The use of simulation in the EPR spin probe technique for detection of irradiated seeds

An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin probe study of irradiated wheat seeds was performed depending on irradiation dose. The structural changes in the membrane integrity were followed using aqueous solutions of 4-hydroxy-TEMPO (TANOL) spin probe and a line broadening material. In the studies dry seed embryos were kept in these solutions for 150 min. The spectra were recorded at various times of air drying process. The simulation of these spectra indicated a decrease in the water content of the embryos depending on the increasing irradiation dose. This indicates the increase in the permeability of the membranes as a result of the radiation damage. From the decay curves it is possible to determine about irradiation dose, however, this approach is not very successful at close irradiation doses.     

EPR in non-doped irradiated polyacetylene

The influence of -irradiation on the paramagnetic properties of non-doped polyacetylene at low and high radiation doses has been studied and summarized. The dependence of the EPR spectra on the radiation dose in irradiated polyacetylene has been measured. No essential changes of the spin mobility as a consequence of irradiation were observed. Our measurements of spin concentration confirm the high resistivity of non-doped polyacetylene to radiation.     

Microphase separation in poly(acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene) (ABS) studied with paramagnetic spin probes. I. Electron spin resonance spectra

Microphase separation in poly(acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene) (ABS) was studied as a function of the butadiene content and method of preparation with electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of nitroxide spin probes. Results for the ABS polymers were evaluated by comparison with similar studies of the homopolymers polybutadiene (PB), polystyrene (PS), and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and the copolymers poly(styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile) (SAN) and poly(styrene‐co‐butadiene) (SB). Two spin probes were selected for this study: 10‐doxylnonadecane (10DND) and 5‐doxyldecane (5DD). The probes varied in size and were selected because their hydrocarbon backbone made them compatible with the polymers studied. The ESR spectra were measured in the temperature range 120–420 K and were analyzed in terms of line shapes, line widths, and hyperfine splitting from the ¹⁴N nucleus; the appearance of more than one spectral component was taken as an indication of microphase separation. Only one spectral component was detected for 10DND in PB, PS, and PAN and in the copolymers SAN and SB. In contrast, two spectral components differing in their dynamic properties were detected for both probes in the three types of ABS samples studied and were assigned to spin probes located in butadiene‐rich domains (the fast component) and SAN‐rich domains (the slow component). The behavior of the fast component in ABS prepared by mass polymerization suggested that the low‐T_g (glass‐transition‐temperature) phase was almost pure PB. The corresponding phase in ABS prepared by emulsion grafting also contained styrene and acrylonitrile monomers. A redistribution of the spin probes on heating occurred with heating near the T_g of the SAN phase, suggesting that the ABS polymers as prepared were not in thermodynamic equilibrium. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 415–423, 2002; DOI 10.1002/polb.10109     

Structural modifications of lipid vesicles by 8-methoxypsoralen

On prolonged UV-A illumination the ESR spectrum of 16-doxylstearic acid in dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine vesicles loaded with 8-methoxypsoralen changed dramatically as a second broad component gradually appeared. The composite nature of the spectrum was proven by digital subtraction and the two components were simulated using the modified Bloch equations. From the spectral anisotropy of the motionally averaged three-line component, the molecular order was found to decrease during UV-A illumination, and isotropic rotation of the spin probe was observed well below the phase transition temperature. In parallel an exchange averaged component dominated the central part of the spectrum, indicating the segregation of spin probes into separate domains. The build-up of the composite lineshape was followed by fitting weighted sums of the above two components to spectra recorded after various time intervals. It is concluded that PUVA therapy, which is routinely used against psoriasis, might also induce overlooked damage to the saturated lipid species of biological membranes.     

γ-radiolysis of acetylated cotton cellulose: An ESR study

The nature and behavior of free radicals induced in acetylated cotton celluloses irradiated with γ-rays have been studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Dehydrogenation and deacetylation appear to be responsible for the free radicals observed from samples irradiated at 77°K. The degree of substitution enhanced the yield of acetyl radicals when the samples were irradiated at 77°K and adversely affected the overall radical concentration when irradiation was done at 300°K. In addition, the ESR spectra of samples irradiated under vacuum at 300°K were more intense than those obtained from samples irradiated in air. The nature, yield, and post-irradiation behavior of the primary radicals are discussed in the light of the ultimate chemical effects observed.     

