Carbon-13 Non Magnetic Resonance (NMR) of Steroids

Carbon-13 Non Magnetic Resonance (NMR) of Steroids Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (CMR) spectra show a marked sensitivity to such important features of chemical structure as carbon hybridization, the electronegativity of heteroatoms, branching and steric crowding. Potentially, CMR is an extremely rich source of structural data in organic chemistry, capable of rivaling or even surpassing proton magnetic resonance. In the research proposed here, we intend to develop this potential in the field of steroid chemistry. The factors which determine the CMR spectra of steroids are only modestly well understood. We have begun, and propose here to continue, a systematic study of families of closely-related steroids (keto- and hydroxy-androstanes and cholestanes) with the conviction that only through such a systematic study can the basic factors governing the CMR spectra of steroids be brought to light. We intend to quantify those factors as predictive rules which relate spectra to structures and to develop computerized methods for using t hose rules to extract structural information from the CMR spectra of unknown steroids. We also propose to develop several chemical methods (derivatization procedures) for augmenting the information-content of such spectra. Within the last twenty years, the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance†2 (NMR) has evolved from little more than a laboratory curiosity to one of the most powerful analytical tools in chemistry. The experiment itself consists of observing, in an applied magnetic field, the resonance frequencies (in the radio-frequency range) of magnetic nuclei in a liquid chemical sample. The analysis of NMR spectra yields chemical shifts and coupling constants which reflect, respectively, the chemical environments of and the bonding or spatial relationships between atoms whose nuclei are magnetic. Because protons are magnetic, interacting particularly strongly with electromagnetic fields, and because they are present in virtually all organic compounds, proton NMR (PMR) has found broad usefulness in organic chemistry. The literature on PMR spectroscopy is huge, and frequently it is found that PMR spectra yield chemical information which would be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain by an y other method. The determination of structure and conformation, 394 the analysis of mixtures, 435 the study of rate processes6 and the elucidation of reaction mechanisms 7 have all been aided substantially by PMR techniques. Other nuclei frequently observed via NMR are F-19, P-31 and C-13. The first two are not common inorganic compounds and are thus used for more specialized studies. Carbon, by definition, occurs in all organic molecules, but only about 1isotope C-13. This, together with the fact that C-13 nuclei are almost two orders of magnitude less sensitive than protons to the NMP experiment, has hampered the widespread use of C-13 NMR (CMR) as an analytical tool for organic chemists. However, recent instrumental 8 advances such as pulsed Fourier transform techniques and 9-l 1 noise-modulated proton decoupling have made it possible to obtain natural-abundance CMR spectra of even large molecules (e.g., steroids) or low-concentration (ca. 0.05 M) samples within a reasonably short time (0.5 10 hr.). The research to date 12 indicates that C-13 chemical shifts (which constitute the primary data usually collected in the CMR experiment) cover a broad range (ca. 200 p.p.m.) relative to H-l shifts (ca. 10 – P.P.m.1, and are highly sensitive to hybridization, the electronegativity of substituents, branching, and steric crowding. Thus CMR spectroscopy is pote ntially a rich and highly useful source of structural data. As further advances in instrumental design take place, CMR spectroscopy will become an increasingly available and informative tool in organic chemistry. OBJECTIVES AND SIGNIFICANCE The research proposed herein is directed toward understanding the factors which determine C-13 chemical shifts in steroids and toward developing computer-based methods whereby a chemist can obtain structural information from spectra of unknown steroids. This class of compounds was chosen for two reasons. First, the steroid skeleton is more or less rigid, providing a relatively controlled framework within which to study the effects of steric hindrance and other geometrical factors upon C-13 shifts. Second, a great fraction of steroid and natural products chemistry involves the identification or verification of steroid structures, and thus we expect our results to be of significant practical utility. At the current level of understanding of C-13 chemical shifts, it is not now possible to predict the CMR spectrum of a given steroid with much certainty, although by referring to simple model systems, one can often rationalize the signs and general magnitudes of the spectral changes which take place when the nature and position of substituents are altered. It is now a challenging problem simply to assign the spectrum of a known steroid, that is to identify which observed peaks belong to which carbons. The first definitive study of the CMR of steroids was presented only four years ago by Roberts et al. 13 – In that report, the assigned spectra of nearly thirty assorted steroids are presented, with the assignment task accomplished ’I using specific single- frequency and off-resonance proton decoupling, hydroxyl acetylation effects on chemical shifts, deuteration, and substituent influences in analogous -6- compounds.