Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis of organophosphorus chemical warfare agents using ion mobility and tandem mass spectrometry

Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI‐MS) has been applied to the direct analysis of sample media for target chemicals, including chemical warfare agents (CWA), without the need for additional sample handling. During the present study, solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) fibers were used to sample the headspace above five organophosphorus CWA, O‐isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (sarin, GB), O‐pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate (soman, GD), O‐ethyl N,N‐dimethyl phosphoramidocyanidate (tabun, GA), O‐cyclohexyl methylphosphonofluoridate (cyclohexyl sarin, GF) and O‐ethyl S‐2‐diisopropylaminoethyl methyl phosphonothiolate (VX) spiked into glass headspace sampling vials. Following sampling, the SPME fibers were introduced directly into a modified ESI source, enabling rapid and safe DESI of the toxic compounds. A SYNAPT HDMS? instrument was used to acquire time‐aligned parallel (TAP) fragmentation data, which provided both ion mobility and MSⁿ (n = 2 or 3) data useful for the confirmation of CWA. Unique ion mobility profiles were acquired for each compound and characteristic product ions of the ion mobility separated ions were produced in the Triwave? transfer collision region. Up to six full scanning MSⁿ spectra, containing the [M + H]⁺ ion and up to seven diagnostic product ions, were acquired for each CWA during SPME fiber analysis. A rapid screening approach, based on the developed methodology, was applied to several typical forensic media, including Dacron sampling swabs spiked with 5 µg of CWA. Background interference was minimal and the spiked CWA were readily identified within one minute on the basis of the acquired ion mobility and mass spectrometric data. Copyright © 2010 Crown in the right of Canada. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Packed capillary liquid chromatography–electrospray mass spectrometry analysis of organophosphorus chemical warfare agents

Packed capillary column liquid chromatography (LC)–electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was used for the first time to detect and identify four common organophosphorus chemical warfare agents in aqueous samples. Aqueous samples containing the organophosphorus chemical warfare agents in the 0.01 to 0.1 mg/ml range were analyzed directly by packed capillary LC–ESI-MS with the chemical warfare agents and several minor related impurities being well resolved under acetonitrile–water gradient elution conditions. The ESI-MS data for isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (sarin or GB), O-ethyl N,N-dimethylphosphoramidocyanidate (tabun or GA), cyclohexyl methylphosphonofluoridate (GF) and pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate (soman or GD) were acquired with a sampling cone voltage setting that promoted collisionally activated dissociation, and resulted in the acquisition of informative mass spectra containing both molecular and product ion information. The developed method appears to be an attractive alternative to GC–MS for the analysis of aqueous samples containing organophosphorus chemical warfare agents and their hydrolysis products, since they may be analyzed directly without the need for additional sample handling.     

Liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometric and desorption electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric analysis of chemical warfare agents in office media typically collected during a forensic investigation

Most prior analytical studies have dealt with the determination of chemical warfare agents in environmental or biological matrices that would typically be collected following battlefield use or in support of the Chemical Weapons Convention. These methods may be useful for some investigations, but may not be practical for indoor forensic investigations where chemical warfare agent use is suspected. There is a need for analytical methods for chemical warfare agent identification in office media, including flooring, wall surfaces, office fabrics and paper products, which would typically be collected in an office environment during forensic investigations. During this study, typical office environment media were spiked at the 4-20microg/g level with either a complex munitions grade sample of tabun (GA) or with a standard containing the three nerve agents, sarin (GB), cyclohexyl methylphosphonofluoridate (GF), soman (GD) and the nerve agent simulant, triethyl phosphate (TEP), to evaluate the potentials of liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) and liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) for forensic purposes. An emerging technique, desorption electrospray ionization (DESI-MS/MS), was also investigated for the direct determination of TEP, GB and GD sampled onto solid phase microextraction (SPME) fibers exposed to spiked office media. The spiked chemical warfare agents were recovered with varying efficiencies during this study, but in all cases sufficient chemical warfare agent was recovered for mass spectrometric identification purposes. Full high resolution mass spectra were acquired for all the chemical warfare agents in the continuum mode, which typically resulted in mass measurement errors of 0.001Da or less.     

