Accurate mass measurement in nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry by alternate switching of high voltage between sample and reference sprayers

An electrospray dual sprayer, which generates separate sample and reference sprays by alternately switching the high voltage between the two sprayers, is described. The technique permits accurate mass measurements in nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to be obtained using a quadrupole/orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Q-TOF). Similar to the method employed with a dual ESI source (Wolff JC et al., Anal. Chem. 2001; 73: 2605), the two sprays are orthogonal with respect to each other, but can be independently sampled without any baffle between these sprays. The reference sprayer is used in the original configuration of the ESI source and was optimized for a 1-2 muL/min flow, whereas the sample sprayer can be either a conventional glass capillary or a borosilicate tip of the type used for nano-ESI. Both sprayers can be positioned close to the cone so as to give maximum ion currents. The sample and reference sprays are independently generated by raising the potentials on the sample and reference sprayers to 1.4 and 3.0 kV, respectively; the high voltages can be rapidly turned on and off in ca. 1 ms. A nano-ESI-MS or nano-flow LC/ESI-MS experiment using a Q-TOF coupled with the above system gave mass accuracies within 3 ppm for measurements of ions up to m/z 1000 using subpicomole samples.     

Production of (2R,3S)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)glycidic acid methyl ester using an emulsion bioreactor containing lipase fromSerratia marcescens

An emulsion bioreactor for production of (2R,3S)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl) glycidic acid methyl ester ([-]MPGM) from a racemic mixture ([±]MPGM) using the lipase fromSerratia marcescens has been proposed. Kinetics of hydrolyzing reaction and purification of (-)MPGM from the reaction mixture were investigated to provide a basis for industrial application of this bioreactor. The hydrolyzing reaction in the bioreactor proceeded at a rate that was first order in substrate concentration. The reaction rate was affected by a stirring speed and the ratio of the aqueous phase containing lipase to the toluene phase containing substrate. Phase separation after the enzymatic reaction was accomplished by addition of surfactant to the reaction mixture, and crystalline (-)MPGM with a chemical purity of 100% and optical purity of 100% enantiomeric excess was obtained in a high yield of 40–43% by concentration of the toluene solution.     

Total synthesis of (+)-tubelactomicin A. 1. Stereoselective synthesis of the lower-half segment by an intramolecular Diels-Alder approach

[reaction: see text]. Starting from diethyl (R)-malate, synthesis of the lower-half segment of (+)-tubelactomicin A, a 16-membered macrolide antibiotic, has been achieved. The synthesis involved the highly endo- and pi-facial selective intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction achieved using a trisubstituted methacrolein derivative tethering a 10-carbon dienyne unit at the beta-carbon, which in turn was prepared from a known allylated malic acid derivative.     

Role of Water Activity on the Synthesis of Vinyl Thymidine Catalyzed by Protease from Bacillus Subtilis

The transesterification activity of Bioprase, a protease from Bacillus subtilis, in dimethylformamide (DMF) is found to depend strongly on water addition. For the transesterification between thymidine and divinyl adipate by Bioprase in DMF with water (5–40%), the conversion rate of thymidine to the ester is much higher than the rate in DMF without the addition of water. For example, the transesterification reaction of 0.25 M thymidine with 1 M divinyl adipate in DMF in the presence of 10% water was catalyzed by Bioprase (50 mg · ml^?1) at 30 °C for only 10–20 minutes to give 5′‐O‐vinyladipoyl thymidine (conversion ca. 90%), but the reaction did not proceed without the addition of water. Furthermore, the water effect is useful for the transesterification of thymidine with divinyl sebacate, which has a longer alkyl chain than divinyl adipate. This investigation showed that DMF adsorbs on the enzyme surface instead of essential water in the reaction of DMF without addition of water. On the other hand, in the reaction of DMF/water cosolvents, essential water bound to enzyme was not removed by DMF, and a higher transesterification activity occurs thereafter.

Effect of water on the transesterification of thymidine catalyzed by Bioprase in DMF.     

Neolignans from Piper futokadsura and their inhibition of nitric oxide production

From a MeOH extract of the aerial part of Piper futokadsura, the tetrahydrofuran lignans, futokadsurin A [(7S,8S,7'S,8'R)-3,4,3'-trimethoxy-4'-hydroxy-7,7'-epoxylignan], futokadsurin B [(7R,8R,7'R,8'S)-3,4-dimethoxy-3',4'-methylenedioxy-7,7'-epoxylignan], and futokadsurin C [(7R,8R,7'S,8'S)-3,4-methylenedioxy-3',4'-dimethoxy-7,7'-epoxylignan] were isolated, together with nine known neolignans. In addition, L-tryptophan, pellitorine, phytol, elemicin, and 1,2,4-trimethoxyphenyl-5-aldehyde were isolated. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic methods. These lignans inhibited nitric oxide production by a murine macrophage-like cell line (RAW 264.7), which was activated by lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma.     

