Modification of membrane heterogeneity by antipsychotic drugs: an X-ray diffraction comparative study

Lipid mixtures are used to mimic biological membranes as they allow characterization of lipid lateral domains defined by their specific lipid molecular organization. Therapeutic agents such as antipsychotic drugs (AP) that may interact with lipids arrangement are likely to modify membrane biological properties. The present study describes the effect of 2 typical and 5 atypical antipsychotic drugs on an aqueous co-dispersion of a lipid mixture made of egg phosphatidylcholine (PC)/brain sphingomyelin (SM)/cholesterol (1/1/1 mol/mol/mol). Lamellar liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) phase coexistence was identified in the control and antipsychotic-added mixtures at 37 degrees C using synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering methods (XRD). Intensity of the Bragg peaks was used to generate electron density profiles (EDP) allowing bilayer thickness calculation. All antipsychotic except from amisulpride induced a Lo phase bilayer thickness (d(pp)) decrease. Chlorpromazine, haloperidol, amisulpride and 9-0H-risperidone induced a Ld d(pp) increase while ziprazidone, risperidone and clozapine induced a Ld d(pp) decrease, indicating that antipsychotic atypicality is not associated with a specific d(pp) modification on our lipid model mixture. Results are discussed in terms of competition of antipsychotic compounds with cholesterol and mode of reorganization of lateral domains. A pharmacological relevance of these changes is also discussed.     

A non-equilibrium thermodynamics approach to model mass and heat transport for water pervaporation through a zeolite membrane

Pervaporation through zeolite membranes involves local heat effects and combined heat and mass transport. The current state-of-the-art Maxwell–Stefan (M–S) models do not take these effects into account. In this study, transport equations for the coupled heat and mass transport through a zeolite membrane are derived from the framework of non-equilibrium thermodynamics (NET). Moreover, the assumption of equilibrium between the adjacent bulk phases at the feed and permeate sides of the zeolite layer is abandoned in favor of local equilibrium. The equations have been used to model pervaporation of water through a 2 m thick NaA type zeolite membrane, deposited on an asymmetric -alumina support, at a feed temperature of 348 K. Assuming a flux of 10 kg m⁻² h⁻¹(0.15 mol m⁻² s⁻¹), the transport through the zeolite layer, as well as the liquid feed side boundary layer and the support layers is modeled. The activity, fugacity, and temperature profiles are calculated with and without taking coupling effects and surfaces into account. The profiles show distinct differences between the two cases. Including the surface effects leads to discontinuities in the activity and temperature at the membrane interfaces. A significantly higher temperature drop of 1.3 K is calculated across the zeolite, compared to 0.4 K when surface and coupling effects are not accounted for. The calculated decrease in temperature over the zeolite layer is dominated by the surfaces. This could indicate that temperature polarization is, to a large extent, a surface effect. The heat flux induces an extra driving force for mass transport, reducing the activity difference over the membrane. A positive jump in activity is observed at the interfaces, revealing the mass transport across the interfaces is governed by the coupling with the heat flux. The support layers contribute significantly to the total mass transport resistance.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of nanocrystalline ZnSe: An in situ synchrotron radiation X-ray powder diffraction study

The hydrothermal synthesis of nanocrystalline ZnSe has been studied by in situ X-ray powder diffraction using synchrotron radiation. The formation of ZnSe was studied using the following starting mixtures: Zn+Se+H₂O (route A) and ZnCl₂+Se+H₂O+Na₂SO₃ (route B). The route A experiment showed that Zn powder starts reacting with water at 134 °C giving ZnO and H₂ followed by the formation of ZnSe which takes place in temperature range from 167 to 195 °C. The route B experiment shows a considerably more complex reaction path with several intermediate phases and in this case the formation of ZnSe starts at 141 °C and ZnSe and Se were the only crystalline phases observed at the end of the experiment where the temperature was 195 °C. The sizes of the nanocrystalline particles were determined to 18 and 9 nm in the route A and B experiments, respectively. Nanocrystalline ZnSe was also synthesized ex situ using the route A and B methods and characterized by conventional X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. An average crystalline domain size of ca. 8 nm was determined by X-ray powder diffraction in fair agreement with TEM images, which showed larger aggregates of nanoparticles having approximate diameters of 10 nm. Furthermore, a method for purification of the ZnSe nanoparticles was developed and the prepared particles showed signs of anisotropic size broadening of the diffraction peaks.     

