Improved coupled-column liquid chromatographic method for the determination of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid residues in environmental waters

An existing method for the determination of glyphosate and its main metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in water has been improved. It is based on precolumn derivatization with the fluorescent reagent 9-fluorenylmethylcloroformate (FMOC) followed by large-volume injection in a coupled-column LC system using fluorescence detection (LC-LC-FD). The derivatization step was slightly modified by changing parameters such as volume and/or concentration of sample and reagents to decrease the limits of quantification (LOQ) of glyphosate and AMPA to 0.1 microg/l. Additionally, the use of Amberlite IRA-900 for preconcentration of glyphosate, prior to the derivatization step, was investigated; the LOQ of glyphosate was lowered to 0.02 microg/l. Drinking, surface and ground water spiked with glyphosate and AMPA at 0.1-10 microg/l concentrations were analysed by the improved LC-LC-FD method. Recoveries were 87-106% with relative standard deviations lower than 8%. Drinking and ground water spiked with glyphosate at 0.02 and 0.1 microg/l were analysed after preconcentration on the anion-exchange resin with satisfactory recoveries (94-105%) and precision (better than 8%).     

Synthesis and 1H NMR study of 3,4-di ethyl-1,2,3,3a,4,5-hexahydro-canthinone-6

The racemic mixtures of the two epimers of 3,4-diethyl-l,2,3,3a,4,5-hexahydro-canthinone-6 (3,4-diethyl-2,3,3a,4,5,6-hexahydro-6-oxo-1H-indolo-(3,2,1 ,de) (1,5)naphtyridine) have been prepared. They were separated by crystallization of one of the synthesis intermediates. Identification of the configuration was possible by 1h NMR spectroscopy after running a 2D J-resolved spectrum of the “cis”-isomer.     

The nature of intermolecular CuI...CuI interactions: a combined theoretical and structural database analysis

The nature of intermolecular interactions between dicoordinate Cu(I) ions is analyzed by means of combined theoretical and structural database studies. Energetically stable Cu(I).Cu(I) interactions are only found when the two monomers involved in the interaction are neutral or carry opposite charges, thus allowing us to speak of bonding between the components of the bimolecular aggregate. A perturbative evaluation of the components of the intermolecular interaction energies, by means the IMPT scheme of Stone, indicates that both the Coulombic and dispersion forces are important in determining the Cu(I).Cu(I) bonding interactions, because only a small part of that energy is attributable to Cu.Cu interactions, while a large component results from Cu.ligand interactions. The electrostatic component is the dominant one by far in the interaction between charged monomers, while in the interaction between neutral complexes, the electrostatic component is found to be of the same order of magnitude as the dispersion term. Bimolecular aggregates that have like charges are repulsive by themselves, and their presence in the solid state results from anion.cation interactions with ions external to this aggregate. In these cases, the short-contact Cu.Cu interactions here should be more properly called counterion-mediated Cu.Cu bonds.     

Initial oxidation and hydroxylation of the Ge(100)-2 x 1 surface by water and hydrogen peroxide

We use density functional theory to investigate the surface chemistry of initial oxidation and hydroxylation of the Ge(100)-2 x 1 surface by water and hydrogen peroxide. Comparison of the reaction of water on the Si(100)-2 x 1 and Ge(100)-2 x 1 surfaces shows that the kinetics of oxidation of the Ge(100)-2 x 1 surface with water is slower. Our calculations also show that oxidation products on the Ge(100)-2 x 1 surface are less thermodynamically stable than on Si. We also investigate two competing dissociation reactions of H2O2 on the Ge(100)-2 x 1 surface. We find that dissociative adsorption via cleavage of the OH bond is less exothermic than OO dissociation. Furthermore, interdimer OO dissociation has a lower activation barrier than interdimer or intradimer OH dissociation, although interdimer dissociation products are found to be less stable compared than those formed from intradimer dissociation reactions. Finally, we find that the oxidation products formed from hydrogen peroxide are more stable than those formed from water.     

Determination of ochratoxin A in maize bread samples by LC with fluorescence detection

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a secondary fungal metabolite produced by several moulds, mainly by Aspergillus ochraceus, A. carbonarius, A. niger and by Penicillium verrucosum. The present work shows the results of comparative studies using different procedures for the analysis of OTA in maize bread samples. The studied analytical methods involved extraction with different volumes of PBS/methanol, different extraction apparatus, and clean-up through immunoaffinity columns. The separation and identification were carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The optimized method for analysis of OTA in maize bread involved extraction with PBS:methanol (50:50), and clean-up with IAC column. The limit of quantification was 0.033 ng g⁻¹. Recoveries ranged from 87% to 102% for fortifications at 2.000 and 0.500 ng g⁻¹, respectively, within-day R.S.D. of 1.4% and 4.7%. The proposed method was applied to 15 samples and the presence of OTA was found in nine samples at concentrations ranging from nd to 2.650 ng g⁻¹.     

