Determination of multiple thermal degradation mechanisms of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)

The thermal degradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) was investigated by kinetic analyses in detail to clarify its complex degradation behavior, resulting in a finding of mixed mechanisms comprising at least a thermal random degradation with subsequent auto-accelerated transesterification, and a kinetically favored chain reaction from crotonate chain ends. The thermal degradation behavior of PHB varied with changes in time and/or temperature. From the kinetic analysis of changes in molecular weight, it was found that a non-auto-catalytic random degradation proceeding in the initial period was followed by an auto-accelerated reaction in the middle period. From the kinetic analysis of weight loss behavior, it is proposed that there are some kinetically favored scissions occurring at the chain ends, where the degradation proceeded by a 0th-order weight loss process in the middle stage. The observed 0th-order weight loss process was assumed to be an unzipping reaction occurring at ester groups neighboring the crotonate end groups.     

Improved method to determine succinylacetone in dried blood spots for diagnosis of tyrosinemia type 1 using UPLC-MS/MS

We describe an improved diagnostic method for tyrosinemia type 1 based on quantifying succinylacetone in dried blood spots by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Succinylacetone extracted from a single 3/16 inch disk of specimen collection paper containing a dried blood spot was derivatized with dansylhydrazine, separated on an Acquity UPLC BEH C(18) column (2.1 x 50 mm, 1.7 microm) and detected by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Succinylacetone derivative eluted at 0.6 min with a complete run time of 1 min. Using a 13C4 labeled succinylacetone as an internal standard, the calibration plot was linear up to 100 micromol/L with a detection limit (S/N = 3) of 0.2 micromol/L. Intra-day (n = 13) and inter-day (n = 10) variations were better than 10%. The cutoff level of succinylacetone in dried blood spots from healthy infants obtained by the current method was 0.63 micromol/L (n = 151). In dried blood spots from patients with established tyrosinemia type 1 (n = 11), concentration of succinylacetone was 6.4-30.8 micromol/L.     

Multi-screening approach to monitor and quantify 42 antibiotic residues in honey by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A multi-screening approach for monitoring potential chemical contaminants in honey by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) has been developed. A total of 42 veterinary drugs (5 tetracyclines, 7 macrolides, 3 aminoglycosides, 8 beta-lactams, 2 amphenicols and 17 sulfonamides) were surveyed with the ultimate goal of unambiguously confirmed and quantified these analytes at a concentration level of 20 microg/kg. A basic sample preparation including four subsequent liquid/liquid extraction steps was necessary to adequately extract the compounds of interest from the honey. The four extracts were injected into the LC-ESI-MS/MS using a stacking injection procedure. Validation of the entire procedure was carried out according to the European Union directive 2002/657/EC at three concentration levels, i.e., 10, 20 and 30 microg/kg. Good performance data were obtained for 37 analytes, out of the 42 studied. Limit of compliance and detection limit were calculated based on an internal limit set at 20 microg/kg for all the compounds and ranged between 24-30 and 27-80 microg/kg, respectively. A limited survey on honeys of different geographical origins has demonstrated that positive honey samples were often contaminated by more than one class of drugs, thus highlighting the usefulness of such multi-screening approach to ensure and warrants the quality of honey.     

Swollen and collapsed lyotropic lamellar rheology

We have investigated linear rheological properties and the structure-flow relationship of the swollen (Lam(1)) and collapsed (Lam(2)) lamellar phases, formed on didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB)/lecithin/water ternary system at 25 degrees C. Both lamellar phases behaved like Bingham fluids and showed remarkable yield stresses. At rest the Lam(1) phase, which is characterized by densely packed vesicles whose sizes increase as the water content decreases in accordance to evolution of (2)H NMR spectral profiles of D(2)O, resulted in a strong elastic gel-like response. On the other hand, the Lam(2) phase, formed at high surfactant concentrations, showed a weak-gel viscoelasticity and (2)H NMR spectral patterns which are typical of planar bilayered structures. The increase of the quadrupole splitting as the water content decreases was assumed as a strong evidence of size increasing of the lamellar domains. We have demonstrated that by using dynamic rheology and the derived relaxation time spectra, along with (2)H NMR spectra of D(2)O, it is possible to differentiate between equilibrium lamellar structures occurring in a broad interval of total surfactant concentration. In addition, a shear-thickening regime, observed at intermediate shear-rate values, highlighted the onset of out-equilibrium lamellar structures which were present both on Lam(1) and Lam(2) phases.     

Studies of mixed micelle formation between cationic gemini and cationic conventional surfactants

Mixed micellization of dimeric cationic surfactants tetramethylene-1,4-bis(hexadecyldimethylammonium bromide)(16-4-16), hexamethylene-1,6-bis(hexadecyldimethylammonium bromide) (16-6-16) with monomeric cationic surfactants hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB), cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) have been studied by conductivity and steady-state fluorescence quenching techniques. The behavior of mixed systems, their compositions, and activities of the components have been analyzed in the light of Rubingh's regular solution theory. The results indicate synergism in the binary mixtures. Ideal and experimental critical micelle concentrations (i.e., cmc(*) and cmc) show nonideality, which is confirmed by beta values and activity coefficients. The micelle aggregation numbers (N(agg)), evaluated using steady-state fluorescence quenching at a total concentration of 2 mM for CTAB/16-4-16 or 16-6-16 and 5 mM for TTAB/16-4-16 or 16-6-16 systems, indicate that the contribution of conventional surfactants was always more than that of the geminis. The micropolarity, dielectric constant and binding constants (K(sv)) of mixed systems have also been evaluated from the ratios of respective peak intensities (I(1)/I(3) or I(0)/I(1)).     

