Short communication controlling LC-SPE-NMR systems

There are several stages of the LC-SPE-NMR process that should be monitored closely to ensure an efficient isolation and concentration of the target analyte, for instance analyte break-through and compound transfer from the LC-SPE to the NMR probe. In this study, analyte break-through monitoring was performed with a UV detector and a mass spectrometer placed after the SPE unit. Easy break-through was a problem when attempting multiple trapping of various compounds using C18 SPE cartridges with the original commercial system. However, on lowering the flow rate over the SPE system and using SPE cartridges packed with porous carbon, the number of trappings possible increased five-fold. To increase control over the on-line SPE-NMR transfer, a gradient pump-UV system was used to elute compounds trapped on an SPE to an NMR probe. The analyte band was placed in the active volume of the probe by a stop-flow mechanism. The modified LC-SPE system was also coupled with off-line NMR analysis for determination of a degradation product of the insecticide monuron, present in the low ppm range.     

Two-dimensional capillary liquid chromatography: pH gradient ion exchange and reversed phase chromatography for rapid separation of proteins

In the present work, an orthogonal two-dimensional (2D) capillary liquid chromatography (LC) method for fractionation and separation of proteins using wide range pH gradient ion exchange chromatography (IEC) in the first dimension and reversed phase (RP) in the second dimension, is demonstrated. In the first dimension a strong anion exchange (SAX) column subjected to a wide range (10.5-3.5) descending pH gradient was employed, while in the second dimension, a large pore (4,000 A) polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) RP analytical column was used for separation of the protein pH-fractions from the first dimension. The separation power of the off-line 2D method was demonstrated by fractionation and separation of human plasma proteins. Seventeen pH-fractions were manually collected and immediately separated in the second dimension using a column switching capillary RP-LC system. Totally, more than 200 protein peaks were observed in the RP chromatograms of the pH-fractions. On-line 2D analysis was performed for fractionation and separation of ten standard proteins. Two pH-fractions (basic and acidic) from the first dimension were trapped on PS-DVB RP trap columns prior to back-flushed elution onto the analytical RP column for fast separation of the proteins with UV/MS detection.     

Hyperbranched polyamidoamine as stabilizer for catalytically active nanoparticles in water

Poly(amidoamine) hyperbranched polymers (HYPAM) were successfully used to synthesize platinum nanoparticles of ca. 1.8 nm and to stabilize these particles in water. Furthermore these hyperbranched-stabilized platinum nanoparticles proved to be effective and robust for hydrogenation reaction in water.     

The Fluorenyl Cation

The fluorenyl cation is a textbook example for a 4π antiaromatic cation. However, contrasting results have been published on how the annelated benzene rings compensate the destabilizing effect of the 4π antiaromatic five‐membered ring in its core. Whereas previous attempts to synthesize this cation in superacidic media resulted in undefined polymeric material only, we herein report that it can be generated and isolated in amorphous water ice at temperatures below 30 K by photolysis of diazofluorene. Under these conditions, the fluorenylidene is protonated by water to give the fluorenyl cation, which could be characterized spectroscopically. Its absorption in the visible‐light range matches that previously obtained by ultrafast absorption spectroscopy, and furthermore, its IR spectrum could be recorded. The IR bands in amorphous ice very nicely match predictions from DFT and DFT/MM calculations, suggesting the absence of strong interactions between the cation and surrounding water molecules.     

Analysis of ancient Greco–Roman cosmetic materials using laser desorption ionization and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Microsamples of pink cosmetic powders from the Greco–Roman period were analyzed using two complementary analytical approaches for identification of the colouring agents (lake pigments originally manufactured from madder plants with an inert binder, usually a metallic salt) present in the samples. The first technique was a methanolic acidic extraction of the archaeological samples with an additional ethyl acetate extraction of the anthraquinone-type colouring agents which were identified using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–HRMS), and the second was direct analysis of a microsample by laser desorption ionization–mass spectrometry (LDI–MS). The latter technique is well suited when the quantity of samples is very low. This soft ionization technique enables the detection of very small quantities of compounds using the combination of positive and negative-ion modes. It was also successfully applied for the direct analysis of some laboratory-made reference compounds. However, the presence of lead in one of these ancient samples induced a spectral suppression phenomenon. In this case and conditional on a sufficient quantity of available sample, the former method is better adapted for the characterization of these anthraquinone-type molecules. This study also confirmed that purpurin, munjistin, and pseudopurpurin are the principal colouring agents present in these ancient cosmetic powders constituted from madder plants. Presented at the Annual French National Symposium on Mass Spectrometry, Electrophoresis and Proteomics, 20–23 September 2007 in Pau, France.     

Characterization of the Trans-Epithelial Transport of Green Tea (C. sinensis) Catechin Extracts with In Vitro Inhibitory Effect against the SARS-CoV-2 Papain-like Protease Activity

This work describes an untargeted analytical approach for the screening, identification, and characterization of the trans-epithelial transport of green tea (Camellia sinensis) catechin extracts with in vitro inhibitory effect against the SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) activity. After specific catechin extraction, a chromatographic separation obtained six fractions were carried out. The fractions were assessed in vitro against the PLpro target. Fraction 5 showed the highest inhibitory activity against the SARS-CoV-2 PLpro (IC₅₀ of 0.125 μg mL⁻¹). The untargeted characterization revealed that (−)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG) was the most abundant compound in the fraction and the primary molecule absorbed by differentiated Caco-2 cells. Results indicated that fraction 5 was approximately 10 times more active than ECG (IC₅₀ value equal to 11.62 ± 0.47 μg mL⁻¹) to inhibit the PLpro target. Overall, our findings highlight the synergistic effects of the various components of the crude extract compared to isolated ECG.     

On Schrödinger operators with multipolar inverse-square potentials

Positivity, essential self-adjointness, and spectral properties of a class of Schrödinger operators with multipolar inverse-square potentials are discussed. In particular a necessary and sufficient condition on the masses of singularities for the existence of at least a configuration of poles ensuring the positivity of the associated quadratic form is established.     

Photochemistry and Reactivity of the Phenyl Radical–Water System: A Matrix Isolation and Computational Study

The reaction of the phenyl radical 1 with water has been investigated by using matrix isolation spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. The primary thermal product of the reaction between 1 and water is a weakly bound complex stabilized by an OH???π interaction. This complex is photolabile, and visible‐light irradiation (λ>420 nm) results in hydrogen atom transfer from water to radical 1 and the formation of a highly labile complex between benzene and the OH radical. This complex is stable under the conditions of matrix isolation, however, continuous irradiation with λ>420 nm light results in the complete destruction of the aromatic system and formation of an acylic unsaturated ketene. The mechanisms of all reaction steps are discussed in the light of ab initio and DFT calculations.     

An Enantiopure Cyclometallated Iridium Complex Displaying Long‐Lived Phosphorescence both in Solution and in the Solid State

A new enantiopure cyclometallated iridium complex bearing a [4]helicenic ‐coordinating and two ‐coordinating dfppy (2‐(2,4‐difluorophenyl)‐pyridyl) ligands was prepared. This complex displayed long‐lived phosphorescence both in solution and in the solid state. Its chiroptical properties, namely electronic circular dichroism and circularly polarized luminescence, were also examined. Comparison with former chiral complexes enabled assignment of the Δ_Ir‐(?) and Λ_Ir‐(+) absolute configurations.