Regiospecific cationic polymerization of spiroorthoesters with different cyclic ether ring sizes

Spiroorthoesters (SOEs), cis‐2,3‐tetramethylene‐1,4,6‐trioxaspiro[4,5]decane ( I ) and cis‐2,3‐tetramethylene‐1,4,6‐trioxaspiro[4,6]undecane ( II ), with different cyclic ether ring sizes were synthesized, and their stereostructure and steric energy were determined. With steric‐hindrance‐sensitized 9‐phenyl‐9,10‐dihydro‐anthracen‐10‐ylium cation as an initiator, I and II underwent regiospecific polymerization to yield trans form of stereoregular poly(ether esters)—poly(trans‐2‐oxycyclohexyl pentanoate) (? [trans‐2‐OCHP]_n? ) ( III ) and poly(trans‐2‐oxycyclohexyl hexanoate) (? [trans‐2‐OCHH]_n? ) ( V ), respectively. With SnCl₄ as another initiator, I and II underwent regiospecific polymerization through different mechanisms to afford cis form poly(cis‐2‐oxycyclohexyl pentanoate) (? [cis‐2‐OCHP]_n? ) ( IV ) and trans form (? [trans‐2‐OCHH]_n? ) ( VI ) stereoregular poly(ether esters). The polymerization mechanisms of SOEs proceeded in the regiospecific manner were determined by the relationship among the sterostructures of SOEs and its subsequently formed polymers, the steric energy of monomers, and the free energy difference in the transition state of reaction. Owing to the conversion of cis substitution at C‐2 and C‐3 in I or II to the trans form during polymerization, polymers III , V , and VI exhibited a higher volume of expansion during polymerization than IV , which showed high volume shrinkage. Group contributions of divalent trans‐ and cis‐1.2‐cyclohexyl groups were derived and confirmed by measuring the densities of the corresponding stereoregular polymers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Effects of Column and Gradient Lengths on Peak Capacity and Peptide Identification in Nanoflow LC-MS/MS of Complex Proteomic Samples

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography is the most commonly used separation method for shotgun proteomics. Nanoflow chromatography has emerged as the preferred chromatography method for its increased sensitivity and separation. Despite its common use, there are a wide range of parameters and conditions used across research groups. These parameters have an effect on the quality of the chromatographic separation, which is critical to maximizing the number of peptide identifications and minimizing ion suppression. Here we examined the relationship between column lengths, gradient lengths, peptide identifications, and peptide peak capacity. We found that while longer column and gradient lengths generally increase peptide identifications, the degree of improvement is dependent on both parameters and is diminished at longer column and gradients. Peak capacity, in comparison, showed a more linear increase with column and gradient lengths. We discuss the discrepancy between these two results and some of the considerations that should be taken into account when deciding on the chromatographic conditions for a proteomics experiment.

Increasing throughput of parallel on-line extraction liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry system for GLP quantitative bioanalysis in drug development

An approach is described with turbulent flow on-line extraction liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) for GLP quantitative bioanalysis of a drug candidate. Two systems were built in-house with standard laboratory parts and equipments. One system consisted of one gradient HPLC pump, one isocratic pump, one ten-port valve, two turbulent flow columns, one analytical column, one autosampler and one mass spectrometer. Using this system, an injection-to-injection cycle time of 0.8 min was achieved. By adding an additional valve, another analytical column and an isocratic pump, the injection-to-injection cycle time decreased to 0.4 min. Validation results from the two systems showed that precision and accuracy were acceptable for GLP quantitative analyses. The system was utilized to support sample bioanalysis of a drug candidate in a first-time in-human clinical trial.     

