols) except when the double bond of the alkene is unusually stabilized, as in the case of aromatic molecules.

  2. Why bistetracenes are much less reactive than pentacenes in Diels-Alder reactions with fullerenes.

    PubMed

    Cao, Yang; Liang, Yong; Zhang, Lei; Osuna, Sílvia; Hoyt, Andra-Lisa M; Briseno, Alejandro L; Houk, K N

    2014-07-30

    The Diels-Alder (DA) reactions of pentacene (PT), 6,13-bis(2-trimethylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TMS-PT), bistetracene (BT), and 8,17-bis(2-trimethylsilylethynyl)bistetracene (TMS-BT) with the [6,6] double bond of [60]fullerene have been investigated by density functional theory calculations. Reaction barriers and free energies have been obtained to assess the effects of frameworks and substituent groups on the DA reactivity and product stability. Calculations indicate that TMS-BT is about 5 orders of magnitude less reactive than TMS-PT in the reactions with [60]fullerene. This accounts for the observed much higher stability of TIPS-BT than TIPS-PT when mixed with PCBM. Surprisingly, calculations predict that the bulky silylethynyl substituents of TMS-PT and TMS-BT have only a small influence on reaction barriers. However, the silylethynyl substituents significantly destabilize the corresponding products due to steric repulsions in the adducts. This is confirmed by experimental results here. Architectures of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) play a crucial role in determining both the DA barrier and the adduct stability. The reactivities of different sites in various PAHs are related to the loss of aromaticity, which can be predicted using the simple Hückel molecular orbital localization energy calculations.

  3. Structure-property relationships in low-temperature adhesives. [for inflatable structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schoff, C. K.; Udipi, K.; Gillham, J. K.

    1977-01-01

    Adhesive materials of aliphatic polyester, linear hydroxyl end-capped polybutadienes, or SBS block copolymers are studied with the objective to replace conventional partially aromatic end-reactive polyester-isocyanate adhesives that have shown embrittlement

  4. Aromatic residues engineered into the beta-turn nucleation site of ubiquitin lead to a complex folding landscape, non-native side-chain interactions, and kinetic traps.

    PubMed

    Rea, Anita M; Simpson, Emma R; Meldrum, Jill K; Williams, Huw E L; Searle, Mark S

    2008-12-02

    The fast folding of small proteins is likely to be the product of evolutionary pressures that balance the search for native-like contacts in the transition state with the minimum number of stable non-native interactions that could lead to partially folded states prone to aggregation and amyloid formation. We have investigated the effects of non-native interactions on the folding landscape of yeast ubiquitin by introducing aromatic substitutions into the beta-turn region of the N-terminal beta-hairpin, using both the native G-bulged type I turn sequence (TXTGK) as well as an engineered 2:2 XNGK type I' turn sequence. The N-terminal beta-hairpin is a recognized folding nucleation site in ubiquitin. The folding kinetics for wt-Ub (TLTGK) and the type I' turn mutant (TNGK) reveal only a weakly populated intermediate, however, substitution with X = Phe or Trp in either context results in a high propensity to form a stable compact intermediate where the initial U-->I collapse is visible as a distinct kinetic phase. The introduction of Trp into either of the two host turn sequences results in either complex multiphase kinetics with the possibility of parallel folding pathways, or formation of a highly compact I-state stabilized by non-native interactions that must unfold before refolding. Sequence substitutions with aromatic residues within a localized beta-turn capable of forming non-native hydrophobic contacts in both the native state and partially folded states has the undesirable consequence that folding is frustrated by the formation of stable compact intermediates that evolutionary pressures at the sequence level may have largely eliminated.

  5. Freeze-quench (57)Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy: trapping reactive intermediates.

    PubMed

    Krebs, Carsten; Bollinger, J Martin

    2009-01-01

    (57)Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy is a method that probes transitions between the nuclear ground state (I=1/2) and the first nuclear excited state (I=3/2). This technique provides detailed information about the chemical environment and electronic structure of iron. Therefore, it has played an important role in studies of the numerous iron-containing proteins and enzymes. In conjunction with the freeze-quench method, (57)Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy allows for monitoring changes of the iron site(s) during a biochemical reaction. This approach is particularly powerful for detection and characterization of reactive intermediates. Comparison of experimentally determined Mössbauer parameters to those predicted by density functional theory for hypothetical model structures can then provide detailed insight into the structures of reactive intermediates. We have recently used this methodology to study the reactions of various mononuclear non-heme-iron enzymes by trapping and characterizing several Fe(IV)-oxo reaction intermediates. In this article, we summarize these findings and demonstrate the potential of the method. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009

  6. A detailed kinetic modeling study of aromatics formation in laminar premixed acetylene and ethylene flames

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, H.; Frenklach, M.

    1997-07-01

    A computational study was performed for the formation and growth of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in laminar premixed acetylene and ethylene flames. A new detailed reaction mechanism describing fuel pyrolysis and oxidation, benzene formation, and PAH mass growth and oxidation is presented and critically tested. It is shown that the reaction model predicts reasonably well the concentration profiles of major and intermediate species and aromatic molecules in a number of acetylene and ethylene flames reported in the literature. It is demonstrated that reactions of n-C{sub 4}H{sub x} + C{sub 2}H{sub 2} leading to the formation of one-ring aromatics are asmore » important as the propargyl recombination, and hence must be included in kinetic modeling of PAH formation in hydrocarbon flames. It is further demonstrated that the mass growth of PAHs can be accounted for by the previously proposed H-abstraction-C{sub 2}H{sub 2}-addiction mechanism.« less

  7. Matrix-Isolation Spectroscopy of Reactive Organic Molecules of Relevance to Interstellar Space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kopff, Laura A.; Nolan, Alex M.; Kreifels, Terese A.; Draxler, Thomas W.; Esselman, Brian J.; Burrmann, Nicola J.; McMahon, Robert J.

    2010-11-01

    Matrix isolation, the process of trapping a molecule in an inert gas at low temperature, provides a means for studying highly reactive intermediates, such as carbenes or radicals. Reactive species can be characterized by IR, UV-vis and/or EPR spectroscopy. Comparison of experimental and computed spectral data, as well as chemical reactivity, is used for structural assignment Triplet propynylidene is proposed to exist in the interstellar medium (ISM), due to the detection of a higher-energy isomers via rotational spectroscopy. Currently, we are exploring the structural and photochemical effects of varying substituents on the propynylidne system. A diazo precursor has been synthesized and photolyzed to produce dimethylpropynylidene in an argon matrix. A photochemical hydrogen shift to produce 1-penten-3-yne has been observed through infrared spectroscopy. Cyanocarbons are known to be abundant in the ISM and the atmosphere of Titan, however matrixisolation studies have not yet been carried out for a significant number of these compounds. Photolysis of 3-cyano-3-methyldiazirine should yield methylcyanocarbene, one of the simplest species in this family. Another molecule of interest is l-HC4N, which has been detected in the ISM, but has not yet been matrix-isolated and characterized. The study of arylcarbenes is vital to understanding the chemistry of carbon-rich environments, such as discharges, interstellar clouds, and circumstellar envelopes. The identification of small, sulfur containing molecules, and the identification of aromatics in the ISM make future thiophene and benzothiophene detections a real possibility. Studies on 2- and 3-diazomethyl substituted benzothiophenes are underway to assess their photochemical reactivity and potential for forming benzothiophene carbenes. Macrocylic polyynes are proposed to be involved in carbon condensation via the ring coalescence and annealing model to produce graphitic sheets or fullerenes. To simplify a complex system we are experimentally and computationally studying the series of ethynyl-substituted cyclobutadienes and their possible involvement in the build-up of larger carbon containing molecules in the ISM. The Bergman cyclization of cyclobutadiene has been explored computationally and the photochemical precursor is currently being synthesized.

  8. A Detailed Chemical Kinetic Model for TNT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pitz, W J; Westbrook, C K

    2005-01-13

    A detailed chemical kinetic mechanism for 2,4,6-tri-nitrotoluene (TNT) has been developed to explore problems of explosive performance and soot formation during the destruction of munitions. The TNT mechanism treats only gas-phase reactions. Reactions for the decomposition of TNT and for the consumption of intermediate products formed from TNT are assembled based on information from the literature and on current understanding of aromatic chemistry. Thermodynamic properties of intermediate and radical species are estimated by group additivity. Reaction paths are developed based on similar paths for aromatic hydrocarbons. Reaction-rate constant expressions are estimated from the literature and from analogous reactions where themore » rate constants are available. The detailed reaction mechanism for TNT is added to existing reaction mechanisms for RDX and for hydrocarbons. Computed results show the effect of oxygen concentration on the amount of soot precursors that are formed in the combustion of RDX and TNT mixtures in N{sub 2}/O{sub 2} mixtures.« less

  9. In-crystal reaction cycle of a toluene-bound diiron hydroxylase

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Acheson, Justin F.; Bailey, Lucas J.; Brunold, Thomas C.; Fox, Brian G.

    2017-03-01

    Electrophilic aromatic substitution is one of the most important and recognizable classes of organic chemical transformation. Enzymes create the strong electrophiles that are needed for these highly energetic reactions by using O2, electrons, and metals or other cofactors. Although the nature of the oxidants that carry out electrophilic aromatic substitution has been deduced from many approaches, it has been difficult to determine their structures. Here we show the structure of a diiron hydroxylase intermediate formed during a reaction with toluene. Density functional theory geometry optimizations of an active site model reveal that the intermediate is an arylperoxo Fe2+/Fe3+ species with delocalized aryl radical character. The structure suggests that a carboxylate ligand of the diiron centre may trigger homolytic cleavage of the O-O bond by transferring a proton from a metal-bound water. Our work provides the spatial and electronic constraints needed to propose a comprehensive mechanism for diiron enzyme arene hydroxylation that accounts for many prior experimental results.

  10. Enhancing and inhibiting effects of aromatic compounds on luminol-dimethylsulfoxide-OH(-) chemiluminescence and determination of intermediates in oxidative hair dyes by HPLC with chemiluminescence detection.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Jian; Xu, Hong; Wan, Guo-Hui; Duan, Chun-Feng; Cui, Hua

    2004-10-08

    The effect of 36 aromatic compounds on the luminol-dimethylsulfoxide-OH(-) chemiluminescence (CL) was systematically studied. It was found that dihydroxybenzenes, and ortho- and para-substituted aminophenols and phenylenediamines inhibited the CL and phenols with three or more than three hydroxyls except phloroglucin tended to enhance the CL. The CL inhibition and enhancement was proposed to be dependent on whether superoxide anion radical (O(2)(-)) was competitively consumed by compounds in the CL system. Trihydroxybenzenes were capable of generating superoxide anion radical, leading to the CL enhancement, whereas dihydroxybenzenes were superoxide anion radical scavenger, causing the CL inhibition. Based on the inhibited CL, a novel method for the simultaneous determination of p-phenylenediamine, o-phenylenediamine, p-aminophenol, o-aminophenol, resorcinol and hydroquinone by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with chemiluminescence detection was developed. The method has been successfully applied to determine intermediates in oxidative hair dyes and wastewater of shampooing after hair dyed.

  11. Arenium ions are not obligatory intermediates in electrophilic aromatic substitution

    PubMed Central

    Galabov, Boris; Koleva, Gergana; Simova, Svetlana; Hadjieva, Boriana; Schaefer, Henry F.; Schleyer, Paul von Ragué

    2014-01-01

    Our computational and experimental investigation of the reaction of anisole with Cl2 in nonpolar CCl4 solution challenges two fundamental tenets of the traditional SEAr (arenium ion) mechanism of aromatic electrophilic substitution. Instead of this direct substitution process, the alternative addition–elimination (AE) pathway is favored energetically. This AE mechanism rationalizes the preferred ortho and para substitution orientation of anisole easily. Moreover, neither the SEAr nor the AE mechanisms involve the formation of a σ-complex (Wheland-type) intermediate in the rate-controlling stage. Contrary to the conventional interpretations, the substitution (SEAr) mechanism proceeds concertedly via a single transition state. Experimental NMR investigations of the anisole chlorination reaction course at various temperatures reveal the formation of tetrachloro addition by-products and thus support the computed addition–elimination mechanism of anisole chlorination in nonpolar media. The important autocatalytic effect of the HCl reaction product was confirmed by spectroscopic (UV-visible) investigations and by HCl-augmented computational modeling. PMID:24972792

  12. Recent aspects of nitration: New preparative methods and mechanistic studies (A Review)

    PubMed Central

    Olah, George A.; Narang, Subhash C.; Olah, Judith A.; Lammertsma, Koop

    1982-01-01

    New preparative methods of electrophilic nitration and transfer nitration are reviewed, including reactions relating to the ambident reactivity of the nitronium ion. Recent aspects of the mechanism of electrophilic aromatic substitution are discussed.

  13. Modelling poly(p-phenylene teraphthalamide) at Extreme Tensile Loading using Reactive Potentials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yilmaz, Dundar

    2015-03-01

    Aromatic polyamides classified as rigid-rod polymers due to orientation of their monomers. Because of their excellent mechanical and thermal properties, aramids are widely used in the industry. For example DuPont's brand Kevlar, for its commercial aromatic polyamide polymer, due to wide usage of this polymer in ballistic applications, habitually used as a nickname for bulletproof vests. In order to engineer these ballistic fabrics, material properties of aramid fibers should be studied. In this work we focused on the poly(p-phenylene teraphthalamide) PPTA fiber, known as brand name Kevlar. We employed Reactive potentials to simulate PPTA polymer under tensile loading. We first simulated both amorphous and crystalline phases of PPTA. We also introduced defects with varying densities. We further analysed the recorded atomic positions data to understand how tensile load distributed and failure mechanisms at extreme tensile loads. This work supported by TUBITAK under Grant No: 113F358.

  14. Lignin model compounds as bio-based reactive diluents for liquid molding resins.

    PubMed

    Stanzione, Joseph F; Sadler, Joshua M; La Scala, John J; Wool, Richard P

    2012-07-01

    Lignin is a copious paper and pulping waste product that has the potential to yield valuable, low molecular weight, single aromatic chemicals when strategically depolymerized. The single aromatic lignin model compounds, vanillin, guaiacol, and eugenol, were methacrylated by esterification with methacrylic anhydride and a catalytic amount of 4-dimethylaminopyridine. Methacrylated guaiacol (MG) and methacrylated eugenol (ME) exhibited low viscosities at room temperature (MG: 17 cP and ME: 28 cP). When used as reactive diluents in vinyl ester resins, they produced resin viscosities higher than that of vinyl ester-styrene blends. The relative volatilities of MG (1.05 wt% loss in 18 h) and ME (0.96 wt% loss in 18 h) measured by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were considerably lower than that of styrene (93.7 wt% loss in 3 h) indicating the potential of these chemicals to be environmentally friendly reactive diluents. Bulk polymerization of MG and ME generated homopolymers with glass transition temperatures (T(g)s) of 92 and 103 °C, respectively. Blends of a standard vinyl ester resin with MG and ME (50 wt % reactive diluent) produced thermosets with T(g)s of 127 and 153 °C, respectively, which are comparable to vinyl ester-styrene resins, thus demonstrating the ability of MG and ME to completely replace styrene as reactive diluents in liquid molding resins without sacrificing cured-resin thermal performance. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Ionic and Covalent Stabilization of Intermediates and Transition States in Catalysis by Solid Acids

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Deshlahra, Prashant; Carr, Robert T.; Iglesia, Enrique

    Reactivity descriptors describe catalyst properties that determine the stability of kinetically relevant transition states and adsorbed intermediates. Theoretical descriptors, such as deprotonation energies (DPE), rigorously account for Brønsted acid strength for catalytic solids with known structure. Here, mechanistic interpretations of methanol dehydration turnover rates are used to assess how charge reorganization (covalency) and electrostatic interactions determine DPE and how such interactions are recovered when intermediates and transition states interact with the conjugate anion in W and Mo polyoxometalate (POM) clusters and gaseous mineral acids. Turnover rates are lower and kinetically relevant species are less stable on Mo than W POMmore » clusters with similar acid strength, and such species are more stable on mineral acids than that predicted from W-POM DPE–reactivity trends, indicating that DPE and acid strength are essential but incomplete reactivity descriptors. Born–Haber thermochemical cycles indicate that these differences reflect more effective charge reorganization upon deprotonation of Mo than W POM clusters and the much weaker reorganization in mineral acids. Such covalency is disrupted upon deprotonation but cannot be recovered fully upon formation of ion pairs at transition states. Predictive descriptors of reactivity for general classes of acids thus require separate assessments of the covalent and ionic DPE components. Here, we describe methods to estimate electrostatic interactions, which, taken together with energies derived from density functional theory, give the covalent and ionic energy components of protons, intermediates, and transition states. In doing so, we provide a framework to predict the reactive properties of protons for chemical reactions mediated by ion-pair transition states.« less

  16. Reactive polymer fused deposition manufacturing

    DOEpatents

    Kunc, Vlastimil; Rios, Orlando; Love, Lonnie J.; Duty, Chad E.; Johs, Alexander

    2017-05-16

    Methods and compositions for additive manufacturing that include reactive or thermosetting polymers, such as urethanes and epoxies. The polymers are melted, partially cross-linked prior to the depositing, deposited to form a component object, solidified, and fully cross-linked. These polymers form networks of chemical bonds that span the deposited layers. Application of a directional electromagnetic field can be applied to aromatic polymers after deposition to align the polymers for improved bonding between the deposited layers.

  17. Demonstration of In Situ Treatment with Reactive Amendments for Contaminated Sediments in Active DoD Harbors

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-06-30

    United States (NRC 2007). At elevated concentrations, these contaminants pose long-term risks to ecosystems and human health . 4 Reactive amendments...ability to reduce bioavailable concentrations thereby reducing ecological and human health risks. 6 2.1.2 AquaGate Composite Aggregate...could be of great interest as a remedy to HOC-impacted (e.g., PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon [PAHs], and pesticides ) surface sediments in

  18. Radicals: Reactive Intermediates with Translational Potential.

    PubMed

    Yan, Ming; Lo, Julian C; Edwards, Jacob T; Baran, Phil S

    2016-10-05

    This Perspective illustrates the defining characteristics of free radical chemistry, beginning with its rich and storied history. Studies from our laboratory are discussed along with recent developments emanating from others in this burgeoning area. The practicality and chemoselectivity of radical reactions enable rapid access to molecules of relevance to drug discovery, agrochemistry, material science, and other disciplines. Thus, these reactive intermediates possess inherent translational potential, as they can be widely used to expedite scientific endeavors for the betterment of humankind.

  19. Interactions between manganese oxides and multiple-ringed aromatic compounds

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Whelan, G.; Sims, R.C.

    1992-08-01

    Objective is to determine whether Mn reductive dissolution can oxidize multiple-ringed aromatics, such as PAHs, in an oxic environment Research indicated that certain PAHs (eg, dihydrodiols and diones that form free-radical intermediates) are susceptible to oxidation and polymerization. Over 14 days, 83, 76, 54, 70, and 20% of the Mn was reduced by 2,3-, 1,3-, and 1,4-naphthalenediol, quinizarin, and 1,4-naphthoquinone, respectively. 100, 100, and 65% of the first three PAHs were oxidized, respectively. Aromatics with diol functional groups were more easily oxidized than those with only dione groups. Relatively insoluble compounds like quinizarin can be oxidized; insoluble ''humic-like'' material precipitated,more » indicating a polymerization-humification process. Results suggest that electron transfer/organic release from the oxide surface is the rate-limiting step.« less

  20. Interactions between manganese oxides and multiple-ringed aromatic compounds

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Whelan, G.; Sims, R.C.

    1992-08-01

    Objective is to determine whether Mn reductive dissolution can oxidize multiple-ringed aromatics, such as PAHs, in an oxic environment? Research indicated that certain PAHs (eg, dihydrodiols and diones that form free-radical intermediates) are susceptible to oxidation and polymerization. Over 14 days, 83, 76, 54, 70, and 20% of the Mn was reduced by 2,3-, 1,3-, and 1,4-naphthalenediol, quinizarin, and 1,4-naphthoquinone, respectively. 100, 100, and 65% of the first three PAHs were oxidized, respectively. Aromatics with diol functional groups were more easily oxidized than those with only dione groups. Relatively insoluble compounds like quinizarin can be oxidized; insoluble ``humic-like`` material precipitated,more » indicating a polymerization-humification process. Results suggest that electron transfer/organic release from the oxide surface is the rate-limiting step.« less

  1. Friedel-Crafts Acylation with Amides

    PubMed Central

    Raja, Erum K.; DeSchepper, Daniel J.; Nilsson Lill, Sten O.; Klumpp, Douglas A.

    2012-01-01

    Friedel-Crafts acylation has been known since the 1870s and it is an important organic synthetic reaction leading to aromatic ketone products. Friedel-Crafts acylation is usually done with carboxylic acid chlorides or anhydrides while amides are generally not useful substrates in these reactions. Despite being the least reactive carboxylic acid derivative, we have found a series of amides capable of providing aromatic ketones in good yields (55–96%, 17 examples). We propose a mechanism involving diminished C-N resonance through superelectrophilic activation and subsequent cleavage to acyl cations. PMID:22690740

  2. Elastomer toughened polyimide adhesives. [bonding metal and composite material structures for aircraft and spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    St.clair, A. K.; St.clair, T. L. (Inventor)

    1985-01-01

    A rubber-toughened, addition-type polyimide composition is disclosed which has excellent high temperature bonding characteristics in the fully cured state and improved peel strength and adhesive fracture resistance physical property characteristics. The process for making the improved adhesive involves preparing the rubber-containing amic acid prepolymer by chemically reacting an amine-terminated elastomer and an aromatic diamine with an aromatic dianhydride with which a reactive chain stopper anhydride has been mixed, and utilizing solvent or mixture of solvents for the reaction.

  3. Mutagenicity of diesel exhaust particle extracts: influence of fuel composition in two diesel engines

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Clark, C.R.; Henderson, T.R.; Royer, R.E.

    The influence of diesel fuel composition on mutagenicity of exhaust particle associated organic compounds has been investigated using nine fuels varying in aromatic content and distillation properties. The tests were conducted with Oldsmobile Delta-88 and Peugot 504 diesel cars operated according to the EPA Federal Test Procedure. The particulate exhaust from each test was collected on a filter, extracted in dichloromethane and the resulting extract evaluated for mutagenicity in Salmonella strain TA-100. Mutagenicity of extracts of particles collected from the Oldsmobile were highest in the higher aromatic content fuels (> 30%) but similar for intermediate (20%) and low (13%) aromaticmore » content fuels. No influence of aromaticity on mutagenicity was observed in samples collected from the Peugeot under the same conditions. Thus, fuel aromatic content may enhance the production of mutagenic combustion products at higher concentrations, but may be dependent upon engine type. A good correlation was observed between mutagenicity of the particle extracts and the initial boiling point of the fuel (r = 0.89). Gas chromatography/mass spectrometric analysis of the aromatic fraction of the fuels showed that the fuel producing the most mutagenic combustion products was highest in phenanthrene type compounds.« less

  4. Complete Sequence of a 184-Kilobase Catabolic Plasmid from Sphingomonas aromaticivorans F199†

    PubMed Central

    Romine, Margaret F.; Stillwell, Lisa C.; Wong, Kwong-Kwok; Thurston, Sarah J.; Sisk, Ellen C.; Sensen, Christoph; Gaasterland, Terry; Fredrickson, Jim K.; Saffer, Jeffrey D.

    1999-01-01

    The complete 184,457-bp sequence of the aromatic catabolic plasmid, pNL1, from Sphingomonas aromaticivorans F199 has been determined. A total of 186 open reading frames (ORFs) are predicted to encode proteins, of which 79 are likely directly associated with catabolism or transport of aromatic compounds. Genes that encode enzymes associated with the degradation of biphenyl, naphthalene, m-xylene, and p-cresol are predicted to be distributed among 15 gene clusters. The unusual coclustering of genes associated with different pathways appears to have evolved in response to similarities in biochemical mechanisms required for the degradation of intermediates in different pathways. A putative efflux pump and several hypothetical membrane-associated proteins were identified and predicted to be involved in the transport of aromatic compounds and/or intermediates in catabolism across the cell wall. Several genes associated with integration and recombination, including two group II intron-associated maturases, were identified in the replication region, suggesting that pNL1 is able to undergo integration and excision events with the chromosome and/or other portions of the plasmid. Conjugative transfer of pNL1 to another Sphingomonas sp. was demonstrated, and genes associated with this function were found in two large clusters. Approximately one-third of the ORFs (59 of them) have no obvious homology to known genes. PMID:10049392

  5. Probabilistic analysis on the failure of reactivity control for the PWR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sony Tjahyani, D. T.; Deswandri; Sunaryo, G. R.

    2018-02-01

    The fundamental safety function of the power reactor is to control reactivity, to remove heat from the reactor, and to confine radioactive material. The safety analysis is used to ensure that each parameter is fulfilled during the design and is done by deterministic and probabilistic method. The analysis of reactivity control is important to be done because it will affect the other of fundamental safety functions. The purpose of this research is to determine the failure probability of the reactivity control and its failure contribution on a PWR design. The analysis is carried out by determining intermediate events, which cause the failure of reactivity control. Furthermore, the basic event is determined by deductive method using the fault tree analysis. The AP1000 is used as the object of research. The probability data of component failure or human error, which is used in the analysis, is collected from IAEA, Westinghouse, NRC and other published documents. The results show that there are six intermediate events, which can cause the failure of the reactivity control. These intermediate events are uncontrolled rod bank withdrawal at low power or full power, malfunction of boron dilution, misalignment of control rod withdrawal, malfunction of improper position of fuel assembly and ejection of control rod. The failure probability of reactivity control is 1.49E-03 per year. The causes of failures which are affected by human factor are boron dilution, misalignment of control rod withdrawal and malfunction of improper position for fuel assembly. Based on the assessment, it is concluded that the failure probability of reactivity control on the PWR is still within the IAEA criteria.

  6. (Per)Chlorate-Reducing Bacteria Can Utilize Aerobic and Anaerobic Pathways of Aromatic Degradation with (Per)Chlorate as an Electron Acceptor

    PubMed Central

    Carlström, Charlotte I.; Loutey, Dana; Bauer, Stefan; Clark, Iain C.; Rohde, Robert A.; Iavarone, Anthony T.; Lucas, Lauren

    2015-01-01

    ABSTRACT The pathways involved in aromatic compound oxidation under perchlorate and chlorate [collectively known as (per)chlorate]-reducing conditions are poorly understood. Previous studies suggest that these are oxygenase-dependent pathways involving O2 biogenically produced during (per)chlorate respiration. Recently, we described Sedimenticola selenatireducens CUZ and Dechloromarinus chlorophilus NSS, which oxidized phenylacetate and benzoate, two key intermediates in aromatic compound catabolism, coupled to the reduction of perchlorate or chlorate, respectively, and nitrate. While strain CUZ also oxidized benzoate and phenylacetate with oxygen as an electron acceptor, strain NSS oxidized only the latter, even at a very low oxygen concentration (1%, vol/vol). Strains CUZ and NSS contain similar genes for both the anaerobic and aerobic-hybrid pathways of benzoate and phenylacetate degradation; however, the key genes (paaABCD) encoding the epoxidase of the aerobic-hybrid phenylacetate pathway were not found in either genome. By using transcriptomics and proteomics, as well as by monitoring metabolic intermediates, we investigated the utilization of the anaerobic and aerobic-hybrid pathways on different electron acceptors. For strain CUZ, the results indicated utilization of the anaerobic pathways with perchlorate and nitrate as electron acceptors and of the aerobic-hybrid pathways in the presence of oxygen. In contrast, proteomic results suggest that strain NSS may use a combination of the anaerobic and aerobic-hybrid pathways when growing on phenylacetate with chlorate. Though microbial (per)chlorate reduction produces molecular oxygen through the dismutation of chlorite (ClO2−), this study demonstrates that anaerobic pathways for the degradation of aromatics can still be utilized by these novel organisms. PMID:25805732

  7. Direct synthesis of anti-1,3-diols through nonclassical reaction of aryl Grignard reagents with isopropenyl acetate.

    PubMed

    Jiao, Yinchun; Cao, Chenzhong; Zhou, Zaichun

    2011-01-21

    A series of symmetrical aromatic 1,3-diols were efficiently synthesized from substituted aryl Grignard reagents and isopropenyl acetate in a one-step reaction that formed anti products as the major species. Both experimental and theoretical studies suggested that the reaction involves the formation of a relatively stable intermediate E containing a six-membered ring from intermediate A. The stereoselectivity of the reactions and the molecular structure of the products were confirmed by NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and gas chromatography.

  8. Structure, bonding, and reactivity of reactant complexes and key intermediates.

    PubMed

    Soriano, Elena; Marco-Contelles, José

    2011-01-01

    Complexes of Pt and Au (gold(III) and cationic gold(I)) have shown an exceptional ability to promote a variety of organic transformations of unsaturated precursors due to their peculiar Lewis acid properties: the alkynophilic character of these soft metals and the π-acid activation of unsaturated groups promotes the intra- or intermolecular attack of a nucleophile. In this chapter we summarize the computational data reported on the structure, bonding, and reactivity of the reactant π-complexes and also on the key intermediate species.

  9. Asymmetric cooperative catalysis of strong Brønsted acid-promoted reactions using chiral ureas.

    PubMed

    Xu, Hao; Zuend, Stephan J; Woll, Matthew G; Tao, Ye; Jacobsen, Eric N

    2010-02-19

    Cationic organic intermediates participate in a wide variety of useful synthetic transformations, but their high reactivity can render selectivity in competing pathways difficult to control. Here, we describe a strategy for inducing enantioselectivity in reactions of protio-iminium ions, wherein a chiral catalyst interacts with the highly reactive intermediate through a network of noncovalent interactions. This interaction leads to an attenuation of the reactivity of the iminium ion and allows high enantioselectivity in cycloadditions with electron-rich alkenes (the Povarov reaction). A detailed experimental and computational analysis of this catalyst system has revealed the precise nature of the catalyst-substrate interactions and the likely basis for enantioinduction.

  10. Asymmetric Cooperative Catalysis of Strong Brønsted Acid-Promoted Reactions Using Chiral Ureas

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Hao; Zuend, Stephan J.; Woll, Matthew G.; Tao, Ye; Jacobsen, Eric N.

    2010-01-01

    Cationic organic intermediates participate in a wide variety of useful synthetic transformations, but their high reactivity can render selectivity in competing pathways difficult to control. We describe a strategy for inducing enantioselectivity in reactions of protio-iminium ions, wherein a chiral catalyst interacts with the highly reactive intermediate through a network of non-covalent interactions. This leads to an attenuation of the reactivity of the iminium ion, and allows high enantioselectivity in cycloadditions with electron-rich alkenes (the Povarov reaction). A detailed experimental and computational analysis of this catalyst system has revealed the precise nature of the catalyst-substrate interactions and the likely basis for enantioinduction. PMID:20167783

  11. Comparative study on catalytic hydrodehalogenation of halogenated aromatic compounds over Pd/C and Raney Ni catalysts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Xuanxuan; Liu, Sujing; Liu, Ying; Gu, Guodong; Xia, Chuanhai

    2016-04-01

    Catalytic hydrodehalogenation (HDH) has proved to be an efficient approach to dispose halogenated aromatic compounds (HACs). Liquid-phase HDH of single and mixed halobenzenes/4-halophenols with H2 over 5% Pd/C and Raney Ni catalyst are investigated and compared. For liquid-phase HDH of single HACs, hydrogenolytic scission reactivity of C-X bonds decreases in order of C-Br > C-Cl > C-I > C-F over Pd/C catalyst, and in order of C-I > C-Br > C-Cl > C-F over Raney Ni catalyst. To clarify the reason why hydrogenolytic scission reactivity of C-X bonds over Pd/C and Raney Ni catalysts exhibits different trends, liquid-phase HDH of mixed HACs over Pd/C and Raney Ni catalysts were studied, and catalysts are characterized by SEM, EDX, and XRD techniques. It was found that the high adsorption of iodoarenes on Pd/C catalyst caused the HDH reactivity of iodoarenes to be lower than that of chloroarenes and bromoarenes in the HDH of single HACs. Moreover, the adsorption of in situ produced iodine ion (I-) to catalyst surface would result in the decline of catalytic activity, which might be the main reason why the HDH reactivity of HACs in the presence of NaI is rather low.

  12. VOC Reactivity and the Ozone Climate Penalty: Modeled Impacts of Updated Aromatic and Monoterpene Chemistry on the Ozone-temperature Connection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Porter, W. C.; Heald, C. L.; Safieddine, S.

    2016-12-01

    Rising temperatures associated with global warming can increase concentrations of tropospheric ozone (O3) in many regions worldwide, a correlation often described as the "ozone climate penalty". This effect is driven by a variety of underlying chemical, physical, and biological mechanisms, including temperature-dependent reaction rates, emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from trees and other plant life, and correlations with other meteorological variables. While many of the most important O3-producing VOCs, such as isoprene, are represented in typical chemical transport models such as GEOS-Chem, others - including aromatics from fires and human activity and monoterpenes from natural sources - are not always included in gas-phase chemistry. Here we examine the impact of increased VOC reactivity on the ozone climate penalty due to a more comprehensive treatment of aromatics and monoterpenes in the chemical transport model GEOS-Chem, finding regional impacts not only on daily O3 levels themselves, but also on the O3/temperature relationship. While many uncertainties related to the emissions and chemistry of these species remain, the impact of their inclusion on both current simulations and future projections indicates their importance towards the overall goal of more accurately modeled surface O3.

  13. Effect of cefodizime and ceftriaxone on phagocytic function in patients with severe infections.

    PubMed Central

    Wenisch, C; Parschalk, B; Hasenhündl, M; Wiesinger, E; Graninger, W

    1995-01-01

    Thirty patients with severe bacterial infections were treated with 50 mg of cefodizime per kg of body weight once daily or 50 mg of ceftriaxone per kg once daily for 10 +/- 3 days. The effect of cefodizime and ceftriaxone on the phagocytic capacity and generation of reactive oxygen intermediates after phagocytosis by granulocytes was assessed prior to, during, and after therapy. Flow cytometry was used to study phagocytic capacity by measuring the uptake of fluorescein-labeled bacteria. The generation of reactive oxygen intermediates after phagocytosis was estimated by the quantification of the intracellular conversion of dihydrorhodamine 123 to rhodamine 123. Prior to therapy, patients in both groups exhibited a decreased capacity to phagocytize Escherichia coli and subsequently to generate reactive oxygen intermediates. Granulocyte function increased after the initiation of therapy and normalized within 7 days for the ceftriaxone-treated patients and within 3 days for the cefodizime group (P < 0.05). In the cefodizime group, an enhancement of phagocytic capacity was observed 14 days after the initiation of therapy (P < 0.05). Prior to therapy, phagocytic capacity was significantly correlated with the generation of reactive oxygen products (r = 0.674 and P < 0.005). PMID:7793871

  14. Binding of Cd by ferrihydrite organo-mineral composites: Implications for Cd mobility and fate in natural and contaminated environments.

    PubMed

    Du, Huihui; Peacock, Caroline L; Chen, Wenli; Huang, Qiaoyun

    2018-09-01

    Adsorption and coprecipitation of organic matter with iron (hydr)oxides can alter iron (hydr)oxide surface properties and their reactivity towards nutrient elements and heavy metals. Organo-mineral composites were synthesized using humic acid (HA) and iron oxide, during coprecipitation with ferrihydrite (Fh) and adsorption to pre-formed Fh with two C loadings. The Fh-HA coprecipitated composites have a higher C content and smaller surface area compared to the equivalent adsorbed composites. NanoSIMS shows there is a high degree of spatial correlation between Fe and C for both composites, but C distribution is more uniform in the coprecipitated composites. The C 1s NEXAFS reveals a similar C composition between the Fh-HA coprecipitated and adsorbed composites. However composites at high carbon loading are more enriched in aromatic C, likely due to preferential binding of carboxyl functional groups on aromatic rings in the HA. The amount of Cd sorbed is independent of the composite type, either coprecipitated or adsorbed, but is a function of the C loading. Composites with low C loading show Cd sorption that is almost identical to pure Fh, while composites with high C loading show Cd sorption that is intermediate between pure Fh and pure HA, with sorption significantly enhanced over pure Fh at pH < 6.5. A bidentate edge-sharing binding was identified for Cd on pure Fh and Cd-carboxyl binding on pure HA. These findings have significant implications not only for the sequestration of Cd in contaminated environments but also the coupled biogeochemical cycling of Cd, Fe and C in the critical zone. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Air quality modeling of selected aromatic and non-aromatic air toxics in the Houston urban and industrial airshed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coarfa, Violeta Florentina

    2007-12-01

    Air toxics, also called hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), pose a serious threat to human health and the environment. Their study is important in the Houston area, where point sources, mostly located along the Ship Channel, mobile and area sources contribute to large emissions of such toxic pollutants. Previous studies carried out in this area found dangerous levels of different HAPs in the atmosphere. This thesis presents several studies that were performed for the aromatic and non-aromatic air toxics in the HGA. For these studies we developed several tools: (1) a refined chemical mechanism, which explicitly represents 18 aromatic air toxics that were lumped under two model species by the previous version, based on their reactivity with the hydroxyl radical; (2) an engineering version of an existing air toxics photochemical model that enables us to perform much faster long-term simulations compared to the original model, that leads to a 8--9 times improvement in the running time across different computing platforms; (3) a combined emission inventory based on the available emission databases. Using the developed tools, we quantified the mobile source impact on a few selected air toxics, and analyzed the temporal and spatial variation of selected aromatic and non-aromatic air toxics in a few regions within the Houston area; these regions were characterized by different emissions and environmental conditions.

  16. Phase behavior and reactive transport of partial melt in heterogeneous mantle model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jordan, J.; Hesse, M. A.

    2013-12-01

    The reactive transport of partial melt is the key process that leads to the chemical and physical differentiation of terrestrial planets and smaller celestial bodies. The essential role of the lithological heterogeneities during partial melting of the mantle is increasingly recognized. How far can enriched melts propagate while interacting with the ambient mantle? Can the melt flow emanating from a fertile heterogeneity be localized through a reactive infiltration feedback in a model without exogenous factors or contrived initial conditions? A full understanding of the role of heterogeneities requires reactive melt transport models that account for the phase behavior of major elements. Previous work on reactive transport in the mantle focuses on trace element partitioning; we present the first nonlinear chromatographic analysis of reactive melt transport in systems with binary solid solution. Our analysis shows that reactive melt transport in systems with binary solid solution leads to the formation of two separate reaction fronts: a slow melting/freezing front along which enthalpy change is dominant and a fast dissolution/precipitation front along which compositional changes are dominated by an ion-exchange process over enthalpy change. An intermediate state forms between these two fronts with a bulk-rock composition and enthalpy that are not necessarily bounded by the bulk-rock composition and enthalpy of either the enriched heterogeneity or the depleted ambient mantle. The formation of this intermediate state makes it difficult to anticipate the porosity changes and hence the stability of reaction fronts. Therefore, we develop a graphical representation for the solution that allows identification of the intermediate state by inspection, for all possible bulk-rock compositions and enthalpies of the heterogeneity and the ambient mantle. We apply the analysis to the partial melting of an enriched heterogeneity. This leads to the formation of moving precipitation front that followes a stationary melting front which creates low porosity intermediate states. Therefore, localization of the melt flow is not observed because the precipitation front is stable and the melting front is always stationary under these conditions. This analysis illustrates the counterintuitive behavior that can arise when the phase behavior is taken into account and is a first step to understanding reactive melt transport and the reactive constraints on channelization in partial melts. ¬¬

  17. Vertical Stratification of Peat Pore Water Dissolved Organic Matter Composition in a Peat Bog in Northern Minnesota: Pore Water DOM composition in a peat bog

    DOE PAGES

    Tfaily, Malak M.; Wilson, Rachel M.; Cooper, William T.; ...

    2018-01-29

    Here, we characterized dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition throughout the peat column at the Marcell S1 forested bog in northern Minnesota and tested the hypothesis that redox oscillations associated with cycles of wetting and drying at the surface of the fluctuating water table correlate with increased carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen turn over. We found significant vertical stratification of DOM molecular composition and excitation-emission matrix parallel factor analysis components within the peat column. In particular, the intermediate depth zone (~ 50 cm) was identified as a zone where maximum decomposition and turnover is taking place. Surface DOM was dominated by inputsmore » from surface vegetation. The intermediate depth zone was an area of high organic matter reactivity and increased microbial activity with diagenetic formation of many unique compounds, among them polycyclic aromatic compounds that contain both nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms. These compounds have been previously observed in coal-derived compounds and were assumed to be responsible for coal's biological activity. Biological processes triggered by redox oscillations taking place at the intermediate depth zone of the peat profile at the S1 bog are assumed to be responsible for the formation of these heteroatomic PACs in this system. Alternatively, these compounds could stem from black carbon and nitrogen derived from fires that have occurred at the site in the past. Surface and deep DOM exhibited more similar characteristics, compared to the intermediate depth zone, with the deep layer exhibiting greater input of microbially degraded organic matter than the surface suggesting that the entire peat profile consists of similar parent material at different degrees of decomposition and that lateral and vertical advection of pore water from the surface to the deeper horizons is responsible for such similarities. Lastly, our findings suggest that molecular composition of DOM in peatland pore water is dynamic and is a function of ecosystem activity, water table, redox oscillation, and pore water advection.« less

  18. Vertical Stratification of Peat Pore Water Dissolved Organic Matter Composition in a Peat Bog in Northern Minnesota: Pore Water DOM composition in a peat bog

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tfaily, Malak M.; Wilson, Rachel M.; Cooper, William T.

    Here, we characterized dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition throughout the peat column at the Marcell S1 forested bog in northern Minnesota and tested the hypothesis that redox oscillations associated with cycles of wetting and drying at the surface of the fluctuating water table correlate with increased carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen turn over. We found significant vertical stratification of DOM molecular composition and excitation-emission matrix parallel factor analysis components within the peat column. In particular, the intermediate depth zone (~ 50 cm) was identified as a zone where maximum decomposition and turnover is taking place. Surface DOM was dominated by inputsmore » from surface vegetation. The intermediate depth zone was an area of high organic matter reactivity and increased microbial activity with diagenetic formation of many unique compounds, among them polycyclic aromatic compounds that contain both nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms. These compounds have been previously observed in coal-derived compounds and were assumed to be responsible for coal's biological activity. Biological processes triggered by redox oscillations taking place at the intermediate depth zone of the peat profile at the S1 bog are assumed to be responsible for the formation of these heteroatomic PACs in this system. Alternatively, these compounds could stem from black carbon and nitrogen derived from fires that have occurred at the site in the past. Surface and deep DOM exhibited more similar characteristics, compared to the intermediate depth zone, with the deep layer exhibiting greater input of microbially degraded organic matter than the surface suggesting that the entire peat profile consists of similar parent material at different degrees of decomposition and that lateral and vertical advection of pore water from the surface to the deeper horizons is responsible for such similarities. Lastly, our findings suggest that molecular composition of DOM in peatland pore water is dynamic and is a function of ecosystem activity, water table, redox oscillation, and pore water advection.« less

  19. Highly durable organic electrode for sodium-ion batteries via a stabilized α-C radical intermediate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Shaofei; Wang, Wenxi; Li, Minchan; Cao, Lujie; Lyu, Fucong; Yang, Mingyang; Wang, Zhenyu; Shi, Yang; Nan, Bo; Yu, Sicen; Sun, Zhifang; Liu, Yao; Lu, Zhouguang

    2016-11-01

    It is a challenge to prepare organic electrodes for sodium-ion batteries with long cycle life and high capacity. The highly reactive radical intermediates generated during the sodiation/desodiation process could be a critical issue because of undesired side reactions. Here we present durable electrodes with a stabilized α-C radical intermediate. Through the resonance effect as well as steric effects, the excessive reactivity of the unpaired electron is successfully suppressed, thus developing an electrode with stable cycling for over 2,000 cycles with 96.8% capacity retention. In addition, the α-radical demonstrates reversible transformation between three states: C=C α-C.radical and α-C- anion. Such transformation provides additional Na+ storage equal to more than 0.83 Na+ insertion per α-C radical for the electrodes. The strategy of intermediate radical stabilization could be enlightening in the design of organic electrodes with enhanced cycling life and energy storage capability.

  20. Influence of a reaction medium on the oxidation of aromatic nitrogen-containing compounds by peroxyacids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dutka, V. S.; Matsyuk, N. V.; Dutka, Yu. V.

    2011-01-01

    The influence of different solvents on the oxidation reaction rate of pyridine (Py), quinoline (QN), acridine (AN), α-oxyquinoline (OQN) and α-picolinic acid (APA) by peroxydecanoic acid (PDA) was studied. It was found that the oxidation rate grows in the series Py < QN < AN, and the rate of the oxidation reaction of compounds containing a substituent in the α position from a reactive center is significantly lower than for unsubstituted analogues. The effective energies of activation of the oxidation reaction were found. It was shown that in the first stage, the reaction mechanism includes the rapid formation of an intermediate complex nitrogen-containing compound, peroxyacid, which forms products upon decomposing in the second stage. A kinetic equation that describes the studied process is offered. The constants of equilibrium of the intermediate complex formation ( K eq) and its decomposition constant ( k 2) in acetone and benzene were calculated. It was shown that the nature of the solvent influences the numerical values of both K p and k 2. It was established that introduction of acetic acid (which is able to form compounds with Py) into the reaction medium slows the rate of the oxidation process drastically. Correlation equations linking the polarity, polarizability, electrophilicity, and basicity of solvents with the constant of the PDA oxidation reaction rate for Py were found. It was concluded that the basicity and polarity of the solvent have a decisive influence on the oxidation reaction rate, while the polarizability and electrophilicity of the reaction medium do not influence the oxidation reaction rate.

  1. A Naphtho- p-quinodimethane Exhibiting Baird’s (Anti)Aromaticity, Broken Symmetry, and Attractive Photoluminescence

    DOE PAGES

    Shokri, Siamak; Li, Jingbai; Manna, Manoj K.; ...

    2017-08-24

    In this paper, we report a novel reductive desulfurization reaction involving π-acidic naphthalene diimides 1 (NDI) using thionating agents such as Lawesson’s reagent. Along with the expected thionated NDI derivatives 2-6, new heterocyclic naphtho-p-quinodimethane compounds 7 depicting broken/reduced symmetry were successfully isolated and fully characterized. Empirical studies and theoretical modeling suggest that was formed via a six-membered ring oxathiaphosphenine intermediate rather than the usual four-membered ring oxathiaphosphetane of 2-6. Aside from the reduced symmetry in 7 as confirmed by single-crystal XRD analysis, we established that the ground state UV-vis absorption of 7 is red-shifted in comparison to the parent NDImore » 1. This result was expected in the case of thionated polycyclic diimides. However, unusual low energy transitions originate from Baird 4nπ aromaticity of compounds 7 in lieu of the intrinsic Huckel (4n + 2)π aromaticity as encountered in NDI 1. Moreover, complementary theoretical modeling results also corroborate this change in aromaticity of 7. Consequently, photophysical investigations show that, compared to parent NDI 1, 7 can easily access and emit from its T 1 state with a phosphorescence 3(7a)* lifetime of τ P = 395 μs at 77 K indicative of the formation of the corresponding “aromatic triplet” species according to the Baird’s rule of aromaticity.« less

  2. Borylnitrenes: electrophilic reactive intermediates with high reactivity towards C-H bonds.

    PubMed

    Bettinger, Holger F; Filthaus, Matthias

    2010-12-21

    Borylnitrenes (catBN 3a and pinBN 3b; cat = catecholato, pin = pinacolato) are reactive intermediates that show high tendency towards insertion into the C-H bonds of unactivated hydrocarbons. The present article summarizes the matrix isolation investigations that were aimed at identifying, characterizing and investigating the chemical behaviour of 3a by spectroscopic means, and of the experiments in solution and in the gas phase that were performed with 3b. Comparison with the reactivity reported for difluorovinylidene 1a in solid argon indicates that 3a shows by and large similar reactivity, but only after photochemical excitation. The derivative 3b inserts into the C-H bonds of hydrocarbon solvents in high yields and thus allows the formation of primary amines, secondary amines, or amides from "unreactive" hydrocarbons. It can also be used for generation of methylamine or methylamide from methane in the gas phase at room temperature. Remaining challenges in the chemistry of borylnitrenes are briefly summarized.

  3. Fractionation of aquatic natural organic matter upon sorption to goethite and kaolinite

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Meier, M.; Namjesnik-Dejanovic, K.; Maurice, P.A.; Chin, Y.-P.; Aiken, G.R.

