Comparison of four extraction/methylation analytical methods to measure fatty acid composition by gas chromatography in meat

Four different extraction-derivatization methods commonly used for fatty acid analysis in meat (in situ or one-step method, saponification method, classic method and a combination of classic extraction and saponification derivatization) were tested. The in situ method had low recovery and variation. The saponification method showed the best balance between recovery, precision, repeatability and reproducibility. The classic method had high recovery and acceptable variation values, except for the polyunsaturated fatty acids, showing higher variation than the former methods. The combination of extraction and methylation steps had great recovery values, but the precision, repeatability and reproducibility were not acceptable. Therefore the saponification method would be more convenient for polyunsaturated fatty acid analysis, whereas the in situ method would be an alternative for fast analysis. However the classic method would be the method of choice for the determination of the different lipid classes.     

2,5-Dimethyl-3,4-bis[(2R,5R)-2,5-dimethylphospholano]thiophene: first member of the hetero-DuPHOS family

[reaction: see text] The 2,5-dimethyl-3,4-bis[(2R,5R)-2,5-dimethylphospholano]thiophene (UlluPHOS), a new thiophene-based analogue of (R,R)-1,2-bis(phospholano)benzene (Me-DuPHOS), was synthesized, geometrically and electronically characterized, and employed as ligand of Rh and Ru in some standard hydrogenation reactions of prostereogenic functionalized carbon-carbon and carbon-oxygen double bonds. The synthesis of UlluPHOS is much easier than that provided for Me-DuPHOS. UlluPHOS and Me-DuPHOS display very similar geometries, while the electronic availability of the former is higher than that exhibited by the latter. The Rh and Ru complexes of UlluPHOS produced excellent enantiomeric excesses (98.9-99.5%) in the hydrogenation of N-acetyl-alpha-enamino acids and reaction rates higher than those found when employing the analogous complexes of Me-DuPHOS.     

Structure and emission properties of Er3Q9 (Q = 8-quinolinolate)

We report the first combined optical and structural investigation of the water free Er-quinolinolate complex, an organo-lanthanide system of interest for 1.5-microm telecom applications. Structural data demonstrate that the complex has a trinuclear structure (Er3Q9) which provides the Er metals with an octa-coordination by the organic ligand and prevents solvent and water molecules from entering the lanthanide coordination sphere. The results of the structural analysis allow us to infer that the strong Er luminescence quenching exhibited by the Er3Q9 complex is due uniquely to resonant energy transfer to the aromatic C-H vibrations of the ligand, providing the correct tools to design more efficient emitters.     

Electron Transfer‐Initiated Epoxidation and Isomerization Chain Reactions of β‐Caryophyllene

The abundant sesquiterpene β‐caryophyllene can be epoxidized by molecular oxygen in the absence of any catalyst. In polar aprotic solvents, the reaction proceeds smoothly with epoxide selectivities exceeding 70 %. A mechanistic study has been performed and the possible involvement of free radical, spin inversion, and electron transfer mechanisms is evaluated using experimental and computational methods. The experimental data—including a detailed reaction product analysis, studies on reaction parameters, solvent effects, additives and an electrochemical investigation—all support that the spontaneous epoxidation of β‐caryophyllene constitutes a rare case of unsensitized electron transfer from an olefin to triplet oxygen under mild conditions (80 °C, 1 bar O₂). As initiation of the oxygenation reaction, the formation of a caryophyllene‐derived radical cation via electron transfer is proposed. This radical cation reacts with triplet oxygen to a dioxetane via a chain mechanism with chain lengths exceeding 100 under optimized conditions. The dioxetane then acts as an in situ‐formed epoxidizing agent. Under nitrogen atmosphere, the presence of a one‐electron acceptor leads to the selective isomerization of β‐caryophyllene to isocaryophyllene. Observations indicate that this isomerization reaction is a novel and elegant synthetic pathway to isocaryophyllene.