Broad‐Spectrum Liquid‐ and Gas‐Phase Decontamination of Chemical Warfare Agents by One‐Dimensional Heteropolyniobates

A wide range of chemical warfare agents and their simulants are catalytically decontaminated by a new one‐dimensional polymeric polyniobate (P‐PONb), K₁₂[Ti₂O₂][GeNb₁₂O₄₀]?19 H₂O ( KGeNb ) under mild conditions and in the dark. Uniquely, KGeNb facilitates hydrolysis of nerve agents Sarin (GB) and Soman (GD) (and their less reactive simulants, dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP)) as well as mustard (HD) in both liquid and gas phases at ambient temperature and in the absence of neutralizing bases or illumination. Three lines of evidence establish that KGeNb removes DMMP, and thus likely GB/GD, by general base catalysis: a) the k(H₂O)/k(D₂O) solvent isotope effect is 1.4; b) the rate law (hydrolysis at the same pH depends on the amount of P‐PONb present); and c) hydroxide is far less active against the above simulants at the same pH than the P‐PONbs themselves, a critical control experiment.     

Reaction of nerve agents with phosphate buffer at pH 7

Chemical weapon nerve agents, including isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (GB or Sarin), pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate (GD or Soman), and S-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl) O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate (VX), are slow to react in aqueous solutions at midrange pH levels. The nerve agent reactivity increases in phosphate buffer at pH 7, relative to distilled water or acetate buffer. Reactions were studied using (31)P NMR. Phosphate causes faster reaction to the corresponding alkyl methylphosphonic acids, and produces a mixed phosphate/phosphonate compound as an intermediate reaction product. GB has the fastest reaction rate, with a bimolecular rate constant of 4.6 × 10(-3) M(-1)s(-1)[PO(4)(3-)]. The molar product branching ratio of GB acid to the pyro product (isopropyl methylphosphonate phosphate anhydride) is 1:1.4, independent of phosphate concentration, and the pyro product continues to react much slower to form GB acid. The pyro product has two doublets in the (31)P NMR spectrum. The rate of reaction for GD is slower than GB, with a rate constant of 1.26 × 10(-3) M(-1)s(-1) [PO(4)(3-)]. The rate for VX is considerably slower, with a rate constant of 1.39 × 10(-5) M(-1)s(-1) [PO(4)(3-)], about 2 orders of magnitude slower than the rate for GD. The rate constant of the reaction of GD with pyrophosphate at pH 8 is 2.04 × 10(-3) min(-1) at a concentration of 0.0145 M. The rate of reaction for diisopropyl fluorophosphate is 2.84 × 10(-3) min(-1) at a concentration of 0.153 M phosphate, a factor of 4 slower than GD and a factor of 15 slower than GB, and there is no detectable pyro product. The half-lives of secondary reaction of the GB pyro product in 0.153 and 0.046 M solution of phosphate are 23.8 and 28.0 h, respectively, which indicates little or no dependence on phosphate.     

A Rapid and Sensitive Strip‐Based Quick Test for Nerve Agents Tabun,Sarin, and Soman Using BODIPY‐Modified Silica Materials

Test strips that in combination with a portable fluorescence reader or digital camera can rapidly and selectively detect chemical warfare agents (CWAs) such as Tabun (GA), Sarin (GB), and Soman (GD) and their simulants in the gas phase have been developed. The strips contain spots of a hybrid indicator material consisting of a fluorescent BODIPY indicator covalently anchored into the channels of mesoporous SBA silica microparticles. The fluorescence quenching response allows the sensitive detection of CWAs in the μg m^?3 range in a few seconds.     

Gas chromatographic separation of the stereoisomers of organophosphorus chemical warfare agents using cyclodextrin capillary columns

The synthesis of the organophosphorus nerve agents sarin, tabun, and cyclohexyl methylphosphonofluoridate (GF) produces a mixture of two stereoisomers except for soman where four stereoisomers are produced. Significant differences exist in the reported toxicity and AChE inhibition rates of the various stereoisomers. This makes the ability to distinguish between the different stereoisomers desirable. Five different derivatized cyclodextrin stationary phases developed for gas chromatography were tested for their ability to resolve the nerve agent stereoisomers using a gas chromatograph interfaced to an atomic emission detector. Of the five columns that we examined, only the 2,6-di-O-pentyl-3-O-trifluoroacetyl or 2,6-di-O-pentyl-3-O-butyryl γ-cyclodextrins were able to successfully resolve all four soman stereoisomers. The elution order for each column was determined using solutions of isolated soman stereoisomers. Enantiomers of sarin, tabun, and GF were resolved with varying degrees of success on the different cyclodextrin stationary phases. Only the butyryl γ-cyclodextrin was able to separate the enantiomers of all four of the nerve agents examined in this study. The capacity (k) and selectivity (α) factors were determined for each of the chemical warfare agents successfully separated. The TNO Prins Maurits Laboratory in the Netherlands has previously developed several different chromatographic methods to resolve the stereoisomers of soman, sarin, and tabun. The advantage of the method described here is that commercially available cyclodextrin gas chromatography columns were used to resolve the stereoisomers, thereby facilitating rapid and routine analysis of organophosphorus nerve agents.     

