Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Mechanistic”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Azatoxin is a mechanistic hybrid of the topoisomerase II-targeted anticancer drugs etoposide and ellipticine.

One approach to broadening the diversity of topoisomerase II-targeted anticancer agents is to generate novel compounds by combining structural elements of drugs known to stimulate enzyme-mediated DNA cleavage. The first agent to emerge from such a rational drug design is azatoxin, a hybrid drug that fuses chemical structures from etoposide and ellipticine. Since these drugs differ significantly in their structural and mechanistic attributes, azatoxin may preferentially retain the functional properties of one of these two drugs, behave as a hybrid molecule, or act as a novel pharmacophore. Therefore, the properties of azatoxin were characterized to determine relationships between its mechanism of action and those of its parent compounds. Azatoxin, like etoposide, binds to DNA in a nonintercalative fashion. However, similar to ellipticine, the drug has no effect on enzyme-mediated DNA religation and apparently stimulates scission primarily by enhancing cleavage complex formation. Depending on the species of topoisomerase II examined, the cleavage potency of azatoxin resembles that of either of its chemical parents. Furthermore, out of 43 DNA cleavage sites analyzed, approximately 90% of those induced by azatoxin are shared with either etoposide, ellipticine, or both drugs. Finally, competition studies indicate that azatoxin interacts with topoisomerase II in the enzyme domain utilized by etoposide and ellipticine. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that azatoxin is a mechanistic hybrid of its parent compounds and shares functional properties with both drugs.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Three mechanistic steps detected by FRET after presynaptic filament formation in homologous recombination. ATP hydrolysis required for release of oligonucleotide heteroduplex product from RecA.

The Escherichia coli RecA protein promotes DNA strand exchange in homologous recombination and recombinational DNA repair. Stopped-flow kinetics and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) were used to study RecA-mediated strand exchange between a 30-bp duplex DNA and a homologous single-stranded 50mer. In our standard assay, one end of the dsDNA helix was labeled at apposing 5' and 3' ends with hexachlorofluorescein and fluorescein, respectively. Strand exchange was monitored by the increase in fluorescence emission resulting upon displacement of the fluorescein-labeled strand from the initial duplex. The potential advantages of FRET in study of strand exchange are that it noninvasively measures real-time kinetics in the previously inaccessible millisecond time regime and offers great sensitivity. The oligonucleotide substrates model short-range mechanistic effects that might occur within a localized region of the ternary complex formed between RecA and long DNA molecules during strand exchange. Reactions in the presence of ATP with 0.1 microM duplex and 0.1-1.0 microM ss50mer showed triphasic kinetics in 600 s time courses, implying the existence of three mechanistic steps subsequent to presynaptic filament formation. The observed rate constants for the intermediate phase were independent of the concentration of ss50mer and most likely characterize a unimolecular isomerization of the ternary complex. The observed rate constants for the first and third phases decreased with increasing ss50mer concentration. Kinetic experiments performed with the nonhydrolyzable analogue ATPgammaS showed overall changes in fluorescence emission identical to those observed in the presence of ATP. In addition, the observed rate constants for the two fastest reaction phases were identical in ATP or ATPgammaS. The observed rate constant for the slowest phase showed a 4-fold reduction in the presence of ATPgammaS. Results in ATPgammaS using an alternate fluorophore labeling pattern suggest a third ternary intermediate may form prior to ssDNA product release. The existence of two or three ternary intermediates in strand exchange with a 30 bp duplex suggests the possibility that the step size for base pair switching may be 10-15 bp. Products of reactions in the presence of ATP and ATPgammaS, with and without proteinase K treatment, were analyzed on native polyacrylamide gels. In reactions in which only short-range RecA-DNA interactions were important, ATP hydrolysis was not required for recycling of RecA from both oligonucleotide products. Hydrolysis or deproteinization was required for RecA to release the heteroduplex product, but not the outgoing single strand.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Mechanistic studies comparing the incorporation of (+) and (-) isomers of 3TCTP by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

