Structure and hydration of the C4H4●+ ion formed by electron impact ionization of acetylene clusters

Here we report ion mobility experiments and theoretical studies aimed at elucidating the identity of the acetylene dimer cation and its hydrated structures. The mobility measurement indicates the presence of more than one isomer for the C(4)H(4)(●+) ion in the cluster beam. The measured average collision cross section of the C(4)H(4)(●+) isomers in helium (38.9 ± 1 A?(2)) is consistent with the calculated cross sections of the four most stable covalent structures calculated for the C(4)H(4)(●+) ion [methylenecyclopropene (39.9 A?(2)), 1,2,3-butatriene (41.1 A?(2)), cyclobutadiene (38.6 A?(2)), and vinyl acetylene (41.1 A?(2))]. However, none of the single isomers is able to reproduce the experimental arrival time distribution of the C(4)H(4)(●+) ion. Combinations of cyclobutadiene and vinyl acetylene isomers show excellent agreement with the experimental mobility profile and the measured collision cross section. The fragment ions obtained by the dissociation of the C(4)H(4)(●+) ion are consistent with the cyclobutadiene structure in agreement with the vibrational predissociation spectrum of the acetylene dimer cation (C(2)H(2))(2)(●+) [R. A. Relph, J. C. Bopp, J. R. Roscioli, and M. A. Johnson, J. Chem. Phys. 131, 114305 (2009)]. The stepwise hydration experiments show that dissociative proton transfer reactions occur within the C(4)H(4)(●+)(H(2)O)(n) clusters with n ≥ 3 resulting in the formation of protonated water clusters. The measured binding energy of the C(4)H(4)(●+)H(2)O cluster, 38.7 ± 4 kJ/mol, is in excellent agreement with the G3(MP2) calculated binding energy of cyclobutadiene(●+)·H(2)O cluster (41 kJ/mol). The binding energies of the C(4)H(4)(●+)(H(2)O)(n) clusters change little from n = 1 to 5 (39-48 kJ/mol) suggesting the presence of multiple binding sites with comparable energies for the water-C(4)H(4)(●+) and water-water interactions. A significant entropy loss is measured for the addition of the fifth water molecule suggesting a structure with restrained water molecules, probably a cyclic water pentamer within the C(4)H(4)(●+)(H(2)O)(5) cluster. Consequently, a drop in the binding energy of the sixth water molecule is observed suggesting a structure in which the sixth water molecule interacts weakly with the C(4)H(4)(●+)(H(2)O)(5) cluster presumably consisting of a cyclobutadiene(●+) cation hydrogen bonded to a cyclic water pentamer. The combination of ion mobility, dissociation, and hydration experiments in conjunction with the theoretical calculations provides strong evidence that the (C(2)H(2))(2)(●+) ions are predominantly present as the cyclobutadiene cation with some contribution from the vinyl acetylene cation.     

Study of ultrafast dynamics of 2-picoline by time-resolved photoelectron imaging

The dynamics of electronically excited states in 2-picoline is studied using femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron imaging spectroscopy. The internal conversion from the S(2) state to the vibrationally excited S(1) state is observed in real time. The secondarily populated high vibronic S(1) state deactivates further to the S(0) state. Photoelectron energy and angular distributions reveal the feature of ionization from the singlet 3p Rydberg states. In addition, variation of time-dependent anisotropy parameters indicates the rotational coherence of the molecule.     

A one-pot azido reductive tandem mono-N-alkylation employing dialkylboron triflates: online ESI-MS mechanistic investigation

An efficient one-pot reductive tandem mono-N-alkylation of both aromatic and aliphatic azides using dialkylboron triflates as alkylating agents has been examined under standardized reaction conditions. This methodology after optimization has been employed toward the syntheses of various secondary alkyl as well as aryl amines, including the synthesis of N10-butylated pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine-5,11-diones via in situ azido reductive-cyclization process. This protocol is particularly attractive to provide an environmentally benign and practical method for mono-N-alkylation from organic azides without the use of toxic catalysts or corrosive alkylating agents. In addition, the mechanistic aspects have been investigated and the intermediates associated with this selective transformation have been intercepted and characterized by online monitoring of the reaction by ESI-MS/MS.     

