Long-term stability of a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry system in quantitative gas analysis

A gas chromatograph/quadrupole mass spectrometer (GC/MS) system was used to supervise a test programme for evaluating the potential of a natural gas storage plant. The dispersion characteristics of a large nitrogen reservoir located in a tight sandstone formation 1600 m below sea level between claystones, was investigated by injection and withdrawal of 350 000 m³ nitrogen with argon as tracer gas. The GC/MS system was installed in a shed in an open field and operated under computer control continuously 24 h a day for three weeks; about 3000 analyses were done. The on-line results were in good agreement with those obtained from additional gas samples withdrawn every 4 h for independent quantitative gas analyses with a purpose-built mass spectrometer.     

Labile species of Pb, Zn and Cd determined by anodic stripping staircase voltammetry and their toxicity to tetrahymena

The amounts of free ions and labile complexes of Pb, Zn and Cd have been determined in a complex organic growth medium by use of anodic stripping staircase voltammetry, ASSV. It was possible to determine the labile fractions of metals and to obtain good correlation with data on the toxicity of the metals to Tetrahymena when using a specific reduction potential (E(s)) for each element, - 600, - 800 and - 1200 mV vs. SCE for Pb, Zn and Cd, respectively. The labile fractions in the organic growth medium were less than 1% for Pb (Pb precipitated), 15% for Zn (as labile complexes) and 30-40% for Cd (as free ions) for total heavy metal concentrations of 0.5mM-2mM. The toxicity to Tetrahymena decreased in the order Cd Zn Pb. The effect of Pb was greater than predicted by ASSV, probably because Tetrahymena additionally ingests the lead-containing precipitate and therefore is exposed to concentrations of Pb exceeding those of the soluble species found in the medium. The results stress the importance of using different specific reduction potentials when different elements are compared, instead of one potential common to all elements. The use of a fixed potential may lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the concentrations of labile species in solution.     

Fundamentals of the application of matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization mass spectrometry to low mass poly(methylmethacrylate) polymers

Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization (MALDI) time of flight is shown to give a molar peak area response for isolated methylmethacrylate oligomers that have 25 and 50 repeat units when run on three different instruments in reflectron or linear mode and using three different matrix materials. In addition, fragmentation was not observed in any of the three different matrices or at higher laser power. No spectral differences were observed for syndiotactic and isotactic methylmethacrylate oligomers. These results suggest that the low most probable peak values observed for narrow distribution poly(methylmethacrylate) standards by MALDI mass spectrometry are not the result of mass discrimination or fragmentation.     

Electrochemical and electrocatalytic studies of the N,N′-(1R,2R)-(–)-1,2-cyclohexylenebis(salicylideneiminato)cobalt(II) complex

The electrochemical properties and catalytic activity of a Co(II) complex with the optically active Schiff base derived from (1R,2R)-(–)-cyclohexanediamine and salicylaldehyde have been studied in non-aqueous solutions. When dissolved in deoxygenated non-aqueous solutions, the complex exhibits reversible redox properties for the Co(II)/Co(III) couple. Electrochemical reduction of oxygen and oxidation of cobalt(II) was observed on cyclic voltammograms of solutions containing both dioxygen and the Schiff base-cobalt(II) complex. An anodically formed film on a platinum electrode, studied by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, revealed the presence of the oxidized Co(III) species. Cyclic voltammetry of oxygenated solutions examined after a period of time indicates an electrochemical activity of coordinated superoxo/peroxo species in the 0.7–1.1 V potential range. In the presence of 4-methyl-1-cyclohexene the cyclic voltammetry curves reveal changes similar to those caused by the removal of oxygen. The GC-MS technique was used to identify some of the products formed by the catalytic oxidation of cyclohexene and 4-methyl-1-cyclohexene. Electronic Publication     

Total synthesis of (+)-hatomarubigin B.

The first total synthesis of (+)-hatomarubigin 3 is described. The tetra-O-acetyl diborate promoted Diels-Alder reaction of 5-hydroxy-8-(2',3',4',6'-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-1,4-naphthoquinone 8 and (E, 1R*,5R*)-3-(2'-methoxyvinyl)cyclohex-2-enol (+/-)-7 gave a mixture of four cycloadducts from which (1S,3S,6S,6aR,12aR,12bS)-1,8-dihydroxy-6-dimethoxy-1-hydroxy-3-methyl-11-(2',3',4',6'-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-1,2,3,4,6,6a,12a,12b-octahydrobenz[a]anthracene-7,12-dione 12 was isolated in 51% yield. Selective methylation and acetylation of 12 gave (1S,3S,6S,6aR,12aR,12bS)-1-acetoxy-6,8-dimethoxy-3-methyl-11-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-1,2,3,4,6,6a,12a,12b-octahydrobenz[a]anthracene-7,12-dione 10a. Sequential aromatization, photooxidation and hydrolysis of the glucosyl unit gave (+)-3 (98% ee) in an 8% overall yield from 8.     

Fragmentation pathways of organoarsenical compounds by electrospray ion trap multiple mass spectrometry (MS6)

With its detection limit well below 30 pg microl(-1) LC-MS-MS has become a sensitive and thus popular analytical technique for organoarsenical compounds. Collision induced dissociation (CID) is a valuable tool for speciation and facilitates a positive identification of the species detected. However, it is not straightforward to understand the fragmentation pathways of organoarsenical compounds when only CID-MS-MS data is available. In the present paper we have investigated multiple mass spectrometry (MSn, n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) with electrospray CID fragmentation for a number of organoarsenical compounds likely to occur in the environment. The investigated compounds were tetramethylarsonium, trimethylarsinoxide, monomethylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, arsenobetaine, arsenocholine, and dimethylarsinoylethanol. By CID of (protonated) organoarsenical cations mostly even-electron fragments are produced after neutral loss processes such as elimination of H2, H2O, CH4, C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, HCHO, CH3OH, C2H5OH, C2H4O, and CH2CO. However, abundant odd-electron fragments are also formed after elimination of radical species. Evidence for reduction of As(V) to As(III) as a driving force in the odd-electron ion formation is obtained.     

Oscillatory dynamics protect enzymes and possibly cells against toxic substances

We have used the oscillating peroxidase-oxidase (PO) reaction as a model system to study how oscillatory dynamics may affect the influence of toxic reaction intermediates on enzyme stability. In the peroxidase-oxidase reaction reactive intermediates, such as hydrogen peroxide, superoxide, and hydroxyl radical are formed. Such intermediates inactivate many cellular macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. These reaction intermediates also react with peroxidase itself to form an inactive enzyme. The fact that the PO reaction shows bistability between an oscillatory and a steady state gives us a unique possibility to compare such inactivation when the system is in one of these two states. We show that inactivation of peroxidase is slower when the system is in an oscillatory state, and using numerical simulations we provide evidence that oscillatory dynamics lower the average concentration of the reactive intermediates.     

Reductive claisen rearrangements of anthraquinone allyl ethers

Gentle heating of allyloxyanthraquinones with sodium dithionite in dimethylformanide - water effects a rapid and controlled rearrangement to give high yields of 2-allyanthraquinones.