Among the nucleoside inhibitors used clinically as anti-HIV drugs which target HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT), (-)-2', 3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine [(-)SddC or 3TC] is the only analogue with the unnatural L(-) nucleoside configuration. 3TC has been shown to be more potent and less toxic than the D(+) isomer, (+)SddC, which has the natural nucleoside configuration. The mechanistic basis for the stereochemical selectivity and differential toxicity of the isomeric SddC compounds is not completely understood although a number of factors may clearly come into play including differences in uptake, metabolic activation, degradation, and transport. We used a pre-steady-state kinetic analysis to determine the maximum rate of incorporation, kpol, nucleotide-binding affinity, Kd, and efficiency of incorporation, kpol/Kd, for the (-) and (+) isomeric SddCTP compounds as well as the corresponding dideoxy and natural nucleoside triphosphates into a primer-template complex using HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The affinity (Kd) of the dNTP was much tighter and the efficiency (kpol/Kd) of incorporation by enzyme into the primer-template complex was much higher for the DNA/RNA primer-template compared to DNA/DNA. The maximum rate of incorporation, kpol, followed the trend of dCTP > ddCTP > (+)SddCTP > (-)SddCTP while the Kd values determined for the DNA/RNA primer-template followed the order (-)SddCTP congruent with (+)SddCTP congruent with ddCTP > dCTP. The corresponding efficiency of incorporation followed the trend dCTP > ddCTP > (+)SddCTP > (-)SddCTP. These data suggest that perturbations on the ribose ring of cytidine analogues (C --> S) decrease the rate and efficiency of incorporation but enhance the binding affinity. These results are discussed in the context of a computer modeled structure of the ternary complexes of RT, DNA/RNA primer-template, and SddCTP analogues as well as implications for structure-activity relationships and further drug design. This information provides a mechanistic basis for understanding the inhibition of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase by 3TC.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Mechanistic information from analysis of molecular weight distributions of starch.

A methodology is developed for interpreting the molecular weight distributions of debranched amylopectin, based on techniques developed for quantitatively and qualitatively finding mechanistic information from the molecular weight distributions of synthetic polymers. If the only events occurring are random chain growth and stoppage (i.e., the rates are independent of degree of polymerization over the range in question), then the number of chains of degree of polymerization N, P(N), is linear in ln P(N) with a negative slope, where the slope gives the ratio of the stoppage and growth rates. This starting point suggests that mechanistic inferences can be made from a plot of lnP against N. Application to capillary electrophoresis data for the P(N) of debranched starch from across the major taxa, from bacteria (Escherichia coli), green algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii), mammals (Bos), and flowering plants (Oryza sativa, rice; Zea mays, maize; Triticum aestivum, wheat; Hordeum vulgare, barley; and Solanum tuberosum, potato), gives insights into the biosynthetic pathways, showing the differences and similarities of the alpha-1,4-glucans produced by the various species. Four characteristic regions for storage starch from the higher plants are revealed: (1) an initial increasing region corresponding to the formation of new branches, (2) a linear ln P region with negative slope, indicating random growth and stoppage, (3) a region corresponding to the formation of the crystalline lamellae and subsequent elongation of chains, and (4) a second linear ln P with negative slope region. Each region can be assigned to specific enzymatic processes in starch synthesis, including determining the ranges of degrees of polymerization which are subject to random and nonrandom processes.

Animals↗

Kinetic and mechanistic study of the atmospheric oxidation by OH radicals of allyl acetate.

Acetates are emitted into the atmosphere by several anthropic and natural sources. To better evaluate the environmental impact of these compounds, OH-induced oxidation kinetic and mechanism of allyl acetate (CH3C(O)OCH2-CH=CH2) have been investigated at room temperature and atmospheric pressure using three environmental chambers: an indoor Teflon-film bag (LISA, Créteil), an indoor Pyrex photoreactor (LISA, Créteil), and the outdoor Smog chamber EUPHORE (Valencia). Rate constant of the reaction of allyl acetate with OH radicals was determined by relative rate technique in the indoor Teflon-film bag. It is (30.6 +/- 3.1) x 10(-12) cm3 molecule-1 s-1. Mechanistic experiments were performed in the indoor photoreactor and in the outdoor Smog chamber EUPHORE. The main oxidation products observed by FTIR in both chambers were acetoxyacetaldehyde and formaldehyde. From these data, a mechanism was developed to describe the OH-induced oxidation of this acetate in the presence of NOx. Finally, atmospheric impact of allyl acetate emissions was evaluated using kinetic and mechanistic results.

Acetates↗

Uncertainty analysis in a mechanistic model of bacterial regrowth in distribution systems.

