Evolution and potential of the BiAS procedure for the determination of non-ionic surfactants

The evolution of the BiAS procedure is reviewed and its standard recommended version was compared with the modified version combined with the indirect tensammetric method (BiAS-ITM). New applications of the use of BiAS-ITM for the determination of nonionic surfactants (in the presence of hydrocarbons or adsorbed on particles) and polyethylene glycols were discussed.     

Alkoxy/siloxy group exchange in the system vinyltrialkoxysilane-iridium(I) siloxide complex

A study of reactions of dimeric siloxide iridium complex, [[(cod)Ir(mu-OSiMe3)]2] (1) with vinyltriethoxysilane and vinyltrimethoxysilane has revealed a new type of the reation--alkoxy group transfer from silicon to iridium with a simultaneous transfer of a siloxy group from iridium to silicon--as a result of which vinyldialkoxytrimethyldisiloxane and dimeric alkoxide iridium complex [[(cod)Ir(mu-OR)]2] (3) are formed. The structure of [[(cod)Ir(mu-OEt)]2] (3a) has been solved by X-ray diffraction.     

Fluorogenic reaction between adenine derivatives and chloroacetaldehyde and its application to the determination of 9-(2-chloro-6-fluorobenzyl)adenine in human plasma

A sensitive (1 ng ml^?1) liquid chromatographic method with fluorescence detection is described for the determination of arprinocid and analogous compounds in human plasma. The method is based on chemical derivatization with chloroacetaldehyde to form highly fluorescent derivatives. Extraction of the drug from plasma and separation of the derivative from the reaction mixture are accomplished by solid-phase extraction with two silica cartridges. The effects of pH, solvent, and concentration of the reagents on the efficiency of derivatization were studied. The assay in plasma was validated in the 1–50 ng ml^?1 range. The fluorescent derivatives were synthesized and fully characterized. The derivatives were also found to be efficient as energy acceptors in the oxalate ester/hydrogen peroxide chemiluminescent system.     

Chalcogenide derivatives of imidotin cage complexes

Reaction of the secocubane [Sn3(mu2-NHtBu)2(mu2-NtBu)(mu3-NtBu)] (1) with dibutylmagnesium produces the heterobimetallic cubane [Sn3Mg(mu3-NtBu)4] (4) which forms the monochalcogenide complexes of general formula [ESn3Mg(mu3-NtBu)4] (5a, E = Se; 5b, E = Te) upon reaction with elemental chalcogens in THF. By contrast, the reaction of the anionic lithiated cubane [Sn3Li(mu3-NtBu)4]- with the appropriate quantity of selenium or tellurium leads to the sequential chalcogenation of each of the three Sn(II) centres. Pure samples of the mono- or dichalcogenides are, however, best obtained by stoichiometric redistribution reactions of [Sn3Li(mu3-NtBu)4]- and the trichalcogenides [E3Sn3Li(mu3-NtBu)4]- (E = Se, Te). These reactions are conveniently monitored by using 119Sn NMR spectroscopy. The anion [Sn3Li(mu3-NtBu)4]- also acts as an effective chalcogen-transfer reagent in reactions of selenium with the neutral cubane [{Snmu3-N(dipp)}4] (8) (dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) to give the dimer [(thf)Sn{mu-N(dipp)}2Sn(mu-Se)2Sn{mu-N(dipp)}2Sn(thf)] (9), a transformation that results in cleavage of the Sn4N4 cubane into four-membered Sn2N2 rings. The X-ray structures of 4, 5a, 5b, [Sn3Li(thf)(mu3-NtBu)4(mu3-Se)(mu2-Li)(thf)]2 (6a), [TeSn3Li(mu3-NtBu)4][Li(thf)4] (6b), [Te2Sn3Li(mu3-NtBu)4][Li([12]crown-4)2] (7b') and 9 are presented. The fluxional behaviour of cubic imidotin chalcogenides and the correlation between NMR coupling constants and tin-chalcogen bond lengths are also discussed.     

Highly stereoselective synthesis, structure, and application of (E)-9-[2-(silyl)ethenyl]-9H-carbazoles

(E)-N-(Silyl)vinylcarbazole has been easily prepared via a new catalytic route, silylative coupling (SC) of vinylcarbazole with vinyltrisubstituted silanes catalyzed by [RuH(Cl)(CO)(PCy3)2]. X-ray structures of two silylvinylcarbazoles as first N-vinylcarbazole derivatives have been resolved. The Pd-catalyzed Hiyama coupling reaction (also as the tandem reaction with SC) of synthesized (E)-N-(triethoxysilyl)vinylcarbazole with iodobenzene has been performed to afford (E)-N-(phenylvinyl)carbazole with high yield and stereoselectivity.     

