Reactivity of 2-halo-2H-azirines. 1. Reactions with nucleophiles.

Nucleophilic substitution reactions of 2-halo-2H-azirines 1a, 1b, 1d, and 1e with potassium phthalimide and aniline allowed the preparation of new substituted 2H-azirines 2-5. The reactions of 2-bromo-2H-azirine 1a with methylamine led to the synthesis of alpha-diimines 7 and 8. 2-Halo-2H-azirines were also established as building blocks for the synthesis of a range of heterocyclic compounds, namely, quinoxalines 10a-10d, 3-oxazoline 14, and 2H-[1,4]oxazines 18 and 20. X-ray crystal structures of alpha-diimine 7, 3-oxazoline 14, and 2H-[1,4]oxazine 18 are reported.     

Case Study: Doping Substances in Equestrian Food Supplements

In the course of investigations on equestrian supplemental products for the presence of doping substances, two products were found to contain forbidden substances. As reported earlier a plant extract (Mexican cactus extract) named “Energy 5” contained the anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) stanozolol, 17β-hydroxy-17α-methyl-5α-androstane-3β-ol (3β,5α-THMT) as well as mestanolone not declared on the label. In the present study, a product called “Super Kalm Paste” was tested. Analysis by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed that the preparation contained the class I anti-arrhythmics quinine (trade names Kinidin^TM, Durules) and cinchonine. The samples were prepared according to a sample preparation procedure established for anabolic steroids in nutritional supplements for humans. The sample treatment comprised the extraction and purification of the analytes as well as the chemical conversion with N-methyl-N-trimethylsilyl-trifluoracetamide (MSTFA) to yield the trimethylsilyl (TMS)-derivatives. To verify whether the administration of such products could lead to positive doping tests, a pilot excretion study on “Energy 5” was conducted with two geldings, and urine samples were collected. Gas chromatography - high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) after solid phase extraction and mixed derivatisation has demonstrated the presence of the stanozolol metabolite 16β-hydroxy-stanozolol in urine samples after “Energy 5” application.     

The isotopes259106,260106, and261106

In irradiations of²⁰⁷Pb and²⁰⁸Pb, respectively, with⁵⁴Cr theα-decay of the isotopes²⁵⁹106,²⁶⁰106, and²⁶¹106 could be observed for the first time. For²⁶⁰106 a spontaneous fission branch of (50 _?20 ⁺³⁰ )% was observed. The isotopes were identified by genetic relationships of α-decay after separation in-flight with the velocity filter SHIP and implantation into a position-sensitive silicon surface-barrier detector. The measured partial fission halflife of the doubly even isotope²⁶⁰106 of (7.2 _?2.7 ^+4.8 )ms exceeds the predicted values by at least a factor of 40. This result could be explained by the high shell corrections of the ground state mass, derived from the measured α-decay energies. The experimental results show evidence for an island of purely shell stabilized nuclei in the region of deformed isotopes beyond the actinides.     

Étude de la cinétique de la dégradation thermique du polypropylene et du polystyrène par analyse thermogravimétrique

Kinetic studies on the thermal degradation of polypropylene and polystyrene have been carried out using the thermogravimetric technique. Experimental thermograms have been interpreted by means of a simulation model which takes into account several simultaneous or consecutive reactions. In nitrogen, polypropylene degradation involves two reactions. The activation energy calculated for the second reaction, which corresponds to the main part of the weight loss curve, agrees with values obtained by means of calculation methods based on only one overall reaction. In air, a third reaction is added. Its activation energy is also in agreement with published values. However, for the two studied materials, orders of reaction are different.     

Unimolecular gas-phase reactions of the methyl acetoacetate radical cation. Oxygen atom permutation via ion-molecule complexes

The reactions of metastable decomposing methyl acetoacetate (a mixture of keto a ad enol tautomers) are reported and discussed. The unimolecular fragmentations of the tautomers are different. The metastable decomposing radical cation of the keto form displays four specific ions: [M –CO]⁺˙, [M – CH₂O]⁺˙, [M – CH₂CO]⁺˙ and m/z 43. The results derived from D-, ¹³C- and ¹⁸O-labelled precursors together with thermochemical data have been used to study the mechanisms. Experimental results indicate that an unexpected isomerization occurs before dissociation. It formally corresponds to oxygen atom permutation of the two carbonyl groups without participation of the carbon atoms. This remarkable process is interpreted in terms of a mechanism involving ion-molecule complexes.     

Cadmium speciation in Arabidopsis thaliana as a strategy to study metal accumulation system in plants

The strategy to identify cadmium deactivation mechanism in Arabidopsis thaliana has been developed using selective and sensitive hyphenated techniques. Cadmium concentrations, in main parts of the plant, were determined by ICP-MS and total amount was found as 0.43-0.44 μg g⁻¹ in leaves and 3.3-3.4 μg g⁻¹ in roots. Speciation of the metal complexes in cells was investigated by SEC-ICP-MS in order to estimate the accumulation process. Phytochelatins, desglycyl-phytochelatins and phytochelatins homologues lacking the N-terminal γ-linked glutamic acid were extracted from plant and were identified by RPLC-ESI-MS. Two-dimensional chromatography allowed to link the metal complexes separated by SEC with isoforms of phytochelatins analyzed by high resolution RPLC and confirm their significant responsibility for metal accumulation. The potential of the cadmium complexes speciation indicates that obtained results could be reliable source of knowledge to confirm the information coming from the well-known genomic sequence of Arabidopsis and to estimate the role of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase in metabolism of glutathione.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Organosoluble Methyl Substituted Poly(aryl Ether Ketone)s Containing Sulfone Linkage

Several new methyl substituted poly(aryl ether ketone)s containing sulfone linkage with inherent viscosities of 0.62–0.84 dL/g have been prepared from 4,4′‐bis(2‐methylphenoxy)diphenylsulfone and 4,4′‐bis(3‐methylphenoxy)diphenylsulfone with terephthaloyl chloride and isophthaloyl chloride by electrophilic Friedel‐Crafts acylation in the presence of DMF with anhydrous AlCl₃ as a catalyst in 1,2‐dichloroethane, respectively. These polymers having weight‐average molecular weight in the range of 71,000–49,000 are all amorphous and show high glass transition temperatures ranging from 167 °C to 191 °C, excellent thermal stability at temperatures over 400 °C in air or nitrogen, high char yields of 51–58% in nitrogen and good solubility in CHCl₃ and polar solvents such as DMF, DMSO and NMP at room temperature.     

Additional of functional vinylzinc reagents to nitrones: synthesis of (E)-N-allylhydroxylamines and their rearrangement into (E)-O-allylhydroxylamines

The vinylzinc reagents derived from hydrozirconation of alkynes and transmetallation add readily to nitrones to yield pure (E)-N-allylhydroxylamines; some of these rearrange into O-allylhydroxylamines.