Lanthanide(III) Complexes of 2‐[4,7,10‐Tris(phosphonomethyl)‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecan‐1‐yl]acetic Acid (H7DOA3P): Multinuclear‐NMR and Kinetic Studies

The protonation constants of 2‐[4,7,10‐tris(phosphonomethyl)‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecan‐1‐yl]acetic acid (H₇DOA3P) and of the complexes [Ln(DOA3P)]^4? (Ln=Ce, Pr, Sm, Eu, and Yb) have been determined by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy in the range pD 2–13.8, without control of ionic strength. Seven out of eleven protonation steps were detected (pK =13.66, 12.11, 7.19, 6.15, 5.77, 2.99, and 1.99), and the values found compare well with the ones recently determined by potentiometry for H₇DOA3P, and for other related ligands. The overall basicity of H₇DOA3P is higher than that of H₄DOTA and trans‐H₆DO2A2P but lower than that of H₈DOTP. Based on multinuclear‐NMR spectroscopy, the protonation sequence for H₇DOA3P was also tentatively assigned. Three protonation constants (pK_MHL, pK_MH2L, and pK_MH3L) were determined for the lanthanide complexes, and the values found are relatively high, although lower than the protonation constants of the related ligand (pK , pK , and pK ), indicating that the coordinated phosphonate groups in these complexes are protonated. The acid‐assisted dissociation of [Ln(DOA3P)]^4? (Ln=Ce, Eu), in the region c_H+=0.05–3.00 mol dm^?3 and at different temperatures (25–60°), indicated that they have slightly the same kinetic inertness, being the [Eu(H₂O)₉]³⁺ aqua ion the final product for europium. The rates of complex formation for [Ln(DOA3P)]^4? (Ln=Ce, Eu) were studied by UV/VIS spectroscopy in the pH range 5.6–6.8. The reaction intermediate [Eu(DOA3P)]* as ‘out‐of‐cage’ complex contains four H₂O molecules, while the final product, [Eu(DOA3P)]^4?, does not contain any H₂O molecule, as proved by steady‐state/time‐resolved luminescence spectroscopy.     

Bicontinuous cubic phase of monoolein and water as medium for electrophoresis of both membrane-bound probes and DNA

Porous hydrogels such as agarose are commonly used to analyze DNA and water-soluble proteins by electrophoresis. However, the hydrophilic environment of these gels is not suitable for separation of important amphiphilic molecules such as native membrane proteins. We show that an amphiphilic liquid crystal of the lipid monoolein and water can be used as a medium for electrophoresis of amphiphilic molecules. In fact, both membrane-bound fluorescent probes and water-soluble oligonucleotides can migrate through the same bicontinuous cubic crystal because both the lipid membrane and the aqueous phase are continuous. Both types of analytes exhibit a field-independent electrophoretic mobility, which suggests that the lipid crystal structure is not perturbed by their migration. Diffusion studies with four membrane probes indicate that membrane-bound analytes experience a friction in the cubic phase that increases with increasing size of the hydrophilic headgroup, while the size of the membrane-anchoring part has comparatively small effect on the retardation.     

Multiclass detection and quantitation of antibiotics and veterinary drugs in shrimps by fast liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A fast liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOFMS) method has been developed for simultaneous quantitative multiclass determination of residues of selected antibiotics and other veterinary drugs (benzalkonium chloride, ethoxyquin, leucomalachite green (LMG), malachite green (MG), mebendazole, sulfadiazine, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethazine, sulfamethizole, sulfanilamide, sulfapyridine, sulfathiazole and trimethoprim) in shrimps. Different sample treatment methodologies were tested for the extraction of the targeted species based on either liquid partitioning with different solvents, solid-phase extraction or and matrix solid-phase dispersion. The final selected extraction method consisted of solid-liquid extraction protocol using acetonitrile as solvent followed by a clean-up step with primary secondary amine (QuEChERS). Recovery rates for the extraction of the selected multiclass chemicals were in the range 58-133%. Subsequent identification, confirmation and quantitation were carried out by LC-TOFMS analysis using a reverse-phase C₁₈ column with 1.8 μm particle size. The confirmation of the target species was based on accurate mass measurements of the protonated molecules ([M+H]⁺) and their fragment ions, obtaining routine accuracy errors lower than 2 ppm in most cases. The optimized LC-TOFMS method displayed excellent sensitivity for the studied analytes, with limits of detection (LODs) in the range 0.06-7 μg kg⁻¹. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of 12 shrimp samples collected from different supermarkets, showing the potential applicability of the method for ultratrace detection of these chemicals in such complex matrix.     