    1999-01-01

    Natural organic matter (NOM) consists of a complex mixture of organic molecules; previous studies have suggested that preferential sorption of higher molecular weight, more hydrophobic, and more aromatic components may lead to fractionation of the NOM pool upon passage through porous media. Our work expands upon previous studies by quantifying the change in solution-phase weight average molecular weight (M(w)) upon sorption of bulk (rather than isolated) surface water NOM from the Suwannee River (SR) and the Great Dismal Swamp (GDS) to goethite and kaolinite at different sorption densities and at pH 4, 22??C. High pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) was used to quantify changes in M(w) upon sorption, and molar absorptivities at ?? = 280 nm were used to approximate changes in solution NOM aromaticity. Two SR water samples were used, with M(w) = 2320 and 2200 Da; a single GDS sample was used, with M(w) = 1890 Da. The SR NOM was slightly more hydrophobic and aromatic. These differences were reflected in greater sorption of SR NOM than GDS NOM. Both surface water NOMs showed a much greater affinity for goethite than for kaolinite. HPSEC analysis of the NOM remaining in solution after 24 h reaction time with geothite revealed that the largest changes in solution phase M(w)s (decreases by 900-1700 Da) occurred at relatively low equilibrium sorbate concentrations (approximately 5-20 mg C 1-1); the decrease in solution M(w) suggested that reactive surface sites were occupied disproportionately by large and intermediate size NOM moieties. At higher equilibrium NOM concentrations (>20 mg C 1-1), as percent adsorption decreased, M(w) in solution was similar to original samples. A smaller decrease in solution NOM M(w) (300-500 Da at 10-20 mg C 1-1 ~ 100 Da at > 20 mg) also occurred upon sorption to kaolinite. Overall, our results showed that factors (as related to NOM composition, clay mineral surface properties, and position along the sorption isotherm) which promote a higher percent sorption lead to the most pronounced decreases in solution M(w).

  4. Formation of Acetylene in the Reaction of Methane with Iron Carbide Cluster Anions FeC3- under High-Temperature Conditions.

    PubMed

    Li, Hai-Fang; Jiang, Li-Xue; Zhao, Yan-Xia; Liu, Qing-Yu; Zhang, Ting; He, Sheng-Gui

    2018-03-01

    The underlying mechanism for non-oxidative methane aromatization remains controversial owing to the lack of experimental evidence for the formation of the first C-C bond. For the first time, the elementary reaction of methane with atomic clusters (FeC 3 - ) under high-temperature conditions to produce C-C coupling products has been characterized by mass spectrometry. With the elevation of temperature from 300 K to 610 K, the production of acetylene, the important intermediate proposed in a monofunctional mechanism of methane aromatization, was significantly enhanced, which can be well-rationalized by quantum chemistry calculations. This study narrows the gap between gas-phase and condensed-phase studies on methane conversion and suggests that the monofunctional mechanism probably operates in non-oxidative methane aromatization. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. A divergent route to core- and peripherally functionalized diazacoronenes that act as colorimetric and fluorescence proton sensors

    DOE PAGES

    He, Bo; Dai, Jing; Zherebetskyy, Danylo; ...

    2015-03-31

    Combining core annulation and peripheral group modification, we have demonstrated a divergent synthesis of a family of highly functionalized coronene derivatives from a readily accessible dichlorodiazaperylene intermediate. Various reactions, such as aromatic nucleophilic substitution, Kumada coupling and Suzuki coupling proceed effectively on α-positions of the pyridine sites, giving rise to alkoxy, thioalkyl, alkyl or aryl substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In addition to peripheral group modulation, the aromatic core structures can be altered by annulation with thiophene or benzene ring systems. Corresponding single crystal X-ray diffraction and optical studies indicate that the heteroatom linkages not only impact the solid state packing,more » but also significantly influence the optoelectronic properties. Moreover, these azacoronene derivatives display significant acid-induced spectroscopic changes, suggesting their great potential as colorimetric and fluorescence proton sensors.« less

  6. TDAE strategy in the benzoxazolone series: synthesis and reactivity of a new benzoxazolinonic anion.

    PubMed

    Nadji-Boukrouche, Aïda R; Khoumeri, Omar; Terme, Thierry; Liacha, Messaoud; Vanelle, Patrice

    2015-01-14

    We describe an original pathway to produce new 5-substituted 3-methyl-6-nitro-benzoxazolones by the reaction of aromatic carbonyl and α-carbonyl ester derivatives with a benzoxazolinonic anion formed exclusively via the TDAE strategy.

  7. Laboratory Studies of Stabilities of Heterocyclic Aromatic Molecules: Suggested Gas Phase Ion-Molecule Routes to Production in Interstellar Gas Clouds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Adams, Nigel G.; Fondren, L. Dalila; McLain, Jason L.; Jackson, Doug M.

    2006-01-01

    Several ring compounds have been detected in interstellar gas clouds, ISC, including the aromatic, benzene. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs, have been implicated as carriers of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) and unidentified infrared (UIR) bands. Heterocyclic aromatic rings of intermediate size containing nitrogen, possibly PreLife molecules, were included in early searches but were not detected and a recent search for Pyrimidine was unsuccessful. Our laboratory investigations of routes to such molecules could establish their existence in ISC and suggest conditions under which their concentrations would be maximized thus aiding the searches. The stability of such ring compounds (C5H5N, C4H4N2, C5H11N and C4H8O2) has been tested in the laboratory using charge transfer excitation in ion-molecule reactions. The fragmentation paths, including production of C4H4(+), C3H3N(+) and HCN, suggest reverse routes to the parent molecules, which are presently under laboratory investigation as production sources.

  8. Laccase: microbial sources, production, purification, and potential biotechnological applications.

    PubMed

    Shraddha; Shekher, Ravi; Sehgal, Simran; Kamthania, Mohit; Kumar, Ajay

    2011-01-01

    Laccase belongs to the blue multicopper oxidases and participates in cross-linking of monomers, degradation of polymers, and ring cleavage of aromatic compounds. It is widely distributed in higher plants and fungi. It is present in Ascomycetes, Deuteromycetes and Basidiomycetes and abundant in lignin-degrading white-rot fungi. It is also used in the synthesis of organic substance, where typical substrates are amines and phenols, the reaction products are dimers and oligomers derived from the coupling of reactive radical intermediates. In the recent years, these enzymes have gained application in the field of textile, pulp and paper, and food industry. Recently, it is also used in the design of biosensors, biofuel cells, as a medical diagnostics tool and bioremediation agent to clean up herbicides, pesticides and certain explosives in soil. Laccases have received attention of researchers in the last few decades due to their ability to oxidize both phenolic and nonphenolic lignin-related compounds as well as highly recalcitrant environmental pollutants. It has been identified as the principal enzyme associated with cuticular hardening in insects. Two main forms have been found: laccase-1 and laccase-2. This paper reviews the occurrence, mode of action, general properties, production, applications, and immobilization of laccases within different industrial fields.

  9. Synthesis of Potential Metaboliters in the 1,2,3,4, and 5,6,7,8 Benzo Ring Positions of the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Benzo(G)Chrysene.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-01-01

    biological activity. Pullman, in 1945 , noted that active compounds contained angular benzo rings. She introduced the terminology "K- region" to refer to...Figure 1.6) give .... ~~~~~. .. .. .. . ........ . _............ . _.-.•.-•.. . ..... ... ,. 12 .xcellent correlation when measured reactivity ( hydrolysis ...molecular plane, the diol epoxide is trans or series 2. Early studies indicated that isomer 1 is the more reactive diol epoxide in hydrolysis reactions

  10. Different modes of carbon monoxide binding to acetyl-CoA synthase and the role of a conserved phenylalanine in the coordination environment of nickel.

    PubMed

    Gencic, Simonida; Kelly, Kayla; Ghebreamlak, Selamawit; Duin, Evert C; Grahame, David A

    2013-03-12

    Acetyl-CoA synthase (ACS) catalyzes the reversible condensation of CO and CH3 units at a unique Ni-Fe cluster, the A cluster, to form an acetyl-Ni intermediate that subsequently reacts with CoA to produce acetyl-CoA. ACS is a component of the multienzyme complex acetyl-CoA decarbonylase/synthase (ACDS) in Archaea and CO dehydrogenase/ACS (CODH/ACS) in bacteria; in both systems, intraprotein CO channeling takes place between the CODH and ACS active sites. Previous studies indicated that protein conformational changes control the chemical reactivity of the A cluster and suggested the involvement of a conserved Phe residue that moves concomitantly into and out of the coordination environment of Ni. Herein, steady-state rate measurements in which both CO and CH3-corrinoid are varied, and rapid methylation reactions of the ACDS β subunit, measured by stopped-flow methods, provide a kinetic model for acetyl-CoA synthesis that includes a description of the inhibitory effects of CO explained by competition of CO and CH3 for the same form of the enzyme. Electron paramagnetic resonance titrations revealed that the formation of a paramagnetic Ni(+)-CO species does not match the kinetics of CO interaction as a substrate but instead correlates well with an inhibited state of the enzyme, which requires revision of previous models that postulate that this species is an intermediate. Characterization of the β subunit F195A variant showed markedly increased substrate reactivity with CO, which provides biochemical functional evidence of steric shielding of the CO substrate interaction site by the phenyl group side chain. The phenyl group also likely enhances the nucleophilicity of the Ni center to facilitate CH3 group transfer. A model was developed for how the catalytic properties of the A cluster are optimized by linking conformational changes to a repositionable aromatic shield able to modulate the nucleophilicity of Ni, sterically select the most productive order of substrate addition, and overcome intrinsic inhibition by CO.

  11. A unifying picture of gas-phase formation and growth of PAH (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons), soot, diamond and graphite

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frenklach, Michael

    1990-01-01

    A variety of seemingly different carbon formation processes -- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and diamond in the interstellar medium, soot in hydrocarbon flames, graphite and diamond in plasma-assisted-chemical vapor deposition reactors -- may all have closely related underlying chemical reaction mechanisms. Two distinct mechanisms for gas-phase carbon growth are discussed. At high temperatures it proceeds via the formation of carbon clusters. At lower temperatures it follows a polymerization-type kinetic sequence of chemical reactions of acetylene addition to a radical, and reactivation of the resultant species through H-abstraction by a hydrogen atom.

  12. Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of epoxides with organoboron compounds.

    PubMed

    Lu, Xiao-Yu; Yang, Chu-Ting; Liu, Jing-Hui; Zhang, Zheng-Qi; Lu, Xi; Lou, Xin; Xiao, Bin; Fu, Yao

    2015-02-11

    A copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of epoxides with arylboronates is described. This reaction is not limited to aromatic epoxides, because aliphatic epoxides are also suitable substrates. In addition, N-sulfonyl aziridines can be successfully converted into the products. This reaction provides convenient access to β-phenethyl alcohols, which are valuable synthetic intermediates.

  13. Formation of a Ruthenium-Arene Complex, Cyclometallation with a Substituted Benzylamine, and Insertion of an Alkyne

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chetcuti, Michael J.; Ritleng, Vincent

    2007-01-01

    The three step synthesis is presented to allow the functionalization of an aromatic amine by forming new C-C and C-N bonds via an intramolecular C-H activation under mild conditions. The reactions are stoichiometric and allow the students to isolate the different organometallic intermediates.

  14. CLONING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PHTHALATE CATABOLISM REGION OF PRE1 OF ARTHROBACTER KEYSERI 12B

    EPA Science Inventory

    o-Phthalate (benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate) is a central intermediate in the bacterial degradation of phthalate ester plasticizers as well as of a number of fused-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in fossil fuels. In Arthrobacter keyseri 12B, the genes encoding catabolism o...

  15. Investigating the degradation process of kraft lignin by β-proteobacterium, Pandoraea sp. ISTKB.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Madan; Singh, Jyoti; Singh, Manoj Kumar; Singhal, Anjali; Thakur, Indu Shekhar

    2015-10-01

    The present study investigates the kraft lignin (KL) degrading potential of novel alkalotolerant Pandoraea sp. ISTKB utilizing KL as sole carbon source. The results displayed 50.2 % reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 41.1 % decolorization after bacterial treatment. The maximum lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP) activity detected was 2.73 and 4.33 U ml(-1), respectively, on day 3. The maximum extracellular and intracellular laccase activities observed were 1.32 U ml(-1) on day 5 and 4.53 U ml(-1) on day 4, respectively. The decolorization and degradation was maximum on day 2. Further, it registered an increase with the production of extracellular laccase. This unusual trend of decolorization and degradation was studied using various aromatic compounds and dyes. SEM and FTIR results indicated significant change in surface morphology and functional group composition during the course of degradation. Gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis confirmed KL degradation by emergence of new peaks and the identification of low molecular weight aromatic intermediates in treated sample. The degradation of KL progressed through the generation of phenolic intermediates. The identified intermediates implied the degradation of hydroxyphenyl, ferulic acid, guaiacyl, syringyl, phenylcoumarane, and pinoresinol components commonly found in lignin. The degradation, decolorization, and GC-MS analysis indicated potential application of the isolate Pandoraea sp. ISTKB in treatment of lignin-containing pollutants and KL valorization.

  16. Reactive Fe/Pd Bimetallic Systems-Impregnated Adsorptive Activated Carbon For The Environmental Risk Management Of Contaminated Sites

    EPA Science Inventory

    Remediation of sediments and groundwater contaminated with hydrophobic organic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons remains a scientific and technical challenge. In order to overcome the short-comings of remediation strategies f...

  17. Oxidation of Oil Sands Process-Affected Water by Potassium Ferrate(VI).

    PubMed

    Wang, Chengjin; Klamerth, Nikolaus; Huang, Rongfu; Elnakar, Haitham; Gamal El-Din, Mohamed

    2016-04-19

    This paper investigates the oxidation of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) by potassium ferrate(VI). Due to the selectivity of ferrate(VI) oxidation, two-ring and three-ring fluorescing aromatics were preferentially removed at doses <100 mg/L Fe(VI), and one-ring aromatics were removed only at doses ≥100 mg/L Fe(VI). Ferrate(VI) oxidation achieved 64.0% and 78.4% removal of naphthenic acids (NAs) at the dose of 200 mg/L and 400 mg/L Fe(VI) respectively, and NAs with high carbon number and ring number were removed preferentially. (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) spectra indicated that the oxidation of fluorescing aromatics resulted in the opening of some aromatic rings. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis detected signals of organic radical intermediates, indicating that one-electron transfer is one of the probable mechanisms in the oxidation of NAs. The inhibition effect of OSPW on Vibrio fischeri and the toxicity effect on goldfish primary kidney macrophages (PKMs) were both reduced after ferrate(VI) oxidation. The fluorescing aromatics in OSPW were proposed to be an important contributor to this acute toxicity. Degradation of model compounds with ferrate(VI) was also investigated and the results confirmed our findings in OSPW study.

  18. Sources of Chemical Toxics and Their Precursors in Pharmaceutical Industry

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-09-01

    includes a lot of independent units specialized in synthesis of active substances, their processing as pharmaceutical forms, control of intermediate and...materials (ingredients), synthesis intermediates, intermediate forms (solutions, powders), analytical reactives, drugs itself, residues etc. Secondary...specialist scenario The simplest idea is to orient the attack against chemical synthesis facilities friom where a lot of volatile solvents could be spread

  19. Assessing the risk of CMV reactivation and reconstitution of antiviral immune response post bone marrow transplantation by the QuantiFERON-CMV-assay and real time PCR.

    PubMed

    Krawczyk, Adalbert; Ackermann, Jessica; Goitowski, Birgit; Trenschel, Rudolf; Ditschkowski, Markus; Timm, Jörg; Ottinger, Hellmut; Beelen, Dietrich W; Grüner, Nico; Fiedler, Melanie

    CMV reactivation is a major cause of severe complications in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. The risk of CMV reactivation depends on the serostatus (+/-) of the donor (D) and recipient (R). The reconstitution of CMV-specific T-cell responses after transplantation is crucial for the control of CMV reactivation. The study aimed to determine the cellular immune status correlating with protection from high-level CMV viremia (>5000 copies/ml) and disease. We monitored CMV-specific cellular immune responses in 9 high-risk (D-/R+), 14 intermediate risk (D+/R+) and 3 low risk individuals (D+/R-), and 8 CMV negative controls (D-/R-). Interferon- γ (IFN-γ) levels as a marker for the CD8+ T-cell response were determined by the QuantiFERON-CMV-assay and compared to viral loads determined by PCR. Early CMV reactivation was detected in all high-risk and 13/14 intermediate risk individuals. High-level viremia was detected in 5/7 high and 7/14 intermediate risk patients. Reconstitution of the CMV-specific cellular immune response started from 3 months after transplantation and resulted in protection against CMV reactivation. Re-establishing of CMV-specific T-cell immune responses with IFN- γ levels >8.9 IU/ml is crucial for protection from high-level CMV viremia. Monitoring of HSCT-recipients with the QuantiFERON-CMV-assay might be of great benefit to optimize antiviral treatment. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Metabolite screening of aromatic amine hair dyes using in vitro hepatic models.

    PubMed

    Skare, J A; Hewitt, N J; Doyle, E; Powrie, R; Elcombe, C

    2009-11-01

    Aromatic amines and heterocyclic amines are widely used ingredients in permanent hair dyes. However, little has been published on their potential for oxidation via hepatic cytochrome P450s. Therefore, the authors screened nine such compounds for their potential to undergo oxidative metabolism in human liver microsomes. Toluene-2,5-diamine (TDA), p-aminophenol, m-aminophenol, p-methylaminophenol, N,N'-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-p-phenylenediamine, and 1-hydroxyethyl-4,5-diaminopyrazole showed no evidence of oxidative metabolism. Oxidized metabolites of 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene (AHT), 2-methyl-5- hydroxyethylaminophenol (MHEAP), and phenyl methyl pyrazolone (PMP) were detected, but there was no evidence of beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent covalent binding to microsomal protein, suggesting that these are not reactive metabolites. Metabolism of AHT, MHEAP, PMP, and TDA was further studied in human hepatocytes. All these compounds underwent conjugation, but no oxidative metabolites were found. The results suggest that none of the hair dye ingredients tested showed evidence of hepatic metabolism to potentially biologically reactive oxidized metabolites.

  1. Electrophilic and free radical nitration of benzene and toluene with various nitrating agents*

    PubMed Central

    Olah, George A.; Lin, Henry C.; Olah, Judith A.; Narang, Subhash C.

    1978-01-01

    Electrophilic nitration of toluene and benzene was studied under various conditions with several nitrating systems. It was found that high orthopara regioselectivity is prevalent in all reactions and is independent of the reactivity of the nitrating agent. The methyl group of toluene is predominantly ortho-para directing under all reaction conditions. Steric factors are considered to be important but not the sole reason for the variation in the ortho/para ratio. The results reinforce our earlier views that, in electrophilic aromatic nitrations with reactive nitrating agents, substrate and positional selectivities are determined in two separate steps. The first step involves a π-aromatic-NO2+ ion complex or encounter pair, whereas the subsequent step is of arenium ion nature (separate for the ortho, meta, and para positions). The former determines substrate selectivity, whereas the latter determines regioselectivity. Thermal free radical nitration of benzene and toluene with tetranitromethane in sharp contrast gave nearly statistical product distributions. PMID:16592503

  2. Production and Consumption of Reactive Oxygen Species by Fullerenes

    EPA Science Inventory

    Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are one of the most important intermediates in chemical, photochemical, and biological processes. To understand the environmental exposure and toxicity of fullerenes better, the production and consumption of ROS (singlet oxygen, superoxide, hydrogen ...

  3. Aromatic VOCs global influence in the ozone production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cabrera-Perez, David; Pozzer, Andrea

    2016-04-01

    Aromatic hydrocarbons are a subgroup of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) of special interest in the atmosphere of urban and semi-urban areas. Aromatics form a high fraction of VOCs, are highly reactive and upon oxidation they are an important source of ozone. These group of VOCs are released to the atmosphere by processes related to biomass burning and fossil fuel consumption, while they are removed from the atmosphere primarily by OH reaction and by dry deposition. In addition, a branch of aromatics (ortho-nitrophenols) produce HONO upon photolysis, which is responsible of certain amount of the OH recycling. Despite their importance in the atmosphere in anthropogenic polluted areas, the influence of aromatics in the ozone production remains largely unknown. This is of particular relevance, being ozone a pollutant with severe side effects on air quality, health and climate. In this work the atmospheric impacts at global scale of the most emitted aromatic VOCs in the gas phase (benzene, toluene, xylenes, ethylbenzene, styrene, phenol, benzaldehyde and trimethylbenzenes) are analysed and assessed. Specifically, the impact on ozone due to aromatic oxidation is estimated, as this is of great interest in large urban areas and can be helpful for developing air pollution control strategies. Further targets are the quantification of the NOx loss and the OH recycling due to aromatic oxidation. In order to investigate these processes, two simulations were performed with the numerical chemistry and climate simulation ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) model. The simulations compare two cases, one with ozone concentrations when aromatics are present or the second one when they are missing. Finally, model simulated ozone is compared against a global set of observations in order to better constrain the model accuracy.

  4. Capturing Labile Sulfenamide and Sulfinamide Serum Albumin Adducts of Carcinogenic Arylamines by Chemical Oxidation

    PubMed Central

    Peng, Lijuan; Turesky, Robert J.

    2013-01-01

    Aromatic amines and heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are a class of structurally related carcinogens that are formed during the combustion of tobacco or during the high temperature cooking of meats. These procarcinogens undergo metabolic activation by N-oxidation of the exocyclic amine group to produce N-hydroxylated metabolites, which are critical intermediates implicated in toxicity and DNA damage. The arylhydroxylamines and their oxidized arylnitroso derivatives can also react with cysteine (Cys) residues of glutathione or proteins to form, respectively, sulfenamide and sulfinamide adducts. However, sulfur-nitrogen linked adducted proteins are often difficult to detect because they are unstable and undergo hydrolysis during proteolytic digestion. Synthetic N-oxidized intermediates of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), a carcinogenic HAA produced in cooked meats, and 4-aminobiphenyl, a carcinogenic aromatic amine present in tobacco smoke were reacted with human serum albumin (SA) and formed labile sulfenamide or sulfinamide adducts at the Cys34 residue. Oxidation of the carcinogen-modified SA with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (m-CPBA) produced the arylsulfonamide adducts, which were stable to heat and the chemical reduction conditions employed to denature SA. The sulfonamide adducts of PhIP and 4-ABP were identified, by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, in proteolytic digests of denatured SA. Thus, selective oxidation of arylamine-modified SA produces stable arylsulfonamide-SA adducts, which may serve as biomarkers of these tobacco and dietary carcinogens. PMID:23240913

  5. Transformation of toluene and benzene by mixed methanogenic cultures.

    PubMed Central

    Grbić-Galić, D; Vogel, T M

    1987-01-01

    The aromatic hydrocarbons toluene and benzene were anaerobically transformed by mixed methanogenic cultures derived from ferulic acid-degrading sewage sludge enrichments. In most experiments, toluene or benzene was the only semicontinuously supplied carbon and energy source in the defined mineral medium. No exogenous electron acceptors other than CO2 were present. The cultures were fed 1.5 to 30 mM unlabeled or 14C-labeled aromatic substrates (ring-labeled toluene and benzene or methyl-labeled toluene). Gas production from unlabeled substrates and 14C activity distribution in products from the labeled substrates were monitored over a period of 60 days. At least 50% of the substrates were converted to CO2 and methane (greater than 60%). A high percentage of 14CO2 was recovered from the methyl group-labeled toluene, suggesting nearly complete conversion of the methyl group to CO2 and not to methane. However, a low percentage of 14CO2 was produced from ring-labeled toluene or from benzene, indicating incomplete conversion of the ring carbon to CO2. Anaerobic transformation pathways for unlabeled toluene and benzene were studied with the help of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The intermediates detected are consistent with both toluene and benzene degradation via initial oxidation by ring hydroxylation or methyl oxidation (toluene), which would result in the production of phenol, cresols, or aromatic alcohol. Additional reactions, such as demethylation and ring reduction, are also possible. Tentative transformation sequences based upon the intermediates detected are discussed. PMID:3105454

  6. Aromatic aldehyde-catalyzed gas-phase decarboxylation of amino acid anion via imine intermediate: An experimental and theoretical study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiang, Zhang

    2013-10-01

    It is generally appreciated that carbonyl compound can promote the decarboxylation of the amino acid. In this paper, we have performed the experimental and theoretical investigation into the gas-phase decarboxylation of the amino acid anion catalyzed by the aromatic aldehyde via the imine intermediate on the basis of the tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) technique and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The results show that the aromatic aldehyde can achieve a remarkable catalytic effect. Moreover, the catalytic mechanism varies according to the type of amino acid: (i) The decarboxylation of α-amino acid anion is determined by the direct dissociation of the Csbnd C bond adjacent to the carboxylate, for the resulting carbanion can be well stabilized by the conjugation between α-carbon, Cdbnd N bond and benzene ring. (ii) The decarboxylation of non-α-amino acid anion proceeds via a SN2-like transition state, in which the dissociation of the Csbnd C bond adjacent to the carboxylate and attacking of the resulting carbanion to the Cdbnd N bond or benzene ring take place at the same time. Specifically, for β-alanine, the resulting carbanion preferentially attacks the benzene ring leading to the benzene anion, because attacking the Cdbnd N bond in the decarboxylation can produce the unstable three or four-membered ring anion. For the other non-α-amino acid anion, the Cdbnd N bond preferentially participates in the decarboxylation, which leads to the pediocratic nitrogen anion.

  7. Toxicity of N-substituted aromatics to acetoclastic methanogenic activity in granular sludge

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Donlon, B.A.; Razo-Flores, E.; Field, J.A.

    1995-11-01

    N-substituted aromatics are important priority pollutants entering the environment primarily through anthropogenic activities associated associated with the industrial production of dyes, explosives, pestides, and pharmaceuticals. Anaerobic treatment of wastewaters discharged by these industries could potentially be problematical as a result of the high toxicity of N-substituted aromatics. The objective of this study was to examine the structure-toxicity relationship of N-substituted aromatic compounds to acetoclastic methanogenic bacteria. The toxicity was assayed to serum flasks by measuring methane production in granular sludge. Unacclimated cultures were used to minimize the biotransformation of the toxic organic chemicals during the test. The nature and themore » degree of the aromatic substitution were observed to have a profound effect on the toxicity of the test compound. Nitroaromatic compounds were, on the average, over 500-fold more toxic than their corresponding aromatic amines. Considering the facile reduction of nitro groups by anerobic microorganisms, a dramatic detoxification of nitroaromatics towards methanogens can be expected to occur during anaerobic wastewater treatment. While the toxicity exerted by the N-substituted aromatic compounds was closely correlated with compound apolarity (log P), it was observed that at any given log P, N-substituted phenols had a toxicity that was 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of chlorophenols and alkylphenols. This indicates that toxicity due to the chemical reactivity of nitroaromatics is much more important than partitioning effects in bacterial membranes. 41 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.« less

  8. Polyamines are traps for reactive intermediates in furan metabolism

    PubMed Central

    Peterson, Lisa A.; Phillips, Martin B.; Lu, Ding; Sullivan, Mathilde M.

    2011-01-01

    Furan is toxic and carcinogenic in rodents. Because of the large potential for human exposure, furan is classified as a possible human carcinogen. The detailed mechanism by which furan causes toxicity and cancer is not yet known. Since furan toxicity requires cytochrome P450-catalyzed oxidation of furan, we have characterized the urinary and hepatocyte metabolites of furan to gain insight into the chemical nature of the reactive intermediate. Previous studies in hepatocytes indicated that furan is oxidized to the reactive α,β-unsaturated dialdehyde, cis-2-butene-1,4-dial (BDA), which reacts with glutathione (GSH) to form 2-(S-glutathionyl)-succinaldehyde (GSH-BDA). This intermediate forms pyrrole cross-links with cellular amines such as lysine and glutamine. In this report, we demonstrate that GSH-BDA also forms cross-links with ornithine, putrescine and spermidine when furan is incubated with rat hepatocytes. The relative levels of these metabolites are not completely explained by hepatocellular levels of the amines or by their reactivity with GSH-BDA. Mercapturic acid derivatives of the spermidine cross-links were detected in the urine of furan-treated rats, which indicates that this metabolic pathway occurs in vivo. Their detection in furan-treated hepatocytes and in urine from furan-treated rats indicates that polyamines may play an important role in the toxicity of furan PMID:21842885

  9. Seasonal and spatial variabilities in the water chemistry of prairie pothole wetlands influence the photoproduction of reactive intermediates.

    PubMed

    McCabe, Andrew J; Arnold, William A

    2016-07-01

    The hydrology and water chemistry of prairie pothole wetlands vary spatially and temporally, on annual and decadal timescales. Pesticide contamination of wetlands arising from agricultural activities is a foremost concern. Photochemical reactions are important in the natural attenuation of pesticides and may be important in limiting ecological and human exposure. Little is known, however, about the variable influence of wetland water chemistry on indirect photochemistry. In this study, seasonal water samples were collected from seven sites throughout the prairie pothole region over three years to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of reactive intermediate photoproduction. Samples were classified by the season in which they were collected (spring, summer, or fall) and the typical hydroperiod of the wetland surface water (temporary or semi-permanent). Under photostable conditions, steady-state concentrations and apparent quantum yields or quantum yield coefficients were measured for triplet excited states of dissolved organic matter, singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radical, and carbonate radical under simulated sunlight. Steady-state concentrations and quantum yields increased on average by 15% and 40% from spring to fall, respectively. Temporary wetlands had 40% higher steady-state concentrations of reactive intermediates than semi-permanent wetlands, but 50% lower quantum yields. Computed quantum yields for reactive intermediate formation were used to predict the indirect photochemical half-lives of seven pesticides in average temporary and semi-permanent prairie pothole wetlands. As a first approximation, the predictions agree to within two orders of magnitude of previously reported half-lives. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. 40 CFR Table 2b to Subpart E of... - Reactivity Factors for Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures 2B Table 2B to Subpart E of Part 59 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures Bin Averageboiling point * (degrees F) Criteria Reactivityfactor 1 80-205 Alkanes... + Dry Point) / 2 (b) Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvents ...

  11. 40 CFR Table 2b to Subpart E of... - Reactivity Factors for Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures 2B Table 2B to Subpart E of Part 59 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... Hydrocarbon Solvent Mixtures Bin Averageboiling point * (degrees F) Criteria Reactivityfactor 1 80-205 Alkanes... + Dry Point) / 2 (b) Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvents ...

  12. Investigation on modes of toxic action to rats based on aliphatic and aromatic compounds and comparison with fish toxicity based on exposure routes.

    PubMed

    He, Jia; Li, Jin J; Wen, Yang; Tai, Hong W; Yu, Yang; Qin, Wei C; Su, Li M; Zhao, Yuan H

    2015-06-01

    The modes of toxic action (MOAs) play an important role in the assessment of the ecotoxicity of organic pollutants. However, few studies have been reported on the MOAs in rat toxicity. In this paper, the toxic contributions of functional groups in 1255 aromatic compounds were calculated from regression and were then compared with the toxic contributions in aliphatic compounds. The results show that some functional groups have same toxic contributions both in aromatic and aliphatic compounds, but some have not. To investigate the MOAs in rat toxicity, the distribution of toxic ratio (TR) was examined for well-known baseline and less inert compounds and thresholds of log TR=0.3 and 0.5 were used to classify baseline, less inert and reactive compounds. The results showed that some compounds identified as baseline compounds in fish toxicity were also classified as baseline compounds in rat toxicity. Except for phenols and anilines which were identified as less inert compounds in fish toxicity, aromatic compounds with functional groups such as ether, nitrile, nitrophenol, isocyanatoe and chloro were identified as less inert chemicals in rat toxicity. Reactive compounds identified in fish toxicity exhibit greater toxicity to rats. These compounds can undergo nucleophilic substitution, acylation and Schiff base formation with biological macromolecules. The critical body residues (CBRs) calculated from absorption and bioconcentration show that log 1/CBRs in rat toxicity are not equal to that in fish for some compounds. It suggests that the exposure route can affect the identification of MOAs between these two species for these compounds. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Characterization of dissolved organic matter during reactive transport: A column experiment with spectroscopic detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vazquez, A.; Hernández, S.; Rasmussen, C.; Chorover, J.

    2010-12-01

    Al and Fe oxy-hydroxide minerals have been implicated in dissolved organic matter (DOM) stabilization. DOM solutions from a Pinus ponderosa forest floor (PPDOM) were used to irrigate polypropylene columns, 3.2 cm long by 0.9 cm diameter (total volume 2.0 cm3), that were packed with quartz sand (QS), gibbsite-quartz sand (Al-QS), and goethite-quartz sand (Fe-QS) mixtures. To investigate the mobilization and fractionation of DOM during reactive transport, effluent solutions were characterized by UV-Vis absorbance and excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopies. Magnitude of PPDOM sorption followed the trend Al-QS > Fe-QS > QS during the initial transport. Effluent pH values suggest that ligand exchange is a primary mechanism for PPDOM sorption onto oxy-hydroxide minerals. Low molar absorptivity values were observed in effluent solutions of early pore volumes, indicating preferential mobilization of compounds with low aromatic character. Compounds traditionally characterized by EEM spectroscopy as being more highly humified were favorably absorbed onto the gibbsite and goethite surfaces. Humification index values (HIX) were also correlated with DOM aromaticity. HIX results suggest that the presence of low mass fractions of oxy-hydroxide minerals affect the preferential uptake of high molar mass constituents of PPDOM during reactive transport.

  14. Photonic activation of disulfide bridges achieves oriented protein immobilization on biosensor surfaces.

    PubMed

    Neves-Petersen, Maria Teresa; Snabe, Torben; Klitgaard, Søren; Duroux, Meg; Petersen, Steffen B

    2006-02-01

    Photonic induced immobilization is a novel technology that results in spatially oriented and spatially localized covalent coupling of biomolecules onto thiol-reactive surfaces. Immobilization using this technology has been achieved for a wide selection of proteins, such as hydrolytic enzymes (lipases/esterases, lysozyme), proteases (human plasminogen), alkaline phosphatase, immunoglobulins' Fab fragment (e.g., antibody against PSA [prostate specific antigen]), Major Histocompability Complex class I protein, pepsin, and trypsin. The reaction mechanism behind the reported new technology involves "photonic activation of disulfide bridges," i.e., light-induced breakage of disulfide bridges in proteins upon UV illumination of nearby aromatic amino acids, resulting in the formation of free, reactive thiol groups that will form covalent bonds with thiol-reactive surfaces (see Fig. 1). Interestingly, the spatial proximity of aromatic residues and disulfide bridges in proteins has been preserved throughout molecular evolution. The new photonic-induced method for immobilization of proteins preserves the native structural and functional properties of the immobilized protein, avoiding the use of one or more chemical/thermal steps. This technology allows for the creation of spatially oriented as well as spatially defined multiprotein/DNA high-density sensor arrays with spot size of 1 microm or less, and has clear potential for biomedical, bioelectronic, nanotechnology, and therapeutic applications.

  15. A New Domain of Reactivity for High-Valent Dinuclear [M(μ-O)2 M'] Complexes in Oxidation Reactions.

    PubMed

    Engelmann, Xenia; Yao, Shenglai; Farquhar, Erik R; Szilvási, Tibor; Kuhlmann, Uwe; Hildebrandt, Peter; Driess, Matthias; Ray, Kallol

    2017-01-02

    The strikingly different reactivity of a series of homo- and heterodinuclear [(M III )(μ-O) 2 (M III )'] 2+ (M=Ni; M'=Fe, Co, Ni and M=M'=Co) complexes with β-diketiminate ligands in electrophilic and nucleophilic oxidation reactions is reported, and can be correlated to the spectroscopic features of the [(M III )(μ-O) 2 (M III )'] 2+ core. In particular, the unprecedented nucleophilic reactivity of the symmetric [Ni III (μ-O) 2 Ni III ] 2+ complex and the decay of the asymmetric [Ni III (μ-O) 2 Co III ] 2+ core through aromatic hydroxylation reactions represent a new domain for high-valent bis(μ-oxido)dimetal reactivity. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Complexation facilitated reduction of aromatic N-oxides by aqueous Fe(II)-tiron complex: reaction kinetics and mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yiling; Zhang, Huichun

    2013-10-01

    Rapid reduction of carbadox (CDX), olaquindox and several other aromatic N-oxides were investigated in aqueous solution containing Fe(II) and tiron. Consistent with previous work, the 1:2 Fe(II)-tiron complex, FeL2(6-), is the dominant reactive species as its concentration linearly correlates with the observed rate constant kobs under various conditions. The N-oxides without any side chains were much less reactive, suggesting direct reduction of the N-oxides is slow. UV-vis spectra suggest FeL2(6-) likely forms 5- or 7-membered rings with CDX and olaquindox through the N and O atoms on the side chain. The formed inner-sphere complexes significantly facilitated electron transfer from FeL2(6-) to the N-oxides. Reduction products of the N-oxides were identified by HPLC/QToF-MS to be the deoxygenated analogs. QSAR analysis indicated neither the first electron transfer nor N-O bond cleavage is the rate-limiting step. Calculations of the atomic spin densities of the anionic N-oxides confirmed the extensive delocalization between the aromatic ring and the side chain, suggesting complex formation can significantly affect the reduction kinetics. Our results suggest the complexation facilitated N-oxide reduction by Fe(II)-tiron involves a free radical mechanism, and the subsequent deoxygenation might also benefit from the weak complexation of Fe(II) with the N-oxide O atom.

  17. A mobile-mobile transport model for simulating reactive transport in connected heterogeneous fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Chunhui; Wang, Zhiyuan; Zhao, Yue; Rathore, Saubhagya Singh; Huo, Jinge; Tang, Yuening; Liu, Ming; Gong, Rulan; Cirpka, Olaf A.; Luo, Jian

    2018-05-01

    Mobile-immobile transport models can be effective in reproducing heavily tailed breakthrough curves of concentration. However, such models may not adequately describe transport along multiple flow paths with intermediate velocity contrasts in connected fields. We propose using the mobile-mobile model for simulating subsurface flow and associated mixing-controlled reactive transport in connected fields. This model includes two local concentrations, one in the fast- and the other in the slow-flow domain, which predict both the concentration mean and variance. The normalized total concentration variance within the flux is found to be a non-monotonic function of the discharge ratio with a maximum concentration variance at intermediate values of the discharge ratio. We test the mobile-mobile model for mixing-controlled reactive transport with an instantaneous, irreversible bimolecular reaction in structured and connected random heterogeneous domains, and compare the performance of the mobile-mobile to the mobile-immobile model. The results indicate that the mobile-mobile model generally predicts the concentration breakthrough curves (BTCs) of the reactive compound better. Particularly, for cases of an elliptical inclusion with intermediate hydraulic-conductivity contrasts, where the travel-time distribution shows bimodal behavior, the prediction of both the BTCs and maximum product concentration is significantly improved. Our results exemplify that the conceptual model of two mobile domains with diffusive mass transfer in between is in general good for predicting mixing-controlled reactive transport, and particularly so in cases where the transfer in the low-conductivity zones is by slow advection rather than diffusion.

  18. Probing the Compound I-like reactivity of a bare high-valent oxo iron porphyrin complex: the oxidation of tertiary amines.

    PubMed

    Chiavarino, Barbara; Cipollini, Romano; Crestoni, Maria Elisa; Fornarini, Simonetta; Lanucara, Francesco; Lapi, Andrea

    2008-03-12

    The mechanisms of oxidative N-dealkylation of amines by heme enzymes including peroxidases and cytochromes P450 and by functional models for the active Compound I species have long been studied. A debated issue has concerned in particular the character of the primary step initiating the oxidation sequence, either a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) or an electron transfer (ET) event, facing problems such as the possible contribution of multiple oxidants and complex environmental effects. In the present study, an oxo iron(IV) porphyrin radical cation intermediate 1, [(TPFPP)*+ Fe(IV)=O]+ (TPFPP = meso-tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl)porphinato dianion), functional model of Compound I, has been produced as a bare species. The gas-phase reaction with amines (A) studied by ESI-FT-ICR mass spectrometry has revealed for the first time the elementary steps and the ionic intermediates involved in the oxidative activation. Ionic products are formed involving ET (A*+, the amine radical cation), formal hydride transfer (HT) from the amine ([A(-H)]+, an iminium ion), and oxygen atom transfer (OAT) to the amine (A(O), likely a carbinolamine product), whereas an ionic product involving a net initial HAT event is never observed. The reaction appears to be initiated by an ET event for the majority of the tested amines which included tertiary aliphatic and aromatic amines as well as a cyclic and a secondary amine. For a series of N,N-dimethylanilines the reaction efficiency for the ET activated pathways was found to correlate with the ionization energy of the amine. A stepwise pathway accounts for the C-H bond activation resulting in the formal HT product, namely a primary ET process forming A*+, which is deprotonated at the alpha-C-H bond forming an N-methyl-N-arylaminomethyl radical, A(-H)*, readily oxidized to the iminium ion, [A(-H)]+. The kinetic isotope effect (KIE) for proton transfer (PT) increases as the acidity of the amine radical cation increases and the PT reaction to the base, the ferryl group of (TPFPP)Fe(IV)=O, approaches thermoneutrality. The ET reaction displayed by 1 with gaseous N,N-dimethylaniline finds a counterpart in the ET reactivity of FeO+, reportedly a potent oxidant in the gas phase, and with the barrierless ET process for a model (P)*+ Fe(IV)=O species (where P is the porphine dianion) as found by theoretical calculations. Finally, the remarkable OAT reactivity of 1 with C6F5N(CH3)2 may hint to a mechanism along a route of diverse spin multiplicity.

  19. Measurement of phenols dearomatization via electrolysis: the UV-Vis solid phase extraction method.

    PubMed

    Vargas, Ronald; Borrás, Carlos; Mostany, Jorge; Scharifker, Benjamin R

    2010-02-01

    Dearomatization levels during electrochemical oxidation of p-methoxyphenol (PMP) and p-nitrophenol (PNP) have been determined through UV-Vis spectroscopy using solid phase extraction (UV-Vis/SPE). The results show that the method is satisfactory to determine the ratio between aromatic compounds and aliphatic acids and reaction kinetics parameters during treatment of wastewater, in agreement with results obtained from numerical deconvolution of UV-Vis spectra. Analysis of solutions obtained from electrolysis of substituted phenols on antimony-doped tin oxide (SnO(2)--Sb) showed that an electron acceptor substituting group favored the aromatic ring opening reaction, preventing formation of intermediate quinone during oxidation. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Intermediate Traces and Intermediate Learners: Evidence for the Use of Intermediate Structure during Sentence Processing in Second Language French

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, A. Kate

    2015-01-01

    This study reports on a sentence processing experiment in second language (L2) French that looks for evidence of trace reactivation at clause edge and in the canonical object position in indirect object cleft sentences with complex embedding and cyclic movement. Reaction time (RT) asymmetries were examined among low (n = 20) and high (n = 20)…

  1. Response to reactive nitrogen intermediates in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: induction of the 16-kilodalton alpha-crystallin homolog by exposure to nitric oxide donors.

    PubMed

    Garbe, T R; Hibler, N S; Deretic, V

    1999-01-01

    In contrast to the apparent paucity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis response to reactive oxygen intermediates, this organism has evolved a specific response to nitric oxide challenge. Exposure of M. tuberculosis to NO donors induces the synthesis of a set of polypeptides that have been collectively termed Nox. In this work, the most prominent Nox polypeptide, Nox16, was identified by immunoblotting and by N-terminal sequencing as the alpha-crystallin-related, 16-kDa small heat shock protein, sHsp16. A panel of chemically diverse donors of nitric oxide, with the exception of nitroprusside, induced sHsp16 (Nox16). Nitroprusside, a coordination complex of Fe2+ with a nitrosonium (NO+) ion, induced a 19-kDa polypeptide (Nox19) homologous to the nonheme bacterial ferritins. We conclude that the NO response in M. tuberculosis is dominated by increased synthesis of the alpha-crystallin homolog sHsp16, previously implicated in stationary-phase processes and found in this study to be a major M. tuberculosis protein induced upon exposure to reactive nitrogen intermediates.

  2. Strategic Design of an Effective beta-Lactamase Inhibitor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pattanaik, P.; Bethel, C; Hujer, A

    In an effort to devise strategies for overcoming bacterial beta-lactamases, we studied LN-1-255, a 6-alkylidene-2'-substituted penicillin sulfone inhibitor. By possessing a catecholic functionality that resembles a natural bacterial siderophore, LN-1-255 is unique among beta-lactamase inhibitors. LN-1-255 combined with piperacillin was more potent against Escherichia coli DH10B strains bearing bla(SHV) extended-spectrum and inhibitor-resistant beta-lactamases than an equivalent amount of tazobactam and piperacillin. In addition, LN-1-255 significantly enhanced the activity of ceftazidime and cefpirome against extended-spectrum cephalosporin and Sme-1 containing carbapenem-resistant clinical strains. LN-1-255 inhibited SHV-1 and SHV-2 beta-lactamases with nm affinity (K(I) = 110 +/- 10 and 100 +/- 10 nm,more » respectively). When LN-1-255 inactivated SHV beta-lactamases, a single intermediate was detected by mass spectrometry. The crystal structure of LN-1-255 in complex with SHV-1 was determined at 1.55A resolution. Interestingly, this novel inhibitor forms a bicyclic aromatic intermediate with its carbonyl oxygen pointing out of the oxyanion hole and forming hydrogen bonds with Lys-234 and Ser-130 in the active site. Electron density for the 'tail' of LN-1-255 is less ordered and modeled in two conformations. Both conformations have the LN-1-255 carboxyl group interacting with Arg-244, yet the remaining tails of the two conformations diverge. The observed presence of the bicyclic aromatic intermediate with its carbonyl oxygen positioned outside of the oxyanion hole provides a rationale for the stability of this inhibitory intermediate. The 2'-substituted penicillin sulfone, LN-1-255, is proving to be an important lead compound for novel beta-lactamase inhibitor design.« less

  3. Reactivity Of Substituted Chlorines And Ensuing Dechlorination Pathways Of Select PCB Congeners With Pd/Mg Bimetallics

    EPA Science Inventory

    Conflicting accounts occur on the reactivity of substituted chlorines and the ensuing dechlorination pathway of PCBs undergoing catalytic hydrodechlorination (HDCl). In order to understand these relationships, intermediates and dechlorination pathways of carefully selected 17 co...

  4. 69 FR 41789 - Notice of Availability of Government-Owned Inventions; Available for Licensing

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2004-07-12

    ...,441: Phthalonitrile Prepolymer as High Temperature Sizing Material for Composite Fibers, Navy Case No... Microwave Electrode Structures, Navy Case No. 74,654.//U.S. Patent No. 5,410,404: Fiber Grating-based...,001,926: Fiber-reinforced Phthalonitrile Composite Cured with Low-reactivity Aromatic Amine Curing...

  5. Sulphur Atoms from Methionines Interacting with Aromatic Residues Are Less Prone to Oxidation

    PubMed Central

    Aledo, Juan C.; Cantón, Francisco R.; Veredas, Francisco J.

    2015-01-01

    Methionine residues exhibit different degrees of susceptibility to oxidation. Although solvent accessibility is a relevant factor, oxidation at particular sites cannot be unequivocally explained by accessibility alone. To explore other possible structural determinants, we assembled different sets of oxidation-sensitive and oxidation-resistant methionines contained in human proteins. Comparisons of the proteins containing oxidized methionines with all proteins in the human proteome led to the conclusion that the former exhibit a significantly higher mean value of methionine content than the latter. Within a given protein, an examination of the sequence surrounding the non-oxidized methionine revealed a preference for neighbouring tyrosine and tryptophan residues, but not for phenylalanine residues. However, because the interaction between sulphur atoms and aromatic residues has been reported to be important for the stabilization of protein structure, we carried out an analysis of the spatial interatomic distances between methionines and aromatic residues, including phenylalanine. The results of these analyses uncovered a new determinant for methionine oxidation: the S-aromatic motif, which decreases the reactivity of the involved sulphur towards oxidants. PMID:26597773

  6. Bergman cyclization in polymer chemistry and material science.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Yuli; Hu, Aiguo

    2011-11-01

    Bergman cyclization of enediynes, regarded as a promising strategy for anticancer drugs, now finds its own niche in the area of polymer chemistry and material science. The highly reactive aromatic diradicals generated from Bergman cyclization can undergo polymerization acting as either monomers or initiators of other vinyl monomers. The former, namely homopolymerization, leads to polyphenylenes and polynaphthalenes with excellent thermal stability, good solubility, and processability. The many remarkable properties of these aromatic polymers have further endowed them to be manufactured into carbon-rich materials, e.g., glassy carbons and carbon nanotubes. Whereas used as initiators, enediynes provide a novel resource for high molecular weight polymers with narrow polydispersities. The aromatic diradicals are also useful for introducing oligomers or polymers onto pristine carbonous nanomaterials, such as carbon nano-onions and carbon nanotubes, to improve their dispersibility in organic solvents and polymer solutions. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Lignin-based monomers: Utilization in high-performance polymers and the effects of their structures on polymer properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stanzione, Joseph F., III

    With the uncertainty of petroleum reserves and future crude oil prices, lignocellulosic biomass is becoming an increasingly valuable resource for the sustainable development of fuels, chemicals, and materials, including vinyl ester resins (VERs). Petroleum-based VERs are used to produce polymer composites for a wide variety of commercial applications. Although possessing relatively high moduli, strengths, and glass transition temperatures, commercial VERs typically contain high concentrations of a reactive diluent, such as styrene. However, these reactive diluents are often considered hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and anticipated carcinogens. Moreover, bisphenol-A, which has gained considerable attention due to potential associated health-related issues, is utilized as a precursor in the synthesis of VERs. A green chemistry and engineering approach in the development of new VERs and renewable reactive diluents that are based on lignin is presented in this dissertation. Lignin, which is currently an abundant, renewable waste product of the paper and pulping industry, is primarily burned as a low value fuel. However, lignin has the potential to be a low cost feedstock in future lignocellulosic biorefineries that could yield highly valuable aromatic chemicals (lignin model compounds, LMCs) when strategically depolymerized. The incorporation of aromaticity in a resin's chemical structure is known to improve overall polymer composite performance and the high aromatic content found in lignin is ideal for novel resin development. Highlighted in this dissertation are three projects: (1) the synthesis and characterization of a lignin-based bio-oil resin/reactive diluent, (2) the use of functionalized LMCs as styrene replacements in VERs, and (3) the synthesis and characterization of a vanillin-based resin. Through the use of traditional and new polymer theory coupled with spectroscopic, thermal, and mechanical techniques, structure-property relationships are identified and related to polymer performance. These findings have important implications for the optimization and design of polymer composites that are based on sustainable resources and processes, are petroleum-independent, and have reduced toxicity with beneficial environmental impacts. In addition, these findings provide the incentive for continued investment in using lignin as a respected materials' feedstock. Lastly, several lignin-related research opportunities of scientific and commercial interest are recommended.

