Synthetic and X-ray diffraction studies of borosiloxane cages [R′Si(ORBO)3SiR′] and the adducts of [BuSi{O(PhB)O}3SiBu] with pyridine or N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine

Eleven borosiloxane [R′Si(ORBO)₃SiR′] compounds where R′ = Bu^t and R = Ph (1), 4-PhC₆H₄ (2), 4-Bu^tC₆H₄ (3), 3-NO₂C₆H₄ (4), 4-CH(O)C₆H₄ (5), CpFeC₅H₄ (6), 4-C(O)CH₃C₆H₄ (7), 4-ClC₆H₄ (8), 2,4-F₂C₆H₃ (9), and R′ = cyclo-C₆H₁₁ and R = Ph (10), and 4-BrC₆H₄ (11) have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic (IR, NMR), mass spectrometric and, for compounds where R′ = Bu^t and R = 4-PhC₆H₄ (2), 4-Bu^tC₆H₄ (3), 3-NO₂C₆H₄ (4), CpFeC₅H₄ (6) and 2,4-F₂C₆H₃ (9), X-ray diffraction studies. These compounds contain trigonal planar RBO₂ and tetrahedral R′SiO₃ units located around 11-atom “spherical” Si₂O₆B₃ cores. The dimensions of the Si₂O₆B₃ cores in compounds 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9 are remarkably similar. The reaction between [Bu^tSi{O(PhB)O}₃SiBu^t] (1), and excess pyridine yields the 1:1 adduct [Bu^tSi{O(PhB)O}SiBu^t]. NC₅H₅ (12) while the reaction between 1 and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine in equimolar amounts affords a 2:1 borosiloxane:amine adduct [Bu^tSi{O(PhB)O}₃SiBu^t]₂ · Me₂NCH₂CH₂NMe₂ (13). Compounds 12 and 13 were characterised with IR and (¹H, ¹³C and¹¹B) NMR spectroscopies and the structure of the pyridine complex 12 was determined with X-ray techniques.     

Sensitive determination of RDX, nitroso-RDX metabolites, and other munitions in ground water by solid-phase extraction and isotope dilution liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure electro-spray [correction of chemical] ionization mass spectrometry.

Recent improvements in the LC-MS interface have increased the sensitivity and selectivity of this instrument in the analysis of polar and thermally-labile aqueous constituents. Determination of RDX, nitroso-RDX metabolites, and other munitions was enhanced using LC-MS with solid-phase extraction, 15N3-RDX internal standard, and electrospray ionization (ESI) in negative ion mode. ESI produced a five-fold increase in detector response over atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) for the nitramine compounds, while the more energetic APCI produced more than twenty times the ESI response for nitroaromatics. Method detection limits in ESI for nitramines varied from 0.03 microgram l-1 for MNX to 0.05 microgram l-1 for RDX.