Extending Pummerer reaction chemistry: studies in the palau'amine synthesis area

Exploratory oxidative cyclization studies on cyclopentanelated and cyclohexenelated oroidin derivatives utilized Pummerer chemistry to generate pentacyclic structures related to the palau'amine family of sponge metabolites. Stereochemical issues were paramount, and appropriate choice of annelated ring size led to formation of the pentacyclic framework with complete diastereoselectivity for all of the core bonds.     

Desorption Dynamics,Internal Energies,and Imaging of Organic Molecules from Surfaces with Laser Desorption and Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) Photoionization

There is enormous interest in visualizing the chemical composition of organic material that comprises our world. A convenient method to obtain molecular information with high spatial resolution is imaging mass spectrometry. However, the internal energy deposited within molecules upon transfer to the gas phase from a surface can lead to increased fragmentation and to complications in analysis of mass spectra. Here it is shown that in laser desorption with postionization by tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation, the internal energy gained during laser desorption leads to minimal fragmentation of DNA bases. The internal temperature of laser‐desorbed triacontane molecules approaches 670 K, whereas the internal temperature of thymine is 800 K. A synchrotron‐based VUV postionization technique for determining translational temperatures reveals that biomolecules have translational temperatures in the range of 216–346 K. The observed low translational temperatures as well as their decrease with increased desorption laser power is explained by collisional cooling. An example of imaging mass spectrometry on an organic polymer by using laser‐desorption VUV postionization shows 5 μm feature details while using a 30 μm laser spot size and 7 ns pulse duration. Applications of laser‐desorption postionization to the analysis of cellulose, lignin, and humic acids are briefly discussed.     

Analytical evaluation of three wild growing Omani medicinal plants

Three wild Omani plants, Moringa peregrina, Acacia nilotica and Rhazya stricta, were selected for the present study. Na, K and Ca contents were determined using flame photometric analysis. M. peregrina seeds (22.5 mg/g) and pods (27.7 mg/g) had higher Na contents than A. nilotica (0.33 mg/g) and R. stricta (0.30 mg/g), whereas the K and Ca contents of R. stricta were significantly higher than those of the other two plants. The protein content was lowest in R. stricta (9.8%) and highest in M peregrina seeds (21.0%). The highest total phenolic contents (TPC) were found in M. peregrina seeds (350.3 mg/g) and the lowest in A. nilotica (66.1 mg/g). The major component of M. peregrina seed oil was oleic acid (74.7%). Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis (GC-MS) revealed that octadecanal (30.9%) was the major compound in A. nilotica. The presence of various phenolics and flavonoids in M. peregrina, A. nilotica and R. stricta were confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).     

Experimental analysis on vortex tube energy separation performance

The present study reports the effect of several operating parameters on the thermal performance of the vortex tube. The experimental results indicate that the inlet pressure and the cold fraction are the most significant parameters influencing the vortex tube performance. The experimental data point out that insulation has minimal effect on the vortex tube performance. The same inlet pressure tests show that energy separation increases as number of inlet nozzle increases.     

Compritol-Based Alprazolam Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Sustained Release of Alprazolam: Preparation by Hot Melt Encapsulation

The current study was designed to investigate the feasibility of incorporating the water-insoluble lipophilic drug Alprazolam (Alp) into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) to offer the combined benefits of the quick onset of action along with the sustained release of the drug. Therefore, compritol-based alprazolam-loaded SLNs (Alp-SLNs) would provide early relief from anxiety and sleep disturbances and long-lasting control of symptoms in patients with depression, thereby enhancing patient compliance. The optimized Alp-SLNs analyzed by DLS and SEM showed consistent particle size of 92.9 nm with PI values and standard deviation of the measurements calculated at <0.3 and negative surface charge. These characteristic values demonstrate the desired level of homogeneity and good physical stability of Alp-SLNs. The SLNs had a good entrapment efficiency (89.4%) and high drug-loading capacity (77.9%). SEM analysis revealed the smooth spherical morphology of the SLNs. The physical condition of alprazolam and absence of interaction among formulation components in Alp-SLNs was confirmed by FTIR and DSC analyses. XRD analysis demonstrated the molecular dispersion of crystalline alprazolam in Alp-SLNs. The in vitro release study implied that the release of Alp from the optimized Alp-SLN formulation was sustained as compared to the Alp drug solution because Alp-SLNs exhibited sustained release of alprazolam over 24 h. Alp-SLNs are a promising candidate to achieve sustained release of the short-acting drug Alp, thereby reducing its dosing frequency and enhancing patient compliance.     

