Ab initio investigation of the potential energy surfaces of C2H2F2 and C2H2F2+

Ab initio MO calculations have been performed for neutral and cationic C₂H₂F₂ structures. Olefinic and carbene structures are investigated for the neutral isomers, while olefinic, carbene, and fluoronium-type cations are found. Stability orders and rotational barriers are discussed in terms of orbital and Coulomb interaction. Contrary to previous studies, the higher stability of the geminal isomers is interpreted to be caused by Coulomb attraction.     

The absorption spectrum of the anthracene molecule in the vacuum ultraviolet

The optical absorption of anthracene vapour for photon energies from 5 to 8.5 eV was found to differ in finer structure from the spectra reported earlier for parts of this range. Above the strong ¹B_2u long axis polarized πlπ^* transition at 5.24 eV three short axis polarized ¹B_1u ππ^* transitions are assigned on the basis of the oriented gas model in comparison to spectra from anthracene single crystals. A tentative new assignment for most of the additionally observed sharp Rydberg bands leading to the first ionization potential at 7.47 eV is given.     

Application of the photoionization detector for the determination of ethanol in aqueous solutions and human breath

A determination of ethanol is described, which is based on a purging system in conjunction with a photoionization detector. With that system a fast and reliable determination of ethanol in aqueous solutions is possible. The system has been used for the analysis of wine. The 3delta-detection limit has been 0.005% ethanol, the relative standard deviation 4.8 to 6.0% and the time constant of the entire analytical system 20 s. The photoionization detector has been also applied to the analysis of artificial and genuine human breath. A comparison with gas-chromatography and non-dispersive IR-detection has been proven the reliability of results.     

Determination of total fluoride in HF/HNO3/H2SiF6 etch solutions by new potentiometric titration methods

In the photovoltaic industry the etching of silicon in HF/HNO₃ solutions is a decisive process for cleaning wafer surfaces or to produce certain surface morphologies like polishing or texturization. With regard to cost efficiency, a maximal utilisation of etch baths in combination with highest quality and accuracy is strived. To provide an etch bath control realised by a replenishment with concentrated acids the main constituents of these HF/HNO₃ etch solutions including the reaction product H₂SiF₆ have to be analysed. Two new methods for the determination of the total fluoride content in an acidic etch solution based on the precipitation titration with La(NO₃)₃ are presented within this paper. The first method bases on the proper choice of the reaction conditions, since free fluoride ions have to be liberated from HF and H₂SiF₆ at the same time to be detected by a fluoride ion-selective electrode (F-ISE). Therefore, the sample is adjusted to a pH of 8 for total cleavage of the SiF₆²⁻ anion and titrated in absence of buffers. In a second method, the titration with La(NO₃)₃ is followed by a change of the pH-value using a HF resistant glass-electrode. Both methods provide consistent values, whereas the analysis is fast and accurate, and thus, applicable for industrial process control.     

Clustering of nucleosides in the presence of alkali metals: Biologically relevant quartets of guanosine,deoxyguanosine and uridine observed by ESI-MS/MS

Electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectra of nucleosides, recorded in the presence of alkali metals, display alkali metal ion-bound quartets and other clusters that may have implications for understanding non-covalent interactions in DNA and RNA. The tetramers of guanosine and deoxyguanosine and also their metaclusters (clusters of clusters), cationized by alkali metals, were observed as unusually abundant magic number clusters. The observation of these species in the gas phase parallels previous condensed-phase studies, which show that guanine derivatives can form quartets and metaclusters of quartets in solution in the presence of metal cations. This parallel behavior and also internal evidence suggest that bonding in the guanosine tetramers involves the bases rather than the sugar units. The nucleobases thymine and uracil are known to form magic number pentameric adducts with K+, Cs+ and NH4+ in the gas phase. In sharp contrast, we now show that the nucleosides uridine and deoxythymidine do not form the pentameric clusters characteristic of the corresponding bases. More subtle effects of the sugars are evident in the fact that adenosine and cytidine form numerous higher order clusters with alkali metals, whereas deoxyadenosine and deoxycytidine show no clustering. It is suggested that hydrogen bonding between the bases in the tetramers of dG and rG are the dominant interactions in the clusters, hence changing the ribose group to deoxyribose (and vice versa) generally has little effect. However, the additional hydroxyl group of RNA nucleosides enhances the non-selective formation of higher-order aggregates for adenosine and cytidine and results in the lack of highly stable magic number clusters. Some clusters are the result of aggregation in the course of ionization (ESI) whereas others appear to be intrinsic to the solution being examined.     

Strategy of analysis for the estimation of the bioavailability of zinc in foodstuffs

After the application of simulated digestive fluids (gastric and intestinale fluid) as extraction solutions, AAS and differential pulse anodic-stripping voltammetry (DPASV) were used as analytical methods in combination with ion-exchange procedures for the determination of zinc species and total zinc contents. The ion exchange procedure and the shifting of electrochemical potentials as well as changes of the calibration slope after standard addition in the polarographic analysis allowed discriminating statements with regard to a possible resorption of zinc. On the basis of these methods, a strategy is presented for in vitro investigations of the bioavailability of zinc in foodstuffs.     

Detection of VX contamination in soil through solid-phase microextraction sampling and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of the VX degradation product bis(diisopropylaminoethyl)disulfide

A solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) sampling and analysis method was developed for bis(diisopropylaminoethyl)disulfide (a degradation product of the nerve agent VX) in soil. A 30-min sampling time with a polydimethylsiloxane-coated fiber and high temperature alkaline hydrolysis allowed detection with 1.0 microg of VX spiked per g of agricultural soil. The method was successfully used in the field with portable GC-MS instrumentation. This method is relatively rapid (less than 1 h), avoids the use of complex preparation steps, and enhances analyst safety through limited use of solvents and decontamination of the soil before sampling.     