The first generation of mechanistic models of bacterial regrowth in distribution systems (DS) provides insight into cause-and-effect relationships. However, the state of knowledge about the processes included in these models is insufficient to warrant deterministic predictions. Even if the process descriptions are reasonable, the uncertainty in values of key system constants limits predictions of bacterial growth. A new mechanistic model was developed to incorporate the accepted knowledge of physical, chemical, and biological processes with the hydraulic features in order to capture the unsteady state behavior of the DS. Sensitivitytesting showed that the extent of bacterial regrowth was affected mainly by the rate constants for chlorine decay reactions in bulk water and on the pipe wall and by the maximum growth rate constant of attached bacteria. A simple hypothetical network was used to evaluate the effects of uncertainty in these three system constants by running 100 Monte Carlo simulations. Cumulative probability plots showed a wide range of predictions for concentrations of bacteria and chlorine in bulk water at various nodes in the DS. The magnitude of these concentrations and the range of values were greatly affected by water residence time to each node. Once the chlorine residual is depleted, bacterial growth is mainly influenced by the amount of substrate available. However, high values of the coefficients for the maximum growth rate of attached bacteria, the chlorine decay in bulk water, and the chlorine decay by wall reaction did not necessarily lead to the maximum bacterial growth at a given location.

Bacteria↗

Mechanistic models to perform population risk assessment with the midge Chironomus riparius: application to heavy metals.

Mechanistic models can substantially contribute to population risk assessment to assess effects on population and to increase the relevance of the toxicity parameters estimated at an individual level. We use four mechanistic models to change the scale from concentration to effects on individuals and from individuals to population with the midge Chironomus riparius: a kinetics model; an energy-based effects model, linking effects on the life cycle and compound body residues; a matrix approach to derive population growth rate; and an energy-based population model to derive carrying capacity. The whole "model battery" was applied to cadmium and copper. The data came from growth, survival, and reproduction tests. We also incorporated information about compounds physiological mode of action and kinetics. Thresholds at population level were derived through comparisons with our control database. We showed that our two population endpoints (carrying capacity and population growth rate) provide complementary information about toxicity risks, even if, in our study, population growth rate appeared to be slightly more sensitive than carrying capacity. We found population no effect concentration of, respectively, 0.42 and 9.3 mg/kg for cadmium and copper. We also showed that information about physiological mode of action was relevant, whereas a kinetics test was unnecessary.

Animals↗

Considering Fe(II/IV) redox processes as mechanistically relevant to the catalytic hydrogenation of olefins by [PhBP iPr 3]Fe-H x species.

Several coordinatively unsaturated pseudotetrahedral iron(II) precursors, [PhBP(iPr)(3)]Fe-R ([PhBP(iPr)(3)] = [PhB(CH(2)P(i)Pr(2))(3)](-); R = Me (2), R = CH(2)Ph (3), R = CH(2)CMe(3) (4)) have been prepared from [PhBP(iPr)(3)]FeCl (1) that serve as precatalysts for the room-temperature hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons (e.g., ethylene, styrene, 2-pentyne) under atmospheric H(2) pressure. The solid-state crystal structures of 2 and 3 are presented. To gain mechanistic insight into the nature of these hydrogenation reactions, a number of [PhBP(iPr)(3)]-supported iron hydrides were prepared and studied. Room-temperature hydrogenation of alkyls 2-4 in the presence of a trapping phosphine ligand affords the iron(IV) trihydride species [PhBP(iPr)(3)]Fe(H)(3)(PR(3)) (PR(3) = PMe(3) (5); PR(3) = PEt(3) (6); PR(3) = PMePh(2) (7)). These spectroscopically well-defined trihydrides undergo hydrogen loss to varying degrees in solution, and for the case of 7, this process leads to the structurally identified Fe(II) hydride product [PhBP(iPr)(3)]Fe(H)(PMePh(2)) (9). Attempts to prepare 9 by addition of LiEt(3)BH to 1 instead lead to the Fe(I) reduction product [PhBP(iPr)(3)]Fe(PMePh(2)) (10). The independent preparations of the Fe(II) monohydride complex [PhBP(iPr)(3)]Fe(II)(H)(PMe(3)) (11) and the Fe(I) phosphine adduct [PhBP(iPr)(3)]Fe(PMe(3)) (8) are described. The solid-state crystal structures of trihydride 5, monohydride 11, and 8 are compared and demonstrate relatively little structural reorganization with respect to the P(3)Fe-P' core motif as a function of the iron center's formal oxidation state. Although paramagnetic 11 (S = 1) is quantitatively converted to the diamagnetic trihydride 5 under H(2), the Fe(I) complex 8 (S = (3)/(2)) is inert toward atmospheric H(2). Complex 10 is likewise inert toward H(2). Trihydrides 5 and 6 also serve as hydrogenation precatalysts, albeit at slower rates than that for the benzyl complex 3 because of a rate-contributing phosphine dependence. That these hydrogenations appear to proceed via well-defined olefin insertion steps into an Fe-H linkage is indicated by the reaction between trihydride 5 and ethylene, which cleanly produces the ethyl complex [PhBP(iPr)(3)]Fe(CH(2)CH(3)) (13) and an equivalent of ethane. Mechanistic issues concerning the overall reaction are described.