Analysis of electron spin resonance spectra of irradiated gingers: Organic radical components derived from carbohydrates

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectral characterizations of gingers irradiated with electron beam were studied. Complex asymmetrical spectra (near g=2.005) with major spectral components (line width=2.4 mT) and minor signals (at 6 mT apart) were observed in irradiated gingers. The spectral intensity decreased considerably 30 days after irradiation, and continued to decrease steadily thereafter. The spectra simulated on the basis of characteristics of free radical components derived from carbohydrates in gingers are in good agreement with the observed spectra. Analysis showed that shortly after irradiation the major radical components of gingers were composed of radical species derived from amylose and cellulose, and the amylose radicals subsequently decreased considerably. At 30 days after irradiation, the major radical components of gingers were composed of radical species derived from cellulose, glucose, fructose or sucrose.     

Spectroscopic monitoring for the formation of mesoporous MCM-41 materials upon microwave irradiation

The mesoporous MCM-41 materials were prepared in very short crystallization time (∼40 min) upon microwave irradiation in comparison with conventional hydrothermal heating method. With both microwave irradiation and hydrothermal heating, the MCM-41 formation via supramolecular templating method has been monitored by fluorescence and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Pyrene as a fluorescence probe and 4-(N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecyl)ammonium-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl piperidinyloxy iodide (CAT16) as a spin probe were respectively dissolved into the micelle solutions to form the MCM-41 precursor gels. These probes allow the monitoring of the supramolecular interaction between the anionic silicate species and the cationic surfactant molecules during the MCM-41 formation. Analyses of fluorescence and ESR spectra indicate that the fast increase of hydrophobicity and microviscosity at the solubilzation sites of the probes results from the accelerated condensation of silicates onto the micelle surface upon microwave irradiation. The fluorescence change from the silicate L-center in the MCM-41 precursor gel also probes the fast silicate condensation upon microwave irradiation. It seems that the fast formation of MCM-41 upon microwave irradiation is ascribed to the microwave-susceptible head groups of surfactant molecules in addition to fast dissolution of the precursor gel.     

Radiation Chemical Studies of Protein Reactions: Dependence of Restorative Amino Acids on Radiation Dose

Abstract

Changes of specific rotation of protein irradiated with Co-60 gamma-rays were restored by some amino acids, such as mono-sodium 1-glutamate. Loss of this recovery effect in some amino acids by irradiation was studied by polarimetry and infrared spectometry. Optical rotation of protein-amino acid solutions increased with an increasing radiation dose given to the amino acids. Changes in optical rotation with irradiation may be due to the loss of the recovery effect of amino acids for the irradiated protein molecule. Changes in infrared spectra increased with an increasing radiation dose given to the amino acids. Such changes in infrared spectra with irradiation may be due to destruction of some radicals in the amino acid molecule.     

Spin Noise Detection of Nuclear Hyperpolarization at 1.2 K

We report proton spin noise spectra of a hyperpolarized solid sample of commonly used “DNP (dynamic nuclear polarization) juice” containing TEMPOL (4‐hydroxy‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine N‐oxide) and irradiated by a microwave field at a temperature of 1.2 K in a magnetic field of 6.7 T. The line shapes of the spin noise power spectra are sensitive to the variation of the microwave irradiation frequency and change from dip to bump, when the electron Larmor frequency is crossed, which is shown to be in good accordance with theory by simulations. Small but significant deviations from these predictions are observed, which can be related to spin noise and radiation damping phenomena that have been reported in thermally polarized systems. The non‐linear dependence of the spin noise integral on nuclear polarization provides a means to monitor hyperpolarization semi‐quantitatively without any perturbation of the spin system by radio frequency irradiation.     

