Analysis of Steroid Hormones in Water Using Palmitate-Coated Magnetite Nanoparticles Solid-Phase Extraction and Gas Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A new extractive method based on magnetic solid–phase extraction using palmitate-coated magnetite nanoparticles coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the extraction of estrone, androstenedione and progesterone hormones from water. The amount of nanoparticles and extraction time were optimized applying an experimental design to estimate simultaneously their influence on the recoveries. Results showed that the extraction efficiency was highly affected by the addition of salt and acetonitrile was the solvent used to elute the analytes from the nanoparticles. Derivatization via enolization of ketone group was carried out in the extract for the simultaneous derivatization of hydroxyl and ketone groups of steroid hormones previously to their chromatographic analysis. The extraction efficiencies of the nanoparticles were studied spiking at four concentration levels and recoveries from 94.6 to 109.7 % were obtained. The limits of detection ranged from 4 to 8 ng L^?1. The developed method provided a preconcentration factor of 100. The present work shows that palmitate-coated magnetite nanoparticles have good applicability for the extraction of natural estrogenic hormones that could be pollutants in real water samples.     

Retarded Photooxidation of Cyamemazine in Biomimetic Microenvironments

Cyamemazine (CMZ) is a neuroleptic drug that mediates cutaneous phototoxicity in humans. Here, the photobehavior of CMZ has been examined within α₁‐acid glycoproteins, β‐ and γ‐cyclodextrins and SDS micelles. In all these microenvironments, CMZ emission was enhanced and blue‐shifted, and its lifetime was longer. Irradiation of the entrapped drug at 355 nm, under air; led to the N,S‐dioxide. Within glycoproteins or SDS micelles the reaction was clearly slower than in phosphate buffered solution (PBS); protection by cyclodextrins was less marked. Transient absorption spectroscopy in PBS revealed formation of the triplet state (³CMZ*) and the radical cation (CMZ^+?). Upon addition of glycoprotein, the contribution of CMZ^+? became negligible, whereas ³CMZ* dominated the spectra; in addition, the triplet lifetime became considerably longer. In cyclodextrins, this occurred to a lower extent. In all microheterogeneous systems, quenching by oxygen was slower than in solution; this was most remarkable inside glycoproteins. The highest protection from photooxidation was achieved inside SDS micelles. The results are consistent with photooxidation of CMZ through photoionization and subsequent trapping of the resulting radical cation by oxygen. This reaction is extremely sensitive to the medium and constitutes an appropriate probe for localization of the drug within a variety of biological compartments.     

Rapid determination of natural and synthetic hormones in biosolids and poultry manure by isotope dilution GC–MS/MS

The release of hormones into the environment due to land application of biosolids and manure is a cause of concern for their potential impacts. This paper presents the development of a rapid and sensitive method, based on extraction, for the analysis of 13 hormones in biosolids and poultry manure. A simultaneous derivatization of hydroxyl and ketone groups was carried out for the determination of hormones by GC–MS/MS. The method was validated in three matrices (sewage sludge, manure, and broiler litter). Recoveries from spiked samples at three concentration levels (50, 25, and 10 ng/g) ranged from 76 to 124% with relative SDs ≤ 16%. Method detection limits for the three matrices were in the range of 0.5–3.0 ng/g dry weight. The optimized method was applied to biosolid and poultry manure samples collected in Spain. Only seven of the 13 studied hormones were detected in the different samples. trans‐Androsterone was detected at high levels (up to 3.1 μg/g in biosolid samples). Estrone and estradiol were the two hormones detected at higher levels in layer manure, whereas estrone and 4‐androstene‐3,17‐dione presented the highest levels in broiler litter.     

Enantioselective intramolecular [2 + 2]-photocycloaddition reactions of 4-substituted quinolones catalyzed by a chiral sensitizer with a hydrogen-bonding motif

Six 2-quinolones, which bear a terminal alkene linked by a three- or four-membered tether to carbon atom C4 of the quinolone, were synthesized and subjected to an intramolecular [2 + 2]-photocycloaddition. The reaction delivered the respective products in high yields (78-99%) and with good regioselectivity in favor of the straight isomer. If conducted in the presence of a chiral hydrogen-bonding template (2.5 equiv) at low temperature in toluene as the solvent, the reaction proceeded enantioselectively (83-94% ee). An organocatalytic reaction was achieved when employing a chiral hydrogen-bonding template with an attached sensitizing unit (benzophenone or xanthone). The xanthone-based organocatalyst proved to be superior as compared to the respective benzophenone. Closer inspection revealed that the reaction of 4-(pent-4-enyloxy)quinolone leading to a six-membered ring, annelated to the cyclobutane, was less enantioselective (up to 41% ee with 30 mol % catalyst) than the reaction of 4-(but-3-enyloxy)quinolone leading to a five-membered ring (90% ee with 5 mol % and 94% ee with 20 mol % catalyst). Photophysical data (emission spectra, laser flash photolysis experiments) proved that the latter photocycloaddition was significantly faster, supporting the idea that the dissociation of the substrate from the catalyst prior to the photocycloaddition is responsible for the decreased enantioselectivity. Under optimized conditions, employing 10 mol % of the xanthone-based organocatalyst at -25 °C in trifluorotoluene as the solvent, three of the other four substrates gave the intramolecular [2 + 2]-photocycloaddition products with high enantioselectivities (72-87% ee). In all catalyzed reactions, the yields based on conversion were moderate to good (40-93%).     

Lead concentration in soil from an old mining town

Lead concentration in soils has been measured in Vetagrande, an old mining town located at the state of Zacatecas in México. Eighty nine soils samples were analyzed using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence. The lead concentrations were treated with the Kriging method in order to estimate the lead concentration distribution in the studied area. Pb levels in soils were from 8 to 7730 μg kg⁻¹, where 28.1% of soil samples have less than 400 μg kg⁻¹, 71.9% is above 400 μg kg⁻¹ which is the maximum level recommended by the EPA for residential use of soil. Lead concentration measured around public sites represent a risk of lead intake in the population.     