  8. Remediation of aged diesel contaminated soil by alkaline activated persulfate.

    PubMed

    Lominchar, M A; Santos, A; de Miguel, E; Romero, A

    2018-05-01

    The present work studies the efficiency of alkaline activated persulfate (PS) to remediate an aged diesel fuel contaminated soil from a train maintenance facility. The Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) concentration in soil was approximately 5000mgkg -1 with a ratio of aliphatic:aromatic compounds of 70:30. Aromatic compounds were mainly naphtalenes and phenanthrenes. The experiments were performed in batch mode where different initial concentrations of persulfate (105mM, 210mM and 420mM) and activator:persulfate ratios (2 and 4) were evaluated, with NaOH used as activator. Runs were carried out during 56days. Complete TPH conversion was obtained with the highest concentration of PS and activator, whereas in the other runs the elimination of fuel ranged between 60 and 77%. Besides, the abatement of napthalenes and phenantrenes was faster than aliphatic reduction (i. e. after 4days of treatment, the conversions of the aromatic compounds were around 0.8 meanwhile the aliphatic abatements were 0.55) and no aromatic oxidation intermediates from naphtalenes or phenantrenes were detected. These results show that this technology is effective for the remediation of aged diesel in soil with alkaline pH. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Engineering Escherichia coli to overproduce aromatic amino acids and derived compounds.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, Alberto; Martínez, Juan A; Flores, Noemí; Escalante, Adelfo; Gosset, Guillermo; Bolivar, Francisco

    2014-09-09

    The production of aromatic amino acids using fermentation processes with recombinant microorganisms can be an advantageous approach to reach their global demands. In addition, a large array of compounds with alimentary and pharmaceutical applications can potentially be synthesized from intermediates of this metabolic pathway. However, contrary to other amino acids and primary metabolites, the artificial channelling of building blocks from central metabolism towards the aromatic amino acid pathway is complicated to achieve in an efficient manner. The length and complex regulation of this pathway have progressively called for the employment of more integral approaches, promoting the merge of complementary tools and techniques in order to surpass metabolic and regulatory bottlenecks. As a result, relevant insights on the subject have been obtained during the last years, especially with genetically modified strains of Escherichia coli. By combining metabolic engineering strategies with developments in synthetic biology, systems biology and bioprocess engineering, notable advances were achieved regarding the generation, characterization and optimization of E. coli strains for the overproduction of aromatic amino acids, some of their precursors and related compounds. In this paper we review and compare recent successful reports dealing with the modification of metabolic traits to attain these objectives.

  10. Phagocyte NADPH oxidase, but not inducible nitric oxide synthase, is essential for early control of Burkholderia cepacia and chromobacterium violaceum infection in mice.

    PubMed

    Segal, Brahm H; Ding, Li; Holland, Steven M

    2003-01-01

    Reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates have critical, partially overlapping roles in host defense against a variety of pathogens. Using mice deficient in generating phagocyte superoxide (p47(phox)(-/-)) and mice deficient in generating inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS(-/-)), we examined the roles of these reactive species in host defense against Burkholderia cepacia and Chromobacterium violaceum, organisms known to have unusual virulence in chronic granulomatous disease. Intraperitoneal B. cepacia challenge (4.0 x 10(3) to 4.0 x 10(5) organisms/mouse) resulted in mortality in all p47(phox)(-/-) mice, with the survival interval being inversely proportionate to the amount of inoculum. Pretreatment with gamma interferon did not affect survival. C. violaceum was strikingly virulent in p47(phox)(-/-) mice (the 50% lethal dose [LD(50)] was <13 organisms). iNOS(-/-) and wild-type mice were resistant to B. cepacia challenges of at least 10(6) organisms per mouse, and the LD(50) of C. violaceum was between 10(6) and 10(7) organisms per mouse. Consistent with the survival data, numbers of organisms in cultures of B. cepacia from multiple sites were higher for p47(phox)(-/-) mice than for iNOS(-/-) and wild-type mice at day 4 after challenge, but numbers of organisms for different B. cepacia strains varied. The recovery of C. violaceum was strikingly greater at 18 h after challenge for p47(phox)(-/-) mice than for iNOS(-/-) and wild-type mice, in which the organism burdens were virtually nil. In vitro, both B. cepacia and C. violaceum were sensitive to H(2)O(2) and to reactive nitrogen intermediates but the sensitivities of different strains varied significantly. Host defense against B. cepacia and C. violaceum is critically dependent in vivo on reactive oxygen intermediates, and these species are model organisms to further dissect host and pathogen interactions related to the generation and scavenging of microbicidal reactive intermediates.

  11. Enhancing muconic acid production from glucose and lignin-derived aromatic compounds via increased protocatechuate decarboxylase activity

    DOE PAGES

    Johnson, Christopher W.; Salvachua, Davinia; Khanna, Payal; ...

    2016-04-22

    The conversion of biomass-derived sugars and aromatic molecules to cis,cis-muconic acid (referred to hereafter as muconic acid or muconate) has been of recent interest owing to its facile conversion to adipic acid, an important commodity chemical. Metabolic routes to produce muconate from both sugars and many lignin-derived aromatic compounds require the use of a decarboxylase to convert protocatechuate (PCA, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate) to catechol (1,2-dihydroxybenzene), two central aromatic intermediates in this pathway. Several studies have identified the PCA decarboxylase as a metabolic bottleneck, causing an accumulation of PCA that subsequently reduces muconate production. A recent study showed that activity of the PCAmore » decarboxylase is enhanced by co-expression of two genetically associated proteins, one of which likely produces a flavin-derived cofactor utilized by the decarboxylase. Using entirely genome-integrated gene expression, we have engineered Pseudomonas putida KT2440-derived strains to produce muconate from either aromatic molecules or sugars and demonstrate in both cases that co-expression of these decarboxylase associated proteins reduces PCA accumulation and enhances muconate production relative to strains expressing the PCA decarboxylase alone. In bioreactor experiments, co-expression increased the specific productivity (mg/g cells/h) of muconate from the aromatic lignin monomer p-coumarate by 50% and resulted in a titer of >15 g/L. In strains engineered to produce muconate from glucose, co-expression more than tripled the titer, yield, productivity, and specific productivity, with the best strain producing 4.92+/-0.48 g/L muconate. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that overcoming the PCA decarboxylase bottleneck can increase muconate yields from biomass-derived sugars and aromatic molecules in industrially relevant strains and cultivation conditions.« less

  12. Investigation on the light alkanes aromatization over Zn and Ga modified HZSM-5 catalysts in the presence of methane

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Qingyin; Zhang, Fengqi; Jarvis, Jack

    The catalytic co-aromatization of methane and paraffin-rich raffinate oil was investigated along with hexane, heptane and octane as its model compounds over zinc and gallium modified ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts. The benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) components derived from light alkane aromatization were highly promoted with the assistance of methane. The co-existence of Zn and Ga metal species has a positive effect on the formation of BTX components, whereas the individual metal loaded catalyst resulted in the production of heavy aromatics, suggesting that zinc and gallium have a synergistic effect on the formation of BTX under the methane environment. When concernedmore » with gaseous analysis, the introduced methane might interact with smaller intermediates and then transform into larger hydrocarbons. From the DRIFT observation, it was witnessed that the interaction between light alkane and methane occurred on the surface of the charged Zn-Ga/ZSM-5 catalyst. According to the comprehensive catalyst characterizations, the excellent catalytic performance may be closely associated with greatly dispersed metal species on the zeolite support, improved microporous characteristic, moderate Bronsted and increased Lewis acidic sites during the paraffin-rich liquid feedstock aromatization under methane environment. This research provides a promising pathway for the highly effective and profitable utilization of petrochemical resources and natural gas.« less

  13. Investigation on the light alkanes aromatization over Zn and Ga modified HZSM-5 catalysts in the presence of methane

    DOE PAGES

    Li, Qingyin; Zhang, Fengqi; Jarvis, Jack; ...

    2018-03-16

    The catalytic co-aromatization of methane and paraffin-rich raffinate oil was investigated along with hexane, heptane and octane as its model compounds over zinc and gallium modified ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts. The benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) components derived from light alkane aromatization were highly promoted with the assistance of methane. The co-existence of Zn and Ga metal species has a positive effect on the formation of BTX components, whereas the individual metal loaded catalyst resulted in the production of heavy aromatics, suggesting that zinc and gallium have a synergistic effect on the formation of BTX under the methane environment. When concernedmore » with gaseous analysis, the introduced methane might interact with smaller intermediates and then transform into larger hydrocarbons. From the DRIFT observation, it was witnessed that the interaction between light alkane and methane occurred on the surface of the charged Zn-Ga/ZSM-5 catalyst. According to the comprehensive catalyst characterizations, the excellent catalytic performance may be closely associated with greatly dispersed metal species on the zeolite support, improved microporous characteristic, moderate Bronsted and increased Lewis acidic sites during the paraffin-rich liquid feedstock aromatization under methane environment. This research provides a promising pathway for the highly effective and profitable utilization of petrochemical resources and natural gas.« less

  14. Simultaneous metabolism of chloro- and methyl-aromatic compounds by selected bacterial strains. Final report, 20 August 1991-19 August 1992

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Focht, D.D.

    Microorganisms are frequently able to degrade anthropogenic materials using pathways that evolved for the assimilation of related naturally-occurring compounds. Complications can arise, however, during the metabolism of mixtures when incompatible intermediates are formed from different components. The breakdown of chloro- and methyl-aromatics, for example, produces catechols which are oxidized differently: chlorocatechols are normally cleaved by ortho fission and methylcatechols by meta fission. If both systems act simultaneously, suicide substrates or dead-end metabolites are usually formed. Nevertheless, bacteria differ in their, ability to cope with such mixtures. A unique bacterium, Pseudomonas cepacia MB2 was isolated by selective enrichment on 2-methylbenzoate, yetmore » was also able to fortuitously utilize 3-chloro-2-methylbenzoate as a sole carbon source. This strain is unique in its ability to utilize an aromatic acid containing both a methyl and chloro substituent via the metafission pathway without the production of suicidal products.« less

  15. Synthesis and electronic factors in thermal cyclodimerization of functionalized aromatic trifluorovinyl ethers.

    PubMed

    Spraul, Bryan K; Suresh, S; Jin, Jianyong; Smith, Dennis W

    2006-05-31

    A series of 19 p-substituted aromatic trifluorovinyl ether compounds were prepared from versatile intermediate p-Br-C(6)H(4)-O-CF=CF(2) and underwent thermal radical mediated cyclodimerization to new difunctional compounds containing the 1,2-disubstituted perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) linkage. The synthetic scope demonstrates the functional group transformation tolerance of the fluorovinyl ether, and the dimers are useful as monomers for traditional step-growth polymerization methods. (19)F NMR spectra confirmed that p-substitution affects the trifluorovinyl ether group chemical shifts. The first kinetic studies and substituent effects on thermal cyclodimerization were performed, and the results indicated that electron-withdrawing groups slow the rate of cyclodimerization. The data were further analyzed using the Hammett equation, and reaction constants (rho) of -0.46 at 120 degrees C and -0.59 at 130 degrees C were calculated. This study presents the first liner free energy relationship reported for the cyclodimerization of aromatic trifluorovinyl ethers to PFCB compounds.

  16. The cortisol reactivity threshold model: Direction of trait rumination and cortisol reactivity association varies with stressor severity.

    PubMed

    Vrshek-Schallhorn, Suzanne; Avery, Bradley M; Ditcheva, Maria; Sapuram, Vaibhav R

    2018-06-01

    Various internalizing risk factors predict, in separate studies, both augmented and reduced cortisol responding to lab-induced stress. Stressor severity appears key: We tested whether heightened trait-like internalizing risk (here, trait rumination) predicts heightened cortisol reactivity under modest objective stress, but conversely predicts reduced reactivity under more robust objective stress. Thus, we hypothesized that trait rumination would interact with a curvilinear (quadratic) function of stress severity to predict cortisol reactivity. Evidence comes from 85 currently non-depressed emerging adults who completed either a non-stressful control protocol (n = 29), an intermediate difficulty Trier Social Stress Test (TSST; n = 26), or a robustly stressful negative evaluative TSST (n = 30). Latent growth curve models evaluated relationships between trait rumination and linear and quadratic effects of stressor severity on the change in cortisol and negative affect over time. Among other findings, a significant Trait Rumination x Quadratic Stress Severity interaction effect for cortisol's Quadratic Trend of Time (i.e., reactivity, B = .125, p = .017) supported the hypothesis. Rumination predicted greater cortisol reactivity to intermediate stress (r p  = .400, p = .043), but blunted reactivity to more robust negative evaluative stress (r p  = -0.379, p = 0.039). Contrasting hypotheses, negative affective reactivity increased independently of rumination as stressor severity increased (B = .453, p = 0.044). The direction of the relationship between an internalizing risk factor (trait rumination) and cortisol reactivity varies as a function of stressor severity. We propose the Cortisol Reactivity Threshold Model, which may help reconcile several divergent reactivity literatures and has implications for internalizing psychopathology, particularly depression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Release of oxygen radicals by articular chondrocytes: a study of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence and hydrogen peroxide secretion.

    PubMed

    Rathakrishnan, C; Tiku, K; Raghavan, A; Tiku, M L

    1992-10-01

    We previously established that normal articular chondrocytes, like macrophages, express class II major histocompatibility antigens, present antigen, and induce mixed and autologous lymphocyte stimulation. In a recent study using the trapped indicator 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate, we were able to measure levels of intracellular hydrogen peroxide within normal articular chondrocytes (J Immunol 245:690-696, 1990). In the present study, we utilized the technique of chemiluminescence and the biochemical method of quantitating hydrogen peroxide release to measure the production of reactive oxygen intermediates by articular chondrocytes. Chondrocytes, in suspension or adherent to coverslips, showed luminol-dependent chemiluminescence that was dependent on the number and viability of cells. There was a dose-dependent increase in chemiluminescence in response to soluble stimuli, such as phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), concanavalin A (ConA), and f-Met-Leu-Phe (FMLP). Azide inhibited chemiluminescence, suggesting that the light emission in chondrocytes is myeloperoxidase dependent. The antioxidant, catalase, inhibited chemiluminescence but superoxide dismutase had no effect, suggesting that luminol-dependent chemiluminescence in chondrocytes mostly measured hydrogen peroxide. Chemiluminescence was also observed in fragments of live cartilage tissue, indicating that chondrocytes that are cartilage matrix bound can generate the respiratory burst response. Using the scopoletin oxidation assay, we confirmed the release of increasing amounts of hydrogen peroxide by chondrocytes exposed to interleukin-1, rabbit interferon, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Tumor necrosis factor alpha had both priming and enhancing effects on reactive oxygen intermediate production by chondrocytes. Reactive oxygen intermediates have been shown to play a significant role in matrix degradation. We suggest that reactive oxygen intermediates produced by chondrocytes play an important role in the degradation of matrix in arthritis.

  18. Urinary biomarkers of trimethoprim bioactivation in vivo following therapeutic dosing in children.

    PubMed

    van Haandel, Leon; Goldman, Jennifer L; Pearce, Robin E; Leeder, J Steven

    2014-02-17

    The antimicrobial trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is widely used for the treatment of skin and soft-tissue infections in the outpatient setting. Despite its therapeutic benefits, TMP-SMX has been associated with a number of adverse drug reactions, which have been primarily attributed to the formation of reactive metabolites from SMX. Recently, in vitro experiments have demonstrated that TMP may form reactive intermediates as well. However, evidence of TMP bioactivation in patients has not yet been demonstrated. In this study, we performed in vitro trapping experiments with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) to determine stable markers of reactive TMP intermediates, focusing on eight potential markers (NAC-TMP adducts), some of which were previously identified in vitro. We developed a specific and sensitive assay involving liquid chromatography followed by tandem mass spectrometry for measurement of these adducts in human liver microsomal samples and expanded the methodology toward the detection of these analytes in human urine. Urine samples from four patients receiving TMP-SMX treatment were analyzed, and all samples demonstrated the presence of six NAC-TMP adducts, which were also detected in vitro. These adducts are consistent with the formation of imino-quinone-methide and para-quinone-methide reactive intermediates in vivo. As a result, the TMP component of TMP-SMX should be considered as well when evaluating adverse drug reactions to TMP-SMX.

  19. Influences of the molecular fuel structure on combustion reactions towards soot precursors in selected alkane and alkene flames.

    PubMed

    Ruwe, Lena; Moshammer, Kai; Hansen, Nils; Kohse-Höinghaus, Katharina

    2018-04-25

    In this study, we experimentally investigate the high-temperature oxidation kinetics of n-pentane, 1-pentene and 2-methyl-2-butene (2M2B) in a combustion environment using flame-sampling molecular beam mass spectrometry. The selected C5 fuels are prototypes for linear and branched, saturated and unsaturated fuel components, featuring different C-C and C-H bond structures. It is shown that the formation tendency of species, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), yielded through mass growth reactions increases drastically in the sequence n-pentane < 1-pentene < 2M2B. This comparative study enables valuable insights into fuel-dependent reaction sequences of the gas-phase combustion mechanism that provide explanations for the observed difference in the PAH formation tendency. First, we investigate the fuel-structure-dependent formation of small hydrocarbon species that are yielded as intermediate species during the fuel decomposition, because these species are at the origin of the subsequent mass growth reaction pathways. Second, we review typical PAH formation reactions inspecting repetitive growth sequences in dependence of the molecular fuel structure. Third, we discuss how differences in the intermediate species pool influence the formation reactions of key aromatic ring species that are important for the PAH growth process underlying soot formation. As a main result it was found that for the fuels featuring a C[double bond, length as m-dash]C double bond, the chemistry of their allylic fuel radicals and their decomposition products strongly influences the combination reactions to the initially formed aromatic ring species and as a consequence, the PAH formation tendency.

  20. Condensed tannins: Quinone methide intermediates in procyanidin synthesis

    Treesearch

    Richard W. Hemingway; L. Y. Foo

    1983-01-01

    Proanthocyanidins (condensed tanruns) are widely distributed in plants and are found in sufficiently high concentration in some tree barks to encourage their industrial utilization. These polymers consist of flavanoid units linked through the C-4 of the pyran ring to the C-6 or C-8 carbons of the aromatic A-ring. Recent advances in the chemistry of condensed tannins...

  1. Condensation cyclization reactions of electron deficient aromatics. 4: Tricyclic nitropropene nitronates from the reaction of phloroglucinol and cycloalkanones with sym-trinitrobenzene

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strauss, M. J.; Taylor, S. P. B.; Shindo, H.

    1972-01-01

    Interesting similarities have been shown between the reactions of sym-trinitrobenzene with cycloalkanones, and with phloroglucinol. Previously unsuspected common intermediates have been shown to intervene. The structurally similar products in each case are tricyclic nitropropene nitronates. Protonation of these yields the corresponding nitronic acids in certain instances.

  2. Kinetics of acetaminophen degradation by Fenton oxidation in a fluidized-bed reactor.

    PubMed

    de Luna, Mark Daniel G; Briones, Rowena M; Su, Chia-Chi; Lu, Ming-Chun

    2013-01-01

    Acetaminophen (ACT), an analgesic and antipyretic substance, is one of the most commonly detected pharmaceutical compound in surface waters and wastewaters. In this study, fluidized-bed Fenton (FB-Fenton) was used to decompose ACT into its final degradation products. The 1.45-L cylindrical glass reactor had inlet, outlet and recirculating sections. SiO(2) carrier particles were supported by glass beads with 2-4 mm in diameter. ACT concentration was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). During the first 40 min of reaction, a fast initial ACT removal was observed and the "two-stage" ACT degradation conformed to a pseudo reaction kinetics. The effects of ferrous ion dosage and [Fe(2+)]/[H(2)O(2)] (FH ratio) were integrated into the derived pseudo second-order kinetic model. A reaction pathway was proposed based on the intermediates detected through SPME/GC-MS. The aromatic intermediates identified were hydroquinone, benzaldehydes and benzoic acids while the non-aromatic substances include alcohols, ketones, aldehydes and carboxylic acids. Rapid initial ACT degradation rate can be accomplished by high initial ferrous ion concentration and/or low FH ratio. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. In situ {sup 13}C MAS NMR study of n-hexane conversion on Pt and Pd supported on basic materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ivanova, I.I.; Pasau-Claerbout, A.; Seivert, M.

    n-Hexane conversion was studied in situ on Pt and Pd supported on aluminum-stabilized magnesium oxide and Pt on Zeolite KL catalysts (Pt/Mg(Al)O, Pd/Mg(Al)O and Pt/KL) by means of {sup 13}C MAS NMR spectroscopy. n-Hexane 1-{sup 13}C was used as a labelled reactant. Forty NMR lines corresponding to 14 different products were resolved and identified. The NMR line assignments were confirmed by adsorption of model compounds. The NMR results were further quantified and compared with continuous flow microreactor tests. Four parallel reaction pathways were identified under flow conditions: isomerization, cracking, dehydrocyclization, and dehydrogenation. Aromatization occurs via two reaction routes: (1) n-hexanemore » dehydrogenation towards hexadienes and hexatrienes, followed by dehydrogenation of a cyclic intermediate. The former reaction pathway is prevented under NMR batch conditions. High pressures induced in the NMR cells at high reaction temperatures (573, 653 K) shift the reaction equilibrium towards hydrogenation. NMR experiments showed that on Pt catalysts aromatization occurs via a cyclohexane intermediate, whereas on Pd it takes place via methylcyclopentane ring enlargement. 54 refs., 15 figs., 3 tabs.« less

  4. Process for converting light alkanes to higher hydrocarbons

    DOEpatents

    Noceti, Richard P.; Taylor, Charles E.

    1988-01-01

    A process is disclosed for the production of aromatic-rich, gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons from the lower alkanes, particularly from methane. The process is carried out in two stages. In the first, alkane is reacted with oxygen and hydrogen chloride over an oxyhydrochlorination catalyst such as copper chloride with minor proportions of potassium chloride and rare earth chloride. This produces an intermediate gaseous mixture containing water and chlorinated alkanes. The chlorinated alkanes are contacted with a crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst in the hydrogen or metal promoted form to produce gasoline range hydrocarbons with a high proportion of aromatics and a small percentage of light hydrocarbons (C.sub.2 -C.sub.4). The light hydrocarbons can be recycled for further processing over the oxyhydrochlorination catalyst.

  5. Redox and Lewis acid relay catalysis: a titanocene/zinc catalytic platform in the development of multicomponent coupling reactions.

    PubMed

    Gianino, Joseph B; Campos, Catherine A; Lepore, Antonio J; Pinkerton, David M; Ashfeld, Brandon L

    2014-12-19

    A titanocene-catalyzed multicomponent coupling is described herein. Using catalytic titanocene, phosphine, and zinc dust, zinc acetylides can be generated from the corresponding iodoalkynes to affect sequential nucleophilic additions to aromatic aldehydes. The intermediate propargylic alkoxides are trapped in situ with acetic anhydride, which are susceptible to a second nucleophilic displacement upon treatment with a variety of electron-rich species, including acetylides, allyl silanes, electron-rich aromatics, silyl enol ethers, and silyl ketene acetals. Additionally, employing cyclopropane carboxaldehydes led to ring-opened products resulting from iodine incorporation. Taken together, these results form the basis for a new mode of three-component coupling reactions, which allows for rapid access to value added products in a single synthetic operation.

  6. Cytochrome P4501A1 is Required for Vascular Dysfunction and Hypertension Induced by 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data show an association between hypertension and exposure to dioxin-like halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAH). Further, chronic exposure of mice to the prototypical HAH, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), induces reactive oxygen species (...

  7. UVA Photoirradiation of Nitro-Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons—Induction of Reactive Oxygen Species and Formation of Lipid Peroxides †

    PubMed Central

    Xia, Qingsu; Yin, Jun J.; Zhao, Yuewei; Wu, Yuh-Sen; Wang, Yu-Qui; Ma, Liang; Chen, Shoujun; Sun, Xin; Fu, Peter P.; Yu, Hongtao

    2013-01-01

    Nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs) are a class of genotoxic environmental contaminants. We have long been interested in determining the mechanisms by which nitro-PAHs induce genotoxicity. Although the metabolic activation of nitro-PAHs leading to toxicological activities has been well studied, the photo-induced activation of nitro-PAHs has seldom been reported. In this paper, we report photo-induced lipid peroxidation by 19 nitro-PAHs. The results indicated that all but two of the nitro-PAHs can induce lipid peroxidation. Mechanistic studies suggest that lipid peroxidation by nitro-PAHs is mediated by free radicals generated in the reaction. There was no structural correlation between the nitro-PAHs and their ability to induce lipid peroxidation upon UVA irradiation, or between the HOMO-LUMO gap and the ability to cause lipid peroxidation. Most of the nitro-PAHs are less potent in terms of causing lipid peroxidation than their parent PAHs. The lack of correlation is attributed to the complex photophysics and photochemistry of the nitro-PAHs and the yield of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other factors. PMID:23493032

  8. In vitro evidence for the formation of reactive intermediates of resveratrol in human liver microsomes.

    PubMed

    Steenwyk, R C; Tan, B

    2010-01-01

    Resveratrol (3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene) is a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound found in a variety of foods and over-the-counter health products. It has gained wide public use due to its potential health properties, and is available over-the-counter at health product stores. Although the safety profile of resveratrol has been minimally investigated in humans, resveratrol has been associated with observations of toxicity in vitro, and has been identified as a mechanism-based inhibitor of cytochrome P450 3A4. In addition, resveratrol has been rationally hypothesized to form reactive quinone methide metabolites, despite experimental evidence supporting this assumption. This work evaluates the potential for resveratrol to form glutathione-trapped reactive intermediates in human liver microsomes utilizing liquid chromatography and electrospray tandem mass spectrometry, and has resulted in the identification of several in vitro products including two hydroxylated metabolites (piceatannol and metabolite 2), and two pairs of regioisomeric glutathione adducts. The parallel metabolism of resveratrol to piceatannol and metabolite 2 (a putative quinone methide) are demonstrated to result in the formation of two putative quinone methide intermediates resulting in divergent mechanisms for formation of each pair of regioisomeric glutathione adducts.

  9. Metabolism and Biomarkers of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in Molecular Epidemiology Studies: Lessons Learned from Aromatic Amines

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Aromatic amines and heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are structurally related classes of carcinogens that are formed during the combustion of tobacco or during the high-temperature cooking of meats. Both classes of procarcinogens undergo metabolic activation by N-hydroxylation of the exocyclic amine group, to produce a common proposed intermediate, the arylnitrenium ion, which is the critical metabolite implicated in toxicity and DNA damage. However, the biochemistry and chemical properties of these compounds are distinct and different biomarkers of aromatic amines and HAAs have been developed for human biomonitoring studies. Hemoglobin adducts have been extensively used as biomarkers to monitor occupational and environmental exposures to a number of aromatic amines; however, HAAs do not form hemoglobin adducts at appreciable levels and other biomarkers have been sought. A number of epidemiologic studies that have investigated dietary consumption of well-done meat in relation to various tumor sites reported a positive association between cancer risk and well-done meat consumption, although some studies have shown no associations between well-done meat and cancer risk. A major limiting factor in most epidemiological studies is the uncertainty in quantitative estimates of chronic exposure to HAAs and, thus, the association of HAAs formed in cooked meat and cancer risk has been difficult to establish. There is a critical need to establish long-term biomarkers of HAAs that can be implemented in molecular epidemioIogy studies. In this review article, we highlight and contrast the biochemistry of several prototypical carcinogenic aromatic amines and HAAs to which humans are chronically exposed. The biochemical properties and the impact of polymorphisms of the major xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes on the biological effects of these chemicals are examined. Lastly, the analytical approaches that have been successfully employed to biomonitor aromatic amines and HAAs, and emerging biomarkers of HAAs that may be implemented in molecular epidemiology studies are discussed. PMID:21688801

  10. Nucleophilic addition of nitrogen to aryl cations: mimicking Titan chemistry.

    PubMed

    Li, Anyin; Jjunju, Fred P M; Cooks, R Graham

    2013-11-01

    The reactivity of aryl cations toward molecular nitrogen is studied systematically in an ion trap mass spectrometer at 10(2) Pascal of nitrogen, the pressure of the Titan main haze layer. Nucleophilic addition of dinitrogen occurs and the nature of aryl group has a significant influence on the reactivity, through inductive effects and by changing the ground state spin multiplicity. The products of nitrogen activation, aryldiazonium ions, react with typical nitriles, aromatic amines, and alkynes (compounds that are relevant as possible Titan atmosphere constituents) to form covalently bonded heterocyclic products. Theoretical calculations at the level [DFT(B3LYP)/6-311++G(d,p)] indicate that the N2 addition reaction is exothermic for the singlet aryl cations but endothermic for their triplet spin isomers. The -OH and -NH2 substituted aryl ions are calculated to have triplet ground states, which is consistent with their decreased nitrogen addition reactivity. The energy needed for the generation of the aryl cations from their protonated precursors (ca. 340 kJ/mol starting with protonated aniline) is far less than that required to directly activate the nitrogen triple bond (the lowest energy excited state of N2 lies ca. 600 kJ/mol above the ground state). The formation of aza-aromatics via arene ionization and subsequent reactions provide a conceivable route to the genesis of nitrogen-containing organic molecules in the interstellar medium and Titan haze layers.

  11. Simultaneous photocatalytic and microbial degradation of dye-containing wastewater by a novel g-C3N4-P25/photosynthetic bacteria composite

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Xinying; Wu, Yan; Xiao, Gao; Tang, Zhenping; Wang, Meiyin; Liu, Fuchang; Zhu, Xuefeng

    2017-01-01

    Azo dyes are very resistant to light-induced fading and biodegradation. Existing advanced oxidative pre-treatment methods based on the generation of non-selective radicals cannot efficiently remove these dyes from wastewater streams, and post-treatment oxidative dye removal is problematic because it may leave many byproducts with unknown toxicity profiles in the outgoing water, or cause expensive complete mineralization. These problems could potentially be overcome by combining photocatalysis and biodegradation. A novel visible-light-responsive hybrid dye removal agent featuring both photocatalysts (g-C3N4-P25) and photosynthetic bacteria encapsulated in calcium alginate beads was prepared by self-assembly. This system achieved a removal efficiency of 94% for the dye reactive brilliant red X-3b and also reduced the COD of synthetic wastewater samples by 84.7%, successfully decolorized synthetic dye-contaminated wastewater and reduced its COD, demonstrating the advantages of combining photocatalysis and biocatalysis for wastewater purification. The composite apparently degrades X-3b by initially converting the dye into aniline and phenol derivatives whose aryl moieties are then attacked by free radicals to form alkyl derivatives, preventing the accumulation of aromatic hydrocarbons that might suppress microbial activity. These alkyl intermediates are finally degraded by the photosynthetic bacteria. PMID:28273118

  12. Laccase: Microbial Sources, Production, Purification, and Potential Biotechnological Applications

    PubMed Central

    Shraddha; Shekher, Ravi; Sehgal, Simran; Kamthania, Mohit; Kumar, Ajay

    2011-01-01

    Laccase belongs to the blue multicopper oxidases and participates in cross-linking of monomers, degradation of polymers, and ring cleavage of aromatic compounds. It is widely distributed in higher plants and fungi. It is present in Ascomycetes, Deuteromycetes and Basidiomycetes and abundant in lignin-degrading white-rot fungi. It is also used in the synthesis of organic substance, where typical substrates are amines and phenols, the reaction products are dimers and oligomers derived from the coupling of reactive radical intermediates. In the recent years, these enzymes have gained application in the field of textile, pulp and paper, and food industry. Recently, it is also used in the design of biosensors, biofuel cells, as a medical diagnostics tool and bioremediation agent to clean up herbicides, pesticides and certain explosives in soil. Laccases have received attention of researchers in the last few decades due to their ability to oxidize both phenolic and nonphenolic lignin-related compounds as well as highly recalcitrant environmental pollutants. It has been identified as the principal enzyme associated with cuticular hardening in insects. Two main forms have been found: laccase-1 and laccase-2. This paper reviews the occurrence, mode of action, general properties, production, applications, and immobilization of laccases within different industrial fields. PMID:21755038

  13. (Bio)transformation of 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN) in Soils

    PubMed Central

    Olivares, Christopher I.; Abrell, Leif; Khatiwada, Raju; Chorover, Jon; Sierra-Alvarez, Reyes; Field, Jim A.

    2015-01-01

    Recent studies have begun to assess the environmental fate and toxicity of 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN), an insensitive munition compound of interest to defense agencies. Aerobic and anaerobic DNAN biotransformation in soils was evaluated in this study. Under aerobic conditions, there was little evidence of transformation; most observed removal was attributed to adsorption and subsequent slow chemical reactions. Under anaerobic conditions, DNAN was reductively (bio)transformed and the rate of the transformation was positively correlated with soil organic carbon (OC) up to a threshold of 2.07% OC. H2 addition enhanced the nitroreduction rate compared to endogenous treatments lacking H2. Heat-killed treatments provided rates similar to the endogenous treatment, suggesting that abiotic factors play a role in DNAN reduction. Ten (bio)transformation products were detected by high-resolution mass spectrometry. The proposed transformation pathway involves reduction of DNAN to aromatic amines, with putative reactive nitroso-intermediates coupling with the amines to form azo dimers. Secondary reactions include N-alkyl substitution, O-demethylation (sometimes followed by dehydroxylation), and removal of an N-containing group. Globally, our results suggest that the main reaction DNAN undergoes in anaerobic soils is nitroreduction to 2-methoxy-5-nitroaniline (MENA) and 2,4-diaminoanisole (DAAN), followed by anaerobic coupling reactions yielding azo-dimers. The dimers were subsequently subject to further (bio)transformations. PMID:26551225

  14. Structural Insights Into the Evolutionary Paths of Oxylipin Biosynthetic Enzymes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, D.-S.; Nioche, P.; Hamberg, M.

    2009-05-20

    The oxylipin pathway generates not only prostaglandin-like jasmonates but also green leaf volatiles (GLVs), which confer characteristic aromas to fruits and vegetables. Although allene oxide synthase (AOS) and hydroperoxide lyase are atypical cytochrome P450 family members involved in the synthesis of jasmonates and GLVs, respectively, it is unknown how these enzymes rearrange their hydroperoxide substrates into different products. Here we present the crystal structures of Arabidopsis thaliana AOS, free and in complex with substrate or intermediate analogues. The structures reveal an unusual active site poised to control the reactivity of an epoxyallylic radical and its cation by means of interactionsmore » with an aromatic {pi}-system. Replacing the amino acid involved in these steps by a non-polar residue markedly reduces AOS activity and, unexpectedly, is both necessary and sufficient for converting AOS into a GLV biosynthetic enzyme. Furthermore, by combining our structural data with bioinformatic and biochemical analyses, we have discovered previously unknown hydroperoxide lyase in plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, AOS in coral, and epoxyalcohol synthase in amphioxus. These results indicate that oxylipin biosynthetic genes were present in the last common ancestor of plants and animals, but were subsequently lost in all metazoan lineages except Placozoa, Cnidaria and Cephalochordata.« less

  15. Decomposition of S-nitrosocysteine via S- to N-transnitrosation

    PubMed Central

    Peterson, Lisa A.; Wagener, Tanja; Sies, Helmut; Stahl, Wilhelm

    2008-01-01

    S-Nitrosothiols are thought to be important intermediates in nitric oxide signaling pathways. These compounds are unstable, in part, through their ability to donate NO. One model S-nitrosothiol, S-nitrosocysteine is particularly unstable. Recently, it was proposed that this compound decomposed via intra- and intermolecular transfer of the NO group from the sulfur to the nitrogen to form N-nitrosocysteine. This primary nitrosamine is expected to rapidly rearrange to ultimately form a reactive diazonium ion intermediate. To test this hypothesis, we demonstrated that thiirane-2-carboxylic acid is formed during the decomposition of S-nitrosocysteine at neutral pH. Acrylic acid was another product of this reaction. These results indicate that a small but significant amount of S-nitrosocysteine decomposes via S- to N-transnitrosation. The formation of a reactive intermediate in this process indicates the potential for this reaction to contribute to the toxicological properties of nitric oxide. PMID:17439249

  16. Formation of methemoglobin and phenoxyl radicals from p-hydroxyanisole and oxyhemoglobin.

    PubMed

    Stolze, K; Nohl, H

    1991-01-01

    The reaction of p-hydroxyanisole with oxyhemoglobin was investigated using electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) and visible spectroscopy. As a reactive reaction intermediate we found the p-methoxyphenoxyl radical, the one-electron oxidation product of p-hydroxyanisole. Detection of this species required the rapid flow device elucidating the instability of this radical intermediate. The second reaction product formed is methemoglobin. Catalase or SOD had no effect upon the reaction kinetics. Accordingly, reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl radicals or superoxide could not be observed although the spin trapping agent DMPO was used to make these short-lived species detectable. When the sulfhydryl blocking agents N-ethylmaleimide or mersalyl acid were used, an increase of the methemoglobin formation rate and of the phenoxyl radical concentration were observed. We have interpreted this observation in terms of a side reaction of free radical intermediates with thiol groups.

  17. A Springloaded Metal-Ligand Mesocate Allows Access to Trapped Intermediates of Self-Assembly.

    PubMed

    Bogie, Paul M; Holloway, Lauren R; Lyon, Yana; Onishi, Nicole C; Beran, Gregory J O; Julian, Ryan R; Hooley, Richard J

    2018-04-02

    A strained, "springloaded" Fe 2 L 3 iminopyridine mesocate shows highly variable reactivity upon postassembly reaction with competitive diamines. The strained assembly is reactive toward transimination in minutes at ambient temperature and allows observation of kinetically trapped intermediates in the self-assembly pathway. When diamines are used that can only form less favored cage products upon full equilibration, trapped ML 3 fragments with pendant, "hanging" NH 2 groups are selectively formed instead. Slight variations in diamine structure have large effects on the product outcome: less rigid diamines convert the mesocate to more favored self-assembled cage complexes under mild conditions and allow observation of heterocomplex intermediates in the displacement pathway. The mesocate allows control of equilibrium processes and direction of product outcomes via small, iterative changes in added subcomponent structure and provides a method of accessing metal-ligand cage structures not normally observed in multicomponent Fe-iminopyridine self-assembly.

  18. Nitric oxide functions as a signal in plant disease resistance.

    PubMed

    Delledonne, M; Xia, Y; Dixon, R A; Lamb, C

    1998-08-06

    Recognition of an avirulent pathogen triggers the rapid production of the reactive oxygen intermediates superoxide (O2-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This oxidative burst drives crosslinking of the cell wall, induces several plant genes involved in cellular protection and defence, and is necessary for the initiation of host cell death in the hypersensitive disease-resistance response. However, this burst is not enough to support a strong disease-resistance response. Here we show that nitric oxide, which acts as a signal in the immune, nervous and vascular systems, potentiates the induction of hypersensitive cell death in soybean cells by reactive oxygen intermediates and functions independently of such intermediates to induce genes for the synthesis of protective natural products. Moreover, inhibitors of nitric oxide synthesis compromise the hypersensitive disease-resistance response of Arabidopsis leaves to Pseudomonas syringae, promoting disease and bacterial growth. We conclude that nitric oxide plays a key role in disease resistance in plants.

  19. An urban photochemistry study in Santiago de Chile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rappenglück, B.; Schmitz, R.; Bauerfeind, M.; Cereceda-Balic, F.; von Baer, D.; Jorquera, H.; Silva, Y.; Oyola, P.

    During spring time 2002 a field experiment was carried out in the Metropolitan Area of Santiago de Chile at three monitoring sites located along a SW-NE transect that represents upwind, downtown and downwind conditions, respectively. Three consecutive days (30 October-01 November 2002) reflecting different photochemical and meteorological conditions were selected. These days included two workdays and one holiday and thus the effect of different primary emissions could be investigated. A variety of trace gas measurements (O 3, NO x, CO, volatile organic compounds (VOC)) were obtained at these sites. Alkanes represent the largest VOC fraction at all sites, followed by aromatics and alkenes, the smallest fractions are represented by the alkynes or isoprene. Regarding reactivity ranking propene equivalent values show that during morning hours, alkenes are the most reactive compounds, at noon, aromatics are dominant, and in the afternoon isoprene becomes important. Alkanes do not contribute more than 20% to the total air mass reactivity despite being present at the higher concentration levels. Regarding liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) impacts, we find a threefold decrease of concentrations at the eastern side of the city—and no significant trend at Downtown Santiago—which we ascribe to a switch to natural gas in the higher income eastern side of town. The generation of ozone impacts above 50 ppbv is mainly due to anthropogenic traffic-related hydrocarbons. In addition, traffic emissions are contributing most to the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA). A model study was carried out, applying a Lagrange trajectory model coupled with photochemical and aerosol modules. The model results are in good agreement with the observations. Additionally, the relative contribution of the respective hydrocarbons to the ozone production in an air parcel along the trajectory was computed. The model also indicates SOA formation by means of oxidation of higher alkanes, alkenes, and aromatics, the latter being the major contributors to those secondary pollutants.

  20. A directed-overflow and damage-control N -glycosidase in riboflavin biosynthesis

    DOE PAGES

    Frelin, Océane; Huang, Lili; Hasnain, Ghulam; ...

    2015-02-15

    Plants and bacteria synthesize the essential human micronutrient riboflavin (vitamin B2) via the same multistep pathway. The early intermediates of this pathway are notoriously reactive, and may be overproduced in vivo because riboflavin biosynthesis enzymes lack feedback controls. Here we demonstrate disposal of riboflavin intermediates by COG3236 (DUF1768), a protein of previously unknown function that is fused to two different riboflavin pathway enzymes in plants and bacteria (RIBR and RibA, respectively). We present cheminformatic, biochemical, genetic, and genomic evidence to show that: (i) plant and bacterial COG3236 proteins cleave the N-glycosidic bond of the first two intermediates of riboflavin biosynthesis,more » yielding relatively innocuous products; (ii) certain COG3236 proteins are in a multienzyme riboflavin biosynthesis complex that gives them privileged access to riboflavin intermediates; and (iii) COG3236 action in Arabidopsis thaliana and Escherichia coli helps maintain flavin levels. We find COG3236 proteins thus illustrate two emerging principles in chemical biology: directed overflow metabolism, in which excess flux is diverted out of a pathway, and the pre-emption of damage from reactive metabolites.« less

  1. Ozonation of Canadian Athabasca asphaltene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cha, Zhixiong

    Application of ozonation in the petrochemical industry for heavy hydrocarbon upgrading has not been sufficiently explored. Among heavy hydrocarbons, asphaltenes are the heaviest and the most difficult fractions for analysis and treatment. Therefore, ozonation of asphaltenes presents an interesting application in the petrochemical industry. Commercial application of ozonation in the petrochemical industry has three obstacles: availability of an ozone-resistant and environmentally friendly solvent, the precipitation of ozonation intermediates during reaction, and recovery of the solvent and separation of the ozonation products. Preliminary ozonation of Athabasca oil sands asphaltene in nonparticipating solvents encountered serious precipitation of the ozonation intermediates. The precipitated intermediates could be polymeric ozonides and intermolecular ozonides or polymeric peroxides. Because the inhomogeneous reaction medium caused low ozone efficiency, various participating solvents such as methanol and acetic acid were added to form more soluble hydroperoxides. The mass balance results showed that on average, one asphaltene molecule reacted with 12 ozone molecules through the electrophilic reaction and the subsequent decomposition of ozonation intermediates generated acetone extractable products. GC/MS analysis of these compounds indicated that the free radical reactions could be important for generation of volatile products. The extensively ozonated asphaltene in the presence of participating solvents were refluxed with methanol to generate more volatile products. GC/MS analysis of the methanol-esterified ozonation products indicated that most volatile products were aliphatic carboxylic acid esters generated through cleavage of substituents. Reaction kinetics study showed that asphaltene ozonation was initially a diffusion rate-controlled reaction and later developed to a chemical reaction rate-controlled reaction after depletion of the reactive aromatic sites. Two new solvent systems, a self-sustaining ozonation system and a cyclohexane/acetone/water or a cyclohexane/acetone/methanol system, were studied to overcome the drawback of using halogenated solvents. The self-sustaining ozonation process employed the final ozonation products as the reaction solvent. Compared to the self-sustaining ozonation, the cyclohexane solvent system showed higher ozone efficiency; however, it required dynamic adjustment of the solvent system during ozonation. An extensively ozonated asphaltene's weight would be doubled. Distillation of the products separated about 45% volatile products having biodiesel-style chemical structures. Compared to distillation, more than 90% of the ozonation products were extractable by acetone. The remaining acetone-insoluble part was further classified by dichloromethane and other solvents of different polarities. The separated ozonation products were good fuel additives or materials for other products.

  2. Exploratory study on the effects of novel diamine curing agents and isocyanate precursors on the properties of new epoxy and urethane adhesives

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Glasgow, D. G.

    1976-01-01

    The effects of novel aromatic diamine structures on the adhesive properties of epoxy and polyurethane adhesives were studied. Aromatic diamines based on benzophenone and diphenyl-methane isomers were evaluated as curing agents for epoxy resins and benzophenone and diphenyl-methane based diamine isomers were evaluated as curing agents for polyurethane adhesives. Polyurethane adhesives were prepared based on m, m prime-diisocyanato-diphenyl-methane and m, m prime-diisocyanato-benzophenone. The m, m prime-diisocayanato-diphenyl-methane based adhesive had properties comparable to state-of-the-art adhesives. The m, m prime-diisocyanato-benzophenone based adhesive was extremely reactive.

  3. Tandem enyne metathesis-Diels-Alder reaction for construction of natural product frameworks.

    PubMed

    Rosillo, Marta; Domínguez, Gema; Casarrubios, Luis; Amador, Ulises; Pérez-Castells, Javier

    2004-03-19

    Enynes connected through aromatic rings are used as substrates for metathesis reactions. The reactivity of three ruthenium carbene complexes is compared. The resulting 1,3-dienes are suitable precursors of polycyclic structures via a Diels-Alder process. Some domino RCM-Diels-Alder reactions are performed, suggesting a possible beneficial effect of the ruthenium catalyst in the cycloaddition process. Other examples require Lewis acid cocatalyst. When applied to aromatic ynamines or enamines, a new synthesis of vinylindoles is achieved. Monitorization of several metathesis reactions with NMR shows the different behavior for ruthenium catalysts. New carbenic species are detected in some reactions with an important dependence on the solvent used.

  4. Selective cleavage of the C(α)-C(β) linkage in lignin model compounds via Baeyer-Villiger oxidation.

    PubMed

    Patil, Nikhil D; Yao, Soledad G; Meier, Mark S; Mobley, Justin K; Crocker, Mark

    2015-03-21

    Lignin is an amorphous aromatic polymer derived from plants and is a potential source of fuels and bulk chemicals. Herein, we present a survey of reagents for selective stepwise oxidation of lignin model compounds. Specifically, we have targeted the oxidative cleavage of Cα-Cβ bonds as a means to depolymerize lignin and obtain useful aromatic compounds. In this work, we prepared several lignin model compounds that possess structures, characteristic reactivity, and linkages closely related to the parent lignin polymer. We observed that selective oxidation of benzylic hydroxyl groups, followed by Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of the resulting ketones, successfully cleaves the Cα-Cβ linkage in these model compounds.

