Solvent‐dependent structural dynamics of 2(1H)‐pyridinone in light absorbing S4(ππ*) state

The B‐band resonance Raman spectra of 2(1H)‐pyridinone (NHP) in water and acetonitrile were obtained, and their intensity patterns were found to be significantly different. To explore the underlying excited state tautomeric reaction mechanisms of NHP in water and acetonitrile, the vibrational analysis was carried out for NHP, 2(1D)‐pyridinone (NDP), NHP–(H₂O)_n (n = 1, 2) clusters, and NDP–(D₂O)_n (n = 1, 2) clusters on the basis of the FT‐Raman experiments, the B3LYP/6‐311++G(d,p) computations using PCM solvent model, and the normal mode analysis. Good agreements between experimental and theoretically predicted frequencies and intensities in different surrounding environments enabled reliable assignments of Raman bands in both the FT‐Raman and the resonance Raman spectra. The results indicated that most of the B‐band resonance Raman spectra in H₂O was assignable to the fundamental, overtones, and combination bands of about ten vibration modes of ring‐type NHP–(H₂O)₂ cluster, while most of the B‐band resonance Raman spectra in CH₃CN was assigned to the fundamental, overtones, and combination bands of about eight vibration modes of linear‐type NHP–CH₃CN. The solvent effect of the excited state enol‐keto tautomeric reaction mechanisms was explored on the basis of the significant difference in the short‐time structural dynamics of NHP in H₂O and CH₃CN. The inter‐molecular and intra‐molecular ESPT reaction mechanisms were proposed respectively to explain the Franck–Condon region structural dynamics of NHP in H₂O and CH₃CN.Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geissoschizine methyl ether N-oxide,a new alkaloid with antiacetylcholinesterase activity from Uncaria rhynchophylla

Geissoschizine methyl ether N-oxide, a new oxindole alkaloid, along with 14 known alkaloids, was isolated from the aerial part of Uncaria rhynchophylla. Their structures were identified by comprehensive spectral methods, including 2D NMR experiments, and confirmed by comparing with the literature data. In vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity assay showed that the new compound exhibited anti-AChE activity with IC₅₀ value of 23.4 μM.     

Preparation of a monolith functionalized with zinc oxide nanoparticles and its application in the enrichment of fluoroquinolone antibiotics

This study describes the enrichment ability of ZnO‐modified methacrylic acid‐co‐ethylene dimethacrylate polymer monoliths as stationary phases for the simultaneous determination of antibiotics (ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, and pefloxacin) combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography. The prepared monolith was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier‐transformed infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The polymer monolith microextraction method has been applied to the enrichment of fluoroquinolone antibiotics and satisfactory results were obtained in the analysis of water samples. Compared with the conventional methacrylic acid based monolith, the developed monolith exhibited a higher enrichment capacity because of the introduction of zinc oxide into the preparation process.     

Separation and purification of five alkaloids from Aconitum duclouxii by counter‐current chromatography

C₁₉‐diterpenoid alkaloids are the main components of Aconitum duclouxii Levl. The process of separation and purification of these compounds in previous studies was tedious and time consuming, requiring multiple chromatographic steps, thus resulted in low recovery and high cost. In the present work, five C₁₉‐diterpenoid alkaloids, namely, benzoylaconine ( 1 ), N‐deethylaconitine ( 2 ), aconitine ( 3 ), deoxyaconitine ( 4 ), and ducloudine A ( 5 ), were efficiently prepared from A. duclouxii Levl (Aconitum L.) by ethyl acetate extraction followed with counter‐current chromatography. In the process of separation, the critical conditions of counter‐current chromatography were optimized. The two‐phase solvent system composed of n‐hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water/NH₃·H₂O (25%) (1:1:1:1:0.1, v/v) was selected and 148.2 mg of 1 , 24.1 mg of 2 , 250.6 mg of 3 , 73.9 mg of 4, and 31.4 mg of 5 were obtained from 1 g total Aconitum alkaloids extract, respectively, in a single run within 4 h. Their purities were found to be 98.4, 97.2, 98.2, 96.8, and 96.6%, respectively, by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography analysis. The presented separation and purification method was simple, fast, and efficient, and the obtained highly pure alkaloids are suitable for biochemical and toxicological investigation.     

