Simultaneous LC-MS-MS Analysis of Capecitabine and its Metabolites (5′-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine, 5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine, 5-fluorouracil) After Off-Line SPE from Human Plasma

A new single extraction procedure was developed to isolate capecitabine and its major metabolites (5′-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine, 5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine, and 5-fluorouracil) from human plasma. The simultaneous extraction of the four analytes was performed on an Atoll XWP solid phase support. Separation and detection were by liquid chromatography (5 µm Atlantis C₁₈, 150 × 2.1 mm) and Turbospray Mass spectrometry in negative mode. To our knowledge, this report is the first to use these conditions for the simultaneous analysis of capecitabine and its metabolites.     

Controlled-Rate Thermal Desorptton

A new way of conducting thermal desorption experiments is described. The method consists in maintaining the desorption rate constant by a rigorous control of temperature. The equations for two models of constant rate desorption are described: from a surface with only one type of adsorption site, and with two different types. The technique is applied to two real systems and the kinetic parameters are determined. The results are compared with those obtained by using TPD. The main advantages are discussed and the methodology and modifications required for a TPD set-up to work at a constant desorption rate are described.     

Efficient flow injection and sequential injection methods for spectrophotometric determination of oxybenzone in sunscreens based on reaction with Ni(II)

Spectrophotometric determination of a widely used UV-filter, such as oxybenzone, is proposed. The method is based on the complexation reaction between oxybenzone and Ni(II) in ammoniacal medium. The stoichiometry of the reaction, established by the Job method, was 1:1. Reaction conditions were studied and the experimental parameters were optimized, for both flow injection (FI) and sequential injection (SI) determinations, with comparative purposes. Sunscreen formulations containing oxybenzone were analyzed by the proposed methods and results compared with those obtained by HPLC. Data show that both FI and SI procedures provide accurate and precise results. The ruggedness, sensitivity and LOD are adequate to the analysis requirements. The sample frequency obtained by FI is three-fold higher than that of SI analysis. SI is less reagent-consuming than FI.     

Surface passivation of luminescent colloidal quantum dots with poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) through a ligand exchange process

Polydimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (PDMAEMA) was used as a multidentate ligand to modify the surface of CdSe/ZnS core-shell colloidal quantum dots in toluene with trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as the surface ligand. Adsorption of PDMAEMA was accompanied by release of TOPO. The process is free of agglomeration, and the modified nanocrystals become soluble in methanol. The photoluminescence properties are well-preserved in either toluene or methanol.     

Cooperativity, partially bound states, and enthalpy-entropy compensation

Efforts to develop a quantitative understanding of molecular recognition rely on the additivity of individual intermolecular interactions, and cooperativity represents one of the major potential stumbling blocks. A chemical double-mutant cycle has been used to experimentally measure cooperativity between functional group interactions within a complex framework. The interaction between two aromatic groups varies by 0.2 +/- 0.4 kJ mol(-1) in synthetic H-bonded complexes that differ by 8-13 kJ mol(-1) in overall stability. In these systems, the free energies associated with individual intermolecular interactions can therefore be reliably treated in an additive fashion. The results suggest that alternative explanations should be considered for cooperative phenomena observed in other systems, and a rationale based on the population of partially bound states in flexible molecules is proposed to account for the enthalpic chelate effect and enthalpy-entropy compensation.     

Time-resolved spectroscopy of solid poly(1-vinyl naphthalene)following electron beam pulse radiolysis: pulse radiolytic studies on polymers

Transient emission studies following pulse radiolysis of solid poly(1-vinyl naphthalene) show existence of excited monomers and two excimers. Quenching experiments indicate that excimers are not formed directly by recombination of ions but probably by trapping of migrating monomeric excitation in performed traps whose density is approximately one in 10³.     

Spin-Projected EHF equations

Extended Hartree-Fock (EHF ) equations are developed for the general open-shell case using a modified pair-orthogonality-constrained variation (POCV ) method. The EHF energy is expressed in terms of corresponding orbitals that are required to remain orthogonal and paired for all arbitrary infinitesimal variations. The Euler equations for each set of orbitals are reduced to unique pseudosecular equations, the LCAO form of which may easily be derived. The Euler equations and the expressions obtained for the off-diagonal elements of the ?^γδ (γ, δ = a or b) matrices for the closed-shell case are identical to those obtained by Mayer, who used the generalized Brillouin theorem method. However, the present method yields equations for both closed- and open-shell cases and for any spin state.     

