In-capillary micro solid-phase extraction and capillary electrophoresis separation of heterocyclic aromatic amines with nanospray mass spectrometric detection

A miniaturised technique to analyse and detect heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAs) using micro solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled on-line (in-capillary) to capillary electrophoresis (CE) separation with nanospray (nESI) mass spectrometry (MS) detection has been developed. HAs are mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds formed at low levels in protein-rich food during cooking. Due to the low concentrations of HAs and the high complexity of the matrix in which they exist, sensitive and selective analytical methods are required for quantification. SPE was performed on a packed bed of C₁₈ particles inside the CE capillary, which minimised the dead volume. The on-line coupling of SPE, CE and nESI-MS reduced the time for extraction and identification to less than half an hour, which will allow for screening of several samples per day. The new technique provides short analysis time, low sample and solvent consumption, and HAs in standard solutions were easily detected at 12–17 fmol injections, and in spiked urine samples at 750–810 fmol injections.     

Studies on polymers and composites from lignin and fiber derived from sugar cane

Sugarcane fiber (i.e. bagasse) lignin has a larger fraction of aromatics unsubstitution in the ortho position than hardwood or softwood lignin and hence has the greater ability to be derivatized. Furthermore, organosolv lignin has a higher purity than sulfonated and kraft lignins. This work examines the purification of organosolv lignin derived from bagasse and the physico‐chemical properties of the lignin and lignin‐phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin coatings, and composites. The wetability tests have shown that lignin and lignin‐PF resin films are effective water barrier coatings, though the contact angles of lignin‐PF resin films were considerably less than the wax films. The overall mechanical properties (i.e. peak stress, peak strain and modulus) of the bagasse fiber composites were lower than the values obtained with the composites without the inclusion of bagasse fiber. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

1H and 199Hg NMR spectra of methylmercury(II) complexes. Effects of basicity and ortho substitution in pyridines(L) in complexes [MeHgL]NO3

Linear complexes [MeHgL]NO₃ (L = substituted pyridine) have been prepared and their ¹H and ¹⁹⁹Hg NMR spectra measured and compared with other complexes of this series reported previously. The coupling constant J(¹H?¹⁹⁹Hg) correlates directly with pKa and with the gas phase enthalpy of ionization [ΔG_i(g)] of LH⁺; with J(¹H?¹⁹⁹Hg) decreasing with increasing pKa or ΔG_i(g). The chemical shift, δ, for ¹⁹⁹Hg does not correlate with either pKa or ΔG_i(g). Complexes without substituents in the 2 position of pyridine have δ¹⁹⁹Hg ca. 80–100 ppm downfield from MeHgNO₃, those with one methyl group in the 2 position ca. 125–150 ppm, and those with methyl groups in the 2 and 6 position (or benzyl or 3′-methylpyridyl groups in the 2 position) ca. 160–200 ppm downfield from MeHgNO₃. The coupling constant J(¹H?¹⁹⁹Hg) is found to be more useful than δ¹⁹⁹Hg in determination of solution structures of MeHg(II) complexes of this type of ligand.     

Synthesis of a silk-inspired peptide-oligothiophene conjugate

The first example of an oligothiophene-peptide conjugate, which was obtained by solid-phase acylation of a resin-bound silk-inspired oligopeptide sequence with a carboxylic acid functionalized regioregular tetra(3-hexylthiophene) derivative, is reported.     

A constitutional diagram of the system TiC−HfC−WC

The system TiC?HfC?WC was investigated by means of melting point, differential thermoanalytical, X-ray diffraction and metallographic techniques on hot pressed and heat treated as well as melted alloy specimens and a complete constitutional diagram from 1500°C through the melting range established. According to the peritectic melting of hexagonal WC both isopleths, TiC?WC as well as HfC?WC show a class II reaction at 2760°C in Ti?W?C and at 2730°C in Hf?W?C. The phase behaviour within the TiC?HfC?WC system is characterized by the presence of a (binary) miscibility gap within TiC?HfC [T _c=1780°C, (TiC)_0.55(HfC)_0.45] which extends into the ternary forming a closed ternary miscibility gap at higher temperatures with an isolated ternary critical point:T _c=1800°C, (TiC)_0.55(HfC)_0.45(WC)_0.05. Interaction of the solvus (boundary of the cubic-B 1 monocarbide solid solution) and the ternary miscibility gap was established at 1540°C and (TiC)_0.27(HfC)_0.41(WC)_0.32: Alloys of this composition enter a decomposition reaction on cooling into two isotypic cubic B 1 phases and hexagonal WC. Isothermal sections were calculated assuming regular solutions.     