Mono- and Di-valent Salts as Modifiers of PEO-PPO-PEO Block Copolymer Interactions with Silica Nanoparticles in Aqueous Dispersions

Colloidal stabilization of nanoparticle dispersions is central to applications including coatings, mineral extraction, and dispersion of oil spills in oceanic environments, which often involves oil-mineral-aggregates (OMAs). We have an ongoing interest in the modulation of amphiphile micellization and adsorption behavior in aqueous colloidal dispersions in the presence of various additives. Here we evaluate the effect of added salts CaCl₂, MgCl₂, and NaCl on the micellization and adsorption behavior of the poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer Pluronic P105 (EO₃₇PO₅₆EO₃₇). In 0.10 wt% silica nanoparticle (10.6 nm average diameter) dispersion, adsorbed block copolymer layer formation begins at a critical surface micelle concentration (csmc) of 0.02 wt%, well below the critical micellization concentration of Pluronic P105 in water. Dye solubilization experiments demonstrate an increase in the csmc upon addition of each salt. Each added salt reaches a level of maximum effectiveness in its ability to disfavor Pluronic P105 adsorption at the silica surface. These peak levels occur at concentrations of 0.005, 0.03, and 0.05 M for CaCl₂, MgCl₂, and NaCl, respectively, in the presence of 0.10 wt% silica nanoparticles. We explain these results in the context of an electrostatic displacer mechanism and discuss possible connections to OMA-dispersant formation.     

Ferromagnetically Coupled S=1 Chains in Crystals of Verdazyl-Nitronyl Nitroxide Diradicals

Thermally stable organic diradicals with a triplet ground state along with large singlet-triplet energy gap have significant potential for advanced technological applications. A series of phenylene-bridged diradicals with oxoverdazyl and nitronyl nitroxide units were synthesized via a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of iodoverdazyls with a nitronyl nitroxide-2-ide gold(I) complex with high yields. The diradicals exhibit high stability and do not decompose in an inert atmosphere up to 180 °C. For the diradicals, both substantial AF (ΔE_ST≈−64 cm⁻¹) and FM (ΔE_ST≥25 and 100 cm⁻¹) intramolecular exchange interactions were observed. The sign of the exchange interaction is determined both by the bridging moiety (para- or meta-phenylene) and by the type of oxoverdazyl block (C-linked or N-linked). Upon crystallization, diradicals with the triplet ground state form unique one-dimensional exchange-coupled chains with strong intra- and weak inter-diradical ferromagnetic coupling.     

Monomers and polymers from plant oils via click chemistry reactions

As a consequence of the depleting of fossil reserves and environmental issues, today, plant oils and fatty acids derived therefrom have a respectable status within the polymer chemistry community. However, maximizing the benefits of these renewable feedstocks requires the utilization of sustainable and efficient chemical transformations. The emergence of click chemistry concept and especially the renaissance of thiol‐ene addition reaction have had an impact on the way to make plant oil‐derived polymers. This highlight discusses the applicability and success of thiol‐ene addition and other click reactions in the transformation of oleochemicals into monomers and polymers. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013     

Correction of the interference by mixing the reagents in the bioluminescent determination of ATP in environmental samples by an interfaced PC photometer and a robust regression procedure

 An automated procedure for correcting the interference due to mixing the reagents in the determination of ATP by a bioluminescent technique is described. The measurements were performed by an in-house interfaced PC photometer. An automated procedure based on a robust regression method and outliers detection was applied to exclude the time of the mixing of the reagents from the global time of reaction. In fact the mixing of the reagents is responsible of the poor analytical precision (RSD%>25) and low sensitivity (limit of detection≈2×10^-8 mol/l). By this procedure, the precision (RSD%<7) and sensitivity (limit of detection≈8×10^-10 mol/l) were improved. The method was applied to the determination of ATP in marine sediments and good recovery within 90–108% was obtained. For non-polluted samples the measurement can be carried out by direct comparison with standard solutions. The standard addition procedure is recommended for polluted samples. Received: 25 April 1996/Revised: 28 June 1996/Accepted: 3 July 1996     

