Pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of peroxynitrite-treated melanins

Peroxynitrite—a strong oxidizing and nitrating agent—is thought to be a mediator of the cytotoxic action of nitric oxide in biological systems. There is some evidence that peroxynitrite-dependent processes may be involved in the pathomechanism of Parkinson's disease. Recently, it has been suggested that neuromelanin, present in the cytoplasm of nigrostriatal neurons, can act as natural scavenger of peroxynitrite. In this study the effect of peroxynitrite on the structure of synthetic models of human neuromelanin was investigated. Model neuromelanins, obtained from dopamine (DA) and/or 5-S-cysteinyldopamine (5-S-CysDA), were pyrolyzed at 770 °C before and after treatment with peroxynitrite and the thermal degradation products separated by gas chromatography were identified by mass spectrometry. After exposure to peroxynitrite, reduced content of the typical pyrolysis products accompanied by elevated levels of low molecular weight gases in the pyrolysates were observed. The changes in pyrolytic patterns were dependent on melanin type and peroxynitrite concentration. It was concluded that interaction with peroxynitrite causes extensive oxidative degradation of the analyzed pigments. This may be of great biological importance with regard to depigmentation of nigrostriatal neurons demonstrated in Parkinson's disease.     

Pyrolysis–gas chromatography mass spectrometry and field ionization mass spectrometry of polyquinones

Low- and high-molecular mass thermal decomposition products of five polyquinones with different linking aromatic structures have been analyzed by pyrolysis–gas chromatography and by direct (in-source) pyrolysis–field ionization mass spectrometry. The quantity of carboxyl groups present in the polymer is obtained by the amounts of carbon dioxide found by pyrolysis–gas chromatography. Assuming a radical thermal decomposition mechanism the distribution of ketoacidic and quinonoid segments along the macromolecular ladder could be estimated from the high-molecular mass products measured by pyrolysis–field ionization mass spectrometry. A random distribution of the two different segments was found for polyquinones with biphenylene and dibenzofuran subunits, while a structure built up of blocks of two or more identical segments was obtained for polyquinones with dibenzothiophene and diphenylmethane subunits. At the same time the anomalous structural moieties in the polyquinone ladders are also clarified with the help of the identification of the unexpected pyroysis products. Oxidated and bis-dibenzothiophene and bis-diphenylmethane subunits were found. The observed temperature dependence for the appearances of the thermal degradation products indicates that condensation and elimination reactions are taking place under the described pyrolysis conditions. Condensation in the ketoacidic segments forming new quinonoid segments proved to be important in the polymer which was a 100% poly(ketoacid), but negligible in the polyquinones containing ketoacidic segments up to 60%.     

Investigation of Electrochemical Copolymerization of 1‐Naphthylamineaniline in the Presence of Various Organic Sulfonic Acids

The electrochemical and electro activity properties of poly(aniline‐co‐1‐naphthylamine) thin films have been investigated in the presence of various organic sulfonic acids. Homo and copolymer thin films are synthesized electrochemically, under cyclic voltammetric conditions in aqueous solution of organic sulfonic acids (1 M), viz p‐toluene‐sulfonic acid (P‐TSA), methane‐sulfonic acid (MSA), 5‐sulfosalicylic acid (5‐SSA), camphor‐sulfonic acid (CSA) and dodecylbenzene‐sulfonic acid (DBSA) (0.25 M) on glass carbon (GC) electrode at room temperature. The cyclic voltammograms (CVs) show that the current densities are strongly influenced by the size and acidity of the organic acids which are present in electrolyte. Electocopolymerization was carried out at different ratios of NPA to ANI (0.07, 0.05, 0.03, 0.02, 0.014). The formation of copolymer was proved by cyclic voltammogram study.     

Curie-point pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in the identification of paint media

Curie-point pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry has been applied to different model paint samples containing proteinaceous (egg yolk) and oily (linseed oil) media. Results of pyrolysis at 610°C are highly reproducible, and among the different pyrolysis products some compounds diagnostic for the different binders have been identified. The application of the method to real samples, i.e. from the oil painting ‘Ritratto’ by Giuseppe Nogari (1669–1763) and from the tempera paint on the ligneous roof of S. Giobbe church (16th century) in Venice, proves its effectiveness in the identification of binding media.     