Chiolite-like Ca5Te3O14: An X-ray and neutron diffraction study

The crystal structure of Ca₅Te₃O₁₄ at room temperature was studied by the Rietveld method using combined X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data. The compound crystallizes in the space group Cmca with the lattice parameters a=10.4268(2) Å, b=10.3908(2) Å and c=10.4702(2) Å. The structure of Ca₅Te₃O₁₄ is chiolite-like and consists of a framework of corner-linked TeO₆ octahedral layers in which a linear TeO₂ group of every fourth octahedron is substituted by a Ca atom. This type of structure was previously observed in BaSr₄U₃O₁₄. The relationship between the chiolite-like structure and the fluorite structure is discussed.     

Effect of ultrasound on the microstructure of polystyrene in cyclohexane: a synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering study

Synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering technique has been used to study the effect of ultrasound on the microstructure of polystyrene (PS) in cyclohexane solutions. The results show that the intramolecular radius of gyration (R _g) decreases with ultrasound, indicating the shrinkage and collapse of PS chains. There is an exponential relationship between R _g and the molecular weight of PS (M _w), and the exponent changes from 0.5 to 0.417, as the ultrasound time is increased. This means that the shape of PS chain changes from random coil to shrunken form. The Kratky plots also confirm the shape transformation of PS chains induced by ultrasound. Moreover, the intermolecular correlation length increases with the ultrasound time, which is indicative of the entanglement of PS chains.     

Solvent Extraction: Structure of the Liquid–Liquid Interface Containing a Diamide Ligand

Knowledge of the (supra)molecular structure of an interface that contains amphiphilic ligand molecules is necessary for a full understanding of ion transfer during solvent extraction. Even if molecular dynamics already yield some insight in the molecular configurations in solution, hardly any experimental data giving access to distributions of both extractant molecules and ions at the liquid–liquid interface exist. Here, the combined application of X‐ray and neutron reflectivity measurements represents a key milestone in the deduction of the interfacial structure and potential with respect to two different lipophilic ligands. Indeed, we show for the first time that hard trivalent cations can be repelled or attracted by the extractant‐enriched interface according to the nature of the ligand.     

Composition and temperature dependent phase transitions in Co-W double perovskites, a synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction study

High-resolution synchrotron and neutron powder diffraction techniques were used to determine precise structures for the series of perovskite oxides A_2−xSr_xCoWO₆ (ACa, or Ba, 0?x?2). The studies demonstrated that the symmetry decreases as the average size of the A-site cation decreases with a sequential introduction of in-phase and out-of-phase tilting of the BO₆ octahedra. A cubic structure in Fm3¯m with rock-salt like ordering of the Co and W cations was formed for Ba_2−xSr_xCoWO₆ with x∼<1.4. As the Sr content was increased, the materials became tetragonal in I4/m and ultimately monoclinic in P2₁/n. A mixture of monoclinic and tetragonal phases occurs in Sr₂CoWO₆ at room temperature but this was purely monoclinic at 20 K.     

Infinite Polyiodide Chains in the Pyrroloperylene–Iodine Complex: Insights into the Starch–Iodine and Perylene–Iodine Complexes

We report the preparation and X‐ray crystallographic characterization of the first crystalline homoatomic polymer chain, which is part of a semiconducting pyrroloperylene–iodine complex. The crystal structure contains infinite polyiodide I_∞^δ?. Interestingly, the structure of iodine within the insoluble, blue starch–iodine complex has long remained elusive, but has been speculated as having infinite chains of iodine. Close similarities in the low‐wavenumber Raman spectra of the title compound and starch–iodine point to such infinite polyiodide chains in the latter as well.     

Phase transitions in ultraoriented polyethylene fibers under moderate pressures: A synchrotron X-ray study

The effect of pressure on phase transformations of ultradrawn ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers was examined by in situ X-ray diffraction measurements with synchrotron radiation. The mesomorphic hexagonal phase was metastable even at a relatively low pressure of about 100 bar. The effect of pressure on the melting transitions was larger than in chain-folded structures. The existence and metastability of the hexagonal phase is the basis of compaction technology of UHMWPE fibers in composite materials. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 53–59, 2004     

First seconds in a building's life-in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction study of cement hydration on the millisecond timescale

Setting cement: highly dynamic hydration processes that occur during the first seconds of cement hydration were studied by time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Polycarboxylate ether additives were found to influence the formation of the initial crystalline hydration products on a molecular level.     

