Quantitative determination of salbutamol in tablets by multiple-injection capillary zone electrophoresis

A multiple-injection capillary zone electrophoresis (MICZE) method has been developed for the assay of salbutamol in Ventoline Depot tablets (GlaxoSmithKline). In the developed method, seven sample sets, each consisting of three samples, were sequentially injected into the capillary and analyzed within a single run. This enabled a total of twenty-one sequential injections, i.e., six standards and fifteen samples, containing salbutamol and the injection marker oxprenolol. The injected sample plugs were separated by plugs of background electrolyte, through application of a short-term voltage (30kV) over the capillary for different time periods, i.e., t(PE1) and t(PE2). The samples in each set were isolated from each other by partial electrophoresis for 2.35min (t(PE1)), while the sample sets were separated for 10.50min (t(PE2)). After the final injection, all the applied samples were subjected to electrophoresis for a time period corresponding to that in conventional single-injection CZE. The method was validated regarding linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness before it was applied to the determination of salbutamol in 15 tablets of Ventoline Depot with a labeled content of 8mg salbutamol. The average salbutamol content was determined to 7.8mg (+/-0.3mg) from simultaneous analyses of the 15 different tablets.     

Geometric phase and gauge connection in polyatomic molecules

Geometric phase is an interesting topic that is germane to numerous and varied research areas: molecules, optics, quantum computing, quantum Hall effect, graphene, and so on. It exists only when the system of interest interacts with something it perceives as exterior. An isolated system cannot display geometric phase. This article addresses geometric phase in polyatomic molecules from a gauge field theory perspective. Gauge field theory was introduced in electrodynamics by Fock and examined assiduously by Weyl. It yields the gauge field A(μ), particle-field couplings, and the Aharonov-Bohm phase, while Yang-Mills theory, the cornerstone of the standard model of physics, is a template for non-Abelian gauge symmetries. Electronic structure theory, including nonadiabaticity, is a non-Abelian gauge field theory with matrix-valued covariant derivative. Because the wave function of an isolated molecule must be single-valued, its global U(1) symmetry cannot be gauged, i.e., products of nuclear and electron functions such as χ(n)ψ(n) are forbidden from undergoing local phase transformation on R, where R denotes nuclear degrees of freedom. On the other hand, the synchronous transformations (first noted by Mead and Truhlar): ψ(n)→ψ(n)e(iζ) and simultaneously χ(n)→χ(n)e(-iζ), preserve single-valuedness and enable wave functions in each subspace to undergo phase transformation on R. Thus, each subspace is compatible with a U(1) gauge field theory. The central mathematical object is Berry's adiabatic connection i, which serves as a communication link between the two subsystems. It is shown that additions to the connection according to the gauge principle are, in fact, manifestations of the synchronous (e(iζ)/e(-iζ)) nature of the ψ(n) and χ(n) phase transformations. Two important U(1) connections are reviewed: qA(μ) from electrodynamics and Berry's connection. The gauging of SU(2) and SU(3) is reviewed and then used with molecules. The largest gauge group applicable in the immediate vicinity of a two-state intersection is U(2), which factors to U(1) × SU(2). Gauging SU(2) yields three fields, whereas U(1) is not gauged, as the result cannot be brought into registry with electronic structure theory, and there are other problems as well. A parallel with spontaneous symmetry breaking in electroweak theory is noted. Loss of SU(2) symmetry as the energy gap between adiabats increases yields the inter-related U(1) symmetries of the upper and lower adiabats, with spinor character imprinted in the vicinity of the degeneracy.     

Facing unexpected reactivity paths with Zr(IV)-pyridylamido polymerization catalysts

