Analytical applications of a differential technique in laser-induced fluorimetry: accurate and precise determination of uranium in concentrates and for designing microchemielectronic devices for on-line determination in processing industries

A novel instrumental technique for the direct, fast, accurate, and precise determination of uranium in concentrates and other U-rich materials (as well as to mineralized rocks) is presented. The proposed technique is an absolute methodology, based on the comparison of the fluorescence of the accurately known standard with a sample of similar but unknown concentration in the low operational range of the instrument (on same sample-dilution basis), by the use of H₃PO₄-NH₄H₂PO₄ as a fluorescence-enhancing reagent. The relative standard deviation of the proposed technique was 0.5-0.9% (n=9) at 18.1, 36.2, 61.2, and 99.6% U₃O₈. The proposed technique is suitable for the determination of uranium in samples arising from exploration projects, ores from mining operations, mill process samples, uranium ore concentrates leading to fuel fabrication as well as samples from environmental monitoring containing up to 100% uranium. The results are in good agreement with those obtained by titrimetric, gravimetric, and TBP extraction-H₂O₂ spectrophotometric methods. The precision of the technique is within the acceptable ‘pure geochemistry’ type of analysis (R.S.D. ∼ 1.0%) and is comparable even those obtained with titrimetric and gravimetric assay. The proposed differential technique coupled with flow injection may open up new advancement in instrumentation leading to design and development of microchemielectronic devices for direct on-line determination, more compatible with the tools of computer age as also to help in handling of radioactive solutions in chemical laboratories in uranium processing industries.     

Addressing the metabolic activation potential of new leads in drug discovery: a case study using ion trap mass spectrometry and tritium labeling techniques

Metabolic activation of drug candidates to electrophilic reactive metabolites that can covalently modify cellular macromolecules may result in acute and/or idiosyncratic immune system-mediated toxicities in humans. This presents a significant potential liability for the future development of these compounds as safe therapeutic agents. We present here an example of an approach where sites of metabolic activation within a new drug candidate series were rapidly identified using online liquid chromatography/multi-stage mass spectrometry on an ion trap mass spectrometer. This was accomplished by trapping the reactive intermediates formed upon incubation of compounds with rat and human liver microsomes as their corresponding glutathione conjugates and mass spectral characterization of these thiol adducts. Based on the structures of the GSH adducts identified, potential sites and mechanisms of bioactivation within the chemical structure were proposed. These metabolism studies were interfaced with iterative structural modifications of the chemical series in order to block these bioactivation sites within the molecule. This strategy led to a significant reduction in the propensity of the compounds to undergo metabolic activation as evidenced by reductions in the irreversible binding of radioactivity to liver microsomal material upon incubation of tritium-labeled compounds with this in vitro system. With the efficiency and throughput achievable with such an approach, it appears feasible to identify and address the metabolic activation potential of new drug leads during routine metabolite identification studies in an early drug discovery setting.     

Synthetic reactions catalyzed by immobilized lipase from oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.)

Lipase from rape (Brassica napus L., immobilized onto celite, catalyzes esterification and transesterification reactions in hexane. The activity of the lipase is stimulated up to 35 fold by the addition of water (1.3% w/v). The activity of the lipase in hydrolysis is about 8 times higher than in the esterification reactions in hexane. Interesteri-fication reactions between mono- and diacylglycerols and transesterification reactions of mono- and diacylglycerols with alcohols were also catalyzed at relatively high rates but transesterification/esterification of these acylglycerols with fatty acids was comparatively slow. In transesterification reactions, triacylglycerols reacted rather slowly.     

Biligand metal chelates of 1,10-phenanthroline and several salicyclic acid derivatives in solution

Summary Mixed ligand complexes of copper(II), zinc(II), nickel(II) and cobalt(II) ions involving 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) as primary and 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (dnsa), 5-nitrosalicylic acid (nsa), 5-chlorosalicylic acid (csa) and 3,5-dibromosalicylic acid (dbsa) as secondary ligands in solution have been investigated potentiometrically [25°, µ = 0.1 M [NaClO₄], medium 50% v: v aqueous ethanol]. The stability order of mixed ligand complexes with respect to the metal ions obeys the natural order: cobalt(II) < nickel(II) < copper(II) > zinc(II). The stabilities of the heterometal chelates have been compared with the corresponding homometal chelates of the secondary ligands and have been interpreted in terms of metal-ligand effects and coulombic interactions between various ligand anion species present.     