Post-irradiation stability of polyvinyl chloride at sterilizing doses

Post-irradiation stability of plasticized PVC irradiated by ⁶⁰Co gamma ray at sterilizing doses has been studied. Effects of irradiation upon chemical structure, mechanical properties and rheological behaviour of samples contained different amounts of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate as plasticizer have been investigated. Formation of conjugated double bonds, carbonyl and hydroxyl groups have been followed by UV and FTIR spectrometers up to 6 months after irradiation. FTIR spectra of irradiated samples showed no significant changes in carbonyl and hydroxyl groups even 6 months after irradiation. However, changes in UV-visible spectra was observed for the irradiated samples up to 6 months post-irradiation. This has been attributed to the formation of polyenes which leads to the discoloration of this polymer. Despite a certain degree of discoloration, it appears that the mechanical properties of PVC are not affected by irradiation at sterilizing doses. No change in the melt viscosity of the irradiated PVC samples with post-irradiation was observed, which is in consistent with the IR results.     

Subject index

The embryo of the frog Xenopus laecis was examined as a possible model for pyrolysis studies of cells and tissues from higher organisms. Individual cells from embryos in stages 5 and 6 (16–32 cells), and tissue fragments from neural stage embryos, were studied by low-voltage Curie-point pyrolysis—mass spectrometry (Py-MS) in combination with computerized multivariate analysis techniques.The results show that single cells, as well as selected tissue parts, of X. laecis can be analyzed by Curie-point Py-MS and that reproducible differences are found between different parts of the embryo. The biochemical difference patterns expressed in the spectra appear to reflect primarily protein, phospholipid and (poly)hexose moieties, thought to represent intracellular nutrients such as yolk and glycogen. The yolk/glycogen ratio was found to change markedly between the animal and vegetal poles of embryos in stages 5 and 6. Similar changes were found in different tissue regions of neural plate stage embryos, stages 13–14.     

Effects of gamma and electron beam irradiation on polymer electrolytes

Polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) and lithium salts have been widely studied in recent years. In order to enhance the room temperature ionic conductivity of PEO-LiX complexes, various techniques, such as addition of plasticizers and crown ether, and also irradiation by γ and electron beams have been investigated. The enhancement of the conductivity by irradiation has been accounted for the decreasing of the crystallinity of PEO-LiX. We reviewed these results and have investigated the degradation processes of PEO using Tb³⁺ fluorescence probes. We have also studied on the effects of irradiation of polymers such as poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) and PEO using Tb⁺³ fluorescence probe. Various monomers containing SO₃H and COOH have been grafted on poly(ethylene oxide) using irradiation technique. The structures and ionic conductivities of Li and Na salts of irradiated products were investigated in detail.     

Vibrational Spectroscopy of Ion Irradiated Carbon Containing Macromolecules

A large variety of carbon rich macromolecules has been studied in our laboratory, before, during, and after ion irradiation (3-60 keV ions), by in situ IR and Raman spectroscopies. In this paper we present results obtained on: (a) Films of frozen H₂O:CH₄:N₂ mixtures that have been deposited at low temperature (12 K) on a silicon substrate, and irradiated with fast ions. Irradiation causes the formation of organic refractory residues whose spectra have been recorded and studied also after further irradiation at room temperature. (b) Pentacene (a Polyciclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon, PAH) whose Raman spectra have been studied also during ion irradiation at room temperature. (c) Thin samples of fullerene (C₆₀) films also irradiated at room temperature. Here we discuss some of the most relevant results and compare the spectra of the very different samples that after prolonged irradiation, evolve towards amorphous carbons that have common spectral characteristic. The results are discussed in terms of their astrophysical relevance. It is demonstrated that frozen hydrocarbons, PAHs and fullerenes are rapidly converted to amorphous carbon in space. Amorphous carbon has to be a widespread material in many astrophysical environments.     

