Captopril Electrochemical Oxidation on Fluorine‐Doped SnO2 Electrodes and Their Determination in Pharmaceutical Preparations

A novel application of fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) electrodes is reported in the present work. To this end, the captopril electrochemical oxidation mechanism on FTO electrodes at various pH and its determination in pharmaceutical preparations was investigated. Captopril oxidation on FTO proceeds at pH between 2.0 and 4.0. The study revealed that interferences for captopril determination in pharmaceutical samples was totally suppressed using these electrode materials. Voltammetric survey showed an anodic peak at about 0.375 V (Ag|AgCl) for captopril oxidation, that takes place through an EC process at pH interval 2.0–4.0. The investigation demonstrated that captopril oxidation occurs through protonated species and these electroactive species interact by adsorption on FTO electrodes, with a large heterogeneous rate constant and a mechanism involving 1H⁺/1e^? in the global reaction. Moreover, a captopril sensor based upon FTO electrodes, with a linear range miliMolar, is proposed. These electrodes are promising candidates for the efficient electrochemical determination of captopril in pharmaceutical preparations.     

Simultaneous determination of naphazoline and pyridoxine in eye drops using excitation–emission matrix fluorescence coupled with second-order calibration method based on alternating trilinear decomposition algorithm

A novel method is developed for the direct determination of naphazoline hydrochloride(NAP) and pyridoxine hydrochloride(VB6) in commercial eye drops. By using excitation–emission matrix(EEM)fluorescence coupled with second-order calibration method based on the alternating trilinear decomposition(ATLD) algorithm, the proposed approach can achieve quantitative analysis successfully even in the presence of unknown and uncalibrated interferences. The method shows good linearity for NAP and VB6 with correlation coefficients greater than 0.99. The results were in good agreement with the labeled contents. To further confirm the feasibility and reliability of the proposed method, the same batch samples were analyzed by multiple reaction monitoring(MRM) based on LC–MS/MS method.T-test demonstrated that there are no significant differences between the prediction results of the two methods. The satisfactory results obtained in this work indicate that the use of the second-order calibration method coupled with the EEM is a promising tool for industrial quality control and pharmaceutical analysis due to its advantages of high sensitivity, low-cost and simple implementation.     

Photo-Induced Reactions between Glyoxal and Hydroxylamine in Cryogenic Matrices

In this paper, the photochemistry of glyoxal–hydroxylamine (Gly–HA) complexes is studied using FTIR matrix isolation spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. The irradiation of the Gly–HA complexes with the filtered output of a mercury lamp (λ > 370 nm) leads to their photoconversion to hydroxyketene–hydroxylamine complexes and the formation of hydroxy(hydroxyamino)acetaldehyde with a hemiaminal structure. The first product is the result of a double hydrogen exchange reaction between the aldehyde group of Gly and the amino or hydroxyl group of HA. The second product is formed as a result of the addition of the nitrogen atom of HA to the carbon atom of one aldehyde group of Gly, followed by the migration of the hydrogen atom from the amino group of hydroxylamine to the oxygen atom of the carbonyl group of glyoxal. The identification of the products is confirmed by deuterium substitution and by MP2 calculations of the structures and vibrational spectra of the identified species.     

Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy and cavity ring-down (CRD) absorption spectroscopy of oil-contaminated jet fuel using fiber-optic probes

Excitation emission matrix (EEM) and cavity ring-down (CRD) spectral signatures have been used to detect and quantitatively assess contamination of jet fuels with aero-turbine lubricating oil. The EEM spectrometer has been fiber-coupled to permit in situ measurements of jet turbine oil contamination of jet fuel. Parallel Factor (PARAFAC) analysis as well as Principal Component Analysis and Regression (PCA/PCR) were used to quantify oil contamination in a range from the limit of detection (10 ppm) to 1000 ppm. Fiber-loop cavity ring-down spectroscopy using a pulsed 355 nm laser was used to quantify the oil contamination in the range of 400 ppm to 100,000 ppm. Both methods in combination therefore permit the detection of oil contamination with a linear dynamic range of about 10,000.     

