In situ liquid SIMS analysis of uranium oxide

Trace analysis of nuclear materials in solid particles collected in the environment or particles in liquid slurry generated in nuclear material manufacturing processes can pinpoint elemental, organic, and isotopic signatures of nuclear fuel cycle activities and processes. Such information can support nuclear safeguards programs by increasing our ability to detect undeclared nuclear materials, routine activities for safeguarding at declared facilities, and illicit activities. However, trace radioactive material analysis in liquids and slurries is challenging using bulk approaches. For example, one drawback of sensitive analysis such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is that sample is consumed or destroyed as a result of the technical approach. We developed a vacuum compatible microfluidic interface to enable surface analysis of liquids and solid–liquid interactions using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). In this work, we illustrate the initial results from the analysis of liquid uranium oxide standard solutions using in situ liquid SIMS. Because the liquid SIMS analysis is almost nondestructive, the same sample can then be analyzed by other analytical techniques or saved for future reference. Consequently, multimodal analysis is possible. Our results demonstrate that in situ liquid SIMS can be used as a new approach to analyze radioactive materials in liquid and slurry forms of relevance to diverse applications.     

In situ Synthesis of Oligonucleotide Arrays on Surfaces Coated with Crosslinked Polymer Multilayers

We report an approach to the in situ synthesis of oligonucleotide arrays on surfaces coated with crosslinked polymer multilayers. Our approach makes use of methods for the 'reactive' layer-by-layer assembly of thin, amine-reactive multilayers using branched polyethyleneimine (PEI) and the azlactone-functionalized polymer poly(2-vinyl-4,4'-dimethylazlactone) (PVDMA). Post-fabrication treatment of film-coated glass substrates with d-glucamine or 4-amino-1-butanol yielded hydroxyl-functionalized films suitable for the Maskless Array Synthesis (MAS) of oligonucleotide arrays. Glucamine-functionalized films yielded arrays of oligonucleotides with fluorescence intensities and signal-to-noise ratios (after hybridization with fluorescently labeled complementary strands) comparable to those of arrays fabricated on conventional silanized glass substrates. These arrays could be exposed to multiple hybridization-dehybridization cycles with only moderate loss of hybridization density. The versatility of the layer-by-layer approach also permitted synthesis directly on thin sheets of film-coated poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) to yield flexible oligonucleotide arrays that could be readily manipulated (e.g., bent) and cut into smaller arrays. To our knowledge, this work presents the first use of polymer multilayers as a substrate for the multi-step synthesis of complex molecules. Our results demonstrate that these films are robust and able to withstand the ~450 individual chemical processing steps associated with MAS (as well as manipulations required to hybridize, image, and dehybridize the arrays) without large-scale cracking, peeling, or delamination of the thin films. The combination of layer-by-layer assembly and MAS provides a means of fabricating functional oligonucleotide arrays on a range of different materials and substrates. This approach may also prove useful for the fabrication of supports for the solid-phase synthesis and screening of other macromolecular or small-molecule agents.     

Conformational Transmission in DNA

Abstract

This poster presents our recent results on DNA dimers in which a stable trigonal bipyramidal pentacoordinated phosphorus (P^v) structure forms the internucleoside linkage. Conformational analysis of the systems 1-4 with 300 and 500 ¹H NMR has shown that the P^v structure results in a distorted conformation of the backbone structuE (1).     

SYNTHESIS AND CONFORMATIONAL STUDIES OF A NUMBER OF SATURATED BICYCLIC SIX-MEMBERED RING PHOSPHITES

Abstract

An ¹H NMR study of the conformation of the dioxaphosphorinane ring of a number of diastereoisomeric bicyclic saturated six-membered ring phosphites (3ab-10ab) has been performed. The dioxaphosphorinane ring of these phosphites is transannelated with a tetrahydrofuran, cyclopen-tane, tetrahydropyran or cyclohexane ring. The substituent on the phosphorus atom is a methoxy or phenoxy group. It is shown that the cis isomers 3a-10a prefer a chair conformation of the dioxaphosphorinane ring, independent of the substituent on the phosphorus atom and of the nature of the transannelated ring. In contrast, for the trans isomers 3b-10b a twist rather than a chair conformation of the dioxaphosphorinane ring is preferred. The fraction of the twist conformer in the trans isomers is mainly determined by the substituent on phosphorus. The size and composition of the transannelated ring are relatively unimportant in this respect. For both cis and trans isomers the preferred geometry is solvent-independent. The measured ^3JPOCH couplings of the cis isomers 3a-10a are used to formulate an expression for the dependence of such couplings upon dihedral angles in bicyclic phosphites.     

The carbenoid approach to peptide synthesis

A different approach to the synthesis of dipeptides is described based on the formation of the NHCHR1CONH-CHR2CO bond by carbenoid N-H insertion, rather than the formation of the peptide bond itself. Thus decomposition of triethyl diazophosphonoacetate catalysed by rhodium(II) acetate in the presence of N-protected amino acid amides 8 gives the phosphonates 9. Subsequent Wadsworth-Emmons reaction of 9 with aldehydes in the presence of DBU gives dehydro dipeptides 10. The reaction has been extended to a simple two-step procedure, without the isolation of the intermediate phosphonate, for conversion of a range of amino acid amides 11 into dehydro dipeptides 12 and to an N-methylamide 11 h, and for conversion of a dipeptide to tripeptide (13-->14). Direct conversion, by using methyl diazophenylacetate, of amino acid amides to phenylglycine-containing dipeptides 19 proceeds in good chemical yield, but with poor diastereoselectivity.     

Regge pole analysis of differential cross sections for elastic molecular scattering

The angle and energy dependence of differential cross sections σ(E, θ) that exhibit diffraction oscillations is analyzed by a Regge representation. It is shown that: (1) the Regge poles can be estimated directly from the measured σ(E, θ); (2) a fixed-energy Regge pole calculation can reproduce the E-dependence of σ(E, θ).