Evaluation of the limit of performance of an analytical method based on a statistical calculation of its critical concentrations according to ISO standard 11843: Application to routine control of banned veterinary drug residues in food according to European Decision 657/2002/EC

Traceability of the measurement of analytical parameters capable of evaluating the performance of methods is an important concept for the assessment of quality for the routine control, especially for residue monitoring of non-authorized medicinal substances in food from animal origin. The European Decision no. 657/2002/EC recommends to calculate two statistical limits, CCα and CCβ, which allow to evaluate the critical concentrations above which the method reliably distinguish and quantify a substance taking into account the variability of the method and the statistical risk to take a wrong decision. The calculation, which can be derived from the ISO standard no. 11843 is applied on a routine basis. An example displays a very simple way for evaluating the performance of an LC-MSMS method which has been validated a few years ago and is qualified onto a Micromass Quattro LCZ tandem mass spectrometer to monitor and confirm the nitrofuran metabolite residues in food from animal origin. Community Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Veterinary Drug Residue Control in Food from Animal Origin     

Fabrication and characterization of high-temperature microreactors with thin film heater and sensor patterns in silicon nitride tubes

In this paper the fabrication and electrical characterization of a silicon microreactor for high-temperature catalytic gas phase reactions, like Rh-catalyzed catalytic partial oxidation of methane into synthesis gas, is presented. The microreactor, realized with micromachining technologies, contains silicon nitride tubes that are suspended in a flow channel. These tubes contain metal thin films that heat the gas mixture in the channel and sense its temperature. The metal patterns are defined by using the channel geometry as a shadow mask. Furthermore, a new method to obtain Pt thin films with good adhesive properties, also at elevated temperatures, without adhesion metal is implemented in the fabrication process. Based on different experiments, it is concluded that the electrical behaviour at high temperatures of Pt thin films without adhesion layer is better than that of Pt/Ta films. Furthermore, it is found that the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and the resistivity of the thin films are stable for up to tens of hours when the temperature-range during operation of the microreactor is below the so-called "burn-in" temperature. Experiments showed that the presented suspended-tube microreactors with heaters and temperature sensors of Pt thin films can be operated safely and in a stable way at temperatures up to 700 degrees C for over 20 h. This type of microreactor solves the electrical breakdown problem that was previously reported by us in flat-membrane microreactors that were operated at temperatures above 600 degrees C.     

Synthesis and mass spectrum of 3-(3′-pyridinyloxymethyl)pyridine and polarography of its dialkyl diquaternary salts

3-(3′-Pyridinyloxymethyl)pyridine is prepared by reaction of 3-hydroxymethylpyridine with 3-bromopyridine and converted to the 1,1′-dimethyl and 1,1′-diethyl diquaternary salts with alkyl iodides. The salts are reduced polarographically at a potential (E_o) of about - 1.02 to - 1.10 V in the pH range of 5.5-8.5.     

Results of a European interlaboratory study for the determination of oxytetracycline in pig muscle by HPLC.

An interlaboratory study was organised in 1996 in order to determine laboratory testing performance for measuring oxytetracycline (OTC) and 4-epioxytetracycline (4-epiOTC) residues in pig muscle. The organisation was designed according to the 'International Harmonised Protocol for Proficiency Testing of (Chemical) Analytical Laboratories' produced by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC International) and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). Fourteen National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) out of the 15 asked to participate agreed to analyse the samples. These laboratories were from 13 different European Union (EU) Member States and each participant was allowed to use the extraction method of their own choice but had to use liquid chromatography as the analytical technique. Most of the methods used were based on UV detection (simple wavelength or diode-array detection) but some involved fluorimetric detection. The production of incurred samples was prepared on-site. The OTC and 4-epiOTC concentrations present in the samples were determined by taking the mean of the results (excluding outliers) and the deviation of each result from the assigned value was measured. The performance of the laboratories was evaluated by calculating the 'z-scores'. The results were globally satisfactory and showed that all 14 laboratories were capable of determining OTC and 4-epiOTC in pig muscle with satisfactory accuracy. Only two laboratories obtained a questionable result in terms of repeatability.     

Uses and analyses of curtin-hammett/winstein-holness systems involving second order reactions

The Curtin-Hammett (C-H) principle and the Winstein-Holness (W-H) equation approximate the product ratio and overall rate constant of reaction for systems involving a starting material which exists in two forms, each of which reacts via first-order kinetics to give a different product. The C-H/W-H approximations are valid when the rates of isomer interconversion are significantly faster than the rates of product formation. The present treatment encompasses non-first-order reactions to product. A numerical predictor-corrector technique is used to show (1) that relative reagent concentration can affect both the product ratio and the observed rates of product formation; (2) that the absolute concentration of reagent and substrate can affect the kinetics; and (3) that factors (1) and (2) above can affect the validity of the C-H/W-H approximations for non-first-order C-H/W-H schemes.     