  5. Structure for HTS composite conductors and the manufacture of same

    DOEpatents

    Cotton, J.D.; Riley, G.N. Jr.

    1999-06-01

    A superconducting oxide composite structure including a superconducting oxide member, a metal layer surrounding the superconducting oxide member, and an insulating layer of a complex oxide formed in situ adjacent to the superconducting oxide member and the metal layer is provided together with a method of forming such a superconducting oxide composite structure including encapsulating a superconducting oxide member or precursor within a metal matrix layer from the group of: (1) a reactive metal sheath adjacent to the superconducting oxide member or precursor, the reactive metal sheath surrounded by a second metal layer or (2) an alloy containing a reactive metal; to form an intermediate product, and, heating the intermediate product at temperatures and for time sufficient to form an insulating layer of a complex oxide in situ, the insulating layer to the superconducting oxide member or precursor and the metal matrix layer. 10 figs.

  6. Structure for hts composite conductors and the manufacture of same

    DOEpatents

    Cotton, James D.; Riley, Jr., Gilbert Neal

    1999-01-01

    A superconducting oxide composite structure including a superconducting oxide member, a metal layer surrounding the superconducting oxide member, and an insulating layer of a complex oxide formed in situ adjacent to the superconducting oxide member and the metal layer is provided together with a method of forming such a superconducting oxide composite structure including encapsulating a superconducting oxide member or precursor within a metal matrix layer from the group of: (i) a reactive metal sheath adjacent to the superconducting oxide member or precursor, the reactive metal sheath surrounded by a second metal layer or (ii) an alloy containing a reactive metal; to form an intermediate product, and, heating the intermediate product at temperatures and for time sufficient to form an insulating layer of a complex oxide in situ, the insulating layer to the superconducting oxide member or precursor and the metal matrix layer.

  7. Exploring the chemical kinetics of partially oxidized intermediates by combining experiments, theory, and kinetic modeling.

    PubMed

    Hoyermann, Karlheinz; Mauß, Fabian; Olzmann, Matthias; Welz, Oliver; Zeuch, Thomas

    2017-07-19

    Partially oxidized intermediates play a central role in combustion and atmospheric chemistry. In this perspective, we focus on the chemical kinetics of alkoxy radicals, peroxy radicals, and Criegee intermediates, which are key species in both combustion and atmospheric environments. These reactive intermediates feature a broad spectrum of chemical diversity. Their reactivity is central to our understanding of how volatile organic compounds are degraded in the atmosphere and converted into secondary organic aerosol. Moreover, they sensitively determine ignition timing in internal combustion engines. The intention of this perspective article is to provide the reader with information about the general mechanisms of reactions initiated by addition of atomic and molecular oxygen to alkyl radicals and ozone to alkenes. We will focus on critical branching points in the subsequent reaction mechanisms and discuss them from a consistent point of view. As a first example of our integrated approach, we will show how experiment, theory, and kinetic modeling have been successfully combined in the first infrared detection of Criegee intermediates during the gas phase ozonolysis. As a second example, we will examine the ignition timing of n-heptane/air mixtures at low and intermediate temperatures. Here, we present a reduced, fuel size independent kinetic model of the complex chemistry initiated by peroxy radicals that has been successfully applied to simulate standard n-heptane combustion experiments.

  8. Electronic structure contributions to reactivity in xanthine oxidase family enzymes.

    PubMed

    Stein, Benjamin W; Kirk, Martin L

    2015-03-01

    We review the xanthine oxidase (XO) family of pyranopterin molybdenum enzymes with a specific emphasis on electronic structure contributions to reactivity. In addition to xanthine and aldehyde oxidoreductases, which catalyze the two-electron oxidation of aromatic heterocycles and aldehyde substrates, this mini-review highlights recent work on the closely related carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) that catalyzes the oxidation of CO using a unique Mo-Cu heterobimetallic active site. A primary focus of this mini-review relates to how spectroscopy and computational methods have been used to develop an understanding of critical relationships between geometric structure, electronic structure, and catalytic function.

  9. Large unexplained suite of chemically reactive compounds present in ambient air due to biomass fires.

    PubMed

    Kumar, V; Chandra, B P; Sinha, V

    2018-01-12

    Biomass fires impact global atmospheric chemistry. The reactive compounds emitted and formed due to biomass fires drive ozone and organic aerosol formation, affecting both air quality and climate. Direct hydroxyl (OH) Reactivity measurements quantify total gaseous reactive pollutant loadings and comparison with measured compounds yields the fraction of unmeasured compounds. Here, we quantified the magnitude and composition of total OH reactivity in the north-west Indo-Gangetic Plain. More than 120% increase occurred in total OH reactivity (28 s -1 to 64 s -1 ) and from no missing OH reactivity in the normal summertime air, the missing OH reactivity fraction increased to ~40 % in the post-harvest summertime period influenced by large scale biomass fires highlighting presence of unmeasured compounds. Increased missing OH reactivity between the two summertime periods was associated with increased concentrations of compounds with strong photochemical source such as acetaldehyde, acetone, hydroxyacetone, nitromethane, amides, isocyanic acid and primary emissions of acetonitrile and aromatic compounds. Currently even the most detailed state-of-the art atmospheric chemistry models exclude formamide, acetamide, nitromethane and isocyanic acid and their highly reactive precursor alkylamines (e.g. methylamine, ethylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine). For improved understanding of atmospheric chemistry-air quality-climate feedbacks in biomass-fire impacted atmospheric environments, future studies should include these compounds.

  10. CYP3A-Mediated Generation of Aldehyde and Hydrazine in Atazanavir MetabolismS⃞

    PubMed Central

    Li, Feng; Lu, Jie; Wang, Laiyou

    2011-01-01

    Atazanavir (ATV) is an antiretroviral drug of the protease inhibitor class. Multiple adverse effects of ATV have been reported in clinical practice, such as jaundice, nausea, abdominal pain, and headache. The exact mechanisms of ATV-related adverse effects are unknown. It is generally accepted that a predominant pathway of drug-induced toxicity is through the generation of reactive metabolites. Our current study was designed to explore reactive metabolites of ATV. We used a metabolomic approach to profile ATV metabolism in mice and human liver microsomes. We identified 5 known and 13 novel ATV metabolites. Three potential reactive metabolites were detected and characterized for the first time: one aromatic aldehyde, one α-hydroxyaldehyde, and one hydrazine. These potential reactive metabolites were primarily generated by CYP3A. Our results provide a clue for studies on ATV-related adverse effects from the aspect of metabolic activation. Further studies are suggested to illustrate the impact of these potential reactive metabolites on ATV-related adverse effects. PMID:21148252

  11. Metal-free one-pot oxidative amination of aldehydes to amides.

    PubMed

    Ekoue-Kovi, Kekeli; Wolf, Christian

    2007-08-16

    Metal-free oxidative amination of aromatic aldehydes in the presence of TBHP provides convenient access to amides in 85-99% under mild reaction conditions within 5 h. This method avoids free carboxylic acid intermediates and integrates aldehyde oxidation and amide bond formation, which are usually accomplished separately, into a single operation. Proline-derived amides can be prepared in excellent yields without noticeable racemization.

  12. Methanogenic degradation of lignin-derived monoaromatic compounds by microbial enrichments from rice paddy field soil.

    PubMed

    Kato, Souichiro; Chino, Kanako; Kamimura, Naofumi; Masai, Eiji; Yumoto, Isao; Kamagata, Yoichi

    2015-09-24

    Anaerobic degradation of lignin-derived aromatics is an important metabolism for carbon and nutrient cycles in soil environments. Although there are some studies on degradation of lignin-derived aromatics by nitrate- and sulfate-reducing bacteria, knowledge on their degradation under methanogenic conditions are quite limited. In this study, methanogenic microbial communities were enriched from rice paddy field soil with lignin-derived methoxylated monoaromatics (vanillate and syringate) and their degradation intermediates (protocatechuate, catechol, and gallate) as the sole carbon and energy sources. Archaeal community analysis disclosed that both aceticlastic (Methanosarcina sp.) and hydrogenotrophic (Methanoculleus sp. and Methanocella sp.) methanogens dominated in all of the enrichments. Bacterial community analysis revealed the dominance of acetogenic bacteria (Sporomusa spp.) only in the enrichments on the methoxylated aromatics, suggesting that Sporomusa spp. initially convert vanillate and syringate into protocatechuate and gallate, respectively, with acetogenesis via O-demethylation. As the putative ring-cleavage microbes, bacteria within the phylum Firmicutes were dominantly detected from all of the enrichments, while the dominant phylotypes were not identical between enrichments on vanillate/protocatechuate/catechol (family Peptococcaceae bacteria) and on syringate/gallate (family Ruminococcaceae bacteria). This study demonstrates the importance of cooperation among acetogens, ring-cleaving fermenters/syntrophs and aceticlastic/hydrogenotrophic methanogens for degradation of lignin-derived aromatics under methanogenic conditions.

  13. Methanogenic degradation of lignin-derived monoaromatic compounds by microbial enrichments from rice paddy field soil

    PubMed Central

    Kato, Souichiro; Chino, Kanako; Kamimura, Naofumi; Masai, Eiji; Yumoto, Isao; Kamagata, Yoichi

    2015-01-01

    Anaerobic degradation of lignin-derived aromatics is an important metabolism for carbon and nutrient cycles in soil environments. Although there are some studies on degradation of lignin-derived aromatics by nitrate- and sulfate-reducing bacteria, knowledge on their degradation under methanogenic conditions are quite limited. In this study, methanogenic microbial communities were enriched from rice paddy field soil with lignin-derived methoxylated monoaromatics (vanillate and syringate) and their degradation intermediates (protocatechuate, catechol, and gallate) as the sole carbon and energy sources. Archaeal community analysis disclosed that both aceticlastic (Methanosarcina sp.) and hydrogenotrophic (Methanoculleus sp. and Methanocella sp.) methanogens dominated in all of the enrichments. Bacterial community analysis revealed the dominance of acetogenic bacteria (Sporomusa spp.) only in the enrichments on the methoxylated aromatics, suggesting that Sporomusa spp. initially convert vanillate and syringate into protocatechuate and gallate, respectively, with acetogenesis via O-demethylation. As the putative ring-cleavage microbes, bacteria within the phylum Firmicutes were dominantly detected from all of the enrichments, while the dominant phylotypes were not identical between enrichments on vanillate/protocatechuate/catechol (family Peptococcaceae bacteria) and on syringate/gallate (family Ruminococcaceae bacteria). This study demonstrates the importance of cooperation among acetogens, ring-cleaving fermenters/syntrophs and aceticlastic/hydrogenotrophic methanogens for degradation of lignin-derived aromatics under methanogenic conditions. PMID:26399549

  14. One-step hydroprocessing of fatty acids into renewable aromatic hydrocarbons over Ni/HZSM-5: insights into the major reaction pathways.

    PubMed

    Xing, Shiyou; Lv, Pengmei; Wang, Jiayan; Fu, Junying; Fan, Pei; Yang, Lingmei; Yang, Gaixiu; Yuan, Zhenhong; Chen, Yong

    2017-01-25

    For high caloricity and stability in bio-aviation fuels, a certain content of aromatic hydrocarbons (AHCs, 8-25 wt%) is crucial. Fatty acids, obtained from waste or inedible oils, are a renewable and economic feedstock for AHC production. Considerable amounts of AHCs, up to 64.61 wt%, were produced through the one-step hydroprocessing of fatty acids over Ni/HZSM-5 catalysts. Hydrogenation, hydrocracking, and aromatization constituted the principal AHC formation processes. At a lower temperature, fatty acids were first hydrosaturated and then hydrodeoxygenated at metal sites to form long-chain hydrocarbons. Alternatively, the unsaturated fatty acids could be directly deoxygenated at acid sites without first being saturated. The long-chain hydrocarbons were cracked into gases such as ethane, propane, and C 6 -C 8 olefins over the catalysts' Brønsted acid sites; these underwent Diels-Alder reactions on the catalysts' Lewis acid sites to form AHCs. C 6 -C 8 olefins were determined as critical intermediates for AHC formation. As the Ni content in the catalyst increased, the Brønsted-acid site density was reduced due to coverage by the metal nanoparticles. Good performance was achieved with a loading of 10 wt% Ni, where the Ni nanoparticles exhibited a polyhedral morphology which exposed more active sites for aromatization.

  15. CHEMISTRY OF OXIDATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS BY SOIL PSEUDOMONADS

    PubMed Central

    Rogoff, Martin H.

    1962-01-01

    Rogoff, Martin H. (U.S. Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, Pa.). Oxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by soil pseudomonads. J. Bacteriol. 83:998–1004. 1962.—Substitution of phenanthrene by a methyl group at the 9-carbon blocks oxidation of the compound by a resting-cell suspension of a phenanthrene-grown soil pseudomonad. When 2-methylphenanthrene is provided, the oxidation rate is considerably higher; 3-methylphenanthrene is oxidized at a rate intermediate between the other two, even though the methyl group is attached to a carbon directly involved in ring splitting. Cells grown on naphthalene or anthracene oxidize phenanthrene at a much lower rate than cells grown with phenanthrene or 2-methylnaphthalene as the source of carbon. Naphthalene-grown cells also absorb less phenanthrene from aqueous solution than do their phenanthrene-grown counterparts. The data are in keeping with the hypothesis that polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons attach to the relevant bacterial enzymes at carbon-carbon bonds of high electron density (K regions; localized double bonds), and that the ring-splitting reactions then occur at other bonds on the substrate molecule. The actual bond that undergoes fission is determined by the electronic and steric configurations of the enzyme-substrate complex. When linearly arranged aromatic compounds such as naphthalene or anthracene are attacked, attachment to an enzyme and ring splitting may take place on the same ring; angular aromatic compounds such as phenanthrene afford attachment to an enzyme at a bond in a ring other than the one containing the ring-splitting site. PMID:14493381

  16. Evolution of a Fourth Generation Catalyst for the Amination and Thioetherification of Aryl Halides

    PubMed Central

    Hartwig, John F.

    2010-01-01

    Conspectus Synthetic methods to form the carbon-nitrogen bonds in aromatic amines are fundamental enough to be considered part of introductory organic courses. Arylamines are important because they are common precursors to or substructures within active pharmaceutical ingredients and herbicides produced on ton scales, as well as conducting polymers and layers of organic light-emitting diodes produced on small scale. For many years, this class of compound was prepared from classical methods, such as nitration, reduction and reductive alkylation, copper-mediated chemistry at high temperatures, addition to benzyne intermediates, or direct nucleophilic substitution on particularly electron-poor aromatic or heteroaromatic halides. During the past decade, these methods to form aromatic amines have been largely supplanted by palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions of amines with aryl halides. The scope and efficiency of the palladium-catalyzed processes has gradually improved with successive generations of catalysts to the point of being useful for the synthesis of both milligrams and kilograms of product. This Account describes the conceptual basis and utility of our latest, “fourth-generation” catalyst for the coupling of amines and related reagents with aryl halides. The introductory sections of this account describe the progression of catalyst development from the first-generation to current systems and the motivation for selection of the components of the fourth-generation catalyst. This progression began with catalysts containing palladium and sterically hindered monodentate aromatic phosphines used initially for coupling of tin amides with haloarenes in the first work on C-N coupling. A second generation of catalysts was then developed based on the combination of palladium and aromatic bisphosphines. These systems were then followed by third-generation systems catalysts on the combination of palladium and a sterically hindered alkylmonophosphine or N-heterocyclic carbene. During the past five years, we have studied a fourth-generation catalyst for these reactions containing ligands that combine the chelating properties of the second-generation systems with the steric hindrance and strong electron donation of the third-generation systems. This combination has created a catalyst that couples aryl chlorides, bromides and iodides with primary amines, N-H imines, and hydrazones in high yield, with broad scope, high functional group tolerance, nearly perfect selectivity for monoarylation, and the lowest levels of palladium that have been used for C-N coupling. This catalyst is based on palladium and a sterically hindered version of the Josiphos family of ligands that possesses a ferrocenyl-1-ethylbackbone, a hindered di-tert-butylphosphino group, and a hindered dicyclohexylphosphino group. This latest generation of catalyst not only improves the coupling of primary amines and related nucleophiles, but it has dramatically improved the coupling of thiols with haloarenes to form C-S bonds. This catalyst system couples both aliphatic and aromatic thiols with chloroarenes with much greater scope, functional group tolerance, and turnover numbers than had been observed previously. The effects of structural features of the Josiphos ligand on catalyst activity have been revealed by examining the reactivity of catalysts generated from ligands lacking one or more of the structural elements of the most active catalyst. These modified ligands lack the relative stereochemistry of the ferrocenyl-1-ethyl backbone, the strong electron donation of the dialkylphosphino groups, the steric demands of the alkylphosphine groups, or the stability of the ferrocenyl unit. This set of studies showed that each one of these structural features contributed to the high reactivity and selectivity of the catalyst containing the hindered, bidentate Josiphos ligand. Finally, a series of studies on the effect of electronic properties on the rates of reductive elimination have recently distinguished between the effect of the properties of the M-N σ-bond and the nitrogen electron pair on the rate of reductive elimination. These studies have shown that the effect of substituents attached to the metal-bound nitrogen or carbon atoms on the rate of reductive elimination are similar. Because the amido ligands contain an electron pair, while the alkyl ligands do not, we have concluded that the major electronic effect is transmitted through the σ-bond. In other words, we have concluded that the electronic effect on the metal-nitrogen σ bond dominates an electronic effect on the nitrogen electron pair. PMID:18681463

  17. Electrostatic Potential Maps and Natural Bond Orbital Analysis: Visualization and Conceptualization of Reactivity in Sanger's Reagent

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mottishaw, Jeffery D.; Erck, Adam R.; Kramer, Jordan H.; Sun, Haoran; Koppang, Miles

    2015-01-01

    Frederick Sanger's early work on protein sequencing through the use of colorimetric labeling combined with liquid chromatography involves an important nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S[subscript N]Ar) reaction in which the N-terminus of a protein is tagged with Sanger's reagent. Understanding the inherent differences between this S[subscript…

  18. Aliphatic peptides show similar self-assembly to amyloid core sequences, challenging the importance of aromatic interactions in amyloidosis.

    PubMed

    Lakshmanan, Anupama; Cheong, Daniel W; Accardo, Angelo; Di Fabrizio, Enzo; Riekel, Christian; Hauser, Charlotte A E

    2013-01-08

    The self-assembly of abnormally folded proteins into amyloid fibrils is a hallmark of many debilitating diseases, from Alzheimer's and Parkinson diseases to prion-related disorders and diabetes type II. However, the fundamental mechanism of amyloid aggregation remains poorly understood. Core sequences of four to seven amino acids within natural amyloid proteins that form toxic fibrils have been used to study amyloidogenesis. We recently reported a class of systematically designed ultrasmall peptides that self-assemble in water into cross-β-type fibers. Here we compare the self-assembly of these peptides with natural core sequences. These include core segments from Alzheimer's amyloid-β, human amylin, and calcitonin. We analyzed the self-assembly process using circular dichroism, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, rheology, and molecular dynamics simulations. We found that the designed aliphatic peptides exhibited a similar self-assembly mechanism to several natural sequences, with formation of α-helical intermediates being a common feature. Interestingly, the self-assembly of a second core sequence from amyloid-β, containing the diphenylalanine motif, was distinctly different from all other examined sequences. The diphenylalanine-containing sequence formed β-sheet aggregates without going through the α-helical intermediate step, giving a unique fiber-diffraction pattern and simulation structure. Based on these results, we propose a simplified aliphatic model system to study amyloidosis. Our results provide vital insight into the nature of early intermediates formed and suggest that aromatic interactions are not as important in amyloid formation as previously postulated. This information is necessary for developing therapeutic drugs that inhibit and control amyloid formation.

  19. Phagocyte NADPH Oxidase, but Not Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase, Is Essential for Early Control of Burkholderia cepacia and Chromobacterium violaceum Infection in Mice

    PubMed Central

    Segal, Brahm H.; Ding, Li; Holland, Steven M.

    2003-01-01

    Reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates have critical, partially overlapping roles in host defense against a variety of pathogens. Using mice deficient in generating phagocyte superoxide (p47phox−/−) and mice deficient in generating inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS−/−), we examined the roles of these reactive species in host defense against Burkholderia cepacia and Chromobacterium violaceum, organisms known to have unusual virulence in chronic granulomatous disease. Intraperitoneal B. cepacia challenge (4.0 × 103 to 4.0 × 105 organisms/mouse) resulted in mortality in all p47phox−/− mice, with the survival interval being inversely proportionate to the amount of inoculum. Pretreatment with gamma interferon did not affect survival. C. violaceum was strikingly virulent in p47phox−/− mice (the 50% lethal dose [LD50] was <13 organisms). iNOS−/− and wild-type mice were resistant to B. cepacia challenges of at least 106 organisms per mouse, and the LD50 of C. violaceum was between 106 and 107 organisms per mouse. Consistent with the survival data, numbers of organisms in cultures of B. cepacia from multiple sites were higher for p47phox−/− mice than for iNOS−/− and wild-type mice at day 4 after challenge, but numbers of organisms for different B. cepacia strains varied. The recovery of C. violaceum was strikingly greater at 18 h after challenge for p47phox−/− mice than for iNOS−/− and wild-type mice, in which the organism burdens were virtually nil. In vitro, both B. cepacia and C. violaceum were sensitive to H2O2 and to reactive nitrogen intermediates but the sensitivities of different strains varied significantly. Host defense against B. cepacia and C. violaceum is critically dependent in vivo on reactive oxygen intermediates, and these species are model organisms to further dissect host and pathogen interactions related to the generation and scavenging of microbicidal reactive intermediates. PMID:12496167

  20. Multicomponent kinetic analysis and theoretical studies on the phenolic intermediates in the oxidation of eugenol and isoeugenol catalyzed by laccase.

    PubMed

    Qi, Yan-Bing; Wang, Xiao-Lei; Shi, Ting; Liu, Shuchang; Xu, Zhen-Hao; Li, Xiqing; Shi, Xuling; Xu, Ping; Zhao, Yi-Lei

    2015-11-28

    Laccase catalyzes the oxidation of natural phenols and thereby is believed to initialize reactions in lignification and delignification. Numerous phenolic mediators have also been applied in laccase-mediator systems. However, reaction details after the primary O-H rupture of phenols remain obscure. In this work two types of isomeric phenols, EUG (eugenol) and ISO (trans-/cis-isoeugenol), were used as chemical probes to explore the enzymatic reaction pathways, with the combined methods of time-resolved UV-Vis absorption spectra, MCR-ALS, HPLC-MS, and quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. It has been found that the EUG-consuming rate is linear to its concentration, while the ISO not. Besides, an o-methoxy quinone methide intermediate, (E/Z)-4-allylidene-2-methoxycyclohexa-2,5-dienone, was evidenced in the case of EUG with the UV-Vis measurement, mass spectra and TD-DFT calculations; in contrast, an ISO-generating phenoxyl radical, a (E/Z)-2-methoxy-4-(prop-1-en-1-yl) phenoxyl radical, was identified in the case of ISO. Furthermore, QM calculations indicated that the EUG-generating phenoxyl radical (an O-centered radical) can easily transform into an allylic radical (a C-centered radical) by hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) with a calculated activation enthalpy of 5.3 kcal mol(-1) and then be fast oxidized to the observed eugenol quinone methide, rather than an O-radical alkene addition with barriers above 12.8 kcal mol(-1). In contrast, the ISO-generating phenoxyl radical directly undergoes a radical coupling (RC) process, with a barrier of 4.8 kcal mol(-1), while the HAT isomerization between O- and C-centered radicals has a higher reaction barrier of 8.0 kcal mol(-1). The electronic conjugation of the benzyl-type radical and the aromatic allylic radical leads to differentiation of the two pathways. These results imply that competitive reaction pathways exist for the nascent reactive intermediates generated in the laccase-catalyzed oxidation of natural phenols, which is important for understanding the lignin polymerization and may shed some light on the development of efficient laccase-mediator systems.

  1. Catalytic Upgrading of Thermochemical Intermediates to Hydrocarbons: Conversion of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks to Aromatic Fuels and High Value Chemicals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cortright, Randy; Rozmiarek, Bob; Van Straten, Matt

    The principal objective of this project was to develop a fully integrated catalytic process that efficiently converts lignocellulosic feedstocks (e.g. bagasse, corn stover, and loblolly pine) into aromatic-rich fuels and chemicals. Virent led this effort with key feedstock support from Iowa State University. Within this project, Virent leveraged knowledge of catalytic processing of sugars and biomass to investigate two liquefaction technologies (Reductive Catalytic Liquefaction (USA Patent No. 9,212,320, 2015) and Solvolysis (USA Patent No. 9,157,030, 2015) (USA Patent No. 9,157,031, 2015)) that take advantage of proprietary catalysts at temperatures less than 300°C in the presence of unique solvent molecules generatedmore » in-situ within the liquefaction processes.« less

  2. A strategy for aromatic hydrocarbon bioremediation under anaerobic conditions and the impacts of ethanol: A microcosm study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Yu Dao; Barker, James F.; Gui, Lai

    2008-02-01

    Increased use of ethanol-blended gasoline (gasohol) and its potential release into the subsurface have spurred interest in studying the biodegradation of and interactions between ethanol and gasoline components such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) in groundwater plumes. The preferred substrate status and the high biological oxygen demand (BOD) posed by ethanol and its biodegradation products suggests that anaerobic electron acceptors (EAs) will be required to support in situ bioremediation of BTEX. To develop a strategy for aromatic hydrocarbon bioremediation and to understand the impacts of ethanol on BTEX biodegradation under strictly anaerobic conditions, a microcosm experiment was conducted using pristine aquifer sand and groundwater obtained from Canadian Forces Base Borden, Canada. The initial electron accepter pool included nitrate, sulfate and/or ferric iron. The microcosms typically contained 400 g of sediment, 600˜800 ml of groundwater, and with differing EAs added, and were run under anaerobic conditions. Ethanol was added to some at concentrations of 500 and 5000 mg/L. Trends for biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons for the Borden aquifer material were first developed in the absence of ethanol, The results showed that indigenous microorganisms could degrade all aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX and trimethylbenzene isomers-TMB) under nitrate- and ferric iron-combined conditions, but not under sulfate-reducing conditions. Toluene, ethylbenzene and m/p-xylene were biodegraded under denitrifying conditions. However, the persistence of benzene indicated that enhancing denitrification alone was insufficient. Both benzene and o-xylene biodegraded significantly under iron-reducing conditions, but only after denitrification had removed other aromatics. For the trimethylbenzene isomers, 1,3,5-TMB biodegradation was found under denitrifying and then iron-reducing conditions. Biodegradation of 1,2,3-TMB or 1,2,4-TMB was slower under iron-reducing conditions. This study suggests that addition of excess ferric iron combined with limited nitrate has promise for in situ bioremediation of BTEX and TMB in the Borden aquifer and possibly for other sites contaminated by hydrocarbons. This study is the first to report 1,2,3-TMB biodegradation under strictly anaerobic condition. With the addition of 500 mg/L ethanol but without EA addition, ethanol and its main intermediate, acetate, were quickly biodegraded within 41 d with methane as a major product. Ethanol initially present at 5000 mg/L without EA addition declined slowly with the persistence of unidentified volatile fatty acids, likely propionate and butyrate, but less methane. In contrast, all ethanol disappeared with repeated additions of either nitrate or ferric iron, but acetate and unidentified intermediates persisted under iron-enhanced conditions. With the addition of 500 mg/L ethanol and nitrate, only minor toluene biodegradation was observed under denitrifying conditions and only after ethanol and acetate were utilized. The higher ethanol concentration (5000 mg/L) essentially shut down BTEX biodegradation likely due to high EA demand provided by ethanol and its intermediates. The negative findings for anaerobic BTEX biodegradation in the presence of ethanol and/or its biodegradation products are in contrast to recent research reported by Da Silva et al. [Da Silva, M.L.B., Ruiz-Aguilar, G.M.L., Alvarez, P.J.J., 2005. Enhanced anaerobic biodegradation of BTEX-ethanol mixtures in aquifer columns amended with sulfate, chelated ferric iron or nitrate. Biodegradation. 16, 105-114]. Our results suggest that the apparent conservation of high residual labile carbon as biodegradation products such as acetate makes natural attenuation of aromatics less effective, and makes subsequent addition of EAs to promote in situ BTEX biodegradation problematic.

  3. Bond formations by intermolecular and intramolecular trappings of acylketenes and their applications in natural product synthesis†

    PubMed Central

    Reber, Keith P.; Tilley, S. David

    2011-01-01

    The reactive intermediates known as acylketenes exhibit a rich chemistry and have been extensively utilized for many types of inter- and intramolecular bond-forming reactions within the field of organic synthesis. Characteristic reactions of acylketenes include cycloadditions, carbon–carbon bond-forming reactions, and nucleophilic capture with alcohols or amines to give β-keto acid derivatives. In particular, the intramolecular capture of acylketene intermediates with pendant nucleophiles represents a powerful method for forming both medium-sized rings and macrocycles, often in high yield. This tutorial review examines the history, generation, and reactivity of acylketenes with a special focus on their applications in the synthesis of natural products. PMID:19847338

  4. Multifunctional receptor model for dioxin and related compound toxic action: possible thyroid hormone-responsive effector-linked site.

    PubMed Central

    McKinney, J D

    1989-01-01

    Molecular/theoretical modeling studies have revealed that thyroid hormones and toxic chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons of environmental significance (for which dioxin or TCDD is the prototype) have similar structural properties that could be important in molecular recognition in biochemical systems. These molecular properties include a somewhat rigid, sterically accessible and polarizable aromatic ring and size-limited, hydrophobic lateral substituents, usually contained in opposite adjoining rings of a diphenyl compound. These molecular properties define the primary binding groups thought to be important in molecular recognition of both types of structures in biochemical systems. Similar molecular reactivities are supported by the demonstration of effective specific binding of thyroid hormones and chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons with four different proteins, enzymes, or receptor preparations that are known or suspected to be involved in the expression of thyroid hormone activity. These binding interactions represent both aromatic-aromatic (stacking) and molecular cleft-type recognition processes. A multiple protein or multifunctional receptor-ligand binding mechanism model is proposed as a way of visualizing the details and possible role of both the stacking and cleft type molecular recognition factors in the expression of biological activity. The model suggests a means by which hormone-responsive effector-linked sites (possible protein-protein-DNA complexes) can maintain highly structurally specific control of hormone action. Finally, the model also provides a theoretical basis for the design and conduct of further biological experimentation on the molecular mechanism(s) of action of toxic chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons and thyroid hormones. Images FIGURE 3. A FIGURE 3. B FIGURE 3. C FIGURE 3. D PMID:2551666

  5. Sensory Clusters of Adults with and without Autism Spectrum Conditions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elwin, Marie; Schröder, Agneta; Ek, Lena; Wallsten, Tuula; Kjellin, Lars

    2017-01-01

    We identified clusters of atypical sensory functioning adults with ASC by hierarchical cluster analysis. A new scale for commonly self-reported sensory reactivity was used as a measure. In a low frequency group (n = 37), all subscale scores were relatively low, in particular atypical sensory/motor reactivity. In the intermediate group (n = 17)…

  6. Guanosine radical reactivity explored by pulse radiolysis coupled with transient electrochemistry.

    PubMed

    Latus, A; Alam, M S; Mostafavi, M; Marignier, J-L; Maisonhaute, E

    2015-06-04

    We follow the reactivity of a guanosine radical created by a radiolytic electron pulse both by spectroscopic and electrochemical methods. This original approach allows us to demonstrate that there is a competition between oxidation and reduction of these intermediates, an important result to further analyse the degradation or repair pathways of DNA bases.

  7. Preignition and Autoignition Behavior of the Xylene Isomers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-03-01

    of the carbon-carbon bond at the carbon atom one removed from the radical site (Law, 2006). 10 ketohydroperoxide produces another hydroxyl radical...paraffin, naphthene , and aromatic content of jet fuel samples fairly well (Holley et al., 2007). A more detailed chemical speciation has been...an intermediate from toluene oxidation in the PFR facility. This also removes concern that phenol may have reacted during the quenching process, if

  8. The Metabolism of Tetralin in Fischer 344 Rats

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-04-01

    evaluated petroleum and shale-derived JP-5, a jet fuel composed of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons with the majority of the straight-chain...much like gasoline. JP-8 is a mixture of hydrocarbons of intermediate boiling point and volatility and is similar to the civilian jet fuel , A-1. DFM...toxicity of conventional versus shale-derived JP-5 jet fuel : Light microscopy, hematologic, and serum chemistry studies. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol, 57

  9. Precursors to radiopharmaceutical agents for tissue imaging

    DOEpatents

    Srivastava, Prem C.; Knapp, Jr., Furn F.

    1988-01-01

    A class of radiolabeled compounds to be used in tissue imaging that exhibits rapid brain uptake, good brain:blood radioactivity ratios, and long retention times. The imaging agents are more specifically radioiodinated aromatic amines attached to dihydropyridine carriers, that exhibit heart as well as brain specificity. In addition to the radiolabeled compounds, classes of compounds are also described that are used as precursors and intermediates in the preparation of the imaging agents.

  10. An unusual strategy for the anoxic biodegradation of phthalate.

    PubMed

    Ebenau-Jehle, Christa; Mergelsberg, Mario; Fischer, Stefanie; Brüls, Thomas; Jehmlich, Nico; von Bergen, Martin; Boll, Matthias

    2017-01-01

    In the past two decades, the study of oxygen-independent degradation of widely abundant aromatic compounds in anaerobic bacteria has revealed numerous unprecedented enzymatic principles. Surprisingly, the organisms, metabolites and enzymes involved in the degradation of o-phthalate (1,2-dicarboxybenzene), mainly derived from phthalate esters that are annually produced at the million ton scale, are sparsely known. Here, we demonstrate a previously unknown capacity of complete phthalate degradation in established aromatic compound-degrading, denitrifying model organisms of the genera Thauera, Azoarcus and 'Aromatoleum'. Differential proteome analyses revealed phthalate-induced gene clusters involved in uptake and conversion of phthalate to the central intermediate benzoyl-CoA. Enzyme assays provided in vitro evidence for the formation of phthaloyl-CoA by a succinyl-CoA- and phthalate-specific CoA transferase, which is essential for the subsequent oxygen-sensitive decarboxylation to benzoyl-CoA. The extreme instability of the phthaloyl-CoA intermediate requires highly balanced CoA transferase and decarboxylase activities to avoid its cellular accumulation. Phylogenetic analysis revealed phthaloyl-CoA decarboxylase as a novel member of the UbiD-like, (de)carboxylase enzyme family. Homologs of the encoding gene form a phylogenetic cluster and are found in soil, freshwater and marine bacteria; an ongoing global distribution of a possibly only recently evolved degradation pathway is suggested.

  11. An unusual strategy for the anoxic biodegradation of phthalate

    PubMed Central

    Ebenau-Jehle, Christa; Mergelsberg, Mario; Fischer, Stefanie; Brüls, Thomas; Jehmlich, Nico; von Bergen, Martin; Boll, Matthias

    2017-01-01

    In the past two decades, the study of oxygen-independent degradation of widely abundant aromatic compounds in anaerobic bacteria has revealed numerous unprecedented enzymatic principles. Surprisingly, the organisms, metabolites and enzymes involved in the degradation of o-phthalate (1,2-dicarboxybenzene), mainly derived from phthalate esters that are annually produced at the million ton scale, are sparsely known. Here, we demonstrate a previously unknown capacity of complete phthalate degradation in established aromatic compound-degrading, denitrifying model organisms of the genera Thauera, Azoarcus and ‘Aromatoleum'. Differential proteome analyses revealed phthalate-induced gene clusters involved in uptake and conversion of phthalate to the central intermediate benzoyl-CoA. Enzyme assays provided in vitro evidence for the formation of phthaloyl-CoA by a succinyl-CoA- and phthalate-specific CoA transferase, which is essential for the subsequent oxygen-sensitive decarboxylation to benzoyl-CoA. The extreme instability of the phthaloyl-CoA intermediate requires highly balanced CoA transferase and decarboxylase activities to avoid its cellular accumulation. Phylogenetic analysis revealed phthaloyl-CoA decarboxylase as a novel member of the UbiD-like, (de)carboxylase enzyme family. Homologs of the encoding gene form a phylogenetic cluster and are found in soil, freshwater and marine bacteria; an ongoing global distribution of a possibly only recently evolved degradation pathway is suggested. PMID:27392087

  12. Conductive iron oxide minerals accelerate syntrophic cooperation in methanogenic benzoate degradation.

    PubMed

    Zhuang, Li; Tang, Jia; Wang, Yueqiang; Hu, Min; Zhou, Shungui

    2015-08-15

    Recent studies have suggested that conductive iron oxide minerals can facilitate syntrophic metabolism of the methanogenic degradation of organic matter, such as ethanol, propionate and butyrate, in natural and engineered microbial ecosystems. This enhanced syntrophy involves direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) powered by microorganisms exchanging metabolic electrons through electrically conductive minerals. Here, we evaluated the possibility that conductive iron oxides (hematite and magnetite) can stimulate the methanogenic degradation of benzoate, which is a common intermediate in the anaerobic metabolism of aromatic compounds. The results showed that 89-94% of the electrons released from benzoate oxidation were recovered in CH4 production, and acetate was identified as the only carbon-bearing intermediate during benzoate degradation. Compared with the iron-free controls, the rates of methanogenic benzoate degradation were enhanced by 25% and 53% in the presence of hematite and magnetite, respectively. This stimulatory effect probably resulted from DIET-mediated methanogenesis in which electrons transfer between syntrophic partners via conductive iron minerals. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Bacillaceae, Peptococcaceae, and Methanobacterium are potentially involved in the functioning of syntrophic DIET. Considering the ubiquitous presence of iron minerals within soils and sediments, the findings of this study will increase the current understanding of the natural biological attenuation of aromatic hydrocarbons in anaerobic environments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Organization and control of genes encoding catabolic enzymes in Rhizobiaceae. Progress report, March 1993

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Parke, D.; Ornston, L.N.

    1993-03-01

    Rhizobiaceae, a diverse bacterial group comprising rhizobia and agrobacteria, symbiotic partnership with plants form nitrogen-fixing nodules on plant roots or are plant pathogens. Phenolic compounds produced by plants serve as inducers of rhizobial nodulation genes and agrobacterial virulence genes reflect their capacity to utilize numerous aromatics, including phenolics, as a source of carbon and energy. In many microbes the aerobic degradation of numerous aromatic compounds to tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates is achieved by the {beta}-ketoadipate pathway. Our initial studies focused on the organization and regulation of the ketoadipate pathway in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. We have cloned, identified and characterized a novelmore » regulatory gene that modulates expression of an adjacent pca (protocatechuate) structural gene, pcaD. Regulation of pcaD is mediated by the regulatory gene, termed pcaQ, in concert with the intermediate {beta}-carboxy-cis,cis-muconate. {beta}-carboxy-cis,cismuconate is an unstable chemical, not marketed commercially, and it is unlikely to permeate Escherichia coli cells if supplied in media. Because of these factors, characterization of pcaQ in E. coli required an in vivo delivery system for {beta}-carboxycis,cis-muconate. This was accomplished by designing an E. coli strain that expressed an Acinetobacter calcoaceticus pcaA gene for conversion of protocatechuate to {beta}-carboxy-cis,cis-muconate.« less

  14. Organization and control of genes encoding catabolic enzymes in Rhizobiaceae

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Parke, D.; Ornston, L.N.

    1993-03-01

    Rhizobiaceae, a diverse bacterial group comprising rhizobia and agrobacteria, symbiotic partnership with plants form nitrogen-fixing nodules on plant roots or are plant pathogens. Phenolic compounds produced by plants serve as inducers of rhizobial nodulation genes and agrobacterial virulence genes reflect their capacity to utilize numerous aromatics, including phenolics, as a source of carbon and energy. In many microbes the aerobic degradation of numerous aromatic compounds to tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates is achieved by the [beta]-ketoadipate pathway. Our initial studies focused on the organization and regulation of the ketoadipate pathway in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. We have cloned, identified and characterized a novelmore » regulatory gene that modulates expression of an adjacent pca (protocatechuate) structural gene, pcaD. Regulation of pcaD is mediated by the regulatory gene, termed pcaQ, in concert with the intermediate [beta]-carboxy-cis,cis-muconate. [beta]-carboxy-cis,cismuconate is an unstable chemical, not marketed commercially, and it is unlikely to permeate Escherichia coli cells if supplied in media. Because of these factors, characterization of pcaQ in E. coli required an in vivo delivery system for [beta]-carboxycis,cis-muconate. This was accomplished by designing an E. coli strain that expressed an Acinetobacter calcoaceticus pcaA gene for conversion of protocatechuate to [beta]-carboxy-cis,cis-muconate.« less

  15. Construction and Optimization of a Heterologous Pathway for Protocatechuate Catabolism in Escherichia coli Enables Bioconversion of Model Aromatic Compounds

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Clarkson, Sonya M.; Giannone, Richard J.; Kridelbaugh, Donna M.

    The production of biofuels from lignocellulose yields a substantial lignin by-product stream that currently has few applications. Biological conversion of lignin-derived compounds into chemicals and fuels has the potential to improve the economics of lignocellulose-derived biofuels, but few microbes are able both to catabolize lignin-derived aromatic compounds and to generate valuable products. WhileEscherichia colihas been engineered to produce a variety of fuels and chemicals, it is incapable of catabolizing most aromatic compounds. Therefore, we engineeredE. colito catabolize protocatechuate, a common intermediate in lignin degradation, as the sole source of carbon and energy via heterologous expression of a nine-gene pathway fromPseudomonasmore » putidaKT2440. Then, we used experimental evolution to select for mutations that increased growth with protocatechuate more than 2-fold. Increasing the strength of a single ribosome binding site in the heterologous pathway was sufficient to recapitulate the increased growth. After optimization of the core pathway, we extended the pathway to enable catabolism of a second model compound, 4-hydroxybenzoate. These engineered strains will be useful platforms to discover, characterize, and optimize pathways for conversions of lignin-derived aromatics. IMPORTANCELignin is a challenging substrate for microbial catabolism due to its polymeric and heterogeneous chemical structure. Therefore, engineering microbes for improved catabolism of lignin-derived aromatic compounds will require the assembly of an entire network of catabolic reactions, including pathways from genetically intractable strains. By constructing defined pathways for aromatic compound degradation in a model host would allow rapid identification, characterization, and optimization of novel pathways. Finally, we constructed and optimized one such pathway inE. colito enable catabolism of a model aromatic compound, protocatechuate, and then extended the pathway to a related compound, 4-hydroxybenzoate. This optimized strain can now be used as the basis for the characterization of novel pathways.« less

  16. Construction and Optimization of a Heterologous Pathway for Protocatechuate Catabolism in Escherichia coli Enables Bioconversion of Model Aromatic Compounds.

    PubMed

    Clarkson, Sonya M; Giannone, Richard J; Kridelbaugh, Donna M; Elkins, James G; Guss, Adam M; Michener, Joshua K

    2017-09-15

    The production of biofuels from lignocellulose yields a substantial lignin by-product stream that currently has few applications. Biological conversion of lignin-derived compounds into chemicals and fuels has the potential to improve the economics of lignocellulose-derived biofuels, but few microbes are able both to catabolize lignin-derived aromatic compounds and to generate valuable products. While Escherichia coli has been engineered to produce a variety of fuels and chemicals, it is incapable of catabolizing most aromatic compounds. Therefore, we engineered E. coli to catabolize protocatechuate, a common intermediate in lignin degradation, as the sole source of carbon and energy via heterologous expression of a nine-gene pathway from Pseudomonas putida KT2440. We next used experimental evolution to select for mutations that increased growth with protocatechuate more than 2-fold. Increasing the strength of a single ribosome binding site in the heterologous pathway was sufficient to recapitulate the increased growth. After optimization of the core pathway, we extended the pathway to enable catabolism of a second model compound, 4-hydroxybenzoate. These engineered strains will be useful platforms to discover, characterize, and optimize pathways for conversions of lignin-derived aromatics. IMPORTANCE Lignin is a challenging substrate for microbial catabolism due to its polymeric and heterogeneous chemical structure. Therefore, engineering microbes for improved catabolism of lignin-derived aromatic compounds will require the assembly of an entire network of catabolic reactions, including pathways from genetically intractable strains. Constructing defined pathways for aromatic compound degradation in a model host would allow rapid identification, characterization, and optimization of novel pathways. We constructed and optimized one such pathway in E. coli to enable catabolism of a model aromatic compound, protocatechuate, and then extended the pathway to a related compound, 4-hydroxybenzoate. This optimized strain can now be used as the basis for the characterization of novel pathways. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  17. Catalytic autothermal reforming increases fuel cell flexibility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Flytzani-Stephanopoulos, M.; Voecks, G. E.

    1981-01-01

    Experimental results are presented for the autothermal reforming (ATR) of n-hexane, n-tetradecane, benzene and benzene solutions of naphthalene. The tests were run at atmospheric pressure and at moderately high reactant preheat temperatures in the 800-900 K range. Carbon formation lines were determined for paraffinic and aromatic liquids. Profiles were determined for axial bed temperature and composition. Space velocity efforts were assessed, and the locations and types of carbon were recorded. Significant reactive differences between hydrocarbons were identified. Carbon formation characteristics were hydrocarbon specific. The differing behavior of paraffinic and aromatic fuels with respect to their carbon formation may be important in explaining the narrow range of carbon-free operating conditions found in the ATR of number two fuel oil.

  18. Structure, function and carcinogenicity of metabolites of methylated and non-methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a comprehensive review.

    PubMed

    Flesher, James W; Lehner, Andreas F

    2016-01-01

    The Unified Theory of PAH Carcinogenicity accommodates the activities of methylated and non-methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and states that substitution of methyl groups on meso-methyl substituted PAHs with hydroxy, acetoxy, chloride, bromide or sulfuric acid ester groups imparts potent cancer producing properties. It incorporates specific predictions from past researchers on the mechanism of carcinogenesis by methyl-substituted hydrocarbons, including (1) requirement for metabolism to an ArCH2X type structure where X is a good leaving group and (2) biological substitution of a meso-methyl group at the most reactive center in non-methylated hydrocarbons. The Theory incorporates strong inferences of Fieser: (1) The mechanism of carcinogenesis involves a specific metabolic substitution of a hydrocarbon at its most reactive center and (2) Metabolic elimination of a carcinogen is a detoxifying process competitive with that of carcinogenesis and occurring by a different mechanism. According to this outlook, chemical or biochemical substitution of a methyl group at the reactive meso-position of non-methylated hydrocarbons is the first step in the mechanism of carcinogenesis for most, if not all, PAHs and the most potent metabolites of PAHs are to be found among the meso methyl-substituted hydrocarbons. Some PAHs and their known or potential metabolites and closely related compounds have been tested in rats for production of sarcomas at the site of subcutaneous injection and the results strongly support the specific predictions of the Unified Theory.

  19. CROSS-REACTIVITY OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES AGAINST PEPTIDE 277-294 OF RAINBOW TROUT CYP1A1 WITH HEPATIC CYP1A AMONG FISH. (R823881)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Abstract

    Exposure to a variety of xenobiotics, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), results in the induction of CYP1A and related biological activity. Historically, antibodies against purified CYP1A have been raised...

  20. Facile preparation of oxazole-4-carboxylates and 4-ketones from aldehydes using 3-oxazoline-4-carboxylates as intermediates.

    PubMed

    Murai, Kenichi; Takahara, Yusuke; Matsushita, Tomoyo; Komatsu, Hideyuki; Fujioka, Hiromichi

    2010-08-06

    A novel 2-step synthesis of oxazole-4-carboxylates from aldehydes was developed, which is characterized by the utilization of 3-oxazoline-4-carboxylates as synthetic intermediates. The facile preparation of 4-keto-oxazole derivatives from 3-oxazoline-4-carboxylates based on their interesting reactivity toward Grignard reagents is also described.

  1. Biodecoloration of Reactive Black 5 by the methylotrophic yeast Candida boidinii MM 4035.

    PubMed

    Martorell, María M; Pajot, Hipólito F; Ahmed, Pablo M; de Figueroa, Lucía I C

    2017-03-01

    Azo dyes are extensively used in textile dyeing and other industries. Effluents of dying industries are specially colored and could cause severe damage to the environment. The anaerobic treatment of textile dying effluents is nowadays the preferred option, but it could generate carcinogenic aromatic amines. Recently, yeasts have become a promising alternative, combining unicellular growth with oxidative mechanisms. This work reports the characterization of the first methylotrophic yeast with dye decolorizing ability, Candida boidinii MM 4035 and some insights into its decoloration mechanism. The analysis of two selected media revealed a possible two stages mechanism of Reactive Black 5 decoloration. In glucose poor media, decoloration is incomplete and only the first stage proceeds, leading to the accumulation of a purple compound. In media with higher glucose concentrations, the yeast is able to decolorize totally an initial concentration of 200mg/L. The entire process is co-metabolic, being largely dependent on glucose concentration but being able to proceed with several nitrogen sources. Manganese dependent peroxidase but not laccase activity could be detected during decoloration. Aromatic amines do not accumulate in culture media, supporting an oxidative decoloration mechanism of unknown ecophysiological relevance. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. Dynein-ADP as a force-generating intermediate revealed by a rapid reactivation of flagellar axoneme.