Sensitive and fast determination of Sudan dyes in chili powder by partial-filling micellar electrokinetic chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A fast and sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of Sudan dyes (I, II, III, and IV) in food samples was developed for the first time using partial filling micellar electrokinectic chromatography-mass spectrometry (MEKC-MS). The use of MEKC was essential to achieve the separation of these neutral analytes, while the partial filling technique was necessary to avoid the contamination of the ion source with non-volatile micelles. MEKC separation and MS detection conditions were optimized in order to achieve a fast, efficient, and sensitive separation of the four dyes. Filling 25% of the capillary with an MEKC solution containing 40 mM ammonium bicarbonate, 25 mM SDS, and 32.5% (v/v) acetonitrile, a baseline separation of the four azo-dyes was obtained in 10 min. Tandem MS was investigated in order to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the analysis. Limits of detection (LOD) values 5, 8, 15, and 29 times better were obtained for Sudan III, I, II, and IV, respectively, using partial filling MEKC-MS/MS instead of partial filling MEKC-MS. Under optimized conditions, LOD from 0.05 to 0.2 μg/mL were obtained. The suitability of the developed method was demonstrated through the fast and sensitive determination of Sudan I, II, III, and IV in spiked chilli powder samples. This determination could not be achieved by MEKC-UV due to the existence of several interfering compounds from the matrix.     

Thermodynamic and kinetic data for adduct formation, cis-trans isomerization and redox reactions of ML4 complexes: a case study with rhodium- and iridium-tropp complexes in d8, d9 and d10 valence electron configurations (tropp=dibenzotropylidene phosphanes)

The formation of adducts of the square-planar 16-electron complexes trans-[M(tropp(ph))(2)](+) and cis-[M(tropp(ph))(2)](+) (M=Rh, Ir; tropp(Ph)=5-diphenylphosphanyldibenzo[a,d]cycloheptene) with acetonitrile (acn) and Cl(-), and the redox chemistry of these complexes was investigated by various physical methods (NMR and UV-visible spectroscopy, square-wave voltammetry), in order to obtain some fundamental thermodynamic and kinetic data for these systems. A trans/cis isomerization cannot be detected for [M(tropp(ph))(2)](+) in non-coordinating solvents. However, both isomers are connected through equilibria of the type trans-[M(tropp(ph))(2)](+)+L<==>[ML(tropp(ph))(2)](n)<==>cis-[M(tropp(ph))(2)](+)+L, involving five-coordinate intermediates [ML(tropp(ph))(2)](n) (L=acn, n=+1; L=Cl(-), n=0). Values for K(d) (K(f)), that is, the dissociation (formation) equilibrium constant, and k(d) (k(f)), that is, the dissociation (formation) rate constant, were obtained. The formation reactions are fast, especially with the trans isomers (k(f)>1x10(5) m(-1) s(-1)). The reaction with the sterically more hindered cis isomers is at least one order of magnitude slower. The stability of the five-coordinate complexes [ML(tropp(ph))(2)](n) increases with Ir>Rh and Cl(-)>acn. The dissociation reaction has a pronounced influence on the square-wave (SW) voltammograms of trans/cis-[Ir(tropp(ph))(2)](+). With the help of the thermodynamic and kinetic data independently determined by other physical means, these reactions could be simulated and allowed the setting up of a reaction sequence. Examination of the data obtained showed that the trans/cis isomerization is a process with a low activation barrier for the four-coordinate 17-electron complexes [M(tropp(ph))(2)](0) and especially that a disproportionation reaction 2 trans/cis-[M(tropp(ph))(2)](0)-->[M(tropp(ph))(2)](+)+[M(tropp(ph))(2)](-) may be sufficiently fast to mask the true reactivity of the paramagnetic species, which are probably less reactive than their diamagnetic equilibrium partners.     

Bi-phasic nanostructures for functional applications

Biphasic solid state composites of the type metal/metal oxide or element/element oxide can be synthesized in one pot chemical reactions using so called molecular "single source precursors". Due to their singular genesis these composites show peculiar hetero-structures based on core-shell hierarchies such as superlattices and composite nanospheres or nanowires. They exhibit superior or new functional properties compared to their individual constituent compounds. In the current work, we review in particular the synthetical and mechanistical approach of bi-phasic (Al/Al(2)O(3)) nanostructures such as nanospheres, nanowires and nanoloops using a single source precursor. Other bi-phasic materials of the general formula M/MO(x) (for example M = Ge, Sn, Pb) are addressed for comparison. The impact of different synthetical conditions as well as of modification of surfaces by laser techniques and their technological relevance are presented briefly. Additionally, functional applications of the prepared surfaces are explained with some outstanding case studies. These case studies are primarily concerned with their use as biomaterials and their application in medicine as well as with their use as thin films for optics and functional surfaces.