Aggregate synthesis

Another candidate for a useful material from very high pressure synthesis is the gem material, jadeite (NaAlSi206). The natural material of Imperial quality can cost as much as 2000 per carat. Jadeite can be synthesized at about 30 kb and above in equipment similar to that used for diamond growth, and it has been made into pieces of jewelry. Since jadeite is used as a poly-crystalline aggregate, synthesis is essentially hot pressing and sintering, much simpler than if single crystals were needed. However, it does not appear to be a commercial product in competition with the natural supply. 

M. Driess, R. E. Mulvey and M. Westerhausen, Cluster growing through ionic aggregation synthesis and structural principles of main group metal-nitrogen, phosphorus and arsenic rich clusters. In M. Driess and H. Noth (eds.), Molecular Clusters of the Main Group Elements, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2004, pp. 246-66. 

Anumol, E.A., Haider, A., Nethravathi, C., Viswanath, B. Ravishankar, N. Nanoporous alloy aggregates synthesis and electrocatalytic activity. J. Mater. Chem. 21 (2011), pp. 8721-8726. 

After the first converter with Bosch s soft iron insert was put into experimental operation in March 1911 its ammonia output kept rising steadily, and the daily rate of 100 kg NH3 was surpassed in July 1911. Total NH3 output during 1911 reached lit (averaging 30 kg/day) by the end of the year internally heated ammonia converters had a length of 4 m and a diameter of 15 cm. In February 1912 a new 8 m tall converter was introduced, and two months later its daily output topped 1,000 kg NH3. Another production milestone came in July 23, 1913, when the aggregate synthesis at Lu 35 reached 1 million kg of NH3. ... 

In biological systems molecular assemblies connected by non-covalent interactions are as common as biopolymers. Examples arc protein and DNA helices, enzyme-substrate and multienzyme complexes, bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs), and aggregates of biopolymers forming various aqueous gels, e.g, the eye lens. About 50% of the organic substances in humans are accounted for by the membrane structures of cells, which constitute the medium for the vast majority of biochemical reactions. Evidently organic synthesis should also develop tools to mimic the Structure and propertiesof biopolymer, biomembrane, and gel structures in aqueous media. 

Thromboxane A2 is a potent platelet aggregating agent and vasodilator which undergoes rapid hydrolysis under physiological conditions (ti/2 32 sec. at pH 7 and 37°C). The synthesis of stable analogs was of interest for biological studies of this potent but evanescent prostanoid. 

Platelet activating factor (PAF) was first identified by its ability (at low levels) to cause platelet aggregation and dilation of blood vessels, but it is now known to be a potent mediator in inflammation, allergic responses, and shock. PAF effects are observed at tissue concentrations as low as 10 M. PAF causes a dramatic inflammation of air passages and induces asthma-like symptoms in laboratory animals. Toxic-shock syndrome occurs when fragments of destroyed bacteria act as toxins and induce the synthesis of PAF. This results in a drop in blood pressure and a reduced... 

ATP synthase actually consists of two principal complexes. The spheres observed in electron micrographs make up the Fj unit, which catalyzes ATP synthesis. These Fj spheres are attached to an integral membrane protein aggregate called the Fq unit. Fj consists of five polypeptide chains named a, j3, y, 8, and e, with a subunit stoichiometry ajjSaySe (Table 21.3). Fq consists of three hydrophobic subunits denoted by a, b, and c, with an apparent stoichiometry of ajbgCg.ig- Fq forms the transmembrane pore or channel through which protons move to drive ATP synthesis. The a, j3, y, 8, and e subunits of Fj contain 510, 482, 272, 146, and 50 amino acids, respectively, with a total molecular mass... 

COX-2 synthesises PGI2 (prostacyclin) and the high incidence of myocardial infarctions with selective COX-2 inhibitors has been attributed to inhibition of COX-2 in vascular tissues. Prostacyclin, made by blood vessel walls, inhibits aggregation of platelets and maintains a balance with thromboxane. Thromboxane, which is released by platelets, promotes clotting. Prostacyclin is synthesised mostly by COX-1, but in humans selective COX-2 inhibition reduces its biosynthesis in vivo. This reduced synthesis may lead to an overactive thromboxane system and increased risk of thromboembolism. 

---