Imaging fingerprinting of excitation emission matrices

The spectral fingerprinting of the excitation emission matrix (EEM) of fluorescent substances is demonstrated using polychromatic light sources and tri-chromatic image detectors. A model of the measured fingerprints explaining their features and classification performance, based on the polychromatic excitation of the indicators is proposed.Substantial amount of spectral information is retained in the fingerprints as corroborated by multivariate analysis and experimental conditions that favor such situation are identified.In average, for five different substances, the model shows a fitting goodness measured by the Pearson's r coefficient and the root mean square deviation of 0.8541 and 0.0247 respectively, while principal component classification patterns satisfactorily compare with the EEM spectroscopy classification and respectively explain 96% and 93% of the information in the fist two principal components.The measurements can be performed using regular computer screens as illumination and web cameras as detectors, which constitute ubiquitous and affordable platforms compatible with distributed evaluations, in contrast to regular instrumentation for EEM measurements.     

Detection of verapamil drug by fluorescence and trilinear decomposition techniques

A three-way analytical methodology experimentally based on fluorescence excitation emission matrix (EEM) and in PARAFAC and TLD chemometric analysis was assessed for the quantification of verapamil drug in a tablet formulation. A standard addition procedure generates experimental information compatible with the chemometric data analysis model allowing the estimation of verapamil with a detection limit of about 0.04 mg/l using methanol as solvent. The structure of the verapamil EEM follows a trilinear model, but background signals (first- and second-order scatter bands) did not—a trilinear three-factor model is necessary to describe experimental datasets. The comparison of a three-factor PARAFAC model with a United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) standard chromatographic method showed similar results.     

Sequential methyl-fluorine exchange reactions of siloxide ions in the gas phase

Exchange Me for a fluorine: Trimethylsiloxide ions in the presence of NF(3) in the gas?phase undergo an unusual and sequential metathesis-type reaction wherein methyl groups are exchanged for fluorine. Theoretical calculations suggest that the reaction proceeds by a three-step internal-nucleophilic-displacement mechanism which features a pentacoordinated siliconate species as a transition state rather than as an intermediate.     

三峡库区水体溶解有机质的荧光光谱特性

利用荧光发射和三维荧光光谱(EEM)研究了三峡库区(TGRA)长江干流及嘉陵江、乌江两支流水体溶解有机质(DOM)的荧光特性.结合采样段面溶解有机碳(DOC)、氧化还原电位(ORP)、pH等参数,考察了干流、两支流及其汇合后各水体DOM的荧光指数f450/500和类腐殖酸与类富里酸强度比值rC/D变化,分析了类腐殖酸、类富里酸及类蛋白质在库区支流与干流、上游与下游水体的来源、组成、分布及环境行为.实验表明: 干流水体中DOM以类富里酸、类蛋白质荧光有机质为主;嘉陵江水体DOM以类蛋白质为主,富里酸次之; 在朝天门与长江汇合后,类蛋白峰强减弱而类腐殖酸有一定增加;乌江以类富里酸为主,汇合干流后,富里酸和类蛋白质峰增强;库区上游水体DOM主要受嘉陵江影响;干流DOM受陆源性影响.初步揭示了水体DOM的EEM特性与库区水质参数的相关性,为水体监测与分析提供参考.     

Electronegativity equalization method: parameterization and validation for organic molecules using the Merz-Kollman-Singh charge distribution scheme

