Determination of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol in water using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-chemical ionisation/electron impact ionisation-ion-trap mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) in water by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is presented. Various SPME fibre chemistries have been compared for their efficiency in extracting MIB from water. Extraction conditions including the extraction time and temperature have been optimised. A 30 ml water sample is extracted for 20 min at 60 degrees C using a divinylbenzene fibre, and the extract analysed by gas chromatography with ion-trap mass spectrometry detection. d5-Geosmin and d3-MIB are added as internal standards to compensate for any variability in the SPME process which is not carried out to equilibrium. Chemical ionisation, using acetonitrile as the reagent gas, was found to give superior sensitivity to electron impact ionisation (EI) for the detection of MIB. EI was used as the ionisation mode for detection of geosmin. The method shows good linearity over the concentration range 5-40 ng l-1 and gives detection limits of 1 ng l-1 for both geosmin and MIB. Recovery (93-110%) and precision (3-12%) over this concentration range, for both raw and treated drinking waters, are comparable to currently employed methods such as closed-loop stripping analysis (CLSA). The method offers the advantage of being simple to use, with much shorter analysis times in comparison to CLSA.     

Simple diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopic determination of organic pigments (fringelites) in fossils

To screen for organic pigments, like fringelites or porphyrins, in sediments and fossil specimen, a simple diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopic determination was developed. In contrast to common inorganic pigments, like Fe₂O₃, these pigments exhibit well-structured characteristic absorption peaks which allow their recognition. This method was then used to identify fringelite H in a non-crinoidSolenopora species from the Jurassic. Reflectance FTIR spectroscopy proved not to be useful for this purpose.     

Recent developments in the maytansinoid antitumor agents

Maytansine and its congeners have been isolated from higher plants, mosses and from an Actinomycete, Actinosynnema pretiosum. Many of these compounds are antitumor agents of extraordinary potency, yet phase II clinical trials with maytansine proved disappointing. The chemistry and biology of maytansinoids has been reviewed repeatedly in the late 1970s and early 1980s; the present review covers new developments in this field during the last two decades. These include the use of maytansinoids as "warheads" in tumor-specific antibodies, preliminary metabolism studies, investigations of their biosynthesis at the biochemical and genetic level, and ecological issues related to the occurrence of such typical microbial metabolites in higher plants.     

Über die Reaktion von Nb3Cl3 mit HCl

On the Reaction of Nb₃Cl₈ with HCl The greenish-blue gas phase which is formed at 500–600°C by reaction of Nb₃Cl₈ with HCl, is caused by an equilibrium reaction, in which small amounts of NbCl₅ and larger amounts of NbCl₄ are formed. This is shown by photometric measurements and by thermodynamic calculations.     

Zur Photochemie von Allylaryläthern. 55. Mitteilung über Photoreaktionen

The photochemical reactions of different allyl aryl ethers (Scheme 3) were investigated in hydrocarbons (Chap. 3.1) and in alcoholic solvents (Chap. 3.2). The composition of the photoproducts depended very much on the nature of the solvent. Irradiation (3–95 h) of different methyl substituted allyl aryl ethers ( 1, 3, 5, 7 and 11 ) with a low pressure mercury lamp (λ_Emiss. = 254 nm; 6 or 15 Watt) under argon (quartz vessel) resulted in the formation of 2-, 3– and 4-substituted phenols, dienones and products of consecutive reactions (Tables 1–4 and 6). The results suggested that all products were formed by homolytic cleavage of the C? O bond in the singlet state of the ethers to intermediate radical-geminates (Scheme 5) followed by radical recombination of the two fragments. No products were formed by concerted processes (Table 5, Schemes 5 and 6). Upon irradiation of allyl aryl ethers lacking alkyl substituents at position 4 ( 1 and 5 ) in protic solvents, mainly 2- and 4-allylated phenols were obtained (Tables 1 and 4); 3-allylated phenols were formed only in small amounts (0.02%). However, in aromatic hydrocarbons or cyclohexane 3-allylated phenols were obtained from 1 , 5 and 11 in significant amounts (3–11%; Tables 1, 4 and 6). E.g., upon irradiation of allyl-2,6-dimethyl-2,4-cyclohexadien-1-one ( 6 ) besides 3- and 4-allyl-2, 6-dimethyl-phenol ( 23 and 24 ). Irradiation of 5 in methanol afforded 23 and 6 only in traces, whereas 24 was the main product.     