This work provides original insights to the better understanding of the complex structure-activity relationship of Zr(IV)-pyridylamido-based olefin polymerization catalysts and highlights the importance of the metal-precursor choice (Zr(NMe(2))(4) vs. Zr(Bn)(4)) to prepare precatalysts of unambiguous identity. A temperature-controlled and reversible σ-bond metathesis/protonolysis reaction is found to take place on the Zr(IV)-amido complexes in the 298-383 K temperature range, changing the metal coordination sphere dramatically (from a five-coordinated tris-amido species stabilized by bidentate monoanionic {N,N(-)} ligands to a six-coordinated bis-amido-mono-amino complexes featured by tridentate dianionic {N(-),N,C(-)} ligands). Well-defined neutral Zr(IV)-pyridylamido complexes have been prepared from Zr(Bn)(4) as metal source. Their cationic derivatives [Zr(IV) N(-),N,C(-)}Bn](+)[B(C(6)F(5))(4)](-) have been successfully applied to the room-temperature polymerization of 1-hexene with productivities up to one order of magnitude higher than those reported for the related Hf(IV) state-of-the-art systems. Most importantly, a linear increase of the poly(1-hexene) M(n) values (30-250 kg mol(-1)) has been observed upon catalyst aging. According to that, the major active species (responsible for the increased M(n) polymer values) in the aged catalyst solution, has been identified.     

3,3]-Sigmatropic shifts and retro-ene rearrangements in cyanates, isocyanates, thiocyanates, and isothiocyanates of the form RX-YCN and RX-NCY

Retro-ene type [2π + 2π + 2σ] and [3,3]-sigmatropic shift reactions involving the substituent groups R in heteroatom-substituted cyanates and thiocyanates RX-YCN and the isomeric isocyanates and isothiocyanates of the type RX-NCY (X = CR(2), NR', O, or S; Y = O or S) have been investigated computationally at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. Retro-ene reactions of alkyl derivatives of the title compounds afford alkenes, imines, carbonyl and thiocarbonyl compounds together with HNCO (HNCS) or HOCN (HSCN). [3,3]-Sigmatropic shifts (hetero-Cope rearrangements) of the corresponding allyl, propargyl, benzyl, and aryl derivatives causes allylic rearrangements, propargyl-allenyl rearrangement, conversion of benzyl cyanates to o-isocyanatotoluenes, and conversion of N-cyanatoarylamines to o-isocyanatoanilines, etc. The corresponding rearrangements of allyl thiocyanates, arylamino thiocyanates and isothiocyanates, and arylsulfenyl thiocyanates and isothiocyanates are also described.     

Fast and quiet MRI using a swept radiofrequency

A novel fast and quiet method of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is introduced which creates new opportunities for imaging in medicine and materials science. The method is called SWIFT, sweep imaging with Fourier transformation. In SWIFT, time-domain signals are acquired in a time-shared manner during a swept radiofrequency excitation of the nuclear spins. With negligible time between excitation and signal acquisition, new possibilities exist for imaging objects consisting of spins with extremely fast transverse relaxation rates, such as macromolecules, semi-solids, and quadrupolar nuclei. The field gradient used for spatial-encoding is not pulsed on and off, but rather is stepped in orientation in an incremental manner, which results in low acoustic noise. This unique acquisition method is expected to be relatively insensitive to sample motion, which is important for imaging live objects. Additionally, the frequency-swept excitation distributes the signal energy in time and thus dynamic range requirements for proper signal digitization are reduced compared with conventional MRI. For demonstration, images of a plastic object and cortical bone are shown.     

Alkylation of phenol: a mechanistic view

The current work utilizes the ab initio density functional theory (DFT) to develop a molecular level of the mechanistic understanding on the phenol alkylation in the presence of a cation-exchange resin catalyst, Amberlyst-15. The catalyst is modeled with the benzene sulfonic acid, and the effect of this acid on olefins such as isopropene (i-Pr) and tributene (t-Bu) in a phenol solution mimics the experimental condition. A neutral-pathway mechanism is established to account for early-stage high concentration of the phenolic ether observed in experiments. The mechanism involves an exothermic reaction between olefin and the benzene sulfonic acid to form ester followed by three reaction pathways leading to direct O-alkylation, o-C-alkylation, and p-C-alkylation. Our calculations conclude that O-alkylation to form the phenolic ether is the most energetically favorable in the neutral condition. An ionic rearrangement mechanism describes intramolecular migrations of the alkyl group from the phenolic ether to form C-alkylphenols, while the positively charged protonation significantly lowers transition barriers for these migrations. The ionic rearrangement mechanism accounts for high yields of o-C-alkylphenol and p-C-alkylphenol. Competition between the H atom and the alkyl R group at the substitutive site of the protonated ortho configuration is found to be the determining factor to the ortho/para ratio of C-alkylation products.