Structure, reactivity and aromaticity of acenes and their BN analogues: a density functional and electrostatic investigation

Density functional calculations have been carried out on a series of linearly annelated acenes and their BN analogues. Even though borazine shows aromatic and reactivity behavior parallel with that of benzene, its condensed derivatives show patterns different from those of their hydrocarbon analogues. Nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS) values in acenes suggest that the aromaticity of the inner rings is more than that of benzene, whereas in BN-acenes there is no substantial change in the aromaticity of the individual rings. Molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) is employed to obtain further insights into the bonding and reactivity trends for these systems. The MESP topography patterns of acenes and BN-acenes are substantially different, with BN-acenes showing more localized pi electron features compared to those of acenes. The MESP values at the critical points (CPs) indicate overall lowering of aromaticity in these annelated systems. However, this change is gradual among the BN-acenes.     

Magnetic nanoparticle assemblies on denatured DNA show unusual magnetic relaxivity and potential applications for MRI

Denatured (substantially single-stranded) herring sperm DNA acts as a template for the preparation of magnetic nanowires, forming stable aqueous suspensions, which exhibit unprecedentedly high relaxivity at low field, suggesting that the material may be a potentially useful reagent for MRI.     

Synthesis of phthalide derivatives using nickel-catalyzed cyclization of o-haloesters with aldehydes

The reaction of o-bromobenzoate (1 b) with benzaldehyde (2 a) in the presence of [NiBr(2)(dppe)] (dppe=1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) and zinc powder in THF (24 hours, reflux temperature), afforded 3-phenyl-3H-isobenzofuran-1-one (3 a) in an 86 % yield. Similarly, o-iodobenzoate reacts with 2 a to give 3 a, but in a lower yield (50 %). A series of substituted aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes (2 b, 4-MeC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 c, 4-MeOC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 d, 3-MeOC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 e, 2-MeOC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 f, 4-CNC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 g, 4-(Me)(3)CC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 h, 4-C(6)H(5)C(6)H(4)CHO; 2 i, 4-ClC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 j, 4-CF(3)C(6)H(4)CHO; 2 k, CH(3)(CH(2))(5)CHO; 2 l, CH(3)(CH(2))(2)CHO) also underwent cyclization with o-bromobenzoate (1 b) producing the corresponding phthalide derivatives in moderate to excellent yields and with high chemoselectivity. Like 1 b, methyl 2-bromo-4,5-dimethoxybenzoate (1 c) reacts with tolualdehyde (2 b) to give the corresponding substituted phthalide 3 m in a 71 % yield. The methodology can be further applied to the synthesis of six-membered lactones. The reaction of methyl 2-(2-bromophenyl)acetate (1 d) with benzaldehyde under similar reaction conditions afforded six-membered lactone 3 o in a 68 % yield. A possible catalytic mechanism for this cyclization is also proposed.     

Synthesis and characterization of cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), palladium(II) and dioxouranium(VI) complexes of the antipyrine Schiff base of 3-formylsalicylic acid

A new Schiff base has been synthesized from 4-aminoantipyrine and 3-formylsalicylic acid. The ligand has a dianionic tetradentate compartmental OONO donor system. The cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II) and dioxouranium(VI) complexes exist in phenolato-bridged dinuclear species, while palladium(II) gives a mononuclear complex with free –COOH groups. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, i.r., u.v.-vis, thermal and magnetic measurements.     

Molybdenum complexes of bioinorganic interest. New dioxomolybdenum(VI) complexes of schiff bases derived from salicylaldehydes and salicylhydrazide

Summary New dioxomolybdenum(VI) complexes MoO₂L · H₂O (LH₂=Schiff base) derived from Salicylhydrazide and salicylaldehyde, 5-chloro-, 5-bromo-, 5-nitro-, 3-methoxy, 3-ethoxy-, 3,5-dichlorosalicylaldehyde and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde have been synthesized and characterized, together with the MoO₂L · THF adducts. The complexes are monomers, nonelectrolytes and diamagnetic, and contain acis O=Mo=O     

Chloride, -Hydride and -Borohydride Derivatives of Difluorenyl Thallium(III)

Chloride¹), borohydrides²) and hydrides³) of dicyclopentadienyl thallium (III) and diindenyl thallium (III) have already been reported. The present communication deals with a study on the preparation and characterization of difluorenyl thallium (III) chloride, -hydride and -borohydride.