Electrocatalytic Acitivity of rGO/PEDOT : PSS Nanocomposite towards Methanol Oxidation in Alkaline Media

Increasing demand of alternative energy sources leads to the development of new electrocatalytic materials for fuel cells. In present work, we report the synthesis of rGO/PEDOT : PSS (reduced graphene oxide/ Poly (3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) : Polystyrene sulfonate) nanocomposite by in‐situ polymerization method using EDOT as precursor and the nanocomposite is used as anode catalyst for methanol oxidation. Structural and chemical characterizations such as XRD, FTIR and Micro‐Raman confirm the formation of the nanocomposite. From TEM image, growth of nanofibrous PEDOT : PSS on rGO nanosheets is observed. Electrochemical characterizations of rGO/PEDOT : PSS/ITO electrode are performed by Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Chronoamperometry (CA) measurements. Methanol oxidation reactions are performed in 0.5 M NaOH solution. The anodic current of the nanocomposite coated ITO is found be 37.5 mA at 0.59 V due to methanol electro‐oxidation and retentivity of the electrode is 92 % of initial scan after 800 cycles. The chronoamperometric results reveal that the nanocomposite modified electrode exhibits better stability with retention factor of 42.4 % up to 3000 seconds. The rGO/PEDOT : PSS/ITO electrode exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation reaction due to larger surface area and excellent conductivity of rGO nanosheet.     

Size exclusion chromatography/mass spectrometry applied to the analysis of polysaccharides.

A novel method for analysing polysaccharide materials is described which employs size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) followed by detection by on-line electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and off-line matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS). It is demonstrated through SEC/ESI ion trap mass spectrometry that the formation of multiply charged oligomer ions, which bind up to five sodium cations, allows the rapid analysis of polysaccharide ions with molecular weights in excess of 9 kDa. MALDI spectra generated from fractionation of the effluent collected from the same SEC separation are shown to be in good agreement with the ESI spectra with respect to molecular weight distributions and types of ions generated. ESI and MALDI mass spectra of samples obtained from sequential graded ethanol precipitation and SEC fractionation of acid and enzymatically digested arabinoxylan polysaccharides show important structural differences between polysaccharide fragments. In addition, a comparison is made between the mass spectra of native and permethylated SEC-separated fragments of acid and enzymatically treated arabinogalactan. Linkage information of the permethylated arabinogalactan oligomers can be rapidly established through the use of on-line SEC/ESI-MS( n) experiments.     

Study on the photostability of guaiazulene by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The photostability of guaiazulene (1,4-dimethyl-7-isopropylazulene; GA), a natural azulenic compound used in cosmetic and health-care products, as well as in pharmaceutical preparations, was investigated in solution (methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile), by different techniques: gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography combined with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry and UV detection (LC/APCI-MS and HPLC/UV). A solar simulator (xenon-arc lamp) was used as UV-A radiation source. The study involved: monitoring compound decomposition, identifying products of photodegradation (PPs), assessing the role of oxygen and evaluating the kinetics of the process. Minor PPs are volatile compounds and were characterized by GC/MS, while oligomeric polyoxygenated compounds, tentatively characterized on the basis of MS and MS/MS spectra, were found to be the main photoproducts. The photodegradation was found to be enhanced by the presence of oxygen; nevertheless, determination of the singlet oxygen quantum yield for GA gave a lower value than that for the reference standard Rose Bengal. The obtained results and the developed stability-indicating methods (GC/MS and LC/MS) are of interest for stability studies and/or quality control purposes of GA as raw material or cosmetic products.     