Chemical Constituents from Annona Glabra

A new kaurane diterpenoid, annoglabasin G (16α‐hydro‐19‐acetoxy‐ent‐kauran‐17‐al) ( 1 ), along with 27 compounds including 18 kaurane diterpenoids, 16β‐hydro‐ent‐kauran‐17‐oic acid ( 2 ), 16α‐hydro‐ent‐kauran‐17‐oic acid ( 3 ), 19‐nor‐ent‐kauran‐4α‐ol‐17‐oic acid ( 4 ), 16α‐hydro‐19‐ol‐ent‐kauran‐17‐oic acid ( 5 ), ent‐kaur‐16‐en‐19‐oic acid ( 6 ), 16α‐hydroxy‐ent‐kauran‐19‐oic acid ( 7 ), 16α,17‐dihydroxy‐ent‐kauran‐19‐oic acid ( 8 ), 16β,17‐dihydroxy‐ent‐kauran‐19‐oic acid ( 9 ), 16α‐hydro‐ent‐kauran‐17,19‐dioic acid ( 10 ), 16β‐hydroxy‐17‐acetoxy‐ent‐kauran‐19‐oic acid ( 11 ), 16β‐hydro‐17‐hydroxy‐ent‐kauran‐19‐al ( 12 ), 16α‐hydro‐17‐hydroxy‐ent‐kauran‐19‐al ( 13 ), 16β,17‐dihydroxy‐ent‐kauran‐19‐al ( 14 ), 16α‐hydro‐19‐al‐ent‐kauran‐17‐oic acid ( 15 ), 16α‐hydro‐17‐acetoxy‐ent‐kauran‐19‐al ( 16 ), 16α‐hydro‐19‐acetoxy‐ent‐kauran‐17‐oic acid ( 17 ), ent‐kaur‐15‐en‐19‐oic acid ( 18 ) and ent‐kaur‐15‐en‐17‐ol‐19‐oic acid ( 19 ); four acetogenins, annomontacin ( 20 ), annonacin ( 21 ), isoannonacinone ( 22 ) and squamocin ( 23 ); four steroids, β‐sitosterol ( 24 ), stigmasterol ( 25 ), β‐sitosteryl‐D‐glucoside ( 26 ) and stigmasteryl‐D‐glucoside ( 27 ) and one oxoaporphine, liriodenine ( 28 ), were isolated from the fresh fruits of Annona glabra. These compounds were characterized and identified by physical and spectral evidence.     

Selective Inhibition of Collagen‐Induced Platelet Aggregation by a Cyclic Peptide from Drymaria diandra

Four cyclic peptides, diandrine A–D ( 1 – 4 ), were isolated from the MeOH extract of Formosan Drymaria diandra. Their structures were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic analyses as cyclo(‐Gly¹‐Pro²‐Trp³‐Pro⁴‐Tyr⁵‐Phe⁶‐), cyclo(‐Gly¹‐Pro²‐Leu³‐Pro⁴‐Leu⁵‐Trp⁶‐Ser⁷‐Ser⁸‐), cyclo(Gly¹‐Gly²‐Pro³‐Tyr⁴‐Trp⁵‐Pro⁶‐), and cyclo(Gly¹‐Gly²‐Pro³‐Tyr⁴‐Trp⁵‐Pro⁶‐), respectively. Compounds 3 and 4 were stable conformational isomers. Cyclopeptide 1 showed a selective inhibitory effect on collagen‐induced platelet aggregation with an IC₅₀ value of 44.2 μM .     

Drag force on a porous, non-homogeneous spheroidal floc in a uniform flow field

The force acting on a porous spheroidal floc having a nonhomogeneous structure in a uniform flow field is evaluated theoretically. Here, the floc is simulated by an entity having a two-layer type of structure, and its porous nature is mimicked by varying the relative magnitudes of the permeabilities of its inner and outer layers. The results of numerical simulation reveal that, for the same volume-averaged permeability, the drag coefficient of a spheroidal floc with a nonhomogeneous structure is much larger than that of a floc with a homogeneous structure for both prolate and oblate spheroids. This is true regardless of the relative magnitudes of the permeability of the inner layer and that of the outer layer. While the drag coefficient of a homogeneous prolate is the same as that of a homogeneous oblate the drag coefficient of a nonhomogeneous prolate is larger than that of a nonhomogeneous oblate. For the same volume-averaged size, the more nonhomogeneous the structure of a spheroidal floc the easier for the relation between the drag coefficient and the Reynolds number to deviate from a Stokes-law-like relation. For a fixed volume-averaged permeability, the effective drag coefficient increases with the increase in the ratio (polar radius of inner layer/polar radius of floc), regardless of whether its inner layer is less permeable than its outer layer or not.     

Using the cationic surfactants N-cetyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bromide and 1-cetyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide for sweeping–micellar electrokinetic chromatography

This paper describes a sweeping–micellar electrokinetic chromatography (sweeping–MEKC) technique for the determination of seven benzodiazepines, using, as sweeping carriers, the ionic liquid-type cationic surfactants 1-cetyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (C₁₆MIMBr) and N-cetyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bromide (C₁₆MPYB). These surfactants resemble the commonly employed cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), but they provide different separation efficiencies. We optimized the separation and sweeping conditions, including the pH, the concentrations of organic modifier and surfactant, and the sample injection volume. Adding C₁₆MIMBr or C₁₆MPYB to the background electrolyte enhanced the separation efficiency and detection sensitivity during the sweeping–MEKC analyses of the benzodiazepines. C₁₆MIMBr enhanced the sensitivity for each benzodiazepine 31–59-fold; C₁₆MPYB, 86–165-fold. In the presence of C₁₆MPYB, the limits of detection for the seven analytes ranged from 4.68 to 9.75 ng/mL. We adopted the sweeping–MEKC conditions optimized for C₁₆MPYB to satisfactorily analyze a human urine sample spiked with the seven benzodiazepines. To minimize the matrix effects, we subjected this urine sample to off-line solid phase extraction (SPE) prior to analysis. The recoveries of the analytes after SPE were satisfactory (ca. 77.0–88.3%). Our experimental results reveal that the cationic surfactant C₁₆MPYB exhibits superior sweeping power relative to those of C₁₆MIMBr and CTAB and that it can be applied in sweeping–MEKC analyses for the on-line concentrating and analyzing of benzodiazepines present in real samples at nanogram-per-milliliter concentrations.     