Self-assembling a molecular pegboard

This paper describes the design, construction, and application of a self-assembled, chemically addressable DNA nanogrid composed of DNA tiles of nanometer dimensions. This self-assembled structure permits precise placement of molecules at predetermined locations on a "molecular pegboard". We used the indexed DNA nanogrids to identify single molecules of DNA that hybridize at particular locations.     

Structures and anion-binding properties of M4L6 tetrahedral cage complexes with large central cavities

Reaction of the bis-bidentate bridging ligand L(3), in which two bidentate chelating 3(2-pyridyl)pyrazole units are separated by a 3,3'-biphenyl spacer, with Co(II) salts affords tetranuclear cage complexes of composition [Co(4)(L(3))(6)]X(8)(X =[BF(4)](-), [ClO(4)](-), [PF(6)](-) or I(-)) in which four 6-coordinate Co(II) ions in an approximately tetrahedral array are connected by six bis-bidentate bridging ligands, one spanning each of the six edges of the Co(4) tetrahedron. In every case, X-ray crystallography reveals that the 'apical' Co(II) ion has a fac tris-chelate geometry, whereas the other three Co(II) ions have mer tris-chelate geometries, resulting in (non-crystallographic)C(3) symmetry for the cages; that this structure is retained in solution is confirmed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy of the paramagnetic cages. In every case one of the anions is located inside the central cavity of the cage, with the remaining seven outside. We found no clear evidence for an anion-based templating effect. The cage superstructure is sufficiently large to leave gaps in the centres of the faces through which the internal and external anions can exchange. Variable-temperature (19)F NMR spectroscopy was used to investigate the dynamic behaviour of the cages with X =[BF(4)](-) and [PF(6)](-) in MeCN solution: in both cases two separate signals, corresponding to external and internal anions, are clear at 233 K which have coalesced to a single signal at room temperature. Analysis of the linewidth of the minor signal (for the internal anion) at various temperatures below coalescence gave an activation energy for anion exchange of ca. 50 kJ mol(-1) in each case, a figure which suggests that anion exchange can occur via a conformational rearrangement of the cage superstructure in solution rather than opening of the cavity by cleavage of metal-ligand bonds.     

Flexibility in the partial reduction of 2,5-disubstituted pyrroles: application to the synthesis of DMDP

[reaction: see text] The partial reduction of electron-deficient 2,5-disubstituted pyrroles has been developed into a flexible procedure that gives control of relative stereochemistry by variation of the reduction conditions. After the reaction, the pyrroline products were dihydroxylated at C-3,4 to give either the cis or trans isomers; this flexibility means that a variety of polyhydroxylated pyrrolidines can be prepared in a short sequence. Finally, this method was applied to a synthesis of the naturally occurring glycosidase inhibitor DMDP.     

On the mechanism of negative differential resistance in ferrocenylundecanethiol self-assembled monolayers

Negative differential resistance (NDR) peaks in the current-voltage characteristics of ferrocenylundecanethiol self-assembled monolayers are not reversible. The peaks turn to smoothly increasing currents as oxygen is removed from the system, indicating that NDR arises from the reaction of an energetic charged species with ambient oxygen.     

Proton affinity of β-oxalylaminoalanine (BOAA): Incorporation of direct entropy correction into the single-reference kinetic method

A new version of the single-reference-extended kinetic method is presented in which direct entropy correction is incorporated. Results of calibration experiments with the monodentate base pyridine and the bidentate base ethylenediamine are presented for which the method provides proton affinities in excellent agreement with published values and reasonable predictions for the protonation entropies. The method is then used to determine the proton affinity and protonation entropy of the non-protein amino acid beta-oxalylaminoalanine (BOAA). The PA of BOAA is found to be 933.1 +/- 7.8 kJ/mol and a prediction for the protonation entropy of -39 J mol(-1) K(-1) is also obtained, indicating a significant degree of intramolecular hydrogen bonding in the protonated form. These results are supported by hybrid density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/6-311++G**//B3LYP/6-31+G* level. They indicate that the preferred site of protonation is the alpha-nitrogen atom (PA = 935.0 kJ/mol) and that protonated BOAA has a strong hydrogen bond between the hydrogen on the alpha-amino group and one of the carbonyl oxygen atoms on the side chain.