† Since then, several other authors 14 have reported research on the CMR of steroids, but only recently has the systematic study 15,16 of families of closely related steroids begun. We have reported 16 the assigned spectra of fourteen keto-substituted androstanes and cholestanes, where the keto group occupies every possible position around the skeleton. We are currently collecting data on a similar series of hydroxy-substituted steroids, and work is also in 17 progress on the series of steroids containing one endocyclic double-bond. The initial stage or our proposed research is to complete the hydroxyl series and to obtain the CMR spectra of several bifunctional (e.g., dihydroxy and keto-hydroxy) steroids. With such a collection of systematic data available, we will be able to study the influence upon C-13 shifts of these three types of functionality, alone and in combination, which are by far the most common types occur-ing in natural steroids. From these data, we expect to be able to extract rules which will allow the accurate prediction of CNR spectra of steroids containing these groups. Zffrcher’*-20 has derived an extremely useful set of rules relating skeletal substitutions in steroids to changes in the PMR shifts of protons in angular methyl groups. The C-13 rules we seek will relate not only to angular methyl groups but to all carbons in the skeleton, and will thus provide a great deal more information than the Zircher rules. These CNK rules will also form the base for our proposed work in the computerized interpretation of CNR data (vide infra). – As the second portion of our work, we propose a study of reversible derivatization procedures which will aid in the assignment of the spectra of known steroids, and in the analysis of the spectra of unknown -7- steroids. Roberts and co-workers 13 have found that acetylation of a hydroxyl group in a steroid produces characteristic changes, due primarily to steric effects, in the shifts of carbons close to that group. They have used this effect in assigning such shifts. We propose to study the effects of other hydroxyl-group derivatives, specifically, the 2,4,6- trimethylbenzene (benzoates themselves, in our hands, have not shown any advantages over acetates), trifluoroacetate and the trimethylsilyl ether. These derivatives have different steric and electronic properties than do acetates, and should thus produce different patterns of spectral change, providing a convenient means of augmenting the information-content of ordinary CMR spectra. We also propose to observe the C-13 shift changes which take place upon cyclic ketalization of carbonyl groups, and we expect that such changes will be useful in determining the local environment of keto groups on steroids. It has been found 21,22 that the presence of a paramagnetic complexing agent (e.g., a †lanthanide shift† reagent) causes large changes in C-13 chemical shifts of alcohols and ketones. These changes can be related to the geometry of the complex, which reflects the geometry of the Alcohol or ketone itself. We intend to explore the use of such shift-reagents in assisting the interpretation of steroidal CHR spectra. Of particular interest will be the difference between JA- and p-hydroxy steroids: It is expected that the grossly different steric environments of axial vs. equatorial hydroxyl groups will have a pronounced effect upon the geometry of the complex, and thus, very different lanthanide shift patterns should result. If so, the effect should provide a convenient means for distinguishing the stereochemistry of sterols. -8- A third facet of the proposed research involves the development of computerized techniques for automatically extracting structural information from CMR spectra. This represents a logical growth of our Heuristic DENDRAL project, 23-28 an eight-year joint effort between our laboratories and the Departments of Genetics and Computer Science. The purpose of the project is to develop applications of heuristic programming (†artificial intelligence†) to problems in chemical inference, with the bulk of the effort directed toward the computerized interpretation of mas s-spectroscopic (MS) data. In the early DENDRAL research, 24,25 only saturated, acyclic, monofunctional compounds were treated, but we have recently reported the successful identification of the structures cf estrogenic steroids 25 (and mixtures thereof 27 ) via the computerized interpretation of MS data. As the complexity of compound classes has increased, we have felt a growing need for sources of structural data other than MS. CMR data show a sensitivity to stereochemistry and substituent placement which complements, rather than duplicates, MS-derived information, and thus CMR is the ideal candidate. We have demonstrated 28 the feasibility of using CMR data in automated structure analysis. Using a detailed and accurate set of predictive rules 29 for saturated, acyclic amines, we have constructed a computer program which can †reason out† the structure of such an amine, starting from its empirical formula and CMR spectrum. A similar effort is proposed for the steroids (at least, those containing endocyclic double bonds, carbonyl groups and hydroxyl substituents) in which structural information would be inferred from CMR data using accurate predictive rules. This information could then be integrated with the results obtained from derivatization or special CMR techniques, 9- and (if