Application of comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC x GC-TOFMS) for high resolution analysis of hop essential oil

The selection and quality of hops is a major determinant in beer flavour. Brewers acknowledge that distinctive characteristics of different hop varieties can be traced to the composition of their essential oils. The difficulty in characterising complex mixtures such as hop oil using 1-D chromatography is that many compounds co-elute. With the introduction of comprehensive multidimensional capillary gas chromatography (GC x GC), there is a tremendous improvement in the separation power or peak capacity. Recent work using GC x GC with flame ionisation detection has suggested that there may be over 1,000 compounds in hop oil. This work describes the use of GC x GC combined with TOFMS detection (Leco Pegasus 4D instrument) to analyse Target hop oil. The TOFMS spectral acquisition rate of 60 Hz provided sufficient spectra per peak (2-D peak base width of 0.1-0.2 s) for identification (119 components were identified with 45 previously unreported compounds). When analysing results, an advantage of GC x GC coupled to TOFMS is that 2-D chromatograms can be viewed for individual masses that are characteristic of particular functional groups. This allows the analyst to view the various homologous series of compounds although in certain cases coelution may still be present as shown by the esters with mass 75.     

Supramolecular structural variations with changes in anion and solvent in silver(I) complexes of a semirigid, bitopic tris(pyrazolyl)methane ligand

The bitopic ligand p-C(6)H(4)[CH(2)OCH(2)C(pz)(3)](2) (pz = pyrazolyl ring) that contains two tris(pyrazolyl)methane units connected by a semirigid organic spacer reacts with silver(I) salts to yield [p-C(6)H(4)[CH(2)OCH(2)C(pz)(3)](2)(AgX)(2)]( infinity ), where X = CF(3)SO(3)(-) (1), SbF(6)(-) (2), PF(6)(-) (3), BF(4)(-) (4), and NO(3)(-) (5). Crystallization of the first three compounds from acetone yields [p-C(6)H(4)[CH(2)OCH(2)C(pz)(3)](2)(AgCF(3)SO(3))(2)]( infinity ) (1a), [p-C(6)H(4)[CH(2)OCH(2)C(pz)(3)](2)(AgSbF(6))(2)[(CH(3))(2)CO](2)]( infinity ) (2b), and [p-C(6)H(4)[CH(2)OCH(2)C(pz)(3)](2)AgPF(6)]( infinity ) (3a), where the stoichiometry for the latter compound has changed from a metal:ligand ratio of 2:1 to 1:1. The structure of 1a is based on helical argentachains constructed by a kappa(2)-kappa(1) coordination to silver of the tris(pyrazolyl)methane units. These chains are organized into a tubular 3D structure by cylindrical [(CF(3)SO(3))(6)](6)(-) clusters that form weak C-H...O hydrogen bonds with the bitopic ligand. The same kappa(2)-kappa(1) coordination is present in the structure of 2a, but the structure is organized by six different tris(pyrazolyl)methane units from six ligands bonding with six silvers to form a 36-member argentamacrocycle core. The cores are organized in a tubular array by the organic spacers where each pair of macrocycles sandwich six acetone molecules and one SbF(6)(-) counterion. The structure of 3a is based on a kappa(2)-kappa(0) coordination mode of each tris(pyrazolyl)methane unit forming a helical coordination polymer, with two strands organized in a double stranded helical structure by a series of C-H...pi interactions between the central arene rings. Crystallization of 2-4 from acetonitrile yields complexes of the formula [p-C(6)H(4)[CH(2)OCH(2)C(pz)(3)](2)[(AgX)(2)(CH(3)CN)(n)]]( infinity ) where n = 2 for X = SbF(6)(-) (2b), X = PF(6)(-) (3b) and n = 1 for X = BF(4)(-) (4b). All three structures contain argentachains formed by a kappa(2)-kappa(1) coordination mode of the tris(pyrazolyl)methane units linked by the organic spacer and arranged in a 2D sheet structure with the anions sandwiched between the sheets. Crystallization of 5 from acetonitrile yields crystals of the formula [p-C(6)H(4)[CH(2)OCH(2)C(pz)(3)](2)(AgNO(3))(2)(CH(3)CN)(4)]( infinity ), where the nitrate is bonded to the silver. The argentachains, again formed by kappa(2)-kappa(1) coordination, are arranged in W-shaped sheets that have an overall configuration very different from 2b-4b. Treating [p-C(6)H(4)[CH(2)OCH(2)C(pz)(3)](2)(AgSbF(6))(2)]( infinity ) with a saturated aqueous solution of KPF(6) or KO(3)SCF(3) slowly leads to complete exchange of the anion. Crystallization of a sample that contains an approximately equal mixture of SbF(6)(-)/PF(6)(-) from acetonitrile yields [p-C(6)H(4)[CH(2)OCH(2)C(pz)(3)](2)[Ag(2)(PF(6))(0.78(1))(SbF(6))(1.22(1))(CH(3)CN)(2)][(CH(3)CN)(0.25) (C(4)H(10)O)(0.25)]]( infinity ), a compound with a sheet structure analogous to 2b-4b. Crystallization of the same mixture from acetone yields [p-C(6)H(4)[CH(2)OCH(2)C(pz)(3)](2)(AgSbF(6))[(CH(3))(2)CO](1.5)]( infinity ), where the metal-to-ligand ratio is 1:1 and the [C(pz)(3)] units are kappa(2)-kappa(0) bonded forming a coordination polymer. The supramolecular structures of all species are organized by a combination of C-H...pi, pi-pi, or weak C-H-F(O) hydrogen bonding interactions.     

