Capabilities and limits of ICP-MS for direct determination of element traces in saline solutions

An ICP-MS method for the determination of ultra-traces of 24 Elements (Li, Be, Mg, Al, Cr, Mn, Co, Zn, Cu, Ga, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, Tl, Pb, Bi, U) at ng/L to μg/L levels in highly saline solutions (up to 30 g/L NaCl) was developed. Calculated to the salt content of the samples, limits of detection at the sub-μg/kg level were obtained. This allows the measurement of samples like sea water, or clinical samples like urine, serum and whole blood, with few or without sample preparation and a drastic improvement to the limits of detection. Compared to the determination in solutions of 1 g/L NaCl the limits of detection in the original sample were improved by one order of magnitude. Improvements in instrumental stability are achieved by the use of an additional gas, that is introduced to the aerosol stream and avoids salt deposition in the aerosol tube of the torch, the use of High Matrix Content (HMC) cones, that show no clogging even at NaCl-concentrations up to 50 g/L. With this setup the long term stability for measurements with changing matrix concentrations is < 10% without and < 5% with use of an internal standard for the individual samples. Cleaning up is necessary after 2 days of operation. The direct analysis of the Nearshore Seawater Reference Material NRC-CNRC CASS3 showed a good agreement with the certified and measured concentrations. Elements, that do not suffer from an isobaric overlap of matrix compounds can be determined clearly at ng/L levels. Measurement of different matrix concentrations showed, that acceptable results can be achieved with a single calibration for concentrations from 5 g/L NaCl to 30 g/L NaCl, though matrix matching shows the best results.     

The synthesis of N-substituted ureas II: Nucleophilic substitution of ureas at the carbonyl group

Summary N-Arylsubstituted ureas undergo exchange of the N-residue upon reaction with amines. Using kinetic measurements, investigation of product distribution, regioselectivity, catalysis, and substrate influences, it was shown that this reaction proceeds via a second order nucleophilic substitution at the urea carbonyl center. By means of semiempirical calculations using the MNDO method the alternative mechanism of fragmentation was investigated.

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Zur Synthese N-substituierter Harnstoffe II: Nucleophile Substitution von Harnstoffen an der Carbonylgruppe

Zusammenfassung N-Arylsubstituierte Harnstoffe erleiden bei der Reaktion mit Aminen einen Austausch des N-Restes. Durch kinetische Messungen, Untersuchung der Produktverteilung, Regioselektivität, Katalyse und des Einflusses des Edukts konnte abgeleitet werden, daß es sich hiebei um eine nucleophile Substitution zweiter Ordnung am Carbonylzentrum des Harnstoffs handelt. Durch semiempirische Rechnungen mit Hilfe der MNDO Methode wurde der alternative Reaktionsmechanismus einer Fragmentierung untersucht.

     

Einkristalle von A?Nd2S3, U?Ho2S3, D?Er2S3 und E?Lu2S3 durch Oxidation reduzierter Chloride der Lanthanide mit Schwefel

Single Crystals of A? Nd₂S₃, U? Ho₂S₃, D? Er₂S₃, and E? Lu₂S₃ through the Oxidation of Reduced Lanthanide Chlorides with Sulfur The oxidation of reduced chlorides (MCl₂) or chloridehydrides (MClH_x) of the lanthanides with sulfur (850°C, 7 d, tantalum ampoule) usually results in the formation of their sesquisulfides (M₂S₃) as the main product. In the presence of appropriate fluxes (e. g., NaCl), they often are obtained as single crystals, and the flux appears to decide which modification is favourized. Single crystals of Nd₂S₃ , (from NdCl₂ + NaCl + S, 2 : 2 : 1, A-type: orthorhombic, Pnma (no. 62), Z = 4; a = 743.97(5), b = 402.78(3), c = 1551.96(9) pm, V_m = 70.015(8) cm³/mol, R , = 0.026, R_w = 0.023), Ho₂S₃ , (from Na_0.25HoClH_0.75 + S, 8 : 9, U type: orthorhombic, Pnma (no. 62), Z = 4, a = 1057.24(7), b = 384.48(4), c = 1041.15(7) pm, V_m = 63.716(9) cm³/mol, R , = 0.023, R_w = 0.020), Er₂S₃ , (from ErClH_0.67 + NaCl + S, 2 : 2 : 1, D type: monoclinic, P2₁/m (no. 11), Z = 6, a = 1744.18(9), b = 398.22(3), c = 1010.13(6) pm, β = 98.688(4)°, V_m = 69.610(7) cm³/mol, R = 0.031, R_w = 0.029) and Lu₂S₃ , (from LuClH_0.67 + NaCl + S, 2 : 2 : 1, E type: trigonal, R3 c (no. 167), Z = 6, a = 672.86(2), c = 1816.84(9) pm, c/a = 2.70, V_m = 71.497(6) cm³/mol, R = 0.023, R_w = 0.020) as well as more systematic general investigations (syntheses of the lanthanide sesquisulfides from the elements in the presence of NaCl as a flux in sealed tantalum containers at 850°C) are the main topic of the work presented here.     

