Large‐Ring Cyclodextrins as Chiral Selectors for Enantiomeric Pharmaceuticals

Large‐ring cyclodextrins (CD) are cyclic glucans composed of 9 or more α‐1,4‐linked glucose units. They are minor side products of bacterial glucanotransferases (CGTases, EC 2.4.1.19) and have previously been available only in very small amounts for studies of their properties in supramolecular complex formation reactions. We engineered a CGTase to synthesize mainly large‐ring CD facilitating their preparation in larger amounts. By reversed phase chromatography, we obtained single CD samples composed of 10 to 12 glucose units (CD10, CD11, and CD12) with a purity of >90 %. Their identity was confirmed by high resolution mass spectrometry and fragmentation analysis. We demonstrated the non‐toxicity of CD10–CD12 for human cell lines by a cell proliferation assay and impedimetric monitoring. We then showed that CD10 and CD11 are efficient chiral selectors for the capillary electrophoretic separation of the enantiomeric pharmaceuticals fluvastatin, mefloquine, carvedilol, and primaquine.     

Ground- and excited-state electronic structure of an emissive pyrazine-bridged ruthenium(II) dinuclear complex

The synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical, photophysical, and photochemical properties of the binuclear compounds [(Ru(H8-bpy)2)2((Metr)2Pz)](PF6)2 (1) and [(Ru(D8-bpy)2)2((Metr)2Pz)](PF6)2 (2), where bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine and H2(Metr)2Pz is the planar ligand 2,5-bis(5'-methyl-4'H-[1,2,4]triaz-3'-yl)pyrazine, are reported. Electrochemical and spectro-electrochemical investigations indicate that the ground-state interaction between each metal center is predominantly electrostatic and in the mixed-valence form only a low level of ground-state delocalization is present. Resonance Raman, transient, and time-resolved spectroscopies enable a detailed assignment to be made of the excited-state photophysical properties of the complexes. Deuteriation is employed to both facilitate spectroscopic characterization and investigate the nature of the lowest excited states.     

Detection and quantitation of lactoferrin in bovine whey samples by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on polystyrene-divinylbenzene

An existing RP-HPLC method for the measurement of the major bovine whey proteins in bovine whey samples and powders has been extended to include the analysis of the minor bovine whey protein lactoferrin. Lactoferrin could be detected and quantitated at levels down to 0.2 microg and linear calibration was observed between 0.2 and 30 microg. Reliable quantitation of lactoferrin in whey samples could be achieved provided the bovine serum albumin to lactoferrin ratio did not exceed 10:1. Quantitative data obtained by the RP-HPLC method compared favourably with data obtained by Mono S analytical chromatography.     

Tailored Gires-Tournois etalons as tunable dispersion slope compensators

We present a novel concept of a tailored Gires-Tournois etalon structure and show that such a device is useful for the fabrication of a dispersion-slope compensator with an almost arbitrary dispersion profile and also with tunability in the dispersion slope.     

AC loss in a high-temperature superconducting coil

In a typical superconducting coil made of BSCCO/Ag tape, both amplitude and direction of the magnetic field determine the critical current, resistive voltage and AC loss. The distribution of the magnetic field along and across the superconducting tape in a coil is rather complex. This gives rise to the question: how accurate can one predict the critical current, V–I characteristic and AC loss of the AC coil from results of short sample measurements? To answer this question, we have measured and compared the characteristics of a short sample and a small coil employing 14 m of the same tape at 77 K. The comparison is performed as follows. First, a short sample is characterised with regard to the field dependence of the critical current, V–I characteristic and the AC loss. Second, the distribution of the magnetic field along the tape in a coil is accurately calculated. From the data, the voltage along the tape and the loss of the tape in the coil are found. Finally, the resistive voltage and the AC loss of the complete coil are calculated and compared to measured AC losses in the frequency range of 0 to 160 Hz, typical for power applications.     

Magnetic ac loss in multi-filamentary Bi-2223 / Ag tapes

The ac loss in high-T_c superconducting tapes with twisted and non-twisted filaments has been studied by a magnetic method. A brief overview of the theoretical background and the experimental set-up is presented. Measurements were made at 77 K in a magnetic field of 50 Hz frequency and 0.001–0.7 T amplitude. Application of dc transport current made it possible to distinguish between the loss components, arising from intra-grain and from filament currents. The magnitude of the filament loss component indicates that the filaments are fully coupled, which agrees with theory. In other measurements, the orientation of the external field with respect to the tape was varied. Knowledge of the ac loss in parallel and in perpendicular field is sufficient to predict the ac loss for any intermediate orientations of the field.