Determination of Cysteine at Bismuth Nanostructure – Carbon Ionic Liquid Electrode by Square Wave Voltammetry

Bismuth nanostructure‐carbon ionic liquid electrode has been employed for sensitive determination of cysteine (Cys). Bismuth nanostructure was incorporated into the carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) and applied for determination of cysteine. An interaction was taking place between bismuth nanostructure and the thiol group of cysteine. The bismuth cysteinate complex oxidation potential occurred at more negative potential compared to the cysteine oxidation peak obtained at bare carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE). Square wave voltammetry (SWV) was used for the determination of the cysteine and satisfactory results were obtained. The calibration curve was linear in the concentration range of 1 to 500 µM and 0.5–2 mM of Cys. A low detection limit of 0.5 µM was achieved for Cys. The electrode showed a good selectivity for determination of cysteine in the presence of other amino acids. The proposed electrode was satisfactory applied for the determination of cysteine in human serum plasma sample.     

Use of a bismuth ion-selective electrode for investigation of bismuth complexes of citric and malic acids

A bismuth ion-selective electrode has been used to determine the nature and stability of the complexes formed by bismuth with citric acid and malic acid, by measurement of the response of the electrode to different total bismuth concentrations at various combinations of pH and total ligand concentration. The values found were beta(2) = 3 x 10(13) for Bi(Cit)(2)(3-) and beta(3) = 8 x 10(9) for Bi(Mal)(2)(3-).     

A calorimetric investigation of the assembly of gold nanorods to form necklaces

Interaction of gold nanorods with cysteine as well as 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) has been investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), in combination with electronic absorption spectroscopy and electron microscopy. The assembly process with MPA shows two steps, the first due to the binding of MPA to gold nanorods through the sulfur atom, and the second due to assembly of the MPA capped gold nanorods through the formation of cyclic hydrogen bonded dimers between the MPA molecules. In the case of cysteine only a single step is observed in ITC, due to the binding of the molecules to gold nanorods.     

Oxidation of thiols by sodium N-haloarylsulphonamides

The methods for direct titration of thiols with N-haloarylsulphonamides have been evaluated by studying the oxidation of 2-mercaptobenzoic acid, 2-mercaptopropionic acid, 3-mercaptopropionic acid, 2-naphthyl mercaptan, 2-mercaptoethanol, mercaptosuccinic acid, thiophenol, p-chlorothiophenol, butyl mercaptan and monothioglycerol, with chloramine-T (CAT), bromamine-T (BAT) and bromamine-B (BAB). The optimum conditions have been established. The precision was found to be poorer for titrations with CAT. BAB was found to give better precision and accuracy for the determination of all ten thiols studied, and is recommended for use.     

Quantitative analysis of thiols in consumer products on a microfluidic CE chip with fluorescence detection

A microchip CE-based method for the quantification of the thiols mercaptoethanoic acid (MAA) and 2-mercaptopropionic acid (2-MPA) in depilatory cream and cold wave lotions was developed. The thiols were first derivatized with the fluorogenic reagent ammonium-7-fluorobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole-4-sulfonate (SBD-F). The derivatives were separated within only 20 s by microchip CE and detected by their fluorescence. Conventional CE with diode array detection and LC with fluorescence detection were used for validation. The internal standard 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA) provided RSDs of multiple injections of only 4% or less for the MCE approach. LOD is 2 microM, LOQ 6 microM, and the linear range comprises nearly three decades of concentration starting at the LOQ.     

N-Alkyl cysteine-assisted thioesterification of peptides

A new method for the preparation of peptide thioester by the post-solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) approach was developed. A series of N-alkyl cysteine derivatives were prepared and used as the C-terminus residue of the peptides prepared by the Fmoc SPPS. The synthetic peptides released from resin by TFA were readily converted to the peptide thioester in aqueous 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) without significant side reactions.     

Polarographic catalytic hydrogen currents in the presence of various thiols

The polarographic catalytic hydrogen current (Brdicka's current) was studied in the buffered solutions of various thiols containing Co(II) ions. It was found that the catalytic activity of structurally similar thiols decreases with the decreasing values of the stability constants of their complexes with Co(II) ions following the order: cysteine ethyl ester>cysteine >cysteamine or mercaptosuccinic acid>thioglycollic acid>2-mercaptopropionic acid. 2-diethylaminoethanethiol and S-ethylcysteine were fully inactive. The explanation of the observed phenomena was suggested.     

