2,3-Dihydroxypyridine Loaded Amberlite XAD-2 (AXAD-2-DHP): Preparation, Sorption–Desorption Equilibria with Metal Ions, and Applications in Quantitative Metal Ion Enrichment from Water, Milk and Vitamin Samples

2,3-Dihydroxypyridine loaded (via –N=N–linker) Amberlite XAD-2 (AXAD-2-DHP) was prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, TGA and FT-IR spectra. It (1g packed in a column of 1cm diameter; surface area 135.5m²g^–1) was found to be an effective solid phase sorbent for enriching Zn²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Co²⁺ at pH 3.5 to 7.0 using flow rates between 1.0–5.0mLmin^–1. For desorption (recovery 97.0–99.8%) of the metal ions, 8 to 10mL of 2.0molL^–1 HCl or 1.5molL^–1 HNO₃ at a flow rate of between 2.0 and 4.0mLmin^–1 were found most suitable. The t_1/2 (time for 50% sorption) is between 2 and 10min when a 50mL solution (containing a total amount of metal of 2mg) was equilibrated with 0.5g of resin. Sorption of all metal ions except Pb²⁺ follows the Langmuir model, whereas for Pb the data fits with the Freundlich model. The sorption capacity is between 60.7 (for Cd) and 406.7 (for Cu) µmolg^–1. The resin can withstand an acid concentration of 6molL^–1 and can be reused for thirty cycles of sorption–desorption. The preconcentration factor varies between 100 and 300. For Cd, Ni and Cu the sorption capacity of 2,3-dihydroxypyridine loaded cellulose is lower than that of the present resin. The tolerance limits of electrolytes, humic acid, complexing agents, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ in the enrichment of all metal ions are reported. The limits of detection are 3.88, 5.37, 8.72, 13.88, 4.71, 1.24, 0.59 and 0.30µgL^–1 for Zn²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Co²⁺, respectively. The calibration curves for flame AAS determination were linear in the ranges 0.018–1.0, 0.067–5.0, 0.2–5.0, 0.9–20, 0.028–2.0, 0.077–5.0, 0.19–10 and 0.1–3.5µgmL^–1, respectively. All the eight metal ions in river and synthetic water samples, Co in vitamin tablets and Zn in milk samples have been quantitatively enriched with Amberlite XAD-2-DHP and determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Optimized POCl3-assisted synthesis of 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole/1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as anti-influenza agents

Although recent decades have witnessed the synthesis of 1,3,4-thiadiazoles via phosphorus POCl₃-promoted cyclization reaction, simultaneous access to 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole and 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazole analogs remains unexpected and elusive. Herein, a detailed regiocontrolled synthesis of 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazoles in good to high yields with good regioselectivities from readily available thiosemicarbazides using POCl₃ was disclosed. Meantime, to establish a comprehensive structure–activity relationship, 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as single regioisomers were prepared via EDCI·HCl-triggered cyclization of the thiosemicarbazide intermediates. The in vitro anti-influenza assays proved that the selected compounds with the pyrazine/pyridine ring exhibited certain inhibitory activities against influenza A virus strains A/HK/68 (H3N2) and A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) in MDCK cells. Among them, N-(adamantan-1-yl)-5-(5-(azepan-1-yl)pyrazin-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine (4j) was the most active compound, and exhibited favorable activity with EC₅₀ values of 3.5 μM and 7.5 μM, respectively. In addition, the molecular docking results explained the reason why compound 4j had dual inhibitory activity and revealed the reasonable binding mode of this compound with the M2-S31N and M2-WT ion channels. This compound had the potential to be further developed as an anti-influenza drug.     

Two-electron distribution functions and intracules

 Two-electron distribution functions and intracules are functions of electronic coordinates and occupy an important, and frequently overlooked, middle ground between the beguiling simplicity of electron densities and the bewildering complexity of wavefunctions. We survey the functions that have been considered by earlier workers and introduce two new ones, the Wigner intracule and the action intracule, that have not previously been discussed. To illustrate their usefulness, we consider the intracules of jellium, a few small atoms and the dissociating hydrogen molecule. Received: 26 July 2002 / Accepted: 20 October 2002 / Published online: 30 January 2003 Correspondence to: P.M.W. Gill e-mail: peter.gill@nott.ac.uk     

Selenomethionine Extraction from Selenized Yeast: an LC-MS Study of the Acid Hydrolysis of a Synthetic Selenopeptide

A synthetically prepared seleno-peptide (AHPDVLTVXLQMLDDGR) was used as a model system for the acid hydrolysis of selenized yeast proteins. The seleno-peptide is a tryptic peptide of a heat shock protein 104 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was subjected to acid hydrolysis using methanesulfonic acid over a time period of 8 hours. Aliquots of the solution were sub-sampled at predetermined time intervals and the peptide fragments characterized by reversed phase LC MSⁿ. Similarly, the appearance of amino acid residues in the solution was monitored. It was found that after about 8 hours the synthetic peptide completely hydrolyzed. The use of a selenopeptide as a model for hydrolysis of selenized yeast hydrolysis was validated by comparing the decomposition time profile of the synthetic peptide with that of a selenized yeast sample. The rate of hydrolysis was identical in both systems, suggesting that the employed acid hydrolysis yields to the complete decomposition of the Se containing proteins in yeast and consequently to the liberation of selenomethionine.     

