Investigation of potential-sensitive fluorescent dyes for application in nitrate sensitive polymer membranes

The applicability of various potential-sensitive dyes (PSD) for optical sensing of anions is reported. Specifically, nitrate-responsive polymer membranes have been developed which are composed of a plasticized polymer, an anion exchange catalyst, and a fluorescent dye. On exposure to nitrate, the fluorescence intensity of such membranes increases, while the wavelengths of the excitation and emission maxima remain virtually unchanged. The membranes typically are 2–4 μm thick and exhibit highest sensitivity to nitrate in the 2 to 200 mgl^–1 range. Signal changes on exposure to 100 mmol/l nitrate can be as high as +300%. The detection limit is 0.2 mgl^–1. The cationic PSD octadecyl acridine organe was tested in combination with a tin-organic and an indium-organic anion carrier rather than with tridodecylmethylammonium chloride, but both carriers were found to display no improved selectivity. Received: 2 December 1995 / Revised: 28 March 1996 / Accepted: 5 April 1996     

Simplified method for the Re-Os dating of molybdenite using acid digestion and isotope dilution ICP-MS

An analytical method was developed for Os-Re dating of molybdenite. The method is based on determination of Os and Re concentrations in molybdenite by isotope dilution inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ID-ICP-MS). Sample digestion and sample/spike equilibration were achieved by a two-stage autoclave-based procedure using a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids. Os was separated from the sample digest by modified single-stage distillation of osmium tetraoxide (OsO₄) using elevated temperature and on-line addition of hydrogen peroxide. OsO₄(g) was trapped in a mixture of 0.05% thiourea in 0.05 M sodium hydroxide. An anion-exchange column was used to separate Re from excess Mo in the solution remaining after distillation. Os and Re isotope ratio measurements were performed by single-collector, double focusing inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with on-line mass-bias correction. Typical instrumental precision was in the range 0.02-0.2% relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) depending on the analyte concentrations. Notorious Os memory effects in the ICP-MS introduction system were eliminated using 5% ammonia solution, both as matrix for final dilution of the trap mixture as well as for washing between the samples. The reproducibility of the entire analytical procedure was accessed by replicate dating of two molybdenite standards and three molybdenite separates, and was found to be in the range 0.87-1.52% R.S.D. Though accuracy of the method is limited by difficulties in evaluating exact concentration of Os in spike solution, ages obtained in the course of these work agrees well with previously published data.     

Synthesis of the ABC fragment of the pectenotoxins

[reaction: see text] A highly stereocontrolled synthesis of the C1-C16 ABC spiroacetal-containing fragment 5 of PTX7 (4) has been achieved. Appendage of the C ring to the AB fragment involved Wittig reaction of spiroacetal aldehyde 8 with a stabilized ylide 9 followed by displacement of allylic iodide 27 with a lithium acetylide to afford enyne 7. Fructose-derived chiral dioxirane and dihydroxylation were then used to introduce the correct functionality in the tetrahydrofuran C ring.     

Glycan side chains on naturally presented MHC class II ligands

The molecular characterization of unknown naturally presented major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II glycopeptides carrying complex glycans has so far not been achieved, reflecting the different fragmentation characteristics of sugars and peptides in mass spectrometric analysis. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR-bound peptides were isolated by affinity purification, separated via high performance liquid chromatography and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. We were able to identify two naturally processed MHC class II ligands, CD53(122-136) and CD53(121-136), carrying complex N-linked glycan side chains by a combination of in-source and collision-induced fragmentation on a quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometer.     

Potentiometric and antimicrobial studies on the asymmetric Schiff bases and their binuclear Ni(II) and Fe(III) complexes; synthesis and characterization of the complexes

The protonation constants of two nitro-Schiff bases SB¹, SB² and three asymmetric tetradentate diimines H₂L¹, H₂L² and H₂L³ and the stability constants of their ML type binuclear Ni(II) and Fe(III) complexes have been determined potentiometrically. The asymmetric diimines are (2OH) RCHNC₆H₄CHNR′ (2OH) type compounds [where R = R′ = phenyl for H₂L¹; R = naphthyl, R′ = phenyl for H₂L² and R = R′ = naphthyl for H₂L³]. The effect of tautomeric forms on the acid-base properties of the diimines has been investigated and discussed. In addition, dimeric and binuclear Ni(II) and Fe(III) complexes of the diimines have been synthesized and characterized by physical and spectroscopic techniques. Also, in vitro antimicrobial activities of the diimines and the complexes have been evaluated against three bacteria: Micrococcus luteus (NRLL B-4375), Bacillus cereus (RSKK 863), Escherichia coli (ATCC 11230) and the fungus: Candida albicans (ATCC 10239).     