necessary) from MS analysis to yield possible structures. Not only would such a system have substantial utility, but it would represent an important advance in the †state of the art† in both CMR spectroscopy and chemical information-processing. A. CMR Spectra of Steroids We plan to complete the series of sterols by synthesizing [emailprotected], [emailprotected], 74-, 9+, lbc-, 14ti-, 16x- and 176- androstanols or cholestanols, whose CMR spectra (pulsed Fourier-transform spectra, obtained at 25 Mhz. using noise modulated proton decoupling) will be recorded and assigned. We have worked out likely synthetic pathways for the preparation of these using commonly accepted procedures and starting from compounds available in our laboratories. In order to test the extent of additivity relationships and of various interactions of substituents, we shall similarly synthesize and record the spectra of two or three dozen dihydroxy and keto-hydroxy androstanes and cholestanes. The candidates chosen will depend upon the results of the analysis of the monofunctional steroids. Using statistical procedures similar to those of Dalling and Grant, 30 and of Lindeman and Adams, 31 we shall attempt to correlate s/structural variables with chemical shifts, the goal being the derivation of an accurate set of substituent parameters for steroids. In assessing the effects of steric crowding and skeletal distortion, we plan to utilize a computerized, classical-mechanical model of the molecular structure, such as the Westheimer-type models recently reviewed by Schleyer. B. Derivatization We propose to analyze the changes in C-13 shifts which take place when the hydroxyl group in several of the above androstanols and cholestanols is derivatized to the 2,4,6-trimethylbenzene, trifluoroacetate and trimethylsilyl ether. We propose similarly to investigate the effects of ketalizing (with ethylene glycol) several androstenone and cholestanones. We propose to analyze the effects of lanthanide shift reagents (in varying concentrations) upon the CMR spectra of several of the hydroxy- and keto-steroids, with particular emphasis upon pairs of sterols which differ only in the orientation of the hydroxyl group. These investigations will be directed toward the development of a repertoire of non-destructive, chemical methods for increasing the ’information available from CMR spectra. C. Computerized Interpretation of CMR data There are three phases to our proposed research in this area, all of which will make use of the heuristic programming techniques developed in our DENDRAL project. First, we intend to develop a program to assist in the assignment of spectra obtained in; arts A and B, using currently available techniques (i.e., using rules for acyclic systems together with analogies from appropriate model systems). The purpose here is twofold: On one hand, such a program will hasten a time-consuming procedure (in our work, the assignment of spectra requires about as much time as the preparation of samples and the recording of spectra, combined), while on the other hand, it will provide a context within which to develop techniques applicable to the more difficult problem of structure identification. Specifically, we will need methods for express; ing CMR rules as efficient computer code, and for deciding whether a good, unambiguous fit occurs between predicted and observed data. Secondly, we intend to u tilize the rules derived in part A, together with derivatization information from B, to write what is called a †planning† program in the DENDRAL terminology. Such a program is designed to examine the spectrum of an unknown and, referring to a set of heuristics, to attempt to verify the presence or absence of specific structural features in the unknown. Whereas the predictive rules allow one to predict a spectrum from a given structure, the heuristics represent transformations of the rules which allow one to infer structural information from a given spectrum. The primary challenge in constructing the planning program will be the design of heuristics which are as informative as possible, yet which run efficiently. This program will be a useful analytic tool in itself and will be used in the third phase of our proposed research. This third phase will involve merging the planning program with the existing DENDRAL system, which analyzes MS data for steroids. Modifications will be made to the structure generation program, which can construct all possible sets of acyclic substituents from a given set of atoms and attach those substituents in all possible ways to a given cyclic skeleton. The structure generator now makes use of IISplanner information, constructing only those steroids which are consistent with it. We shall modify the algorithm to make use of the output from both the MS and the CMR planners, and shall extend the algorithm to consider questions of stereochemistry, which are currently ignored. We believe that the augmented DENDRAL s ystem will have the capacity to identify, unambiguously, the structures of a wide variety of steroids using information from just these two spectroscopic sources. The programs will be written in the LISP language, and will thus be compatible with the rest of the DENDRAL system. Computer time on the PDP-10 will be provided through the NIH-funded SUMEX facility at Stanford, and we request no support in this proposal for computer facilities. Programs developed in our proposed research will be available to the scientific community over the ARPA computer network.

