Analytical mass spectrometry

A review is made of the basic theory, instrumentation and application of mass spectrometry, with special reference to the development of the equipment and its impact on the scope of application.     

The gas chromatography, thermal analysis and mass spectrometry of fluorinated lead β-diketonates Determination of traces of lead by the integrated ion-current technique

Preparative details for perfluoroalkanoylpivalylmethanes and their lead chelates are given. Thermal analysis, gas chromatography and mass spectral studies all indicate high thermal stability, but strong column interaction makes successful quantitative gas chromatography difficult. The integrated ion-current technique is applied to determine lead heptafluorobutanoylpivalylmethanate in the range 10^-9–10^-7 g of lead, but a lower detection limit of ca. 10^-14 g is indicated.     

Beckmann rearrangement in benzophenone oxime,a mass spectrometric study

The isomerization of benzophenone oxime to benzanilide, previously observed to take place in the ion source of a mass spectrometer and attributed to a Beckmann type rearrangement of the benzophenone oxime molecule ion, has been shown to occur by a thermal mechanism prior to ionization. Mass spectrometric evidence is supplemented by infrared spectrophotometric examination of solid samples and shows that in the solid state, at room temperature, benzophenone oxime has a lifetime of about 600 h.     

Investigation of the species-specific degradation behaviour of methylmercury and ethylmercury under microwave irradiation

The degradation behaviour of methylmercury (MeHg) under microwave irradiation is investigated, as is the (different) degradation behaviour of ethylmercury (EtHg) under similar irradiation. A simple and highly sensitive SPME-GC-pyrolysis-AFS system was used to analyse the aqueous MeHg and EtHg standard solutions after derivatization with sodium tetraphenylborate (NaBPh₄). Samples were irradiated in a microwave digester at microwave powers ranging from 20 to 160 W for durations of 2 to 10 min. The different tolerances towards microwave treatment of the two organomercury species were evident. Practically no degradation was experienced for MeHg for up to 8 minutes of irradiation at 120 W or for up to 4 minutes at 160 W. Significant analyte loss was observed for EtHg after 2 minutes at 40 W of microwave power. Awarded a Poster Prize on the occasion of the European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, February 2005, Budapest, Hungary     

Redox reactions on columns

In a study of redox reactions on columns, the work of Cerrai and Testa has been extended. It has been shown that insolubility of the redox compound is the most important factor and that adsorptive forces play little or no part. A useful redox column method for the determination of iron and vanadium, which compares favourably with that using a Jones reductor column, has been developed. The redox potentials of several substituted hydroquinones have been measured.     

Heat Capacities of Aqueous Solutions of Acetone; 2,5-Hexanedione; Diethyl Ether; 1,2-Dimethoxyethane; Benzyl Alcohol; and Cyclohexanol at Temperatures to 523 K

The heat capacities of aqueous solutions of acetone, 2,5-hexanedione, diethyl ether, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, benzyl alcohol and cyclohexanol at concentrations of 0.1 to 1.0 mol⋅kg⁻¹ were determined at temperatures of 298.15, 423.15, 473.15 and 523.15 K and pressures up to 28 MPa. The measurements were performed at ambient conditions using the commercial Picker differential flow calorimeter and at high temperatures and pressures with a customized Picker type calorimeter constructed at the Blaise Pascal University, Clermont-Ferrand. Standard molar heat capacities were obtained by weighted extrapolation to the infinite dilution limit. The contributions of –CO–, –O– and –OH groups to the standard molar volume and standard molar heat capacity were determined from the newly determined and literature data. The variation of the three oxygen-containing group contributions with temperature and molecular structure is examined qualitatively.     