    PubMed Central

    Tani, T; Kamimura, S

    1999-01-01

    Fragmented flagellar axonemes of sand dollar spermatozoa were reactivated by rapid photolysis of caged ATP. After a time lag of 10 ms, axonemes treated with protease started sliding disintegration. Axonemes without protease digestion started nanometer-scale high-frequency oscillation after a similar time lag. Force development in the sliding disintegration was measured with a flexible glass needle and its time course was corresponded well to that of the dynein-ADP intermediate production estimated using kinetic rates previously reported. However, with a high concentration ( approximately 80 microM) of vanadate, which binds to the dynein-ADP intermediate and forms a stable complex of dynein-ADP-vanadate, the time course of force development in sliding disintegration was not affected at all. In the case of high frequency oscillation, the time lag to start the oscillation, the initial amplitude, and the initial frequency were not affected by vanadate, though the oscillation once started was damped more quickly at higher concentrations of vanadate. These results suggest that during the initial turnover of ATP hydrolysis, force generation of dynein is not blocked by vanadate. A vanadate-insensitive dynein-ADP is postulated as a force-generating intermediate. PMID:10465762

  3. Reactivity of Criegee Intermediates toward Carbon Dioxide.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yen-Hsiu; Takahashi, Kaito; Lin, Jim Jr-Min

    2018-01-04

    Recent theoretical work by Kumar and Francisco suggested that the high reactivity of Criegee intermediates (CIs) could be utilized for designing efficient carbon capture technologies. Because the anti-CH 3 CHOO + CO 2 reaction has the lowest barrier in their study, we chose to investigate it experimentally. We probed anti-CH 3 CHOO with its strong UV absorption at 365 nm and measured the rate coefficient to be ≤2 × 10 -17 cm 3 molecule -1 s -1 at 298 K, which is consistent with our theoretical value of 2.1 × 10 -17 cm 3  molecule -1 s -1 at the QCISD(T)/CBS//B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p) level but inconsistent with their results obtained at the M06-2X/aug-cc-pVTZ level, which tends to underestimate the barrier heights. The experimental result indicates that the reaction of a Criegee intermediate with atmospheric CO 2 (400 ppmv) would be inefficient (k eff < 0.2 s -1 ) and cannot compete with other decay processes of Criegee intermediates like reactions with water vapor (∼10 3 s -1 ) or thermal decomposition (∼10 2 s -1 ).

  4. Iodine-catalyzed diazo activation to access radical reactivity.

    PubMed

    Li, Pan; Zhao, Jingjing; Shi, Lijun; Wang, Jin; Shi, Xiaodong; Li, Fuwei

    2018-05-17

    Transition-metal-catalyzed diazo activation is a classical way to generate metal carbene, which are valuable intermediates in synthetic organic chemistry. An alternative iodine-catalyzed diazo activation is disclosed herein under either photo-initiated or thermal-initiated conditions, which represents an approach to enable carbene radical reactivity. This metal-free diazo activation strategy were successfully applied into olefin cyclopropanation and epoxidation, and applying this method to pyrrole synthesis under thermal-initiated conditions further demonstrates the unique reactivity using this method over typical metal-catalyzed conditions.

  5. Ethylbenzene induces microsomal oxygen free radical generation: antibody-directed characterization of the responsible cytochrome P450 enzymes.

    PubMed

    Serron, S C; Dwivedi, N; Backes, W L

    2000-05-01

    Small aromatic hydrocarbons cause changes in oxidative metabolism by modulating the levels of cytochrome P450 enzymes, with the changes in these enzymes being responsible for qualitative changes in aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism. The goal of this study was to determine if exposure to the small alkylbenzene ethylbenzene (EB) leads to an increase in hepatic free radical production. Male F344 rats were treated with ip injections of EB (10 mmol/kg) and compared to corn oil controls. Hepatic free radical production was examined by measuring the conversion of 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) to its fluorescent product 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein (DCF). A significant elevation of fluorescent DCF production was observed after treatment with EB, despite the lack of effect on overall cytochrome P450 levels. This process was shown to be inhibitable by metyrapone, an inhibitor of P450. DCF production was also inhibited by catalase, suggesting that hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is one of the reactive oxygen intermediates involved in EB-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. Interestingly, superoxide dismutase (SOD) did not inhibit DCF production in corn oil-treated rats but was an effective inhibitor in the EB-treated groups. In an effort to determine if the increase in ROS production was related to changes in specific P450 enzymes, DCF production was measured in the presence of anti-CYP2B, anti-CYP2C11, anti-CYP2E1, and anti-CYP3A2 inhibitory antibodies. Anti-CYP2B antibodies inhibited DCF production in EB-treated, but not corn oil groups, which is consistent with the low constitutive levels of this enzyme and its induction by EB. The data also demonstrate that CYP2B contributes to ROS production. Anti-CYP2C11 did not influence DCF production in either group. ROS formation in corn oil-treated rats as well as in ethylbenzene-treated rats was also inhibited with antibodies to anti-CYP2E1 and anti-CYP3A2. These results suggest that CYP2C11 does not appear to influence free radical production and that the increase in free radical production in EB treated rats is consistent with the EB-mediated elevation of CYP2B, CYP 2E1, and CYP3A2. Such alterations in free radical generation in response to hydrocarbon treatment may contribute to the toxicity of these compounds. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

  6. Electronic Structure Contributions to Reactivity in Xanthine Oxidase Family Enzymes

    PubMed Central

    Stein, Benjamin W.; Kirk, Martin L.

    2016-01-01

    We review the xanthine oxidase (XO) family of pyranopterin molybdenum enzymes with a specific emphasis on electronic structure contributions to reactivity. In addition to xanthine and aldehyde oxidoreductases, which catalyze the 2-electron oxidation of aromatic heterocycles and aldehyde substrates, this mini-review highlights recent work on the closely related carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) that catalyzes the oxidation of CO using a unique Mo-Cu heterobimetallic active site. A primary focus of this mini-review relates to how spectroscopy and computational methods have been used to develop an understanding of critical relationships between geometric structure, electronic structure, and catalytic function. PMID:25425163

  7. Krebs Cycle Intermediates Protective against Oxidative Stress by Modulating the Level of Reactive Oxygen Species in Neuronal HT22 Cells.

    PubMed

    Sawa, Kenta; Uematsu, Takumi; Korenaga, Yusuke; Hirasawa, Ryuya; Kikuchi, Masatoshi; Murata, Kyohei; Zhang, Jian; Gai, Xiaoqing; Sakamoto, Kazuichi; Koyama, Tomoyuki; Satoh, Takumi

    2017-03-16

    Krebs cycle intermediates (KCIs) are reported to function as energy substrates in mitochondria and to exert antioxidants effects on the brain. The present study was designed to identify which KCIs are effective neuroprotective compounds against oxidative stress in neuronal cells. Here we found that pyruvate, oxaloacetate, and α-ketoglutarate, but not lactate, citrate, iso-citrate, succinate, fumarate, or malate, protected HT22 cells against hydrogen peroxide-mediated toxicity. These three intermediates reduced the production of hydrogen peroxide-activated reactive oxygen species, measured in terms of 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate fluorescence. In contrast, none of the KCIs-used at 1 mM-protected against cell death induced by high concentrations of glutamate-another type of oxidative stress-induced neuronal cell death. Because these protective KCIs did not have any toxic effects (at least up to 10 mM), they have potential use for therapeutic intervention against chronic neurodegenerative diseases.

  8. Enhanced formation of secondary air pollutants and aggravation of urban smog due to crop residue burning emissions in North India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarkar, Chinmoy; Kumar, Vinod; Sinha, Vinayak

    2013-04-01

    Biomass burning causes intense perturbations to regional atmospheric chemistry and air quality and is a significant global source of reactive pollutants to the atmosphere (Andreae and Merlet, 2001). In November 2012, large areas in North India including New Delhi experienced several weeks of aggravated smog and poor air quality due to the impact of crop residue burning, which is a biannual post harvest activity that occurs during Oct-Nov and April-May every year in the agricultural belts of North western India. In-situ high temporal resolution (1 measurement every minute) measurements of a suite of volatile organic compounds measured using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) such as acetonitrile (biomass burning tracer) and aromatic hydrocarbons were performed simultaneously with carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and aerosol mass concentrations (PM 2.5 and PM 10) at a suburban site (30.667°N, 76.729°E and 310 m asl), impacted by air masses that had passed over the burning fields less than 72 hours ago. By using data from the same season but before the post harvest crop residue burning activity had commenced, we were able to quantify enhancements in ambient levels of the measured species due to the crop residue burning activity. When air masses influenced by the fire emissions reached the measurement site, peak values of about 8 ppbV acetonitrile, 4 ppmV CO, 100 ppbV NOx , 30 ppbV toluene and 15 ppbV benzene were observed which represented a factor of 2-5 increase over their ambient levels in the non-fire influenced period. Emission ratios of aromatic hydrocarbons/CO also showed a marked increase. Non fire event (N.F. E.) influenced and fire event (F.E.) influenced air masses had the following emission ratio enhancements: benzene/CO (N.F.E = 3; F.E. = 5), toluene/CO (N.F.E = 4; F.E. = 8.7) and sum of C8 aromatics/CO (N.F.E = 4; F.E. = 7.3) and sum of C9 aromatics/CO (N.F.E = 2.6; F.E. = 3.4). The OH reactivity of air masses which has strong implications for the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere increased from an average value of 14 /s (N.F.E.) to 40 /s (F.E.) just due to CO, NOx and the measured aromatics. The observed increase in ozone was 10ppbV higher after sunrise on the day after the fire plume was sampled and driven by the sudden NOx availability at a site that normally falls in a NOx limited ozone production regime. The strong pollutant enhancements in carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons that are also highly reactive and fuel ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation when accompanied by the high NOx and CO levels resulting from crop residue burning in N. India, clearly highlight the need to address the practice of crop residue burning which strongly alters the composition and chemistry of the atmosphere with adverse effects on both air quality and health. This study is the first from within India to combine fast in-situ PTR-MS VOC emission tracer measurements with online measurements of primary pollutants and MODIS satellite data. Further targeted studies employing a comprehensive measurement suite of both aerosol and gas species are needed to assess the full impact of crop residue burning on atmospheric chemistry and regional air quality. Acknowledgement: We thank the IISER Mohali Atmospheric Chemistry Facility for data and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD),India and IISER Mohali for funding the facility. Vinod Kumar acknowledges the DST INSPIRE Fellowship programme. Chinmoy Sarkar thanks the Max Planck-DST India Partner Group on Tropospheric OH reactivity and VOCs for funding support.

  9. Crystal structures of alkylperoxo and anhydride intermediates in an intradiol ring-cleaving dioxygenase

    DOE PAGES

    Knoot, Cory J.; Purpero, Vincent M.; Lipscomb, John D.

    2014-12-29

    Intradiol aromatic ring-cleaving dioxygenases use an active site, nonheme Fe 3+ to activate O 2 and catecholic substrates for reaction. The inability of Fe 3+ to directly bind O 2 presents a mechanistic conundrum. The reaction mechanism of protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase is investigated in this paper using the alternative substrate 4-fluorocatechol. This substrate is found to slow the reaction at several steps throughout the mechanistic cycle, allowing the intermediates to be detected in solution studies. When the reaction was initiated in an enzyme crystal, it was found to halt at one of two intermediates depending on the pH of the surroundingmore » solution. The X-ray crystal structure of the intermediate at pH 6.5 revealed the key alkylperoxo-Fe 3+ species, and the anhydride-Fe 3+ intermediate was found for a crystal reacted at pH 8.5. Intermediates of these types have not been structurally characterized for intradiol dioxygenases, and they validate four decades of spectroscopic, kinetic, and computational studies. In contrast to our similar in crystallo crystallographic studies of an Fe 2+-containing extradiol dioxygenase, no evidence for a superoxo or peroxo intermediate preceding the alkylperoxo was found. This observation and the lack of spectroscopic evidence for an Fe 2+ intermediate that could bind O 2 are consistent with concerted formation of the alkylperoxo followed by Criegee rearrangement to yield the anhydride and ultimately ring-opened product. Finally, structural comparison of the alkylperoxo intermediates from the intra- and extradiol dioxygenases provides a rationale for site specificity of ring cleavage.« less

  10. What Have Metabolomics Approaches Taught Us About Type 2 Diabetes?

    PubMed

    Gonzalez-Franquesa, Alba; Burkart, Alison M; Isganaitis, Elvira; Patti, Mary-Elizabeth

    2016-08-01

    Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing worldwide, making identification of biomarkers for detection, staging, and effective prevention strategies an especially critical scientific and medical goal. Fortunately, advances in metabolomics techniques, together with improvements in bioinformatics and mathematical modeling approaches, have provided the scientific community with new tools to describe the T2D metabolome. The metabolomics signatures associated with T2D and obesity include increased levels of lactate, glycolytic intermediates, branched-chain and aromatic amino acids, and long-chain fatty acids. Conversely, tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, betaine, and other metabolites decrease. Future studies will be required to fully integrate these and other findings into our understanding of diabetes pathophysiology and to identify biomarkers of disease risk, stage, and responsiveness to specific treatments.

  11. Synthesis of Some "Cobaloxime" Derivatives: A Demonstration of "Umpolung" in the Reactivity of an Organometallic Complex

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jameson, Donald L.; Grzybowski, Joseph J.; Hammels, Deb E.; Castellano, Ronald K.; Hoke, Molly E.; Freed, Kimberly; Basquill, Sean; Mendel, Angela; Shoemaker, William J.

    1998-04-01

    This article describes a four-reaction sequence for the synthesis of two organometallic "cobaloxime" derivatives. The concept of "Umpolung" or reversal of reactivity is demonstrated in the preparation of complexes. The complex Co(dmgH)2(4-t-BuPy)Et is formed by the reaction of a cobalt (I) intermediate (cobalt in the role of nucleophile) with ethyl iodide. The complex Co(dmgH)2(4-t-BuPy)Ph is formed by the reaction of PhMgBr with a cobalt (III) intermediate (cobalt in the role of electrophile). All the products contain cobalt in the diamagnetic +3 oxidation state and are readily characterized by proton and carbon NMR. The four reaction sequence may be completed in two 4-hour lab periods. Cobaloximes are well known as model complexes for Vitamin B-12 and the experiment exposes students to aspects of classical coordination chemistry, organometallic chemistry and bioinorganic chemistry. The experiment also illustrates an important reactivity parallel between organic and organometallic chemistry.

  12. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kersten, Roland D.; Diedrich, Jolene K.; Yates, III, John R.

    Terpenes are ubiquitous natural chemicals with diverse biological functions spanning all three domains of life. In specialized metabolism, the active sites of terpene synthases (TPSs) evolve in shape and reactivity to direct the biosynthesis of a myriad of chemotypes for organismal fitness. As most terpene biosynthesis mechanistically involves highly reactive carbocationic intermediates, the protein surfaces catalyzing these cascade reactions possess reactive regions possibly prone to premature carbocation capture and potentially enzyme inactivation. Here, we show using proteomic and X-ray crystallographic analyses that cationic intermediates undergo capture by conserved active site residues leading to inhibitory self-alkylation. Furthermore, the level of cation-mediatedmore » inactivation increases with mutation of the active site, upon changes in the size and structure of isoprenoid diphosphate substrates, and alongside increases in reaction temperatures. TPSs that individually synthesize multiple products are less prone to self-alkylation then TPSs possessing relatively high product specificity. In total, the results presented suggest that mechanism-based alkylation represents an overlooked mechanistic pressure during the evolution of cation-derived terpene biosynthesis.« less

  13. A post-Amadori inhibitor pyridoxamine also inhibits chemical modification of proteins by scavenging carbonyl intermediates of carbohydrate and lipid degradation.

    PubMed

    Voziyan, Paul A; Metz, Thomas O; Baynes, John W; Hudson, Billy G

    2002-02-01

    Reactive carbonyl compounds are formed during autoxidation of carbohydrates and peroxidation of lipids. These compounds are intermediates in the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGE) and advanced lipoxidation end products (ALE) in tissue proteins during aging and in chronic disease. We studied the reaction of carbonyl compounds glyoxal (GO) and glycolaldehyde (GLA) with pyridoxamine (PM), a potent post-Amadori inhibitor of AGE formation in vitro and of development of renal and retinal pathology in diabetic animals. PM reacted rapidly with GO and GLA in neutral, aqueous buffer, forming a Schiff base intermediate that cyclized to a hemiaminal adduct by intramolecular reaction with the phenolic hydroxyl group of PM. This bicyclic intermediate dimerized to form a five-ring compound with a central piperazine ring, which was characterized by electrospray ionization-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, NMR, and x-ray crystallography. PM also inhibited the modification of lysine residues and loss of enzymatic activity of RNase in the presence of GO and GLA and inhibited formation of the AGE/ALE N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine during reaction of GO and GLA with bovine serum albumin. Our data suggest that the AGE/ALE inhibitory activity and the therapeutic effects of PM observed in diabetic animal models depend, at least in part, on its ability to trap reactive carbonyl intermediates in AGE/ALE formation, thereby inhibiting the chemical modification of tissue proteins.

  14. Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 cDNA Integration: New Aromatic Hydroxylated Inhibitors and Studies of the Inhibition Mechanism

    PubMed Central

    Farnet, C. M.; Wang, B.; Hansen, M.; Lipford, J. R.; Zalkow, L.; Robinson, W. E.; Siegel, J.; Bushman, F.

    1998-01-01

    Integration of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) cDNA is a required step for viral replication. Integrase, the virus-encoded enzyme important for integration, has not yet been exploited as a target for clinically useful inhibitors. Here we report on the identification of new polyhydroxylated aromatic inhibitors of integrase including ellagic acid, purpurogallin, 4,8,12-trioxatricornan, and hypericin, the last of which is known to inhibit viral replication. These compounds and others were characterized in assays with subviral preintegration complexes (PICs) isolated from HIV-1-infected cells. Hypericin was found to inhibit PIC assays, while the other compounds tested were inactive. Counterscreening of these and other integrase inhibitors against additional DNA-modifying enzymes revealed that none of the polyhydroxylated aromatic compounds are active against enzymes that do not require metals (methylases, a pox virus topoisomerase). However, all were cross-reactive with metal-requiring enzymes (restriction enzymes, a reverse transcriptase), implicating metal atoms in the inhibitory mechanism. In mechanistic studies, we localized binding of some inhibitors to the catalytic domain of integrase by assaying competition of binding by labeled nucleotides. These findings help elucidate the mechanism of action of the polyhydroxylated aromatic inhibitors and provide practical guidance for further inhibitor development. PMID:9736543

  15. Enantioselective conjugate additions of α-amino radicals via cooperative photoredox and Lewis acid catalysis.

    PubMed

    Ruiz Espelt, Laura; McPherson, Iain S; Wiensch, Eric M; Yoon, Tehshik P

    2015-02-25

    We report the highly enantioselective addition of photogenerated α-amino radicals to Michael acceptors. This method features a dual-catalyst protocol that combines transition metal photoredox catalysis with chiral Lewis acid catalysis. The combination of these two powerful modes of catalysis provides an effective, general strategy to generate and control the reactivity of photogenerated reactive intermediates.

  16. Pd-Catalyzed N-Arylation of Secondary Acyclic Amides: Catalyst Development, Scope, and Computational Study

    PubMed Central

    Hicks, Jacqueline D.; Hyde, Alan M.; Cuezva, Alberto Martinez; Buchwald, Stephen L.

    2009-01-01

    We report the efficient N-arylation of acyclic secondary amides and related nucleophiles with aryl nonaflates, triflates, and chlorides. This method allows for easy variation of the aromatic component in tertiary aryl amides. A new biaryl phosphine with P-bound 3,5-(bis)trifluoromethylphenyl groups was found to be uniquely effective for this amidation. The critical aspects of the ligand were explored through synthetic, mechanistic, and computational studies. Systematic variation of the ligand revealed the importance of (1) a methoxy group on the aromatic carbon of the “top ring” ortho to the phosphorus and (2) two highly electron-withdrawing P-bound 3,5-(bis)trifluoromethylphenyl groups. Computational studies suggest the electron-deficient nature of the ligand is important in facilitating amide binding to the LPd(II)(Ph)(X) intermediate. PMID:19886610

  17. Solubilization of aromatic and hydrophobic moieties by arginine in aqueous solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jianguo; Garg, Manju; Shah, Dhawal; Rajagopalan, Raj

    2010-08-01

    Experiments hold intriguing, circumstantial clues to the mechanisms behind arginine-mediated solubilization of small organic drugs and suppression of protein aggregation driven by hydrophobic or aromatic associations, but how exactly arginine's molecular structure and interactions contribute to its function remains unclear since attention has focused so far on the thermodynamics of the preferential exclusion or binding of arginine. Here, we examine, through molecular dynamics simulations, how arginine solubilizes nanoscale particles with hydrophobic surfaces or aromatic-ring-type surface interactions. We show that preferential, hydrophobic, and dispersion interactions of arginine's guanidinium group with the particles lead to a surfactant-like behavior of arginine around the particles and to a solvation layer with a protective polar mask creating a hydrophilic shell. Additionally, arginine-arginine association around the solvation layer further prevents aggregative contacts. The results shed some light on the mechanistic basis of arginine's function as a suppressant of protein aggregation, although the complex energy landscapes and kinetic pathways of aggregation are protein-dependent and pose formidable challenges to developing comprehensive mechanistic pictures. Our results suggest arginine's mode of interaction with hydrophobic patches and aromatic residues could reduce aggregation-prone intermediate states of proteins and shield protein-protein aggregative contacts. The approach used here offers a systematic way of exploring implications of other amino acid/excipient interactions by studying interactions of the excipient with particles grafted with amino acids.

  18. One-pot, two-step synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]benzimidazoles via a multicomponent [4 + 1] cycloaddition reaction.

    PubMed

    Hsiao, Ya-Shan; Narhe, Bharat D; Chang, Ying-Sheng; Sun, Chung-Ming

    2013-10-14

    A one-pot, two-step synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]benzimidazoles has been achieved by a three-component reaction of 2-aminobenzimidazoles with an aromatic aldehyde and an isocyanide. The reaction involving condensation of 2-aminobenzimidazole with an aldehyde is run under microwave activation to generate an imine intermediate under basic conditions which then undergoes [4 + 1] cycloaddition with an isocyanide.

  19. Solution-phase parallel synthesis of aryloxyimino amides via a novel multicomponent reaction among aromatic (Z)-chlorooximes, isocyanides, and electron-deficient phenols.

    PubMed

    Mercalli, Valentina; Giustiniano, Mariateresa; Del Grosso, Erika; Varese, Monica; Cassese, Hilde; Massarotti, Alberto; Novellino, Ettore; Tron, Gian Cesare

    2014-11-10

    A library of 41 aryloxyimino amides was prepared via solution phase parallel synthesis by extending the multicomponent reaction of (Z)-chlorooximes and isocyanides to the use of electron-deficient phenols. The resulting aryloxyiminoamide derivatives can be used as intermediates for the synthesis of benzo[d]isoxazole-3-carboxamides, dramatically reducing the number of synthetic steps required by other methods reported in literature.

  20. Formal oxidative addition of a C-H bond by a 16e iridium(i) complex involves metal-ligand cooperation.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Amit; Feller, Moran; Ben-David, Yehoshoa; Diskin-Posner, Yael; Milstein, David

    2018-05-10

    The first example of oxidative addition of a C-H bond to a square planar d8-Iridium complex, without any external additive, such as an acid, is described. Our mechanistic investigations show that metal-ligand cooperation through aromatization-dearomatization of the lutidine backbone is involved in this process, and that the actual C-H activation step occurs through an Ir(iii) intermediate.

  1. Preignition and Autoignition Behavior of the Xylene Isomers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-03-01

    3 β-scission is the breaking of the carbon-carbon bond at the carbon atom one removed from the radical site (Law, 2006). 10...jet fuel (TS-1); this sample matches the average paraffin, naphthene , and aromatic content of jet fuel samples fairly well (Holley et al., 2007). A...Moreover, Lenhert et al. (2009) identified phenol as an intermediate from toluene oxidation in the PFR facility. This also removes concern that phenol may

  2. The global nonmethane reactive organic carbon budget: A modeling perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Safieddine, Sarah A.; Heald, Colette L.; Henderson, Barron H.

    2017-04-01

    The cycling of reactive organic carbon (ROC) is central to tropospheric chemistry. We characterize the global tropospheric ROC budget as simulated with the GEOS-Chem model. We expand the standard simulation by including new emissions and gas-phase chemistry, an expansion of dry and wet removal, and a mass tracking of all ROC species to achieve carbon closure. The resulting global annual mean ROC burden is 16 Tg C, with sources from methane oxidation and direct emissions contributing 415 and 935 Tg C yr-1. ROC is lost from the atmosphere via physical deposition (460 Tg C yr-1), and oxidation to CO/CO2 (875 Tg C yr-1). Ketones, alkanes, alkenes, and aromatic hydrocarbons dominate the ROC burden, whereas aldehydes and isoprene dominate the ROC global mean surface OH reactivity. Simulated OH reactivities are between 0.8-1 s-1, 3-14 s-1, and 12-34 s-1 over selected regions in the remote ocean, continental midlatitudes, and the tropics, respectively, and are consistent with observational constraints.

  3. Laser Flash Photolysis Generation of High-Valent Transition Metal-Oxo Species: Insights from Kinetic Studies in Real Time

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Rui; Newcomb, Martin

    2010-01-01

    Conspectus High-valent transition metal-oxo species are active oxidizing species in many metal-catalyzed oxidation reactions in both Nature and the laboratory. In homogeneous catalytic oxidations, a transition metal catalyst is oxidized to a metal-oxo species by a sacrificial oxidant, and the activated transition metal-oxo intermediate oxidizes substrates. Mechanistic studies of these oxidizing species can provide insights for understanding commercially important catalytic oxidations and the oxidants in cytochrome P450 enzymes. In many cases, however, the transition metal oxidants are so reactive that they do not accumulate to detectable levels in mixing experiments, which have millisecond mixing times, and successful generation and direct spectroscopic characterization of these highly reactive transients remain a considerable challenge. Our strategy for understanding homogeneous catalysis intermediates employs photochemical generation of the transients with spectroscopic detection on time-scales as short as nanoseconds and direct kinetic studies of their reactions with substrates by laser flash photolysis (LFP) methods. This Account describes studies of high-valent manganese- and iron-oxo intermediates. Irradiation of porphyrin-manganese(III) nitrates and chlorates or corrole-manganese(IV) chlorates resulted in homolytic cleavage of the O-X bonds in the ligands, whereas irradiation of porphyrin-manganese(III) perchlorates resulted in heterolytic cleavage of O-Cl bonds to give porphyrin-manganese(V)-oxo cations. Similar reactions of corrole- and porphyrin-iron(IV) complexes gave highly reactive transients that were tentatively identified as macrocyclic ligand-iron(V)-oxo species. Kinetic studies demonstrated high reactivity of the manganese(V)-oxo species, and even higher reactivities of the putative iron(V)-oxo transients. For example, second-order rate constants for oxidations of cis-cyclooctene at room temperature were 6 × 103 M−1 s−1 for a corrole-iron(V)-oxo species and 1.6 × 106 M−1 s−1 for the putative tetramesitylporphyrin-iron(V)-oxo perchlorate species. The latter rate constant is 25,000 times larger than that for oxidation of cis-cyclooctene by iron(IV)-oxo perchlorate tetramesitylporphyrin radical cation, which is the thermodynamically favored electronic isomer of the putative iron(V)-oxo species. The LFP-determined rate constants can be used to implicate the transient oxidants in catalytic reactions under turnover conditions where high-valent species are not observable. Similarly, the observed reactivities of the putative porphyrin-iron(V)-oxo species might explain the unusually high reactivity of oxidants produced in the cytochrome P450 enzymes, heme-thiolate enzymes that are capable of oxidizing unactivated carbon-hydrogen bonds in substrates so rapidly that iron-oxo intermediates have not been detected under physiological conditions. PMID:18278877

  4. Laser flash photolysis generation of high-valent transition metal-oxo species: insights from kinetic studies in real time.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Rui; Newcomb, Martin

    2008-03-01

    High-valenttransition metal-oxo species are active oxidizing species in many metal-catalyzed oxidation reactions in both Nature and the laboratory. In homogeneous catalytic oxidations, a transition metal catalyst is oxidized to a metal-oxo species by a sacrificial oxidant, and the activated transition metal-oxo intermediate oxidizes substrates. Mechanistic studies of these oxidizing species can provide insights for understanding commercially important catalytic oxidations and the oxidants in cytochrome P450 enzymes. In many cases, however, the transition metal oxidants are so reactive that they do not accumulate to detectable levels in mixing experiments, which have millisecond mixing times, and successful generation and direct spectroscopic characterization of these highly reactive transients remain a considerable challenge. Our strategy for understanding homogeneous catalysis intermediates employs photochemical generation of the transients with spectroscopic detection on time scales as short as nanoseconds and direct kinetic studies of their reactions with substrates by laser flash photolysis (LFP) methods. This Account describes studies of high-valent manganese- and iron-oxo intermediates. Irradiation of porphyrin-manganese(III) nitrates and chlorates or corrole-manganese(IV) chlorates resulted in homolytic cleavage of the O-X bonds in the ligands, whereas irradiation of porphyrin-manganese(III) perchlorates resulted in heterolytic cleavage of O-Cl bonds to give porphyrin-manganese(V)-oxo cations. Similar reactions of corrole- and porphyrin-iron(IV) complexes gave highly reactive transients that were tentatively identified as macrocyclic ligand-iron(V)-oxo species. Kinetic studies demonstrated high reactivity of the manganese(V)-oxo species, and even higher reactivities of the putative iron(V)-oxo transients. For example, second-order rate constants for oxidations of cis-cyclooctene at room temperature were 6 x 10(3) M(-1) s(-1) for a corrole-iron(V)-oxo species and 1.6 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) for the putative tetramesitylporphyrin-iron(V)-oxo perchlorate species. The latter rate constant is 25,000 times larger than that for oxidation of cis-cyclooctene by iron(IV)-oxo perchlorate tetramesitylporphyrin radical cation, which is the thermodynamically favored electronic isomer of the putative iron(V)-oxo species. The LFP-determined rate constants can be used to implicate the transient oxidants in catalytic reactions under turnover conditions where high-valent species are not observable. Similarly, the observed reactivities of the putative porphyrin-iron(V)-oxo species might explain the unusually high reactivity of oxidants produced in the cytochrome P450 enzymes, heme-thiolate enzymes that are capable of oxidizing unactivated carbon-hydrogen bonds in substrates so rapidly that iron-oxo intermediates have not been detected under physiological conditions.

  5. From dense monomer salt crystals to CO2 selective microporous polyimides via solid-state polymerization.

    PubMed

    Unterlass, Miriam M; Emmerling, Franziska; Antonietti, Markus; Weber, Jens

    2014-01-14

    Fully aromatic polyimides are synthesized via solid-state polymerization of the corresponding monomer salts. The crystal structure of salts shows strong hydrogen bonding of the reactive groups and thereby paves the way for solid-state transformations. The polycondensation yields copies of the initial salt crystallite habits, accompanied by the development of a porosity especially suited for CO2.

  6. New series of aromatic/ five-membered heteroaromatic butanesulfonyl hydrazones as potent biological agents: Synthesis, physicochemical and electronic properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamurcu, Fatma; Mamaş, Serhat; Ozdemir, Ummuhan Ozmen; Gündüzalp, Ayla Balaban; Senturk, Ozan Sanlı

    2016-08-01

    The aromatic/five-membered heteroaromatic butanesulfonylhydrazone derivatives; 5-bromosalicylaldehydebutanesulfonylhydrazone(1), 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehydebutane sulfonylhydrazone(2), indole-3-carboxaldehydebutanesulfonylhydrazone (3), 2-acetylfuran- carboxyaldehydebutanesulfonylhydrazone(4), 2-acetylthiophenecarboxyaldehydebutane- sulfonylhydrazone(5) and 2-acetyl-5-chlorothiophenecarboxyaldehydebutanesulfonyl hydrazone (6) were synthesized by the reaction of butane sulfonic acid hydrazide with aldehydes/ketones and characterized by using elemental analysis, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and FT-IR technique. Their geometric parameters and electronic properties consist of global reactivity descriptors were also determined by theoretical methods. The electrochemical behavior of the butanesulfonylhydrazones were investigated by using cyclic voltammetry (CV), controlled potential electrolysis and chronoamperometry (CA) techniques. The number of electrons transferred (n), diffusion coefficient (D) and standard heterogeneous rate constants (ks) were determined by electrochemical methods.

  7. The prognostic value of serum C-reactive protein, ferritin, and albumin prior to allogeneic transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes

    PubMed Central

    Artz, Andrew S.; Logan, Brent; Zhu, Xiaochun; Akpek, Gorgun; Bufarull, Rodrigo Martino; Gupta, Vikas; Lazarus, Hillard M.; Litzow, Mark; Loren, Alison; Majhail, Navneet S.; Maziarz, Richard T.; McCarthy, Philip; Popat, Uday; Saber, Wael; Spellman, Stephen; Ringden, Olle; Wickrema, Amittha; Pasquini, Marcelo C.; Cooke, Kenneth R.

    2016-01-01

    We sought to confirm the prognostic importance of simple clinically available biomarkers of C-reactive protein, serum albumin, and ferritin prior to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. The study population consisted of 784 adults with acute myeloid leukemia in remission or myelodysplastic syndromes undergoing unrelated donor transplant reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. C-reactive protein and ferritin were centrally quantified by ELISA from cryopreserved plasma whereas each center provided pre-transplant albumin. In multivariate analysis, transplant-related mortality was associated with the pre-specified thresholds of C-reactive protein more than 10 mg/L (P=0.008) and albumin less than 3.5 g/dL (P=0.01) but not ferritin more than 2500 ng/mL. Only low albumin independently influenced overall mortality. Optimal thresholds affecting transplant-related mortality were defined as: C-reactive protein more than 3.67 mg/L, log(ferritin), and albumin less than 3.4 g/dL. A 3-level biomarker risk group based on these values separated risks of transplant-related mortality: low risk (reference), intermediate (HR=1.66, P=0.015), and high risk (HR=2.7, P<0.001). One-year survival was 74%, 67% and 56% for low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups. Routinely available pre-transplant biomarkers independently risk-stratify for transplant-related mortality and survival. PMID:27662010

  8. Analysis of MHC class I folding: novel insights into intermediate forms

    PubMed Central

    Simone, Laura C.; Tuli, Amit; Simone, Peter D.; Wang, Xiaojian; Solheim, Joyce C.

    2012-01-01

    Folding around a peptide ligand is integral to the antigen presentation function of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. Several lines of evidence indicate that the broadly cross-reactive 34-1-2 antibody is sensitive to folding of the MHC class I peptide-binding groove. Here, we show that peptide-loading complex proteins associated with the murine MHC class I molecule Kd are found primarily in association with the 34-1-2+ form. This led us to hypothesize that the 34-1-2 antibody may recognize intermediately, as well as fully, folded MHC class I molecules. In order to further characterize the form(s) of MHC class I molecules recognized by 34-1-2, we took advantage of its cross-reactivity with Ld. Recognition of the open and folded forms of Ld by the 64-3-7 and 30-5-7 antibodies, respectively, has been extensively characterized, providing us with parameters against which to compare 34-1-2 reactivity. We found that the 34-1-2+ Ld molecules displayed characteristics indicative of incomplete folding, including increased tapasin association, endoplasmic reticulum retention, and instability at the cell surface. Moreover, we demonstrate that an Ld-specific peptide induced folding of the 34-1-2+ Ld intermediate. Altogether, these results yield novel insights into the nature of MHC class I molecules recognized by the 34-1-2 antibody. PMID:22329842

  9. Comparison of carbon-sulfur and carbon-amine bond in therapeutic drug: 4β-S-aromatic heterocyclic podophyllum derivatives display antitumor activity

    PubMed Central

    Li, Jian-Long; Zhao, Wei; Zhou, Chen; Zhang, Ya-Xuan; Li, Hong-Mei; Tang, Ya-Ling; Liang, Xin-Hua; Chen, Tao; Tang, Ya-Jie

    2015-01-01

    Herein is a first effort to systematically study the significance of carbon-sulfur (C-S) and carbon-amine (C-NH) bonds on the antitumor proliferation activity of podophyllum derivatives and their precise mechanism of apoptosis. Compared with the derivative modified by a C-NH bond, the derivative modified by a C-S bond exhibited superior antitumor activity, the inhibition activity of target proteins tubulin or Topo II, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis induction. Antitumor mechanistic studies showed that the death receptor and the mitochondrial apoptotic pathways were simultaneously activated by the C-S bond modified aromatic heterocyclic podophyllum derivatives with a higher cellular uptake percentage of 60–90% and induction of a higher level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Only the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway was activated by the C-NH bond modified aromatic heterocyclic podophyllum derivatives, with a lower cellular uptake percentage of 40–50%. This study provided insight into effects of the C-S and C-NH bond modification on the improvement of the antitumor activity of Podophyllum derivatives. PMID:26443888

  10. A unified model of Grignard reagent formation.

    PubMed

    Shao, Yunqi; Liu, Zhen; Huang, Pan; Liu, Boping

    2018-04-25

    Grignard reagents are among the most fundamental reagents in organic synthesis, yet studies have hitherto failed to fully explain the selectivity and kinetics of Grignard reagent formation (GRF). The present study provides new insights into the intermediates and pathways of GRF using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Potential energy surfaces of RX dissociation along different directions reveal the origin of configuration retention of alkenyl and aromatic halides. Radical intermediates participate solely in the dissociation stage, and depend on the geometry of the reactant halide. Dissociation of organic halides yields stabilized surface anions, and the rest of the reaction is ionic in nature. MgX+/RMg+ were proposed as the key intermediates of Mg leaving from the surface in the self-activation of GRF, which explains the accelerated kinetics upon addition of RMgX or MgX2. The intermediacy of the cations was supported by a simple electrochemical experiment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first unified ionic model (I-model) developed for resolving the controversial issues of GRF.

  11. Structure and reactivity of the distonic and aromatic radical cations of tryptophan.

    PubMed

    Piatkivskyi, Andrii; Osburn, Sandra; Jaderberg, Kendall; Grzetic, Josipa; Steill, Jeffrey D; Oomens, Jos; Zhao, Junfang; Lau, Justin Kai-Chi; Verkerk, Udo H; Hopkinson, Alan C; Siu, K W Michael; Ryzhov, Victor

    2013-04-01

    In this work, we regiospecifically generate and compare the gas-phase properties of two isomeric forms of tryptophan radical cations-a distonic indolyl N-radical (H3N(+) - TrpN(•)) and a canonical aromatic π (Trp(•+)) radical cation. The distonic radical cation was generated by nitrosylating the indole nitrogen of tryptophan in solution followed by collision-induced dissociation (CID) of the resulting protonated N-nitroso tryptophan. The π-radical cation was produced via CID of the ternary [Cu(II)(terpy)(Trp)](•2+) complex. CID spectra of the two isomeric species were found to be very different, suggesting no interconversion between the isomers. In gas-phase ion-molecule reactions, the distonic radical cation was unreactive towards n-propylsulfide, whereas the π radical cation reacted by hydrogen atom abstraction. DFT calculations revealed that the distonic indolyl radical cation is about 82 kJ/mol higher in energy than the π radical cation of tryptophan. The low reactivity of the distonic nitrogen radical cation was explained by spin delocalization of the radical over the aromatic ring and the remote, localized charge (at the amino nitrogen). The lack of interconversion between the isomers under both trapping and CID conditions was explained by the high rearrangement barrier of ca.137 kJ/mol. Finally, the two isomers were characterized by infrared multiple-photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy in the ~1000-1800 cm(-1) region. It was found that some of the main experimental IR features overlap between the two species, making their distinction by IRMPD spectroscopy in this region problematic. In addition, DFT theoretical calculations showed that the IR spectra are strongly conformation-dependent.

  12. Diurnally resolved particulate and VOC measurements at a rural site: indication of significant biogenic secondary organic aerosol formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sjostedt, S. J.; Slowik, J. G.; Brook, J. R.; Chang, R. Y.-W.; Mihele, C.; Stroud, C. A.; Vlasenko, A.; Abbatt, J. P. D.

    2011-06-01

    We report simultaneous measurements of volatile organic compound (VOC) mixing ratios including C6 to C8 aromatics, isoprene, monoterpenes, acetone and organic aerosol mass loadings at a rural location in southwestern Ontario, Canada by Proton-Transfer-Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) and Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (AMS), respectively. During the three-week-long Border Air Quality and Meteorology Study in June-July 2007, air was sampled from a range of sources, including aged air from the polluted US Midwest, direct outflow from Detroit 50 km away, and clean air with higher biogenic input. After normalization to the diurnal profile of CO, a long-lived tracer, diurnal analyses show clear photochemical loss of reactive aromatics and production of oxygenated VOCs and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) during the daytime. Biogenic VOC mixing ratios increase during the daytime in accord with their light- and temperature-dependent sources. Long-lived species, such as hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol and benzene show little to no photochemical reactivity on this timescale. From the normalized diurnal profiles of VOCs, an estimate of OH concentrations during the daytime, measured O3 concentrations, and laboratory SOA yields, we calculate integrated local organic aerosol production amounts associated with each measured SOA precursor. Under the assumption that biogenic precursors are uniformly distributed across the southwestern Ontario location, we conclude that such precursors contribute significantly to the total amount of SOA formation, even during the period of Detroit outflow. The importance of aromatic precursors is more difficult to assess given that their sources are likely to be localized and thus of variable impact at the sampling location.

  13. Diurnally resolved particulate and VOC measurements at a rural site: indication of significant biogenic secondary organic aerosol formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sjostedt, S. J.; Slowik, J. G.; Brook, J. R.; Chang, R. Y.-W.; Mihele, C.; Stroud, C. A.; Vlasenko, A.; Abbatt, J. P. D.

    2010-11-01

    We report simultaneous measurements of volatile organic compound (VOC) mixing ratios including C6 to C8 aromatics, isoprene, monoterpenes, acetone and organic aerosol mass loadings at a rural location in Southwestern Ontario, Canada by Proton-Transfer-Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) and Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (AMS), respectively. During the three-week-long Border Air Quality and Meteorology Study in June-July 2007, air was sampled from a range of sources, including aged air from the polluted US Midwest, direct outflow from Detroit 50 km away, and clean air with higher biogenic input. After normalization to the diurnal profile of CO, a long-lived tracer, diurnal analyses show clear photochemical loss of reactive aromatics and production of oxygenated VOCs and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) during the daytime. Biogenic VOC mixing ratios increase during the daytime in accord with their light- and temperature-dependent sources. Long-lived species, such as hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol and benzene show little to no photochemical reactivity on this timescale. From the normalized diurnal profiles of VOCs, an estimate of OH concentrations during the daytime, measured O3 concentrations, and laboratory SOA yields, we calculate integrated organic aerosol production amounts associated with each measured SOA precursor. Depending on whether the SOA formation is occurring in a low- or high-NOx regime, we estimate that the biogenic gases contribute between 10 to 36 times as much SOA as do the aromatic precursors, making this a highly biogenically dominated region for SOA formation. The conclusion that biogenic SOA formation is of significance to air quality in this region is supported by detailed air quality modeling during this period (Stroud et al., 2010).

  14. Oxoferryl-porphyrin radical catalytic intermediate in cytochrome bd oxidases protects cells from formation of reactive oxygen species.

    PubMed

    Paulus, Angela; Rossius, Sebastiaan Gijsbertus Hendrik; Dijk, Madelon; de Vries, Simon

    2012-03-16

    The quinol-linked cytochrome bd oxidases are terminal oxidases in respiration. These oxidases harbor a low spin heme b(558) that donates electrons to a binuclear heme b(595)/heme d center. The reaction with O(2) and subsequent catalytic steps of the Escherichia coli cytochrome bd-I oxidase were investigated by means of ultra-fast freeze-quench trapping followed by EPR and UV-visible spectroscopy. After the initial binding of O(2), the O-O bond is heterolytically cleaved to yield a kinetically competent heme d oxoferryl porphyrin π-cation radical intermediate (compound I) magnetically interacting with heme b(595). Compound I accumulates to 0.75-0.85 per enzyme in agreement with its much higher rate of formation (~20,000 s(-1)) compared with its rate of decay (~1,900 s(-1)). Compound I is next converted to a short lived heme d oxoferryl intermediate (compound II) in a phase kinetically matched to the oxidation of heme b(558) before completion of the reaction. The results indicate that cytochrome bd oxidases like the heme-copper oxidases break the O-O bond in a single four-electron transfer without a peroxide intermediate. However, in cytochrome bd oxidases, the fourth electron is donated by the porphyrin moiety rather than by a nearby amino acid. The production of reactive oxygen species by the cytochrome bd oxidase was below the detection level of 1 per 1000 turnovers. We propose that the two classes of terminal oxidases have mechanistically converged to enzymes in which the O-O bond is broken in a single four-electron transfer reaction to safeguard the cell from the formation of reactive oxygen species.

  15. Oxoferryl-Porphyrin Radical Catalytic Intermediate in Cytochrome bd Oxidases Protects Cells from Formation of Reactive Oxygen Species*

    PubMed Central

    Paulus, Angela; Rossius, Sebastiaan Gijsbertus Hendrik; Dijk, Madelon; de Vries, Simon

    2012-01-01

    The quinol-linked cytochrome bd oxidases are terminal oxidases in respiration. These oxidases harbor a low spin heme b558 that donates electrons to a binuclear heme b595/heme d center. The reaction with O2 and subsequent catalytic steps of the Escherichia coli cytochrome bd-I oxidase were investigated by means of ultra-fast freeze-quench trapping followed by EPR and UV-visible spectroscopy. After the initial binding of O2, the O–O bond is heterolytically cleaved to yield a kinetically competent heme d oxoferryl porphyrin π-cation radical intermediate (compound I) magnetically interacting with heme b595. Compound I accumulates to 0.75–0.85 per enzyme in agreement with its much higher rate of formation (∼20,000 s−1) compared with its rate of decay (∼1,900 s−1). Compound I is next converted to a short lived heme d oxoferryl intermediate (compound II) in a phase kinetically matched to the oxidation of heme b558 before completion of the reaction. The results indicate that cytochrome bd oxidases like the heme-copper oxidases break the O–O bond in a single four-electron transfer without a peroxide intermediate. However, in cytochrome bd oxidases, the fourth electron is donated by the porphyrin moiety rather than by a nearby amino acid. The production of reactive oxygen species by the cytochrome bd oxidase was below the detection level of 1 per 1000 turnovers. We propose that the two classes of terminal oxidases have mechanistically converged to enzymes in which the O–O bond is broken in a single four-electron transfer reaction to safeguard the cell from the formation of reactive oxygen species. PMID:22287551

  16. Catalytic and reactive polypeptides and methods for their preparation and use

    DOEpatents

    Schultz, Peter

    1994-01-01

    Catalytic and reactive polypeptides include a binding site specific for a reactant or reactive intermediate involved in a chemical reaction of interest. The polypeptides further include at least one active functionality proximate the binding site, where the active functionality is capable of catalyzing or chemically participating in the chemical reaction in such a way that the reaction rate is enhanced. Methods for preparing the catalytic peptides include chemical synthesis, site-directed mutagenesis of antibody and enzyme genes, covalent attachment of the functionalities through particular amino acid side chains, and the like.

  17. Enantioselective Conjugate Additions of α-Amino Radicals via Cooperative Photoredox and Lewis Acid Catalysis

    PubMed Central

    Espelt, Laura Ruiz; McPherson, Iain S.; Wiensch, Eric M.; Yoon, Tehshik P.

    2015-01-01

    We report the highly enantioselective addition of photogenerated α-amino radicals to Michael acceptors. This method features a dual-catalyst protocol that combines transition metal photoredox catalysis with chiral Lewis acid catalysis. The combination of these two powerful modes of catalysis provides an effective, general strategy to generate and control the reactivity of photogenerated reactive intermediates. PMID:25668687

  18. Insights into the Catalytic Mechanisms of Phenylalanine and Tryptophan Hydroxylase from Kinetic Isotope Effects on Aromatic Hydroxylation†

    PubMed Central

    Pavon, Jorge Alex; Fitzpatrick, Paul F.