Order-disorder transition in Nd2−yGdyZr2O7 pyrochlore solid solution: An X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic study

Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopic study of order-disorder-phase transition with increase in the content of Gd in Nd_2−yGd_yZr₂O₇ solid solution is being reported. It has been observed from Rietveld analysis that with increase in concentration of Gd in Nd_2−yGd_yZr₂O₇, the value of the x parameter of the 48f oxygen changes from 0.332(1) to 0.343(1) with a sudden change in the slope for y=1.8, which indicates that the structure is transforming from ordered pyrochlore to disordered pyrochlore. In addition to that a sudden and drastic change in the Raman spectra including changes in the position and width of several Raman modes beyond y?1.8 has also been observed which has been correlated with increasing disorder. Based on these studies, it is suggested that there is a discontinuous order-disorder transition from ‘perfect pyrochlore’ to ‘defect pyrochlore’ phase in Nd_2−yGd_yZr₂O₇ solid solution.     

Light-induced structural changes in (HgBr2)3(As4S4)2: An X-ray single-crystal diffraction,Raman spectroscopy and ab initio study

To investigate the behaviour of the As₄S₄ molecule within a crystal-chemical environment differing from realgar, α-As₄S₄, and its high-temperature polymorph, β-As₄S₄, the effects of the light exposure on the structure of the (HgBr₂)₃(As₄S₄)₂ adduct have been studied. Differently from the cases previously studied, the action of the light filtered using a 550 nm long-wavelength pass filter did not produce any evident effect on the unit-cell. On the other hand, employing the 440 nm long-wavelength pass filter, remarkable variations of the unit-cell parameters were observed. In particular, an increase of the a, c, and β, and a decrease of the b parameter, producing on the whole an expansion of the unit-cell volume, is observed as a function of the light exposure times. Structure refinements indicated that the increase of the unit-cell volume is to ascribe to the formation of an increasing fraction (up to 20%) of pararealgar-type replacing the realgar-type molecule. Further light-exposure did not cause any further increase of the lattice parameters. On the contrary, a decrease of the unit-cell volume occurred by keeping the crystal in the dark (46 days): due to the loss of the crystallinity, only the core of the crystal, less altered and with smaller unit-cell volume, contributes to the diffraction effects. Micro-Raman spectra were collected on crystals exposed to the above mentioned wavelength light for increasing times. The peak at 275(±1) cm⁻¹ whose intensity increases as a function of the exposure time confirms the transition from a realgar- to a pararealgar-type molecule in the (HgBr₂)₃(As₄S₄)₂ adduct. Relativistic DFT-GGA ab initio band structure calculations reveal a direct band gap of 2.04 eV and quite flat valence and conduction bands around the Fermi level. According to analyses of the atomic orbital contributions to the electronic band structures the highest occupied states are attributed to non-bonding p-states of As.     

Tautomeric polymorphism in salicylideneamine derivatives: an X-ray diffraction and solid-state NMR study

The crystal structure of the N-(3-hydroxysalicylidene)-4-methoxyaniline has been studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. This is the first example of a Schiff base derived from 3-hydroxysalicylaldehyde which displays in the asymmetric unit, four distinct molecules linked together in the crystal lattice by two types of intermolecular O–HO hydrogen bonds and formed by two independent tetramers. The ¹³C CPMAS NMR study corroborates the above results; the presence of different tautomeric equilibria in the same crystal structure is demonstrated and a qualitative estimation of the equilibrium mixture composition is given.     

High-pressure behaviour of synthetic weberite-type Mn2+2Sb5+2O7: An in situ single-crystal X-ray study

An in situ high-pressure X-ray diffraction study has been carried out at room temperature up to 9.26 GPa on synthetic Mn₂Sb₂O₇ having a weberite-3T structure. A 2nd-order Birch–Murnaghan Equation of State (EoS) was used to refine the pressure–volume data. The refinement of the unit-cell volume and of the isothermal bulk modulus at room pressure leads to: V₀ = 782.7(2), K_T0 = 150(1) GPa. Unit-cell parameters decrease gradually as a function of pressure with a bulk modulus anisotropy scheme, with a being the softest direction. The overall mean polyhedral distances are quite constant, indicating a scarce compressibility of both the A and B polyhedra in the pressure range investigated. The compressional behaviour of Mn₂Sb₂O₇ is compared with that shown by ingersonite, Ca₃MnSb₄O₁₄, and synthetic orthorhombic Ca₂Sb₂O₇.     