Cu(Ⅱ)自旋探针法研究温度敏感性水凝胶的相行为

本文采用Cu(Ⅱ)自旋探针法研究了N- 取代基丙烯酰胺水凝胶在不同温度时的ESR谱,发现不同的温度敏感性水凝胶.其Cu(Ⅱ)探针的ESR各向异性谱的变化也不同.这主要是由于取代基与Cu(Ⅱ)的相互作用不同所致.对于具有LCST相行为的NNPA 和NIPA水凝胶,当温度达到并超过其相转变温度时,即可测得其Cu(Ⅱ)自旋探针各向异性的ESR倒置谱,这种倒置谱是由于凝胶相变后,网格塌陷,网络缠裹水化Cu(Ⅱ)离子的结果.运用Cu(Ⅱ)自旋探针研究凝胶的相结构及其微观相行为是一种可行的方法     

PORPHYRIN-SENSITIZED PHOTOREACTIONS IN THE PRESENCE OF ASCORBATE: OXIDATION OF CELL MEMBRANE LIPIDS AND HYDROXYL RADICAL TRAPS

Abstract— Photooxidation reactions in ascorbate (AH)-containing erythrocyte membrane suspensions have been studied in broad perspective by simultaneously monitoring lipid peroxidation in the membrane compartment and formation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and hydroxyl radical (OH) in the aqueous compartment. Non-bound uroporphyrin (UP) and membrane-bound protoporphyrin (PP) were used as sensitizers. Photoreduction of UP to the radical anion (UP^-) was detected by electron spin resonance when UP/AH/membrane mixtures were irradiated anaerobically. Aerobic irradiation resulted in a strong AH^--stimulation of lipid peroxidation, H₂O₂ formation, and OH^- generation (detected with 2-deoxyribose (DOR) and the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-l-pyrroline-N-oxide). Use of diagnostic agents (e.g. catalase, desferrioxamine, mannitol) revealed that OH^- is involved in light-stimulated DOR oxidation, but not in lipid peroxidation. Similar irradiation in the presence of PP resulted in far greater lipid peroxidation than observed with UP, but less DOR oxidation, and insignificant accumulation of H₂O₂. This suggests that photoreduction of membrane-bound PP is less efficient, possibly due to hindered access of AH^-.     

Low‐frequency ESR studies on permeable and impermeable deuterated nitroxyl radicals in corn oil solution

Low‐frequency electron spin resonance studies were performed for 2 mM concentration of deuterated permeable and impermeable nitroxyl spin probes, 3‐methoxycarbonyl‐2,2,5,5‐tetramethyl‐pyrrolidine‐1‐oxyl and 3‐carboxy‐2,2,5,5,‐tetramethyl‐1‐pyrrolidinyloxy in pure water and various concentrations of corn oil solution. The electron spin resonance parameters such as the line width, hyperfine coupling constant, g factor, rotational correlation time, permeability, and partition parameter were estimated. The broadening of line width was observed for nitroxyl radicals in corn oil mixture. The rotational correlation time increases with increasing concentration of corn oil, which indicates the less mobile nature of spin probe in corn oil mixture. The membrane permeability and partition parameter values were estimated as a function of corn oil concentration, which reveals that the nitroxyl radicals permeate equally into the aqueous phase and oil phase at the corn oil concentration of 50%. The electron spin resonance spectra demonstrate the permeable and impermeable nature of nitroxyl spin probes. From these results, the corn oil concentration was optimized as 50% for phantom studies. In this work, the corn oil and pure water mixture phantom models with various viscosities correspond to plasma membrane, and whole blood membrane with different hematocrit levels was studied for monitoring the biological characteristics and their interactions with permeable nitroxyl spin probe. These results will be useful for the development of electron spin resonance and Overhauser‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging modalities in biomedical applications.     

Spectroscopic analysis of irradiated erythrocytes

The aim of the present work is to study the effect of gamma radiation on the lipid part of the erythrocyte membrane, and to test the efficiency of lipoic acid as a radioprotector. This effect was evaluated using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results showed an increase in the number of spin density by 14%, 22% and 65% after exposure to 25, 50 and 100 Gy respectively; whereas there was a decline in the obtained density after incubation with lipoic acid by a factor of approximately 32%. The FT-IR spectra of the irradiated erythrocytes samples showed a marked decrease in the intensity of all characteristic peaks, which increased as the irradiation dose increased. The second-derivative of these spectra, allow the conformationally sensitive membrane acyl chain methylene stretching modes to be separated from the protein (mostly hemoglobin) vibrations that dominate the spectra of intact cells. The 2850 cm⁻¹ band showed changes in the band shape and position after exposure to 50 and 100 Gy. Therefore it can be concluded that the band at 2850 cm⁻¹ only is useful in monitoring the radiation effect of the lipids cell membrane intact cells.     

