Model shape transitions of micelles: spheres to cylinders and disks

We present a microscopic analysis of shape transitions of micelles of model linear nonionic surfactants. In particular, symmetric H(4)T(4) and asymmetric H(3)T(6) surfactants have been chosen for the study. In a previous work, it has been observed that symmetric surfactants have a strong tendency to prefer spherical micelles over a wide range of chemical potentials, while asymmetric surfactants undergo shape transitions between a spherical micelle at low concentration to other forms, mainly finite cylindrical micelles. This study combines the application of a two-dimensional single-chain mean-field theory (SCMFT) with Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of exactly the same systems. On the one hand, the characteristics of the SCMFT make this method suitable for free energy calculations, especially for small surfactants, due to the incorporation of relevant microscopic details in the model. On the other hand, MC simulations permit us to obtain a complete picture of the statistical mechanical problem, for the purpose of validation of the mean-field calculations. Our results reveal that the spherical shape for the symmetric surfactant is stable over a large range of surfactant concentrations. However, the asymmetric surfactant undergoes a complex shape transition that we have followed by calculating the standard chemical potential as a function of the aggregation number. The results indicate that the system forms prolate spheroids prior to developing short capped cylinders that gradually grow in length, with some oscillations in the energy of formation. The most important result of our work is the evidence of a bifurcation where, together with the elongated objects, the system can develop oblate aggregates and finally a torus shape similar to a red blood cell.     

Precise mass measurement of a double-stranded 500 base-pair (309 kDa) polymerase chain reaction product by negative ion electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICRMS) has been used to determine the mass of a double-stranded 500 base-pair (bp) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product with an average theoretical mass of the blunt-ended (i.e. unadenylated) species of 308 859.35 Da. The PCR product was generated from the linearized bacteriophage Lambda genome which is a double-stranded template. Utilization of ethanol precipitation in tandem with a rapid microdialysis step to purify and desalt the PCR product was crucial to obtain a precise mass measurement. The PCR product (0.8 pmol/μL) was electrosprayed from a solution containing 75% acetonitrile, 25 mM piperidine, and 25 mM imidazole and was infused at a rate of 200 nL/min. The average molecular mass and the corresponding precision were determined using the charge-states ranging from 172 to 235 net negative charges. The experimental mass and corresponding precision (reported as the 95% confidence interval of the mean) was 309 406 +/- 27 Da (87 ppm). The mass accuracy was compromised due to the fact that the PCR generates multiple products when using Taq polymerase due to the non-template directed 3'-adenylation. This results in a mixture of three PCR products with nearly identical mass (i.e. blunt-ended, mono-adenylated and di-adenylated) with unknown relative abundances that were not resolved in the spectrum. Thus, the experimental mass will be a weighted average of the three species which, under our experimental conditions, reflects a nearly equal concentration of the mono- and di-adenylated species. This report demonstrates that precise mass measurements of PCR products up to 309 kDa (500 bp) can be routinely obtained by ESI-FTICR requiring low femtomole amounts. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conformational analysis of dicarbonyl(methylcyclopentadienyl)(2-(diethylamino)-2-oxoethyl)iron(II): a spectroscopic and molecular mechanics study

A combination of NMR and IR spectroscopic techniques was used to examine the conformational preferences of the previously unreported oxaallyliron compound dicarbonyl(methylcyclopentadienyl)(2-(diethylamino)-2-oxoethyl)iron(II) (1). IR studies revealed that 1 existed in n-pentane solutions as an equilibrium between two or more exchanging conformers through a rotation about the Fe---C bond. An additional contribution to the conformational dynamics of 1 was identified due to the resonance component of the amide group. The resonance contribution manifested in the observed restricted rotation about the C---N amide bond. Molecular mechanics calculations were used to model the conformational processes. The calculations predicted that the resonance stabilized conformation was the energetically preferred structure of 1. This agrees with the experimental evidence that identified the influence of resonance on the conformation of 1.     

High-temperature kinetics of thermal decomposition of acetic acid and its products

Kinetics of the thermal decomposition of acetic acid vapor dilute in argon have been studied over the temperature range of 1300–1950 K in a single-pulse shock tube. The acid was found to decompose homogeneously and molecularly via two competing firstorder reaction channels at nearly equal rates, to form methane and carbon dioxide on the one hand, and ketene and water on the other. Fall-off behavior has been taken into account and limiting high-pressure rate constants for both channels have been derived. Ketene was found to decompose both unimolecularly to methylene radicals and carbon monoxide and also by a radical reaction with CH₂ to form ethylene and carbon monoxide. The rate constant derived for the unimolecular reaction was found to be in good agreement with an earlier shock tube measurement by H. G. Wagner and F. Zabel [Ber. Bunsenges Phys. Chem., 75 , 114 (1971)]. The bimolecular reaction of ketene to produce allene and carbon dioxide, important in lower temperature reaction systems, has been found to be unimportant under the present conditions. A computer model for the decomposition kinetics involving 46 reactions of 21 species has been found to simulate the experimental yield data substantially. Sensitivity analyses have been used to identify reactions which make important contributions to the overall mechanism and yields of major products. Methylene radicals play important roles in determining yields of major species.     

Complexes of pyrene with 2,4,6-trinitroanisole. Studies of association in solution and the crystal structure of the 1:1 complex

Cyclohexane solutions of 2,4,6-trinitroanisole (A) containing excess pyrene (D) can be described in terms of a double equilibrium involving complexes DA and D₂A. Formation constants for these complexes from A and from DA respectively from three independent experiments are in good agreement, the average values being K₁= 9.7 kg mol^-1 and K₂= 1.8 kg mol^-1 at 33.5°. The crystalline complex was obtained by gel diffusion. The mw (C₂₃H₁₅N₃O₇) corresponds to 1:1 stoichiometry C₁₆H₁₀, C₇H₅N₃O₇, X-ray structure data: P2₁/c, a = 10.633(7), b= 16.336(8), c = 11.683(7) Å, β = 94.62(12)°, V = 2023 ų, F₀₀₀ = 924, μ(CuKα) = 8.3 cm^-1, Z = 4. R = 0.091 for 1572 reflexions. The crystal contains extended stacks ADADA, parallel to (101). The pyrene molecules are disordered by rotation over two sites. The majority site has an occupancy factor of 0.544(2). The angle between the normals to the mean planes of A and D is 7.0(4)°, allowing the nitro groups of A to twist out of the plane of the benzene ring by 41.0(1.0), 2.7(5) and 20.7(8)°.     

Simultaneous measurement of metabolic stability and metabolite identification of 7-methoxymethylthiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-5-one derivatives in human liver microsomes using liquid chromatography/ion-trap mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method using an atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation source was used to measure the metabolic stability and metabolite identification of 7-methoxymethylthiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-5-one derivative (1) in human liver microsomes. After 15 min incubation with human liver microsomes, compound 1 exhibited metabolic turnover of 44%. Data-dependent tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) scanning was used to generate product ion spectra from the protonated ions of the compound and its metabolites. An unusual metabolite at m/z 407 corresponding to the [M-24+H]+ ion was identified for compound 1. Interestingly, the formation of the [M-24+H]+ ion was not observed in the analogues wherein the fused thieno double bond was substituted (2) and the thieno group replaced by a fused benzo derivative (3). Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited metabolic turnovers of 24 and 30%, yielding oxidative metabolites corresponding to [M+16] and [M+32]+, respectively. Based on these facts the mechanism for [M-24]+ formation in compound 1 through an initial epoxide formation on the double bond of the fused thieno ring followed by hydrolytic ring opening and deacylation is envisaged.