Journal Article↗

Kinetic and mechanistic studies on the reaction of nitric oxide with a water-soluble octa-anionic iron(III) porphyrin complex.

The polyanionic water-soluble and non-mu-oxo-dimer-forming iron porphyrin iron(III) 5(4),10(4),15(4),20(4)-tetra-tert-butyl-5(2),5(6),15(2),15(6)-tetrakis[2,2-bis(carboxylato)ethyl]-5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin, (P(8-))Fe(III) (1), was synthesized as an octasodium salt by applying well-established porphyrin and organic chemistry procedures to bromomethylated precursor porphyrins and characterized by standard techniques such as UV-vis and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. A single pK(a1) value of 9.26 was determined for the deprotonation of coordinated water in (P(8-))Fe(III)(H(2)O)(2) (1-H(2)()O) present in aqueous solution at pH <9. The porphyrin complex reversibly binds NO in aqueous solution to give the mononitrosyl adduct, (P(8-))Fe(II)(NO(+))(L), where L = H(2)O or OH(-). The kinetics of the binding and release of NO was studied as a function of pH, temperature, and pressure by stopped-flow and laser flash photolysis techniques. The diaqua-ligated form of the porphyrin complex binds and releases NO according to a dissociative interchange mechanism based on the positive values of the activation parameters DeltaS() and DeltaV() for the "on" and "off" reactions. The rate constant k(on) = 6.2 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1) (24 degrees C), determined for NO binding to the monohydroxo-ligated (P(8-))Fe(III)(OH) (1-OH) present in solution at pH >9, is markedly lower than the corresponding value measured for 1-H(2)O at lower pH (k(on) = 8.2 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1), 24 degrees C, pH 7). The observed decrease in the reactivity is contradictory to that expected for the diaqua- and monohydroxo-ligated forms of the iron(III) complex and is accounted for in terms of a mechanistic changeover observed for 1-H(2)O and 1-OH in their reactions with NO. The mechanistic interpretation offered is further substantiated by the results of water-exchange studies performed on the polyanionic porphyrin complex as a function of pH, temperature, and pressure.

Anions↗

Hydrogenolysis of cyclohexane over Ir/SiO(2) catalyst: a mechanistic study of carbon--carbon bond cleavage on metallic surfaces.

The hydrogenolysis of cyclohexane catalyzed by supported Ir/SiO(2) has been studied to get mechanistic information on the elementary steps of C--C bond cleavage for cyclic saturated hydrocarbons. The reaction was studied under conditions in which no dehydrogenation to benzene occurs. When a mixture of cyclohexane and H(2) flows over a Ir/SiO(2) catalyst at 200 degrees C and for a H(2)/cyclohexane ratio superior to 40, methane, ethane, propane, n-butane, n-pentane, and n-hexane are identified to be primary products. The hydrogenolysis of ethane and n-hexane has also been studied to clarify several mechanistic questions. To account for the primary products in the above reactions, a mechanism is proposed in which the key step of the carbon--carbon bond cleavage occurs via concerted electronic transfer in dimetallacyclopentane intermediate. The comparison of product distributions in the hydrogenolysis of cyclohexane and that observed for n-hexane led to conclusions about the relative ease of carbon--carbon bond cleavage with respect to surface alkyl isomerization.