Methyl 2,3‐dideoxy‐2‐S‐methylmercurio‐2‐thio‐β‐d‐manno‐oct‐2‐ulo­pyranosonate‐(2,6)

The hexo­pyran­osyl ring of the title compound, [Hg(CH₃)(C₉H₁₅O₇S)], adopts the ⁴C₁ chair conformation, and the anomeric configuration of the thio­methyl­mercury linkage is β. The compound exists as two symmetry‐independent conformers, A and B, within the unit cell, and each shows an almost linear S—Hg—C arrangement. Most of the bond distances and angles in A and B are similar, although a marked difference exists in the side‐chain conformation. Weak secondary intramolecular (between Hg and ring O) and intermolecular (between A and B conformers) interactions are documented.     

Tris[(1‐methylimidazol‐2‐yl)methyl]amine–boric acid (1/1)

Cocrystallization of a poly­imidazole compound with boric acid results in the formation of the title compound, C₁₅H₂₁N₇·B(OH)₃, which has an extensive hydrogen‐bonding network. The O?N(im) separations (im is imidazole) range from 2.6991 (15) to 2.7914 (14) Å, with O—H?N angles ranging from 170.6 (18) to 175 (2)°. In addition, symmetry‐related boric acid mol­ecules form intermolecular hydrogen bonds, with an O?O distance of 2.7582 (14) Å, and symmetry‐related imidazole groups form π–π stacks, with a centroid‐to‐centroid separation of 3.533 Å.     

Access to the structures of fluoromagnesium compounds: synthesis and structural characterization of the β-diketiminato magnesium fluoride [{CH(CMeNAr)2}Mg(μ-F)(THF)]2·toluene

β-Diketiminato magnesium fluoride [{CH(CMeNAr)₂}Mg(μ-F)(THF)]₂·toluene (Ar=2,6-i-Pr₂C₆H₃, 2·toluene) was synthesized. The molecular structure of 2 revealed for the first time, the double fluoro bridge feature between the two magnesium atoms with a typical MgF bond length (average 1.95 Å).     

Affinity of An(VI) for N4-Tetradentate Donor Ligands: Complexation of the Actinyl(VI) Ions with N4-Tetradentate Ligands

In this report the affinity of four N₄-tetradentate ligands that incorporate the 2-methylpyridyl functionality with hexavalent actinides $(\mathrm{AnO}_{2}^{2+})$ has been investigated in methanol solution. The ligands studied include N,N??-bis(2-methylpyridyl)diaminoethane (BPMDAE), N,N??-bis(2-methylpyridyl)-1,3-diaminopropane (BPMDAP), N,N??-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)piperazine (BPMPIP), and trans-N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane (BPMDAC). Conditional stability constants describing the strength of the interaction were determined by UV?Cvisible spectrophotometry. The log₁₀ K ₁₀₁ values for both U(VI) and Pu(VI) are comparable and show the same trend of stability with ligand structure. Dinuclear complexes are also indicated as being important. The log₁₀ K ₂₀₁ values for Pu(VI) complexation with the N₄-ligands are identical for the four ligands (within experimental error), indicating that the structure of the ligand backbone has little effect on the stability of the (PuO₂)₂L²⁺ complex. The exception to this trend is the behavior of N,N??-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)piperazine (BPMPIP) with Pu(VI). This ligand displays a tendency to reduce Pu(VI) within the experimental time frame of 45 minutes. BPMPIP is the only ligand tested that contains tertiary amines in the ligand backbone. The decomposition of BPMPIP by Pu(VI) suggests a susceptibility of tertiary amines to oxidative degradation.     

