Carboxylate anions binding and sensing by a novel tetraazamacrocycle containing ferrocene as receptor

A tetraazamacrocycle containing ferrocene moieties has been synthesized and characterized. The tetraprotonated form of this compound was evaluated as a receptor (R) for anion recognition of several substrates (S), Cl(-), PF(6)(-), HSO(4)(-), H(2)PO(4)(-) and carboxylates, such as p-nitrobenzoate (p-nbz(-)), phthalate (ph(2-)), isophthalate (iph(2-)) and dipicolinate (dipic(2-)). (1)H NMR titrations in CD(3)OD indicated that this receptor is not suitable for recognizing HSO(4)(-) and H(2)PO(4)(-), but weakly binds p-nbz(-), and strongly interacts with ph(2-), dipic(2-), and iph(2-) anions forming 1 : 2 assembled species. The largest beta(2) binding constant was determined for ph(2-), followed by dipic(2-) and finally iph(2-). The effect of the anionic substrates on the electron-transfer process of the ferrocene units of R was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) in methanol solution and 0.1 mol dm(-3)(CH(3))(4)NCl as the supporting electrolyte. Titrations of the receptor were undertaken by addition of anion solutions in their tetrabutylammonium or tetramethylammonium forms. The protonated ligand exhibits a reversible voltammogram, which shifts cathodically in the presence of the substrates. The data revealed kinetic constraints in the formation of the receptor/substrate entity for dipic(2-), ph(2-) and iph(2-) anions, but not for p-nbz(-). In spite of the slow kinetics of assembled species formation with the ph(2-) substrate, this anion provides the largest redox-response when the supramolecular entity is formed, followed by dipic(2-), iph(2-) and finally p-nbz(-) anions. This trend is in agreement with the (1)H NMR results and the values of the binding constants. Single crystal X-ray structures of the receptor with PF(6)(-), ph(2-), iph(2-) and p-nbz(-) were carried out and showed that supermolecules with a RS(2) stoichiometry are formed with the first three anions, but RS(4) with p-nbz(-). In all cases the binding occurs outside the macrocyclic cavity via N-H...O=C hydrogen bonds for carboxylate anions and N-H...F hydrogen bonds for the PF(6)(-) anion, which is in agreement with the solution results. The macrocyclic framework adopts different conformations in order to interact with each substrate having Fe...Fe intramolecular distances ranging from 10.125(14) to 12.783(15)A.     

Metabonomics: the use of electrospray mass spectrometry coupled to reversed-phase liquid chromatography shows potential for the screening of rat urine in drug development

The application of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) followed by principal components analysis (PCA) has been successfully applied to the screening of rat urine following the administration of three candidate pharmaceuticals. With this methodology it was possible to differentiate the control samples from the dosed samples and to identify the components of the mass spectrum responsible for the separation. These data clearly show that LC/MS is a viable alternative, or complementary, technique to proton NMR for metabonomics applications in drug discovery and development.     

One‐Dimensional,Cofacial Porphyrin Polymers Formed by Self‐Assembly of meso‐Tetrakis(ERE Donor) Zinc(II) Porphyrins

A series of meso‐tetrakis‐(ERE donor) zinc(II) porphyrins n Zn (ERE donor=4‐R‐3,5‐bis[(E)‐methyl]phenyl; 1 Zn: E=NMe₂, R=Br; 2 Zn: E=NMe₂, R=H; 3 Zn: E=OMe, R=Br; 4 Zn: E=OMe, R=H) have been synthesized in excellent yields. As a result of the combination of a Lewis acidic site and eight Lewis basic sites within one molecule, monomeric molecules of n Zn self‐assemble to form one‐dimensional porphyrin polymers [ n Zn]_∞ in the solid state, as confirmed for 1 Zn and 3 Zn by X‐ray crystallography. The coordination environment around the zinc(II) ions in these polymers is octahedral. They are ligated by four equatorial nitrogen atoms of the porphyrin and two apical E atoms (E=N, O) provided by the EBrE donor groups of adjacent n Zn molecules. Complexes 2 Zn and 4 Zn did not form single crystals, but solid‐state UV/Vis analysis points to the formation of similar structures. Solution UV/Vis and ¹H NMR spectroscopy indicated that interactions between 1 Zn and 2 Zn monomers in the polymers are stronger than between 3 Zn and 4 Zn monomers. Interestingly, they also revealed that the presence of a neighboring bromine atom in the EBrE donor groups has a considerable influence on the coordination properties of the benzylic N or O atoms. The zinc(II) ions of the porphyrins most likely adopt only hexacoordination in the solid state, owing to the unique predisposition of Lewis acidic and basic sites in the n Zn molecules. Several parameters of the aggregates, for example, the interplanar separation between porphyrins and the zinc–zinc distances, change as a function of the coordinating E groups. The high degree of modularity in their synthesis makes these zinc(II) porphyrins an interesting new entry in noncovalent multiporphyrin assemblies.     

