Fragmentation pathways of metopimazine and its metabolite using ESI‐MSn,HR‐MS and H/D exchange

Metopimazine (MPZ) is a phenothiazine derivative used to prevent emesis during chemotherapy where few structural analysis of the aforementioned compound have been described in the literature. Thus, this work reports, for the first time, the detailed study of fragmentation pathways of MPZ and its metabolite (AMPZ) using electrospray ionization (EI) with multistage mass spectrometry (ESI‐MSⁿ) in positive‐ion mode. The structures of 21 product ions were identified and their accurate masses were determined using high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) experiments. Characteristic product ions of these two phenothiazine derivatives are more particularly displayed along with differences between their relative abundances and their structures checked by H/D exchange experiments. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fragmentation pathways of deprotonated amide‐sulfonamide CXCR4 inhibitors investigated by ESI‐IT‐MSn,ESI‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS and DFT calculations

Amide‐sulfonamides provide a potent anti‐inflammatory scaffold targeting the CXCR4 receptor. A series of novel amide‐sulfonamide derivatives were investigated for their gas‐phase fragmentation behaviors using electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry and quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry in negative ion mode. Upon collision‐induced dissociation (CID), deprotonated amide‐sulfonamides mainly underwent either an elimination of the amine to form the sulfonyl anion and amide anion or a benzoylamide derivative to provide sulfonamide anion bearing respective substituent groups. Based on the characteristic fragment ions and the deuterium–hydrogen exchange experiments, three possible fragmentation mechanisms corresponding to ion‐neutral complexes including [sulfonyl anion/amine] complex ( INC‐1 ), [sulfonamide anion/benzoylamide derivative] complex ( INC‐2 ) and [amide anion/sulfonamide] complex ( INC‐3 ), respectively, were proposed. These three ion‐neutral complexes might be produced by the cleavages of S–N and C–N bond from the amide‐sulfonamides, which generated the sulfonyl anion (Route 1), sulfonamide anion (Route 2) and the amide anion (Route 3). DFT calculations suggested that Route 1, which generated the sulfonyl anion (ion c ) is more favorable. In addition, the elimination of SO₂ through a three‐membered‐ring transition state followed by the formation of C–N was observed for all the amide‐sulfonamides.     

Fragmentation features of intermolecular cross‐linked peptides using N‐hydroxy‐ succinimide esters by MALDI‐ and ESI‐MS/MS for use in structural proteomics

The use of mass spectrometry coupled with chemical cross‐linking of proteins has become one of the most useful tools for proteins structure and interactions studies. One of the challenges in these studies is the identification of the cross‐linked peptides. The interpretation of the MS/MS data generated in cross‐linking experiments using N‐hydroxy succinimide esters is not trivial once a new amide bond is formed allowing new fragmentation pathways, unlike linear peptides. Intermolecular cross‐linked peptides occur when two different peptides are connected by the cross‐linker and they yield information on the spatial proximity of different domains (within a protein) or proteins (within a complex). In this article, we report a detailed fragmentation study of intermolecular cross‐linked peptides, generated from a set of synthetic peptides, using both ESI and MALDI to generate the precursor ions. The fragmentation features observed here can be helpful in the interpretation and identification of cross‐linked peptides present in cross‐linking experiments and be further implemented in search engine's algorithms. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isolation of inulin‐type oligosaccharides from Chinese traditional medicine: Morinda officinalis How and their characterization using ESI‐MS/MS

Inulin‐type oligosaccharides with different DP were prepared by size‐exclusion chromatography and purity of each oligosaccharide was determined by HPLC equipped with cyclodextrin‐bond column. The purities of obtained inulin‐type oligosaccharides with different DP were more than 98% by one‐step process. The DP and molecular weight were obtained through ESI‐MS in negative mode. The characterization of the inulin‐type oligosaccharides with different DP was studied by MS/MS spectra obtained by collision‐induced dissociation of molecular ions ([M?H]^?). When the DP was lower, the fragment ions were formed through cross‐ring cleavages of two bonds within the sugar ring and glycosidic cleavages. However, with the increase of DP, the ions resulting from glycosidic cleavages between two sugar residues were predominant.     