The complexes of bismuth(III) and nitrilotriacetic acid

The reaction between bismuth(III) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA or H(3)X) has been investigated by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. It has been established that bismuth(III) and NTA form two complexes with compositions bismuth(III): NTA = 1:1 and 1:2. The absorption maxima are at 243 nm (1:1) and 271 nm (1:2), the molar absorptivities being 8.00 x 10(3) and 8.20 x 10(3) l.mole(-1).cm(-1) respectively. The stability constants (at mu = 1.0) are: log beta(BiX) = 17.53 +/- 0.06 and log beta(B)(2)(3-) = 26.56 +/- 0.07. The possibility of the analytical application of BiX is briefly discussed.     

Molecular Bismuth Cations: Assessment of Soft Lewis Acidity

Three-coordinate cationic bismuth compounds [Bi(diaryl)(EPMe₃)][SbF₆] have been isolated and fully characterized (diaryl=[(C₆H₄)₂C₂H₂]²⁻, E=S, Se). They represent rare examples of molecular complexes with Bi⋅⋅⋅EPR₃ interactions (R=monoanionic substituent). The ³¹P NMR chemical shift of EPMe₃ has been found to be sensitive to the formation of LA⋅⋅⋅EPMe₃ Lewis acid/base interactions (LA=Lewis acid). This corresponds to a modification of the Gutmann–Beckett method and reveals information about the hardness/softness of the Lewis acid under investigation. A series of organobismuth compounds, bismuth halides, and cationic bismuth species have been investigated with this approach and compared to traditional group 13 and cationic group 14 Lewis acids. Especially cationic bismuth species have been shown to be potent soft Lewis acids that may prefer Lewis pair formation with a soft (S/Se-based) rather than a hard (O/N-based) donor. Analytical techniques applied in this work include (heteronuclear) NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and DFT calculations.     

Solvation of the bismuth(III) ion by water, dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N'-dimethylpropyleneurea, and N,N-dimethylthioformamide. An EXAFS, large-angle X-ray scattering, and crystallographic structural study

The structure of the solvated bismuth(III) ion in aqueous, dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N'-dimethylpropyleneurea, and N,N-dimethylthioformamide solution has been studied by means of EXAFS and large-angle X-ray scattering (LAXS). The crystal structures of the solid compounds octakis(dimethyl sulfoxide)bismuth(III) perchlorate, [Bi(OS(CH3)2)8](ClO4)3, hexakis(N,N'-dimethylpropyleneurea)bismuth(III) perchlorate, [Bi(OCN2(CH2)3(CH3)2)6](ClO4)3, and nonaaquabismuth(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate, [Bi(H2O)9](CF3SO3)3 (redetermination), have been determined. The aqueous solutions must be strongly acidic, since the hydrated bismuth(III) ion starts to hydrolyze into Bi6O4(OH)4(6+) complexes already at an excess of strong acid at 1.0 mol.dm-3. For very acidic aqueous perchlorate solutions, the LAXS and EXAFS data gave a satisfactory fit for eight-coordination of the bismuth(III) ion, with a mean Bi-O bond distance of 2.41(1) A. The crystal structure of octakis(dimethyl sulfoxide)bismuth(III) perchlorate shows that the bismuth(III) ion coordinates eight dimethyl sulfoxide molecules via the oxygen atoms in a distorted square antiprismatic configuration. The mean Bi-O bond distance is 2.43 A and the mean Bi...S distance 3.56 A. For the dimethyl sulfoxide solution, the corresponding mean distances were found to be 2.411(6) and 3.535(12) A. The N,N'-dimethylpropyleneurea-solvated bismuth(III) ion is octahedrally coordinated in both solid state and solution with the Bi-O bond distances of 2.324(5) and 2.322(3) A, respectively. The bismuth(III) ion is six-coordinated in the sulfur donor solvent N,N-dimethylthioformamide with a mean Bi-S bond distance of 2.794(8) A. A comparison with the structure of the solvated lanthanum(III) ion shows that the bismuth(III) ion is smaller for all coordination numbers. New effective ionic radii for the bismuth(III) ion in different coordination numbers are proposed, based on results in this study and in the literature.     