Rapid separation of VI/VII technetium oxidation states by solvent extraction with iodonitrotetrazolium chloride

Technetium⁹⁹ poses a difficult problem at many nuclear waste disposal sites, as there have been multiple incidents of its release to the environment due to large quantities of fission products disposed in storage tanks. Tc is mostly present under two oxidation states, Tc(VII) and Tc(IV) and the separation of Tc(IV) from Tc(VII) is often crucial for laboratory-scale work performed for the study of Tc. This work offers a method for the rapid separation of Tc(IV) from Tc(VII), using a solvent extraction system containing iodonitrotetrazolium chloride and chloroform.     

Optimizing conical intersections of solvated molecules: the combined spin-flip density functional theory/effective fragment potential method

Solvent effects on a potential energy surface crossing are investigated by optimizing a conical intersection (CI) in solution. To this end, the analytic energy gradient has been derived and implemented for the collinear spin-flip density functional theory (SFDFT) combined with the effective fragment potential (EFP) solvent model. The new method is applied to the azomethane-water cluster and the chromophore of green fluorescent protein in aqueous solution. These applications illustrate not only dramatic changes in the CI geometries but also strong stabilization of the CI in a polar solvent. Furthermore, the CI geometries obtained by the hybrid SFDFT/EFP scheme reproduce those by the full SFDFT, indicating that the SFDFT/EFP method is an efficient and promising approach for understanding nonadiabatic processes in solution.     

Photoinduced carbene generation from diazirine modified task specific phosphonium salts to prepare robust hydrophobic coatings

3-Aryl-3-(trifluormethyl)diazirine functionalized highly fluorinated phosphonium salts (HFPS) were synthesized, characterized, and utilized as photoinduced carbene precursors for covalent attachment of the HFPS onto cotton/paper to impart hydrophobicity to these surfaces. Irradiation of cotton and paper, as proof of concept substrates, treated with the diazirine-HFPS leads to robust hydrophobic cotton and paper surfaces with antiwetting properties, whereas the corresponding control samples absorb water readily. The contact angles of water were determined to be 139° and 137° for cotton and paper, respectively. In contrast, water placed on the untreated or the control samples (those treated with the diazirine-HFPS but not irradiated) is simply absorbed into the surface. Additionaly, the chemically grafted hydrophobic coating showed high durability toward wash cycles and sonication in organic solvents. Because of the mode of activation to covalently tether the hydrophobic coating, it is amenable to photopatterning, which was demonstrated macroscopically.     

The statistical significance of selected sense–antisense peptide interactions

Sense and antisense peptides, encoded by sense and corresponding antisense DNA strands, are capable of specific interactions that could be a driving force to mediate protein–protein or protein–peptide binding associations. The complementary residue hypothesis suggests that these interactions are founded upon the sum of pairwise interactions between amino acids encoded by corresponding sense and antisense codons. Despite many successful experimental results obtained with the hypothesis, however, the physicochemical basis for these interactions is poorly understood. We examined the potential of the hypothesis for general identification of protein–protein interaction sites, and the possible role of the hypothesis in determining folding in a broad set of protein structures. In addition, we performed a structural study to investigate the binding of a complementary peptide to IL‐1F2. Our results suggest that complementary residue pairs are no more frequent or conserved than average in protein–protein interfaces, and are statistically under‐represented amongst contacting residue pairs in folded protein structures. Although our structural results matched experimental observations of binding between the peptide and IL‐1F2, complementary residue interactions do not appear to be dominant in the bound structure. Overall, our data do not allow us to conclude that the complementary residue hypothesis accounts for specific sense–antisense peptide interactions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.