Chemiluminescence Method for the Determination of Glutathione in Human Serum Using the Ru(phen)3 2+ – KMnO4 System

A simple, rapid and specific chemiluminescence (CL) method for the determination of glutathione has been developed. The method is based on the enhanced CL of the reaction between Ru(phen)₃ ²⁺ (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) and KMnO₄ by glutathione in HCl medium. Under the optimum conditions, the response is linearly proportional to the concentration of glutathione between 1.5 × 10⁻⁷ and 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹. The dection limit for glutathione (5.8 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹) is about 10 and 200 times better than those of the spectrophotometric method using Ellman regent and the Lucigenin – CL method, respectively. The final procedure allows the determination of glutathione in human serum with recoveries of 92%–108%. A satisfactory agreement was obtained with a mean relative difference of 2.5% compared to the HPLC method.     

Modification of Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA binding protein with gold nanoparticles for electrochemical detection of DNA hybridization

The unique binding event between Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) and single-stranded oligonucleotides conjugated to gold (Au) nanoparticles is utilized for the electrochemical detection of DNA hybridization. SSB was attached onto a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of single-stranded oligonucleotide modified Au nanoparticle, and the resulting Au-tagged SSB was used as the hybridization label. Changes in the Au oxidation signal was monitored upon binding of Au tagged SSB to probe and hybrid on the electrode surface. The amplified oxidation signal of Au nanoparticles provided a detection limit of 2.17 pM target DNA, which can be applied to genetic diagnosis applications. This work presented here has important implications with regard to combining a biological binding event between a protein and DNA with a solid transducer and metal nanoparticles.     

Radiolytic unsaturation decay in polyethylene. Part II—the effect of irradiation temperature, thermal history and orientation

The decay rate of vinyl unsaturation in high-density polyethylenes irradiated at temperatures from about 310 to 450 K, changes significantly in the melting range up to the crystalline melting point as does free radical mobility and the polymer crystallinity. However, orienting the polymer, or slow cooling or quenching from the melt, prior to irradiation, do not alter the decay process or its rate, although they do alter the rate of increase of insoluble gel and of elastic modulus in the molten state. It is suggested that, below 340 K, the marked deviations from a first-order decay result from the limited mobility of polymeric free radicals in the crystalline phase and from scavenging, by vinyl groups, segregated into the amorphous phase, of radiolytic hydrogen atoms (H). In the melting range, the mobility of polymeric free radicals increases as the crystallinity decreases, reducing the importance of scavenging, so vinyl decay approximates more closely to a first-order relation. In the melt, the vinyl decay relation is not changed qualitatively by H atom scavenging, but the effective vinyl concentration is lower, so the decay rate drops sharply.     

New 4,4-bis(trifluoromethyl)-4H-1,3,2-benzodioxaphosphinine 2-oxides(sulfides)

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EDS X-Ray Investigation of Interdiffusion in Au–Ni Micro- and Nanolayers

The interdiffusion process in thin and thick (500nm–60µm) Au–Ni layers deposited on different substrates is studied using the EDS technique. In-depth X-ray analysis based on the Pouchou and Pichoir method is applied for obtaining the concentration profiles in nanometre scale multi-layers. A theoretical analysis using the Darken method is employed for modelling interdiffusion in the Au–Ni system. Computer simulations, where intrinsic diffusivities of the Au and Ni are functions of composition, are presented and compared with experimental results.     

A DFT study of pyramidalized alkenes: 7-oxasesquinorbornenes and 7,7′-dioxasesquinorbornenes

  DFT calculations of 7′–oxasesquinorbornenes and 7,7′-dioxasesquinorbornenes using the B3LYP/6–31G* method are reported. All the investigated structures (syn- and anti- derivatives) showed significant non-planarity of the central double bond, with the exception of those anti-derivatives possessing symmetrical structures. The influence of the replacement of the methylene groups at position 7- of the norbornene fragment with oxygen and the introduction of second and third (peripheral) double bonds and benzene rings on the molecular and electronic structures of these molecules have also been investigated. Received: 11 November 2002 / Accepted: 6 June 2002 / Published online: 29 April 2003