Chemiluminescence determination of tiopronin and its metabolite 2-mercaptopropionic acid in human urine by HPLC coupled with flow injection

Summary In previous pharmacokinetic studies tiopronin, a drug used for effective treatment of cystinuria and rheumatoid arthritis, and its metabolite 2-mercaptopropionic acid were analysed by conventional liquid chromatography with pre- and post-column derivatization and UV detection. Now a novel HPLC-coupled chemiluminescence-flow-injection analysis (CL-FIA) method has been developed for the determination of tiopronin and 2-mercaptopropionic acid in urine. The method is based on chemiluminescence from a Ce(IV) oxidation system sensitized by quinine, as proposed earlier by this group, and flow-injection analysis. The method, which has the advantages of high sensitivity and selectivity, simple sample treatment and prompt production of results, has also been preliminarily adapted for pharmacokinetic study of tiopronin in urine.     

Selective complexometric determination of bismuth with mercaptans as masking agents, and its estimation in alloys

A method is proposed for selective complexometric determination of bismuth. To a solution containing bismuth and other cations, excess of EDTA is added and the surplus is back-titrated at pH 5-6 with lead nitrate (Xylenol Orange as indicator). Thioglycollic or mercaptopropionic acid is then added to decompose the bismuth-EDTA complex and the liberated EDTA is titrated with lead nitrate. The interference of various cations has been studied and the method employed to determine bismuth in a variety of alloys.     

Identification, isolation, and characterization of cysteinate and thiolactate complexes of bismuth

Although bismuth compounds have been used in medicine for over 200 years, chemical characterization of complexes involving biological molecules is minimal and mechanisms of bioactivity are ill-defined. The thiophilic nature of bismuth implicates sulfur centers as likely sites for interaction, and we have exploited this feature to identify, isolate, and characterize complexes of bismuth with thiolate-carboxylate bifunctional ligands including the amino acid l-cysteine. The solid-state structures of potassium dichloro(thiopropionato)bismuth (K[1d]), dimethylaminoethanethiolato(thiopropionato)bismuth (4), and dinitrato(cysteinato)bismuthphenanthroline [5(phen)] are compared with data from electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). ESI-MS is applied to reactions of BiCl(3) or Bi(NO(3))(3) with mercaptosuccinic, malic, and succinic acids to illustrate the general observation of 1:1 and 1:2 complexes.     

Bismuth(III) halides: remarkable doping agents for triflic acid in the catalytic sulfonylation of arenes

The catalytic activity of triflic acid has been dramatically increased by the addition of a catalytic amount of bismuth(III) chloride. Thus, the catalytic sulfonylation of arenes using the new system BiCl₃-triflic acid has been successfully carried out while both components of this catalytic system are poorly active or inactive alone, which suggests a synergy between BiCl₃ and triflic acid. Other bismuth halide-triflic acid systems proved to be active.     

Orally administered bismuth drug together with N-acetyl cysteine as a broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus cocktail therapy

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern compromises vaccine efficacy and emphasizes the need for further development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics, in particular orally administered take-home therapies. Cocktail therapy has shown great promise in the treatment of viral infection. Herein, we reported the potent preclinical anti-SARS-CoV-2 efficacy of a cocktail therapy consisting of clinically used drugs, e.g. colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS) or bismuth subsalicylate (BSS), and N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC). Oral administration of the cocktail reduced viral loads in the lung and ameliorated virus-induced pneumonia in a hamster infection model. The mechanistic studies showed that NAC prevented the hydrolysis of bismuth drugs at gastric pH via the formation of the stable component [Bi(NAC)₃], and optimized the pharmacokinetics profile of CBS in vivo. Combination of bismuth drugs with NAC suppressed the replication of a panel of medically important coronaviruses including Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) and SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) with broad-spectrum inhibitory activities towards key viral cysteine enzymes/proteases including papain-like protease (PL^pro), main protease (M^pro), helicase (Hel) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Importantly, our study offered a potential at-home treatment for combating SARS-CoV-2 and future coronavirus infections.

A cocktail therapy comprising bismuth drugs and N-acetyl-l-cysteine is reported to suppress the replication of SARS-CoV-2 via the oral route. The broad-spectrum inhibitory activities of the combination upon key viral cysteine enzymes are verified.     