Spectroscopic study of gamma irradiated bovine hemoglobin

In the present study, the effects of ionizing radiation of Cs-137 and Co-60 from 4.95 to 743.14 Gy and from 40 Gy to 300 kGy, respectively, on some bovine hemoglobin characteristics were studied. Such an effect was evaluated using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and infra-red (IR) spectroscopy. Bovine hemoglobin EPR spectra were recorded and analyzed before and after irradiation and changes were explained in detail. IR spectra of unirradiated and irradiated Bovine hemoglobin were recorded and analyzed also. It was found that ionizing radiation may lead to the increase of free radicals production, the decrease in α-helices contents, which reflects the degradation of hemoglobin molecular structure, or at least its incomplete performance. Results also show that the combined application of EPR and FTIR spectroscopy is a powerful tool for determining structural modification of bovine hemoglobin samples exposed to gamma irradiation.     

Large enhancement of the ionic conductivity in an electron‐beam‐irradiated [poly(ethylene glycol)]xLiClO4 solid polymer electrolyte

The effect of electron‐beam (4–8 MeV) irradiation on the ionic conductivity of a solid polymer electrolyte, poly(ethylene glycol) complexed with LiClO₄, was studied. A large enhancement of the conductivity of nearly two orders of magnitude was observed for the highest dose of irradiation (15 kGy) used. The samples were characterized with differential scanning calorimetry, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Although no free radicals were present in the irradiated samples, a decrease in the glass‐transition temperature and an increase in the amorphous fraction were observed. Even though pure poly(ethylene glycol) underwent considerable fragmentation, unexpectedly, no significant fragmentation was observed in the polymer–salt complexes. The enhancement of the conductivity was attributed to an increase in the amorphous fraction of the systems and also to an increase in the flexibility of the polymer chains due to the irradiation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1299–1311, 2004     

Conformers, infrared spectrum and UV-induced photochemistry of matrix-isolated furfuryl alcohol

The infrared spectra of furfuryl alcohol (2-furanmethanol, FFA) were investigated for FFA monomers isolated in low-temperature argon matrices. The structural interpretation of the obtained experimental spectra was assisted by analysis of the molecule's conformational landscape. According to the DFT(B3LYP)/6-311++G(d,p) calculations, five different minimum energy structures were found on the potential energy surface of the molecule. They can be defined by the orientation of the OCCO and CCOH dihedral angles: GG', GG, TG, TT, GT (G = +gauche, G' = -gauche, T = trans) and have a symmetry equivalent configuration: GG' = G'G, GG = G'G', TG = TG', GT = G'T. When zero-point energies are taken into account, only three (GG', GG, and TT) out of the five unique minima correspond to stable structures. The most stable conformer GG' (OCCO, 72.7°; CCOH, -59.3°), which in gas phase at room temperature accounts for ～65% of the total population, was the only form isolated in the argon matrices at 14 K. The other two relevant forms convert into conformer GG' during matrix deposition. The low temperature glassy and crystalline states of FFA were also obtained and their infrared spectra assigned, suggesting the sole existence of the GG' conformer also in these phases. The photochemical behavior of FFA induced in situ, by tunable UV-laser, was also studied. The longest wavelength resulting in photochemical changes in the structure of the irradiated sample was found to be λ = 229 nm. Such UV irradiation of the matrix-isolated FFA led to production of formaldehyde and different isomeric C(4)H(4)O species. Cycloprop-2-ene-1-carbaldehyde and buta-2,3-dienal (two conformers) are the main initial C(4)H(4)O photoproducts formed upon short-time excitation at λ = 229 nm. But-3-ynal (two conformers) was the principal photoproduct resulting from prolonged excitation at λ= 229 nm, being consumed upon irradiation at shorter wavelengths (λ < 227.5 nm). Vinyl ketene is produced from FFA in the trans conformation and undergoes isomerization to the cis form upon irradiation at λ < 227.5 nm. Cyclopropene, propyne, allene, and CO were also identified in the irradiated matrices (in particular at the later stages of irradiation), suggesting that the photoproduced aldehydes partially decarbonylate during the performed photochemical experiments.