Direct determination of Cd, Cu and Pb in wines and grape juices by thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

The applicability of thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (TS-FF-AAS) was evaluated for direct determination of Cu, Cd and Pb in wines and grape juices. The developed procedure does not require preliminary acid digestion of the samples. The optimum conditions for determination of Cu, Cd and Pb in wines were studied and the performance was compared to those typically obtained by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). A sample volume of 150 microL was introduced into a heated nickel tube at a flow rate of 0.54 mLmin(-1) and 0.14 molL(-1) HNO(3) was used as sample carrier flowing at 2.5 mLmin(-1) for determining all analytes. The effect of ethanol concentrations on Cu, Cd and Pb absorbance signals were studied. All determinations were carried out by adopting optimized conditions and quantification was based on the standard additions method. Limits of detection (LOD) of 12.9, 1.8 and 5.3 microgL(-1) (n=14) for Cu, Cd and Pb, respectively, were obtained for wine samples (3sigma(blank)/slope, n=14). Relative standard deviations (R.S.D., %) of 2.7, 2.1 and 2.6 for Cu, Cd and Pb, were obtained (n=6) for wine samples. The values determined for grape juice samples were similar to these ones. The analytical throughput was 45 determinations h(-1) and accuracy was checked by addition-recovery experiments.     

Synthesis and antimalarial activity of ethyl 3‐amino‐4‐oxo‐9‐(phenylsubstituted)thieno[2,3‐b]quinoline‐2‐carboxylate derivatives

A series of thieno[ 2 ,3‐b]quinolone derivatives were synthesized and investigated for their abilities to inhibit β‐hematin formation, hemoglobin hydrolysis and in vivo for their efficacy in rodent Plasmodium berghei. Compound 3b was the most promising as inhibitor of hemoglobin hydrolysis, and its effects as inhibitor of β‐hematin formation was promising. When the aromatic ring was substituted in 2 (Me), in 3 (CF₃) or in 2,4 (Cl) the inhibition of hemoglobin proteolysis was maximal (88%), the rest of compounds maintained a low inhibition. The most active compound to emerge in vitro and in murine studies, was 3b suggesting an antimalarial activity via multiple mechanisms.     

The C-terminal sterile alpha motif (SAM) domain of human p73 is a highly dynamic protein, which acquires high thermal stability through a decrease in backbone flexibility

The α-splice variant of p73 (p73α), a homologue of the tumour suppressor p53, has close to its C terminus a sterile alpha motif (SAM), SAMp73, that is involved in protein-biomolecule interactions. The conformational stability of SAMp73 is low (～5 kcal mol(-1)), although its thermal stability is high. To explain this high thermostability, we studied the dynamics of SAMp73 over a wide range of GdmCl (guanidine hydrochloride) concentrations and temperatures by NMR relaxation, NMR hydrogen-exchange (HX) and fluorescence lifetime approaches. The slowest exchanging residues of SAMp73 belong to the helical regions, and they did exchange by a global unfolding process. Moreover, SAMp73 was very flexible, with most of its amide protons affected by slow μs-ms conformational exchange. Within this time scale, the residues of SAMp73 with the largest exchange rates (R(ex)) were involved in binding with other molecules; therefore, the flexibility in the μs-ms range was associated with biological functions. As the [GdmCl] increased, the pico-to-nanosecond flexibility of the backbone amide protons raised, but it did so differently depending on the residue. We were able to obtain, for the first time, the linear [GdmCl]-variation of the local conformational entropies, m(S(i)), which ranged from 5.3 to 0.3 cal mol(-1) K(-1) M(-1), similar to those measured by using macroscopic techniques in other proteins. Conversely, the temperature dependence of the pico-to-nanosecond dynamics of the backbone amide protons of SAMp73 indicates that the flexibility of some residues decreased with the temperature; these results explain the high thermostability of the protein.     

Luminescent spectral and lasing properties of organic compounds with alternating phenyl,oxazole, and oxadiazole rings

Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 54, No. 4, pp. 600–604, April, 1991.     