Identification of an octyl methylphosphonofluoridate mixture in chemical industry samples

Summary As part of an international round robin verification exercise, samples were analysed from a simulated inspection, which may take place under a future Chemical Weapons Convention, of a facility producing the organophosphorus insecticide 2,2-dichloroethenyl dimethyl phosphate (Dichlorvos). The identification of an unknown potential chemical warfare agent, an octyl methylphosphonofluoridate mixture, by the combination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (both electron impact and chemical ionization) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (¹⁹F and ³¹P) is described in detail. This compound mixture was added in relatively small quantities to some of the complicated chemical industry samples.     

A 19F NMR STUDY OF THE HYDROLYSIS OF ORGANOPHOSPHORUS FLUORIDATES IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION Doubling of the 19F nmr in Diastereoisomeric Mixtures

Abstract

¹H and ¹⁹F nmr spectra of two series of organophosphorus esters containing a P–F bond were studied. 2-Fluoro-4-methyl 1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinane 2-oxide (2) was found to be a mixture of two diastereoisomers in the ratio of trans/cis = 4.

Stereospecific catalysis of phosphate and maleate anions in the hydrolysis of 2 was observed, leading to enrichment of the non-hydrolysed fluoridates with the trans isomer.

The ¹⁹F nmr spectra of O-2-butyl methylphosphonofluoridate (7) and O-pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate (8), showed doubling of the ¹⁹F nmr spectra, giving rise to two sets of double quartets of equal intensity. 1:1 mixtures of diastereoisomers account for the doubling of the resonance rather than sterically hindered rotation. The applicability of nmr spectroscopy to the study of stereospecific displacement reactions at tetrahedral phosphorus is discussed.     

水和粮食中化学战剂的分析

建立了水和粮食中７种化学战剂沙林、棱曼、塔崩、甲氟膦酸环已酯、Ｓ－（２＝－二惜内基氨乙基）甲基硫直膦酸乙酯（ＶＸ）、俄罗期ＶＸ和芥子气的ＧＣ、璃子选择＿分析方法。染毒水样经二氯甲烷提取,提取液在氮气流下浓缩至１ｍＬ;染毒粮样用蒸馏水提取,提取液离心后过Ｃ１８固相柱,乙腈洗脱,然后用ＧＣ－ＭＳ－ＳＩＭ测定。该法前处理较简便,净化效果好,方法灵敏,适用于军粮、饮水中微量化学战剂的分析。     

Spectroscopic and inclusion properties of G-series chemical warfare agents and their simulants: a DFT study

A computational protocol to predict the infrared spectra of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) tabun (GA), sarin (GB), soman (GD) and cyclosarin (GF) has been developed. Sarin was used to benchmark the method through gas phase simulations. DFT calculations using the EDF2 functional and diffuse 6-311++G** basis set was found to give the closest match to experimental infrared spectra. Using the same functional the 6-31G (2df, 2p) basis set was found to be superior when hydrated sarin was modelled. GA, GB, GD and GF, together with 11 commonly used simulants, were modelled in the gas and hydrated states. Complexes of GB and a number of CWA mimics with α-cyclodextrin were modelled to give insight into their different modes of inclusion.     

Synthetic Studies on Sialoglycoconjugates 91: Total Synthesis of Gangliosides GD1C and GT1A

