Estimation of Activation Energy from the Survival Yields: Fragmentation Study of Leucine Enkephalin and Polyethers by Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A simple collision model for multiple collisions occurring in quadrupole type mass spectrometers was derived and tested with leucine enkaphalin a common mass spectrometric standard with well-characterized properties. Implementation of the collision model and Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) algorithm into a spreadsheet software allowed a good fitting of the calculated data to the experimental survival yield (SY) versus collision energy curve. In addition, fitting also ensured to estimate the efficiencies of the kinetic to internal energy conversion for Leucine enkephalin in quadrupole-time-of-flight and triple quadrupole instruments. It was observed that the experimental SY versus collision energy curves for the leucine enkephalin can be described by the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel (RRK) formalism by reducing the total degrees of freedom (DOF) to about one-fifth. Furthermore, this collision model with the RRK formalism was used to estimate the critical energy (E _o ) of lithiated polyethers, including polyethylene glycol (PEG), polypropylene glycol (PPG), and polytetrahydrofurane (PTHF) with degrees of freedom similar to that of leucine enkephalin. Applying polyethers with similar DOF provided the elimination of the effect of DOF on the unimolecular reaction rate constant. The estimated value of E _o for PEG showed a relatively good agreement with the value calculated by high-level quantum chemical calculations reported in the literature. Interestingly, it was also found that the E _o values for the studied polyethers were similar.

RNAs' uracil quartet model with a non-essential metal ion

We have recently communicated the resemblance of 1-hexyluracil in the crystal state with a lipid bilayer (CrystEngComm, 2010, 12, 362-365). Treatment of this molecule with silver nitrate yields a model, using a non-essential metal ion, of a uracil quartet with geometric parameters comparable to those previously found in RNA strands.     

Liquid phase microextraction applications in food analysis

Over the last years, liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) in its different application modes (single drop microextraction, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and hollow fiber-LPME) has been increasingly applied for the extraction of both inorganic and organic analytes from different matrices. Its advantages over conventional extraction procedures (simplicity, effectiveness, rapidity and low consumption of organic solvents) has also attracted its application in the complex food analysis field, in which it has clearly provided good and challenging results. A comprehensive review dealing with those articles published since its introduction till the end of March 2011 is presented, offering also a critical vision of the analytical potential of LPME for the analysis of foods.     

Highly stable cooperative distortion in a weak Jahn-Teller d2 cation: perovskite-type ScVO3 obtained by high-pressure and high-temperature transformation from bixbyite

A novel ScVO(3) perovskite phase has been synthesized at 8 GPa and 1073 K from the cation-disordered bixbyite-type ScVO(3). The new perovskite has orthorhombic symmetry at room temperature, space group Pnma, and lattice parameters a = 5.4006(2) ?, b = 7.5011(2) ?, and c = 5.0706(1) ? with Sc(3+) and V(3+) ions fully ordered on the A and B sites of the perovskite cell. The vanadium oxygen octahedra [V-O(6)] display cooperative Jahn-Teller (JT) type distortions, with predominance of the tetragonal Q(3) over the orthorhombic Q(2) JT modes. The orthorhombic perovskite shows Arrhenius-type electrical conductivity and undergoes a transition to triclinic symmetry space group P-1 close to 90 K. Below 60 K, the magnetic moments of the 4 nonequivalent vanadium ions undergo magnetic long-range ordering, resulting in a magnetic superstructure of the perovskite cell with propagation vector (0.5, 0, 0.5). The magnetic moments are confined to the xz plane and establish a close to zigzag antiferromagnetic mode.     

Click assembly of dye-functionalized octasilsesquioxanes for highly efficient and photostable photonic systems

New hybrid organic–inorganic dyes based on an azide‐functionalized cubic octasilsesquioxane (POSS) as the inorganic part and a 4,4‐difluoro‐4‐bora‐3a,4a‐diaza‐s‐indacene (BDP) chromophore as the organic component have been synthesized by copper(I)‐catalyzed 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of azides to alkynes. We have studied the effects of the linkage group of BDP to the POSS unit and the degree of functionalization of this inorganic core on the ensuing optical properties by comparison with model dyes. The high fluorescence of the BDP dye is preserved in spite of the linked chain at its meso position, even after attaching one BDP moiety to the POSS core. The laser action of the new dyes has been analyzed under transversal pumping at 532 nm in both the liquid phase and when incorporated into solid polymeric matrices. The monosubstituted new hybrid dye exhibits high lasing efficiency of up to 56 % with high photostability, with its laser output remaining at the initial value after 4×10⁵ pump pulses in the same position of the sample at a repetition rate of 30 Hz. However, functionalization of the POSS core with eight fluorophores leads to dye aggregation, as quantum mechanical simulation has revealed, worsening the optical properties and extinguishing the laser action. The new hybrid systems based on dye‐linked POSS nanoparticles open up the possibility of using these new photonic materials as alternative sources for optoelectronic devices, competing with dendronized or grafted polymers.     