Simultaneous analysis of 11 main active components in Cirsium setosum based on HPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS and combined with statistical methods

A novel method based on high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry was developed for simultaneous determination of the 11 major active components including ten flavonoids and one phenolic acid in Cirsium setosum. Separation was performed on a reversed‐phase C₁₈ column with gradient elution of methanol and 0.1‰ acetic acid (v/v). The identification and quantification of the analytes were achieved on a hybrid quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Multiple‐reaction monitoring scanning was employed for quantification with switching electrospray ion source polarity between positive and negative modes in a single run. Full validation of the assay was carried out including linearity, precision, accuracy, stability, limits of detection and quantification. The results demonstrated that the method developed was reliable, rapid, and specific. The 25 batches of C. setosum samples from different sources were first determined using the developed method and the total contents of 11 analytes ranged from 1717.460 to 23028.258 μg/g. Among them, the content of linarin was highest, and its mean value was 7340.967 μg/g. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis were performed to differentiate and classify the samples, which is helpful for comprehensive evaluation of the quality of C. setosum.     

Chemical composition differentiation of Shen‐Shuai‐Ning granule between combined decoction and separated decoction using HPLC‐DAD‐ESI‐QTOF‐MS

Shen‐Shuai‐Ning (SSN) granule, a traditional Chinese medicine formula, is widely used in clinical practice for treating chronic renal failure. However, its detailed chemical profile is unknown. Here, HPLC‐ESI‐QTOF‐MS was employed for the systematic chemical analysis of SSN. A total of 52 compounds were identified and the characteristic ions of the compounds were described. Furthermore, chemical consistency between the combined decoction and the separated decoction of SSN was evaluated using HPLC‐DAD. A chemical comparison between two preparations of SSN granule (combined decoction and separated decoction of Coptides Rhizoma) indicated a significant difference in the content of many compounds, including salvianolic acid A, salvianolic acid B, berberine, palmatine and epiberberine. As a result, separated decoction of Coptides Rhizoma would lead to a significantly decrease in depsides in Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and an increase in alkaloids in Coptidis Rhizoma.     

Relative tissue distribution and excretion studies of gastrodin and parishin from powder and extract of Gastrodiae Rhizoma in rat by UHPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS

New research has indicated that Gastrodiae Rhizome (GR) has potential anti‐diabetic and anti‐asthmatic effects in mouse models. On the basis of our previous study of the relative bioavailability of gastrodin (GAS) and parishin (PA) from extract and powder of GR, we performed further research on the tissue distribution and excretion of the two analytes. A reliable bioanalytical method for the quantification of GAS and PA in rat tissues and excretion is required. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a gradient mobile phase of acetonitrile–water with 0.1% formic acid. Calibration curves (1/x ² weighted) offered satisfactory linearity (r ² > 0.9835) within 100–3000 ng mL⁻¹ for GAS and (r ² > 0.9862) within 10–1000 ng mL⁻¹ for PA. The relative standard deviations of the intra‐day and inter‐day precision were all <14.98%, whilst the relative errors of the intra‐day and inter‐day accuracy were all within ±14.71%. The matrix effect and recovery values were satisfactory in all of the biological matrices examination. The data of relative differences in tissue distribution and excretion of GAS and PA from powder and extract of GR indicated that higher bioavailabilities for GAS and PA were obtained when a dosage of 4 g kg⁻¹ GR powder was used.     

Development of rapid and simultaneous quantitative method for green tea catechins on the bioanalytical study using UPLC/ESI‐MS

A rapid and quantitative analytical method for the simultaneous determination of green tea catechins using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry was developed. Total analytical run time was 3.5 min for the detection of (?)‐epicatechin (EC), (?)‐epicatechin‐3‐O‐gallate (ECG), (?)‐epigallocatechin (EGC), (?)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐O‐gallate (EGCG) and myricetin as the internal standard (IS) in rat plasma. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 10–5000 ng/mL for all the catechins. The inter‐ and intra‐day precision (relative standard deviation) and accuracy (percentage deviation) of the method were both lower than 10%. The average extraction recoveries in plasma ranged from 68.5 to 86.5%, and the lower limits of quantification of EC, EGC, ECG and EGCG were 10 ng/mL with a signal‐to‐noise ratio of >10. The assay developed was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of catechins following intravenous and intragastric administrations of green tea extract in rats. Plasma concentrations of four catechins were detected up to 5–24 h after administration, and the pharmacokinetic parameters of catechins were in agreement with previous studies. From these findings, taken together with the high productivity and precision, the developed method could be a reliable and reproducible tool for the evaluation of pharmacokinetic properties of catechins. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantitation of imidazo[1,2‐a]quinoxaline derivatives in human and rat plasma using LC/ESI‐MS