Abstract

A first total synthesis of gangliosides GD1c and GT1a containing Neu5Acα(2→8) Neu5Acα(2→3)Gal residue in their non-reducing terminal is described. Condensation of methyl O-[methyl 5-acetamido-8-O-(5-acetamido-4,7,8,9-tetra-O-acetyl-3,5-dideoxy-D-glycero-α-D-galacto-2-nonulopyranosylono-1¹,9-lactone) -4,7- di-O-acetyl-3,5-dideoxy-D-glycero-α-D-galcto-2-nonulopyranosyranosylanate]-(2→3)-2,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-1-thio-β-D-gala-ctopyranoside (1) with 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl O-(2-acetamido-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-β-D-galactopyranosyl)- (1→4) -O -(2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-β-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1→4)-2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (2) or 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl O-(2-acetamido-6-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-β-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1→4)-(9-[methyl 5-acetamido-4,7,8,9-tetra-O-acetyl-3,5-dideoxy-D-glycero-α-D-galacto-2-nonulopyranosylonate)-(2→3)]-O-(2,6-di-O-benzyl-β-D-galactopyranosyl) - (1→4) - 2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (3) in the presence of dimethyl(methylthio)sulfonium triflate (DMTST) gave the corresponding hexa-and heptasaccharide derivatives 4 and 5, respectively. These oligosaccharides were converted into the α-trichloroacetimidates 10 and 11 via reductive removal of the benzyl groups and/or benzylidene group, O-acetylation, selective removal of the 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl group and treatment with trichloroacetonitrile, which, on coupling with 2-azidosphingosine derivatives 12 or 13, gave the β-glycosides 14 and 15, respectively. Finally, 14 and 15 were transformed, via selective reduction of the azido group, coupling with octadecanoic acid and removal of all protecting groups, into the title gangliosides GD1c 18 and GT1a 19.     

(±)-6,7-丙酮缩二醇-3-酮-庚酸乙酯合成研究

用对甲苯磺酸-2,3-丙酮缩甘油酯(2)与乙酰乙酸乙酯盐、碳酸二乙酯反应, 制备β-酮酯类衍生物1. 以(±)-1,2-丙酮缩甘油为起始物, 经对甲苯磺酰化、亲核取代、脱羧等反应, 方便、高产率地合成了6,7-丙酮缩二醇-3-酮-庚酸乙酯(1). 试图通过对甲苯磺酸-2,3-丙酮缩甘油酯(2)和乙酰乙酸乙酯双阴离子反应制备6,7-丙酮缩二醇-3-酮-庚酸乙酯(1)未获成功. 所合成的化合物经元素分析, IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR和MS光谱表征.     

Identification of V‐type nerve agents in vapor samples using a field‐portable capillary gas chromatography/membrane‐interfaced electron ionization quadrupole mass spectrometry instrument with Tri‐Bed concentrator and fluoridating conversion tube

A field‐portable gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) system (Hapsite ER) was evaluated for the detection of nonvolatile V‐type nerve agents (VX and Russian VX (RVX)) in the vapor phase. The Hapsite ER system consists of a Tri‐Bed concentrator gas sampler, a nonpolar low thermal‐mass capillary GC column and a hydrophobic membrane‐interfaced electron ionization quadrupole mass spectrometer evacuated by a non‐evaporative getter pump. The GC–MS system was attached to a VX‐G fluoridating conversion tube containing silver nitrate and potassium fluoride. Sample vapors of VX and RVX were converted into O‐ethyl methylphosphonofluoridate (EtGB) and O‐isobutyl methylphosphonofluoridate (iBuGB), respectively. These fluoridated derivatives were detected within 10 min. No compounds were detected when the VX and RVX samples were analyzed without the conversion tube. A vapor sample of tabun (GA) was analyzed, in which GA and O‐ethyl N,N‐dimethylphosphoramidofluoridate were detected. The molar recovery percentages of EtGB and iBuGB from VX and RVX vapors varied from 0.3 to 17%, which was attributed to variations in the vaporization efficiency of the glass vapor container. The conversion efficiencies of the VX‐G conversion tube for VX and RVX to their phosphonate derivatives were estimated to be 40%. VX and RVX vapors were detected at concentrations as low as 0.3 mg m⁻³. Gasoline vapor was found to interfere with the analyses of VX and RVX. In the presence of 160 mg m⁻³ gasoline, the detection limits of VX and RVX vapor were increased to 20 mg m⁻³. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation,Isolation and Characterization of all of the Regioisomeric 61, 6N-Bis-O-(Monomethoxytrityl) and-(Dimethoxytrityl) Derivatives of Cyclomalto-Olgosaccharides

Abstract

Regioisomeric 6¹, 6ⁿ-bis-O-(monomethoxytrityl) or 6¹, 6ⁿ-bis-O-(dimethoxytrityl) cyclomaltohexaose, -cyclomaltoheptaose (n = 2-4), and -cyclomaltooctaose derivatives (n = 2-5) were prepared by the reaction of cyclomaltohexaose (1, cG₆, αCD), cyclomaltoheptaose (11, cG₇, βCD) or cyclomaltooctaose (21, cG₈, γCD) and 4-monomethoxytrityl chloride or 4,4′-dimethoxytrityl chloride in pyridine. Products were isolated by HPLC. The regiochemical determination of these positional isomers was done by converting these compounds to the respective 6¹, 6ⁿ-bis-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl) derivatives¹ whose structures have been already established.     