Photo-triggered hydrogen atom transfer from an iridium hydride complex to unactivated olefins

Many photoactive metal complexes can act as electron donors or acceptors upon photoexcitation, but hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactivity is rare. We discovered that a typical representative of a widely used class of iridium hydride complexes acts as an H-atom donor to unactivated olefins upon irradiation at 470 nm in the presence of tertiary alkyl amines as sacrificial electron and proton sources. The catalytic hydrogenation of simple olefins served as a test ground to establish this new photo-reactivity of iridium hydrides. Substrates that are very difficult to activate by photoinduced electron transfer were readily hydrogenated, and structure–reactivity relationships established with 12 different olefins are in line with typical HAT reactivity, reflecting the relative stabilities of radical intermediates formed by HAT. Radical clock, H/D isotope labeling, and transient absorption experiments provide further mechanistic insight and corroborate the interpretation of the overall reactivity in terms of photo-triggered hydrogen atom transfer (photo-HAT). The catalytically active species is identified as an Ir(ii) hydride with an Ir^II–H bond dissociation free energy around 44 kcal mol⁻¹, which is formed after reductive ³MLCT excited-state quenching of the corresponding Ir(iii) hydride, i.e. the actual HAT step occurs on the ground-state potential energy surface. The photo-HAT reactivity presented here represents a conceptually novel approach to photocatalysis with metal complexes, which is fundamentally different from the many prior studies relying on photoinduced electron transfer.

Upon irradiation with visible light, an iridium hydride complex undergoes hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) to unactivated olefins in presence of a sacrificial electron donor and a proton source.     

Adsorption of cationic cellulose derivative/anionic surfactant complexes onto solid surfaces. II. Hydrophobized silica surfaces

The effect of the anionic surfactant SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) on the adsorption behavior of cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose (Polymer JR-400) and hydrophobically modified cationic cellulose (Quatrisoft LM-200) at hydrophobized silica has been investigated by null ellipsometry and compared with the previous data for adsorption onto hydrophilic silica surfaces. The adsorbed amount of LM-200 is found to be considerably larger than the adsorbed amount of JR-400 at both surfaces. Both polymers had higher affinity toward hydrophobized silica than to silica. The effect of SDS on polymer adsorption was studied under two different conditions: adsorption of polymer/SDS complexes from premixed solutions and addition of SDS to preadsorbed polymer layers. Association of the surfactant to the polymer seems to control the interfacial behavior, which depends on the surfactant concentration. For the JR-400/SDS complex, the adsorbed amount on hydrophobized silica started to increase progressively from much lower SDS concentrations, while the adsorbed amount on silica increased sharply only slightly below the phase separation region. For the LM-200/SDS complex, the adsorbed amounts increased progressively from very low SDS concentrations at both surfaces, and no large difference in the adsorption behavior was observed between two surfaces below the phase separation region. The complex desorbed from the surface at high SDS concentrations above the critical micelle concentration. The reversibility of the adsorption of polymer/SDS complexes upon rinsing was also investigated. When the premixed polymer/SDS solutions at high SDS concentrations (>5 mM) were diluted by adding water, the adsorbed amount increased due to the precipitation of the complex. The effect of the rinsing process on the adsorbed layer was determined by the hydrophobicity of the polymer and the surface.     

Self-assembly of amphiphilic hexapyridinium cations at the air/water interface and on HOPG surfaces.

Mono- and multilayers of a novel amphiphilic hexapyridinium cation with six eicosyl chains (3) are spread at the air/water interface as well as on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). On water, the monolayer of 3 is investigated by recording surface pressure/area and surface potential/area isotherms, and by Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). Self-organized tubular micelles with an internal edge-on orientation of molecules form at the air/water interface at low surface pressure whereas multilayers are present at high surface pressure, after a phase transition. Packing motifs suggesting a tubular arrangement of the constituting molecules were gleaned from atomic force microscopy (AFM) investigations of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayers being transferred on HOPG at different surface pressures. These LB film structures are compared to the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 3 formed via adsorption from a supersaturated solution, which is studied by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). On HOPG the SAM of 3 consists of nanorods with a highly ordered edge-on packing of the aromatic rings and an arrangement of alkyl chains which resembles the packing of molecules at the air/water interface at low surface pressure. Additional details of the molecular packing were gleaned from single-crystal X-ray structure analysis of the hexapyridinium model compound 2b, which possesses methyl instead of eicosyl residues.     

Elektronenstoss-induzierter zerfall von benzol-tricarbonyl-chrom- und -wolfram-derivaten; ein vergleich

The Electron impact mass spectra of (CO)₃ MC₆H₅—X complexes (M = Cr, W; X = OCH₃, OC₄H₉, CO₂CH₃, CO₂C₄H₉) were recorded. From metastable transitions and by high-resolution measurements complete fragmentation diagrams were obtained; in some cases comparative structure determinations of fragment ions were carried out by collisional activation. The fragmentation of the tungsten complexes considerably differs from that of the chromium compounds. The differences may be attributed to the stronger-electrophilic character as well as to the more pronounced tendency of tungsten to attain higher oxidation states.     

Determination of uranium and thorium in Eskişehir-Beylikahir ore samples by delayed neutron counting technique

The Eskiehir-Beylikahir district has the largest and richest thorium and rare earth elements deposits in Turkey. The uranium and thorium concentrations of samples taken from four different parts of this area have been determined by the delayed neutron counting technique. The results are compared with those of previous analyses by other techniques and found to be in good agreement.