Since several years, our group developed quinoxalinic compounds. Among the synthesized compounds, in the imidazo[1,2‐a]quinoxaline series, EAPB0203 has shown interesting activities both on melanoma and lymphoma. The structure of EAPB0203 has been modulated and a new compound, EAPB0503, exhibits an in vitro cytotoxic activity on melanoma cancer cell line 7–9 times higher than EAPB0203. We validated an LC/ESI‐MS method to simultaneously quantify EAPB0503 and its metabolite EAPB0603 in human and rat plasma. Chromatography was performed on a C8 Zorbax eclipse XDB column with a mobile phase consisting of acetronitrile and formate buffer gradient elution. LC‐MS data were acquired in SIM mode at m/z 305, 291, and 303 for EAPB0503, EAPB0603, and the internal standard, respectively. The drug/internal standard peak area ratios were linked via quadratic relationships to concentrations (low range: 5–300 μg/L, high range: 100–1000 μg/L). The method is precise (precision, ?14%) and accurate (recovery, 92–113%). Mean extraction efficiencies, >72% for each analyte, were obtained. The lower LOQs were 5 μg/L. This highly specific and sensitive method was successfully used to investigate plasma concentrations of EAPB0503 and EAPB0603 in a pharmacokinetic study carried out in rat and would also be useful in clinical trials at a later stage.     

Assessment of the hemolysis and endothelial cell cytotoxicity induced by residual linear alkylbenzene sulfonates on pharmaceutical rubber stoppers based on HPLC‐ESI‐MS

This study was designed to develop a high‐performance liquid chromatographic–electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry (HPLC‐ESI‐MS) method for quantitative determination of residual surfactant linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) compounds on pharmaceutical rubber stoppers. An HPLC‐ESI‐MS method was developed for separation and determination of five LAS homologs (C10–C14) under gradient conditions using methanol and ammonium acetate as mobile phases. Hemolysis activity of residual LAS compounds was analyzed by spectrophotometry. Expression of interleukin (IL)‐6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) after LAS compound treatment was examined by enzyme‐linked sorbent assay. LAS compounds were well separated and determined by the established gradient conditions. The linear range was 0.05–8 µg/mL with correlation coefficients ≥0.997. Recoveries were from 73 to 134% and the relative standard deviation was <13.7%. There was a correlation between hemolysis rate and LAS compounds concentration when it was ≥0.8 µg/cm². LAS compounds decreased the viability of HUVECs and promoted the production of IL‐6 and TNF‐α. The developed analytical method was successful for quantitative determination of residual LAS compounds on pharmaceutical rubber stoppers and it is important to monitor and control the amount of LAS compounds on rubber stoppers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identification and structural characterization of in vivo metabolites of ketorolac using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI‐MS/MS)

In vivo metabolites of ketorolac (KTC) have been identified and characterized by using liquid chromatography positive ion electrospray ionization high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI‐HR‐MS/MS) in combination with online hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) experiments. To identify in vivo metabolites, blood urine and feces samples were collected after oral administration of KTC to Sprague–Dawley rats. The samples were prepared using an optimized sample preparation approach involving protein precipitation and freeze liquid separation followed by solid‐phase extraction and then subjected to LC/HR‐MS/MS analysis. A total of 12 metabolites have been identified in urine samples including hydroxy and glucuronide metabolites, which are also observed in plasma samples. In feces, only O‐sulfate metabolite and unchanged KTC are observed. The structures of metabolites were elucidated using LC‐MS/MS and MSⁿ experiments combined with accurate mass measurements. Online HDX experiments have been used to support the structural characterization of drug metabolites. The main phase I metabolites of KTC are hydroxylated and decarbonylated metabolites, which undergo subsequent phase II glucuronidation pathways. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Complexation of Hg2+ with α‐Lipoic and Dihydrolipoic Acids: Study by Differential Pulse Voltammetry on Rotating Au‐Disk Electrode and ESI‐MS