Practical synthesis of optically active styrene oxides via reductive transformation of 2-chloroacetophenones with chiral rhodium catalysts

[reaction: see text] A practical method for the synthesis of optically active styrene oxides has been developed via formation of optically active 2-chloro-1-phenylethanols generated by reductive transformation of ring-substituted 2-chloroacetophenones. The optically active alcohols with up to 98% ee are obtainable from the asymmetric reduction of acetophenones with an S/C = 1000-5000 with a formic acid triethylamine mixture containing a well-defined chiral Rh complex, CpRhCl[(R,R)-Tsdpen].     

CpRu(PN) complex-catalyzed isomerization of allylic alcohols and its application to the asymmetric synthesis of muscone

Highly efficient isomerization of allylic alcohols into saturated carbonyls is accomplished using the catalyst system of Cp*RuCl[Ph2P(CH2)2NH2-kappa2-P,N]-KOt-Bu (Cp* = eta5-C5(CH3)5) under mild conditions. Mechanistic consideration based on isotope-labeling experiments indicated the present reaction is applicable to the asymmetric isomerization of racemic sec-allylic alcohols with a prochiral olefin via dynamic kinetic resolution. A concise asymmetric synthesis of muscone has been achieved, where the asymmetric isomerization using an optically active ligand is a key reaction.     

Solid-state metal hydride batteries using ZrO2·nH2O as an electrolyte

ZrO₂·1.5H₂O or ZrO₂·1.5H₂O-KOH composite was used as an electrolyte in order to develop a solid-state nickel-metal hydride battery. The battery using the ZrO₂·1.5H₂O-KOH composite had rechargeability, but had a very low discharge efficiency, even at low current density. However, the performance of the battery was prominently improved by enlarging the electrode-electrolyte interface area. The resultant battery exhibited the remarkably longer cycle life, the higher discharge efficiency, and the lower polarization: it was able to operate over 150 cycles at 10 mA/g alloy.     

Rapid and selective identification of molecular species in phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin by conditional neutral loss scanning and MS3

Analyses of molecular species of phospholipids containing choline (Ch), such as phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM), are reported. Neutral loss scanning was applied for the selective detection of these lipids using a quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometer. By using ammonium formate as an elution buffer, both PC and SM were detected as [M+HCOO]- ions in the negative ion mode. Upon collisional activation, the [M+HCOO]- adduct ions underwent facile elimination of HCO2, to yield an ion which, in turn, readily underwent collisional-induced dissociation (CID) to eliminate CH3 to yield an [M-CH3]- ion. By selecting the proper conditions for scanning for neutral loss of 60 Da (HCO2+CH3), SM species were identified separately from PCs. Further, by selection of this [M-CH3]- ion as the precursor ion, the identities of the fatty acyl chains of PC species can be effectively obtained by MS3 experiments. Furthermore, by the MS3 analyses of [M-CH3]- specifically obtained from SM molecules, identification of sphingosine or sphinganine derivatives and their N-acyl species can also be effectively obtained. This systematic analysis of PCs and SMs by conditional neutral loss scanning, with subsequent analyses by MS3, using a linear ion trap mass spectrometer in the negative ion mode, appears to be a very effective and sensitive method. Further, MS/MS in the positive ion mode at relatively low collision energy was also effective for the identification of positional specificities in individual molecular PC species from their lysoPC-related fragments. The present paper deals only with qualitative identification of individual molecular species, and the related quantitative studies are now underway.     

Vacuum cosmological solution in a 6D universe

A simple vacuum cosmological solution that is a function ofct, Gm/c ² andeG ^1/2/C² is obtained in the 6D space-time-mass-charge universe which is proposed by Wesson [1] with the introduction of the sixth coordinate of charge in order to obtain a unified theory of gravity and electromagnetism along the line of his original 5D space-time-mass universe [2]. It reduces to a similar solution to that of the radiation era in the 4D FRW universe through the compactifications of the extra dimensions. The trajectory of a test particle in the 6D universe is also studied by using the solution.