The electronegativity equalization method (EEM) was developed by Mortier et al. as a semiempirical method based on the density-functional theory. After parameterization, in which EEM parameters A(i), B(i), and adjusting factor kappa are obtained, this approach can be used for calculation of average electronegativity and charge distribution in a molecule. The aim of this work is to perform the EEM parameterization using the Merz-Kollman-Singh (MK) charge distribution scheme obtained from B3LYP/6-31G* and HF/6-31G* calculations. To achieve this goal, we selected a set of 380 organic molecules from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and used the methodology, which was recently successfully applied to EEM parameterization to calculate the HF/STO-3G Mulliken charges on large sets of molecules. In the case of B3LYP/6-31G* MK charges, we have improved the EEM parameters for already parameterized elements, specifically C, H, N, O, and F. Moreover, EEM parameters for S, Br, Cl, and Zn, which have not as yet been parameterized for this level of theory and basis set, we also developed. In the case of HF/6-31G* MK charges, we have developed the EEM parameters for C, H, N, O, S, Br, Cl, F, and Zn that have not been parameterized for this level of theory and basis set so far. The obtained EEM parameters were verified by a previously developed validation procedure and used for the charge calculation on a different set of 116 organic molecules from the CSD. The calculated EEM charges are in a very good agreement with the quantum mechanically obtained ab initio charges.     

Determination of phenol in the presence of its principal degradation products in water during a TiO2-photocatalytic degradation process by three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence and parallel factor analysis

This paper describes a simple and rapid way of monitoring a photocatalytic degradation of phenol in aqueous suspensions of TiO₂. A three-way analytical methodology based on fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was developed to resolve the species present in the reaction mixture and quantify the concentration of phenol and its principal degradation products throughout the degradation. Parameters such as core consistency, fit% and correlation coefficients between recovered and pure spectra were used to determine the appropriate number of factors for the PARAFAC model. The accuracy of the model was evaluated by the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP). Using a four-factors PARAFAC model, phenol, hydroquinone, resorcinol and catechol, were satisfactorily determined. The proposed method is an interesting alternative to the traditional techniques normally used for monitoring degradation reactions.     

MALDI Matrices for the Analysis of Low Molecular Weight Compounds: Rational Design,Challenges and Perspectives

The analysis of low molecular weight (LMW) compounds is of great interest to detect small pharmaceutical drugs rapidly and sensitively, or to trace and understand metabolic pathways. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) plays a central role in the analysis of high molecular weight (bio)molecules. However, its application for LMW compounds is restricted by spectral interferences in the low m/z region, which are produced by conventional organic matrices. Several strategies regarding sample preparation have been investigated to overcome this problem. A different rationale is centred on developing new matrices which not only meet the fundamental requirements of good absorption and high ionization efficiency, but are also vacuum stable and “MALDI silent”, i. e., do not give matrix-related signals in the LMW area. This review gives an overview on the rational design strategies used to develop matrix systems for the analysis of LMW compounds, focusing on (i) the modification of well-known matrices, (ii) the search for high molecular weight matrices, (iii) the development of binary, hybrid and nanomaterial-based matrices, (iv) the advance of reactive matrices and (v) the progress made regarding matrices for negative or dual polarity mode.     

Correction of inner-filter effect in fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectrometry using Raman scatter

Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy is a useful tool for interpretation of fluorescence information from natural water samples. One of the major problems with this technique is the inner-filter effect (IFE), i.e. absorption of light at both the excitation and emission wavelengths. The common solutions are to either dilute the sample or apply some form of mathematical correction, most often based on the measured absorbance of the sample. Since dilution is not always possible, e.g. in on-line or in situ EEM recordings, and corrections based on absorbance are hampered primarily by the use of a separate absorbance instrument, neither of these solutions is optimal. In this work, we propose a mathematical correction procedure based on the intensity of Raman scatter from water. This procedure was found to reduce the error after correction by up to 50% in comparison with two absorbance correction procedures. Furthermore, it does not require the use of a separate absorbance measurement, and it is applicable to on-line and in situ EEM recordings, where the IFE would otherwise cause problems.     