Screening hydrolysis products of sulfur mustard agents by high-performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detection

Sulfur mustard (HD), bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide, is one of a class of mustard agents which are chemical warfare agents. The main chemical warfare hydrolysis degradation products of sulfur mustards are: thiodiglycol, bis(2-hydroxyethylthio)methane, 1,2-bis(2-hydroxyethylthio)ethane, 1,3-bis(2-hydroxyethylthio)propane, and 1,4-bis(2-hydroxyethylthio)butane. The aim of this study is to identify these five hydrolysis degradation products utilizing reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for element-specific sulfur detection using a collision/reaction cell and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry to confirm the identification. To date, this is the first study utilizing ICP-MS with ³²S element-specific detection for the analysis of vesicant chemical warfare agent degradation products.     

A Facile Synthesis of 1,2:3,4:5,6-Tri-O-Isopropylidene-D-Gluconate–A Convenient Precursor of the Open Chain form of D-Glucose

Abstract

Condensation of D-glucono-1,5-lactone (1) with acidified acetone yields in low yield, among other products, 1,2:3,4:5,6-tri-O-isopropylidene-D-gluconate (2).^1,2 Reaction of 2 with sodium methoxide in methanol gives methyl 3,4:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-D-gluconate³ (3); this compound was prepared recently by Chittenden and co-workers³ directly from 1 (by reaction of 1 with acetone and dimethoxypropane). It is easily transformed³ into 2,3:4,5-di-O-isopropylidene-D-arabinose (4).     

L-Gel Formulation and Decontamination Reaction of Its Active Ingredient (Oxone) Against Mustard and VX Nerve Agent Simulants

Abstract

L-Gel is an effective decontamination reagent against chemical and biological warfare agents. To achieve optimized formulation of L-Gel, several formulations with different proportional amounts of oxone (oxidizer) and Cab-O-Sil (gelling agent) were prepared and their viscosities and densities were measured. Final optimized formulation of gel was obtained as a 0.25 M aqueous solution of oxone gelled with 13%W/W of Cab-O-Sil EH-5. The L-Gel active ingredient (oxone) was tested against O,O,S-triethyl phosphorothioate (TEPT) as VX simulant and methyl phenyl sulfide (MPS) and chloroethyl phenyl sulfide (CEPS) as HD simulants. Decontamination of TEPT by a 10-fold excess amount of oxone was completed within 7.5 min with a kinetic rate constant of 0.097 S^?1. In the presence of oxone, MPS was converted to methyl phenyl sulfoxide and methyl phenyl sulfone with a higher reaction rate than CEPS, decontaminated product of which was chloroethyl phenyl sulfone.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the free supplemental file.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT      

O6-Alkylguanine DNA Alkyltransferase Mediated Disassembly of a DNA Tetrahedron

Tetrahedron DNA structures were formed by the assembly of three-way junction ( TWJ ) oligonucleotides containing O⁶-2′-deoxyguanosine-alkylene-O⁶-2′-deoxyguanosine (butylene and heptylene linked) intrastrand cross-links (IaCLs) lacking a phosphodiester group between the 2′-deoxyribose residues. The DNA tetrahedra containing TWJs were shown to undergo an unhooking reaction by the human DNA repair protein O⁶-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (hAGT) resulting in structure disassembly. The unhooking reaction of hAGT towards the DNA tetrahedra was observed to be moderate to virtually complete depending on the protein equivalents. DNA tetrahedron structures have been explored as drug delivery platforms that release their payload in response to triggers, such as light, chemical agents or hybridization of release strands. The dismantling of DNA tetrahedron structures by a DNA repair protein contributes to the armamentarium of approaches for drug release employing DNA nanostructures.     

Gas-chromatographic determination of traces of <Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis>-isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (sarin) in soils using its diastereomers

A procedure was developed for determining traces of O-isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (sarin) in soils at a level of 2 × 10⁻⁴ mg/kg. The procedure is based on solvent extraction with a hexane-benzene mixture, the preconcentration of the extract to a small volume, the synthesis of dialkyl esters using secondary alcohol aluminates, and gas-chromatographic separation on an HP-1 column with a flame ionization detector. The determination error does not exceed 29%; the time of analysis is 1 h.