Determination of cadmium and lead in mussels by tungsten coil electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

In this work it was evaluated the determination of Cd and Pb in mussels by tungsten coil electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (TCA-AAS). A critical and comprehensive study of the effects caused by Pd, Mg, ascorbic acid, and binary mixtures of these compounds on the atomization of Cd and Pb in acid digested solutions of mussels was performed. Palladium and mixtures containing it were useful to increase sensitivity and thermal stability of Cd and Pb. Additionally, the coil lifetime was increased and the background signals were decreased in these modifiers. All these favorable effects were analytically exploited to determine Cd and Pb in samples of mussels. The proposed methodology was validated using two certified reference materials (oyster tissue and mussel). No statistical difference was observed between determined and certified values at a 95% confidence level. Cadmium and Pb in Chilean bivalve mussels were determined by TCA and by graphite furnace-AAS. Again, the results showed statistical agreement.     

Tuning of the Self-Threading of Ring-in-Ring Structures in Aqueous Media

A series of aryl-extended N-monoalkyl-4,4′-bipyridinium salts L (aryl=1,4-phenyl, 4,4′-biphenyl, 2,6-naphthyl and 9,10-anthracenyl) have been implemented by Pd^II/Pt^II-directed self-assembly into constitutionally dynamic systems (CDSs). As a result, the intended processes produced not only (en) M ₂ L ₂ (en=ethylenediamine) metallacyclic species but also (en) M ₄ L ₄ ring-in-ring aggregates, in equilibrium with the former, as a consequence of the hydrophobic nature of the aryl rings within the 4,4′-bipyridinium scaffold. The key feature of the obtained dynamic systems is the possibility of modulating their response against external stimuli by modifying the hydrophobic character of the ligand. While the different dynamic libraries follow the same trends upon changes in concentration, temperature, polarity of the medium, or addition of an aromatic chemical effector, subtle changes in the ligand hydrophobic core results in a fine-tuning of the speciation when applying a certain degree of the different stimulus. The exception is the anthracene-containing derivative, which does not form inclusion complexes or self-threaded structures.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Fluorination of Copper Carbene Complexes: Preparative Advances and a Mechanistic Rationale

The Cu-catalyzed reaction of substituted α-diazoesters with fluoride gives α-fluoroesters with ee values of up to 95 %, provided that chiral indane-derived bis(oxazoline) ligands are used that carry bulky benzyl substituents at the bridge and moderately bulky isopropyl groups on their core. The apparently homogeneous solution of CsF in C₆F₆/hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) is the best reaction medium, but CsF in the biphasic mixture CH₂Cl₂/HFIP also provides good results. DFT studies suggest that fluoride initially attacks the Cu- rather than the C-atom of the transient donor/acceptor carbene intermediate. This unusual step is followed by 1,2-fluoride shift; for this migratory insertion to occur, the carbene must rotate about the Cu−C bond to ensure orbital overlap. The directionality of this rotatory movement within the C₂-symmetric binding site determines the sense of induction. This model is in excellent accord with the absolute configuration of the resulting product as determined by X-ray diffraction using single crystals of this a priori wax-like material grown by capillary crystallization.     

Study of chemical modifiers for the determination of chromium in biological materials by tungsten coil electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

The determination of Cr in digest solutions of mussels and non-fat milk powder by tungsten coil electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry (TC-ETAAS) is affected by interferences. This study reports a critical evaluation of chemical modifiers that could be employed to correct these interferences. The chemical modifiers tested were: Mg [as Mg(NO₃)₂], Pd [as Pd(NO₃)₂], NH₄NO₃, ascorbic acid, and mixtures of these compounds. The less effective modifier was NH₄NO₃. The best effects, considering thermal stabilization and sensitivity, were obtained in mixtures of ascorbic acid plus Mg. Chromium was determined by TC-ETAAS in certified reference materials of mussels and non-fat milk powder, and results were comparable with those obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GFAAS).