PVA-DNA cryogel membranes: characterization, swelling, and transport studies

Double-stranded (ds) DNA from salmon testes has been incorporated into PVA hydrogels obtained by a technique of repeated freezing and thawing. The cryogels obtained are free of potential toxic species like chemical cross-linkers, and consequently, they can be used in pharmaceutical or medical applications. These cryogels show a good mechanical resistance and a white and opaque appearance caused by a heterogeneous porous structure. Encapsulated DNA molecules can be in a compacted or an extended conformation in the PVA matrix and can be controlled by tailoring the degree of crystallinity of the PVA network; this is supported by fluorescence microscopy and UV and FTIR spectroscopic studies. The two forms of encapsulated DNA were observed for different types of matrixes: an extended one in a more crystalline network and a globular one in a more amorphous one. Different associations of base pairs have also been observed. PVA cryogel crystallinity could be tailored by the cryogel contact with different salt solutions. Cryogel surface (scanning electron microscopy) and bulk morphology (porosimetry), swelling, DNA retention, and delivery kinetics have also been studied. All these investigations clearly show strong interactions between PVA and DNA.     

Utilization of PARAFAC‐Modeled Excitation‐Emission Matrix (EEM) Fluorescence Spectroscopy to Identify Biogeochemical Processing of Dissolved Organic Matter in a Northern Peatland

In this study, we contrast the fluorescent properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in fens and bogs in a Northern Minnesota peatland using excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy with parallel factor analysis (EEM‐PARAFAC). EEM‐PARAFAC identified four humic‐like components and one protein‐like component and the dynamics of each were evaluated based on their distribution with depth as well as across sites differing in hydrology and major biological species. The PARAFAC‐EEM experiments were supported by dissolved organic carbon measurements (DOC), optical spectroscopy (UV‐Vis), and compositional characterization by ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectroscopy (FT‐ICR MS). The FT‐ICR MS data indicate that metabolism in peatlands reduces the molecular weights of individual components of DOM, and oxygen‐rich less aromatic molecules are selectively biodegraded. Our data suggest that different hydrologic and biological conditions within the larger peat ecosystem drive molecular changes in DOM, resulting in distinctly different chemical compositions and unique fluorescent fingerprints. PARAFAC modeling of EEM data coupled with ultrahigh resolution FT‐ICR MS has the potential to provide significant molecular‐based information on DOM composition that will support efforts to better understand the composition, sources, and diagenetic status of DOM from different terrestrial and aquatic systems.     

An Intramolecular Hydrogen-Shift in a Peroxy Radical at Cryogenic Temperatures: The Reaction of 2-Hydroxyphenyl Radical with O2

Peroxy radical hydrogen-shifts are pivotal elementary reaction steps in the oxidation of small hydrocarbons in autoignition and the lower atmosphere. Although these reactions are typically associated with a substantial barrier, we demonstrate that the [1,5]H-shift in the peroxy species derived from the 2-hydroxyphenyl radical 1 is so facile that it even proceeds rapidly in an argon matrix at 35 K through a proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism. Hydrogen-bound complexes of o-benzoquinone are identified as the main reaction products by infrared spectroscopy although their formation through O−O bond scission is hampered by a barrier of 11.9 kcal mol⁻¹ at the ROCCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ/UB3LYP/6–311G(d,p) level of theory.     

庚酸甲酯高温燃烧化学动力学机理的系统简化和分析

采用详细化学反应动力学机理的系统简化方法, 对庚酸甲酯高温燃烧化学动力学机理进行了系统简化. 首先采用两步直接关系图法(Directed relation graph method, DRG)和主成分分析(Principle component analysis, PCA)方法对由1087个物种、4592步可逆反应组成的庚酸甲酯燃烧的详细机理进行框架简化, 得到了包含108个物种, 547步基元反应的框架机理. 在此框架机理基础上, 进一步采用计算奇异值摄动法(Computational singular perturbation, CSP)对框架机理进行时间尺度分析, 再选取30个准稳态物种, 采用准稳态近似(Quasi steady state approximation, QSSA)方法构建了包含78个物种、74步总包反应的全局简化机理. 模拟结果表明, 在较宽的参数范围内, 框架机理和全局简化机理均能重现庚酸甲酯高温燃烧时的点火延迟、物种浓度分布和熄火等燃烧特性. 此外, 基于框架机理阐明了庚酸甲酯高温燃烧的反应路径和对点火有重要影响的基元反应. 与详细机理相比, 框架机理保留了良好的精确性和全局性, 可以很好地反映庚酸甲酯的燃烧特性, 有助于对生物柴油的燃烧过程的理解.     