Integration of Separation Capillary with a Au Film Electrode and an Etched Decoupler in Amperometric Capillary Electrophoresis

Introduced in this article is fabrication of an integrated capillary for the applications of electrochemical detection in capillary electrophoresis. The separation section, voltage decoupler, and working electrode were composed into a single section of capillary. The porous decoupler was constructed by HF etching till the thickness of the capillary wall less than 20 μm. The working electrode was prepared by sputtering Au-films on the outlet of the capillary. The integration of the separation capillary with a complete detection assembly improves the convenience for the routine application of electrochemical measurements in capillary electrophoresis. For a 100-μm-i.d. capillary, the theoretical plate number of catechol and the migration time reproducibility can reach 120,000 and 1.9% RSD, respectively. The linear range exceeds 3 order of magnitude and the detection limit is lower than 0.65 μM.     

Chemical Dealloying Mechanism of Bimetallic Pt–Co Nanoparticles and Enhancement of Catalytic Activity toward Oxygen Reduction

The chemical dealloying mechanism of bimetallic Pt–Co nanoparticles (NPs) and enhancement of their electrocatalytic activity towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) have been investigated on a fundamental level by the combination of X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and aberration‐corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Structural parameters, such as coordination numbers, alloy extent, and the unfilled d states of Pt atoms, are derived from the XAS spectra, together with the compositional variation analyzed by line‐scanning energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) on an atomic scale, to gain new insights into the dealloying process of bimetallic Pt–Co NPs. The XAS results on acid‐treated Pt–Co/C NPs reveal that the Co–Co bonding in the bimetallic NPs dissolves first and the remaining morphology gradually transforms to a Pt‐skin structure. From cyclic voltammetry and mass activity measurements, Pt–Co alloy NPs with a Pt‐skin structure significantly enhance the catalytic performance towards the ORR. Further, it is observed that such an imperfect Pt‐skin surface feature will collapse due to the penetration of electrolyte into layers underneath and cause further dissolution of Co and the loss of Pt. The electrocatalytic activity decreases accordingly, if the dealloying process lasts for 4 h. The findings not only demonstrate the importance of appropriate treatment of bimetallic catalysts, but also can be referred to other Pt bimetallic alloys with transition metals.     

Alternating and Diblock Donor–Acceptor Conjugated Polymers Based on Diindeno[1,2‐b:2′,1′‐d]thiophene Structure: Synthesis,Characterization, and Photovoltaic Applications

Pentacyclic diindeno[1,2‐b:2′,1′‐d]thiophene ( DIDT ) unit is a rigid and coplanar conjugated molecule. To the best of our knowledge, this attractive molecule has never been incorporated into a polymer and thus its application in polymer solar cells has never been explored. For the first time, we report the detailed synthesis of the tetra‐alkylated DIDT molecule leading to its dibromo‐ and diboronic ester derivatives, which are the key monomers for preparation of DIDT ‐based polymers. Two donor–acceptor alternating polymers, poly(diindenothiophene‐alt‐benzothiadiazole) PDIDTBT and poly(diindenothiophene‐alt‐dithienylbenzothiadiazole) PDIDTDTBT , were synthesized by using Suzuki polymerization. Copolymer PTDIDTTBT was also prepared by using Stille polymerization. Although PTDIDTTBT is prepared through a manner of random polymerization, we found that the different reactivities of the dibromo‐monomers lead to the resulting polymer having a block copolymer arrangement. With the higher structural regularity, PTDIDTTBT , symbolized as (thiophene‐alt‐ DIDT )_0.5‐block‐(thiophene‐alt‐BT)_0.5, shows the higher degree of crystallization, stronger π–π stacking, and broader absorption spectrum in the solid state, as compared to its alternating PDIDTDTBT analogue. Bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells based on ITO/PEDOT:PSS/polymer:PC₇₁BM/Ca/Al configuration were fabricated and characterized. PDIDTDTBT /PC₇₁BM and PTDIDTTBT /PC₇₁BM systems exhibited promising power‐conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 1.65 % and 2.00 %, respectively. Owing to the complementary absorption spectra, as well as the compatible structures of PDIDTDTBT and PTDIDTTBT , the PCE of the device based on the ternary blend PDIDTDTBT / PTDIDTTBT /PC₇₁BM was further improved to 2.40 %.