Journal Article↗

Deciphering the mechanistic dichotomy in the cyclization of 1-(2-ethynylphenyl)-3,3-dialkyltriazenes: competition between pericyclic and pseudocoarctate pathways.

The mechanistic aspects of the cyclization of (2-ethynylphenyl)triazenes under both thermal and copper-mediated conditions are reported. For cyclization to an isoindazole, a carbene mechanistic pathway is proposed. The carbene intermediate can react with oxygen, dimerize to give an alkene, or be trapped either intermolecularly (using 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene to generate a cyclopropane) or intramolecularly (using a biphenyl moiety at the terminus of the acetylene to form a fluorene). Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations support a pseudocoarctate pathway for this type of cyclization. Thermal cyclization to give a cinnoline from (2-ethynylphenyl)triazenes is proposed to occur through a pericyclic pathway. DFT calculations predict a zwitterionic dehydrocinnolinium intermediate that is supported by deuterium trapping studies as well as cyclizations performed using a 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine moiety at the 3-position of the triazene.

Journal Article↗

Direct palladium-catalyzed C-2 and C-3 arylation of indoles: a mechanistic rationale for regioselectivity.

We have recently developed palladium-catalyzed methods for direct arylation of indoles (and other azoles) wherein high C-2 selectivity was observed for both free (NH)-indole and (NR)-indole. To provide a rationale for the observed selectivity ("nonelectrophilic" regioselectivity), mechanistic studies were conducted, using the phenylation of 1-methylindole as a model system. The reaction order was determined for iodobenzene (zero order), indole (first order), and the catalyst (first order). These kinetic studies, together with the Hammett plot, provided a strong support for the electrophilic palladation pathway. In addition, the kinetic isotope effect (KIE(H/D)) was determined for both C-2 and C-3 positions. A surprisingly large value of 1.6 was found for the C-3 position where the substitution does not occur (secondary KIE), while a smaller value of 1.2 was found at C-2 (apparent primary KIE). On the basis of these findings, a mechanistic interpretation is presented that features an electrophilic palladation of indole, accompanied by a 1,2-migration of an intermediate palladium species. This paradigm was used to design new catalytic conditions for the C-3 arylation of indole. In case of free (NH)-indole, regioselectivity of the arylation reaction (C-2 versus C-3) was achieved by the choice of magnesium base.

Benzene Derivatives↗

Bifunctional Lewis acid-nucleophile-based asymmetric catalysis: mechanistic evidence for imine activation working in tandem with chiral enolate formation in the synthesis of beta-lactams.

We report a mechanistically based study of bifunctional catalyst systems in which chiral nucleophiles work in conjunction with Lewis acids to produce beta-lactams in high chemical yield, diastereoselectivity, and enantioselectivity. Chiral cinchona alkaloid derivatives work best when paired with Lewis acids based on Al(III), Zn(II), Sc(III), and, most notably, In(III). Homogeneous bifunctional catalysts, in which the catalyst contains both Lewis acidic and Lewis basic sites, were also studied in detail. Mechanistic evidence allows us to conclude that the chiral nucleophiles form zwitterionic enolates that react with metal-coordinated imines. Alternative scenarios, which postulated metal-bound enolates, were disfavored on the basis of our observations.

Aluminum↗

Substrate oxidation by copper-dioxygen adducts: mechanistic considerations.

A series of copper-dioxygen adducts [{Cu(II)(MePY2)(R)}(2)(O(2))](B(C(6)F(5))(4))(2) (1(R)()), systematically varying in their electronic properties via ligand pyridyl donor substituents (R = H, MeO, and Me(2)N), oxidize a variety of substrates with varying C-H or O-H bond dissociation enthalpies. Detailed mechanistic studies have been carried out, including investigation of 1(R)() thermodynamic redox properties, 1(R)() tetrahydrofuran (THF) and N,N'-dimethylaniline (DMA) oxidation kinetics (including analyses of substrate dicopper binding equilibria), and application of mechanistic probes (N-cyclopropyl-N-methylaniline (CMA) and (p-methoxyphenyl)-2,2-dimethylpropanol (MDP)), which can distinguish if proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) processes proceed through concerted electron-transfer proton-transfer (ETPT) or consecutive electron-transfer proton-transfer (ET/PT) pathways. The results are consistent with those of previous complementary studies; at low thermodynamic driving force for substrate oxidation, an ET/PT is operable, but once ET (i.e., substrate one-electron oxidation) becomes prohibitively uphill, the ETPT pathway occurs. Possible differences in coordination structures about 1(Me)()()2(N)()/1(MeO)() compared to those of 1(H)() are also used to rationalize some of the observations.

