Thermodynamic studies of complexation and enantiorecognition processes of monoterpenoids by alpha- and beta-cyclodextrin in gas chromatography

Gas-liquid chromatography was applied in thermodynamic investigations of processes of complexation and enantioseparation by alpha- and [-cyclodextrins of chiral monoterpenoids. The distribution constants, stability constants and thermodynamic parameters enthalpy, entropy and free energy of the complexation processes were determined. It has been found that enantioseparation of monoterpenes by alpha- and beta-cyclodextrins is the result of formation of 1:2 stoichiometric complexes. When 1:1 stoichiometric complexes are formed, enantioselectivity is not observed. All investigated processes of complexation are enthalpy-driven regardless of the stoichiometry of the formed complexes. -deltaH, -TdeltaS and -deltaG of complexation process have higher values for bicyclic than for monocyclic monoterpenoids as well as for alpha-CD than for beta-CD. The first or second step of complexation may be responsible for enantioselectivity.     

A new inorganic-organic polymer for the passivation of thin film capacitors

Inorganic-organic polymers with barrier properties against water vapor, excellent electrical data (3, 2, R _D>10¹⁶ cm, E _D up to 400 V/µm) and good adhesion to various substrate materials have been developed. Tailored modifications of these materials provide an excellent protective coating for thin film capacitors. Several mm thick, expensive, encapsulations could be replaced by thin coatings (up to 10 µm). The polymer coating allows the use of thin film chip capacitors in surface-mount technology. As a measure for the efficiency of the coating, the capacitance decrease under controlled humidity has been used. The influence of the material composition, the type of catalyst during sol-gel processing and the curing conditions have been studied. Adhesion and water vapor permeation properties of the polymers and rheological properties of the coating solutions have been investigated. A protective coating is developed, which increases the withstandness of capacitors against humid conditions (90°C, 100% rel. humidity) by a factor of about 30 (compared to uncoated capacitors) and shows no crack formation during thermal cycling.     

Toward separation of nuclear spin isomers with coherent light.

We propose an approach for separating nuclear spin isomers with coherent light and illustrate it by numerical calculations using fulvene as a model system. The scheme employs the equivalence of torsion and interchange of equivalent H-atoms in a class of molecules of which fulvene is a simple example. The exchange symmetry couples with the rotational symmetry to produce a spatial distinction between the two photo-excited nuclear spin isomers, and wavepacket interferometry is applied to separate the species.     

Cadmium speciation in Arabidopsis thaliana as a strategy to study metal accumulation system in plants

The strategy to identify cadmium deactivation mechanism in Arabidopsis thaliana has been developed using selective and sensitive hyphenated techniques. Cadmium concentrations, in main parts of the plant, were determined by ICP-MS and total amount was found as 0.43-0.44 μg g⁻¹ in leaves and 3.3-3.4 μg g⁻¹ in roots. Speciation of the metal complexes in cells was investigated by SEC-ICP-MS in order to estimate the accumulation process. Phytochelatins, desglycyl-phytochelatins and phytochelatins homologues lacking the N-terminal γ-linked glutamic acid were extracted from plant and were identified by RPLC-ESI-MS. Two-dimensional chromatography allowed to link the metal complexes separated by SEC with isoforms of phytochelatins analyzed by high resolution RPLC and confirm their significant responsibility for metal accumulation. The potential of the cadmium complexes speciation indicates that obtained results could be reliable source of knowledge to confirm the information coming from the well-known genomic sequence of Arabidopsis and to estimate the role of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase in metabolism of glutathione.     

Conformational analysis of benzoannulated nine-membered rings. Part 3. 1,4,5,7-Tetrahydro-3H-2,6-benzodiselenine and its 4-spiro derivatives

The ¹H and ¹³C nmr spectra of 1,4,5,7-tetrahydro-3H-2,6-benzodiselenine (1) and three 4-spiro derivatives 2–4 as well as the ⁷⁷Se nmr spectra of 2 have been recorded at different temperatures in order to investigate their conformational behavior. It was found that in analogy to corresponding dithionins the molecules adopt a chiral ground state conformation (Figure 2), and coalescence effects are due to racemization.     

Photopolymers for Rapid Prototyping of Soluble Mold Materials and Molding of Cellular Biomaterials

Summary. To substitute cross-linked photopolymers in rapid prototyping of mold materials and therefore extend the range of materials which can be casted, organo-soluble photopolymers were developed. Branched bisalkylacrylamides were suitable as base component for such formulations, due to their high reactivity, good mechanical properties, and excellent solubility of the formed polymers. These molding materials were used to prepare cellular biocompatible materials which could be used as bone replacement materials. Biocompatible crosslinkers based on methacrylates from hydrolyzed gelatine or lactic acid ethyleneglycol blockcopolymers and commercially available reactive diluents are the base components of such a formulation. Biocompatibility was investigated by osteoblast-like cells. Cellular biocompatible parts were obtained by thermal polymerization in soluble mould materials prepared by 3D-photoshaping.     