Synthesis, structural analysis, and magnetic properties of ethylmalonate-manganese(II) complexes

Five manganese(II) complexes of formulas [Mn(2)(Etmal)(2)(H(2)O)(2)(L)](n) (1-4) and {[Mn(Etmal)(2)(H(2)O)][Mn(H(2)O)(4)]}(n) (5) with H(2)Etmal = ethylmalonic acid (1-5) and L = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpa) (1), 4,4'-azobispyridine (azpy) (2), 4,4'-bipyridyl (4,4'-bpy) (3), and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bpe) (4) were synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Their thermal behavior and variable-temperature magnetic properties were also investigated. The structure of the compounds 1-4 consists of corrugated layers of aquamanganese(II) units with intralayer carboxylate-ethylmalonate bridges in the anti-syn (equatorial-equatorial) coordination mode which are linked through bis-monodentate bpa (1), azpy (2), 4,4'-bpy (3), and bpe (4) ligands to build up a three-dimensional (3D) framework. The structure of compound 5 is made up by zigzag chains of manganese(II) ions with a regular alternation of [Mn(H(2)O)(4)](2+) and chiral (either Δ or λ enantiomeric forms) [Mn(Etmal)(2)(H(2)O)](2-) units within each chain. In contrast to the bidentate/bis-monodentate coordination mode of the Etmal ligand in 1-4, it adopts the bidentate/monodentate coordination mode in 5 with the bridging carboxylate-ethylmalonate also exhibiting the anti-syn conformation but connecting one equatorial and an axial position from adjacent metal centers. The manganese-manganese separation through the carboxylate-ethylmalonate bridge in 1-5 vary in the range 5.3167(4)-5.5336(7) ?. These values are much shorter than those across the extended bis-monodentate N-donors in 1-4 with longest/shortest values of 11.682(3) (3)/13.9745(9) ? (4). Compounds 1-5 exhibit an overall antiferromagnetic behavior, where the exchange pathway is provided by the carboxylate-ethylmalonate bridge. Monte Carlo simulations based on the classical spin approach (1-5) were used to successfully reproduce the magnetic data of 1-5.     

Development of immunoaffinity columns for pyraclostrobin extraction from fruit juices and analysis by liquid chromatography with UV detection

Pyraclostrobin belongs to a new generation of fungicides widely used to preserve high valuable crops. In the present study, three monoclonal antibodies with different affinities to this modern strobilurin have been evaluated for their usefulness in the production of immunoaffinity columns suitable for the solid-phase extraction, concentration, and clean-up of residues from food commodities. Different immunosorbents were produced and characterized in terms of antibody immobilization efficiency, immunosorbent binding capacity, optimum elution conditions, and reusability. Covalent coupling of the antibodies to Sepharose-CNBr gel took place with high yield (over 90%), whereas the immunosorbent efficacy to retain the analyte (from 28 to 68%) was shown to depend on the amount and type of antibody immobilized on the support. As a matter of fact, columns prepared with the monoclonal antibody PYs5#14 were able to selectively bound up to 53 μg of pyraclostrobin per gram of beads. Acetonitrile solutions were preferred over methanolic ones for analyte elution, and some immunosorbents could be reused at least 4-6 times provided that the amount of pyraclostrobin and the volume of sample did not overload the column. Effectiveness of the selected immunoaffinity column was evidenced by the development of an extraction procedure for pyraclostrobin residues from fruit juices and further determination by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. A concentration factor of 50 times was achieved with the developed immunoaffinity column, which eventually resulted in a limit of quantification of 0.01 mg L(-1). Finally, quantitative recoveries were obtained on apple juice and red grape must samples spiked with pyraclostrobin from 0.01 to 1 mg L(-1).     

Unprecedented double benzylic rearrangement: regio- and stereospecific tandem 1,4-shift and Curtin rearrangement

An α-benzyloxyketone forming part of a strained cyclopentane carbon framework when treated with 10 equiv of anhydrous NaOH in absolute ethanol, for 2 h, affords in a 65% yield a new 2-benzyl-2-hydroxyketone, resulting from an unprecedented double benzylic rearrangement. This new rearrangement could be interpreted as an initial benzylic 1,4-shift between the O-enolate alkoxide of the ketone group and the oxygen atom of the benzyloxy ether, followed by a Curtin type benzylic 1,2-shift. Apart from the novelty and the synthetic application of this transformation it is worth noting the complete regio- and stereoselectivity observed. The structures of both substrate and product have been confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. A tentative mechanism is herein proposed.     

Dynamic Disorder Restriction of Methylammonium (MA) Groups in Chloride-Doped MAPbBr3 Hybrid Perovskites: A Neutron Powder Diffraction Study

The hybrid methylammonium (MA) lead halide MAPbX₃ perovskites present an appealing optoelectronic behavior with applications in high-efficiency solar cells. The orientation of the organic MA units may play an important role in the properties, given the degrees of freedom for internal motion of MA groups within the PbX₆ network. The present neutron powder diffraction study reveals the dynamic features of the MA units in the hybrid perovskite series MAPb(Br_1−xCl_x)₃, with x=0, 0.33, 0.5, 0.67, and 1. From difference Fourier maps, the H and C/N positions were located within the PbX₆ lattice; the refinement of the crystal structures unveiled the MA conformations. Three different orientations were found to exist as a function of the chlorine content (x) and, therefore, of the cubic unit-cell size. These conformations are stabilized by H-bond interactions with the halide ions, and were found to agree with those reported from theoretical calculations.