Laser desorption mass spectrometry on thin liquid jets

A recently developed soft desorption method for mass spectrometry is presented, which is called Laser Induced Liquid Beam Ionization/Desorption (LILBID). Analyte ions are desorbed from a thin jet of analyte solution directly into vacuum by means of an IR laser pulse, which has been tuned to a vibrational resonance of the solvent. A comparative experiment with ammonium chloride and aniline hydrochloride shows that ion formation via proton transfer takes place in the solution. Thermally unstable compounds, as well as supra- and biomolecular complexes, can be detected intact and mass analyzed in a reflectron time-of-flight (Re-TOF) mass spectrometer. During the desorption process, noncovalent interactions and some solvation characteristics are preserved. Three examples for the capacity of LILBID are given in this short overview: (a) ion-solvent interactions with the formation of a clathrate structure Cs⁺(H₂O)₂₀, (b) host-guest interactions with the K⁺ selectivity of valinomycin, and (c) noncovalent interactions with the dimerization of gramicidin. Received: 29 July 1997 / Revised: 4 September 1997 / Accepted: 12 September 1997     

Synthesis of a simplified bryostatin C-ring analogue that binds to the CRD2 of human PKC-alpha and construction of a novel BC-analogue by an unusual Julia olefination process

[structure: see text] The synthesis of two truncated bryostatin analogues 2 and 3 is described. High-field NMR measurements on the C-ring analogue 3 in C(2)H(3)CN containing 25% (2)H(2)O have shown that it binds to the CRD2 of human PKC-alpha at virtually the same position as phorbol-13-acetate (PA) and bryostatin 1 (1). NMR titration studies have also revealed that 3 binds to the CRD2 with a potency similar in magnitude to PA but much less potently than 1.     

Single-molecule fluorescence detection in microfluidic channels—the Holy Grail in μTAS?

Both single-molecule detection (SMD) methods and miniaturization technologies have developed very rapidly over the last ten years. By merging these two techniques, it may be possible to achieve the optimal requirements for the analysis and manipulation of samples on a single molecule scale. While miniaturized structures and channels provide the interface required to handle small particles and molecules, SMD permits the discovery, localization, counting and identification of compounds. Widespread applications, across various bioscience/analytical science fields, such as DNA-analysis, cytometry and drug screening, are envisaged. In this review, the unique benefits of single fluorescent molecule detection in microfluidic channels are presented. Recent and possible future applications are discussed.Dedicated to the memory of Wilhelm Fresenius     

Preparation,Solid‐state Characteristics,and Catalytic Properties of Promoted Vanadium Phosphate Materials

The syntheses of transition metal promoted (M = Co, Cr, Fe, Mo) supported vanadium phosphate (VPO) catalysts (TiO₂ (anatase), γ‐Al₂O₃) and their characterization by N₂‐adsorption, X‐ray diffractometry (XRD), FTIR‐spectroscopy and determination of V‐valence state is reported. The catalytic properties were checked in the heterogeneous catalytic ammoxidation of 2, 6‐dichlorotoluene to the corresponding nitrile. The catalyst samples were prepared by synthesis of the precursor compound VOHPO₄ · 0.5 H₂O, impregnation using various metal salt solutions and mixing with the support materials. The characterization revealed increased surface areas for all the promoted samples in comparison to the basic materials. XRD showed the formation of (VO)₂P₂O₇ after calcinations as well as patterns of support materials (anatase, γ‐Al₂O₃). The formation of crystalline proportions of mixed oxides were not observed. The catalytic ammoxidation runs revealed a significant effect of the promoter metals on the catalytic properties by an increase of yield by ca. 20 % compared to bulk VPO. Almost complete conversion of 2, 6‐dichlorotoluene and 81 % yield of nitrile were observed using a 25 %VPCoO/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalyst.     

Stereochemistry of isoplagiochin C, a macrocyclic bisbibenzyl from liverworts

Cyclic bisbibenzyls, like isoplagiochins C (1) and D (2), are stereochemically intriguing molecules: Although not equipped with any of the traditional stereogenic elements that render molecules conformationally stable per se, they are sometimes isolated in an optically active form and are thus chiral at room temperature. The paper describes quantum chemical calculations, in particular investigations of the conformational space and molecular dynamics simulations, showing that the helicity is a property of the entire molecule, whose ring strain makes the molecule configurationally stable overall, with (formally) three stereogenic elements (two biaryl axes and one helical stilbene unit). Only one of the biaryl axes (the 'upper' one, joining C-12' and C-14) has a stable configuration, leading to a population of four interconverting diastereomers, yet without racemization at room temperature. On the basis of these conformational and dynamic calculations, the circular dichroism spectrum of isoplagiochin C (1) was calculated, leading to the first assignment of the absolute configuration of a cyclic bisbibenzyl. Accordingly, 1 has the P-configuration at the stereochemically stable biaryl axis and constitutes a mixture of diastereomers with respect to the other biaryl axis and the helical stilbene unit. From the temperature dependence of the racemization rates, an enantiomerization barrier of 101.6 kJ/mol was determined. Likewise, for the first time for cyclic bisbibenzyls, the enantiomeric ratio of this natural product was determined, by chromatography on a chiral phase with CD-coupling. Accordingly, 1 from Plagiochila deflexa is not enantiomerically pure, but occurs in a 85:15 ratio in favor of the enantiomer that has the P-configuration at the stereochemically stable axis.     