International Relations - Research Project with Outline Paper

International Relations - Project with Outline - Research Paper Example Periodically, a striving nuclear program pursued in Teheran during the year of 1970. As per the contemporaneous documents of US, it was apparently mentioned that the nuclear ambition of Iran was intensely focused on producing 10-20 nuclear power reactors and more than 20,000 megawatts of nuclear power by the year of 1994. The nuclear power of Iran was commenced as a light-water nuclear power reactor to be placed near the city of Bushehr. Effectively, uranium enrichment technology and producing nuclear weapons has also been instigated in the city of Teheran1. There are certain reasons that can be identified behind embarking nuclear programs within the countries. According to the present scenario, the global countries seek to adopt the nuclear programs for effective and instant security and thereby protect it from external security threats. Furthermore, the nuclear programs adopted by countries are often considered as an establishment of apparent coercions and distrust within the global environment which in turn increases the threat of global sustainability by a considerable extent2. The leadership phenomenon of Iran has been consistently taking place in international debates concerning its nuclear ambition. It is in this context that several well-argued statements in relation to Iran’s acquisition of nuclear programs have been commented by various national as well as international leaders. With this concern, the problem can be identified apparently referring to the steps of nuclear ambition taken by Iran with its international relationships. For instance, the unidentifiable effects of nuclear hostilities are also regarded as an important aspect for giving rise to security concerns amid other countries. The strapping international pressure forced Iran to provisionally freeze the uranium fortification activities and to develop the inspection of its nuclear power organising alliances with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the year 20033. The

Journal Article Critques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Journal Article Critques - Essay Example The study also established that the concepts between childhood obesity varied significantly from one region to another. There seems to be no consensus on the available body of knowledge on the subject of obesity and overweight in children. The study also acknowledges the difficulties involved in reaching an international consensus regarding the terms to be used in the definition of obesity and overweight among children. According to the study, some general terms have been used in the definition although there seems to specific differences even within the common terms. The study cites the example of Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a standard measure of determining obesity. According to the study, this BMI determines the manner in which a particular study explores the levels of obesity within a particular context. The cit-off point in the BMI has often varied from the percentile points of 85th and 97th. The results from this study illustrate clearly the levels of conflict associated wi th the definition of obesity in children. However, the study seems to develop some points of general consensus between the various issues that tie on the matter of childhood obesity in children. ... hat it seems to anchor its assumptions on some of the already known effects of obesity in terms of how it affects the development of children matters. This may not add new knowledge to the nurse practitioner since the common definitions have been overly exhausted by the research arena. Variations in perceptions seem to attach to the specific aspects as included within the general factors of the definition. However, the broad definitions of obesity, according to the terms of this study, coalesce around some common points. Notably, this study comes out strongly by bringing into perspective some of the problematic issues that are related to the definition of obesity in children. It also makes the point about the need for increased research into the manifestation of obesity in children. This point is drawn from a general concern that the traditional definition of obesity has tended to curve out certain demographic factors while ignoring others. For instance, the term obesity has traditio nally been associated with certain age brackets, and people of some specific socio-economic statuses. On this score, this study challenges some of these assumptions by providing or suggesting an expansion on the frame of reference within which alternative and more comprehensive definitions of childhood obesity could be understood. Therefore, the article becomes an important mind opener and prepares the nurse practitioner for further research into the area of concern. The study conducted by Kumar (2012) sought to explore the prevalence, manifestation, interventions, and common challenges associated with obesity in children. The study identifies childhood obesity as a crisis of public health around the world. The study observes that the prevalence of childhood obesity has been on the rise in