FLASH INDUCED OSCILLATION OF THE LOW TEMPERATURE THERMOLUMINESCENCE BAND Zv IN CHLOROPLASTS

Using preilluminating flashes at 2°C prior to continuous excitation of isolated chloroplasts at -80°C, a period-four oscillation with maxima at the 0th, 4th and 8th flashes was observed in the amplitude of the thermoluminescence band Z_v. Inactivation of the water-splitting system by hydroxylamine- or Tris-treatments greatly diminished the Z_v band. On the other hand, its amplitude was not considerably affected by the addition of inhibitory concentration of DCMU. On the basis of the results, the possible origin of the Z_v band is discussed.     

Vibrational spectroscopic detection of H-bonded β- and γ-turns in cyclic peptides and glycopeptides

The conformation of N-glycoproteins and N-glycopeptides has been the subject of many spectroscopic studies over the past decades. However, except for some preliminary data, no detailed study on the vibrational spectroscopy of glycosylated peptides has been published until recently.

This paper reports FTIR spectroscopic properties in DMSO and TFE of the N-glycosylated cyclic peptides cyclo[Gly-Pro-Xxx(GlcNAc)-Gly-δ-Ava] 3a and 3b in comparison with data on the non-glycosylated parent peptides cyclo(Gly-Pro-Xxx-Gly-δ-Ava) 2a and 2b [a, Xxx = Asn; b, Xxx = Gln; δ-Ava = NH-(CH₂)₄-CO] and N-acetyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β- -gluco pyranosylamine (GlcNAc-NHAc, 4). The assignment of amide I band frequencies to conformation is based on ROESY experiments and determination of the temperature coefficients in DMSO-d₆ solution. (For the synthesis and NMR characterization of 2a and 3a see Ref. [19].)

Cyclic peptides are expected to adopt folded (β- and/or γ-turn) conformations which may be fixed by intramolecular H-bonding(s). A comparison of the temperature coefficients of the NH protons and amide I band frequencies and intensities suggests that in DMSO there is no significant difference in the backbone conformation and H-bond system of the N-glycosylated models and their parent cyclic peptides. The common feature of the backbone conformation of models 2 and 3 is the predominance of a 1 ← 4 (C₁₀) H-bonded type II β-turn encompassing Pro-Xxx or Pro-Xxx(GlcNAc), respectively. The ROESY connectivities in the Asn(GlcNAc) model (3a) have not been found to reflect intramolecular H-bondings between the peptide and the sugar.

The unique feature of the FTIR spectra in DMSO of the cyclic models is the lack or weakness of low-frequency (< 1640 cm⁻¹) amide I component bands. In TFE the amide I region of the FTIR spectra shows an increased number of components below 1650 cm⁻¹ reflecting a mixture of open and H-bonded β- and γ-turn conformers.

Because of its destabilizing effect upon γ-turns and other weakly H-bonded structures, DMSO decreases the number of backbone conformers. DMSO also destroys side-chain-backbone H-bondings of type C₇, C₆ or C₈. Possible ‘glyco’ C₇ H-bondings in GlcNAc-NHAc (4) or in glycopeptides 3a and 3b cannot resist the effect of DMSO either.

The FTIR data in TFE of models 2–4 suggest that the acceptor amide group of strong C₇ H-bondings in peptides and glycopeptides absorbs at 1630 ± 5 cm⁻¹ and that of bifurcated H-bondings between 1600–1620 cm⁻¹.     

Mass spectrometry of metal chelates-I Detection on the picogram scale

A method has been developed for the detection and estimation of metals in the form of chelates in amounts down to 10(-12) g. The chelate is evaporated into the source of a mass spectrometer and a continuous record of the ion current at a significant mass number is made. The integrated ion current is directly proportional to the concentration of metal chelate.     

Studies of UV photochemistry of psoralen and angelicin by infrared spectroscopy

The UV homodimerization reaction of psoralen and angelicin in crystalline thin layers has been investigated by means of transmission infrared and infrared ATR (attenuated total reflection) spectroscopy.

In the case of psoralen layers isoorientation was found. Dichroic ratios for several vibrational bands have been obtained. After irradiation, cis-syn photodimers were found for both psoralen and angelicin.