    2006-01-01

    Phenylalanine hydroxylase (PheH) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TrpH) catalyze the aromatic hydroxylation of phenylalanine and tryptophan, forming tyrosine and 5-hydroxytryptophan, respectively. The reactions of PheH and TrpH have been investigated with [4-2H]-, [3,5-2H2]-, and 2H5-phenylalanine as substrates. All Dkcat values are normal with Δ117PheH, the catalytic core of rat phenylalanine hydroxylase, ranging from 1.12–1.41. In contrast, for Δ117PheH V379D, a mutant protein in which the stoichiometry between tetrahydropterin oxidation and amino acid hydroxylation is altered, the Dkcat value with [4-2H]-phenylalanine is 0.92 but is normal with [3,5-2H2]-phenylalanine. The ratio of tetrahydropterin oxidation to amino acid hydroxylation for Δ117PheH V379D shows a similar inverse isotope effect with [4-2H]-phenylalanine. Intramolecular isotope effects, determined from the deuterium contents of the tyrosine formed from [4-2H]-and [3,52H2]-phenylalanine, are identical for Δ117PheH and Δ117PheH V379D, suggesting that steps subsequent to oxygen addition are unaffected in the mutant protein. The inverse effects are consistent with the reaction of an activated ferryl-oxo species at the para position of the side chain of the amino acid to form a cationic intermediate. The normal effects on the Dkcat value for the wild-type enzyme are attributed to an isotope effect of 5.1 on the tautomerization of a dienone intermediate to tyrosine with a rate constant 6- to7-fold that for hydroxylation. In addition, there is a slight (∼34%) preference for the loss of the hydrogen originally at C4 of phenylalanine. With 2H5-indole-tryptophan as a substrate for Δ117PheH, the Dkcat value is 0.89, consistent with hydroxylation being rate-limiting in this case. When deuterated phenylalanines are used as substrates for TrpH, the Dkcat values are within error of those for Δ117PheH V379D. Overall, these results are consistent with the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases all sharing the same chemical mechanism, but with the isotope effect for hydroxylation by PheH being masked by tautomerization of an enedione intermediate to tyrosine. PMID:16953590

  19. Online kinetic studies on intermediates of laccase-catalyzed reaction in reversed micelle.

    PubMed

    Liu, Zhi-Hong; Shao, Mei; Cai, Ru-Xiu; Shen, Ping

    2006-02-01

    Using water/AOT/n-octane reversed micelle as the medium, the optical signal of the reactive intermediate of laccase-catalyzed oxidation of o-phenylenediamine, which was indetectable in aqueous solutions, was successfully captured. Thus online kinetic studies of the intermediate were accomplished. Two-way kinetic spectral data were acquired with stopped-flow technique. By resolving the data with global analysis software, both the kinetic curves and the absorption spectra of the components involved in the reaction process were simultaneously obtained. The whole reaction in the reversed micelle was proved to be composed of two successive steps, an enzymatic generation of the intermediate and a following nonenzymatic decay of the intermediate. A consecutive first-order kinetic model of the whole reaction was confirmed. The influences of microenvironmental factors of the medium (such as the pH value of the water pool and the water/AOT ratio) on the detection of the intermediate were also investigated.

  20. Addendum to "Harmony of computational quantum chemistry and experimental chemistry: Comprehensive DFT studies, microsynthesis, and characterization of mustard gas polysulfide analogues" [J. Mol. Struct. (2018) 57-62

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saeidian, Hamid; Faraz, Sajjad Mousavi; Mirjafary, Zohreh; Babri, Mehran

    2018-07-01

    Recently, Blum from OPCW laboratory investigated HD, HS2, HS3 and higher polysulfides and their corresponding reactive intermediates by using Amsterdam Density Functional (ADF) calculations [22, 23]. In his presentation, he mentioned that analysis of MO energy levels for episulfonium ions of HD, HS2 and HS3 shows that the sulfur centered LUMOs for HS2 and HS3 are LUMO+1 for HD ion; and LUMOs energy levels of HS2 and HS3 are decreased by addition of polarizable sulfur atoms. He also showed that no four-membered sulfonium ion ring structures are formed for HS2, HS3 and higher polysulfides; and episulfonium ion is the only reactive intermediate for them.

  1. AO 1535 inhibits O2- production by human macrophages.

    PubMed

    Spampinato, G; Messina, L; Malaguarnera, L; Arcidiacono, A; Giuffrida, M A; Guarniera, E; Geremia, E; Rastrelli, A; Messina, A

    1992-01-01

    AO 1535 is a semisynthetic monoglycosylceramide derived from O-glycosilated sphingosine, with a chemical structure similar to the glycolipids present in many mammalian tissues. In the epidermis monoglycosylceramides contribute to consolidate the structure of cutaneous layers. It has been recently shown that sphingosine and its derivatives are potent inhibitors of Protein kinase C, and block the 'respiratory burst' of phagocitic cells. In macrophages, like in neutrophils, the reactive oxygen intermediates are produced by a membrane associated enzymatic complex, NADPH-oxidase, which is activated by Protein kinase C. This study demonstrates that AO 1535 is able to inhibit the production of reactive oxygen intermediates in human monocytes and macrophages stimulated by phorbol ester and chemotactic tetrapeptide, suggesting a potential clinical application of AO 1535 in the treatment of inflammatory dermatoses.

  2. Method of making a ceramic with preferential oxygen reactive layer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Hongyu (Inventor); Luthra, Krishan Lal (Inventor)

    2003-01-01

    A method of forming an article. The method comprises forming a silicon-based substrate that is oxidizable by reaction with an oxidant to form at least one gaseous product and applying an intermediate layer/coating onto the substrate, wherein the intermediate layer/coating is oxidizable to a nongaseous product by reaction with the oxidant in preference to reaction of the silicon-containing substrate with the oxidant.

  3. Variable association of reactive intermediate genes with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in populations with different African ancestry

    PubMed Central

    Ramos, Paula S.; Oates, James C.; Kamen, Diane L.; Williams, Adrienne H.; Gaffney, Patrick M.; Kelly, Jennifer A.; Kaufman, Kenneth M.; Kimberly, Robert P.; Niewold, Timothy B.; Jacob, Chaim O.; Tsao, Betty P.; Alarcón, Graciela S.; Brown, Elizabeth E.; Edberg, Jeffrey C.; Petri, Michelle A.; Ramsey-Goldman, Rosalind; Reveille, John D.; Vilá, Luis M.; James, Judith A.; Guthridge, Joel M.; Merrill, Joan T.; Boackle, Susan A.; Freedman, Barry I.; Scofield, R. Hal; Stevens, Anne M.; Vyse, Timothy J.; Criswell, Lindsey A.; Moser, Kathy L.; Alarcón-Riquelme, Marta E.; Langefeld, Carl D.; Harley, John B.; Gilkeson, Gary S.

    2013-01-01

    Objective Little is known about the genetic etiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in individuals of African ancestry, despite its higher prevalence and greater disease severity. Overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species are implicated in the pathogenesis and severity of SLE, making NO synthases and other reactive intermediate related genes biological candidates for disease susceptibility. This study analyzed variation in reactive intermediate genes for association with SLE in two populations with African ancestry. Methods A total of 244 SNPs from 53 regions were analyzed in non-Gullah African Americans (AA; 1432 cases and 1687 controls) and the genetically more homogeneous Gullah of the Sea Islands of South Carolina (133 cases and 112 controls) and. Single-marker, haplotype, and two-locus interaction tests were computed for these populations. Results The glutathione reductase gene GSR (rs2253409, P=0.0014, OR [95% CI]=1.26 [1.09–1.44]) was the most significant single-SNP association in AA. In the Gullah, the NADH dehydrogenase NDUFS4 (rs381575, P=0.0065, OR [95%CI]=2.10 [1.23–3.59]) and nitric oxide synthase gene NOS1 (rs561712, P=0.0072, OR [95%CI]=0.62 [0.44–0.88]) were most strongly associated with SLE. When both populations were analyzed together, GSR remained the most significant effect (rs2253409, P=0.00072, OR [95%CI]=1.26 [1.10–1.44]). Haplotype and two-locus interaction analyses also uncovered different loci in each population. Conclusion These results suggest distinct patterns of association with SLE in African-derived populations; specific loci may be more strongly associated within select population groups. PMID:23637325

  4. Variable association of reactive intermediate genes with systemic lupus erythematosus in populations with different African ancestry.

    PubMed

    Ramos, Paula S; Oates, James C; Kamen, Diane L; Williams, Adrienne H; Gaffney, Patrick M; Kelly, Jennifer A; Kaufman, Kenneth M; Kimberly, Robert P; Niewold, Timothy B; Jacob, Chaim O; Tsao, Betty P; Alarcón, Graciela S; Brown, Elizabeth E; Edberg, Jeffrey C; Petri, Michelle A; Ramsey-Goldman, Rosalind; Reveille, John D; Vilá, Luis M; James, Judith A; Guthridge, Joel M; Merrill, Joan T; Boackle, Susan A; Freedman, Barry I; Scofield, R Hal; Stevens, Anne M; Vyse, Timothy J; Criswell, Lindsey A; Moser, Kathy L; Alarcón-Riquelme, Marta E; Langefeld, Carl D; Harley, John B; Gilkeson, Gary S

    2013-06-01

    Little is known about the genetic etiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in individuals of African ancestry, despite its higher prevalence and greater disease severity. Overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species are implicated in the pathogenesis and severity of SLE, making NO synthases and other reactive intermediate-related genes biological candidates for disease susceptibility. We analyzed variation in reactive intermediate genes for association with SLE in 2 populations with African ancestry. A total of 244 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from 53 regions were analyzed in non-Gullah African Americans (AA; 1432 cases and 1687 controls) and the genetically more homogeneous Gullah of the Sea Islands of South Carolina (133 cases and 112 controls). Single-marker, haplotype, and 2-locus interaction tests were computed for these populations. The glutathione reductase gene GSR (rs2253409; p = 0.0014, OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.09-1.44) was the most significant single SNP association in AA. In the Gullah, the NADH dehydrogenase NDUFS4 (rs381575; p = 0.0065, OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.23-3.59) and NO synthase gene NOS1 (rs561712; p = 0.0072, OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.44-0.88) were most strongly associated with SLE. When both populations were analyzed together, GSR remained the most significant effect (rs2253409; p = 0.00072, OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.10-1.44). Haplotype and 2-locus interaction analyses also uncovered different loci in each population. These results suggest distinct patterns of association with SLE in African-derived populations; specific loci may be more strongly associated within select population groups.

  5. Enzymatic Specific Production and Chemical Functionalization of Phenylpropanone Platform Monomers from Lignin

    PubMed Central

    Hasegawa, Ryoichi; Kurosawa, Kanako; Maeda, Allyn H.; Koizumi, Toshio; Nishimura, Hiroshi; Okada, Hitomi; Qu, Chen; Saito, Kaori; Watanabe, Takashi; Hatada, Yuji

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Enzymatic catalysis is an ecofriendly strategy for the production of high‐value low‐molecular‐weight aromatic compounds from lignin. Although well‐definable aromatic monomers have been obtained from synthetic lignin‐model dimers, enzymatic‐selective synthesis of platform monomers from natural lignin has not been accomplished. In this study, we successfully achieved highly specific synthesis of aromatic monomers with a phenylpropane structure directly from natural lignin using a cascade reaction of β‐O‐4‐cleaving bacterial enzymes in one pot. Guaiacylhydroxylpropanone (GHP) and the GHP/syringylhydroxylpropanone (SHP) mixture are exclusive monomers from lignin isolated from softwood (Cryptomeria japonica) and hardwood (Eucalyptus globulus). The intermediate products in the enzymatic reactions show the capacity to accommodate highly heterologous substrates at the substrate‐binding sites of the enzymes. To demonstrate the applicability of GHP as a platform chemical for bio‐based industries, we chemically generate value‐added GHP derivatives for bio‐based polymers. Together with these chemical conversions for the valorization of lignin‐derived phenylpropanone monomers, the specific and enzymatic production of the monomers directly from natural lignin is expected to provide a new stream in “white biotechnology” for sustainable biorefineries. PMID:27878983

  6. Theoretical study on stabilization mechanisms of nitrate esters using aromatic amines as stabilizers.

    PubMed

    Sun, Zhi-Dan; Fu, Xiao-Long; Yu, Hong-Jian; Fan, Xue-Zhong; Ju, Xue-Hai

    2017-10-05

    The propellants of nitrate esters can be stabilized by some aromatic amines practically. To probe the mechanism of this phenomenon, we performed DFT calculations on: (1) The decompositions of nitrate esters (with and without the catalysis of NO 2 ) and (2) the reaction between the stabilizers and the nitro dioxide (NO 2 is released during the storage of nitrate esters). The structures on the reaction paths (reactants, intermediates and products) were optimized at the (U)B3LYP/6-31G** level. It was shown that NO 2 lowers the activation energy barrier in the decomposition of nitrate ester by 11.82-17.86kJ/mol and efficiently catalyzes the rupture of ONO 2 bond. However, the aromatic amines, typical stabilizers for nitrate esters, can easily eliminate NO 2 with activation barriers as low as 27-113kJ/mol (with one exception of 128kJ/mol). These values are, for most cases, lower or much lower than the activation energy barriers for reactions between nitrate esters and NO 2 (127-137kJ/mol). Consequently, the stabilizers can block the NO 2 catalysis for the decompositions of nitrate esters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. The Azomethine Ylide Route to Amine C–H Functionalization: Redox-Versions of Classic Reactions and a Pathway to New Transformations

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Conspectus Redox-neutral methods for the functionalization of amine α-C–H bonds are inherently efficient because they avoid external oxidants and reductants and often do not generate unwanted byproducts. However, most of the current methods for amine α-C–H bond functionalization are oxidative in nature. While the most efficient variants utilize atmospheric oxygen as the terminal oxidant, many such transformations require the use of expensive or toxic oxidants, often coupled with the need for transition metal catalysts. Redox-neutral amine α-functionalizations that involve intramolecular hydride transfer steps provide viable alternatives to certain oxidative reactions. These processes have been known for some time and are particularly well suited for tertiary amine substrates. A mechanistically distinct strategy for secondary amines has emerged only recently, despite sharing common features with a range of classic organic transformations. Among those are such widely used reactions as the Strecker, Mannich, Pictet–Spengler, and Kabachnik–Fields reactions, Friedel–Crafts alkylations, and iminium alkynylations. In these classic processes, condensation of a secondary amine with an aldehyde (or a ketone) typically leads to the formation of an intermediate iminium ion, which is subsequently attacked by a nucleophile. The corresponding redox-versions of these transformations utilize identical starting materials but incorporate an isomerization step that enables α-C–H bond functionalization. Intramolecular versions of these reactions include redox-neutral amine α-amination, α-oxygenation, and α-sulfenylation. In all cases, a reductive N-alkylation is effectively combined with an oxidative α-functionalization, generating water as the only byproduct. Reactions are promoted by simple carboxylic acids and in some cases require no additives. Azomethine ylides, dipolar species whose usage is predominantly in [3 + 2] cycloadditions and other pericyclic processes, have been identified as common intermediates. Extension of this chemistry to amine α,β-difunctionalization has been shown to be possible by way of converting the intermediate azomethine ylides into transient enamines. This Account details the evolution of this general strategy and the progress made to date. Further included is a discussion of related decarboxylative reactions and transformations that result in the redox-neutral aromatization of (partially) saturated cyclic amines. These processes also involve azomethine ylides, reactive intermediates that appear to be far more prevalent in condensation chemistry of amines and carbonyl compounds than previously considered. In contrast, as exemplified by some redox transformations that have been studied in greater detail, iminium ions are not necessarily involved in all amine/aldehyde condensation reactions. PMID:25560649

  8. The azomethine ylide route to amine C-H functionalization: redox-versions of classic reactions and a pathway to new transformations.

    PubMed

    Seidel, Daniel

    2015-02-17

    Conspectus Redox-neutral methods for the functionalization of amine α-C-H bonds are inherently efficient because they avoid external oxidants and reductants and often do not generate unwanted byproducts. However, most of the current methods for amine α-C-H bond functionalization are oxidative in nature. While the most efficient variants utilize atmospheric oxygen as the terminal oxidant, many such transformations require the use of expensive or toxic oxidants, often coupled with the need for transition metal catalysts. Redox-neutral amine α-functionalizations that involve intramolecular hydride transfer steps provide viable alternatives to certain oxidative reactions. These processes have been known for some time and are particularly well suited for tertiary amine substrates. A mechanistically distinct strategy for secondary amines has emerged only recently, despite sharing common features with a range of classic organic transformations. Among those are such widely used reactions as the Strecker, Mannich, Pictet-Spengler, and Kabachnik-Fields reactions, Friedel-Crafts alkylations, and iminium alkynylations. In these classic processes, condensation of a secondary amine with an aldehyde (or a ketone) typically leads to the formation of an intermediate iminium ion, which is subsequently attacked by a nucleophile. The corresponding redox-versions of these transformations utilize identical starting materials but incorporate an isomerization step that enables α-C-H bond functionalization. Intramolecular versions of these reactions include redox-neutral amine α-amination, α-oxygenation, and α-sulfenylation. In all cases, a reductive N-alkylation is effectively combined with an oxidative α-functionalization, generating water as the only byproduct. Reactions are promoted by simple carboxylic acids and in some cases require no additives. Azomethine ylides, dipolar species whose usage is predominantly in [3 + 2] cycloadditions and other pericyclic processes, have been identified as common intermediates. Extension of this chemistry to amine α,β-difunctionalization has been shown to be possible by way of converting the intermediate azomethine ylides into transient enamines. This Account details the evolution of this general strategy and the progress made to date. Further included is a discussion of related decarboxylative reactions and transformations that result in the redox-neutral aromatization of (partially) saturated cyclic amines. These processes also involve azomethine ylides, reactive intermediates that appear to be far more prevalent in condensation chemistry of amines and carbonyl compounds than previously considered. In contrast, as exemplified by some redox transformations that have been studied in greater detail, iminium ions are not necessarily involved in all amine/aldehyde condensation reactions.

  9. Simulation of SOA formation and composition from oxidation of toluene and m-xylene in chamber experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, J.; Liu, Y.; Nakao, S.; Cocker, D.; Griffin, R. J.

    2013-12-01

    Aromatic hydrocarbons contribute an important fraction of anthropogenic reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the urban atmosphere. Photo-oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons leads to secondary organic products that have decreased volatilities or increased solubilities and can form secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Despite the crucial role of aromatic-derived SOA in deteriorating air quality and harming human health, its formation mechanism is not well understood and model simulation of SOA formation still remains difficult. The dependence of aromatic SOA formation on nitrogen oxides (NOx) is not captured fully by most SOA formation models. Most models predict SOA formation under high NOx levels well but underestimate SOA formation under low NOx levels more representative of the ambient atmosphere. Thus, it is crucial to investigate the NOx-dependent chemistry in aromatic photo-oxidation systems and correspondingly update SOA formation models. In this study, NOx-dependent mechanisms of toluene and m-xylene SOA formation are updated using the gas-phase Caltech Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism (CACM) coupled to a gas/aerosol partitioning model. The updated models were optimized by comparing to eighteen University of California, Riverside United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chamber experiment runs under both high and low NOx conditions. Correction factors for vapor pressures imply uncharacterized aerosol-phase association chemistry. Simulated SOA speciation implies the importance of ring-opening products in governing SOA formation (up to 40%~60% for both aromatics). The newly developed model can predict strong decreases of m-xylene SOA yield with increasing NOx. Speciation distributions under varied NOx levels implies that the well-known competition between RO2 + HO2 and RO2 + NO (RO2 = peroxide bicyclic radical) may not be the only factor influencing SOA formation. The reaction of aromatic peroxy radicals with NO competing with its self-cyclization also affects NOx-dependence of SOA formation. Comparison of SOA formation yield and composition between two aromatics implies aldehyde/ketone chemistry from ring-opening route and chemistry for phenolic route play important roles in governing SOA formation and that ring-opening aldehydes and phenolic nitrates are produced to a greater extent in the toluene system, leading to higher SOA yields for toluene than for m-xylene.

  10. Thermally resistant polymers for fuel tank sealants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Webster, J. A.

    1973-01-01

    Imide-linked perfluoroalkylene ether polymers, that were developed for the high temperature fuel tank sealant application, are discussed. Modifications of polymer structure and properties were realized through use of a new aromatic dianhydride intermediate containing an ether-linked perfluoroalkylene segment. Tests of thermal, oxidative and hydrolytic stability, fuel resistance, and adhesion are discussed along with tensile strength and elongation results. Efforts to effect a low temperature condensation of amic acid prepolymer to form imide links inside are described.

  11. Environmentally stable polymers and coatings for space application: CH-5, supplement 10

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sykes, G.

    1986-01-01

    High molecular weight, randomly coupled poly(imide siloxane) soluble block copolymers were synthesized from bis(amino propyl) polydimethylsiloxane equilibrates of various molecular weights, aromatic metalinked diamines, and 3,3'-4,4'-benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA). Two synthetic procedures were successfully used to synthesize the poly(amic acid siloxane) intermediates. For both synthetic procedures, a cosolvent system was employed to achieve complete solvation of all components throughout the polymerization. Physical property characterization is continuing.

  12. Regioselective syntheses of 1,2-benzothiazines by rhodium-catalyzed annulation reactions.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Ying; Bolm, Carsten

    2015-10-12

    Rhodium-catalyzed directed carbene insertions into aromatic CH bonds of S-aryl sulfoximines lead to intermediates, which upon dehydration provide 1,2-benzothiazines in excellent yields. The domino-type process is regioselective and shows a high functional-group tolerance. It is scalable, and the only by-products are dinitrogen and water. Three illustrative transformations underscore the synthetic value of the products. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Tandem 1,5-hydride shift/1,5-S,N-cyclization with ethylene extrusion of 1,3-oxathiolane-substituted ketenimines and carbodiimides. An experimental and computational study.

    PubMed

    Alajarin, Mateo; Bonillo, Baltasar; Sanchez-Andrada, Pilar; Vidal, Angel

    2010-06-04

    Under thermal activation in solution, N-[2-(1,3-oxathiolan-2-yl)]phenyl ketenimines and carbodiimides were converted into 2,1-benzisothiazol-3-ones bearing a pendant N-styryl or imidoyl fragment, respectively. These processes should occur with the concomitant formation of ethylene as result of the fragmentation of the 1,3-oxathiolane ring. The conversions of ketenimines took place under softer thermal conditions, toluene 110 degrees C, than those of carbodiimides, o-xylene 160 degrees C. A computational DFT study unveiled the mechanistic course of these transformations, rare tandem processes consisting of an initial 1,5-hydride shift of the acetalic hydrogen atom to the central carbon atom of the heterocumulene function leading to the respective o-azaxylylene. This transient intermediate then converts, in a single step, into ethylene and the experimentally isolated benzisothiazolone. This latter stage of the mechanism is rather peculiar, combining a 1,5-cyclization by S-N bond formation, aromaticity recovery at the benzene nucleus, and the fragmentation of the oxathiolane framework originating a new carbonyl group. It can be related with a vinylogous retro-ene reaction and shows pseudopericyclic characteristics. The computations also revealed that the alternative 6pi electrocyclization of the transient o-azaxylylenes cannot compete, on kinetic and thermodynamic grounds, with the experimentally observed reaction channel. The two alternative reaction paths of a number of ketenimines and carbodiimides were computationally scrutinized, the results being in accord with the experimental outcomes. In addition, sulfur extrusion from the benzisothiazolones by the action of triphenylphosphine under two different reaction conditions led to three different types of heterocyclic products, 4(3H)-quinolones, quinolino[2,1-b]quinazolin-5,12-diones, and dibenzo[b,f][1,5]diazocin-6,12-diones, whose formation is explained by the initial formation of an intermediate imidoylketene. This reactive species could be trapped by a nucleophilic solvent, ethanol.

  14. Organic matter transformation in the peat column at Marcell Experimental Forest: Humification and vertical stratification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tfaily, Malak M.; Cooper, William T.; Kostka, Joel E.; Chanton, Patrick R.; Schadt, Christopher W.; Hanson, Paul J.; Iversen, Colleen M.; Chanton, Jeffrey P.

    2014-04-01

    We characterized peat decomposition at the Marcell Experimental Forest (MEF), Minnesota, USA, to a depth of 2 m to ascertain the underlying chemical changes using Fourier transform infrared (FT IR) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy) and related these changes to decomposition proxies C:N ratio, δ13C and δ15N, bulk density, and water content. FT IR determined that peat humification increased rapidly between 30 and 75 cm, indicating a highly reactive intermediate-depth zone consistent with changes in C:N ratio, δ13C and δ15N, bulk density, and water content. Peat decomposition at the MEF, especially in the intermediate-depth zone, is mainly characterized by preferential utilization of O-alkyl-C, carboxyl-C, and other oxygenated functionalities with a concomitant increase in the abundance of alkyl- and nitrogen-containing compounds. Below 75 cm, less change was observed but aromatic functionalities and lignin accumulated with depth. Significant correlations with humification indices, identified by FT IR spectroscopy, were found for C:N ratios. Incubation studies at 22°C revealed the highest methane production rates, greatest CH4:CO2 production ratios, and significant O-alkyl-C utilization within this 30 and 75 cm zone. Oxygen-containing functionalities, especially O-alkyl-C, appear to serve as excellent proxies for soil decomposition rate and should be a sensitive indicator of the response of the solid phase peat to increased temperatures caused by climate change and the field study manipulations that are planned to occur at this site. Radiocarbon signatures of microbial respiration products in deeper pore waters at the MEF resembled the signatures of more modern dissolved organic carbon rather than solid phase peat, indicating that recently photosynthesized organic matter fueled the bulk of subsurface microbial respiration. These results indicate that carbon cycling at depth at the MEF is not isolated from surface processes.

  15. Semipermeable polymers and method for producing same

    DOEpatents

    Buschmann, Wayne E [Boulder, CO

    2012-04-03

    A polyamide membrane comprising reaction product of an anhydrous solution comprising an anhydrous solvent, at least one polyfunctional secondary amine and a pre-polymer deposition catalyst; and an anhydrous, organic solvent solution comprising a polyfunctional aromatic amine-reactive reactant comprising one ring. A composite semipermeable membrane comprising the polyamide membrane on a porous support. A method of making a composite semipermeable membrane by coating a porous support with an anhydrous solution comprising an anhydrous solvent, a polyfunctional secondary amine and a pre-polymer deposition catalyst, to form an activated pre-polymer layer on the porous support and contacting the activated pre-polymer layer with an anhydrous, organic solvent solution comprising a polyfunctional amine-reactive reactant to interfacially condense the amine-reactive reactant with the polyfunctional secondary amine, thereby forming a cross-linked, interfacial polyamide layer on the porous support. A method of impregnating a composite semipermeable membrane with nanoparticles selected from heavy metals and/or oxides of heavy metals.

  16. An Isolable Phosphaethynolatoborane and Its Reactivity.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Daniel W N; Hinz, Alexander; Goicoechea, Jose M

    2018-02-19

    The synthesis and characterization of a stable phosphaethynolatoborane, [B]OCP (1, [B]=N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-1,3,2-diazaboryl), is described. The increased triple bond character of the P-C bond in 1 relative to the free ion (PCO - ) is probed in a series of reactivity studies. Compound 1 readily dimerises in donor solvents to afford a cyclic five-membered 6π-aromatic compound, cyclo-P 2 {C[B]}O{CO[B]} (2), which decarbonylates on UV irradiation. By contrast the nickel-mediated dimerisation of 1 affords the isomeric diphosphacyclobutene [P(CO[B])] 2 . When 1 is reacted with organolithium reagents such as MesLi (Mes=2,4,6-trimethylphenyl), the boryl moiety shifts and the formation of the lithoxy-boryl-phosphaalkene [LiOC[B]P(Mes)] 2 was observed. The reactivity of this species towards electrophiles is also described. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Anatomy of a flaring proto-planetary disk around a young intermediate-mass star.

    PubMed

    Lagage, Pierre-Olivier; Doucet, Coralie; Pantin, Eric; Habart, Emilie; Duchêne, Gaspard; Ménard, François; Pinte, Christophe; Charnoz, Sébastien; Pel, Jan-Willem

    2006-10-27

    Although planets are being discovered around stars more massive than the Sun, information about the proto-planetary disks where such planets have built up is sparse. We have imaged mid-infrared emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at the surface of the disk surrounding the young intermediate-mass star HD 97048 and characterized the disk. The disk is in an early stage of evolution, as indicated by its large content of dust and its hydrostatic flared geometry, indicative of the presence of a large amount of gas that is well mixed with dust and gravitationally stable. The disk is a precursor of debris disks found around more-evolved A stars such as beta-Pictoris and provides the rare opportunity to witness the conditions prevailing before (or during) planet formation.

  18. A Free-Radical Pathway to Hydrogenated Phenanthrene in Molecular Clouds-Low Temperature Growth of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

    PubMed

    Thomas, Aaron M; Lucas, Michael; Yang, Tao; Kaiser, Ralf I; Fuentes, Luis; Belisario-Lara, Daniel; Mebel, Alexander M

    2017-08-05

    The hydrogen-abstraction/acetylene-addition mechanism has been fundamental to unravelling the synthesis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) detected in combustion flames and carbonaceous meteorites like Orgueil and Murchison. However, the fundamental reaction pathways accounting for the synthesis of complex PAHs, such as the tricyclic anthracene and phenanthrene along with their dihydrogenated counterparts, remain elusive to date. By investigating the hitherto unknown chemistry of the 1-naphthyl radical with 1,3-butadiene, we reveal a facile barrierless synthesis of dihydrophenanthrene adaptable to low temperatures. These aryl-type radical additions to conjugated hydrocarbons via resonantly stabilized free-radical intermediates defy conventional wisdom that PAH growth is predominantly a high-temperature phenomenon and thus may represent an overlooked path to PAHs as complex as coronene and corannulene in cold regions of the interstellar medium like in the Taurus Molecular Cloud. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. QTL mapping of sake brewing characteristics of yeast.

    PubMed

    Katou, Taku; Namise, Masahiro; Kitagaki, Hiroshi; Akao, Takeshi; Shimoi, Hitoshi

    2009-04-01

    A haploid sake yeast strain derived from the commercial diploid sake yeast strain Kyokai no. 7 showed better characteristics for sake brewing compared to the haploid laboratory yeast strain X2180-1B, including higher production of ethanol and aromatic components. A hybrid of these two strains showed intermediate characteristics in most cases. After sporulation of the hybrid strain, we obtained 100 haploid segregants of the hybrid. Small-scale sake brewing tests of these segregants showed a smooth continuous distribution of the sake brewing characteristics, suggesting that these traits are determined by multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs). To examine these sake brewing characteristics at the genomic level, we performed QTL analysis of sake brewing characteristics using 142 DNA markers that showed heterogeneity between the two parental strains. As a result, we identified 25 significant QTLs involved in the specification of sake brewing characteristics such as ethanol fermentation and the production of aromatic components.

  20. Catalytic hydrogenation rate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in supercritical carbon dioxide containing polymer-stabilized palladium nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Liao, Weisheng; Liu, Hsin-Wang; Chen, Hsing-Jung; Chang, Wen-Yen; Chiu, Kong-Hwa; Wai, Chien M

    2011-01-01

    Catalytic hydrogenation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with up to four fused benzene rings over high-density-polyethylene-stabilized palladium nanoparticles in supercritical carbon dioxide via in situ UV/Vis spectroscopy is presented. PAHs can be efficiently converted to saturated polycyclic hydrocarbons using this green technique under mild conditions at 20 MPa of CO₂ containing 1 MPa of H₂ at 40-50°C. Kinetic studies based on in situ UV/Vis spectra of the CO₂ phase reveal that the initial hydrogenation of a given PAH and the subsequent hydrogenations of its intermediates are pseudo-first-order. The hydrogenation rate of the latter is always much smaller than that of the former probably due to increasing steric hindrance introduced by the hydrogenated benzene rings of PAHs which impedes the adsorption process and hydrogen access to PAHs on catalyst surfaces. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Highly selective hydrogenation of arenes using nanostructured ruthenium catalysts modified with a carbon–nitrogen matrix

    PubMed Central

    Cui, Xinjiang; Surkus, Annette-Enrica; Junge, Kathrin; Topf, Christoph; Radnik, Jörg; Kreyenschulte, Carsten; Beller, Matthias

    2016-01-01

    Selective hydrogenations of (hetero)arenes represent essential processes in the chemical industry, especially for the production of polymer intermediates and a multitude of fine chemicals. Herein, we describe a new type of well-dispersed Ru nanoparticles supported on a nitrogen-doped carbon material obtained from ruthenium chloride and dicyanamide in a facile and scalable method. These novel catalysts are stable and display both excellent activity and selectivity in the hydrogenation of aromatic ethers, phenols as well as other functionalized substrates to the corresponding alicyclic reaction products. Furthermore, reduction of the aromatic core is preferred over hydrogenolysis of the C–O bond in the case of ether substrates. The selective hydrogenation of biomass-derived arenes, such as lignin building blocks, plays a pivotal role in the exploitation of novel sustainable feedstocks for chemical production and represents a notoriously difficult transformation up to now. PMID:27113087

  2. On the origin of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene in extra virgin olive oil.

    PubMed

    Biedermann, M; Grob, K; Morchio, G

    1995-04-01

    Concentrations of benzene, toluene, C2-benzenes and styrene were determined in olives and the oils produced thereof, as well as at various intermediate steps during production. Concentrations were compared to those found in samples of air taken from the olive grove and the olive mills. In an exposition experiment in the laboratory, olives absorbed aromatic compounds, approaching saturation corresponding to the partition coefficient between air and oil. However, concentrations in olives delivered to the mills were 4-10 times higher than expected from the analysis of the air in the olive grove. In the olive mills, concentrations were increased further by a factor of up to 2 because of uptake from air which contained high concentrations of aromatics. Styrene concentrations strongly increased during storage of crushed olives at ambient temperature, which confirms the hypothesis that styrene is a product of metabolism.

  3. Co-aromatization of olefin and methane over Ag-Ga/ZSM-5 catalyst at low temperature

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    He, Peng; Gatip, Richard; Yung, Matthew

    The massive exploitation of shale gas in the past decade has boosted the production of natural gas and reduced its price dramatically. The methane activation and following conversion into more valuable fuels and chemicals have thus become more and more attractive, while the introduction of hydrocarbons to enhance the methane activation at mild conditions represents a promising approach. In the present work, the co-aromatization of methane with propylene has been studied at 400 °C. The presence of methane would increase the toluene to benzene ratio as well as the average carbon number of the formed liquid aromatic products compared tomore » its propylene alone counterpart. Among the gas products, the formations of C 3H 8, C 4H 8 and C 4H 10 also get promoted when methane is present. The incorporation of methane into the product molecules is also directly evidenced by the 1H, 2D and 13C NMR spectroscopy of the liquid products obtained from the reaction between propylene (or styrene) and isotope labelled methane. Hydrogen from methane would contribute a large portion of the hydrogen in the product molecules, while the benzylic and aromatic hydrogen sites are favored compared with those on the alkyl side chains. The activation of methane is also observed in the DRIFT spectra when deuterium enriched methane is engaged as the methane source and evidenced by the escalated exothermic feature when olefin aromatization takes place under methane environment. The excellent catalytic performance of Ag-Ga/ZSM-5 might be because of the better dispersion of Ag and Ga on the ZSM-5 surface and moderate amount of strong Brosted and Lewis surface acid sites. All the observations suggest that methane might be activated nonoxidatively and converted into aromatics if suitable catalyst is charged under the assistance of co-existing olefin. In conclusion, the reported synergetic effect could potentially lead to the more economic utilization of abundant natural gas and petrochemical intermediates.« less

  4. Co-aromatization of olefin and methane over Ag-Ga/ZSM-5 catalyst at low temperature

    DOE PAGES

    He, Peng; Gatip, Richard; Yung, Matthew; ...

    2017-04-22

    The massive exploitation of shale gas in the past decade has boosted the production of natural gas and reduced its price dramatically. The methane activation and following conversion into more valuable fuels and chemicals have thus become more and more attractive, while the introduction of hydrocarbons to enhance the methane activation at mild conditions represents a promising approach. In the present work, the co-aromatization of methane with propylene has been studied at 400 °C. The presence of methane would increase the toluene to benzene ratio as well as the average carbon number of the formed liquid aromatic products compared tomore » its propylene alone counterpart. Among the gas products, the formations of C 3H 8, C 4H 8 and C 4H 10 also get promoted when methane is present. The incorporation of methane into the product molecules is also directly evidenced by the 1H, 2D and 13C NMR spectroscopy of the liquid products obtained from the reaction between propylene (or styrene) and isotope labelled methane. Hydrogen from methane would contribute a large portion of the hydrogen in the product molecules, while the benzylic and aromatic hydrogen sites are favored compared with those on the alkyl side chains. The activation of methane is also observed in the DRIFT spectra when deuterium enriched methane is engaged as the methane source and evidenced by the escalated exothermic feature when olefin aromatization takes place under methane environment. The excellent catalytic performance of Ag-Ga/ZSM-5 might be because of the better dispersion of Ag and Ga on the ZSM-5 surface and moderate amount of strong Brosted and Lewis surface acid sites. All the observations suggest that methane might be activated nonoxidatively and converted into aromatics if suitable catalyst is charged under the assistance of co-existing olefin. In conclusion, the reported synergetic effect could potentially lead to the more economic utilization of abundant natural gas and petrochemical intermediates.« less

  5. Role of Aromatic Amino Acids in Lipopolysaccharide and Membrane Interactions of Antimicrobial Peptides for Use in Plant Disease Control*

    PubMed Central

    Datta, Aritreyee; Bhattacharyya, Dipita; Singh, Shalini; Ghosh, Anirban; Schmidtchen, Artur; Malmsten, Martin; Bhunia, Anirban

    2016-01-01

    KYE28 (KYEITTIHNLFRKLTHRLFRRNFGYT-LR), the representative sequence of helix D of heparin co-factor II, was demonstrated to be potent against agronomically important Gram-negative plant pathogens Xanthomonas vesicatoria and Xanthomonas oryzae, capable of inhibiting disease symptoms in detached tomato leaves. NMR studies in the presence of lipopolysaccharide provided structural insights into the mechanisms underlying this, notably in relationship to outer membrane permeabilization. The three-dimensional solution structure of KYE28 in LPS is characterized by an N-terminal helical segment, an intermediate loop followed by another short helical stretch, and an extended C terminus. The two termini are in close proximity to each other via aromatic packing interactions, whereas the positively charged residues form an exterior polar shell. To further demonstrate the importance of the aromatic residues for this, a mutant peptide KYE28A, with Ala substitutions at Phe11, Phe19, Phe23, and Tyr25 was designed, which showed attenuated antimicrobial activity at high salt concentrations, as well as lower membrane disruption and LPS binding abilities compared with KYE28. In contrast to KYE28, KYE28A adopted an extended helical structure in LPS with extended N and C termini. Aromatic packing interactions were completely lost, although hydrophobic interaction between the side chains of hydrophobic residues were still partly retained, imparting an amphipathic character and explaining its residual antimicrobial activity and LPS binding as observed from ellipsometry and isothermal titration calorimetry. We thus present key structural aspects of KYE28, constituting an aromatic zipper, of potential importance for the development of novel plant protection agents and therapeutic agents. PMID:27137928

  6. Iodinated contrast media electro-degradation: process performance and degradation pathways.

    PubMed

    Del Moro, Guido; Pastore, Carlo; Di Iaconi, Claudio; Mascolo, Giuseppe

    2015-02-15

    The electrochemical degradation of six of the most widely used iodinated contrast media was investigated. Batch experiments were performed under constant current conditions using two DSA® electrodes (titanium coated with a proprietary and patented mixed metal oxide solution of precious metals such as iridium, ruthenium, platinum, rhodium and tantalum). The degradation removal never fell below 85% (at a current density of 64 mA/cm(2) with a reaction time of 150 min) when perchlorate was used as the supporting electrolyte; however, when sulphate was used, the degradation performance was above 80% (at a current density of 64 mA/cm(2) with a reaction time of 150 min) for all of the compounds studied. Three main degradation pathways were identified, namely, the reductive de-iodination of the aromatic ring, the reduction of alkyl aromatic amides to simple amides and the de-acylation of N-aromatic amides to produce aromatic amines. However, as amidotrizoate is an aromatic carboxylate, this is added via the decarboxylation reaction. The investigation did not reveal toxicity except for the lower current density used, which has shown a modest toxicity, most likely for some reaction intermediates that are not further degraded. In order to obtain total removal of the contrast media, it was necessary to employ a current intensity between 118 and 182 mA/cm(2) with energy consumption higher than 370 kWh/m(3). Overall, the electrochemical degradation was revealed to be a reliable process for the treatment of iodinated contrast media that can be found in contaminated waters such as hospital wastewater or pharmaceutical waste-contaminated streams. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. PAH/Aromatic Tar and Coke Precursor Formation in the Early Stages of Triglyceride (Triolein) Pyrolysis.

    PubMed

    Alhroub, Ibrahim; Kozliak, Evguenii; Kubátová, Alena; Sulkes, Mark

    2018-03-29

    There has been a limited understanding of high MW polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) product chemistry in the pyrolysis of triglycerides (TGs), though the subject has important implications for both fuel production from TGs and food science. Previous TG pyrolysis studies have been able to identify only relatively low MW GC-elutable aromatics occurring in the bulk liquid phase; products occurring in the solid phase have remained inaccessible to chemical analysis. In contrast, cold gas expansion molecular beam methods, where pyrolysis products are analyzed in real time as they are entrained in gas expansions, remove product collection difficulties, thereby allowing for analysis of coke/tar PAH precursors. In this study, the model TG triolein was heated and the ensuing products in the molecular beam were soft photoionized, enabling time-of-flight mass detection. Use of 266 nm pulses enabled selective photoionization of aromatic products. Unlike previous work on analysis of the liquid phase TG cracking products, a different and distinct pattern of rather large PAHs, up to 444 amu, was observed, at nontrivial relative product fractions. With an increase of temperature to ∼350 °C, a small number of PAHs with MW ≥ 276 amu increasingly dominated the aromatic product distribution. Surprisingly, PAH product detection ensued at rather low temperatures, as low as ∼260 °C. For tentative PAH product identification and product chemistry rationalization, we observed the product homology pattern and applied a stoichiometric analysis. The latter, combined with the known homology profiles of TG cracking products, indicated specific patterns of intermediate fragment association that facilitated large-MW PAH formation as a result of TG cracking.

  8. Crystallographic and spectroscopic snapshots reveal a dehydrogenase in action

    DOE PAGES

    Huo, Lu; Davis, Ian; Liu, Fange; ...

    2015-01-07

    Aldehydes are ubiquitous intermediates in metabolic pathways and their innate reactivity can often make them quite unstable. There are several aldehydic intermediates in the metabolic pathway for tryptophan degradation that can decay into neuroactive compounds that have been associated with numerous neurological diseases. An enzyme of this pathway, 2-aminomuconate-6-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, is responsible for ‘disarming’ the final aldehydic intermediate. Here we show the crystal structures of a bacterial analogue enzyme in five catalytically relevant forms: resting state, one binary and two ternary complexes, and a covalent, thioacyl intermediate. We also report the crystal structures of a tetrahedral, thiohemiacetal intermediate, a thioacylmore » intermediate and an NAD +-bound complex from an active site mutant. These covalent intermediates are characterized by single-crystal and solution-state electronic absorption spectroscopy. The crystal structures reveal that the substrate undergoes an E/Z isomerization at the enzyme active site before an sp 3-to-sp 2 transition during enzyme-mediated oxidation.« less

  9. Effect of iodide on transformation of phenolic compounds by nonradical activation of peroxydisulfate in the presence of carbon nanotube: Kinetics, impacting factors, and formation of iodinated aromatic products.

    PubMed

    Guan, Chaoting; Jiang, Jin; Pang, Suyan; Luo, Congwei; Yang, Yi; Ma, Jun; Yu, Jing; Zhao, Xi

    2018-06-04

    Our recent study has demonstrated that iodide (I - ) can be easily and almost entirely oxidized to hypoiodous acid (HOI) but not to iodate by nonradical activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS) in the presence of a commercial carbon nanotube (CNT). In this work, the oxidation kinetics of phenolic compounds by the PDS/CNT system in the presence of I - were examined and potential formation of iodinated aromatic products was explored. Experimental results suggested that I - enhanced the transformation of six selected substituted phenols, primarily attributed to the generation of HOI that was considerably reactive toward these phenolic compounds. More significant enhancement was obtained at higher I - concentrations or lower pH values, while the change of PDS or CNT dosages exhibited a slight impact on the enhancing effect of I - . Product analyses with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry clearly revealed the production of iodinated aromatic products when p-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-HBA, a model phenol) was treated by the PDS/CNT/I - system in both synthetic and real waters. Their formation pathways probably involved the substitution of HOI on aromatic ring of p-HBA, as well as the generation of iodinated p-HBA phenoxyl radicals and subsequent coupling of these radicals. Given the considerable toxicity and harmful effects of these iodinated aromatic products, particular attention should be paid when the novel PDS/CNT oxidation technology is applied for treatment of phenolic contaminants in iodide-containing waters. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Radiation processing of thermoplastic starch by blending aromatic additives: Effect of blend composition and radiation parameters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khandal, Dhriti; Mikus, Pierre-Yves; Dole, Patrice; Coqueret, Xavier

    2013-03-01

    This paper reports on the effects of electron beam (EB) irradiation on poly α-1,4-glucose oligomers (maltodextrins) in the presence of water and of various aromatic additives, as model blends for gaining a better understanding at a molecular level the modifications occurring in amorphous starch-lignin blends submitted to ionizing irradiation for improving the properties of this type of bio-based thermoplastic material. A series of aromatic compounds, namely p-methoxy benzyl alcohol, benzene dimethanol, cinnamyl alcohol and some related carboxylic acids namely cinnamic acid, coumaric acid, and ferulic acid, was thus studied for assessing the ability of each additive to counteract chain scission of the polysaccharide and induce interchain covalent linkages. Gel formation in EB-irradiated blends comprising of maltodextrin was shown to be dependent on three main factors: the type of aromatic additive, presence of glycerol, and irradiation dose. The chain scission versus grafting phenomenon as a function of blend composition and dose were studied using Size Exclusion Chromatography by determining the changes in molecular weight distribution (MWD) from Refractive Index (RI) chromatograms and the presence of aromatic grafts onto the maltodextrin chains from UV chromatograms. The occurrence of crosslinking was quantified by gel fraction measurements allowing for ranking the cross-linking efficiency of the additives. When applying the method to destructurized starch blends, gel formation was also shown to be strongly affected by the moisture content of the sample submitted to irradiation. The results demonstrate the possibility to tune the reactivity of tailored blend for minimizing chain degradation and control the degree of cross-linking.

  11. RETRACTED: Aerobic degradation of 4-nitroaniline (4-NA) via novel degradation intermediates by Rhodococcus sp. strain FK48.

    PubMed

    Khan, Fazlurrahman; Pandey, Janmejay; Vikram, Surendra; Pal, Deepika; Cameotra, Swaranjit Singh

    2013-06-15

    An aerobic strain, Rhodococcus sp. strain FK48, capable of growing on 4-nitroaniline (4-NA) as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy has been isolated from enrichment cultures originating from contaminated soil samples. During growth studies with non- induced cells of FK48 catalyzed sequential denitrification (release of NO₂ substituent) and deamination (release of NH₂ substituent) of 4-NA. However, none of the degradation intermediates could be identified with growth studies. During resting cell studies, 4-NA-induced cells of strain FK48 transformed 4-NA via a previously unknown pathway which involved oxidative hydroxylation leading to formation of 4-aminophenol (4-AP). Subsequent degradation involved oxidated deamination of 4-AP and formation of 1,2,4-benzenetriol (BT) as the major identified terminal aromatic intermediate. Identification of these intermediates was ascertained by HPLC, and GC-MS analyses of the culture supernatants. 4-NA-induced cells of strain FK48 showed positive activity for 1,2,4-benzenetriol dioxygenase in spectrophotometric assay. This is the first conclusive study on aerobic microbial degradation of 4-NA and elucidation of corresponding metabolic pathway. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Peroxidase-mediated removal of a polychlorinated biphenyl using natural organic matter as the sole cosubstrate.

    PubMed

    Colosi, Lisa M; Burlingame, Daniel J; Huang, Qingguo; Weber, Walter J

    2007-02-01

    Natural organic matter (NOM) of hydroxylated aromatic character can undergo catalyst-mediated self-coupling reactions to form larger molecular aggregates. Indeed, such reactions are central to natural humification processes. Nonhydroxylated persistent aromatic contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are, conversely, inert with respect to such reactions. It is here demonstrated however that significant coincidental coupling and removal of a representative aqueous-phase PCB occurs during horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed oxidative coupling reactions of a representative aquatic NOM. Experiments with Suwannee River fulvic acid as a reactive cosubstrate indicate that 2,2'-dichlorobiphenyl (PCB-4) is covalently incorporated into aggregating NOM, likely through fortuitous cross-coupling reactions. To develop a better understanding of potential mechanisms by which the observed phenomenon occurs, two hydroxylated monomeric cosubstrates of known molecular structure, phenol and 4-methoxyphenol, were investigated as alternative cosubstrates. PCB-4 removal appears from these experiments to relate to certain molecular characteristics of the native cosubstrate molecule (reactivity with HRP, favorability for radical attack, and hydrophobicity) and its associated phenoxy radical (stability). The findings reveal potential pathways by which PCBs, and perhaps other polyaromatic contaminants, may be naturally transformed and detoxified in nature. The results further provide a foundation for development of enhanced-humification strategies for remediation of PCB-contaminated environmental systems.