The complexation of the natural antioxidants α‐lipoic acid (ALA) and its reduced form dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) with Hg²⁺ was investigated by a recently proposed differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) method using the rotating Au‐disk electrode. Complexation processes are proposed from the multivariate curve resolution by alternating least squares (MCR‐ALS) analysis of DPV titration data. Main complexes were both 1 : 1 Hg : ALA and Hg : DHLA, although the formation of 1 : 2 complexes can be also deduced. ALA and DHLA show different Hg²⁺‐binding patterns at different pH. Voltammetric findings are completed with the data obtained by electrospray ionization mass‐spectrometry (ESI‐MS), especially in negative mode.     

Simultaneous determination of 9‐dehydro‐17‐hydro‐andrographolide and sodium 9‐dehydro‐17‐hydro‐andrographolide‐19‐yl sulfate in rat plasma by UHPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS after administration of xiyanping injection: application to a pharmacokinetic study

9‐Dehydro‐17‐hydro‐andrographolide (DHA) and sodium 9‐dehydro‐17‐hydro‐andrographolide‐19‐yl sulfate (DHAS) are active ingredients of xiyanping injection in clinical use. A simple, rapid and sensitive UHPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS method was developed for the determination of DHA and DHAS in rat plasma, and the pharmacokinetics of DHA and DHAS after intravenous administration of xiyanping injection was investigated. The plasma samples were treated with methanol to precipitate out protein, and the separation of DHA and DHAS was achieved on a Waters BEH C₁₈ column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate solution at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. DHA, DHAS and the internal standard (internal standard, IS) diethylstilbestrol were detected at negative ion mode. The precursor‐product ion pairs used in multiple reaction monitoring mode were: m/z 349.1 → 286.9 (DHA), m/z 428.9 → 96.0 (DHAS) and m/z 267.1 → 236.9 (IS). Calibration curves offered satisfactory linearity within the test range, and all correlation coefficients were >0.995. The lower limit of detection of DHA and DHAS in plasma samples were determined to be 0.1 ng/mL. The lower limit of quantitation was 0.5 ng/mL for DHA and DHAS. All the recoveries of the quality control samples were in the range of 86.0–102.4%. The ratios of matrix effect were between 89.2 and 105.1%. The method was fully validated and successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of DHA and DHAS in rats. The study showed that both DHA and DHAS were distributed and eliminated rapidly in rats. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Degradation of RAFT polymers in a cyclic ether studied via high resolution ESI‐MS: Implications for synthesis,storage, and end‐group modification

We report on the detailed mass spectrometric analysis of the degradation products generated during storage of poly(methyl methacrylate) (pMMA) and polystyrene (pSty) carrying cumyldithiobenzoate (CDB) endgroups. Samples were stored in either a cyclic ether (tetrahydrofuran) (THF) or an inert solvent (dichloromethane). The degradation process was followed over a period of 4‐weeks. Degradation rate of the reversible addition fragmentation (RAFT) polymer strongly depends on the hydroperoxide‐content of the solvent. Mass spectrometric evidence supports an unexpected radical degradation mechanism for the pMMA macroRAFT agent. Hydroperoxide functional pMMA was the single product after less than 7 days in high purity THF. No formation of the sulfine/thioester was observed. The identity of the hydroperoxide was unambiguously assigned using accurate mass measurements by Fourier‐Transform ion‐cyclotron‐resonance mass spectrometry together with chemical identification reactions. The hydroperoxide end group formation proceeds efficiently as well as in high yields and thus constitutes a powerful method for end group modification. The degradation pathways of the CDB functional pSty in THF include mainly oxidation towards the sulfine/thioester, with little degradation via thermal elimination of dithiobenzoic acid and subsequent epoxidation. The shelf life of CDB functional polymers is limited even in inert solvent because of this inherent but slow thermal elimination reaction. Because of the short period necessary for the transformation of the functional dithiobenzyl endgroups, substitution of cyclic ethers as solvents for RAFT polymers in synthesis and analysis is strongly suggested. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7447–7461, 2008     

Systematic characterization of the metabolites of echinacoside and acteoside from Cistanche tubulosa in rat plasma,bile, urine and feces based on UPLC‐ESI‐Q‐TOF‐MS

