Determination of Aroma Compounds from Alcoholic Beverages in Spiked Blood Samples by Means of Dynamic Headspace GC–MS

Some aroma compounds found in alcoholic beverages are characteristic of a certain beverage (i.e. 2,4-decadienoic acid ethyl ester is characteristic of pear spirit and 5-butyltetrahydro-4-methylfuran-2-on “whiskey lactone” is characteristic of aged spirits like whiskey). These substances were detectable in beverages but not in blood samples. The aim of this investigation was to find a sensitive sampling technique for aroma compounds in whole blood samples. This technique may be used in forensic toxicology for examination of drinking claims. The method comprises dynamic headspace sampling using a purge and trap concentrator, followed by quantitative gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (dynamic HS–GC–MS). The influence of sample preparation, trap adsorbents and sample temperature as well as desorption time and purge time on the quality of the analytical results were investigated. The following optimal parameters were determined: stirred and diluted whole blood sample without salt addition, use of Carbotrap C as trap material, sample temperature at 80 °C, desorption time 20 min and purge time 30 min. These optimal parameters were used for the determination of detection limits (LOD). The LOD of aroma compounds by means of dynamic headspace sampling were compared with the results of conventional sampling: the static headspace technique. Limits of detection for the aroma compounds with conventional static headspace GC are in the range 400–10,000 μg L^?1. Dynamic headspace–GC was found to be a more sensitive sampling technique for most of the aroma compounds investigated (e.g. C₄–C₈ ethyl esters, benzoic acid ethyl ester, linalool oxide and 4-ethylguaiacol) with detection limits between 1 and 50 μg L^?1, but there were also limits to the sampling of substances with lower volatility like decanoic acid ethyl ester, 2,4-decadienoic acid ethyl ester, eugenol and whiskey lactone with detection limits of about 1,000 μg L^?1.     

Reference-free NOE NMR analysis

Nuclear Overhauser Effect (NOE) methods in NMR are an important tool for 3D structural analysis of small molecules. Quantitative NOE methods conventionally rely on reference distances, known distances that have to be spectrally separated and are not always available. Here we present a new method for evaluation and 3D structure selection that does not require a reference distance, instead utilizing structures optimized by molecular mechanics, enabling NOE evaluation even on molecules without suitable reference groups.

A quantitative Nuclear Overhauser Effect (NOE) analysis approach that avoids the use of and internal reference distance to perform molecular configuration selection.     

Structure, activity and selectivity of V2O5-TiO2 catalysts for o-xylene conversion

The formation of needle shaped crystallites of V₆O₁₃ at low V concentrations on V₂O₅-anatase coated catalysts explains the low selectivity for phthalic anhydride during o-xylene oxidation. The (010) plane of V-oxide, most active for selective oxidation of o-xylene, is not accessible and the contact of this plane with the anatase faces promotes the anatase-rutile transformation and the incorporation and blocking of V⁴⁺ ions.

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V₆O₁₃ V , V₂O₅-, -. (010) , -, , - V⁺⁴.

     

Selective mono,bis, and trisiminoformylation of 2,4,6-trialkyl-1,3,5-triazines - unusual enol acylenamine tautomerism of hydroxyalkenyl-1,3,5-triazines

2,4,6-Trialkyl-1,3,5-triazines 1 can selectively be mono, bis or trisiminoformylated by reaction with trismorpholinomethane 2 or chloromethylene iminium salts 3 (Vilsmeier reagents), with each alkyl substituent reacting with only one molecule of the electrophile. The resulting aminoalkenyltriazines 4, 5 and 6 are partially or fully hydrolysed to corresponding formylation products. The latter exist either in enol or in unusual acylenamine tautomeric structures 10, 12 , and 13 , depending on the number of enamine or enol units found in the molecule. Reaction of triazines 1 with chlorobenzylidene iminium salts 16 gives monoiminobenzoylation to enaminotriazines 17 .     

Studies of the Reaction Behavior of Nitryl Compounds Towards Azides: Evidence for Tetranitrogen Dioxide,N4O2

The reaction behavior of NaN₃, AgN₃, and Me₃SiN₃ towards FNO₂, CINO₂, NO₂SbF₆, and NO₂BF₄ was investigated. At -30°C or below in a solvent-free system sodium azide did not react with CINO₂, NO₂BF₄, or NO₂SbF₆. Below -30°C silver azide did not react either with neat C1NO₂. Treatment of Me₃SiN₃ with pure C1NO₂ led to the formation of C1N₃, N₂O, and Me₃SiOSiMe₃. A mechanism for this reaction has been proposed. Pure chlorine azide was isolated by fractional condensation and identified by its low-temperature Raman spectrum (liquid state). The reaction of Cp₂Ti(N₃)₂ with C1NO₂ also yielded C1N₃ as the only azide-containing reaction product. Treatment of FNO₂ with NaN₃ at temperatures as low as -78°C always ended in an explosion which was probably due to the formation of FN₃ as one of the reaction products. The reaction of NO₂SbF₆ with NaN₃ in liquid CO₂ (-55°C· T· -35°C) as the solvent afforded a new azide species which was stable at low temperature in solution only and was investigated by means of low-temperature Raman spectroscopy. The obtained vibrational data give strong evidence for the presence of tetranitrogen dioxide, N₄O₂, which can be regarded as nitryl azide (NO₂N₃). The structure and vibrational frequencies of N₄O₂ were computed ab initio at correlated level (MP2/6-31 + G^*). In liquid xenon (-100°C· T· -60°C) NaN₃ did not react with NO₂SbF₆. A previous literature report on the preparation of N₄O₂ could not be established.     

