Investigating the coffee flavour in South African Pinotage wine using novel offline olfactometry and comprehensive gas chromatography with time of flight mass spectrometry

Pinotage wine from several South African wine cellars has been produced with a novel coffee flavour. We have investigated this innovative coffee effect using in house developed solventless sampling and fractionating olfactometric techniques, which are unique in their ability to study synergistic aroma effects as opposed to traditional gas chromatography olfactometry (GC-O) which is designed to, ideally, evaluate single eluting compounds in a chromatographic sequence. Sections of the chromatogram, multiple or single peaks, were recaptured on multichannel open tubular silicone rubber (polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)) traps at the end of a GC column. The recaptured fractions were released in a controlled manner for offline olfactory evaluation, and for qualitative analysis using comprehensive gas chromatography coupled to time of flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC–TOFMS) for compound separation and identification, thus permitting correlation of odour with specific compounds. A combination of furfural and 2-furanmethanol was responsible for a roast coffee bean-like odour in coffee style Pinotage wines. This coffee perception is the result of a synergistic effect in which no individual compound was responsible for the characteristic aroma.     

A Morse-theoretical proof of the Hartogs extension theorem

One hundered years ago exactly, in 1906, Hartogs published a celebrated extension phenomenon (birth of Several Complex Variables), whose global counterpart was understood later: Holomorphic functions in a connected neighborhood V(∂Ω) of a connected boundary ∂Ω ⋐ℂⁿ ≥ 2) do extend holomorphically and uniquely to the domain ό. Martinelli, in the early 1940’s, and Ehrenpreis in 1961 obtained a rigorous proof, using a new multidimensional integral kernel or a short argument, but it remained unclear how to derive a proof using only analytic discs, as did Hurwitz (1897), Hartogs (1906), and E. E. Levi (1911) in some special, model cases. In fact, known attempts (e.g., Osgood, 1929, Brown, 1936) struggled for monodromy against multivaluations, but failed to get the general global theorem. Moreover, quite unexpectedly, in 1998, Fornœss exhibited a topologically strange (nonpseudoconvex) domain ό^F ⊂ ℂ² that cannot befitted in by holomorphic discs, when one makes the additional requirement that discs must all lie entirely inside ό^F. However, one should point out that the standard, unrestricted disc method usually allows discs to go outside the domain (just think of Levi pseudoconcavity). Using the method of analytic discs for local extensional steps and Morse-theoretical tools for the global topological control of monodromy, we show that the Hartogs extension theorem can be established in such a way.     

On the coherent description of diffusion-influenced fluorescence quenching experiments

The fluorescence quenching by electron transfer of a fluorophore, 2,5-bis(dimethylamino)-1,3-benzenedicarbonitrile, to 1,3-dimethyl-2-nitrobenzene, has been studied by means of time-resolved and steady-state experiments at different viscosities and up to large quencher concentrations. Differential Encounter Theory (DET) has been used to rationalize the results, in combination with electron transfer modelled by the Marcus theory. Additionally, the solvent structure and the hydrodynamic effect on the diffusion coefficient have been taken into account. Any simpler model failed to simultaneously fit all the results. The large number of quencher concentrations used is crucial to unambiguously extract the electron transfer parameters.     

ESR and ENDOR investigations of the degenerate electron exchange reactions of various viologens in solution. Solvent dynamical effects

The temperature dependences of the rates of the degenerate electron transfer of various viologens (1,1′-di(hydrocarbyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium salts) are measured in seven different solvents by means of electron spin resonance (ESR) line broadening. Rates vary between 1.7·10⁸ and 1.1·10⁹ M⁻¹s⁻¹ at room temperature and clearly show a solvent dynamical effect, which is inferred from the dependence of the rate constants on the longitudinal relaxation time of the solvent. Activation energies ranging from 5.3 to 24.4 kJ mol⁻¹ are found. For the first time, hyperfine coupling constants are reported for the radical cations of the hydroxyethyl viologen and the amino viologen based on both continuous-wave ESR and electron-nuclear double resonance spectroscopy. Furthermore, the temperature and the solvent dependence of the hyperfine coupling constants of the methyl viologen radical cation are reported.     

