Measurement of storage time, estimation of ion number and study of absorption line profile in a Paul trap

Europium (Eu⁺) ions were confined in a Paul trap and detected by non-destructive method. Storage time of Eu⁺ ions achieved in vacuum was improved by orders of magnitude employing buffer gas cooling. The experimentally detected signal was fitted to the ion response signal and the total number of ions trapped was estimated. It is found that the peak signal amplitude as well as the product of FWHM and the peak signal amplitude is proportional to the total number of trapped ions. The trapped ion secular frequency was swept at different rates and its effect on the absorption line profile was studied both experimentally and theoretically.     

Correction: Dermatan sulfate in tunicate phylogeny: Order-specific sulfation pattern and the effect of [→4IdoA(2-Sulfate)β-1→3GalNAc(4-Sulfate)β-1→] motifs in dermatan sulfate on heparin cofactor II activity

After the publication of the work entitled "Dermatan sulfate in tunicate phylogeny: Order-specific sulfation pattern and the effect of [→4IdoA(2-Sulfate)β-1→3GalNAc(4-Sulfate)β-1→] motifs in dermatan sulfate on heparin cofactor II activity", by Kozlowski et al., BMC Biochemistry 2011, 12:29, we found that the legends to Figures 2 to 5 contain serious mistakes that compromise the comprehension of the work. This correction article contains the correct text of the legends to Figures 2 to 5.     

Anhydrous tetrabutylammonium fluoride

Tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) is prepared at low temperature by nucleophilic aromatic substitution of hexafluorobenzene with tetrabutylammonium cyanide. Adventitious water is scavenged during this synthesis by the generated hexacyanobenzene, which readily adds water under basic conditions. Contrary to expectations, TBAF is stable to Hofmann elimination in polar aprotic solvents under anhydrous conditions. Added hydroxylic solvents are shown to catalyze the decomposition of TBAF and to catalyze proton exchange with DMSO. The synthetic utility of this salt is described briefly.     

On the negligible impact of ruffling on the electronic spectra of porphine, tetramethylporphyrin, and perfluoroalkylporphyrins.

In the first part of this paper, the syntheses, structural characterization, molecular modeling, and electronic spectra for planar and nonplanar perfluoroalkylated porphyrins, (R(f))(4)P's, are reported. These studies demonstrate that the intrinsic substituent effect of the perfluoroalkyl group on the long-wavelength electronic spectrum of porphyrins is substantial, and similar (in magnitude) to that of a phenyl ring. Moreover, it is shown that out-of-plane distortion of (R(f))(4)P's has a negligible impact on their electronic spectra. These data bolster the findings of our earlier work and demonstrate that nonplanarity of (R(f))(4)P's does not result in a red-shift in their optical spectra. In the second part of this paper, time-dependent density functional spectral calculations (B3LYP/6-311G/TD) for porphine, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(trifluoromethyl)porphyrin, and 5,10,15,20-tetramethylporphyrin in a variety of ruffled conformations are reported. The results of these studies indicate that (1) substantial ruffling of porphyrins has a negligible effect upon their electronic spectra, (2) similarly small effects upon electronic spectra are predicted if electron-withdrawing or electron-releasing groups decorate the porphyrin periphery, (3) for sterically encumbered porphyrins, ruffling can actually result in hypsochromic shifts in various absorption bands, and (4) the bulk of the red-shift commonly thought to be due to nonplanar distortion actually arises from other substituent effects. These results pose serious challenges to previous theoretical and empirical studies that have sought to find a cause-and-effect relationship between nonplanarity and electronic spectra in porphyrins.     

A method for detecting water in organic solvents

The potent dehydrating ability of difluoro(aryl)-lambda (3)-iodanes is exploited to develop a convenient (19)F-NMR-based aquametry method that is more sensitive than coulometric Karl Fischer titration. The key difluoro(aryl)-lambda (3)-iodane reagents are synthesized readily from commercially available and inexpensive precursors.     

Differential substituent effects of beta-halogens in water-soluble porphyrins

The first water-soluble beta-octafluorinated porphyrins, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18- octafluoroporphyrin, 1, and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2,6-difluoro-3-sulfonatophenyl)-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18- octafluoroporphyrin, 2, have been prepared and their aqueous aggregation, acid-base, and optical properties have been characterized. The porphyrins are tetraanionic at neutral pH (at pH = 3-11 for 1 and pH = 0-9 for 2). Semiempirical (AM1) calculations provide evidence that somewhat unusual acidity characteristics of the fluorinated compounds (with respect to similar brominated porphyrins) can be rationalized solely on the basis of chemical hardness and electronegativity arguments. These results indicate that the large conformational differences seen in the structures of brominated and fluorinated water-soluble porphyrins have little impact upon N-H acidity. Metalation of 1 and 2 with ZnCl2 yielded the zinc complexes, which were characterized by optical spectroscopy and electrochemistry.