Aniline Compounds↗

Mechanistic studies of the copolymerization reaction of aziridines and carbon monoxide to produce poly-beta-peptoids.

The coupling of carbon monoxide and aziridines has been shown to be selective for comonomer-alternating enchainment in the presence of PhCH2C(O)Co(CO)4 to afford poly-beta-peptoids. In this article, we have investigated the mechanistic aspects of the reaction of CO and N-butylaziridine by means of in situ infrared spectroscopy employing CH3C(O)Co(CO)3L (L = PPh3 (1) and P(o-tolyl)3 (2)) as precatalysts. Precatalyst 1 exists in solution under catalytic conditions as an equilibrium mixture of 1 and CH3C(O)Co(CO)4, and affords both poly-beta-butylalanoid and the corresponding lactam. By way of contrast, precatalyst 2 which possesses the sterically bulky and labile P(o-tolyl)3 ligand, affords only the acyl cobalt tetracarbonyl species in solution during catalysis with concomitant selective production of the copolymer. Kinetic studies conducted with precatalyst 2 showed the coupling reaction to have a first order dependence on catalyst, a first order dependence on N-butylaziridine, and only a slight dependence on the concentration of CO over the pressure range 17-69 bar. The working mechanistic model for the copolymerization reaction involves first aziridine insertion into the cobalt-acyl bond, rate determining ring opening by the cobaltate species, followed by the migratory CO insertion.

Aziridines↗

Mechanistic impact of water addition to SmI2: consequences in the ground and transition state.

The mechanistic impact of water addition to SmI2 on the ground state and rate-limiting transition state structures in the reduction of benzyl bromide was determined using UV-vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, vapor pressure osmommetry, and stopped-flow spectrophotometric studies. The results obtained from these studies show that, upon addition of water, SmI2 in THF (or DME) becomes partially water-solvated by displacing metal-coordinated solvent. Further addition of water displaces remaining bound solvent and induces a monomer-dimer equilibrium of the SmI2-water complex. Concomitant with this process, a thermodynamically more powerful reductant is created. Rate studies on the reduction of benzyl bromide by SmI2-water are consistent with reaction occurring through a dimeric transition state with the assembly of the activated complex requiring an equivalent of water at low concentrations but not at higher concentrations. The mechanistic complexity of the SmI2-water system shows that simple empirical models describing the role of water in SmI2-mediated reductions are likely to contain a high degree of uncertainty.

Journal Article↗

Conversion of methanol into hydrocarbons over zeolite H-ZSM-5: ethene formation is mechanistically separated from the formation of higher alkenes.

The widely debated reaction mechanism for the conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons over acidic zeolite H-ZSM-5 has been investigated using isotopic labeling. The mechanistic findings for H-ZSM-5 are clearly different from those previously described at a detailed level for H-beta and H-SAPO-34 catalysts. On the basis of the current set of data, we can state that, for H-ZSM-5, ethene appears to be formed exclusively from the xylenes and trimethylbenzenes. Moreover, propene and higher alkenes are to a significant extent formed from alkene methylations and interconversions. This implies that ethene formation is mechanistically separated from the formation of higher alkenes, an insight of utmost importance for understanding and possibly controlling the ethene/propene selectivity in methanol-to-alkenes catalysis.

Journal Article↗

Skin sensitization: reaction mechanistic applicability domains for structure-activity relationships.

The prediction of skin sensitization potential with minimum animal testing is currently of great importance in light of forthcoming legislation. A number of structure-activity relationships for skin sensitization have been published over the years, but their applicability has often been limited to structural classes. The concept of an applicability domain for a quantitative structure-activity relationship [(Q)SAR] is increasingly being viewed as key for the predictive application of (Q)SARs. This is particularly the case for skin sensitization if more widely applicable SARs are to be developed. In this paper, we analyze a recently published chemical data set for skin sensitization, apply reaction mechanistic criteria to domain classification, and evaluate the structure-activity trends observed within each of these mechanistic domains.

Acylation↗