The solid-phase synthesis of 2-5-linked oligoriboadenylates containing 8-bromoadenine

To increase the accessibility of 8-bromo-2′,5′-oligoadenylates, we developed a synthesis of 2′-5′-linked oligoriboadenylates containing varying numbers of 8-bromoadenosine residues based on the use of a CPG-LCA solid support and the phosphoramidite approach. Although N⁶benzoyl protection was satisfactory for incorporation of nonmodified adenine residues into 2′,5′-oligonucleotides, the effective incorporation of 8-bromoadenine into such 2′,5′-linked oligomers required use of a non acyl protecting group. Amidine protection of the purine exocyclic amino function proved compatible with all aspects of the phophoramidite approach and with the hydroxyl protection groups employed.     

Effect of molecular weight on synthesis and surface morphology of high-density poly(ethylene glycol) grafted layers

This work describes studying the permanent grafting of carboxylic acid end-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether (PEG) chains of different molecular weights from the melt onto a surface employing poly(glycidyl methacrylate) ultrathin film as an anchoring layer. The grafting led to the synthesis of the complete PEG brushes possessing exceptionally high grafting density. The maximum thickness of the attached PEG films was strongly dependent on the length of the polymer chains being grafted. The maximum grafting efficiency was close to the critical entanglement molecular weight region for PEG. All grafted PEG layers were in the "brush regime", since the distance between grafting sites for the layers was lower than the end-to-end distance for the anchored macromolecules. Scanning probe microscopy revealed that the grafting process led to complete PEG layers with surface smoothness on a nanometric scale. Practically all samples were partly or fully covered with crystalline domains that disappeared when samples were scanned under water. Due to the PEG hydrophilic nature, the surface with the grafted layer exhibited a low (up to 21 degrees ) water contact angle.     

Application of time-resolved infrared spectroscopy to electronic structure in metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited states

Infrared data in the nu(CO) region (1800-2150 cm(-1), in acetonitrile at 298 K) are reported for the ground (nu(gs)) and polypyridyl-based, metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excited (nu(es)) states of cis-[Os(pp)2(CO)(L)](n)(+) (pp = 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) or 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy); L = PPh3, CH(3)CN, pyridine, Cl, or H) and fac-[Re(pp)(CO)3(4-Etpy)](+) (pp = phen, bpy, 4,4'-(CH3)2bpy, 4,4'-(CH3O)2bpy, or 4,4'-(CO2Et)2bpy; 4-Etpy = 4-ethylpyridine). Systematic variations in nu(gs), nu(es), and Delta(nu) (Delta(nu) = nu(es) - nu(gs)) are observed with the excited-to-ground-state energy gap (E(0)) derived by a Franck-Condon analysis of emission spectra. These variations can be explained qualitatively by invoking a series of electronic interactions. Variations in dpi(M)-pi(CO) back-bonding are important in the ground state. In the excited state, the important interactions are (1) loss of back-bonding and sigma(M-CO) bond polarization, (2) pi(pp*-)-pi(CO) mixing, which provides the orbital basis for mixing pi(CO)- and pi(4,4'-X(2)bpy)-based MLCT excited states, and (3) dpi(M)-pi(pp) mixing, which provides the orbital basis for mixing pipi- and pi(4,4'-X(2)bpy*-)-based MLCT states. The results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the ground and excited states of fac-[Re(I)(bpy)(CO)3(4-Etpy)](+) provide assignments for the nu(CO) modes in the MLCT excited state. They also support the importance of pi(4,4'-X2bpy*-)-pi(CO) mixing, provide an explanation for the relative intensities of the A'(2) and A' ' excited-state bands, and provide an explanation for the large excited-to-ground-state nu(CO) shift for the A'(2) mode and its relative insensitivity to variations in X.     

Biosensors based on highly sensitive acetylcholinesterases for enhanced carbamate insecticides detection

This paper presents the construction of amperometric biosensors for the highly sensitive detection of carbamate insecticides based on the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). This enzyme was immobilised by entrapment in an optimised sol-gel matrix on TCNQ-modified screen-printed electrodes. The enzyme activity was estimated by measuring the thiocholine produced by the enzymatic hydrolysis of the acetylthiocholine using TCNQ as mediator. Wild and genetically engineered AChEs from Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) were chosen for their high sensitivity towards insecticides, which substantially improves the LOD compared with cholinesterases from other sources. The wild type and three mutant enzymes were tested against three carbamate insecticides: carbaryl, carbofuran and pirimicard. The best LOD were obtained with the Y370A mutant for carbaryl (1 × 10⁻⁸ M), the E69W mutant for pirimicarb (2 × 10⁻⁸ M) and the I161V mutant for carbofuran (8 × 10⁻¹⁰ M). The biosensors were applied to the analysis of two potable water samples.