Analysis of acrylamide in different foodstuffs using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Acrylamide levels over a wide range of different food products were analysed using both liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS–MS) and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS–MS). Two different sample preparation methods for HPLC–MS–MS analysis were developed and optimised with respect to a high sample throughput on the one hand, and a robust and reliable analysis of difficult matrices on the other hand. The first method is applicable to various foods like potato chips, French fries, cereals, bread, and roasted coffee, allowing the analysis of up to 60 samples per technician and day. The second preparation method is not as simple and fast but enables analysis of difficult matrices like cacao, soluble coffee, molasses, or malt. In addition, this method produces extracts which are also well suited for GC–MS–MS analysis. GC–MS–MS has proven to be a sensitive and selective method offering two transitions for acrylamide even at low levels up to 1 μg kg⁻¹. For the respective methods the repeatability (n=10), given as coefficient of variation, ranged from 3% (acrylamide content of 550 μg kg⁻¹) to 12% (acrylamide content of 8 μg kg⁻¹) depending on the food matrix. The repeatability (n=3) for different food samples spiked with acrylamide (5–1500 μg kg⁻¹) ranged from 1 to 20% depending on the spiking level and the food matrix. The limit of quantification (referred to a signal-to-noise ratio of 9:1) was 30 μg kg⁻¹ for HPLC–MS–MS and 5 μg kg⁻¹ for GC–MS–MS. It could be demonstrated that measurement uncertainties were not only a result of analytical variability but also of inhomogeneity and stability of the acrylamide in food.     

Reaction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. 2—the use of catalytic on-line dehydrogenation for the investigation of alcohols by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A method for structure determination of aliphatic alcohols within mixtures is described. It involves the use of a vapour phase dehydrogenation micro-reactor (Cu, 300°C) located between the chromatographic column and the mass spectrometer or between the injection port and the column. Since primary and secondary alcohols are converted into corresponding carbonyl compounds, they can be readily differentiated from tertiary alcohols and dialkyl ethers. An examination of the mass spectra of alcohols and carbonyl compounds permits the determination of molecular mass, the location of hydroxyl group and the determination of branching at the β-carbon atom.     

Electrochemical and Raman spectroscopic study of polyaniline; influence of the potential on the degradation of polyaniline

The polymerization of aniline has been studied employing in-situ electrochemical and Raman spectroscopical techniques. Aniline was polymerized by cyclic voltammetry on a Pt surface in sulfuric acid solutions of aniline. The Raman bands were assigned for degradation products of the overoxidized form of polyaniline. A discussion of the degradation mechanism is given. Received: 12 November 1997 / Accepted: 20 January 1998     

Indirect hydrogen analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS)

Gas chromatography (GC) is an analytical tool very useful to investigate the composition of gaseous mixtures. The different gases are separated by specific columns but, if hydrogen (H₂) is present in the sample, its detection can be performed by a thermal conductivity detector or a helium ionization detector. Indeed, coupled to GC, no other detector can perform this detection except the expensive atomic emission detector. Based on the detection and analysis of H₂ isotopes by low‐pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (MS), a new method for H₂ detection by GC coupled to MS with an electron ionization ion source and a quadrupole analyser is presented. The presence of H₂ in a gaseous mixture could easily be put in evidence by the monitoring of the molecular ion of the protonated carrier gas. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reaction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. 4—structure elucidation of cyclic sulphides by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with the use of on-line hydrodesulphurization

A method for structure determination of cyclic sulphides within mixtures is described. It involves the use of a vapour phase hydrodesulphurization micro-reactor (Raney nickel) located between the chromatographic column and the mass spectrometer (hydrogen and deuterium are used as carrier and reagent gases). A comparative examination of the mass spectra of the cyclic sulphides, as well as of the hydrocarbons and their deuterio analogues (deuterium atoms are bonded to carbon atoms which had been attached to sulphur) derived from the sulphides under the catalytic conditions employed, permits unambiguous determination of the size of the heterocycle and the position of the substituents.     

