The solvent extraction of the Thiocyanate complexes of Titanium,Niobium and Tantalum : Application to the separation of mixtures

Solvent extraction of the thiocyanate complexes of titanium, niobium and tantalum allows the separation of micro quantities of these elements. Niobium and tantalum are separated by selective extraction of the fluoro-complexes. Mixtures of Ti and Nb, or of Ti and Ta in ratios of 500 : 1 to 1 : 500 can be separated. For mixtures of the three elements, results were acceptable with Nb : Ta ratios of l00 :1 to 1 : 100. Colurimetric determinations of the three elements are described.     

High-speed separation of proteins by microchip electrophoresis using a polyethylene glycol-coated plastic chip with a sodium dodecyl sulfate-linear polyacrylamide solution

In this paper, we describe a method for size-based electrophoretic separation of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-protein complexes on a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microchip, using a separation buffer solution containing SDS and linear polyacrylamide as a sieving matrix. We developed optimum conditions under which protein separations can be performed, using polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated polymer microchips and electrokinetic sample injection. We studied the performance of protein separations on the PEG-coated PMMA microchip. The electrophoretic separation of proteins (21.5-116.0 kDa) was completed with separation lengths of 3 mm, achieved within 8 s on the PEG-coated microchip. This high-speed method may be applied to protein separations over a large range of molecular weight, making the PEG-coated microchip approach applicable to high-speed proteome analysis systems.     

Quantitative analysis of D-24851, a novel anticancer agent, in human plasma and urine by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry

The development of a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric assay for the quantitative analysis of the novel tubulin inhibitor D-24851 in human plasma and urine is described. D-24851 and the deuterated internal standard were extracted from 250 microL of plasma or urine using hexane/ether (1:1, v/v). Subsequently, 10-microL aliquots of reconstituted extracts were injected onto an Inertsil ODS analytical column (50 x 2.0 mm i.d., 5 microm particle size). An eluent consisting of methanol/5 mM ammonium acetate, 0.004% formic acid in water (80:20, v/v) was pumped at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. An API 365 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer was used in the multiple reaction monitoring mode for sensitive detection. For human plasma a dynamic range of 1-1000 ng/mL was validated, and for human urine a range of 0.25-50 ng/mL. Validation was performed according to the most recent FDA guidelines and all results were within requirements. The assay has been successfully applied to support a phase I clinical trial with orally administered D-24851.     

Determination of oxalate in urine by zone electrophoresis on a chip with conductivity detection

The use of a poly(methylmethacrylate) capillary electrophoresis chip, provided with a high sample load capacity separation system (a 8500 nL separation channel coupled to a 500 nL sample injection channel) and a pair of on-chip conductivity detectors, for zone electrophoresis (ZE) determination of oxalate in urine was studied. Hydrodynamic and electroosmotic flows of the solution in the separation compartment of the chip were suppressed and electrophoresis was a dominant transport process in the separations performed on the chip. A low pH of the carrier electrolyte (4.0) provided an adequate selectivity in the separation of oxalate from anionic urine constituents and, at the same time, also a sufficient sensitivity in its conductivity detection. Under our working conditions, this anion could be detected at a 8 x 10(-8) mol/L concentration also in samples containing chloride (a major anionic constituent of urine) at 3.5 x 10(-3) mol/L concentrations. Such a favorable analyte/matrix concentration ratio (in part, attributable to a transient isotachophoresis stacking in the initial phase of the separation) made possible accurate and reproducible (typically, 2-5% relative standard deviation (RSD) values of the peak areas of the analyte in dependence on its concentration in the sample) determination of oxalate in 500 nL volumes of 20-100-fold diluted urine samples. Short analysis times (about 280 s), no sample pretreatment (not considering urine dilution) and reproducible migration times of this analyte (0.5-1.0% RSD values) were characteristic for ZE on the chip. This work indicates general potentialities of the present chip design in rapid ZE analysis of samples containing the analyte(s) at high ionic matrix/analyte concentration ratios.     

Stereoselective Mn-mediated coupling of functionalized iodides and hydrazones: a synthetic entry to the tubulysin gamma-amino acids

[structure: see text] Synthesis of gamma-amino acids, important building blocks in bioorganic and natural product chemistry, is accomplished using a stereoselective carbon-carbon bond construction of the chiral amine. Alkyl iodides and chiral hydrazones with protected alcohol functionality are coupled via highly diastereoselective photolytic Mn-mediated addition to the C=N bond, providing access to enantiomerically pure multifunctional chiral alpha-branched amines. Reductive N-N bond cleavage and alcohol oxidation provides alpha-substituted gamma-amino acid building blocks for tubulysin D.     

Determination of gamma-emitting radionuclides in the Sava river deposits

The concentrations of radionuclides in deposits from the Sava River were determined by gamma-ray spectrometry. Thirteen nuclear reactor radionuclides and eight naturally occurring radionuclides were determined. The site specific activity levels of the Sava River deposits were assessed. The results of measurements show that the radioactivity of the Sava River deposits is due to naturally occurring radionuclides and an elevated concentration of artificial radionuclides such as radiocesium and radioruthenium.     

More Icosahedral Fulleroids

The discovery of the famous fullerene has raised an interest in the study of other candidates for a modeling of carbon molecules. Motivated by a P. Fowler's question Delgado Friedrichs and Deza defined I(a,b)-fulleroids as cubic convex polyhedra having only a-gonal and b-gonal faces and the symmetry groups isomorphic with the rotation group of the regular icosahedron. In this note we prove that for every n8 there exist infinitely many I(5,n)-fulleroids. This answers positively questions posed recently by Delgado Friedrichs and Deza.     