The Dynamic Behaviour and NMR Solution structures of complexes of the type (Bisphosphine)(cycloocta-1,5-diene)iridium(I) and the X-ray crystal structure of (cycloocta-1,5-diene)((−)-norphos)iridium(I) hexafluorophosphate

A square-planar coordination geometry was found for the complex [Ir(cod){(?)-norphos}][PF₆] ( 1b [PF₆]; cod = cylcoocta-1,5-diene and (?)-norphos = [(2R,3R)-8-9-10-trinorborn-5-ene-2,3-diyl]bis(diphenylphosphine)) in the solid state by X-ray diffraction. Crystal data: monoclinic, space group P2₁, a = 10.751 (6), b = 18.669(14), c = 12.037(8) Å, β = 114.82(5)°, Z = 2. A total structural assignment including the configurational and conformational aspects of this and the related compounds [Ir(bishosphine)(cod)]X (bisphosphine = (?)-chiraphos = (2S,3S)-2,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane and (?)-norphos, X = Cl, CF₃SO₃, or PF₆) was carried out in solution by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The complexes containing the CF₃SO₃^? and PF₆^? anions are four-coordinate cations with square-planar geometry, whereas the chlorides are five-coordinate neutral compounds showing solvent-dependent dynamic behaviour. In toluene, two diastereoisomers of [IrCl(cod){(?)-norphos}] ( 2b ) exist and interconvert slowly at room temperature. This interchange is fast in CDCl₃ solution, and it is likely to involve Cl dissociation and the formation of the cation [Ir(cod){(?)-norphos}]⁺ as an intermediate.     

Beiträge zur Chemie der Alkylverbindungen von Übergangsmetallen. 63. Darstellung und Kristallstruktur von Tetramethyltitan-tetrahydrofuran

Contributions to the Chemistry of Transition Metal Alkyl Compounds. 63. Preparation and Crystal Structure of Tetramethyltitanium Tetrahydrofuran Me₄Ti · 2THF 1 dissoziates partially in n-pentane. The formed Me₄Ti · THF 2 could be isolated. According to X-ray structure determination the molecules of 2 have a trigonalbipyramidal shape with the THF molecule in axial position.     

Reduction of 2,5-di-tert-butylcyclopentadienone and pyridine with thulium diiodide. Structures of the complexes TmI2(THF)2[η5-But2C5H2O]TmI2(THF)3 and [TmI2(C5H5N)4]2(μ2-N2C10H10)

Reduction of 2,5-di-tert-butylcyclopentadienone with two equivalents of thulium diiodide in tetrahydrofuran afforded the binuclear thulium(iii) complex with the cyclopentadienyl oxide ligand, viz., TmI₂(THF)₂[⁵-Bu^t ₂C₅H₂O]TmI₂(THF)₃ (1). Shielding of the carbonyl carbon atom with two tert-butyl substituents prevents pinacolization of the ketyl radical anions that formed upon one-electron reduction of cyclopentadienone. The reaction of thulium diiodide with an excess of pyridine in tetrahydrofuran gave a product of reductive coupling of two pyridine radical anions, viz., [TmI₂(C₅H₅N)₄]₂(₂-N₂C₁₀H₁₀) (2). The structures of complexes 1 and 2 were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Beiträge zur Chemie der Pyrrolpigmente, 38. Mitt.: Zur Assoziation von Gallenpigmenten

The long standing problem of solvent dependent absorption spectra of certain bile pigments such as bilirubindimethylester has been solved by measurement of molecular masses by means of vapour pressure osmometry. Using this method and the investigation of the concentration and temperature dependence of the absorption spectra on several model compounds an association equilibrium for pigments of the rubinoid structural type could be confirmed. Moreover the optical properties of the coexisting species and the corresponding equilibrium constants could be deduced by spectroscopic techniques. Verdinoid pigments lacking free carboxylic functions on the other hand tend to be monomeric in solution. A heteroassociated species involving equimolar amounts of a verdinoid and a rubinoid pigment could be verified existing on adsorbents like silicagel.

37. Mitt.:Falk, H., Thirring, K., Tetrahedron, im Druck.