  13. Pyrrolidine and Piperidine Formation Via Copper(II) Carboxylate Promoted Intramolecular Carboamination of Unactivated Olefins: Diastereoselectivity and Mechanism

    PubMed Central

    Sherman, Eric S.; Fuller, Peter H.; Kasi, Dhanalakshmi; Chemler, Sherry R.

    2008-01-01

    An expanded substrate scope and in depth analysis of the reaction mechanism of the copper(II) carboxylate promoted intramolecular carboamination of unactivated alkenes is described. This method provides access to N-functionalized pyrrolidines and piperidines. Both aromatic and aliphatic γ- and δ-alkenyl N-arylsulfonamides undergo the oxidative cyclization reaction efficiently. N-Benzoyl-2-allylaniline also underwent the oxidative cyclization. The terminal olefin substrates examined were more reactive than those with internal olefins, and the latter terminated in elimination rather than carbon-carbon bond formation. The efficiency of the reaction was enhanced by the use of more organic soluble copper(II) carboxylate salts, copper(II) neodecanoate in particular. The reaction times were reduced by the use of microwave heating. High levels of diastereoselectivity were observed in the synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines, wherein the cis substitution pattern predominates. The mechanism of the reaction is discussed in the context of the observed reactivity and in comparison to analogous reactions promoted by other reagents and conditions. Our evidence supports a mechanism wherein the N-C bond is formed via intramolecular syn aminocupration and the C-C bond is formed via intramolecular addition of a primary carbon radical to an aromatic ring. PMID:17428100

  14. Oxidation of tertiary amines by cytochrome p450-kinetic isotope effect as a spin-state reactivity probe.

    PubMed

    Li, Chunsen; Wu, Wei; Cho, Kyung-Bin; Shaik, Sason

    2009-08-24

    Two types of tertiary amine oxidation processes, namely, N-dealkylation and N-oxygenation, by compound I (Cpd I) of cytochrome P450 are studied theoretically using hybrid DFT calculations. All the calculations show that both N-dealkylation and N-oxygenation of trimethylamine (TMA) proceed preferentially from the low-spin (LS) state of Cpd I. Indeed, the computed kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) for the rate-controlling hydrogen abstraction step of dealkylation show that only the KIE(LS) fits the experimental datum, whereas the corresponding value for the high-spin (HS) process is much higher. These results second those published before for N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA), and as such, they further confirm the conclusion drawn then that KIEs can be a sensitive probe of spin state reactivity. The ferric-carbinolamine of TMA decomposes most likely in a non-enzymatic reaction since the Fe-O bond dissociation energy (BDE) is negative. The computational results reveal that in the reverse reaction of N-oxygenation, the N-oxide of aromatic amine can serve as a better oxygen donor than that of aliphatic amine to generate Cpd I. This capability of the N-oxo derivatives of aromatic amines to transfer oxygen to the heme, and thereby generate Cpd I, is in good accord with experimental data previously reported.

  15. Nature and chlorine reactivity of organic constituents from reclaimed water in groundwater, Los Angeles County, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Leenheer, J.A.; Rostad, C.E.; Barber, L.B.; Schroeder, R.A.; Anders, R.; Davisson, M.L.

    2001-01-01

    The nature and chlorine reactivity of organic constituents in reclaimed water (tertiary-treated municipal wastewater) before, during, and after recharge into groundwater at the Montebello Forebay in Los Angeles County, CA, was the focus of this study. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in reclaimed water from this site is primarily a mixture of aromatic sulfonates from anionic surfactant degradation, N-acetyl amino sugars and proteins from bacterial activity, and natural fulvic acid, whereas DOM from native groundwaters in the aquifer to which reclaimed water was recharged consists of natural fulvic acids. The hydrophilic neutral N-acetyl amino sugars that constitute 40% of the DOM in reclaimed water are removed during the first 3 m of vertical infiltration in the recharge basin. Groundwater age dating with 3H and 3He isotopes, and determinations of organic and inorganic C isotopes, enabled clear differentiation of recent recharged water from older native groundwater. Phenol structures in natural fulvic acids in DOM isolated from groundwater produced significant trihalomethanes (THM) and total organic halogen (TOX) yields upon chlorination, and these structures also were responsible for the enhanced SUVA and specific fluorescence characteristics relative to DOM in reclaimed water. Aromatic sulfonates and fulvic acids in reclaimed water DOM produced minimal THM and TOX yields.

  16. Li-air batteries: Importance of singlet oxygen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luntz, Alan C.; McCloskey, Bryan D.

    2017-04-01

    The deployment of Li-air batteries is hindered by severe parasitic reactions during battery cycling. Now, the reactive singlet oxygen intermediate is shown to substantially contribute to electrode and electrolyte degradation.

  17. Formation of a quinoneimine intermediate of 4-fluoro-N-methylaniline by FMO1: carbon oxidation plus defluorination.

    PubMed

    Driscoll, James P; Aliagas, Ignacio; Harris, Jennifer J; Halladay, Jason S; Khatib-Shahidi, Sheerin; Deese, Alan; Segraves, Nathaniel; Khojasteh-Bakht, S Cyrus

    2010-05-17

    Here, we report on the mechanism by which flavin-containing monooxygenase 1 (FMO1) mediates the formation of a reactive intermediate of 4-fluoro-N-methylaniline. FMO1 catalyzed a carbon oxidation reaction coupled with defluorination that led to the formation of 4-N-methylaminophenol, which was a reaction first reported by Boersma et al. (Boersma et al. (1993) Drug Metab. Dispos. 21 , 218 - 230). We propose that a labile 1-fluoro-4-(methylimino)cyclohexa-2,5-dienol intermediate was formed leading to an electrophilic quinoneimine intermediate. The identification of N-acetylcysteine adducts by LC-MS/MS and NMR further supports the formation of a quinoneimine intermediate. Incubations containing stable labeled oxygen (H(2)(18)O or (18)O(2)) and ab initio calculations were performed to support the proposed reaction mechanism.

  18. Stereoselectivity in catalytic reactions: CO oxidation on Pd(100) by rotationally aligned O2 molecules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vattuone, L.; Gerbi, A.; Savio, L.; Cappelletti, D.; Pirani, F.; Rocca, M.

    2010-05-01

    We report on stereodynamical effects in heterogeneous catalytic reactions as measured by molecular beam-surface experiments. Specifically for CO oxidation on Pd(100) we find that the rotational alignment of the incoming O2 at low (Θ = 0.04 ML) and at intermediate (ΘCO = 0.17 ML) CO pre-coverage, causes a higher reactivity of molecules in high and in low helicity states, respectively (corresponding to helicoptering and cartwheeling motion of O2). In first approximation, at low CO pre-coverage the difference in reactivity is determined by the different location of the O atoms generated in the dissociation process by the different parent molecules, while at intermediate CO pre-coverage the reactivity is influenced also by the different ability of cartwheeling and helicoptering O2 to penetrate through the CO adlayer. In accord with this the total amount of CO2 produced is always largest for helicopters which generate supersurface O atoms at least in the low CO pre-coverage limit. A deeper inspection of the data indicates, however, that the dynamics is more complex, two different pathways being present for the reaction with O generated by helicopters and one for O generated by cartwheels. Moreover, cartwheels generated oxygen influences the reactivity of subsequently arriving helicopters.

  19. Uncovering the formation and selection of benzylmalonyl-CoA from the biosynthesis of splenocin and enterocin reveals a versatile way to introduce amino acids into polyketide carbon scaffolds.

    PubMed

    Chang, Chenchen; Huang, Rong; Yan, Yan; Ma, Hongmin; Dai, Zheng; Zhang, Benying; Deng, Zixin; Liu, Wen; Qu, Xudong

    2015-04-01

    Selective modification of carbon scaffolds via biosynthetic engineering is important for polyketide structural diversification. Yet, this scope is currently restricted to simple aliphatic groups due to (1) limited variety of CoA-linked extender units, which lack aromatic structures and chemical reactivity, and (2) narrow acyltransferase (AT) specificity, which is limited to aliphatic CoA-linked extender units. In this report, we uncovered and characterized the first aromatic CoA-linked extender unit benzylmalonyl-CoA from the biosynthetic pathways of splenocin and enterocin in Streptomyces sp. CNQ431. Its synthesis employs a deamination/reductive carboxylation strategy to convert phenylalanine into benzylmalonyl-CoA, providing a link between amino acid and CoA-linked extender unit synthesis. By characterization of its selection, we further validated that AT domains of splenocin, and antimycin polyketide synthases are able to select this extender unit to introduce the phenyl group into their dilactone scaffolds. The biosynthetic machinery involved in the formation of this extender unit is highly versatile and can be potentially tailored for tyrosine, histidine and aspartic acid. The disclosed aromatic extender unit, amino acid-oriented synthetic pathway, and aromatic-selective AT domains provides a systematic breakthrough toward current knowledge of polyketide extender unit formation and selection, and also opens a route for further engineering of polyketide carbon scaffolds using amino acids.

  20. Mechanism-based post-translational modification and inactivation in terpene synthases

    DOE PAGES

    Kersten, Roland D.; Diedrich, Jolene K.; Yates, III, John R.; ...

    2015-09-17

    Terpenes are ubiquitous natural chemicals with diverse biological functions spanning all three domains of life. In specialized metabolism, the active sites of terpene synthases (TPSs) evolve in shape and reactivity to direct the biosynthesis of a myriad of chemotypes for organismal fitness. As most terpene biosynthesis mechanistically involves highly reactive carbocationic intermediates, the protein surfaces catalyzing these cascade reactions possess reactive regions possibly prone to premature carbocation capture and potentially enzyme inactivation. Here, we show using proteomic and X-ray crystallographic analyses that cationic intermediates undergo capture by conserved active site residues leading to inhibitory self-alkylation. Furthermore, the level of cation-mediatedmore » inactivation increases with mutation of the active site, upon changes in the size and structure of isoprenoid diphosphate substrates, and alongside increases in reaction temperatures. TPSs that individually synthesize multiple products are less prone to self-alkylation then TPSs possessing relatively high product specificity. In total, the results presented suggest that mechanism-based alkylation represents an overlooked mechanistic pressure during the evolution of cation-derived terpene biosynthesis.« less

  1. Kinetics of organic transformations under mild aqueous conditions: implications for the origin of life and its metabolism

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weber, Arthur L.

    2004-01-01

    The rates of thermal transformation of organic molecules containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen were systematically examined in order to identify the kinetic constraints that governed origin-of-life organic chemistry under mild aqueous conditions. Arrhenius plots of the kinetic data were used to estimate the reaction of half-lifes at 50 degrees C. This survey showed that hydrocarbons and organic substances containing a single oxygenated group were kinetically the most stable; whereas organic substances containing two oxygenated groups in which one group was an alpha- or beta-positioned carbonyl group were the most reactive. Compounds with an alpha- or beta-positioned carbonyl group (aldehyde or ketone) had rates of reaction that were up to 10(24)-times faster than rates of similar molecules lacking the carbonyl group. This survey of organic reactivity, together with estimates of the molecular containment properties of lipid vesicles and liquid spherules, indicates that an origins process in a small domain that used C,H,O-intermediates had to be catalytic and use the most reactive organic molecules to prevent escape of its reaction intermediates.

  2. Role of metabolism in drug-induced idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity.

    PubMed

    Walgren, Jennie L; Mitchell, Michael D; Thompson, David C

    2005-01-01

    Rare adverse reactions to drugs that are of unknown etiology, or idiosyncratic reactions, can produce severe medical complications or even death in patients. Current hypotheses suggest that metabolic activation of a drug to a reactive intermediate is a necessary, yet insufficient, step in the generation of an idiosyncratic reaction. We review evidence for this hypothesis with drugs that are associated with hepatotoxicity, one of the most common types of idiosyncratic reactions in humans. We identified 21 drugs that have either been withdrawn from the U.S. market due to hepatotoxicity or have a black box warning for hepatotoxicity. Evidence for the formation of reactive metabolites was found for 5 out of 6 drugs that were withdrawn, and 8 out of 15 drugs that have black box warnings. For the other drugs, either evidence was not available or suitable studies have not been carried out. We also review evidence for reactive intermediate formation from a number of additional drugs that have been associated with idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity but do not have black box warnings. Finally, we consider the potential role that high dosages may play in these adverse reactions.

  3. De Novo Sequencing and Analysis of Lemongrass Transcriptome Provide First Insights into the Essential Oil Biosynthesis of Aromatic Grasses.

    PubMed

    Meena, Seema; Kumar, Sarma R; Venkata Rao, D K; Dwivedi, Varun; Shilpashree, H B; Rastogi, Shubhra; Shasany, Ajit K; Nagegowda, Dinesh A

    2016-01-01

    Aromatic grasses of the genus Cymbopogon (Poaceae family) represent unique group of plants that produce diverse composition of monoterpene rich essential oils, which have great value in flavor, fragrance, cosmetic, and aromatherapy industries. Despite the commercial importance of these natural aromatic oils, their biosynthesis at the molecular level remains unexplored. As the first step toward understanding the essential oil biosynthesis, we performed de novo transcriptome assembly and analysis of C. flexuosus (lemongrass) by employing Illumina sequencing. Mining of transcriptome data and subsequent phylogenetic analysis led to identification of terpene synthases, pyrophosphatases, alcohol dehydrogenases, aldo-keto reductases, carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases, alcohol acetyltransferases, and aldehyde dehydrogenases, which are potentially involved in essential oil biosynthesis. Comparative essential oil profiling and mRNA expression analysis in three Cymbopogon species (C. flexuosus, aldehyde type; C. martinii, alcohol type; and C. winterianus, intermediate type) with varying essential oil composition indicated the involvement of identified candidate genes in the formation of alcohols, aldehydes, and acetates. Molecular modeling and docking further supported the role of identified protein sequences in aroma formation in Cymbopogon. Also, simple sequence repeats were found in the transcriptome with many linked to terpene pathway genes including the genes potentially involved in aroma biosynthesis. This work provides the first insights into the essential oil biosynthesis of aromatic grasses, and the identified candidate genes and markers can be a great resource for biotechnological and molecular breeding approaches to modulate the essential oil composition.

  4. De Novo Sequencing and Analysis of Lemongrass Transcriptome Provide First Insights into the Essential Oil Biosynthesis of Aromatic Grasses

    PubMed Central

    Meena, Seema; Kumar, Sarma R.; Venkata Rao, D. K.; Dwivedi, Varun; Shilpashree, H. B.; Rastogi, Shubhra; Shasany, Ajit K.; Nagegowda, Dinesh A.

    2016-01-01

    Aromatic grasses of the genus Cymbopogon (Poaceae family) represent unique group of plants that produce diverse composition of monoterpene rich essential oils, which have great value in flavor, fragrance, cosmetic, and aromatherapy industries. Despite the commercial importance of these natural aromatic oils, their biosynthesis at the molecular level remains unexplored. As the first step toward understanding the essential oil biosynthesis, we performed de novo transcriptome assembly and analysis of C. flexuosus (lemongrass) by employing Illumina sequencing. Mining of transcriptome data and subsequent phylogenetic analysis led to identification of terpene synthases, pyrophosphatases, alcohol dehydrogenases, aldo-keto reductases, carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases, alcohol acetyltransferases, and aldehyde dehydrogenases, which are potentially involved in essential oil biosynthesis. Comparative essential oil profiling and mRNA expression analysis in three Cymbopogon species (C. flexuosus, aldehyde type; C. martinii, alcohol type; and C. winterianus, intermediate type) with varying essential oil composition indicated the involvement of identified candidate genes in the formation of alcohols, aldehydes, and acetates. Molecular modeling and docking further supported the role of identified protein sequences in aroma formation in Cymbopogon. Also, simple sequence repeats were found in the transcriptome with many linked to terpene pathway genes including the genes potentially involved in aroma biosynthesis. This work provides the first insights into the essential oil biosynthesis of aromatic grasses, and the identified candidate genes and markers can be a great resource for biotechnological and molecular breeding approaches to modulate the essential oil composition. PMID:27516768

  5. Novel Reagents for Multi-Component Reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yanguang; Basso, Andrea; Nenajdenko, Valentine G.; Gulevich, Anton V.; Krasavin, Mikhail; Bushkova, Ekaterina; Parchinsky, Vladislav; Banfi, Luca; Basso, Andrea; Cerulli, Valentina; Guanti, Giuseppe; Riva, Renata; Rozentsveig, Igor B.; Rozentsveig, Gulnur N.; Popov, Aleksandr V.; Serykh, Valeriy J.; Levkovskaya, Galina G.; Cao, Song; Shen, Li; Liu, Nianjin; Wu, Jingjing; Li, Lina; Qian, Xuhong; Chen, Xiaopeng; Wang, Hongbo; Feng, Jinwu; Wang, Yanguang; Lu, Ping; Heravi, Majid M.; Sadjadi, Samaheh; Kazemizadeh, Ali Reza; Ramazani, Ali; Kudyakova, Yulia S.; Goryaeva, Marina V.; Burgart, Yanina V.; Saloutin, Victor I.; Mossetti, Riccardo; Pirali, Tracey; Tron, Gian Cesare; Rozhkova, Yulia S.; Mayorova, Olga A.; Shklyaev, Yuriy V.; Zhdanko, Alexander G.; Nenajdenko, Valentine G.; Stryapunina, Olga G.; Plekhanova, Irina V.; Glushkov, Vladimir A.; Shklyaev, Yurii V.

    Ketenimines are a class of versatile and highly reactive intermediates that can participate in a variety of organic reactions, such as nucleophilic additions, radical additions, [2 + 2] and [2 + 4] cycloadditions, and sigmatropic rearrangements. In this presentation, we report on a series of multi-component reactions that involve a ketenimine intermediate. These reactions could furnish diverse heterocyclic compounds, including functionalized iminocoumarin, iminodihydroqunolines, iminothiochromens, pyrrolines, isoquinolines, pyridines, β-lactams, imino-1,2-dihydrocoumarins, and benzimidazoles.

  6. Reactivation of model cholinesterases by oximes and intermediate phosphyloximes: A computational study

    PubMed Central

    Vyas, Shubham; Hadad, Christopher M.

    2008-01-01

    Phosphyloximes (POX) are generated upon the reactivation of organophosphorus (OP) inhibited cholinesterases (ChEs) by pyridinium oximes. These POXs are known to be potent inhibitors of the ChEs following reactivation. However, they can also decompose to give an OP derivative and a cyano derivative of the oxime when a base abstracts the benzylic proton. Using density functional theory, thermodynamic properties were calculated for the reactivation and decomposition pathways of three different oximes (2-PAM, 3-PAM and 4-PAM) with six different OPs (cyclosarin, paraoxon, sarin, tabun, VR and VX). For reactivation purposes, 2-PAM is predicted to be more efficient than 3- and 4-PAM. Based on atomic charges and relative energies, 2-POXs were found to be more inclined towards the decomposition process. PMID:18582852

  7. Copper chemistry of beta-diketiminate ligands: monomer/dimer equilibria and a new class of bis(mu-oxo)dicopper compounds.

    PubMed

    Spencer, Douglas J E; Reynolds, Anne M; Holland, Patrick L; Jazdzewski, Brian A; Duboc-Toia, Carole; Le Pape, Laurent; Yokota, Seiji; Tachi, Yoshimitsu; Itoh, Shinobu; Tolman, William B

    2002-12-02

    A series of Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes of a variety of beta-diketiminate ligands (L(-)) with a range of substitution patterns were prepared and characterized by spectroscopic, electrochemical, and, in several cases, X-ray crystallographic methods. Specifically, complexes of the general formula [LCuCl](2) were structurally characterized and their magnetic properties assessed through EPR spectroscopy of solutions and, in one instance, by variable-temperature SQUID magnetization measurements on a powder sample. UV-vis spectra indicated reversible dissociation to 3-coordinate monomers LCuCl in solution at temperatures above -55 degrees C. The Cu(I) complexes LCu(MeCN) exhibited reversible Cu(I)/Cu(II) redox couples with E(1/2) values between +300 and +520 mV versus NHE (cyclic voltammetry, MeCN solutions). These complexes were highly reactive with O(2), yielding intermediates that were identified as rare examples of neutral bis(mu-oxo)dicopper complexes on the basis of their EPR silence, diagnostic UV-vis absorption data, and O-isotope-sensitive resonance Raman spectroscopic features. The structural features of the compounds [LCuCl](2) and LCu(MeCN) as well as the proclivity to form bis(mu-oxo)dicopper products upon oxygenation of the Cu(I) complexes are compared to data previously reported for complexes of more sterically hindered beta-diketiminate ligands (Aboelella, N. W.; Lewis, E. A.; Reynolds, A. M.; Brennessel, W. W.; Cramer, C. J.; Tolman, W. B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 10600. Spencer, D. J. E.; Aboelella, N. W.; Reynolds, A. M.; Holland, P. L.; Tolman, W. B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 2108. Holland, P. L.; Tolman, W. B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 7270). The observed structural and reactivity differences are rationalized by considering the steric influences of both the substituents on the flanking aromatic rings and those present on the beta-diketiminate backbone.

  8. Chlorination of tramadol: Reaction kinetics, mechanism and genotoxicity evaluation.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Hanyang; Song, Dean; Chang, Yangyang; Liu, Huijuan; Qu, Jiuhui

    2015-12-01

    Tramadol (TRA) is one of the most detected analgesics in environmental matrices, and it is of high significance to study the reactivity of TRA during chlorination considering its potential toxicity to the environment. The chlorine/TRA reaction is first order with respect to the TRA concentration, and a combination of first-order and second-order with respect to chlorine concentration. The pH dependence of the observed rate constants (kobs) showed that the TRA oxidation reactivity increased with increasing pH. kobs can be quantitatively described by considering all active species including Cl2, Cl2O and HOCl, and the individual rate constants of HOCl/TRA(0), HOCl/TRAH(+), Cl2/TRA and Cl2O/TRA reactions were calculated to be (2.61±0.29)×10(3)M(-1)s(-1), 14.73±4.17M(-1)s(-1), (3.93±0.34)×10(5)M(-1)s(-1) and (5.66±1.83)×10(6)M(-1)s(-1), respectively. Eleven degradation products were detected with UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, and the corresponding structures of eight products found under various pH conditions were proposed. The amine group was proposed to be the initial attack site under alkaline pH conditions, where reaction of the deprotonated amine group with HOCl is favorable. Under acidic and neutral pH conditions, however, two possible reaction pathways were proposed. One is an electrophilic substitution on the aromatic ring, and another is an electrophilic substitution on the nitrogen, leading to an N-chlorinated intermediate, which can be further oxidized. Finally, the SOS/umu test showed that the genotoxicity of TRA chlorination products increased with increasing dosage of chlorine, which was mostly attributed to the formation of some chlorine substitution products. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Spectroscopic detection, characterization and dynamics of free radicals relevant to combustion processes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miller, Terry

    2015-06-04

    Combustion chemistry is enormously complex. The chemical mechanisms involve a multitude of elementary reaction steps and a comparable number of reactive intermediates, many of which are free radicals. Computer simulations based upon these mechanisms are limited by the validity of the mechanisms and the parameters characterizing the properties of the intermediates and their reactivity. Spectroscopy can provide data for sensitive and selective diagnostics to follow their reactions. Spectroscopic analysis also provides detailed parameters characterizing the properties of these intermediates. These parameters serve as experimental gold standards to benchmark predictions of these properties from large-scale, electronic structure calculations. This work hasmore » demonstrated the unique capabilities of near-infrared cavity ringdown spectroscopy (NIR CRDS) to identify, characterize and monitor intermediates of key importance in complex chemical reactions. Our studies have focussed on the large family of organic peroxy radicals which are arguably themost important intermediates in combustion chemistry and many other reactions involving the oxidation of organic compounds. Our spectroscopic studies have shown that the NIR Ã - ˜X electronic spectra of the peroxy radicals allows one to differentiate among chemical species in the organic peroxy family and also determine their isomeric and conformic structure in many cases. We have clearly demonstrated this capability on saturated and unsaturated peroxy radicals and β-hydroxy peroxy radicals. In addition we have developed a unique dual wavelength CRDS apparatus specifically for the purpose of measuring absolute absorption cross section and following the reaction of chemical intermediates. The utility of the apparatus has been demonstrated by measuring the cross-section and self-reaction rate constant for ethyl peroxy.« less

  10. Structure–Reactivity Studies, Characterization, and Transformation of Intermediates by Lithium Chloride in the Direct Insertion of Alkyl and Aryl Iodides to Metallic Zinc Powder

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Feng, Chao; Easter, Quinn T.; Blum, Suzanne A.

    Employment of fluorophore-tagged alkyl and aryl iodides permitted detection of persistent surface intermediates during their direct insertion to commercially available zinc powder. The sensitivity of this subensemble microscopy technique enabled structure–reactivity studies in the formation of intermediates that are present in quantities sufficiently low as to have been undetected previously by traditional ensemble analytical techniques. In these surface intermediates we transformed them using lithium chloride, which lead to the assignment of the mechanistic role of lithium chloride as changing the rate-determining step in the reaction by lowering the barrier for solubilization of these otherwise persistent surface organometallic intermediates. The temperaturemore » dependence/qualitative barrier of the direct insertion step was determined independently from the solubilization step and from the barrier for the overall reaction. Detection of these zinc surface intermediates at the single-molecule level, i.e., of individual surface organometallic species, has been achieved for the first time. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) measurements of the elemental composition of the surface of the zinc powder determined that lithium chloride does not clean the surface of the oxides; instead, pretreatment of the surface with TMSCl effects partial removal of surface oxides after the 2 h pretreatment time previously reported in the empirically optimized synthetic procedure. The current limitations of this microscopy approach are also determined and discussed with respect to the addition of solid reagents during in operando imaging. Characterization of the resulting soluble fluorophore-tagged organozinc/LiCl complex by 1H NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and fluorescence spectroscopy provided insight into its solution dynamics and chemical exchange processes.« less

  11. Structure–Reactivity Studies, Characterization, and Transformation of Intermediates by Lithium Chloride in the Direct Insertion of Alkyl and Aryl Iodides to Metallic Zinc Powder

    DOE PAGES

    Feng, Chao; Easter, Quinn T.; Blum, Suzanne A.

    2017-02-03

    Employment of fluorophore-tagged alkyl and aryl iodides permitted detection of persistent surface intermediates during their direct insertion to commercially available zinc powder. The sensitivity of this subensemble microscopy technique enabled structure–reactivity studies in the formation of intermediates that are present in quantities sufficiently low as to have been undetected previously by traditional ensemble analytical techniques. In these surface intermediates we transformed them using lithium chloride, which lead to the assignment of the mechanistic role of lithium chloride as changing the rate-determining step in the reaction by lowering the barrier for solubilization of these otherwise persistent surface organometallic intermediates. The temperaturemore » dependence/qualitative barrier of the direct insertion step was determined independently from the solubilization step and from the barrier for the overall reaction. Detection of these zinc surface intermediates at the single-molecule level, i.e., of individual surface organometallic species, has been achieved for the first time. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) measurements of the elemental composition of the surface of the zinc powder determined that lithium chloride does not clean the surface of the oxides; instead, pretreatment of the surface with TMSCl effects partial removal of surface oxides after the 2 h pretreatment time previously reported in the empirically optimized synthetic procedure. The current limitations of this microscopy approach are also determined and discussed with respect to the addition of solid reagents during in operando imaging. Characterization of the resulting soluble fluorophore-tagged organozinc/LiCl complex by 1H NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and fluorescence spectroscopy provided insight into its solution dynamics and chemical exchange processes.« less

  12. Nitrous oxide production from reactive nitrification intermediates: a concerted action of biological and chemical processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brüggemann, Nicolas; Heil, Jannis; Liu, Shurong; Wei, Jing; Vereecken, Harry

    2017-04-01

    This contribution tries to open up a new perspective on biogeochemical N2O production processes, taking the term bio-geo-chemistry literally. What if a major part of N2O is produced from reactive intermediates of microbiological N turnover processes ("bio…") leaking out of the involved microorganisms into the soil ("…geo…") and then reacting chemically ("…chemistry") with the surrounding matrix? There are at least two major reactive N intermediates that might play a significant role in these coupled biological-chemical reactions, i.e. hydroxylamine (NH2OH) and nitrite (NO2-), both of which are produced during nitrification under oxic conditions, while NO2- is also produced during denitrification under anoxic conditions. Furthermore, NH2OH is assumed to be also a potential intermediate of DNRA and/or anammox. First, this contribution will summarize information about several chemical reactions involving NH2OH and NO2- leading to the formation of N2O. These abiotic reactions are: reactions of NO2- with reduced metal cations, nitrosation reactions of NO2- and soil organic matter (SOM), the reaction between NO2- and NH2OH, and the oxidation of NH2OH by oxidized metal ions. While these reactions can occur over a broad range of soil characteristics, they are ignored in most current N trace gas studies in favor of biological processes only. Disentangling microbiological from purely chemical N2O production is further complicated by the fact that the chemically formed N2O is either undiscernible from N2O produced during nitrification, or shows an intermediate 15N site preference between that of N2O from nitrification and denitrification, respectively. Results from experiments with live and sterilized soil samples, with artificial soil mixtures and with phenolic lignin decomposition model compounds will be presented that demonstrate the potential contribution of these abiotic processes to soil N trace gas emissions, given a substantial leakage rate of these reactive intermediates into the soil matrix. It will be shown that the magnitude of these chemically produced N2O fluxes is not only governed by soil nitrogen availability and soil water content, but also by organic matter content and composition, pH, redox conditions and redox-active metal ion content. The presented data reveal that the interplay between biological and chemical processes is relevant for soil N2O emissions. The integration of these processes and their additional controlling variables in soil N trace gas emission models would very likely have a great potential for reducing the uncertainty in emission model results and for facilitating the design of appropriate, site-specific N2O mitigation strategies.

  13. Triazine-Substituted and Acyl Hydrazones: Experiment and Computation Reveal a Stability Inversion at Low pH.

    PubMed

    Ji, Kun; Lee, Changsuk; Janesko, Benjamin G; Simanek, Eric E

    2015-08-03

    Condensation of a hydrazine-substituted s-triazine with an aldehyde or ketone yields an equivalent to the widely used, acid-labile acyl hydrazone. Hydrolysis of these hydrazones using a formaldehyde trap as monitored using HPLC reveals that triazine-substituted hydrazones are more labile than acetyl hydrazones at pH>5. The reactivity trends mirror that of the corresponding acetyl hydrazones, with hydrolysis rates increasing along the series (aromatic aldehyde

  14. Mechanism of alkoxy groups substitution by Grignard reagents on aromatic rings and experimental verification of theoretical predictions of anomalous reactions.

    PubMed

    Jiménez-Osés, Gonzalo; Brockway, Anthony J; Shaw, Jared T; Houk, K N

    2013-05-01

    The mechanism of direct displacement of alkoxy groups in vinylogous and aromatic esters by Grignard reagents, a reaction that is not observed with expectedly better tosyloxy leaving groups, is elucidated computationally. The mechanism of this reaction has been determined to proceed through the inner-sphere attack of nucleophilic alkyl groups from magnesium to the reacting carbons via a metalaoxetane transition state. The formation of a strong magnesium chelate with the reacting alkoxy and carbonyl groups dictates the observed reactivity and selectivity. The influence of ester, ketone, and aldehyde substituents was investigated. In some cases, the calculations predicted the formation of products different than those previously reported; these predictions were then verified experimentally. The importance of studying the actual system, and not simplified models as computational systems, is demonstrated.

  15. Mechanism of Alkoxy Groups Substitution by Grignard Reagents on Aromatic Rings and Experimental Verification of Theoretical Predictions of Anomalous Reactions

    PubMed Central

    Jiménez-Osés, Gonzalo; Brockway, Anthony J.; Shaw, Jared T.; Houk, K. N.

    2013-01-01

    The mechanism of direct displacement of alkoxy groups in vinylogous and aromatic esters by Grignard reagents, a reaction that is not observed with expectedly better tosyloxy leaving groups, is elucidated computationally. The mechanism of this reaction has been determined to proceed through the inner-sphere attack of nucleophilic alkyl groups from magnesium to the reacting carbons via a metalaoxetane transition state. The formation of a strong magnesium chelate with the reacting alkoxy and carbonyl groups dictates the observed reactivity and selectivity. The influence of ester, ketone and aldehyde substituents was investigated. In some cases, the calculations predicted the formation of products different than those previously reported; these predictions were then verified experimentally. The importance of studying the actual system, and not simplified models as computational systems, is demonstrated. PMID:23601086

  16. Influence of Endo- and Exocyclic Heteroatoms on Stabilities and 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactivities of Mesoionic Azomethine Ylides and Imines.

    PubMed

    Champagne, Pier Alexandre; Houk, K N

    2017-10-20

    The geometries, stabilities, and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactivities of 24 mesoionic azomethine ylides and imines were investigated using density functional theory calculations at the M06-2X/6-311+G-(d,p)/M06-2X/6-31G-(d) level. The computed structures highlight how the commonly used "aromatic" resonance form should be replaced by two more accurate resonance structures. Stabilities of the dipoles were assessed by various homodesmotic schemes and are consistent with these compounds being nonaromatic. The activation free energies with ethylene or acetylene range from 11.8 to 36.6 kcal/mol. Within each dipole type, the predicted cycloaddition reactivities correlate with the reaction energies and the resonance stabilization energies provided by the various substituents. Endocyclic (X) heteroatoms increase the reactivity of the 1,3-dipoles in the order of O > NH ≅ S, whereas exocyclic (Y) substituents increase it in the order of CH 2 > NH > O > S. Distortion/interaction analysis indicated that the difference in reactivity between differently substituted 1,3-dipoles is driven by distortion, whereas the difference between azomethine ylides and imines is related to lower interaction energies of imines with the dipolarophiles.

  17. The prognostic value of serum C-reactive protein, ferritin, and albumin prior to allogeneic transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.

    PubMed

    Artz, Andrew S; Logan, Brent; Zhu, Xiaochun; Akpek, Gorgun; Bufarull, Rodrigo Martino; Gupta, Vikas; Lazarus, Hillard M; Litzow, Mark; Loren, Alison; Majhail, Navneet S; Maziarz, Richard T; McCarthy, Philip; Popat, Uday; Saber, Wael; Spellman, Stephen; Ringden, Olle; Wickrema, Amittha; Pasquini, Marcelo C; Cooke, Kenneth R

    2016-11-01

    We sought to confirm the prognostic importance of simple clinically available biomarkers of C-reactive protein, serum albumin, and ferritin prior to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. The study population consisted of 784 adults with acute myeloid leukemia in remission or myelodysplastic syndromes undergoing unrelated donor transplant reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. C-reactive protein and ferritin were centrally quantified by ELISA from cryopreserved plasma whereas each center provided pre-transplant albumin. In multivariate analysis, transplant-related mortality was associated with the pre-specified thresholds of C-reactive protein more than 10 mg/L (P=0.008) and albumin less than 3.5 g/dL (P=0.01) but not ferritin more than 2500 ng/mL. Only low albumin independently influenced overall mortality. Optimal thresholds affecting transplant-related mortality were defined as: C-reactive protein more than 3.67 mg/L, log(ferritin), and albumin less than 3.4 g/dL. A 3-level biomarker risk group based on these values separated risks of transplant-related mortality: low risk (reference), intermediate (HR=1.66, P=0.015), and high risk (HR=2.7, P<0.001). One-year survival was 74%, 67% and 56% for low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups. Routinely available pre-transplant biomarkers independently risk-stratify for transplant-related mortality and survival. Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.

  18. Single-Molecule Fluorescence Imaging for Studying Organic, Organometallic, and Inorganic Reaction Mechanisms

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Blum, Suzanne A.

    2016-05-24

    The reactive behavior of individual molecules is seldom observed, because we usually measure the average properties of billions of molecules. What we miss is important: the catalytic activity of less than 1% of the molecules under observation can dominate the outcome of a chemical reaction seen at a macroscopic level. Currently available techniques to examine reaction mechanisms (such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry) study molecules as an averaged ensemble. These ensemble techniques are unable to detect minor components (under ~1%) in mixtures or determine which components in the mixture are responsible for reactivity and catalysis. In themore » field of mechanistic chemistry, there is a resulting heuristic device that if an intermediate is very reactive in catalysis, it often cannot be observed (termed “Halpern’s Rule” ). Ultimately, the development of single-molecule imaging technology could be a powerful tool to observe these “unobservable” intermediates and active catalysts. Single-molecule techniques have already transformed biology and the understanding of biochemical processes. The potential of single-molecule fluorescence microscopy to address diverse chemical questions, such as the chemical reactivity of organometallic or inorganic systems with discrete metal complexes, however, has not yet been realized. In this respect, its application to chemical systems lags significantly behind its application to biophysical systems. This transformative imaging technique has broad, multidisciplinary impact with the potential to change the way the chemistry community studies reaction mechanisms and reactivity distributions, especially in the core area of catalysis.« less

  19. Group 4 Metalloporphyrin diolato Complexes and Catalytic Application of Metalloporphyrins and Related Transition Metal Complexes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Du, Guodong

    In this work, the first examples of group 4 metalloporphyrin 1,2-diolato complexes were synthesized through a number of strategies. In general, treatment of imido metalloporphyrin complexes, (TTP)M=NR, (M = Ti, Zr, Hf), with vicinal diols led to the formation of a series of diolato complexes. Alternatively, the chelating pinacolate complexes could be prepared by metathesis of (TTP)MCl 2 (M = Ti, Hf) with disodium pinacolate. These complexes were found to undergo C-C cleavage reactions to produce organic carbonyl compounds. For titanium porphyrins, treatment of a titanium(II) alkyne adduct, (TTP)Ti(η 2-PhC≡CPh), with aromatic aldehydes or aryl ketones resulted in reductive couplingmore » of the carbonyl groups to produce the corresponding diolato complexes. Aliphatic aldehydes or ketones were not reactive towards (TTP)Ti(η 2-PhC≡CPh). However, these carbonyl compounds could be incorporated into a diolato complex on reaction with a reactive precursor, (TTP)Ti[O(Ph) 2C(Ph) 2O] to provide unsymmetrical diolato complexes via cross coupling reactions. In addition, an enediolato complex (TTP)Ti(OCPhCPhO) was obtained from the reaction of (TTP)Ti(η 2-PhC≡CPh) with benzoin. Titanium porphyrin diolato complexes were found to be intermediates in the (TTP)Ti=O-catalyzed cleavage reactions of vicinal diols, in which atmospheric oxygen was the oxidant. Furthermore, (TTP)Ti=O was capable of catalyzing the oxidation of benzyl alcohol and α-hydroxy ketones to benzaldehyde and α-diketones, respectively. Other high valent metalloporphyrin complexes also can catalyze the oxidative diol cleavage and the benzyl alcohol oxidation reactions with dioxygen. A comparison of Ti(IV) and Sn(IV) porphyrin chemistry was undertaken. While chelated diolato complexes were invariably obtained for titanium porphyrins on treatment with 1,2-diols, the reaction of vicinal diols with tin porphyrins gave a number of products, including mono-, bis-alkoxo, and chelating diolato complexes, depending on the identity of diols and the stoichiometry employed. It was also found that tin porphyrin complexes promoted the oxidative cleavage of vicinal diols and the oxidation of α-ketols to α-diketones with dioxygen. In extending the chemistry of metalloporphyrins and analogous complexes, a series of chiral tetraaza macrocyclic ligands and metal complexes were designed and synthesized. Examination of iron(II) complexes showed that they were efficient catalysts for the cyclopropanation of styrene by diazo reagents. Good yields and high diastereoselectivity were obtained with modest enantioselectivity. A rationalization of the stereoselectivity was presented on the basis of structural factors in a carbene intermediate.« less

  20. RMP Guidance for Chemical Distributors - Appendix D: OSHA Guidance on PSM

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Guidance on the Process Safety Management standard says information (including MSDS) about chemicals, including process intermediates, must enable accurate assessment of fire/explosion characteristics, reactivity hazards, and corrosing/erosion effects.

  1. Iron-catalyzed oxidative biaryl cross-couplings via mixed diaryl titanates: significant influence of the order of combining aryl Grignard reagents with titanate.

    PubMed

    Liu, Kun Ming; Wei, Juan; Duan, Xin Fang

    2015-03-18

    The mixed diaryl titanates were used for the first time to modify the reactivity of two aryl Grignard reagents. Two titanate intermediates, Ar[Ar'Ti(OR)3]MgX and Ar'[ArTi(OR)3]MgX, formed via alternating the sequence of combining Grignard reagents with ClTi(OR)3 showed a significant reactivity difference. Taking advantage of such different reactivity, two highly structurally similar aryl groups could be facilely assembled through iron-catalyzed oxidative cross-couplings using oxygen as the oxidant.

  2. Reactivity of Nucleic Acid Radicals

    PubMed Central

    Greenberg, Marc M.

    2016-01-01

    Nucleic acid oxidation plays a vital role in the etiology and treatment of diseases, as well as aging. Reagents that oxidize nucleic acids are also useful probes of the biopolymers’ structure and folding. Radiation scientists have contributed greatly to our understanding of nucleic acid oxidation using a variety of techniques. During the past two decades organic chemists have applied the tools of synthetic and mechanistic chemistry to independently generate and study the reactive intermediates produced by ionizing radiation and other nucleic acid damaging agents. This approach has facilitated resolving mechanistic controversies and lead to the discovery of new reactive processes. PMID:28529390

  3. Gas-Phase Formation Rates of Nitric Acid and Its Isomers Under Urban Conditions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Okumura, M.; Mollner, A. K.; Fry, J. L.; Feng, L.

    2005-01-01

    Ozone formation in urban smog is controlled by a complex set of reactions which includes radical production from photochemical processes, catalytic cycles which convert NO to NO2, and termination steps that tie up reactive intermediates in long-lived reservoirs. The reaction OH + NO2 + M -4 HONO2 + M (la) is a key termination step because it transforms two short-lived reactive intermediates, OH and NO2, into relatively long-lived nitric acid. Under certain conditions (low VOC/NOx), ozone production in polluted urban airsheds can be highly sensitive to this reaction, but the rate parameters are not well constrained. This report summarizes the results of new laboratory studies of the OH + NO2 + M reaction including direct determination of the overall rate constant and branching ratio for the two reaction channels under atmospherically relevant conditions.

  4. Fourier-transform i.r. gas chromatography—mass spectrometry study of varying light olefin reactivity on dealuminated ZSM-5

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sayed, Moein B.

    Olefin oligomerization and alkylation (by methanol) of ethene, propene, and isobutene on HZSM-5 have been studied in typical conditions of the catalytic Mobil methanol to gasoline (MTG) process. This has been to identify the most likely light olefin involved as a key intermediate and the most likely mechanism by which such a light olefin propagates to gasoline in the MTG process. Reactions involving bulky intermediates are restricted within the narrow channels of ZSM-5. The oligomerization of ethene and isobutene appears to be an example of such restricted reactions. Zeolite dealumination seems to assist in overcoming the steric barrier by increasing both the zeolite pore volume and the population of the site (silanol) hosting the adsorbate. Spectral i.r. evidence reveals a role of zeolite Lewis acidity as a precursor in initiating olefin protonation by the zeolite Brønsted acidity. Both i.r. and GC—MS data consistently reveal a product distribution similar to that obtained in the MTG process, which suggests a dominant oligomerization and/or alkylation to be the mechanism leading to gasoline in the MTG process. However, the higher reactivity detected for olefin alkylation indicates alkylation to be the favoured mechanism. Propene is more likely to be a key intermediate, whereas isobutene contributes with a role being increasingly dominant over the more dealuminated ZSM-5 surfaces. Ethene, in contrast, shows poor reactivity, which can be enhanced by the zeolite dealumination.

  5. Methemoglobin formation from butylated hydroxyanisole and oxyhemoglobin. Comparison with butylated hydroxytoluene and p-hydroxyanisole.

    PubMed

    Stolze, K; Nohl, H

    1992-01-01

    The widely used food additives butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) react with oxyhemoglobin, thereby forming methemoglobin. The reaction rates were measured using visible spectroscopy, and second order rate constants were established for BHA and compared with p-hydroxyanisole. Using ESR we investigated the involvement of free radical reaction intermediates. The expected one-electron oxidation product of BHA and BHT, the phenoxyl radical, could only be detected with pure 3-t-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole and oxyhemoglobin. With the commercial mixture of 2- and 3-t-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole a very strong ESR signal of a secondary free radical species was observed, similar to the one observed earlier with p-hydroxyanisole and dependent on the presence of free thiol groups, so that we assumed the intermediate existence of a perferryl species, the MetHb-H2O2 adduct. In a second series of experiments we investigated the reactivity of this postulated intermediate with BHA and BHT, starting with a pure MetHb/H2O2-phenol mixture in a stopped-flow apparatus linked to the ESR spectrometer, detecting the expected phenoxyl radicals from BHA and p-hydroxyanisole. Due to the low solubility and decreased reactivity of BHT only traces of phenoxyl type radical were found together with a high concentration of unreacted perferryl species. The reactivity of BHA, BHT and p-hydroxyanisole with free thiol groups is demonstrated by an increased reaction rate in the presence of the thiol group blocking substance NEM.

  6. A Study of the Nephrotoxicity and Metabolism of Tetralin and Indan in Fischer 344 Rats

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-05-01

    5, a jet fuel composed of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons with the majority of the straight-chain hydrocarbons being between C10 and C15...hydrocarbon of intermediate boiling point and volatility and is similar to the civilian jet fuel , A-1. DFM is a mixture of long chain aliphatic...to compliment earlier research on jet fuel , JP-10, cis- and trans- decalin, and tetralin, it was anticipated some enlightenment could be obtained on

  7. A Study of the Nephrotoxicity and Metabolism of Tetralin and Indan in Fischer 344 Rats.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-02-08

    evaluated petroleum and shale-derived JP-5, a jet fuel composed of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons with the majority of the straight-chain hydrocarbons...much like gasoline. JP-8 is a mixture of hydrocarbon of intermediate boiling point and volatility and is similar to the civilian jet fuel , A-1. DFM is a...conventional versus shale-derived JP-5 jet fuel : Light microscopy, hematologic, and serum chemistry studies. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol, 57, 302-317 (1981

  8. OBO-Protected Pyruvates as Reagents for the Synthesis of Functionalized Heteroaromatic Compounds.

    PubMed

    Alves Esteves, C Henrique; Koyioni, Maria; Christensen, Kirsten E; Smith, Peter D; Donohoe, Timothy J

    2018-06-15

    Pd-catalyzed α-arylation of methyl-OBO-ketone (OBO = 4-methyl-2,6,7-trioxabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-1-yl) gives rise to arylated OBO-protected pyruvates. By appropriate prefunctionalization of the aryl ring or by subsequent functionalization at the α-carbonyl position of the arylated OBO-ketones, useful diketo OBO-protected carboxylates can be generated. Cyclization, aromatization, and OBO deprotection of these intermediates, using two distinct routes, gives access to valuable α-acyl heteroaromatic compounds.