Separation of traces and larger amounts of bismuth from gram amounts of thallium, mercury, gold and platinum by cation-exchange chromatography on a macroporous resin

Traces and larger amounts of bismuth (up to 50 mg) can be separated from gram amounts of thallium, mercury, gold and platinum (up to 5 g) by sorption from a mixture of 0.1M hydrochloric acid and 0.4M nitric acid on a column containing just 3 g (8.1 ml) of AGMP-50, a macroporous cation-exchange resin. This resin retains bismuth much more strongly than does the usual microporous resin (styrene-DVB with 8% cross-linkage). Other elements are eluted with the same acid mixture as that used for sorption, and bismuth is finally eluted with 1.0M hydrochloric acid. Separations of bismuth are sharp and recoveries quantitative. Only microgram amounts of the other elements remain in the bismuth fraction. Amounts of bismuth as little as 5 mug have been separated from 5 g of thallium, and determined (r.s.d. = 2%) by flame atomic-absorption. Only 100-mug amounts of bismuth have been separated from gram amounts of mercury, gold, and platinum, but there is no reason to believe that smaller or larger amounts of bismuth cannot be separated from these elements and recovered with the same accuracy as that for the separation from thallium. The lower limit of the method is determination of 0.4 mug of bismuth in 10 ml of solution (0.004 absorbance). An elution curve, the relevant distribution coefficients and the results of analysis of synthetic mixtures and two practical samples [thallium metal and mercury(II) nitrate] are presented.     

Separation of bismuth from lead, copper and other elements by means of anion exchange

The anion-exchange behaviour of bismuth and various other elements has been investigated in media consisting of methyl glycol and nitric acid. Through the determination of the distribution coefficients in such mixtures, a method for the anion-exchange separation of bismuth from many metal ions has been developed. A mixture of 90% methyl glycol and 10% 5M nitric acid is a suitable medium for this separation on the strongly-basic anion exchanger Dowex 1, X8. Only bismuth, thorium and lanthanum are strongly retained on the resin in these conditions. All other elements investigated, such as lead, copper, iron, etc., are either only weakly adsorbed or are not absorbed. By means of this ion-exchange procedure, a series of analyses of copper-base alloys for bismuth has been carried out. The results show that this method can be used successfully for the quantitative isolation of bismuth from such materials. The final determination of bismuth in the eluates is performed by complexometric titration.     

Reactive sulfur species: kinetics and mechanisms of the oxidation of cysteine by hypohalous acid to give cysteine sulfenic acid

Cysteine sulfenic acid has been generated in alkaline aqueous solution by oxidation of cysteine with hypohalous acid (HOX, X = Cl or Br). The kinetics and mechanisms of the oxidation reaction and the subsequent reactions of cysteine sulfenic acid have been studied by stopped-flow spectrophotometry between pH 10 and 14. Two reaction pathways were observed: (1) below pH 12, the condensation of two sulfenic acids to give cysteine thiosulfinate ester followed by the nucleophilic attack of cysteinate on cysteine thiosulfinate ester and (2) above pH 10, a pH-dependent fast equilibrium protonation of cysteine sulfenate that is followed by rate-limiting comproportionation of cysteine sulfenic acid with cysteinate to give cystine. The observation of the first reaction suggests that the condensation of cysteine sulfenic acid to give cysteine thiosulfinate ester can be competitive with the reaction of cysteine sulfenic acid with cysteine.     

Mass transport characteristics of alkyl amines in a water/n-decane system

Rhenium (Re) nanoparticles have been synthesized by pulsed-laser decomposition of ammonium perrhenate (NH(4)ReO(4)) or dirhenium decacarbonyl (Re(2)(CO)(10)) in the presence of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as capping agent, in both aqueous and organic media. Preliminary studies showed that the MPA-capped Re nanoparticles are capable of catalyzing the isomerization of 10-undecen-1-ol to internal alkenols via long chain migration of the C=C double bond at ca. 200°C. A one-pot synthesis of graphite-coated Re nanoparticles has also been achieved by pulsed-laser decomposition of Re(2)(CO)(10), due to photo-induced catalytic graphitization of the phenyl groups of PPh(3) on the surface of rhenium nanoparticles.