Synthesis and Characterization of [Hg(sulfamethoxazolato)2]·2DMSO and[Cu2(μ‐CH3CO2)4(sulfamethoxazole)2]

[Hg(sulfamethoxazolato)₂]·2DMSO ( 1 ) and [Cu₂(CH₃COO)₄(sulfa‐methoxazole)₂] ( 2 ) can be obtained by the reaction of sulfamethoxazole with mercury acetate or copper acetate in methanol. The structures of the two complexes were characterized by single crystal X—ray diffractometry. Compound 1 consists of sulfamethoxazolato ligands bridging the metal ions building an unidimensional chain. Two solvent dimethylsulfoxide molecules are involved via N‐H···O hydrogen bridges. The mercury atom shows a linear primary coordination arrangement formed by two trans deprotonated sulfonamidic nitrogen atoms. The overall coordination around the metal atom may be regarded as a strongly distorted octahedron when the interactions of mercury with four sulfonamidic oxygen atoms [bond distances of 2.761(4) Å—2.971(4) Å] are also considered to build an equatorial plane and the N1 and N1′ atoms [bond distance of 2.037(5) Å] occupy the apical positions. Compound 2 is a dinuclear complex in which the copper ions are bridged by four syn‐syn acetate ligands which are related by a symmetry centre located in the centre of the complex. Each copper atom presents a nearly octahedral coordination where the equatorial plane is formed by four oxygen atoms and an isoxazolic nitrogen atom and the second copper atom occupy the apical positions.     

Heats of solution of 1∶1 electrolytes in 1-propanol,and derived enthalpies of transfer from water

Heats of solution of 13 11 electrolytes in 1-propanol have been determined calorimetrically at various electrolyte concentrations, and extrapolated to zero concentration to give H _s ^o values for these electrolytes. Together with literature data on three additional 11 electrolytes, these measurements yield a self-consistent set of single-ion enthalpies of transfer from water to 1-propanol. Values are tabulated for 10 univalent cations and five univalent anions. It is shown that the H _t ^o (Ph ₄ As⁺)=H _t ^o (Ph ₄ B^–) assumption yields chemically reasonable single-ion values. Using this assumption, it may be deduced that all the univalent ions studied have about the same enthalpy in 1-propanol as in methanol.     

The aggregation of sodium dehydrocholate in water

 We used a battery of different methods to study the association in aqueous sodium dehydrocholate (NaDHC) solutions. This salt associates by a stepwise mechanism. Below (9.6 ± 4.2) × 10⁻⁴ mol dm⁻³ there is a molecular solution with some strongly insoluble dehydrocholic acid produced by hydrolysis. Between (9.6 ± 4.2) × 10⁻⁴ and (5.2 ± 2.2) × 10⁻³ mol dm⁻³, an aggregate similar to acid soap (NaDHC.HDHC) appears and its amount and the aggregate's size increase with concentration. At =(2.20 ± 0.85) × 10⁻² mol dm⁻³ the aggregates formed have properties usually associated with true micelles, such as solubilisation of water-insoluble dyes. These aggregates increase in size with concentration and change their shape at 8 × 10⁻² mol dm⁻³, giving nonsymmetrical aggregates. The changes in the solution physicochemical properties at these concentrations may be misinterpreted and this explains the different values of the critical micelle concentration reported in the literature for substances with similar structure, such as bile salts. Received: 14 May 2001 Accepted: 10 August 2001     

Magnetic susceptibility of liquid Na1−xSbxalloys

The magnetic susceptibility of liquid NaSb alloys was measured in a temperature range between 600°C and 1100°C. The NaSb system is supposed to exhibit, as does the CsSb system, a metal to semiconductor transition dependent upon composition. A relatively strong diamagnetic minimum of x = ?26 × 10^?6 cm³/mol was found near the composition of the stoichiometric formula Na₃Sb. This minimal susceptibility can be relatively well described with an ionic type binding model.     

An efficient and highly flexible synthesis of (α),β-unsaturated γ-oxoesters

Siloxy substituted methyl cyclopropanecar?ylates are cleaved by bromine to afford α-bromo-γ-oxoester and, after treatment with triethylamine, good yields of α,β-unsaturated γ-oxoesters.