Determination of selenium, zinc and cadmium in antidandruff shampoos by atomic spectrometry after microwave assisted sample digestion

Microwave assisted pre-treatments for atomic spectrometric determination (inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, ICP-OES or flame atomic absorption spectrometry, FAAS) of metallic elements, usually present in antidandruff shampoos, are proposed. They are based on the digestion of the sample with HNO₃ into a closed reactor, which is irradiated at 800 W for a few minutes. Selenium was determined by ICP-OES. The limit of detection was 0.11 mg l⁻¹; the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for the selenium content in the samples was in the 0.6–3.6% range. The results obtained were in agreement with the label contents and the recovery of the proposed method was in the 100–106% range. Zinc and cadmium were determined by FAAS. The limit of detection for zinc determination was 0.078 mg l⁻¹; the R.S.D. for zinc contents was in the 0.8–8.6% range. A limit of detection of 0.09 mg l⁻¹ was obtained for cadmium determination; the R.S.D. for cadmium contents was in the 0.7–2.7% range. The determinations were performed after two different sample mineralization pre-treatments — dry ashing (in an electric furnace) and wet mineralization (in a microwave oven). Both methodologies provided comparable results for zinc and cadmium determination in shampoos. The proposed microwave assisted digestion procedures allow a precise and accurate determination of selenium, zinc and cadmium in commercial antidandruff shampoos, and the sample pre-treatment is less time-consuming than the classic methods.     

Exploiting clock transitions for the chemical design of resilient molecular spin qubits

Molecular spin qubits are chemical nanoobjects with promising applications that are so far hampered by the rapid loss of quantum information, a process known as decoherence. A strategy to improve this situation involves employing so-called Clock Transitions (CTs), which arise at anticrossings between spin energy levels. At CTs, the spin states are protected from magnetic noise and present an enhanced quantum coherence. Unfortunately, these optimal points are intrinsically hard to control since their transition energy cannot be tuned by an external magnetic field; moreover, their resilience towards geometric distortions has not yet been analyzed. Here we employ a python-based computational tool for the systematic theoretical analysis and chemical optimization of CTs. We compare three relevant case studies with increasingly complex ground states. First, we start with vanadium(iv)-based spin qubits, where the avoided crossings are controlled by hyperfine interaction and find that these S = 1/2 systems are very promising, in particular in the case of vanadyl complexes in an L-band pulsed EPR setup. Second, we proceed with a study of the effect of symmetry distortions in a holmium polyoxotungstate of formula [Ho(W₅O₁₈)₂]⁹⁻ where CTs had already been experimentally demonstrated. Here we determine the relative importance of the different structural distortions that causes the anticrossings. Third, we study the most complicated case, a polyoxopalladate cube [HoPd₁₂(AsPh)₈O₃₂]⁵⁻ which presents an unusually rich ground spin multiplet. This system allows us to find uniquely favorable CTs that could nevertheless be accessible with standard pulsed EPR equipment (X-band or Q-band) after a suitable chemical distortion to break the perfect cubic symmetry. Since anticrossings and CTs constitute a rich source of physical phenomena in very different kinds of quantum systems, the generalization of this study is expected to have impact not only in molecular spin science but also in other related fields such as molecular photophysics and photochemistry.

We employ a python computational tool to compare 3 relevant case studies with increasingly complex ground states: vanadyl complexes, Ho(iii) square antiprisms and Ho(iii) cubic structures.     

Chemistry of the phenoxathiins and isosterically related heterocycles. XXII. 6,7,9-trimethyl-4-azaphenoxathiin: First reported synthesis of an analog of the 4-azaphenoxathiin ring system

The reaction of 2-chloro-3-thiocyanatopyridine with a substituted spiroepoxycyclohexadienone, which served as a masked phenol with reversed polarity, led to the first reported synthesis of an analog of the 4-azaphenoxathiin ring system. Confirmation of the structure was obtained from the assignment of the ¹³C-nmr spectrum.