Capillary electrophoresis as an alternative to HPLC for determination of honey flavonoids

Summary The general objective is to provide an alternative methodology based on capillary electrophoresis (CE) to characterize flavonoids from honey and hence determine its botanical origin. The specific objective is to compare the separation of flavonoids by CE with those achieved by HPLC to assess CE as an alternative technique for the determination of honey flavonoids. Fourteen different flavonoids isolated from honey were analysed by MECC and compared to the HPLC separations. It was difficult to find specific experimental conditions to separate all the flavonoids from honey in a single MEKC run. Three chromatographic conditions are optimized and, depending on the flavonoid markers sought in honey, the appropriate detection method should be chosen. Compared to the HPLC results, it is clear that CE could be an alternative technique in honey flavonoids analysis and particularly in the study of its geographical and floral origin.     

Matrix elements of the Coulomb Green function between Slater orbitals

Analytic expressions are given for integrals of the Coulomb Green function with Slater type atomic orbitals. The results involve hypergeometric functions.Supported by the National Institutes of Health, Grant No. GM23223.     

Preparation of polymer colloids by chemical reactions in aerosols. I. Poly(p-tertiarybutylstyrene)

A procedure was developed by which polymer colloids can be prepared by polymerizing aerosol droplets of monomers with an initiator in the vapor state. This work describes the formation of poly(p-tertiarybutylstyrene) particles by exposing the corresponding monomer droplets to trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. It was found that the monomer-to-initiator mass ratio is the critical factor in determining the uniformity and morphology of the particles. Under ideal conditions spheres of narrow size distribution are obtained. Otherwise porous particles or soft particles with whiskers may develop. The aerosol was prepared in a falling film generator, but other procedures for producing monomer droplets may be used.     

An NMR study of the rotational barriers in cobalt-stabilized carbocations: X-ray crystal structures of (η-C4Ph4)Co-(η-C5H4R), where R is CH3CO, CHO, CH(Bu)OH

Treatment of the aldehyde (η⁴-C₄Ph₄)Co(η⁵-C₅H₄-CHO) (4b) with tert-butyllithium or phenyllithium yields the secondary alcohols (η⁴-C₄Ph₄)Co(η⁵-C₅H₄-CH(R)OH), where R=tert-butyl (5) or phenyl (6). Protonation of 5 and 6 at −80 °C furnishes the deep purple, cobalt-stabilized cations, 7 and 8, respectively, both of which exhibit restricted rotation about the external C₅H₄-CHR⁺ linkage on the NMR time-scale. These data indicate a minimum value for the barrier to rotation of 15 kcal mol⁻¹, but it is certainly much higher, indicating a considerable degree of C-C double bond character. X-ray crystal structures of 4b, 5 and also of the ketone (η⁴-C₄Ph₄)Co(η⁵-C₅H₄-C(O)CH₃ (4a) are reported. The secondary alcohol 5 exhibits disorder in the solid state because of the presence of diastereomers as a consequence of the stereogenic center at the α-carbon and the clockwise or anticlockwise propeller orientations of the tetraphenylcyclobutadiene ligand.     

Modeling of temperature-programmed desorption thermograms for the determination of adsorption heat considering pore and surface diffusion

In this work, two partial differential equation-based models have been proposed for the quantitative analysis of temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) thermograms when the adsorption cell can be modeled as a well-mixed reactor, using the Langmuir equation as the adsorption isotherm and including the effect of diffusional resistance. One model considers pore diffusion, and the other considers surface diffusion. For both models, the rate of adsorption is proportional to the gas pressure. By nondimensionalizing these models, the range of design parameters for which the accumulation in the gas cell, diffusional resistance, and readsorption have an important effect on the TPD signal is proposed. An important conclusion is that the dimensionless numbers accounting for the diffusional resistance and the corresponding range of parameters are quite different for both mechanisms. The models have been validated with two systems where surface and pore diffusion are the relevant mechanisms: (i) CO2-Na-mordenite and (ii) CO2-Na-mordenite pellets.     

Photophysical properties of a C6 hydrocarbon linked porphyrin dimer

The synthesis and characterisation of a C₆ hydrocarbon linked porphyrin dimer and its zinc complex is described. From fluorescence quantum yields and excited singlet and triplet state lifetimes, recorded for the dimers and the corresponding monomer species, it is suggested that the dimeric porphyrins exist in solution in open and closed conformations. The open conformations retain photophysical properties similar to those of the relevant monomeric species but the closed conformations do not fluoresce.     

Mediated amperometric biosensors for d-galactose,glycolate and l-amino acids based on a ferrocene-modified carbon paste electrode

Direct-current cyclic voltammetry is used to investigate the suitability of a ferrocene derivative as a mediator with galactose, glycolate and l-amino acid oxidases. The three enzymes coupled catalytically to ferrocene monocarboxylic acid exhibiting homogeneous second-order rate constants in the range 0.4 × 10⁵ to 8.5 × 10⁵ l mol^?1 s^?1. Enzyme electrodes which responded to d-galactose, glycolate or l-amino acids were constructed. The appropriate oxidase was retained behind a dialysis membrane at a carbon paste electrode containing the poorly soluble derivative 1,1′-dimethylferrocene. All the electrodes responded rapidly to millimolar concentrations of their respective substrates producing 95% of the steady-state current response in <2 min. This general method of biosensor construction should be widely applicable to oxidases and other oxidoreductase enzymes.