A novel method for determination of inorganic oxyanions by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry using dehydration reactions

Novel methods for the determination of inorganic oxyanions by electrospray (ES) ionization mass spectrometry have been developed using dehydration reactions between oxyanions and carboxylic acids at the ES interface. Twelve oxyanions (VO₃^?, CrO₄^2?, MoO₄^2?, WO₄^2?, BO₃^3?, SiO₃^2?, SiO₄^4?, AsO₄^4?, AsO₂^?, SeO₄^2?, SeO₃^2? and NO₂^?), out of 16 tested, reacted with at least one of four aminopolycarboxylic acids, i.e. iminodiacetic acid (IDA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), trans‐1,2‐diaminocyclohexane‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetic acid and triethylenetetramine‐N,N,N′,N″,N′″,N′″‐hexaacetic acid, at the ES interface to produce the dehydration products that gave intense mass ion responses, sufficient for trace analysis. As examples, trace determinations of Cr^VI and silica in water samples were achieved after online ion exchange chromatography, where the dehydration product of CrO₄^2? and NTA (m/z 290) and that of SiO₄^4? and IDA (m/z 192) were measured. The limits of detection of the respective methods were 17 nM (0.83 ng Cr/ml) for Cr^VI and 0.17 μM (4.8 ng Si/mL) for SiO₄^4?. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A 116-Nuclear Metallosupramolecular Cage-of-Cage Showing Multistep Single-Crystal-to-Single-Crystal Transformation

Here a unique single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformation of a 116-nuclear Au^I₇₂Cd^II₄₀Na^I₄ cage-of-cage ( 2 _CdNa) is reported, which was created from a trigold(I) metalloligand with d -penicillamine by way of a 9-nuclear Au^I₆Cd^II₃ cage ( 1 ). Cage-of-cage 2 _CdNa is composed of 12 cages of 1 that are linked by 4 Cd²⁺ and 4 Na⁺ ions, with its surface being covered by 12 NO₃⁻ ions to form a discrete, spherical molecule with a diameter ca. 4.7 nm. In crystal 2 _CdNa, the cage-of-cage molecules are packed in a cubic lattice with a huge cell volume of ca. 4.5×10⁵ ų_, so as to have large interstices with diameters of more than 3 nm. Upon soaking crystals 2 _CdNa in aqueous Cu(NO₃)₂, all Cd²⁺ and Na⁺ were quickly exchanged by Cu²⁺ to produce an analogous Au^I₇₂Cu^II₄₄ cage-of-cage ( 2 _Cu) in a SCSC manner. Prolonged soaking led to the SCSC transformation to another supramolecular structure ( 2′ _Cu) consisting of 152-nuclear Au^I₇₂Cu^II₈₀ cage-of-cages that are alternately H-bonded with the Au^I₇₂Cu^II₄₄ cage-of-cages. 2′ _Cu showed the accommodation of MoO₄²⁻ and the conversion of MoO₄²⁻ to β-Mo₈O₂₆⁴⁻ in the crystal, with retention of single-crystallinity.     

A Mechanistic Dichotomy in Two-Electron Reduction of Dioxygen Catalyzed by N,N’-Dimethylated Porphyrin Isomers

Selective two-electron reduction of dioxygen (O₂) to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) has been achieved by two saddle-distorted N,N’-dimethylated porphyrin isomers, an N21,N’22-dimethylated porphyrin ( anti -Me₂P ) and an N21,N’23-dimethylated porphyrin ( syn -Me₂P ) as catalysts and ferrocene derivatives as electron donors in the presence of protic acids in acetonitrile. The higher catalytic performance in an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was achieved by anti -Me₂P with higher turnover number (TON=250 for 30 min) than that by syn -Me₂P (TON=218 for 60 min). The reactive intermediates in the catalytic ORR were confirmed to be the corresponding isophlorins ( anti -Me₂Iph or syn -Me₂Iph ) by spectroscopic measurements. The rate-determining step in the catalytic ORRs was concluded to be proton-coupled electron-transfer reduction of O₂ with isophlorins based on kinetic analysis. The ORR rate by anti -Me₂Iph was accelerated by external protons, judging from the dependence of the observed initial rates on acid concentrations. In contrast, no acceleration of the ORR rate with syn -Me₂Iph by external protons was observed. The different mechanisms in the O₂ reduction by the two isomers should be derived from that of the arrangement of hydrogen bonding of a O₂ with inner NH protons of the isophlorins.     

Cyclization from Higher Excited States of Diarylethenes Having a Substituted Azulene Ring

The cyclization reaction of diarylethenes having an azulene ring occurs only via higher excited states. Novel diarylethenes having an azulene ring with a strong donor or acceptor were synthesized and examined in these reactions. A derivative having an electron-donating 1,3-benzodithiol-2-ylidenemethyl group at the 1-position of the azulene ring showed photochromism, whereas neither a derivative having a π-conjugated electron-donating group at the 3-position of the azulene ring nor derivatives having a π-conjugated electron-withdrawing group at the 1- or 3-position of the azulene ring showed any photochromism. The photoreactivities of these compounds were explained by calculating forces and bond orders on the excited states using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent (TD)-DFT.     

