The absorption spectrum of the anthracene molecule in the vacuum ultraviolet

The optical absorption of anthracene vapour for photon energies from 5 to 8.5 eV was found to differ in finer structure from the spectra reported earlier for parts of this range. Above the strong ¹B_2u long axis polarized πlπ^* transition at 5.24 eV three short axis polarized ¹B_1u ππ^* transitions are assigned on the basis of the oriented gas model in comparison to spectra from anthracene single crystals. A tentative new assignment for most of the additionally observed sharp Rydberg bands leading to the first ionization potential at 7.47 eV is given.     

Übergangsmetall—methylen-komplexe: LXI. Übergangsmetall—vinyliden-komplexe: Neuartige synthese aus diazoalken-vorstufen

The diazoolefines of composition N₂CCR₂ (R/R = CH₃/CH₃ and(-CH₂-)₅) are suitable precursors of the corresponding vinylidene ligands CCR₂. Thus, treatment of the RhRh complex [(η⁵-C₅Me₅)Rh(μ-CO)]₂ (1) with the N-nitrosourethanes 2a and 2b, resp., in the presence of lithium t-butoxide yields the otherwise inaccessible μ-vinylidene complexes (μ-CCR₂)[(η⁵-C₅Me₅)Rh(CO)]₂ (R = CH₃ (3a), R,R = (-CH₂-)₅ (3b)). The analogous cobalt compound (μ-CCMe₂)[(η⁵-C₅Me₅)Co(CO)]₂ (5a) is obtained similarly. This procedure extends the well-documented diazoalkane method for the synthesis of μ-alkylidene complexes to the less stable diazoalkenes. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of the dimethylvinylidene derivative 3a shows the CMe₂ ligand to adopt an almost symmetrically metal-bridging position (d(RhC) 197.8(1) and 204.3(1) pm), with a rhodium-rhodium single bond completing a three-membered Rh₂C-metallacycle (d(RhRh) 268.4(0) pm) analogous with cyclopropane.     

Moment characterization of localized orbitals

The parallel between orbital first and second electric moments and statistical first and second central moments is noted. Three measures of orbital spatial distribution in terms of their moments are proposed, and applied to the LMO's in a series of ten-electron hydrides. Consistent differences between bond and lone pair distributions are found. Using the statistical interpretation, for each LMO an effective solid angle around the central atom is postulated.     

Synthesis and properties of crosslinked polyvinylformamide and polyvinylamine hydrogels in conjunction with silica particles

Polyvinylamine hydrogels with silica particles encapsulated (PVAm/silica) were produced by a two‐step synthesis. In the first step, polyvinylformamide/silica (PVFA/silica) hybrids were synthesized from vinylformamide (VFA) and 1,3‐divinylimidazolidin‐2‐one (1,3‐bisvinylethyleneurea, BVU), as the crosslinker, by radical copolymerization in silica/water suspensions using different compositions of VFA/BVU. The target product PVAm/silica was obtained by acidic hydrolysis of the PVFA/silica hydrogels in a second step. The chemical structures of both hydrogels, PVFA/silica and PVAm/silica, respectively, were revealed by solid‐state ¹³C(¹H) cross‐polarity/magic‐angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. Both hydrogels swelled significantly in water. The swelling capacity of the two systems was characterized by the correlation length ξ (or hydrodynamic blob size) of the network meshes with small‐angle neutron scattering experiments. ξ is significantly larger for PVAm/silica than for PVFA/silica, which corresponds to the observed higher swelling capacity of this polyelectrolyte material. Furthermore, the swelling behavior of the hybrid hydrogels was quantitatively described in terms of free swell capacity, centrifuge‐retention capacity, adsorption against pressure, and free swell rate as compared with values of the corresponding copolymer hydrogels. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3144–3152, 2002     

Clustering of nucleosides in the presence of alkali metals: Biologically relevant quartets of guanosine,deoxyguanosine and uridine observed by ESI-MS/MS

Electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectra of nucleosides, recorded in the presence of alkali metals, display alkali metal ion-bound quartets and other clusters that may have implications for understanding non-covalent interactions in DNA and RNA. The tetramers of guanosine and deoxyguanosine and also their metaclusters (clusters of clusters), cationized by alkali metals, were observed as unusually abundant magic number clusters. The observation of these species in the gas phase parallels previous condensed-phase studies, which show that guanine derivatives can form quartets and metaclusters of quartets in solution in the presence of metal cations. This parallel behavior and also internal evidence suggest that bonding in the guanosine tetramers involves the bases rather than the sugar units. The nucleobases thymine and uracil are known to form magic number pentameric adducts with K+, Cs+ and NH4+ in the gas phase. In sharp contrast, we now show that the nucleosides uridine and deoxythymidine do not form the pentameric clusters characteristic of the corresponding bases. More subtle effects of the sugars are evident in the fact that adenosine and cytidine form numerous higher order clusters with alkali metals, whereas deoxyadenosine and deoxycytidine show no clustering. It is suggested that hydrogen bonding between the bases in the tetramers of dG and rG are the dominant interactions in the clusters, hence changing the ribose group to deoxyribose (and vice versa) generally has little effect. However, the additional hydroxyl group of RNA nucleosides enhances the non-selective formation of higher-order aggregates for adenosine and cytidine and results in the lack of highly stable magic number clusters. Some clusters are the result of aggregation in the course of ionization (ESI) whereas others appear to be intrinsic to the solution being examined.     