Echinacoside (ECH) and acteoside (ACT), as the most and major active components of Cistanche tubulosa, were reported to possess cardioactive, neuroprotective and hepatocyte protective effects, as well as antibacterial, antioxidative effects. Recently, more studies have focused on their pharmacological activities. However, their metabolic profiles in vivo have not been sufficiently investigated. This study proposes an approach for rapidly identifying the complicated and unpredictable metabolites of ECH and ACT in rat plasma, bile, urine and feces, and systematically and comprehensively revealing their major metabolic pathways, based on powerful ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry. Plasma, bile, urine and feces were collected from rats after a single 200 mg/kg oral dose. A total of 49 metabolites were detected in rat biological samples. Through analyzing metabolites in bile samples, it was found that ECH and ACT were subjected to a marked hepatic first‐pass effect in liver. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural characterization of a hybrid terpyridine–pyrazine ligand and its one‐dimensional ZnII coordination polymer: a computational approach to conventional and nonconventional intermolecular interactions

The structures of a new hybrid terpyridine–pyrazine ligand, namely 4′‐[4‐(pyrazin‐2‐yl)phenyl]‐4,2′:6′,4′′‐terpyridine (L2), C₂₅H₁₇N₅, and its one‐dimensional coordination polymer catena‐poly[[bis(acetylacetonato‐κ²O,O′)zinc]‐μ‐4′‐[4‐(pyrazin‐2‐yl‐κN⁴)phenyl]‐4,2′:6′,4′′‐terpyridine‐κN¹], [Zn(C₅H₇O₂)₂(C₂₅H₁₇N₅)]_n or [Zn(acac)₂(L2)]_n (Hacac is acetylacetone), are reported. Packing interactions in both crystal structures are analyzed using Hirshfeld surface and enrichment ratio techniques. For the simpler structure of the monomeric ligand, further studies on the interaction hierarchy using the energy framework approach were made. The result was a complete picture of the intermolecular interaction landscape, which revealed some subtle details, for example, that some weak (at first sight negligible) C—H…N interactions in the structure of free L2 play a relevant role in the crystal stabilization.     

Fragmentation of oxime and silyl oxime ether odd‐electron positive ions by the McLafferty rearrangement: new insights on structural factors that promote α,β fragmentation

The McLafferty rearrangement is an extensively studied fragmentation reaction for the odd‐electron positive ions from a diverse range of functional groups and molecules. Here, we present experimental and theoretical results of 12 model compounds that were synthesized and investigated by GC‐TOF MS and density functional theory calculations. These compounds consisted of three main groups: carbonyls, oximes and silyl oxime ethers. In all electron ionization mass spectra, the fragment ions that could be attributed to the occurrence of a McLafferty rearrangement were observed. For t‐butyldimethylsilyl oxime ethers with oxygen in a β‐position, the McLafferty rearrangement was accompanied by loss of the t‐butyl radical. The various mass spectra showed that the McLafferty rearrangement is relatively enhanced compared with other primary fragmentation reactions by the following factors: oxime versus carbonyl, oxygen versus methylene at the β‐position and ketone versus aldehyde. Calculations predict that the stepwise mechanism is favored over the concerted mechanism for all but one compound. For carbonyl compounds, C–C bond breaking was the rate‐determining step. However, for both the oximes and t‐butyldimethylsilyl oxime ethers with oxygen at the β‐position, the hydrogen transfer step was rate limiting, whereas with a CH₂ group at the β‐position, the C–C bond breaking was again rate determining. n‐Propoxy‐acetaldehyde, bearing an oxygen atom at the β‐position, is the only case that was predicted to proceed through a concerted mechanism. The synthesized oximes exist as both the (E)‐ and (Z)‐isomers, and these were separable by GC. In the mass spectra of the two isomers, fragment ions that were generated by the McLafferty rearrangement were observed. Finally, fragment ions corresponding to the McLafferty reverse charge rearrangement were observed for all compounds at varying relative ion intensities compared with the conventional McLafferty rearrangement. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural and computational analysis of intermolecular interactions in a new 2‐thiouracil polymorph