Discrete π Stack of a Tweezer-Shaped Naphthalenediimide–Anthracene Conjugate

The design and synthesis of a tweezer-shaped naphthalenediimide (NDI)–anthracene conjugate ( 2NDI ) are reported. In the structure of the closed form (π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI stack) of 2NDI , which was elucidated by single-crystal XRD, the existence of C−H ⋅⋅⋅ O hydrogen bonding involving the nearest carbonyl oxygen atom of an NDI unit was suggested. The tunability of π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI interactions was studied by means of UV/Vis absorption, fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling. This revealed that the π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI interactions in 2NDI affect the absorption and emission properties depending on the temperature. Furthermore, in polar solvents, 2NDI prefers the stronger π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI stack, whereas the π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI interaction is diminished in nonpolar solvents. Importantly, the conformational variations of 2NDI can be reversibly switched by variation in temperature, and this suggests potential application for fluorogenic molecular switches upon temperature changes.     

Antimutagenic activity of ent-kaurane diterpenoids from the aerial parts of Isodon japonicus

From the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Isodon japonicus, two new ent-kaurane diterpenes, isodonterpenes I and II, were isolated together with 10 known diterpenes. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence. The absolute configuration of isodonterpene I was elucidated by Cu-Kα X-ray crystallographic analysis. Antimutagenic activities of the major diterpenes were evaluated by the Ames test. This study represents the first evaluation of the antimutagenic activities of ent-kaurane diterpenes.     

Thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen absorption–desorption of vanadium synthesized by aluminothermy

This paper studies the addition (0–40% w/w) of natural zeolite (NZ, 84% clinoptilolite) in blended cements made with Portland cement (PC) with low and medium C₃A content. The isothermal calorimetry was used to understand the effect of NZ on the early cement hydration. For low C₃A cement, the addition of NZ produces mainly a dilution effect and then the heat released curve is similar to plain cement with lower intensity. For medium C₃A cement, the curve shows the C₃S peak in advance and a high intensity of third peak attributed to C₃A hydration. The high cation fixed of NZ reduces the ions concentration (especially alkalis) in the mixing water stimulating the PC hydration. The flowability decreases when the NZ replacement level increases. Results of Fratini’s test show that NZ with both PCs used presents slow pozzolanic activity. At early age, XRD and FTIR analyses confirm that hydration products are the same as that of the corresponding PC and the CH is progressively reduced after 28 days and some AFm phases (hemi- and monocarboaluminate) appear depending on the NZ percentage and the PC used. For low replacement levels, the compressive strength is higher than the corresponding PC from 2 to 28 days. For high replacement levels, the early compressive strength is lower than that of corresponding plain PC and the pozzolanic reaction improves the later compressive strength of blended cements.     

Helical foldamer-catalyzed enantioselective 1,4-addition reaction of dialkyl malonates to cyclic enones

The introduction of a five-membered ring α,α-disubstituted α-amino acid into l-Leu-based heptapeptides preferentially induced right-handed (P) helical structures. Using 5 ～ 20 mol% of a single helical foldamers-catalyst, enantioselective 1,4-addition reactions of dialkyl malonates to cycloalk-2-enones (5 ～ 7 rings) proceeded to give chiral 3-substituted cycloalkanones with 94 ～ 99% ee in moderate chemical yields, regardless of the ring size of substrates.     

Carboxylic acid recognition of diamidine having a fluorescent 1,8-diphenylanthracene unit and its detection of amidinium-carboxylate and amidinium formation

A diphenylanthracene-based diamidine (1a) fluorescent probe for the detection of dicarboxylic acids has been designed and synthesized, which has an extended π-conjugation rather than a simple anthracene ring, in order to observe highly different fluorescence wavelengths after complex formation with dicarboxylic acids. The fluorescence spectra of the mixed solution of the diamidine 1a and carboxylic acids showed two different fluorescence bands, which corresponded to the complex formation (amidinium-carboxylate formation, λ_em?=?450?nm, light blue color) and dissociated amidinium formation (λ_em?=?510?nm as a broad band, green color). The complexed and dissociated states were confirmed by DOSY NMR and TD-DFT calculations. These different fluorescence wavelengths may come from the differences in the dihedral angles between the phenyl rings at the 1,8-position and anthracene ring (difference in π-conjugation) of 1a under complex formation and dissociated amidinium formation. The proposed mechanism for the observation of the different fluorescence wavelengths (complex formation and amidinium formation) was also confirmed by the fluorescence study of diamidine 1b which causes restricted rotation of the phenyl rings by substitution of the steric methyl groups, and observed the same fluorescence spectra for the complex formation and amidinium formation (400, 420, 450?nm as a vibrational structure of anthracene ring). These fluorescence characteristics of the diamidine 1a are also applicable for the detection of α,ω?dicarboxylic acids.