  9. Manganese-Oxygen Intermediates in O-O Bond Activation and Hydrogen-Atom Transfer Reactions.

    PubMed

    Rice, Derek B; Massie, Allyssa A; Jackson, Timothy A

    2017-11-21

    Biological systems capitalize on the redox versatility of manganese to perform reactions involving dioxygen and its derivatives superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and water. The reactions of manganese enzymes influence both human health and the global energy cycle. Important examples include the detoxification of reactive oxygen species by manganese superoxide dismutase, biosynthesis by manganese ribonucleotide reductase and manganese lipoxygenase, and water splitting by the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II. Although these enzymes perform very different reactions and employ structurally distinct active sites, manganese intermediates with peroxo, hydroxo, and oxo ligation are commonly proposed in catalytic mechanisms. These intermediates are also postulated in mechanisms of synthetic manganese oxidation catalysts, which are of interest due to the earth abundance of manganese. In this Account, we describe our recent efforts toward understanding O-O bond activation pathways of Mn III -peroxo adducts and hydrogen-atom transfer reactivity of Mn IV -oxo and Mn III -hydroxo complexes. In biological and synthetic catalysts, peroxomanganese intermediates are commonly proposed to decay by either Mn-O or O-O cleavage pathways, although it is often unclear how the local coordination environment influences the decay mechanism. To address this matter, we generated a variety of Mn III -peroxo adducts with varied ligand environments. Using parallel-mode EPR and Mn K-edge X-ray absorption techniques, the decay pathway of one Mn III -peroxo complex bearing a bulky macrocylic ligand was investigated. Unlike many Mn III -peroxo model complexes that decay to oxo-bridged-Mn III Mn IV dimers, decay of this Mn III -peroxo adduct yielded mononuclear Mn III -hydroxo and Mn IV -oxo products, potentially resulting from O-O bond activation of the Mn III -peroxo unit. These results highlight the role of ligand sterics in promoting the formation of mononuclear products and mark an important step in designing Mn III -peroxo complexes that convert cleanly to high-valent Mn-oxo species. Although some synthetic Mn IV -oxo complexes show great potential for oxidizing substrates with strong C-H bonds, most Mn IV -oxo species are sluggish oxidants. Both two-state reactivity and thermodynamic arguments have been put forth to explain these observations. To address these issues, we generated a series of Mn IV -oxo complexes supported by neutral, pentadentate ligands with systematically perturbed equatorial donation. Kinetic investigations of these complexes revealed a correlation between equatorial ligand-field strength and hydrogen-atom and oxygen-atom transfer reactivity. While this trend can be understood on the basis of the two-state reactivity model, the reactivity trend also correlates with variations in Mn III/IV reduction potential caused by changes in the ligand field. This work demonstrates the dramatic influence simple ligand perturbations can have on reactivity but also illustrates the difficulties in understanding the precise basis for a change in reactivity. In the enzyme manganese lipoxygenase, an active-site Mn III -hydroxo adduct initiates substrate oxidation by abstracting a hydrogen atom from a C-H bond. Precedent for this chemistry from synthetic Mn III -hydroxo centers is rare. To better understand hydrogen-atom transfer by Mn III centers, we developed a pair of Mn III -hydroxo complexes, formed in high yield from dioxygen oxidation of Mn II precursors, capable of attacking weak O-H and C-H bonds. Kinetic and computational studies show a delicate interplay between thermodynamic and steric influences in hydrogen-atom transfer reactivity, underscoring the potential of Mn III -hydroxo units as mild oxidants.

  10. Spectroscopic characterization and O2 reactivity of the trinuclear Cu cluster of mutants of the multicopper oxidase Fet3p.

    PubMed

    Palmer, Amy E; Quintanar, Liliana; Severance, Scott; Wang, Tzu-Pin; Kosman, Daniel J; Solomon, Edward I

    2002-05-21

    Fet3p is a multicopper oxidase that uses four copper ions (one type 1, one type 2, and one type 3 binuclear site) to couple substrate oxidation to the reduction of O(2) to H(2)O. The type 1 Cu site shuttles electrons between the substrate and the type 2/type 3 Cu sites which form a trinuclear Cu cluster that is the active site for O(2) reduction. This study extends the spectroscopic and reactivity studies that have been conducted with type 1-substituted Hg (T1Hg) laccase to Fet3p and a mutant of Fet3p in which the trinuclear Cu cluster is perturbed. To examine the reaction between the trinuclear Cu cluster and O(2), the type 1 Cu Cys(484) was mutated to Ser, resulting in a type 1-depleted (T1D) form of the enzyme. Additional His to Gln mutations were made at the trinuclear cluster to further probe specific contributions to reactivity. One of these mutants (His(126)Gln) produces the first stable but perturbed trinuclear Cu cluster (T1DT3' Fet3p). Spectroscopic characterization (absorption, circular dichroism, magnetic circular dichroism, and electron paramagnetic resonance) of the resting trinuclear sites in T1D and T1DT3' Fet3p reveal that the His(126)Gln mutation changes the electronic structure of both the type 3 and type 2 Cu sites. The trinuclear clusters in T1D and T1DT3' Fet3p react with O(2) to produce peroxide intermediates analogous to that observed in T1Hg laccase. Spectroscopic data on the peroxide intermediates in the three forms provide further insight into the structure of this intermediate. In T1D Fet3p, the decay of this peroxide intermediate is pH-dependent, and the rate of decay is 10-fold higher at low pH. In T1DT3' Fet3p, the decay of the peroxide intermediate is pH-independent and is slow at all pH's. This change in the pH dependence provides new insight into the mechanism of intermediate decay involving reductive cleavage of the O-O bond.

  11. Hyperammonaemia‐induced skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction results in cataplerosis and oxidative stress

    PubMed Central

    Davuluri, Gangarao; Allawy, Allawy; Thapaliya, Samjhana; Rennison, Julie H.; Singh, Dharmvir; Kumar, Avinash; Sandlers, Yana; Van Wagoner, David R.; Flask, Chris A.; Hoppel, Charles; Kasumov, Takhar

    2016-01-01

    Key points Hyperammonaemia occurs in hepatic, cardiac and pulmonary diseases with increased muscle concentration of ammonia.We found that ammonia results in reduced skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration, electron transport chain complex I dysfunction, as well as lower NAD+/NADH ratio and ATP content.During hyperammonaemia, leak of electrons from complex III results in oxidative modification of proteins and lipids.Tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates are decreased during hyperammonaemia, and providing a cell‐permeable ester of αKG reversed the lower TCA cycle intermediate concentrations and increased ATP content.Our observations have high clinical relevance given the potential for novel approaches to reverse skeletal muscle ammonia toxicity by targeting the TCA cycle intermediates and mitochondrial ROS. Abstract Ammonia is a cytotoxic metabolite that is removed primarily by hepatic ureagenesis in humans. Hyperammonaemia occurs in advanced hepatic, cardiac and pulmonary disease, and in urea cycle enzyme deficiencies. Increased skeletal muscle ammonia uptake and metabolism are the major mechanism of non‐hepatic ammonia disposal. Non‐hepatic ammonia disposal occurs in the mitochondria via glutamate synthesis from α‐ketoglutarate resulting in cataplerosis. We show skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction during hyperammonaemia in a comprehensive array of human, rodent and cellular models. ATP synthesis, oxygen consumption, generation of reactive oxygen species with oxidative stress, and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates were quantified. ATP content was lower in the skeletal muscle from cirrhotic patients, hyperammonaemic portacaval anastomosis rat, and C2C12 myotubes compared to appropriate controls. Hyperammonaemia in C2C12 myotubes resulted in impaired intact cell respiration, reduced complex I/NADH oxidase activity and electron leak occurring at complex III of the electron transport chain. Consistently, lower NAD+/NADH ratio was observed during hyperammonaemia with reduced TCA cycle intermediates compared to controls. Generation of reactive oxygen species resulted in increased content of skeletal muscle carbonylated proteins and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances during hyperammonaemia. A cell‐permeable ester of α‐ketoglutarate reversed the low TCA cycle intermediates and ATP content in myotubes during hyperammonaemia. However, the mitochondrial antioxidant MitoTEMPO did not reverse the lower ATP content during hyperammonaemia. We provide for the first time evidence that skeletal muscle hyperammonaemia results in mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Use of anaplerotic substrates to reverse ammonia‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction is a novel therapeutic approach. PMID:27558544

  12. Structure and reactivity of boron-ate complexes derived from primary and secondary boronic esters.

    PubMed

    Feeney, Kathryn; Berionni, Guillaume; Mayr, Herbert; Aggarwal, Varinder K

    2015-06-05

    Boron-ate complexes derived from primary and secondary boronic esters and aryllithiums have been isolated, and the kinetics of their reactions with carbenium ions studied. The second-order rate constants have been used to derive nucleophilicity parameters for the boron-ate complexes, revealing that nucleophilicity increased with (i) electron-donating aromatics on boron, (ii) neopentyl glycol over pinacol boronic esters, and (iii) 12-crown-4 ether.

  13. Aminative umpolung of aldehydes to α-amino anion equivalents for Pd-catalyzed allylation: an efficient synthesis of homoallylic amines.

    PubMed

    Ding, Lei; Chen, Jing; Hu, Yifan; Xu, Juan; Gong, Xing; Xu, Dongfang; Zhao, Baoguo; Li, Hexing

    2014-02-07

    An attractive strategy for generation of α-amino anions from aldehydes with applications in synthesis of homoallylic amines is described. Aromatic aldehydes can be converted to α-amino anion equivalents via amination with 2,2-diphenylglycine and subsequent decarboxylation. The in situ generated α-imino anions are highly reactive for Pd-catalyzed allylation, forming the corresponding homoallylic amines in high yields with excellent regioselectivity.

  14. Barbier Continuous Flow Preparation and Reactions of Carbamoyllithiums for Nucleophilic Amidation.

    PubMed

    Ganiek, Maximilian A; Becker, Matthias R; Berionni, Guillaume; Zipse, Hendrik; Knochel, Paul

    2017-08-01

    An ambient temperature continuous flow method for nucleophilic amidation and thioamidation is described. Deprotonation of formamides by lithium diisopropylamine (LDA) affords carbamoyllithium intermediates that are quenched in situ with various electrophiles such as ketones, allyl bromides, Weinreb and morpholino amides. The nature of the reactive lithium intermediates and the thermodynamics of the metalation were further investigated by ab initio calculations and kinetic experiments. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Enolate Stabilization by Anion-π Interactions: Deuterium Exchange in Malonate Dilactones on π-Acidic Surfaces.

    PubMed

    Miros, François N; Zhao, Yingjie; Sargsyan, Gevorg; Pupier, Marion; Besnard, Céline; Beuchat, César; Mareda, Jiri; Sakai, Naomi; Matile, Stefan

    2016-02-18

    Of central importance in chemistry and biology, enolate chemistry is an attractive topic to elaborate on possible contributions of anion-π interactions to catalysis. To demonstrate the existence of such contributions, experimental evidence for the stabilization of not only anions but also anionic intermediates and transition states on π-acidic aromatic surfaces is decisive. To tackle this challenge for enolate chemistry with maximal precision and minimal uncertainty, malonate dilactones are covalently positioned on the π-acidic surface of naphthalenediimides (NDIs). Their presence is directly visible in the upfield shifts of the α-protons in the (1) H NMR spectra. The reactivity of these protons on π-acidic surfaces is measured by hydrogen-deuterium (H-D) exchange for 11 different examples, excluding controls. The velocity of H-D exchange increases with π acidity (NDI core substituents: SO2 R>SOR>H>OR>OR/NR2 >SR>NR2 ). The H-D exchange kinetics vary with the structure of the enolate (malonates>methylmalonates, dilactones>dithiolactones). Moreover, they depend on the distance to the π surface (bridge length: 11-13 atoms). Most importantly, H-D exchange depends strongly on the chirality of the π surface (chiral sulfoxides as core substituents; the crystal structure of the enantiopure (R,R,P)-macrocycle is reported). For maximal π acidity, transition-state stabilizations up to -18.8 kJ mol(-1) are obtained for H-D exchange. The Brønsted acidity of the enols increases strongly with π acidity of the aromatic surface, the lowest measured pKa =10.9 calculates to a ΔpKa =-5.5. Corresponding to the deprotonation of arginine residues in neutral water, considered as "impossible" in biology, the found enolate-π interactions are very important. The strong dependence of enolate stabilization on the unprecedented seven-component π-acidity gradient over almost 1 eV demonstrates quantitatively that such important anion-π activities can be expected only from strong enough π acids. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Development of a targeted adductomic method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon DNA adducts using online column-switching liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Singh, Rajinder; Teichert, Friederike; Seidel, Albrecht; Roach, Jonathan; Cordell, Rebecca; Cheng, Mai-Kim; Frank, Heinrich; Steward, William P; Manson, Margaret M; Farmer, Peter B

    2010-08-30

    Human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from sources such as industrial or urban air pollution, tobacco smoke and cooked food is not confined to a single compound, but instead to mixtures of different PAHs. The interaction of different PAHs may lead to additive, synergistic or antagonistic effects in terms of DNA adduct formation and carcinogenic activity resulting from changes in metabolic activation to reactive intermediates and DNA repair. The development of a targeted DNA adductomic approach using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) incorporating software-based peak picking and integration for the assessment of exposure to mixtures of PAHs is described. For method development PAH-modified DNA samples were obtained by reaction of the anti-dihydrodiol epoxide metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P) and dibenz[a,h]anthracene with calf thymus DNA in vitro and enzymatically hydrolysed to 2'-deoxynucleosides. Positive LC/electrospray ionisation (ESI)-MS/MS collision-induced dissociation product ion spectra data showed that the majority of adducts displayed a common fragmentation for the neutral loss of 116 u (2'-deoxyribose) resulting in a major product ion derived from the adducted base. The exception was the DB[a,l]P dihydrodiol epoxide adduct of 2'-deoxyadenosine which resulted in major product ions derived from the PAH moiety being detected. Specific detection of mixtures of PAH-adducted 2'-deoxynucleosides was achieved using online column-switching LC/MS/MS in conjunction with selected reaction monitoring (SRM) of the [M+H](+) to [M+H-116](+) transition plus product ions derived from the PAH moiety for improved sensitivity of detection and a comparison was made to detection by constant neutral loss scanning. In conclusion, different PAH DNA adducts were detected by employing SRM [M+H-116](+) transitions or constant neutral loss scanning. However, for improved sensitivity of detection optimised SRM transitions relating to the PAH moiety product ions are required for certain PAH DNA adducts for the development of targeted DNA adductomic methods. 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Use of a biosynthetic intermediate to explore the chemical diversity of pseudo-natural fungal polyketides.

    PubMed

    Asai, Teigo; Tsukada, Kento; Ise, Satomi; Shirata, Naoki; Hashimoto, Makoto; Fujii, Isao; Gomi, Katsuya; Nakagawara, Kosuke; Kodama, Eiichi N; Oshima, Yoshiteru

    2015-09-01

    The structural complexity and diversity of natural products make them attractive sources for potential drug discovery, with their characteristics being derived from the multi-step combination of enzymatic and non-enzymatic conversions of intermediates in each biosynthetic pathway. Intermediates that exhibit multipotent behaviour have great potential for use as starting points in diversity-oriented synthesis. Inspired by the biosynthetic pathways that form complex metabolites from simple intermediates, we developed a semi-synthetic process that combines heterologous biosynthesis and artificial diversification. The heterologous biosynthesis of fungal polyketide intermediates led to the isolation of novel oligomers and provided evidence for ortho-quinonemethide equivalency in their isochromene form. The intrinsic reactivity of the isochromene polyketide enabled us to access various new chemical entities by modifying and remodelling the polyketide core and through coupling with indole molecules. We thus succeeded in generating exceptionally diverse pseudo-natural polyketides through this process and demonstrated an advanced method of using biosynthetic intermediates.

  18. Use of a biosynthetic intermediate to explore the chemical diversity of pseudo-natural fungal polyketides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asai, Teigo; Tsukada, Kento; Ise, Satomi; Shirata, Naoki; Hashimoto, Makoto; Fujii, Isao; Gomi, Katsuya; Nakagawara, Kosuke; Kodama, Eiichi N.; Oshima, Yoshiteru

    2015-09-01

    The structural complexity and diversity of natural products make them attractive sources for potential drug discovery, with their characteristics being derived from the multi-step combination of enzymatic and non-enzymatic conversions of intermediates in each biosynthetic pathway. Intermediates that exhibit multipotent behaviour have great potential for use as starting points in diversity-oriented synthesis. Inspired by the biosynthetic pathways that form complex metabolites from simple intermediates, we developed a semi-synthetic process that combines heterologous biosynthesis and artificial diversification. The heterologous biosynthesis of fungal polyketide intermediates led to the isolation of novel oligomers and provided evidence for ortho-quinonemethide equivalency in their isochromene form. The intrinsic reactivity of the isochromene polyketide enabled us to access various new chemical entities by modifying and remodelling the polyketide core and through coupling with indole molecules. We thus succeeded in generating exceptionally diverse pseudo-natural polyketides through this process and demonstrated an advanced method of using biosynthetic intermediates.

  19. Alkynyl Moiety for Triggering 1,2‐Metallate Shifts: Enantiospecific sp2–sp3 Coupling of Boronic Esters with p‐Arylacetylenes

    PubMed Central

    Ganesh, Venkataraman; Odachowski, Marcin

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The enantiospecific coupling of secondary and tertiary boronic esters to aromatics has been investigated. Using p‐lithiated phenylacetylenes and a range of boronic esters coupling has been achieved by the addition of N‐bromosuccinimide (NBS). The alkyne functionality of the intermediate boronate complex reacts with NBS triggering the 1,2‐migration of the group on boron to carbon giving a dearomatized bromoallene intermediate. At this point elimination and rearomatization occurs with neopentyl boronic esters, giving the coupled products. However, using pinacol boronic esters, the boron moiety migrates to the adjacent carbon resulting in formation of ortho boron‐incorporated coupled products. The synthetic utility of the boron incorporated product has been demonstrated by orthogonal transformation of both the alkyne and boronic ester functionalities. PMID:28618129

  20. Improvements to quality of needle coke by controlled carbonized conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Dong; Lou, Bin; Yu, Ran; Chen, Qingtai; Li, Zhiheng; Zhang, Yadong

    2018-06-01

    In this study, the selected aromatic-rich fraction derived from hydrocracking tail oil was carbonized and further improvement in the quality of resultant coke was achieved by promoting temperature at the solidification stage. In comparison with conventional process carried out isothermally and isobarically, the coupling analysis between formation and subsequent uni-axial orientation of mesophase textures during the controlled process was systematically discussed on the basis of the mutual relevance among mesophase texture evolution, gas evolution rate and solidification rate of intermediates. The results show that on the premise that formation of bulk mesophase, appropriate rate of gas evolution at a right time of solidification contributes to fine produces fine fibrous mesophase aligned uni-axially and less pores. Moreover, the intermediates with solidification index of 2˜6 are suitable for deformation induced by gas evolution.

  1. Elusive roles for reactive astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases

    PubMed Central

    Ben Haim, Lucile; Carrillo-de Sauvage, Maria-Angeles; Ceyzériat, Kelly; Escartin, Carole

    2015-01-01

    Astrocytes play crucial roles in the brain and are involved in the neuroinflammatory response. They become reactive in response to virtually all pathological situations in the brain such as axotomy, ischemia, infection, and neurodegenerative diseases (ND). Astrocyte reactivity was originally characterized by morphological changes (hypertrophy, remodeling of processes) and the overexpression of the intermediate filament glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). However, it is unclear how the normal supportive functions of astrocytes are altered by their reactive state. In ND, in which neuronal dysfunction and astrocyte reactivity take place over several years or decades, the issue is even more complex and highly debated, with several conflicting reports published recently. In this review, we discuss studies addressing the contribution of reactive astrocytes to ND. We describe the molecular triggers leading to astrocyte reactivity during ND, examine how some key astrocyte functions may be enhanced or altered during the disease process, and discuss how astrocyte reactivity may globally affect ND progression. Finally we will consider the anticipated developments in this important field. With this review, we aim to show that the detailed study of reactive astrocytes may open new perspectives for ND. PMID:26283915

  2. Reactivity-based drug discovery using vitamin B(6)-derived pharmacophores.

    PubMed

    Wondrak, Georg T

    2008-05-01

    Endogenous reactive intermediates including photoexcited states of tissue chromophores, reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive carbonyl species (RCS), transition metal ions, and Schiff bases have been implicated in the initiation and progression of diverse human pathologies including tumorigenesis, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disease. In contrast to structure-based approaches that target macromolecules by selective ligands, reactivity-based drug discovery uses chemical reagents as therapeutics that target reactive chemical species involved in human pathology. Reactivity-based design of prototype agents that effectively antagonize, modulate, and potentially even reverse the chemistry underlying tissue damage from oxidative and carbonyl stress therefore holds great promise in delivering significant therapeutic benefit. Apart from its established role as an essential cofactor for numerous enzymes, a large body of evidence suggests that B(6)-vitamers contain reactive pharmacophores that mediate therapeutically useful non-vitamin drug actions as potent antioxidants, metal chelators, carbonyl scavengers, Schiff base forming agents, and photosensitizers. Based on the fascinating chemical versatility of B(6)-derived pharmacophores, B(6)-vitamers are therefore promising lead compounds for reactivity-based drug design.

  3. Structure and reactivity of a mononuclear non-haem iron(III)–peroxo complex

    PubMed Central

    Cho, Jaeheung; Jeon, Sujin; Wilson, Samuel A.; Liu, Lei V.; Kang, Eun A; Braymer, Joseph J.; Lim, Mi Hee; Hedman, Britt; Hodgson, Keith O.; Valentine, Joan Selverstone; Solomon, Edward I.; Nam, Wonwoo

    2012-01-01

    Oxygen-containing mononuclear iron species—iron(III)–peroxo, iron(III)–hydroperoxo and iron(IV)–oxo—are key intermediates in the catalytic activation of dioxygen by iron-containing metalloenzymes1–7. It has been difficult to generate synthetic analogues of these three active iron–oxygen species in identical host complexes, which is necessary to elucidate changes to the structure of the iron centre during catalysis and the factors that control their chemical reactivities with substrates. Here we report the high-resolution crystal structure of a mononuclear non-haem side-on iron(III)–peroxo complex, [Fe(III)(TMC)(OO)]+. We also report a series of chemical reactions in which this iron(III)–peroxo complex is cleanly converted to the iron(III)–hydroperoxo complex, [Fe(III)(TMC)(OOH)]2+, via a short-lived intermediate on protonation. This iron(III)–hydroperoxo complex then cleanly converts to the ferryl complex, [Fe(IV)(TMC)(O)]2+, via homolytic O–O bond cleavage of the iron(III)–hydroperoxo species. All three of these iron species—the three most biologically relevant iron–oxygen intermediates—have been spectroscopically characterized; we note that they have been obtained using a simple macrocyclic ligand. We have performed relative reactivity studies on these three iron species which reveal that the iron(III)–hydroperoxo complex is the most reactive of the three in the deformylation of aldehydes and that it has a similar reactivity to the iron(IV)–oxo complex in C–H bond activation of alkylaromatics. These reactivity results demonstrate that iron(III)–hydroperoxo species are viable oxidants in both nucleophilic and electrophilic reactions by iron-containing enzymes. PMID:22031443

  4. Radiation Processing of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Space: ICEE PoC

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mattioda, Andrew; Cruz-Diaz, Gustavo; Barnhardt, Michael; Ging, Andrew; Schneider, Todd; Vaughn, Jason; Quigley, Emmett; Phillips, Brandon

    2017-01-01

    Small Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon molecules or PAHs (<30 carbon atoms) have been identified in comets, meteorites, asteroids, and interplanetary dust particles in our Solar System, while PAHs in the Interstellar Medium (ISM) tend to be much larger, usually between 50 to 100 carbon atoms in size. The cause of the size disparity between PAHs found in the ISM and Solar System as well as their influence on Solar System organics is not yet understood. Two chemical evolutionary paths have been proposed to explain the inventory of solar system organics. In one the prebiotic material was formed from the radiation induced modification of large pre-solar carbon-bearing species (e.g. ISM PAHs). The second path suggests that Solar System prebiotic matter is the result of bottom-up synthesis from small reactive molecules after the Solar System was formed. In this second scenario very few ISM PAHs survived the harsh pre-solar radiation as aromatic structures. ICEE PoC (ICEE Proof of Concept) investigated factors impacting the chemical evolution of large PAHs irradiated under conditions similar to the proto-solar nebula. Likewise ICEE PoC will refine the technical parameters of the proposed ICEE (Institute for Carbon Evolution Experiment) laboratory.

  5. Aromatic Structure in Simulates Titan Aerosol

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trainer, Melissa G.; Loeffler, M. J.; Anderson, C. M.; Hudson, R. L.; Samuelson, R. E.; Moore, M. A.

    2011-01-01

    Observations of Titan by the Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) between 560 and 20 per centimeter (approximately 18 to 500 micrometers) have been used to infer the vertical variations of Titan's ice abundances, as well as those of the aerosol from the surface to an altitude of 300 km [1]. The aerosol has a broad emission feature centered approximately at 140 per centimeter (71 micrometers). As seen in Figure 1, this feature cannot be reproduced using currently available optical constants from laboratory-generated Titan aerosol analogs [2]. The far-IR is uniquely qualified for investigating low-energy vibrational motions within the lattice structures of COITIDlex aerosol. The feature observed by CIRS is broad, and does not likely arise from individual molecules, but rather is representative of the skeletal movements of macromolecules. Since Cassini's arrival at Titan, benzene (C6H6) has been detected in the atmosphere at ppm levels as well as ions that may be polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) [3]. We speculate that the feature may be a blended composite that can be identified with low-energy vibrations of two-dimensional lattice structures of large molecules, such as PAHs or nitrogenated aromatics. Such structures do not dominate the composition of analog materials generated from CH4 and N2 irradiation. We are performing studies forming aerosol analog via UV irradiation of aromatic precursors - specifically C6H6 - to understand how the unique chemical architecture of the products will influence the observable aerosol characteristics. The optical and chemical properties of the aromatic analog will be compared to those formed from CH4/N2 mixtures, with a focus on the as-yet unidentified far-IR absorbance feature. Preliminary results indicate that the photochemically-formed aromatic aerosol has distinct chemical composition, and may incorporate nitrogen either into the ring structure or adjoined chemical groups. These compositional differences are demonstrated in the aerosol mass spectra shown in Figure 2. The aromatic aerosol also demonstrates strong chemical reactivity when exposed to laboratory air, indicating substantial stored chemical potential. Oxidatoin and solubility studies wil be presented and implicatoins for prebiotic chemistry o nTitan will be discussed.

  6. Reactivity of a Cobalt(III)–Hydroperoxo Complex in Electrophilic Reactions

    DOE PAGES

    Shin, Bongki; Sutherlin, Kyle D.; Ohta, Takehiro; ...

    2016-11-15

    The reactivity of mononuclear metal-hydroperoxo adducts has fascinated researchers in many areas due to their diverse biological and catalytic processes. In this study, a mononuclear cobalt(III)-peroxo complex bearing a tetradentate macrocyclic ligand, [Co III(Me 3-TPADP)(O 2)] + (Me 3-TPADP = 3,6,9-trimethyl-3,6,9-triaza-1(2,6)-pyridinacyclodecaphane), was prepared by reacting [Co II(Me 3-TPADP)(CH 3CN) 2] 2+ with H 2O 2 in the presence of triethylamine. Upon protonation, the cobalt(III)- peroxo intermediate was converted into a cobalt(III)-hydroperoxo complex, [Co III(Me 3-TPADP)(O 2H)(CH 3CN)] 2+. The mononuclear cobalt(III)-peroxo and -hydroperoxo intermediates were characterized by a variety of physicochemical methods. Results of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry clearly showmore » the transformation of the intermediates: the peak at m/z 339.2 assignable to the cobalt(III)-peroxo species disappears with concomitant growth of the peak at m/z 190.7 corresponding to the cobalt(III)-hydroperoxo complex (with bound CH 3CN). Isotope labeling experiments further support the existence of the cobalt(III)-peroxo and -hydroperoxo complexes. In particular, the O-O bond stretching frequency of the cobalt(III)-hydroperoxo complex was determined to be 851 cm -1 for 16O 2H samples (803 cm -1 for 18O 2H samples) and its Co-O vibrational energy was observed at 571 cm -1 for 16O 2H samples (551 cm -1 for 18O 2H samples; 568 cm -1 for 16O 2 2H samples) by resonance Raman spectroscopy. Reactivity studies performed with the cobalt(III)-peroxo and -hydroperoxo complexes in organic functionalizations reveal that the latter is capable of conducting oxygen atom transfer with an electrophilic character, whereas the former exhibits no oxygen atom transfer reactivity under the same reaction conditions. Alternatively, the cobalt(III)-hydroperoxo complex does not perform hydrogen atom transfer reactions, while analogous low-spin Fe(III)-hydroperoxo complexes are capable of this reactivity. Density function theory calculations indicate that this lack of reactivity is due to the high free energy cost of O-O bond homolysis that would be required to produce the hypothetical Co(IV)-oxo product.« less

  7. Reactivity of a Cobalt(III)–Hydroperoxo Complex in Electrophilic Reactions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shin, Bongki; Sutherlin, Kyle D.; Ohta, Takehiro

    The reactivity of mononuclear metal-hydroperoxo adducts has fascinated researchers in many areas due to their diverse biological and catalytic processes. In this study, a mononuclear cobalt(III)-peroxo complex bearing a tetradentate macrocyclic ligand, [Co III(Me 3-TPADP)(O 2)] + (Me 3-TPADP = 3,6,9-trimethyl-3,6,9-triaza-1(2,6)-pyridinacyclodecaphane), was prepared by reacting [Co II(Me 3-TPADP)(CH 3CN) 2] 2+ with H 2O 2 in the presence of triethylamine. Upon protonation, the cobalt(III)- peroxo intermediate was converted into a cobalt(III)-hydroperoxo complex, [Co III(Me 3-TPADP)(O 2H)(CH 3CN)] 2+. The mononuclear cobalt(III)-peroxo and -hydroperoxo intermediates were characterized by a variety of physicochemical methods. Results of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry clearly showmore » the transformation of the intermediates: the peak at m/z 339.2 assignable to the cobalt(III)-peroxo species disappears with concomitant growth of the peak at m/z 190.7 corresponding to the cobalt(III)-hydroperoxo complex (with bound CH 3CN). Isotope labeling experiments further support the existence of the cobalt(III)-peroxo and -hydroperoxo complexes. In particular, the O-O bond stretching frequency of the cobalt(III)-hydroperoxo complex was determined to be 851 cm -1 for 16O 2H samples (803 cm -1 for 18O 2H samples) and its Co-O vibrational energy was observed at 571 cm -1 for 16O 2H samples (551 cm -1 for 18O 2H samples; 568 cm -1 for 16O 2 2H samples) by resonance Raman spectroscopy. Reactivity studies performed with the cobalt(III)-peroxo and -hydroperoxo complexes in organic functionalizations reveal that the latter is capable of conducting oxygen atom transfer with an electrophilic character, whereas the former exhibits no oxygen atom transfer reactivity under the same reaction conditions. Alternatively, the cobalt(III)-hydroperoxo complex does not perform hydrogen atom transfer reactions, while analogous low-spin Fe(III)-hydroperoxo complexes are capable of this reactivity. Density function theory calculations indicate that this lack of reactivity is due to the high free energy cost of O-O bond homolysis that would be required to produce the hypothetical Co(IV)-oxo product.« less

  8. How aromatic compounds block DNA binding of HcaR catabolite regulator

    DOE PAGES

    Kim, Youngchang; Joachimiak, Grazyna; Bigelow, Lance; ...

    2016-04-25

    Bacterial catabolism of aromatic compounds from various sources including phenylpropanoids and flavonoids that are abundant in soil plays an important role in the recycling of carbon in the ecosystem. We have determined the crystal structures of apo-HcaR from Acinetobacter sp. ADP1, a MarR/SlyA transcription factor, in complexes with hydroxycinnamates and a specific DNA operator. The protein regulates the expression of the hca catabolic operon in Acinetobacter and related bacterial strains, allowing utilization of hydroxycinnamates as sole sources of carbon. HcaR binds multiple ligands, and as a result the transcription of genes encoding several catabolic enzymes is increased. The 1.9-2.4 Åmore » resolution structures presented here explain how HcaR recognizes four ligands (ferulate, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate, p-coumarate, and vanillin) using the same binding site. The ligand promiscuity appears to be an adaptation to match a broad specificity of hydroxycinnamate catabolic enzymes while responding to toxic thioester intermediates. Structures of apo-HcaR and in complex with a specific DNA hca operator when combined with binding studies of hydroxycinnamates show how aromatic ligands render HcaR unproductive in recognizing a specific DNA target. Furthermore, the current study contributes to a better understanding of the hca catabolic operon regulation mechanism by the transcription factor HcaR.« less

  9. Oxidative degradation of pentachlorophenol by permanganate for ISCO application.

    PubMed

    Matta, Roger; Chiron, Serge

    2018-03-01

    Potassium permanganate (KMnO 4 ) has been an effective technology for the in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) of many organic compounds including chlorinated alkanes and alkenes, but it has rarely been applied for oxidizing aromatic organochlorines. This study confirms the ability of permanganate to oxidize an aromatic chlorinated compound, pentachlorophenol (PCP), in an efficient manner at neutral pH. The rate of the reaction between KMnO 4 and PCP was calculated and the results indicated that the reaction between PCP and permanganate is relatively fast with a second-order rate constant k″ ∼ 30 M -1  s -1 . Besides the kinetic aspect, the authors identified the main reaction by-products, and proposed a possible reaction mechanism scheme. The general pathway shows the formation of chlorinated intermediates, and ultimately, the complete mineralization to chloride, water, and CO 2 confirmed by total organic carbon and chloride measurement in solution. Flow-through column experiments, consisting of flushing a PCP-contaminated sandy or natural soil with oxidant, showed the good ability of permanganate to eliminate the pollutant. After 24 h of treatment, 77% and 56% of PCP abatement were obtained for sandy and natural soil, respectively. These findings show the high potential of permanganate for the in situ remediation of aromatic organochlorine contaminated soils.

  10. Functional analysis of aromatic biosynthetic pathways in Pseudomonas putida KT2440

    PubMed Central

    Molina‐Henares, M. Antonia; García‐Salamanca, Adela; Molina‐Henares, A. Jesús; De La Torre, Jesús; Herrera, M. Carmen; Ramos, Juan L.; Duque, Estrella

    2009-01-01

    Summary Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is a non‐pathogenic prototrophic bacterium with high potential for biotechnological applications. Despite all that is known about this strain, the biosynthesis of essential chemicals has not been fully analysed and auxotroph mutants are scarce. We carried out massive mini‐Tn5 random mutagenesis and screened for auxotrophs that require aromatic amino acids. The biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids was analysed in detail including physical and transcriptional organization of genes, complementation assays and feeding experiments to establish pathway intermediates. There is a single pathway from chorismate leading to the biosynthesis of tryptophan, whereas the biosynthesis of phenylalanine and tyrosine is achieved through multiple convergent pathways. Genes for tryptophan biosynthesis are grouped in unlinked regions with the trpBA and trpGDE genes organized as operons and the trpI, trpE and trpF genes organized as single transcriptional units. The pheA and tyrA gene‐encoding multifunctional enzymes for phenylalanine and tyrosine biosynthesis are linked in the chromosome and form an operon with the serC gene involved in serine biosynthesis. The last step in the biosynthesis of these two amino acids requires an amino transferase activity for which multiple tyrB‐like genes are present in the host chromosome. PMID:21261884

  11. Biosynthesis of cis,cis-muconic acid and its aromatic precursors, catechol and protocatechuic acid, from renewable feedstocks by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Weber, Christian; Brückner, Christine; Weinreb, Sheila; Lehr, Claudia; Essl, Christine; Boles, Eckhard

    2012-12-01

    Adipic acid is a high-value compound used primarily as a precursor for the synthesis of nylon, coatings, and plastics. Today it is produced mainly in chemical processes from petrochemicals like benzene. Because of the strong environmental impact of the production processes and the dependence on fossil resources, biotechnological production processes would provide an interesting alternative. Here we describe the first engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain expressing a heterologous biosynthetic pathway converting the intermediate 3-dehydroshikimate of the aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathway via protocatechuic acid and catechol into cis,cis-muconic acid, which can be chemically dehydrogenated to adipic acid. The pathway consists of three heterologous microbial enzymes, 3-dehydroshikimate dehydratase, protocatechuic acid decarboxylase composed of three different subunits, and catechol 1,2-dioxygenase. For each heterologous reaction step, we analyzed several potential candidates for their expression and activity in yeast to compose a functional cis,cis-muconic acid synthesis pathway. Carbon flow into the heterologous pathway was optimized by increasing the flux through selected steps of the common aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathway and by blocking the conversion of 3-dehydroshikimate into shikimate. The recombinant yeast cells finally produced about 1.56 mg/liter cis,cis-muconic acid.

  12. Processes forming Gas, Tar, and Coke in Cellulose Gasification from Gas-Phase Reactions of Levoglucosan as Intermediate.

    PubMed

    Fukutome, Asuka; Kawamoto, Haruo; Saka, Shiro

    2015-07-08

    The gas-phase pyrolysis of levoglucosan (LG), the major intermediate species during cellulose gasification, was studied experimentally over the temperature range of 400-900 °C. Gaseous LG did not produce any dehydration products, which include coke, furans, and aromatic substances, although these are characteristic products of the pyrolysis of molten LG. Alternatively, at >500 °C, gaseous LG produced only fragmentation products, such as noncondensable gases and condensable C1 -C3 fragments, as intermediates during noncondensable gas formation. Therefore, it was determined that secondary reactions of gaseous LG can result in the clean (tar- and coke-free) gasification of cellulose. Cooling of the remaining LG in the gas phase caused coke formation by the transition of the LG to the molten state. The molecular mechanisms that govern the gas- and molten-phase reactions of LG are discussed in terms of the acid catalyst effect of intermolecular hydrogen bonding to promote the molten-phase dehydration reactions. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Cyclobutanone Mimics of Intermediates in Metallo-β-Lactamase Catalysis.

    PubMed

    Abboud, Martine I; Kosmopoulou, Magda; Krismanich, Anthony P; Johnson, Jarrod W; Hinchliffe, Philip; Brem, Jürgen; Claridge, Timothy D W; Spencer, James; Schofield, Christopher J; Dmitrienko, Gary I

    2018-04-17

    The most important resistance mechanism to β-lactam antibiotics involves hydrolysis by two β-lactamase categories: the nucleophilic serine and the metallo-β-lactamases (SBLs and MBLs, respectively). Cyclobutanones are hydrolytically stable β-lactam analogues with potential to inhibit both SBLs and MBLs. We describe solution and crystallographic studies on the interaction of a cyclobutanone penem analogue with the clinically important MBL SPM-1. NMR experiments using 19 F-labeled SPM-1 imply the cyclobutanone binds to SPM-1 with micromolar affinity. A crystal structure of the SPM-1:cyclobutanone complex reveals binding of the hydrated cyclobutanone through interactions with one of the zinc ions, stabilisation of the hydrate by hydrogen bonding to zinc-bound water, and hydrophobic contacts with aromatic residues. NMR analyses using a 13 C-labeled cyclobutanone support assignment of the bound species as the hydrated ketone. The results inform on how MBLs bind substrates and stabilize tetrahedral intermediates. They support further investigations on the use of transition-state and/or intermediate analogues as inhibitors of all β-lactamase classes. © 2018 Die Autoren. Veröffentlicht von Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

  14. Cyclobutanone Mimics of Intermediates in Metallo‐β‐Lactamase Catalysis

    PubMed Central

    Abboud, Martine I.; Kosmopoulou, Magda; Krismanich, Anthony P.; Johnson, Jarrod W.; Hinchliffe, Philip; Brem, Jürgen; Claridge, Timothy D. W.

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The most important resistance mechanism to β‐lactam antibiotics involves hydrolysis by two β‐lactamase categories: the nucleophilic serine and the metallo‐β‐lactamases (SBLs and MBLs, respectively). Cyclobutanones are hydrolytically stable β‐lactam analogues with potential to inhibit both SBLs and MBLs. We describe solution and crystallographic studies on the interaction of a cyclobutanone penem analogue with the clinically important MBL SPM‐1. NMR experiments using 19F‐labeled SPM‐1 imply the cyclobutanone binds to SPM‐1 with micromolar affinity. A crystal structure of the SPM‐1:cyclobutanone complex reveals binding of the hydrated cyclobutanone through interactions with one of the zinc ions, stabilisation of the hydrate by hydrogen bonding to zinc‐bound water, and hydrophobic contacts with aromatic residues. NMR analyses using a 13C‐labeled cyclobutanone support assignment of the bound species as the hydrated ketone. The results inform on how MBLs bind substrates and stabilize tetrahedral intermediates. They support further investigations on the use of transition‐state and/or intermediate analogues as inhibitors of all β‐lactamase classes. PMID:29250863

  15. An integrated (electro- and bio-oxidation) approach for remediation of industrial wastewater containing azo-dyes: Understanding the degradation mechanism and toxicity assessment.

    PubMed

    Aravind, Priyadharshini; Selvaraj, Hosimin; Ferro, Sergio; Sundaram, Maruthamuthu

    2016-11-15

    A hybrid approach for the remediation of recalcitrant dye wastewater is proposed. The chlorine-mediated electrochemical oxidation of real textile effluents and synthetic samples (using Ti/IrO2-RuO2-TiO2 anodes), lead to discoloration by 92% and 89%, respectively, in 100min, without significant mineralization. The remediation was obtained through biodegradation, after removing the residual bio-toxic active chlorine species via sunlight exposition. Results show that the electrochemical discoloration enhances the effluent biodegradability with about 90% COD removal employing acclimatized naphthalene-degrading bacterial consortia, within 144h. Based on results obtained through FT-IR and GC-MS, it is likely that azo group stripping and oxidative cleavage of dyes occur due to the nucleophilic attack of active chlorine species during electro-oxidation. This leads to generation of aromatic intermediates which are further desulfonated, deaminated or oxidized only at their functional groups. These aromatic intermediates were mineralized into simpler organic acids and aldehydes by bacterial consortia. Phyto-toxicity trials on Vigna radiata confirmed the toxic nature of the untreated dye solutions. An increase in root and shoot development was observed with the electrochemically treated solutions, the same was higher in case of bio-treated solutions. Overall, obtained results confirm the capability of the proposed hybrid oxidation scheme for the remediation of textile wastewater. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Functional analysis of (4 S)-limonene synthase mutants reveals determinants of catalytic outcome in a model monoterpene synthase

    DOE PAGES

    Srividya, Narayanan; Davis, Edward M.; Croteau, Rodney B.; ...

    2015-03-02

    We used crystal structural data for (4S)-limonene synthase [(4S)-LS] of spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) to infer which amino acid residues are in close proximity to the substrate and carbocation intermediates of the enzymatic reaction. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis of 48 amino acids combined with enzyme fidelity analysis [percentage of (-)-limonene produced] indicated which residues are most likely to constitute the active site. Furthermore, the mutation of residues W324 and H579 caused a significant drop in enzyme activity and formation of products (myrcene, linalool, and terpineol) characteristic of a premature termination of the reaction. A double mutant (W324A/H579A) had no detectable enzyme activity,more » indicating that either substrate binding or the terminating reaction was impaired. Exchanges to other aromatic residues (W324H, W324F, W324Y, H579F, H579Y, and H579W) resulted in enzyme catalysts with significantly reduced activity. Sequence comparisons across the angiosperm lineage provided evidence that W324 is a conserved residue, whereas the position equivalent to H579 is occupied by aromatic residues (H, F, or Y). Our results are consistent with a critical role of W324 and H579 in the stabilization of carbocation intermediates. Finally, the potential of these residues to serve as the catalytic base facilitating the terminal deprotonation reaction is discussed.« less

  17. Role of Dissolved Organic Matter and Geochemical Controls on Arsenic Cycling from Sediments to Groundwater along the Meghna River, Bangladesh: Tracking possible links to permeable natural reactive barrier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Datta, S.; Berube, M.; Knappett, P.; Kulkarni, H. V.; Vega, M.; Jewell, K.; Myers, K.

    2017-12-01

    Elevated levels of dissolved arsenic (As), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) are seen in the shallow groundwaters of southeast Bangladesh on the Ganges Brahmaputra Meghna River delta. This study takes a multi disciplinary approach to understand the extent of the natural reactive barrier (NRB) along the Meghna River and evaluate the role of the NRB in As sequestration and release in groundwater aquifers. Shallow sediment cores, and groundwater and river water samples were collected from the east and west banks of the Meghna. Groundwater and river water samples were tested for FeT, MnT, and AsT concentrations. Fluorescence spectroscopic characterization of groundwater dissolved organic matter (DOM) provided insight into the hydro geochemical reactions active in the groundwater and the hyporheic zones. Eight sediment cores of 1.5 m depth were collected 10 m away from the edge of the river. Vertical solid phase concentration profiles of Fe, Mn and As were measured via 1.2 M HCl digestion which revealed solid phase As accumulation along the riverbanks up to concentrations of 1500 mg/kg As. Microbial interactions with DOM prompts the reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+, causing As to mobilize into groundwater and humic-like DOM present in the groundwater may catalyze this process. The extent to which microbially mediated release of As occurs is limited by labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) availability. Aqueous geochemical results showed the highest dissolved As concentrations in shallow wells (<30 m depth), where organic matter was fresh, humic-like, and aromatic. Based on fluorescence characterization, shallow groundwater was found to contain microbial and terrestrial derived DOC, and decomposed, humified and aromatic DOM. Deeper aquifers had a significantly larger microbial OM signature than the shallower aquifers and was less aromatic, decomposed and humified. The results from this study illustrate the potential for humic substances to contribute to As cycling and quantify the extent of As accumulation in the sediments and groundwater along a 1 km stretch of the Meghna. These findings contribute to the overall understanding of geochemical processes involved in As release into groundwaters from sediments within a fluvial deltaic environment and close proximity to a possible permeable natural reactive barrier.

  18. Thermal pretreatment of a high lignin SSF digester residue to increase its softening point

    DOE PAGES

    Howe, Daniel; Garcia-Perez, Manuel; Taasevigen, Danny; ...

    2016-03-24

    Residues high in lignin and ash generated from the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of corn stover were thermally pretreated in an inert (N 2) atmosphere to study the effect of time and temperature on their softening points. These residues are difficult to feed into gasifiers due to premature thermal degradation and formation of reactive liquids in the feed lines, leading to plugging. The untreated and treated residues were characterized by proximate and ultimate analysis, and then analyzed via TGA, DSC, 13C NMR, Py-GC–MS, CHNO/S, and TMA. Interpretation of the compositional analysis indicates that the weight loss observed during pretreatment ismore » mainly due to the thermal decomposition and volatilization of the hemicelluloses and amorphous cellulose fractions. Fixed carbon increases in the pretreated material, mostly due to a concentration effect rather than the formation of new extra poly-aromatic material. The optimal processing time and temperature to minimize the production of carbonyl groups in the pretreated samples was 300 °C at a time of 30 min. Results showed that the softening point of the material could be increased from 187 °C to 250 °C, and that under the experimental conditions studied, pretreatment temperature plays a more important role than time. The increase in softening point was mainly due to the formation of covalent bonds in the lignin structures and the removal of low molecular weight volatile intermediates.« less

  19. Copper-Hydroperoxo Mediated N-Debenzylation Chemistry Mimicking Aspects of Copper Monoxygenases

    PubMed Central

    Maiti, Debabrata; Narducci Sarjeant, Amy A.; Karlin, Kenneth D.

    2008-01-01

    Substantial oxidative N-debenzylation reaction along with PhCH=O formation occurs from a hydroperoxo copper(II) complex which has a dibenzylamino substrate (-N(CH2Ph)2 appended as a substituent on one pyridyl group of its tripodal tetradentate TMPA {≡ TPA ≡ tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine)} ligand framework. During the course of the (LN(CH2Ph)2)CuII(−OOH) reactivity, formation of a substrate and −OOH (an oxygen atom) derived alkoxo CuII(−OR) complex occurs. The observation that the same CuII(−OR) species occurs from CuI/PhIO chemistry suggests the possibility that a copper-oxo (cupryl) reactive intermediate forms during alkoxo species formation, and new ESI-MS data obtained provides some further support for this high-valent intermediate. Net H-atom abstraction chemistry is proposed, based on kinetic isotope effect studies provided here and that previously published for a closely related CuII(−OOH) species incorporating dimethylamine (-N(CH3)2) as the internal substrate (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 6720-6721); the CuI/PhIO reactivity, with similar isotope effect results, provides further support. The reactivity of these chemical systems closely resembles proposed oxidative N-dealkylation mechanisms effected by the copper-monooxygenases dopamine β-monooxygenase (DβM) or peptidylglycine-α-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM). PMID:18783212

  20. Infrared identification of the Criegee intermediates syn- and anti-CH3CHOO, and their distinct conformation-dependent reactivity

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Hui-Yu; Huang, Yu-Hsuan; Wang, Xiaohong; Bowman, Joel M.; Nishimura, Yoshifumi; Witek, Henryk A.; Lee, Yuan-Pern

    2015-01-01

    The Criegee intermediates are carbonyl oxides that play critical roles in ozonolysis of alkenes in the atmosphere. So far, the mid-infrared spectrum of only the simplest Criegee intermediate CH2OO has been reported. Methyl substitution of CH2OO produces two conformers of CH3CHOO and consequently complicates the infrared spectrum. Here we report the transient infrared spectrum of syn- and anti-CH3CHOO, produced from CH3CHI + O2 in a flow reactor, using a step-scan Fourier-transform spectrometer. Guided and supported by high-level full-dimensional quantum calculations, rotational contours of the four observed bands are simulated successfully and provide definitive identification of both conformers. Furthermore, anti-CH3CHOO shows a reactivity greater than syn-CH3CHOO towards NO/NO2; at the later period of reaction, the spectrum can be simulated with only syn-CH3CHOO. Without NO/NO2, anti-CH3CHOO also decays much faster than syn-CH3CHOO. The direct infrared detection of syn- and anti-CH3CHOO should prove useful for field measurements and laboratory investigations of the Criegee mechanism. PMID:25959902

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