Prediction of clozapine metabolism by on-line electrochemistry/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

Combining electrochemical conversion, liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EC/LC/ESI-MS) on-line allows the rapid identification of possible oxidation products of clozapine (CLZ) in the absence and in the presence of glutathione. CLZ is, depending on the applied potential, oxidized to various products in an electrochemical flow-through cell using a porous glassy carbon working electrode. Several hydroxylated and demethylated species are detected on-line using LC/MS. While hydroxy-CLZ is most abundant at a potential of 400 mV, demethylation occurs more readily at higher potentials (at around 700 mV versus Pd/H₂ reference). In the presence of glutathione (GSH), various isomeric glutathione adducts and respective products of further oxidation can be identified. The thioadducts are characterized by tandem MS. Mono-GSH and bis-GSH derivatives can be seen in the chromatograms. The results correlate well with the cyclic voltammetric profile of CLZ. The data are relevant from a pharmacological point of view, since similar metabolites (phases I and II) have been reported in the literature. The EC/LC/MS and EC/MS methods should be valuable tools that can be used to anticipate and understand the metabolization patterns of molecules of pharmacological interest and to point out reactive intermediates.     

Simultaneous profiling analysis of alkylphenols and amines by gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Two-phase O-ethoxycarbonylation was performed to alkylphenols in acidic solution with ethyl chloroformate present in dichloromethane phase fortified with triethylamine with subsequent N-ethoxycarbonylation of amines after adjusting to alkaline pH. The resulting ethoxycarbonyl derivatives were subjected to pentafluoropropionylation, clean-up and concentration for analysis by gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The present method was linear (r ≥ 0.9959) in the range of 0.5–10.0 μg ml^−l with good precision (≤9.5%) and accuracy (−8.9 to 9.5%) for 20 phenols and 27 amines examined, allowing simultaneous screening for a total of one alkylphenol and four amines from wine and beer.     

Thermal degradation mechanisms of liquid crystalline aromatic polyesters studied by pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The thermal degradation mechanisms of liquid crystalline aromatic polyesters (LCPs) prepared from p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHB), biphenol (BP), and terephthalic acid (TA) were studied by pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The LCP containing deuterated terephthalate units and the LCPs that have different comonomer ratios were examined. On the basis of the pyrolysis products determined, the origin of the main pyrolysis products (benzene, phenol, biphenyl, phenyl benzoate, etc.) from the corresponding comonomer units were estimated and their thermal degradation mechanisms were eventually discussed in detail.     

Novel, highly robust method of carbohydrate pre-purification by two-dimensional liquid chromatography prior to liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

We describe a novel two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) method for fast and robust isolation and concentration of low abundant carbohydrates (sorbitol, glycerol) from biological matrices (plasma and urine). Off-line pre-purified fractions, enriched by analyte of interest, were analyzed by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS-MS). Initial 2D-LC automated sample pre-purification improved MS detection, eliminated matrix effects, and achieved high sensitivity (picogram detection limit) with a 6 min runtime and increased column lifetime. Using this method we have analyzed more than 1300 samples from biological matrices without column replacement.     

Pyrolysis–desorption chemical ionization and high-energy tandem mass spectrometry of the O-specific antigen of Yersinia ruckeri

Application of pyrolysis-desorption chemical ionization mass spectrometry (Py-DCI-MS) is demonstrated for the structural characterization of the native O-specific antigen of Yersinia ruckeri. Under proper pyrolytic and chemical ionization conditions this antigenic polysaccharide yields anhydrohexosamine fragments which facilitate identification of the trimeric repeating unit sequence. Tandem mass spectrometric analyses of the trimeric repeating unit fragments provided additional evidence for the proposed structure and permitted rationalization of the observed fragment ions. Furthermore, Py-DCI-MS of smaller hexosamine subunits isolated during off-line pyrolysis experiments showed fragmentation characteristics almost identical with those observed in the mass spectra of the whole antigen, hence confirming the stability of the pyrolysis fragments.     

Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry identification of cyclic ethers formed from reference fuels combustion

Summary The major cyclic ethers formed in the cool flame oxidation of reference fuels (normal heptane, isooctane, and normal decane) have been identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The spectra obtained by electronic ionization are presented. Since these ethers are not available commercially and their mass spectra are missing from standard mass spectrometry libraries the present mass spectra could be used as references in future work.