Experimental observation of preferential solvation on a radical ion pair using MARY spectroscopy

The effect of preferential solvation on the exciplex luminescence detected magnetic field effect has been studied using magnetic-field-effect-on-reaction-yield (MARY) spectroscopy. By designing solvent mixtures which can provide a micro-environment around the magneto-sensitive radical ion pair (RIP) from highly heterogeneous to quasi-homogenous, the effect of the polarity scan on an absolute magnetic field effect (χ(E)) and B(1/2) (the field value marking half saturation) has been studied on the system 9,10-dimethylanthracene (fluorophore)/N,N'-dimethylaniline (quencher). While the trend in χ(E) (although with subtle differences) follows the usual norm of passing through maxima with increasing polarity, the B(1/2) values show either a large monotonic decrease (for heterogeneous solvents) or remain constant (for quasi-homogenous systems) with increasing polarity. The observations have been interpreted invoking the concept of amplification of the "cage-effect" as a result of preferential solvation in binary solvents and its influence on the decaying exciplex. The use of ternary solvents further confirms the proposed mechanism. Additionally electron hopping from the radical ion pair to the surrounding neutral donor molecules could also possibly contribute to the observed trend.     

Multi-channel open tubular traps for headspace sampling, gas chromatographic fraction collection and olfactory assessment of milk volatiles

A headspace sampling method is described for concentrating milk volatiles onto a multi-channel open tubular silicone rubber trap (MCT) for thermal desorption into a GC-FID. Sections of the chromatographic profile, single peaks or combinations of compounds are recaptured with secondary MCTs during a subsequent run. The recaptured aroma is released in a controlled manner by heating the MCT in a portable heating device. An aroma release window of several minutes allows up to six people the opportunity to sniff each aroma fraction more than once. Olfactory results suggest that a synergistic combination of 2-heptanone and 2-nonanone could be responsible for a pungent cheese, sour milk-like aroma. MCTs containing single components or fractions can be desorbed into a GC-MS for compound identification.     

Electron-impact mass spectrometry of Nuphar alkaloids

Principal peaks in the mass spectra of deoxynupharidine are accounted for on the basis of high resolution mass spectrometry and peak shifts in the mass spectra of deoxynupharidine-4-d₁ and deoxynupharidine-6β, 7β-d₂. Cleavage of the quinolizidine ring system of deoxynupharidine occurs predominantly in ring A, giving m/e 136, 107, 98, 94 and 81. The origins of the family of ions [M — alkyl]⁺ and m/e 178 are considered. A comparative survey is made of the occurrence of these ions, and others, in the mass spectra of piperidine, quinolizidine and thiospirane types of Nuphar alkaloids. Attention is directed toions useful in distinguishing structural types.     

Total synthesis of amphidinolide X

A concise total synthesis of the cytotoxic marine natural product amphidinolide X (1) is described. A key step of the highly convergent route to this structurally rather unusual macrodiolide derivative consists of a newly developed, highly syn selective formation of allenol 6 by an iron-catalyzed ring opening reaction of the enantioenriched propargyl epoxide 5 (derived from a Sharpless epoxidation) with a Grignard reagent. Allenol 6 was then cyclized with the aid of Ag(I) to give dihydrofuran 7 containing the (R)-configured quarternary sp3 chiral center at C19 of the target. The anti-configured chiral centers at C10 and C11 were formed by the palladium-catalyzed, Et2Zn-promoted addition of propargyl mesylate 12 to the functionalized aldehyde 11. The key fragment coupling at the C13-C14 bond was achieved by the "9-MeO-9-BBN" variant of the alkyl-Suzuki reaction. Finally, the 16-membered macrodiolide ring was formed by a Yamaguchi esterification/lactonization strategy.     

Rapid analysis of coke oven gas by capillary gas chromatography

A porous layer open tubular (PLOT) column has been used for monitoring the light hydrocarbons and permanent gases produced in coking plants. The method, which offers a simple alternative to traditional multi column techniques, entails a single injection on to a Carboplot 007 capillary column and simultaneous thermal conductivity and flame ionization detection. The simplified approach proposed is restricted to coke oven gas analysis: application to other gas mixtures has not been considered. The reliability of this procedure compares favorably with that of traditional methods; the technique is also much less time-consuming: seven individual gases can be determined on-line every fifteen minutes. Primary and secondary gas standards were used to determine response curves for the gases. The method also facilitates reliable calculation of heat values associated with the burning of the fuel gas mixtures.