Derivatization-independent cholesterol analysis in crude lipid extracts by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry: applications to a rabbit model for atherosclerosis

Direct measurement of various sterols in crude lipid extracts in a single experiment from limited biological samples is challenging. Current mass spectrometry (MS) based approaches usually require chemical derivatization before subjecting to MS analysis. Here, we present a derivatization-independent method for analyzing various sterols, including cholesterol and its congeners, using liquid chromatography and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Based on the specific tandem mass spectrometry pattern of cholesterol, multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions were used to quantify free cholesterol and its fatty acyl esters. Several cholesterol oxidation products could also be measured using the upfront liquid chromatography separation and specific MRM transitions. The method was validated alongside established enzymatic assays in measuring total cholesterol. As a proof of concept, we analyzed plasma sterols in rabbits administrated with a high cholesterol diet (HCD) which is a classical atherosclerotic model. Free cholesterol, cholesterol esters, 7-hydroxycholesterol, and 7-ketocholesterol were elevated in plasma of rabbits on HCD. This method could also serve as an excellent tool for quantitative analysis of other sterols such as ergosterol and sitosterol in other organisms beside mammalian. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, our results indicated dramatic increases of the ratio of ergosterol esters to free ergosterol in both yeh2Δ and tgl1Δ cells, which are consistent with the function of the respective enzymes.     

An atomistic model of passive membrane permeability: application to a series of FDA approved drugs

We apply an atomistic model of passive membrane permeability to a series of weakly basic drugs. The computational model uses conformational sampling in combination with an all-atom force field and implicit solvent model to estimate relative passive membrane permeabilities. The model does not require the use of training data for rank-ordering compounds, and as such represents a different approach from the more commonly employed QSPR models. We compare the computational results to previously published experimental PAMPA and Caco-2 permeabilities.     

New Perspectives for Old Clusters: Anderson–Evans Anions as Building Blocks of Large Polyoxometalate Frameworks in a Series of Heterometallic 3 d–4 f Species

A series of nine [Sb₇W₃₆O₁₃₃Ln₃M₂(OAc)(H₂O)₈]^17? heterometallic anions ( Ln₃M₂ ; Ln=La–Gd, M=Co; Ln=Ce, M=Ni and Zn) have been obtained by reacting 3 d metal disubstituted Krebs‐type tungstoantimonates(III) with early lanthanides. Their unique tetrameric structure contains a novel {MW₉O₃₃} capping unit formed by a planar {MW₆O₂₄} fragment to which three {WO₂} groups are condensed to form a tungstate skeleton identical to that of a hypothetical trilacunary derivative of the ?‐Keggin cluster. It is shown, for the first time, that classical Anderson–Evans {MW₆O₂₄} anions can act as building blocks to construct purely inorganic large frameworks. Unprecedented reactivity in the outer ring of these disk‐shaped species is also revealed. The Ln₃M₂ anions possess chirality owing to a {Sb₄O₄} cluster being encapsulated in left‐ or right‐handed orientations. Their ability to self‐associate in blackberry‐type vesicles in solution has been assessed for the Ce₃Co₂ derivative.     

Absolute configuration of Tröger bases: an X-ray diffraction and circular dichroism study

Bis-ortho-methyl-bis-meta-bromo Tröger base (TB) 2 and bis-ortho-methyl TB 3 were prepared in enantiopure form. The absolute configuration for (5S,11S)-(−)-2 was determined by X-ray diffraction. The sign of the longest wavelength band in the electronic CD spectrum is negative for both (5S,11S)-(−)-2 and (5S,11S)-(−)-3, as well as for the parent para-methyl TB (5S,11S)-(+)-1, which is in agreement with TD DFT B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) calculations.     

Structures and crystal chemistry of the double perovskites Ba2LnB′O6 (Ln=lanthanide B′=Nb and Ta): Part I. Investigation of Ba2LnTaO6 using synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction

The structure of 14 compounds in the series Ba₂LnTaO₆ have been examined using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and found to undergo a sequence of phase transitions from I2/m monoclinic to I4/m tetragonal to cubic symmetry with decreasing ionic radii of the lanthanides. Ba₂LaTaO₆ is an exception to this with variable temperature neutron diffraction being used to establish that the full series of phases adopted over the range of 15-500 K is P2₁/n monoclinic to I2/m monoclinic to rhombohedral. The chemical environments of these compounds have also been investigated and the overbonding to the lanthanide cations is due to the unusually large size for the B-site in these perovskites.