Novel methyl helianthrones as photosensitizers: synthesis and biological evaluation

A combination of light, oxygen and a photosensitizer is used to induce death of cancer cells by photodynamic therapy. In this study, we have synthesized several new methyl helianthrone derivatives and compared their phototoxicity with that of hypericin. In contrast to hypericin, methyl helianthrones are soluble in aqueous solutions and have a broad range of light absorbance, which allows the use of polychromatic light. Structural modifications of methyl helianthrone demonstrated that substitution of hydrogen atoms of methyl helianthrone at Positions 2 and 5 with Br atoms or methylation of its phenolic hydroxyls, significantly increases the corresponding singlet oxygen quantum yield and their phototoxicity toward alphaT3-1, M2R and LNCaP cells. The phototoxicity of some of these compounds was similar to that of hypericin. Methyl helianthrones, like hypericin, accumulated mainly in the perinuclear region as evident by confocal microscopy. Irradiation of cells pretreated with methyl helianthrone derivatives generates intracellular reactive oxygen species and lipid free radicals, as shown by a fluorescentic probe and electron paramagnetic resonance methods, respectively. The phototoxicity of these methyl helianthrones as well as their ability to oxidize membrane lipids were significantly decreased on addition of specific Type-II inhibitors, suggesting the involvement of singlet oxygen as the main oxidant.     

Bestimmung geringer Uranmengen nach Konzentrierung durch Extraktion und Anionenaustausch in einem tri-n-octylphoshinoxidhaltigen Lösungsmittelsystem

Zusammenfassung Auf Grund systematischer Untersuchungen des Verhaltens von Uran in verschiedenen wäßrig-organischen, Tri-n-octylphosphinoxid (TOPO) enthaltenden Lösungsmittelsystemen gegenüber verschiedenen Anionenformen des stark basischen Anionenaustauschers Dowex 1, X 8 wurde eine Methode zur Abtrennung des Urans entwickelt. Bei diesem Verfahren wird das Uran aus einer ascorbin-säurehaltigen, 1-n salzsauren Lösung mit 0,1-m TOPO in Diäthyläther extrahiert und aus einem Gemisch aus 50 Vol. % Äther (0,1-m an TOPO), 45 Vol. % Methylglykol und 5 Vol. % 12-n Salzsäure am Ionenaustauscher (Chloridform) adsorbiert. Nach Elution mit 1-n Salzsäure wird das Uran entweder fluorimetrisch oder spektrophotometrisch nach der Thiocyanatmethode bestimmt. Mit diesem Anionenaustauschverfahren ist eine Abtrennung des Urans von allen, seine fluorimetrische oder spektrophotometrische Bestimmung störenden Ionen und auch vom TOPO selbst möglich. Besonders wurde auf die spektrophotometrische Bestimmung des Urans bei Anwesenheit großer Molybdänmengen eingegangen und eine Methode zur Abtrennung dieses Elementes entwickelt.

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Determination of small amounts of uranium after concentrating through extraction and anionic exchange in a solvent agent system containing tri-n-octylphosphine oxide

Summary A method has been developed for the separation of uranium that is based on systematic studies of the behavior of uranium in various water-organic solvent systems containing tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) towards various anion forms of the strongly basic anion exchanger Dowex 1, X 8. In this procedure, the uranium is extracted from a 1N hydrochlorid acid solution containing ascorbic acid into diethyl ether and adsorbed from a mixture consisting of 50 vol.% ether (0.1N in TOPO), 45 vol.% methylglycol and5 vol.% 12N hydrochloric acid on the ion exchanger (chlorid form). Following elution with 1M hydrochloric acid, the uranium is determined either fluorimetrically or spectrophotometrically by the thiocyanate method. By means of this anion exchange procedure, it is possible above all to separate the uranium from all ions interfering with its fluorimetric or spectrophotometric determination and also from TOPO itself. In particular, consideration is given to the spectrophotometric determination of the uranium in the presence of larger amounts of molybdenum, and a method was worked out for the removal of this element.

     

In situ NMR observation of mono- and binuclear rhodium dihydride complexes using parahydrogen-induced polarization

Starting from the binuclear complex [RhCl(NBD)]2 (NBD = 2,5-norbornadiene) in the presence of the phosphines L = PMe3, PMe2Ph, PMePh2, PEt3, PEt2Ph, PEtPh2, or P(n-butyl)3, various mononuclear dihydrides of the type Rh(H)2CIL3, i.e., those of the homogeneous hydrogenation catalysts RhCIL3, have been obtained upon addition of parahydrogen, and their 1H NMR spectra have been investigated using parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP). Furthermore, the two binuclear complexes (H)(Cl)Rh(PMe3)2(mu-Cl)(mu-H)Rh(PMe3) and (H)(Cl)Rh(PMe2Ph)2(mu-Cl)(mu-H)Rh(PMe2Ph) have been detected and characterized by means of this in situ NMR method. Analogous complexes with trifluoroacetate instead of chloride, i.e., Rh(H)2(CF3COO)L3, have been generated in situ starting from Rh(NBD)(acac) in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid in combination with the phosphines L = PPh3, PEt2Ph, PEt3, and P(n-butyl)3, and their 1H NMR parameters have been determined.