Studies with 2‐arylhydrazononitriles: Further investigations on reactivity of 2‐arylhydrazononitriles towards hydroxylamine

The utilization of arylhydrazononitriles ( 6‐9 ) for synthesis of azoles is demonstrated. Thus, arylazomalononitriles ( 6 ) reacted with hydroxylamine hydrochloride to afford isoxazol‐5‐imine ( 10 ), amidoxime ( 12 ) and bis‐amidoxime ( 13 ) derivatives depending upon both the reaction conditions and molar ratio employed. 2‐Thiazolyl‐2‐arylhydrazononitriles ( 7 ) and cyanoformazans ( 8 ) gave 1,2,3‐triazole derivatives ( 15 ) and ( 17 ) respectively upon treatment with hydroxylamine hydrochloride and concomitant loss of water molecule. Formation of novel 1,2,4‐triazin‐5(4H)‐one derivatives ( 21 ) has efficiently been carried out by treatment of amidoximes ( 18 ) with acetic anhydride in acetic acid.     

Ytterbium acetate promoted asymmetric reductive amination: significantly enhanced stereoselectivity

Reductive amination of prochiral unhindered 2-alkanones 1 with (R)- or (S)-alpha-MBA in the presence of Yb(OAc)3 (50-110 mol %), Raney-Ni, and hydrogen (120 psi) results in increased diastereoselectivity for the amine products 2 (80-89% de) with good yield (80-87%). The increased de is based on comparison with the best previously reported de's when using (R)- or (S)-alpha-MBA, regardless of the strategy employed [stepwise (isolation of ketimines) or one-pot (reductive amination)], reducing agent examined, or achiral Lewis acid or Br?nsted acid examined. An in situ cis- to trans-ketimine isomerization mechanism, promoted by Yb(OAc)3, has been proposed to account for the observed increase in diastereoselectivity and suggests a new entry into the control of ketimine geometry.     

A new thermal study of the reaction of 6‐azidopyridones with different amines and hydrazines

Reacting of 6‐azidopyridone derivatives 1 with o‐phenylenediamine ( 2a ) in chloroform at room temperature afforded the new azidopyridones 3 . However, its fusion with 2a,b at 100–110°C gave the interesting pyrido[2,3‐b][1,5]diazepines 4a,b . Alternatively, compound 4a could also be obtained by heating azidopyridones 3 at 100–110°C. When compound 1 was allowed to react with hydrazines 7a‐d at room temperature it gave the corresponding azido compounds 8a‐d . Fusion of 1 with phenylhydrazine ( 7d ) at 140–160°C afforded the new aminopyridones 10 . The 6‐azidopyridones 1 could also be converted to the corresponding 6‐alkylaminopyridones 15a‐d by reaction with an excess of alkylamines at room temperature.     

Fused polyaza‐heterocycles and 1,3,4‐thiadiazoles via a tricyano synthon

Treatment of 2‐cyano‐3‐phenyl‐2‐pentenedinitrile with some heterocyclic diazonium salts afforded the corresponding heterocyclic hydrazones. Some of the latter hydrazones were converted into fused polyaza‐heterocycles upon boiling in pyridine. Reaction of 2‐cyano‐3‐phenyl‐2‐pentenedinitrile with phenylisothiocyanate gave a tricyano‐thiole derivative which on treatment with hydrazonoyl chlorides and 1‐(benzothiazol‐2‐yl)‐2‐bromoethanone furnished 1,3,4‐thiadiazole and thiazole derivatives, respectively.     

Regioselectivity of the reactions of 4,5‐diphenylimidazole‐2‐thione with 1‐chloro‐2,3‐epoxy‐propane and 1‐bromo‐propene,efficient precursors for imidazo[2,1‐b]thiazine and thiazole. Effect of microwave and solid support

A solid support under microwave (MW) irradiation without solvent allowed the synthesis of the 2,3‐epoxy‐propyl‐thioimidazole 4 , regioselectively, and prohibited its cyclization to give the imidazo[2,1‐b]thiazine 3 from the reaction of 4,5‐diphenylimidazole‐2‐thione ( 1 ) with 1‐chloro‐2,3‐epoxy‐propane ( 2 ). The formation of the latter required basic conditions whereby it became the sole product; the change of the basic catalyst changed the ratio of the two products under both conventional and microwave (MW) conditions. A regioselective allylation of 1 with allyl bromide in presence of triethylamine gave the S‐allyl 8 , while in presence of potassium carbonate led to the S,N‐bis(allylated) derivative 9 . The intramolecular ring closure of 8 in presence of sulfuric acid afforded the imidazothiazole 16 . Protection of the sulfur in 1 and subsequent reaction with allyl bromide gave the N‐allylated derivative and with 2 gave N‐3‐chloro‐prop‐1‐yl derivative that shed light on the preferred route for the formation of 3 and 4 . The reactivity encountered during the alkylation of 1 with 2 has been theoretically investigated by using the AM1 method.