Revisiting the S-Au(111) interaction: static or dynamic?

The Au-S interaction is probably the most intensively studied interaction of Au surfaces with nonmetals, as, for example, it plays an important role in Au ore formation(1) and controls the structure and dynamics of thiol-based self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Various S-induced surface structures on Au(111) were recently reported for different conditions and predominantly interpreted in terms of a static Au surface. Here, we demonstrate that the Au(111) surface exhibits a very dynamic character upon interaction with adsorbed sulfur: large-scale surface restructuring and incorporation of Au atoms into a growing 2D AuS phase were observed in situ. These results provide new insight into the Au-S surface chemistry.     

Fenugreek mucilage as a flocculating agent for sewage treatment

The use of fenugreek mucilage, a natural polysaccharide and a direct food additive, as a flocculating agent for removal of suspended and dissolved solids from sewage effluent has been reported. A flocculation study has been done by the standard jar test method. The percent removal of suspended solid (SS) and dissolved solid (TDS) was determined by varying the polymer dose, pH and contact time. X-ray diffraction patterns of the solid waste material of mucilage and flocs (so obtained after treatment) were used to suggest the incorporation of the crystalline waste material in the mucilage. The optimal mucilage concentration was found to be 0.16 mg/l. The suitable pH range for maximum solid removal (SS and TDS) was alkaline and the time required for treatment was 1-3 h.     

Phospholipid mesophases at solid interfaces: in-situ X-ray diffraction and spin-label studies

In this work, we report on recent investigations, both on the global and on the local molecular architecture of supported phospholipid model membranes. A brief theoretical introduction explains how global structural information on supramolecular lipid ensembles can be retrieved from surface X-ray diffraction measurements as well as how spin-label electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) provides complementary information on the local environment of probe molecules. The combination of especially designed X-ray cells with the technique of small- and wide-angle X-ray surface scattering makes it possible to explore various fields of lipid research and its applications. Examples for different physico-chemical conditions are presented: (i) in situ chemistry under excess of water conditions demonstrating how solid-supported lipid films sense salinity, (ii) the 3D electron density reconstruction of a vesicle-fusion intermediate under controlled humidity, and (iii) complementary temperature and pressure effects on oriented phospholipid samples. Further, special attention has been given to the influence of different film preparation techniques with respect to quality and the defect structure manifestation. To resolve the proportions and local properties of defects in a hydrated lipid-deposited surface, spin-label EPR was applied. The results from 9.6 GHz EPR as well as from 1.2 GHz EPR suggest the alignment to be in the range between 30% and 80%. In addition, slow time-dependent EPR measurements point to nano-structural rearrangements due to water flow and reduction of alignment quality.     

Variable coordination geometries at the diiron(II) active site of ribonucleotide reductase R2

The R2 subunit of Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase contains a dinuclear iron center that generates a catalytically essential stable tyrosyl radical by one electron oxidation of a nearby tyrosine residue. After acquisition of Fe(II) ions by the apo protein, the resulting diiron(II) center reacts with O(2) to initiate formation of the radical. Knowledge of the structure of the reactant diiron(II) form of R2 is a prerequisite for a detailed understanding of the O(2) activation mechanism. Whereas kinetic and spectroscopic studies of the reaction have generally been conducted at pH 7.6 with reactant produced by the addition of Fe(II) ions to the apo protein, the available crystal structures of diferrous R2 have been obtained by chemical or photoreduction of the oxidized diiron(III) protein at pH 5-6. To address this discrepancy, we have generated the diiron(II) states of wildtype R2 (R2-wt), R2-D84E, and R2-D84E/W48F by infusion of Fe(II) ions into crystals of the apo proteins at neutral pH. The structures of diferrous R2-wt and R2-D48E determined from these crystals reveal diiron(II) centers with active site geometries that differ significantly from those observed in either chemically or photoreduced crystals. Structures of R2-wt and R2-D48E/W48F determined at both neutral and low pH are very similar, suggesting that the differences are not due solely to pH effects. The structures of these "ferrous soaked" forms are more consistent with circular dichroism (CD) and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopic data and provide alternate starting points for consideration of possible O(2) activation mechanisms.