Strategy of analysis for the estimation of the bioavailability of zinc in foodstuffs

After the application of simulated digestive fluids (gastric and intestinale fluid) as extraction solutions, AAS and differential pulse anodic-stripping voltammetry (DPASV) were used as analytical methods in combination with ion-exchange procedures for the determination of zinc species and total zinc contents. The ion exchange procedure and the shifting of electrochemical potentials as well as changes of the calibration slope after standard addition in the polarographic analysis allowed discriminating statements with regard to a possible resorption of zinc. On the basis of these methods, a strategy is presented for in vitro investigations of the bioavailability of zinc in foodstuffs.     

Transferability of some properties of localized molecular orbitals

The transferability of the first and second order electric moments of localized orbitals have been shown. Some moment characteristics have also been investigated. The standard deviation of first order localized moments is less than 2.0%. The standard deviation of second order electric moment components are larger: although they do not exceed 4.0% for bond orbitals, for lone pair ones they vary about 1.5–10.1%.     

Detection of VX contamination in soil through solid-phase microextraction sampling and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of the VX degradation product bis(diisopropylaminoethyl)disulfide

A solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) sampling and analysis method was developed for bis(diisopropylaminoethyl)disulfide (a degradation product of the nerve agent VX) in soil. A 30-min sampling time with a polydimethylsiloxane-coated fiber and high temperature alkaline hydrolysis allowed detection with 1.0 microg of VX spiked per g of agricultural soil. The method was successfully used in the field with portable GC-MS instrumentation. This method is relatively rapid (less than 1 h), avoids the use of complex preparation steps, and enhances analyst safety through limited use of solvents and decontamination of the soil before sampling.     

Novel methyl helianthrones as photosensitizers: synthesis and biological evaluation

A combination of light, oxygen and a photosensitizer is used to induce death of cancer cells by photodynamic therapy. In this study, we have synthesized several new methyl helianthrone derivatives and compared their phototoxicity with that of hypericin. In contrast to hypericin, methyl helianthrones are soluble in aqueous solutions and have a broad range of light absorbance, which allows the use of polychromatic light. Structural modifications of methyl helianthrone demonstrated that substitution of hydrogen atoms of methyl helianthrone at Positions 2 and 5 with Br atoms or methylation of its phenolic hydroxyls, significantly increases the corresponding singlet oxygen quantum yield and their phototoxicity toward alphaT3-1, M2R and LNCaP cells. The phototoxicity of some of these compounds was similar to that of hypericin. Methyl helianthrones, like hypericin, accumulated mainly in the perinuclear region as evident by confocal microscopy. Irradiation of cells pretreated with methyl helianthrone derivatives generates intracellular reactive oxygen species and lipid free radicals, as shown by a fluorescentic probe and electron paramagnetic resonance methods, respectively. The phototoxicity of these methyl helianthrones as well as their ability to oxidize membrane lipids were significantly decreased on addition of specific Type-II inhibitors, suggesting the involvement of singlet oxygen as the main oxidant.     

Bestimmung geringer Uranmengen nach Konzentrierung durch Extraktion und Anionenaustausch in einem tri-n-octylphoshinoxidhaltigen Lösungsmittelsystem

Zusammenfassung Auf Grund systematischer Untersuchungen des Verhaltens von Uran in verschiedenen wäßrig-organischen, Tri-n-octylphosphinoxid (TOPO) enthaltenden Lösungsmittelsystemen gegenüber verschiedenen Anionenformen des stark basischen Anionenaustauschers Dowex 1, X 8 wurde eine Methode zur Abtrennung des Urans entwickelt. Bei diesem Verfahren wird das Uran aus einer ascorbin-säurehaltigen, 1-n salzsauren Lösung mit 0,1-m TOPO in Diäthyläther extrahiert und aus einem Gemisch aus 50 Vol. % Äther (0,1-m an TOPO), 45 Vol. % Methylglykol und 5 Vol. % 12-n Salzsäure am Ionenaustauscher (Chloridform) adsorbiert. Nach Elution mit 1-n Salzsäure wird das Uran entweder fluorimetrisch oder spektrophotometrisch nach der Thiocyanatmethode bestimmt. Mit diesem Anionenaustauschverfahren ist eine Abtrennung des Urans von allen, seine fluorimetrische oder spektrophotometrische Bestimmung störenden Ionen und auch vom TOPO selbst möglich. Besonders wurde auf die spektrophotometrische Bestimmung des Urans bei Anwesenheit großer Molybdänmengen eingegangen und eine Methode zur Abtrennung dieses Elementes entwickelt.

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Determination of small amounts of uranium after concentrating through extraction and anionic exchange in a solvent agent system containing tri-n-octylphosphine oxide

Summary A method has been developed for the separation of uranium that is based on systematic studies of the behavior of uranium in various water-organic solvent systems containing tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) towards various anion forms of the strongly basic anion exchanger Dowex 1, X 8. In this procedure, the uranium is extracted from a 1N hydrochlorid acid solution containing ascorbic acid into diethyl ether and adsorbed from a mixture consisting of 50 vol.% ether (0.1N in TOPO), 45 vol.% methylglycol and5 vol.% 12N hydrochloric acid on the ion exchanger (chlorid form). Following elution with 1M hydrochloric acid, the uranium is determined either fluorimetrically or spectrophotometrically by the thiocyanate method. By means of this anion exchange procedure, it is possible above all to separate the uranium from all ions interfering with its fluorimetric or spectrophotometric determination and also from TOPO itself. In particular, consideration is given to the spectrophotometric determination of the uranium in the presence of larger amounts of molybdenum, and a method was worked out for the removal of this element.