Unsaturated selenacrown ethers: synthesis, structure, and formation of silver complexes

The unsaturated selenacrown ethers, (Z,Z,Z,Z,Z)-1,4,7,10,13-pentaselenacyclopentadeca-2,5,8,11,14-pentaene (15-US-5) (2), (Z,Z,Z,Z,Z,Z)-1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaselenacyclooctadeca-2,5,8,11,14,17-hexaene (18-US-6) (3), (Z,Z,Z,Z,Z,Z,Z)-1,4,7,10,13,16,19-heptaselenacycloheneicosa-2,5,8,11,14,17,20-heptaene (21-US-7) (4), (Z,Z,Z,Z,Z,Z,Z,Z)-1,4,7,10,13,16,19,22-octaselenacyclotetracosa-2,5,8,11,14,17,20,23-octaene (24-US-8) (5), and (Z,Z,Z,Z,Z,Z,Z,Z,Z)-1,4,7,10,13,16,19,22,25-nonaselenacycloheptacosa-2,5,8,11,14,17,20,23,26-nonaene (27-US-9) (6), were obtained together with 1,4-diselenin (1) by reacting sodium selenide with cis-dichloroethene in the presence of a phase-transfer catalyst. The crystal structures of 2-5 were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The UV spectra of the selenacrown ethers showed absorption maximums in the range of 251-262 nm, which were assigned to n-->pi transitions. The cyclic voltammograms indicated that the large unsaturated selenacrown ethers were oxidized more easily than the small ones. The thermal reactions of the unsaturated selenacrown ethers afforded 1,4-diselenin (1) along with polymeric materials, whereas 1 was thermally stable even at 100 degrees C. The reactions of 1 or unsaturated selenacrown ethers 2-5 with silver ion yielded various novel silver complexes, Ag(C(4)H(4)Se(2))(CF(3)COO) (7), Ag(C(4)H(4)Se(2))(2)(CF(3)COO) (8), Ag(15-US-5)(CF(3)COO) (9), Ag(5)(18-US-6)(3)(CF(3)COO)(5) (10), Ag(7)(21-US-7)(CF(3)COO)(5) (11), Ag(24-US-8)(2)(CF(3)COO) (12), Ag(2)(24-US-8)(CF(3)COO)(2) (13), Ag(3)(24-US-8)(2)(CF(3)COO)(3) (14), Ag(15-US-5)NO(3) (15), and Ag(21-US-7)BF(4) (16). The stoichiometry for the complexation with silver trifluoroacetate in solution was examined by (1)H NMR measurement. The titration plots of 2 and 5 under the dilution conditions showed a distinct inflection point at the 1/1 metal/macrocycle ratio, whereas the plots of 1 and 3 showed gradual change.     

Determination of bromate in drinking water by zone electrophoresis-isotachophoresis on a column-coupling chip with conductivity detection

The use of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) on-line coupled with isotachophoresis (ITP) sample pretreatment (ITP-CZE) on a poly(methylmethacrylate) chip, provided with two separation channels in the column-coupling (CC) arrangement and on-column conductivity detection sensors, to the determination of bromate in drinking water was investigated. Hydrodynamic and electroosmotic flows of the solution in the separation compartment of the chip were suppressed and electrophoresis was a dominant transport process in the ITP-CZE separations. A high sample load capacity, linked with the use of ITP in this combination, made possible loading of the samples by a 9.2 microL sample injection channel of the chip. In addition, bromate was concentrated by a factor of 10(3) or more in the ITP stage of the separation and, therefore, its transfer to the CZE stage characterized negligible injection dispersion. This, along with a favorable electric conductivity of the carrier electrolyte solution, contributed to a 20 nmol/L (2.5 ppb) limit of detection for bromate in the CZE stage. Sample cleanup, integrated into the ITP stage, effectively complemented such a detection sensitivity and bromate could be quantified in drinking water matrices when its concentration was 80 nmol/L (10 ppb) or slightly less while the concentrations of anionic macroconstituent (chloride, sulfate, nitrate) in the loaded sample corresponding to a 2 mmol/L (70 ppm) concentration of chloride were still tolerable. The samples containing macroconstituents at higher concentrations required appropriate dilutions and, consequently, bromate in these samples could be directly determined only at proportionally higher concentrations.     

Batch immunoextraction method for efficient purification of aromatic cytokinins

A range of benzylaminopurines naturally occur in plants and exhibit high biological activity. Others have been synthesized, such as 6-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylamino)purine riboside (2OH3MeOBAPR), which has shown interesting anti-cancer activity under in vitro conditions. In order to study the biological activity of this interesting compound in more detail, a rapid and highly efficient method for its purification from complex samples (e.g. blood and plant extracts) is needed. Therefore, we prepared monoclonal antibodies against 2OH3MeOBAPR. The antibody had undetectable cross-reactivity with all natural isoprenoid cytokinins, but relatively high cross-reactivity with aromatic cytokinins as well as some synthetic di- and tri-substituted 6-benzylaminopurines and the corresponding ribosides. The antibody also showed strong responses and specificity in enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISAs). In addition, it was used to prepare, for the first time, an immunoaffinity sorbent with high specificity and capacity for aromatic cytokinins. A batch immunoextraction method was then developed and optimized for the purification of 2OH3MeOBAPR from murine blood samples. The high efficacy and simplicity of this method (in off-line combination with HPLC-MS) for the isolation of target analytes from biological material is demonstrated in this study.