Über die Reaktionen von Guanidin bzw. Thioharnstoff mit α,β,γ,δ-ungesättigten Ketonen

Guanidine and phenylguanidine react with phenylhexadienone1b and 1,5-diaryl-2,4-pentadien-1-ones1c–k respectively (via unstable dihydropyrimidines of type2 as intermediates) to 4-methyl- and 4-aryl-6-styryl-2-pyrimidinamines3b–j and N²-phenyl-2-pyrimidinamines7c, k. Efforts to stabilize the intermediates2 by introduction of electron-withdrawing substituents (compare^2,3) were not successful. Similarly, thiourea reacts with diphenylpentadienone1c to afford (via8c) 4-phenyl-6-phenethylpyrimidinethione9c. Action of guanidine on 1,3,5-triphenylpentadienone101 and on the 5-(3-chlorophenyl) analogue10m under decomposition of the ketones yields 4,6-diphenyl-and 4-(3-chlorophenyl)-6-phenyl-2-pyrimidineamine (121 andm), respectively. The formation of12m proves that acetophenone splits off from101,m during the reactions. However, heating of thiourea with10m in sodium butylate/butanol gives the expected 4,6-diphenyl-4-styryldihydropyrimidinethione13m. The reaction of thiourea with triphenylpentadienone101 is taking an atypical course: Addition of thiourea to the δ- and β-carbon atom of101 affords 2-(4,6-diphenyl-2-thioxohexahydro-4-pyrimidinyl)acetophenone (141); the conformation of the latter was deduced from¹H-NMR data.     

Characterization of Carbohydrates in Paper and Paper Pulps Using Anion Exchange Chromatography and Principal Component Analysis

In the course of this investigation, a method for the characterization and differentiation of paper pulps was developed. After hydrolyzation of the papers and the respective raw pulps with trifluoroacetic acid, the hydrolyzates were analyzed with respect to their carbohydrate composition using ion exchange chromatography. The variations in carbohydrate composition mainly arise from the various hemicelluloses of the papers and pulps. The chromatographic results were then further processed using principal component analysis which allows correlating the various papers to different pulp materials.     

Internal energy effects in collision induced dissociation spectra

The effect of the precursor ion internal energy on the branching ratios obtained from collision induced dissociation fragmentation patterns was examined for [NH₃]⁺ and [C₂H₄N]⁺. The ion internal energy was changed by varying both the chemical ionization reagent gas and the ion source pressure. Effects observed in the collision induced dissociation fragmentation patterns as a function of the ion source pressure are explained by the reaction exothermicities and by collisional deactivation of internally excited ions (at high pressure).     

Atomic structure of Beta-tantalum nanocrystallites.

The structural properties of beta-phase tantalum nanocrystallites prepared by room temperature magnetron sputter deposition on amorphous carbon substrates are investigated at atomic resolution. For these purposes spherical aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy is applied in tandem with the numerical retrieval of the exit-plane wavefunction as obtained from a through-focus series of experimental micrographs. We demonstrate that recent improvements in the resolving power of electron microscopes enable the imaging of the atomic structure of beta-tantalum with column spacings of solely 0.127 nm with directly interpretable contrast features. For the first time ever, we substantiate the existence of grain boundaries of 30 degrees tilt type in beta-Ta whose formation may be well explained by atomic agglomeration processes taking place during sputter deposition.     

Metal complexes with macrocyclic ligands. Part XXII. Synthesis two of bis-tetraaza-macrocycles and study of the structures,electrochemistry, VIS and EPR spectra of their binuclear Cu2+ and Ni2+ complexes

The two bis-macrocycles 4 and 5 in which the tetraaza units are separated by a chain of different length, have been synthesized using 1,4,7-tritosyl-1,4,7,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane as starting compound and bifunctional alkylating agents. The bis-macrocycles give binuclear complexes with Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺, the properties of which have been studied to obtain information about the interaction of the two subunits as a function of the distance. The VIS spectra of the Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ complexes indicate that both metal ions are in a square-planar geometry as expected from the results of the analogous complexes with 1,4,7,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane 7 . Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse polarography of the binuclear Ni²⁺complexes in CH₃CN show a single two-electron step for ligand 5 , whereas two distinct one-electron redox processes can be observed for ligand 4 , indicating that the two metal ions interact with each other when the chain length is shorter. Similarly, the EPR studies of frozen solutions of the binuclear Cu²⁺ complexes clearly show that a magnetic dipolar interaction between the two paramagnetic centers exists, and that the strength of it depends upon the length of the bridge. Finally, from the X-ray structures of the binuclear Ni²⁺ complexes with 4 and 5 , it is seen that the two rings are kept apart as far as possible, the distances between the two metal ions determined in the solid correlate well with the observations in solution.