Solanum elaeagnifolium Var. Obtusifolium (Dunal) Dunal: Antioxidant,Antibacterial, and Antifungal Activities of Polyphenol-Rich Extracts Chemically Characterized by Use of In Vitro and In Silico Approaches

The present work was designed to study the chemical composition and the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of fruits (SFr) and leaf (SF) extracts from Solanum elaeagnifolium var. obtusifolium (Dunal) Dunal (S. elaeagnifolium). The chemical composition was determined using HPLC-DAD analysis. Colorimetric methods were used to determine polyphenols and flavonoids. Antioxidant capacity was assessed with DPPH, TAC, and FRAP assays. Antimicrobial activity was assessed using disk diffusion and microdilution assays against two Gram (+) bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC-6633 and Bacillus subtilis DSM-6333) and two Gram (-) bacteria (Escherichia coli K-12 and Proteus mirabilis ATCC-29906), while the antifungal effect was tested vs. Candida albicans ATCC-1023. By use of in silico studies, the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the studied extracts were also investigated. HPLC analysis showed that both fruits and leaf extracts from S. elaeagnifolium were rich in luteolin, quercetin, gallic acid, and naringenin. Both SFr and SF generated good antioxidant activity, with IC₅₀ values of 35.15 ± 6.09 μg/mL and 132.46 ± 11.73 μg/mL, respectively. The EC₅₀ of SFr and SF was 35.15 ± 6.09 μg/mL and 132.46 ± 11.73 μg/mL, respectively. SFr and SF also showed a good total antioxidant capacity of 939.66 ± 5.01 μg AAE/and 890.1 ± 7.76 μg AAE/g, respectively. SFr had important antibacterial activity vs. all tested strains—most notably B. subtilis DSM-6333 and E. coli, with MICs values of 2.5 ± 0.00 mg/mL and 2.50 ± 0.00 mg/mL, respectively. SFr demonstrated potent antifungal activity against C. albicans, with an inhibition diameter of 9.00 ± 0.50 mm and an MIC of 0.31 ± 0.00 mg/mL. The in silico approach showed that all compounds detected in SFr and SF had high activity (between −5.368 and 8.416 kcal/mol) against the receptors studied, including NADPH oxidase, human acetylcholinesterase, and beta-ketoacyl-[acyl carrier protein] synthase.     

Chemometric Assisted UV-Spectrophotometric Methods Using Multivariate Curve Resolution Alternating Least Squares and Partial Least Squares Regression for Determination of Beta-Antagonists in Formulated Products: Evaluation of the Ecological Impact

In this study, UV-spectrophotometry coupled with chemometrics has been utilized to enhance the sustainability of quality control analysis of beta antagonists. First, we developed and optimized two eco-friendly chemometric-assisted methods without preliminary separation utilizing (1) multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) and (2) well-established partial least squares regression (PLSR) multivariate calibration for the resolution and quantification of the most commonly prescribed beta antagonists in active pharmaceutical ingredients or commercial pharmaceutical products. The performance of the two proposed chemometric methods was computed and compared. Second, a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the eco-friendliness of the developed methods was performed utilizing the following greenness assessment tools: Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI), Analytical Eco-scale assessment (AES) tool, Raynie and Driver’s assessment tool and Analytical GREEnness Metric (AGREE). The models showed satisfactory recovery with a range from 99.83% to 101.12% for MCR-ALS and from 99.66% to 101.54% for PLSR. The optimized models were employed for green analysis of the investigated beta-blockers in single or co-formulated formulations without prior separation. The predictivity of the proposed MCR-ALS and the well-established PLSR method were very comparable. Nevertheless, the MCR-ALS method has the ability to recover the pure spectra of the studied analytes and the interferences as well. The proposed chemometric methods are fast, precise and do not need any sample pretreatment. In addition, they can be used as a benign substitute for the traditional methods used for the analysis of the investigated drugs in pharmaceutical products without harmful impacts on human health and the environment. They also provide advantages in terms of low solvent usage, reduced energy consumption and short analysis time, making them a safe and sustainable approach for quality control analysis.