A Thiourea Derivative of 2-[(1R)-1-Aminoethyl]phenol as a Chiral Sensor for the Determination of the Absolute Configuration of N-3,5-Dinitrobenzoyl Derivatives of Amino Acids.

In the exploration of chiral solvating agents (CSAs) for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy designed for the chiral analysis of amino acid derivatives, notable advancements have been made with thiourea-CSAs. 1-TU, derived from 2-[(1R)-1-aminoethyl]phenol and benzoyl isothiocyanate, is effective in the enantiodifferentiation of N-3,5-dinitrobenzoyl (N-DNB) amino acids. In order to broaden the application of 1-TU for configurational assignment, enantiomerically enriched N-DNB amino acids were analyzed via NMR. A robust correlation was established between the relative position of specific 1H and 13C NMR resonances of the enantiomers in the presence of 1-TU. 1,4-Diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) was selected for the complete solubilization of amino acid substrates. Notably, the para and ortho protons of the N-DNB moiety displayed higher frequency shifts for the (R)-enantiomers as opposed to the (S)-enantiomers. This trend was consistently observed in the 13C NMR spectra for quaternary carbons bonded to NO2 groups. Conversely, an inverse correlation was noted for quaternary carbon resonances of the carboxyl moiety, amide carbonyl, and methine carbon at the chiral center. This observed trend aligns with the interaction mechanism previously reported for the same chiral auxiliary. The configurational correlation can be effectively exploited under conditions of high dilution or, significantly, under sub-stoichiometric conditions.

The Phenomenon of Self-Induced Diastereomeric Anisochrony and Its Implications in NMR Spectroscopy.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is an analytical technique largely applied in the analysis of discrimination processes involving enantiomeric substrates and chiral agents, which can interact with the analyte either via covalent bonding or via formation of diastereomeric solvates. However, enantiodiscrimination has been observed, in some cases, even in the absence of any additional chiral selector. The reasons behind this phenomenon must be found in the capability of some chiral substrates to interact with themselves by forming diastereomeric solvates in solution that can generate nonequivalences in the NMR spectra of enantiomerically enriched mixtures. As a result, differentiation of enantiomers is observed, thus allowing the quantification of the enantiomeric composition of the mixture under investigation. The tendency of certain substrates to self-aggregate and to generate diastereomeric adducts in solution can be defined as Self-Induced Diastereomeric Anisochrony (SIDA), but other acronyms have been used to refer to this phenomenon. In the present work, an overview of SIDA processes investigated via NMR spectroscopy will be provided, with a particular emphasis on the nature of the substrates involved, on the interaction mechanisms at the basis of the phenomenon, and on theoretical treatments proposed in the literature to explain them.

William H. Pirkle: Stereochemistry pioneer.

Professor William H. Pirkle (1934-2018) made a profound impact on modern chemistry by inventing and popularizing widely used techniques for the analysis and purification of enantiomers, contributions that paved the way for the subsequent advances in the discovery, development, and manufacture of enantiopure pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and specialty chemicals. Pirkle's pioneering 1966 demonstration of the use of chiral solvating agents for the nuclear magnetic resonance determination of enantiopurity led to a lifelong interest in understanding the supramolecular interactions responsible for enantiodifferentiation. Ongoing research into the chromatographic resolution of stereoisomers throughout the 1970s led in 1981 to the very first commercialization of a chiral stationary phase for the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation of enantiomers. The availability of this and subsequent "Pirkle columns" had a deep and lasting impact, becoming widely embraced by the chemical sciences research community worldwide and spearheading the wholesale changeover to HPLC as the preferred technique for measuring enantiopurity. Doc Pirkle was a highly creative, independent, and fun-loving collaborator whose circle of friends extends around the globe. His research group at the University of Illinois, often referred to as The Pirkle Zoo, became a refuge for an interesting assembly of characters who flourished under his mentorship and guidance.

Structure and functioning mechanism of transketolase.

Studies of thiamine diphosphate-dependent enzymes appear to have commenced in 1937, with the isolation of the coenzyme of yeast pyruvate decarboxylase, which was demonstrated to be a diphosphoric ester of thiamine. For quite a long time, these studies were largely focused on enzymes decarboxylating α-keto acids, such as pyruvate decarboxylase and pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes. Transketolase, discovered independently by Racker and Horecker in 1953 (and named by Racker) [1], did not receive much attention until 1992, when crystal X-ray structure analysis of the enzyme from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was performed [2]. These data, together with the results of site-directed mutagenesis, made it possible to understand in detail the mechanism of thiamine diphosphate-dependent catalysis. Some progress was also made in studies of the functional properties of transketolase. The last review on transketolase, which was fairly complete, appeared in 1998 [3]. Therefore, the publication of this paper should not seem premature.

Plug-in tests for nonequivalence of means of independent normal populations.

In this paper, we consider the problem of testing nonequivalence of several independent normal population means. It is a well-known problem to test the equality of several means using the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Instead of determining the equality, one may consider more flexible homogeneity, which allows a predetermined level of difference. This problem is known as testing nonequivalence of populations. We propose the plug-in statistics for two different measures of variability: the sum of the absolute deviations and the maximum of the absolute deviations. For each test, the least favorable configuration (LFC) to ensure the maximum rejection probability under the null hypothesis is investigated. Furthermore, we demonstrate the numerical studies based on both simulation and real data to evaluate the plug-in tests and compare these with the range test.

On the correctness of using two-dimensional representations in the analysis of cylindrical peg-hole insertion and withdrawal.

The cylindrical peg-hole system is a popular model in the study of assembly and disassembly operations. The analysis of peg-hole systems is customarily performed using simplified two-dimensional representations, viz. a vertical sectional view. However, evidence that this simplification accurately represents the system is lacking. This paper investigates the correctness of using two-dimensional instead of three-dimensional models for peg-hole system analysis, studying their geometrical and kinematic equivalence. Geometrical equivalence implies the contact points between the peg and hole are on a vertical sectional view plane. Kinematic equivalence requires that the forces and torques acting on the peg lie in the same sectional plane. The analysis indicates that while geometrical equivalence can be proven, kinematic equivalence is in general not verified. The severity of the error introduced by the two-dimensional simplification depends on the geometrical configuration and kinematic parameters of the peg-hole system. The effects of kinematic non-equivalence on the boundary conditions of jamming and wedging are discussed. The results of the analysis show that a two-dimensional peg-hole model may give wrong predictions on jamming. Also, the extra lateral error of the three-dimensional model reduces the boundary condition and the possibility of peg-hole wedging.