Chalkogenid-Disilicate der Lanthanoide vom Typ M4X3[Si2O7] (M  Ce?Er; X  S,Se)

M₄X₃[Si₂O₇]-Type Lanthanide Chalcogenide Disilicates (M ? Ce? Er; X ? S, Se) Attempts to produce single crystals of MSe₂ (or MSe^2?X) by vapour phase transport with iodine or the oxidation of MCl₂ (or MClH) with sulfur in the presence of NaCl in sealed evacuated quartz containers often yielded well-grown single crystals with the composition M₄X₃[Si₂O₇] (M ? pr, Sm, Gd, X ? Se, and M ? Nd, Er, X ? S) as by-products. The crystal structures (tetragonal, 14₁/amd (no. 141)), Z = 8, contain two crystallographically independent M₃₊ Cations that are interconnected by chalcogenide (X_2?) and disilicate anions ([Si₂O₇]^6?). (M1)³⁺ is surrounded by eight (five X^2? and three terminal O_2? of the disilicate group), (M2)³⁺ by nine (three X^2? and six terminal O^2? of the [Si₂O₇]_6? anion) chalcogenide anions. The disilicate anion itself exhibits the eclipsed conformation with non-linear Si? O? Si bridges (angles: 128 – 133°).     

A novel chemical biology and computational approach to expedite the discovery of new-generation polymyxins against life-threatening Acinetobacter baumannii

Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria represent a major medical challenge worldwide. New antibiotics are desperately required with ‘old’ polymyxins often being the only available therapeutic option. Here, we systematically investigated the structure–activity relationship (SAR) of polymyxins using a quantitative lipidomics-informed outer membrane (OM) model of Acinetobacter baumannii and a series of chemically synthesized polymyxin analogs. By integrating chemical biology and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we deciphered how each residue of the polymyxin molecule modulated its conformational folding and specific interactions with the bacterial OM. Importantly, a novel designed polymyxin analog FADDI-287 with predicted stronger OM penetration showed improved in vitro antibacterial activity. Collectively, our study provides a novel chemical biology and computational strategy to expedite the discovery of new-generation polymyxins against life-threatening Gram-negative ‘superbugs’.

Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria have been an urgent threat to global public health. Novel antibiotics are desperately needed to combat these ''superbugs''.     

Beiträge zur Chemie der Pyrrolpigmente, 44. Mitt.: Gallenfarbstoffe als Ionophore

The carrier mediated transport of cations using model compounds of the verdinoid and rubinoid bile pigment structural type as ionophores is studied. Verdinoid bile pigments turn out to be very effective carriers for cations exhibiting a pronounced selectivity for certain transition metal ions like Cr^+-+, Fe⁺⁺, Cu⁺⁺ and Zn⁺⁺. The scope of this behaviour of verdinoid bile pigments is compared to [18]-crown-6 and meso-tetraphenylporphin and is discussed with regard to structural, biological, analytical and technical implications.

     

-bases for cohomology of local systems on hyperplane complements

We study cohomology with coefficients in a rank one local system on the complement of an arrangement of hyperplanes . The cohomology plays an important role for the theory of generalized hypergeometric functions. We combine several known results to construct explicit bases of logarithmic forms for the only non-vanishing cohomology group, under some nonresonance conditions on the local system, for any arrangement . The bases are determined by a linear ordering of the hyperplanes, and are indexed by certain ``no-broken-circuits" bases of . The basic forms depend on the local system, but any two bases constructed in this way are related by a matrix of integer constants which depend only on the linear orders and not on the local system. In certain special cases we show the existence of bases of monomial logarithmic forms.