Highly enantioselective copper(I)-fesulphos-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides

The catalyst system formed by Cu(CH3CN)4ClO4 and the planar chiral P,S-ligand Fesulphos behaves as a very efficient chiral Lewis acid in the catalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides. This catalyst shows a remarkable reactivity at low catalyst loading (0.5-3 mol %), affording in good yields the endo adducts with exceptional levels of enantioselectivity (up to >99% ee). This catalytic asymmetric procedure has a broad structural scope with regard to both azomethine and dipolarophile substitution. The first examples of catalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with ketimine-derived azomethines are reported.     

Capillary electrophoretic determination of triamterene, methotrexate, and creatinine in human urine

A capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method using a fused-silica capillary (60.2 cm x 75 microm ID) was investigated for the determination of triamterene (TRI), methotrexate (MTX), and creatinine (CREA) in human urine. The separation was performed using a hydrodynamic injection time of 7 s (0.5 psi), a voltage of 25 kV, a capillary temperature of 30 degrees C, and 40 mM phosphoric acid adjusted to pH 2.25 by addition of triethanolamine as separation electrolyte. Under these conditions, analysis takes about 15 min. A linear response over the 0.5-15.0 mg L(-1) concentration range was found for TRI and MTX, and 0.5-80.0 mg L(-1) for CREA. Dilution of the sample (water:urine, 1:1 for TRI and MTX, and 1:25 for CREA determination) was the only step necessary prior to analysis by electrophoresis. The developed method is easy, rapid, and sensitive and has been applied to determine triamterene,methotrexate, and creatinine in urine samples with satisfactory results.     

Lewis-Base Adducts of Group 11 Metal(I) Compounds. LXXVI Structural Studies in the Copper(I) Halide : Norbornadiene System

The structural characterizations of some copper(I) halide (CuX) adducts with norbornadiene (nbd) are recorded. CuCl : nbd (1:1)₄ (a redetermination), (2:1)_2(|), are systems both based around Cu₄Cl₄ cubane-type cluster arrays. CuBr : nbd (7:3)_(|)( 0.5 MeOH), a complex polymer with 3-symmetry, is believed to be the complex previously described as an adduct of 2:1 stoichiometry. Attempts to obtain an iodide counterpart have resulted in the definition of an ephemeral adduct CuI : MeCN (3:2)_(|). 0.5 C₇H₈ in which, remarkably, the nbd is uncoordinated; the complex is a polymer, related to the [AgX(quinoline)]_(|) (X = Cl, Br) saddle polymer.     

Comparison of methods to estimate the free energy of solvation:Importance in the modulation of the affinity of 3-benzazepines for the D1receptor

We computed the free energy of solvation for a series of ions and neutral molecules using two different continuum approaches. First, we used the AM1–SM1 technique, where the AM1 Fock matrix is modified to include a generalized Born contribution. Second, we applied the DelPhi approach, where the electrostatic component of the free energy of solvation is evaluated by resolving the Poisson–Boltzman equation by a finite difference method. Both methods appear equally reliable for ionic systems. For neutral compounds, AM1–SM1 performs better than DelPhi; however, the differences become less pronounced for compounds with larger free energies of solvation. In parallel, both methods were applied to study the influence of the solvation process in the overall drug receptor interaction for a series of closely related ligands for the D₁ dopamine receptor. An inverse linear relationship was found between the free energy of solvation and the logarithm of the affinity of the ligands; nevertheless, electrostatic properties are likely to modulate affinity as well. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Regularity of solutions and interfaces of a generalized porous medium equation inR N

Summary We consider the Cauchy problem for the generalized porous medium equation u_t=(u) where u=u(x, t), xRⁿ and t>0, and the initial datum u(x, 0) is assumed to be nonnegative, integrable mid to nave compact support. The nonlinearity (u) is a C¹ function defined for uO which grows like a power of u. Our assumptions generalize the porous medium case, (u)=u^m, m>1, and also include the equation of the Marshak waves. This problem has finite speed of propagation. We estimate the rate of growth of the support of the solution with precise estimates for t 0 and t. Our main result deals with the regularity of the solutions. We show that after a certain time t₀ the pressure, defined by v=(u), with (u)=(u)/u and (0)=0, is a Lipschitz-continuous function of x and t and the interface is a Lipschitz-continuous surface in R^N+1; the solution u is Hölder continuous for all times t> 0.Both authors partially supported by CAICYT, Project 2805-83. The second author also supported by USA-Spain Joint Research Grant CCB-8402023.