The Convenient Synthesis of 11‐Methyl‐3,8‐disubstituted‐12‐aryl‐3,4,7,8,9,12‐hexahydro‐1H‐chromeno[2,3‐b]quinoline‐1,10(2H)‐dione Derivatives

The 2‐arylidene‐3‐oxobutanenitrile derivatives 2 were prepared by the Knoevenagel condensation between aldehydes and 3‐oxobutanenitrile 1 , which was obtained by acid hydrolysis of β‐aminocrotononitrile. 3‐Acetyl‐2‐amino‐4H‐chromen‐5(6H)‐one derivatives 3 were synthesized by reaction of 2‐arylidene‐3‐oxobutanenitrile 2 and 5‐substituted‐1,3‐cyclohexanedione in ethylene glycol. The 11‐methyl‐3,8‐disubstituted‐12‐aryl‐3,4,7,8,9,12‐hexahydro‐1H‐chromeno[2,3‐b]quinoline‐1,10(2H)‐dione derivatives 4 were obtained by Friedländer reaction of compounds 3 with 5‐substituted‐1,3‐cyclohexanedione, using p‐toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate as catalyst. The structures of all novel compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, MS, and ¹H NMR spectra. The crystal and molecular structure of compound 4f has been determined by single crystal XRD analysis.     

基于氢键诱导的纳米金比色传感器实时检测脂肪酶活性

以巯基乙酸甲酯(MT)修饰的纳米金(AuNPs)为探针,构建了比色生物传感器检测脂肪酶活性.在pH 6.5弱酸性条件下,脂肪酶水解MT-AuNPs上的酯键生成带负电荷的羧酸根;在pH 3.0的酸性条件下,探针间会产生强烈的氢键作用使AuNPs聚集,基于此可以检测脂肪酶活性.考察了温度、pH等因素对传感器响应信号的影响.MT-AuNPs溶液在650和520 nm处的吸光度比值A650/A520与脂肪酶活性大小在3.0×10-4 ～4.5 ×10-2 U/mL范围内呈现良好的线性关系,检出限为2.25×10-4 U/mL(S/N=3).测定了5种商品化脂肪酶的活性,实验结果与恒电位滴定法测定结果一致,证明本方法具有良好的实用性.     

Thermal Cyclization of Copper Carbenoid of α‐Dizao α‐Phosphorylacetate: Unexpected and Novel Access to Oxaphosphirane

Under the catalysis of Cu(OTf)₂ in refluxing CH₂Cl₂, ethyl α‐dizao α‐(diethylphosphoryl)acetate was shown to undergo a new cyclization reaction to afford a pentacovalent oxaphosphirane product. The reaction is proposed to occur through the addition of the P=O double bond to the copper carbenoid, followed by the hydrolysis of the ylide intermediate. Our finding represents the first example on producing oxaphosphiranes from dizao phosphoryl compounds. On the other hand, the corresponding rhodium carbenoid displayed the different reactivity under the same thermal conditions, to produce the β‐propiolactone through the well‐recognized C‐H insertion pathway.     

Humic acids as both matrix for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and adsorbent for magnetic solid phase extraction

In the present study, humic acids (HAs) were applied as both a matrix for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and an adsorbent of magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) for the first time. As natural macromolecule compounds, HAs are inherently highly functionalized and contain laser energy absorbing–transferring aromatic structures. This special molecular structure made HAs a good candidate for use as a MALDI matrix in small molecule analysis. At the same time, due to its good adsorption ability, HAs was prepared as MSPE adsorbent via a simple co-mixing method, in which the commercially available HAs were directly mixed with Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in a mortar and grinded evenly and completely. In this process, MNPs were physically wrapped and adhered to tiny HAs leading to the formation of magnetic HAs (MHAs). To verify the bi-function of the MHAs, Rhodamine B (RdB) was chosen as model compound. Our results show that the combination of MHAs-based MSPE and MALDI-TOF-MS can provide a rapid and sensitive method for the determination of RdB in chili oil. The whole analytical procedure could be completed within 30 min for simultaneous determination of more than 20 samples, and the limit of quantitation for RdB was found to be 0.02 μg/g. The recoveries in chili oil were in the range 73.8–81.5% with the RSDs less than 21.3% (intraday) and 20.3% (interday). The proposed strategy has potential applications for high-throughput analysis of small molecules in complex samples.     

Translating Molecular Recognition into a Pressure Signal to enable Rapid,Sensitive, and Portable Biomedical Analysis

Herein, we demonstrate that a very familiar, yet underutilized, physical parameter—gas pressure—can serve as signal readout for highly sensitive bioanalysis. Integration of a catalyzed gas‐generation reaction with a molecular recognition component leads to significant pressure changes, which can be measured with high sensitivity using a low‐cost and portable pressure meter. This new signaling strategy opens up a new way for simple, portable, yet highly sensitive biomedical analysis in a variety of settings.