Efficient approach to novel 1α-triazolyl-5α-androstane derivatives as potent antiproliferative agents

Stereoselective 1,4-Michael addition of azoimide to 17β-acetoxy-5α-adrost-1-en-3-one was carried out to furnish a 1α-azido-3-ketone, which was reduced to give the 3β- and 3α-hydroxy epimers in a ratio of 5 : 2. The Cu(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the major isomer to terminal alkynes afforded 1α-triazolyl derivatives, which were deacetylated to the corresponding 3β,17β-diols or oxidized to the analogous 3-ketones. However, the ability of the minor 1α,3α-azidoalcohol to undergo similar cyclization was found to be affected significantly by the steric bulk of the substituents on the alkyne reaction partner. All triazolyl compounds were tested in vitro on three malignant gynecological cell lines (HeLa, MCF7 and A2780).     

Adding a Structural Context to the Deprotometalation and Trans‐Metal Trapping Chemistry of Phenyl‐Substituted Benzotriazole

Organometallic bases are becoming increasingly complex, because mixing components can lead to bases superior to single‐component bases. To better understand this superiority, it is useful to study metalated intermediate structures prior to quenching. This study is on 1‐phenyl‐1H‐benzotriazole, which was previously deprotonated by an in situ ZnCl₂ ? TMEDA/LiTMP (TMEDA=N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine; TMP=2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidide) mixture and then iodinated. Herein, reaction with LiTMP exposes the deficiency of the single‐component base as the crystalline product obtained was [{4‐R‐1‐(2‐lithiophenyl)‐1H‐benzotriazole ? 3THF}₂], [R=2‐C₆H₄(Ph)NLi], in which ring opening of benzotriazole and N₂ extrusion had occurred. Supporting lithiation by adding iBu₂Al(TMP) induces trans‐metal trapping, in which C?Li bonds transform into C?Al bonds to stabilise the metalated intermediate. X‐ray diffraction studies revealed homodimeric [(4‐R′‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐benzotriazole)₂], [R′=(iBu)₂Al(μ‐TMP)Li], and its heterodimeric isomer [(4‐R′‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐benzotriazole){2‐R′‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐benzotriazole}], whose structure and slow conformational dynamics were probed by solution NMR spectroscopy.     

Connecting free volume with shape memory properties in noncytotoxic gamma‐irradiated polycyclooctene

The free volume holes of a shape memory polymer have been analyzed considering that the empty space between molecules is necessary for the molecular motion, and the shape memory response is based on polymer segments acting as molecular switches through variable flexibility with temperature or other stimuli. Therefore, thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) have been applied to analyze shape recovery and free volume hole sizes in gamma‐irradiated polycyclooctene (PCO) samples, as a noncytotoxic alternative to more conventional PCO crosslinked via peroxide for future applications in medicine. Thus, a first approach relating structure, free volume holes and shape memory properties in gamma‐irradiated PCO is presented. The results suggest that free volume holes caused by gamma irradiation in PCO samples facilitate the recovery process by improving movement of polymer chains and open possibilities for the design and control of the macroscopic response. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 1080–1088     

Influence of Polarity and Activation Energy in Microwave–Assisted Organic Synthesis (MAOS)

The aim of this work was to determine the parameters that have decisive roles in microwave-assisted reactions and to develop a model, using computational chemistry, to predict a priori the type of reactions that can be improved under microwaves. For this purpose, a computational study was carried out on a variety of reactions, which have been reported to be improved under microwave irradiation. This comprises six types of reactions. The outcomes obtained in this study indicate that the most influential parameters are activation energy, enthalpy, and the polarity of all the species that participate. In addition to this, in most cases, slower reacting systems observe a much greater improvement under microwave irradiation. Furthermore, for these reactions, the presence of a polar component in the reaction (solvent, reagent, susceptor, etc.) is necessary for strong coupling with the electromagnetic radiation. We also quantified that an activation energy of 20–30 kcal mol⁻¹ and a polarity (μ) between 7–20 D of the species involved in the process is required to obtain significant improvements under microwave irradiation.