The crystallization and characterization of a new polymorph of 2‐thiouracil by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, Hirshfeld surface analysis and periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations are described. The previously published polymorph (A ) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P , while that described herein (B ) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P 2₁/c . Periodic DFT calculations showed that the energies of polymorphs A and B , compared to the gas‐phase geometry, were −108.8 and −29.4 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. The two polymorphs have different intermolecular contacts that were analyzed and are discussed in detail. Significant differences in the molecular structure were found only in the bond lengths and angles involving heteroatoms that are involved in hydrogen bonds. Decomposition of the Hirshfeld fingerprint plots revealed that O…H and S…H contacts cover over 50% of the noncovalent contacts in both of the polymorphs; however, they are quite different in strength. Hydrogen bonds of the N—H…O and N—H…S types were found in polymorph A , whereas in polymorph B , only those of the N—H…O type are present, resulting in a different packing in the unit cell. QTAIM (quantum theory of atoms in molecules) computational analysis showed that the interaction energies for these weak‐to‐medium strength hydrogen bonds with a noncovalent or mixed interaction character were estimated to fall within the ranges 5.4–10.2 and 4.9–9.2 kJ mol⁻¹ for polymorphs A and B , respectively. Also, the NCI (noncovalent interaction) plots revealed weak stacking interactions. The interaction energies for these interactions were in the ranges 3.5–4.1 and 3.1–5.5 kJ mol⁻¹ for polymorphs A and B , respectively, as shown by QTAIM analysis.     

Partially bio‐based poly(amide imide)s by polycondensation of aromatic diacylhydrazides based on lignin‐derived phenolic acids and aromatic dianhydrides: Synthesis,characterization, and computational studies

Two new bio‐based diacylhydrazide monomers, namely, 4,4′‐(propane‐1,3‐diylbis(oxy))bis(3‐methoxybenzohydrazide) and 4,4′‐(propane‐1,3‐diylbis(oxy))bis(3,5‐dimethoxybenzohydrazide) were synthesized starting from lignin‐derived phenolic acids, namely, vanillic acid and syringic acid. A series of poly(amide imide)s was synthesized by polycondensation of these diacylhydrazide monomers with commercially available aromatic dianhydrides. Poly(amide imide)s showed inherent viscosity in the range 0.44–0.56 dL g^?1 and exhibited good solubility in organic solvents. Poly(amide imide)s could be cast into transparent, flexible, and tough films from their N ,N‐dimethylacetamide solutions. Poly(amide imide)s showed 10% weight loss in the temperature range 340–364 °C indicating their good thermal stability. Glass transition temperature (T _g) of poly(amide imides)s were measured by DSC and DMA which were in the range 201–223 °C and 214–248 °C, respectively. The T _g values of poly(amide imide)s were dependent on the number methoxy substituents on aromatic rings of diacylhydrazide monomers. Molecular dynamics simulation studies revealed that chain rigidity is the dominant factor for observed trends in T _g. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55 , 3636–3645     

Identification of phase I and II metabolites of the new designer drug α‐pyrrolidinohexiophenone (α‐PHP) in human urine by liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (LC‐QTOF‐MS)

Pyrrolidinophenones represent one emerging class of newly encountered drugs of abuse, also known as ‘new psychoactive substances’, with stimulating psychoactive effects. In this work, we report on the detection of the new designer drug α‐pyrrolidinohexiophenone (α‐PHP) and its phase I and II metabolites in a human urine sample of a drug abuser. Determination and structural elucidation of these metabolites have been achieved by liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (LC‐ESI‐QTOF‐MS). By tentative identification, the exact and approximate structures of 19 phase I metabolites and nine phase II glucuronides were elucidated. Major metabolic pathways revealed the reduction of the ß‐keto moieties to their corresponding alcohols, didesalkylation of the pyrrolidine ring, hydroxylation and oxidation of the aliphatic side chain leading to n‐hydroxy, aldehyde and carboxylate metabolites, and oxidation of the pyrrolidine ring to its lactam followed by ring cleavage and additional hydroxylation, reduction and oxidation steps and combinations thereof. The most abundant phase II metabolites were glucuronidated ß‐keto‐reduced alcohols. Besides the great number of metabolites detected in this sample, α‐PHP is still one of the most abundant ions together with its ß‐keto‐reduced alcoholic dihydro metabolite. Monitoring of these metabolites in clinical and forensic toxicology may unambiguously prove the abuse of the new designer drug α‐PHP. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.