Identifying and minimizing buffer interferences in ToF‐SIMS analyses of lignocellulose

Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) has demonstrated applicability to the analysis of lignocellulosic samples including pulp, paper, plants, and wood. One such application is to use ToF‐SIMS as a tool for detecting the activity of enzymes applied to degrade or modify plant biomass. The use of buffers for pH control of these enzymatic reactions can pose problems due to the nature of the ToF‐SIMS measurement. Specifically, inorganic species (e.g. salts) from buffer components could introduce several concerns for quantitative or semi‐quantitative ToF‐SIMS analysis. First, salts can produce additional peaks in the mass spectra, which may overlap with lignocellulose peaks of interest (mass interference). Second, salts can alter the chemical environment, or ‘matrix’, altering the ionization probability of lignocellulose‐related secondary ions during the sputtering mechanism of the ToF‐SIMS measurement (matrix effects). Third, salts may physically coat the lignocellulose surface, decreasing the signal from the lignocellulose, causing poor signal‐to‐noise in the analysis. The current work presents a simple approach for identifying interferences due to buffers, using both principal component analysis (PCA) and previously established lignocellulose‐relevant peak ratios. Furthermore, a simple acetic acid rinsing protocol is compared to distilled water rinsing and is evaluated and for its effectiveness in removing buffer‐related salts. The data shows that briefly rinsing lignocellulose samples in dilute acetic acid can be effective in restoring the validity of lignocellulose composition interpretations using ToF‐SIMS. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于电负性均衡理论快速计算多肽分子中原子电荷的新方法

Atomic charges play a crucial role in the understanding and modeling of the chemical behavior of proteins. Fast assessment of atomic charge distributions in larger molecules can be performed by implementing the electronegativity equalization method (EEM). To further improve the accuracy of the EEM approach, a novel and efficient method based on Bader's concept of high degree fragment transferability of atomic charges has been proposed for the parameterization of atoms-in-molecules (AIM) charges of polypeptides or proteins. The EEM parameterization method considers both the factors of connectivity and hybridized states, and the effect of the local chemical environment in fragments or groups. The types of atoms were defined on the basis of the local chemical environments of the fragments or functional groups of these atoms. The fragment transferability feature of QTAIM indicates that the atomic properties for the contributing atoms can be reproduced if the chemical environment is comparable. The constituent fragments or functional groups of macromolecules such as polypeptides and proteins can be utilized as building blocks for the additive generation of their electronic densities. The main peptide group (NH―HαCα―C＝O) of the polypeptide in the backbone was used as a building block to model the EEM parameters for reproducing the atomic charges in the polypeptides. A training set of 20 terminally blocked amino acids (Ac-X-NHMe, X = any neutral residue), which recreated the immediate local environment of the main chain fragments or functional groups of the polypeptides, were chosen for the calibration of AIM charges using the differential evolution (DE) algorithm. The effects of the optimized methods on the results were discussed and it was found that the DE algorithm showed a better performance for the objective function. The quality of the AIM charges obtained from the EEM method presented in this study was evaluated by comparison with those obtained from B3LYP/6-31G+(d, p) calculations for the two test tetrapeptides not contained in the training set. It was found that a remarkable improvement was achieved using the EEM model developed in this study as compared to the previous studies. The introduction of Bader's high fragment charge transfer model into the EEM provided a new scheme for its calibration and parameterization for larger systems such as polypeptides or polynucleotides, which possess highly repetitive segments. Among all types of atomic charges, only the AIM charges showed a significant meaning in experiments and could be obtained by X-ray diffraction experiments. Rapidly reproducing the accurate AIM charge for large systems seems to be more meaningful, especially for the prediction of protein-protein, protein-DNA, and drug-receptor recognition and interactions.