Alloxazines and isoalloxazines. Mass spectrometric analysis of riboflavin and related compounds

The positive ion electron-impact mass spectra of a series of alloxazines, iso-alloxazines and some derivatives have been examined. The compounds employed were lumichrome (7,8-dimethylalloxazine), 1,3-dimethyllumichrome, lumiflavin (7,8,10-trimethyl-iso-alloxazine), 3-methyllumiflavin, riboflavin [7,8-dimethyl-10-(D-1′-ribityl)-iso-alloxazine], riboflavin tetraacetate, 3-methylriboflavin tetraacetate and riboflavin tetrapropionate. By using exact mass measurements, metastable ion defocusing and the mass/composition shifts occurring with derivatives, it has been possible to arrive at detailed interpretations of the mass spectra of all compounds. With lumichrome and lumiflavin, fragmentation commences by elimination of HNCO from the pyrimidine ring. With riboflavin and its derivatives the ribityl chain cleaves off first, followed by decomposition of the iso-alloxazine ring. Application of these methods and findings to the structural analysis of chemically interesting modified flavins is predicted to be rewarding.     

Quantitative analysis of small pharmaceutical drugs using a high repetition rate laser matrix-assisted laser/desorption ionization source

In this work, a high repetition rate laser matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) source is studied on a quadrupole-time-of-flight (QqTOF) and a triple quadrupole (QqQ) mass spectrometer for rapid quantification of small pharmaceutical drugs. The high repetition rate laser allows an up to 100-fold higher pulse frequency as compared with regular MALDI lasers, resulting in much larger sample throughput and number of accumulated spectra. This increases the reproducibility of signal intensities considerably, with average values being around 5% relative standard deviation after taking into account the area ratio of the analyte to an internal standard. Experiments were conducted in MS/MS mode to circumvent the large chemical background due to MALDI matrix ions in the low mass range. The dynamic range of calibration curves on the QqTOF mass spectrometer extended over at least two orders of magnitude, whereas on the QqQ it extended over at least three orders of magnitude. Detection limits ranged from 60-400 pg/microL on the QqTOF and from 6-70 pg/microL on the QqQ for a series of benzodiazepines. The benzodiazepine content of commercial pill formulations was quantified, and less than 5% error was obtained between the present method and the manufacturer's certified values. Furthermore, a high sample throughput was achieved with this method, so that a single MALDI spot could be quantitatively scanned in as little as 15 s, and an entire 96-well MALDI plate in 24 min.     

Stereoselective Syntheses of Benz[f]isoindoline-Derivatives by Intramolecular Cycloadditions of Styrenes to Olefins

The N-allyl-N-cinnamyl amide 10 undergoes thermal cyclization to a 2:1-mixture of the trans- and cis-benz(f)isoindolines 11a and 12a . By comparison, the thermolysis of the corresponding bis-cinnamylamide 14 proceeds in a highly stereoselective manner to give the cis-fused[4+2]-adduct 16a . Similarly, the trans-fused stereoisomeric adducts 30a and 31a were obtained with high stereochemical control on heating the N-allyl-N-diphenylallyl amide 28 . The thermal transformations 4 → 5 + 6a and 17 → 18a + 20a show the competitive formation of [2+2]-adducts. An alternative approach to (substituted) benz[f]isoindolines 16 via the all-cis-isomer 24a has been developed. The described structures have been assigned on the basis of spectral evidence, chemical correlations and by X-ray-diffraction study of the isomer 16b . These results illustrate the utility of substituent interactions in order to direct intramolecular cyclo-additions at will towards either endo- or exo-products.     

Mutagenesis Mediated by Triple Helix–Forming Oligonucleotides Conjugated to Psoralen: Effects of Linker Arm Length and Sequence Context

Targeted mutagenesis and gene knock-out can be mediated by triple helix-forming oligonucleotides (TFO) linked to mutagenic agents, such as psoralen. However, this strategy is limited by the availability of homopurine/ homopyrimidine stretches at or near the target site because such sequences are required for high-affinity triplex formation. To overcome this limitation, we have tested TFO conjugated to psoralen via linker arms of lengths varying from 2 to 86 bonds, thereby designed to deliver the psoralen at varying distances from the third strand binding site present at the 3'end of the supFG1 mutation reporter gene. Following triplex formation and UVA irradiation, mutations were detected using an SV40-based shuttle vector assay in human cells. The frequency and distribution of mutations depended on the length of the linker arm. Precise targeting was observed only for linker arms of length 2 and 6, which also yielded the highest mutation frequencies (3 and 14%, respectively). Psoralen–TFO with longer tethers yielded mutations at multiple sites, with the maximum distance from the triplex site limited by the linker length but with the distribution within that range influenced by the propensity for psoralen intercalation at A:T base-pair-rich sites. Thus, gene modification can be extended beyond the site of third strand binding but with a decrease in the precision of the targeting.     

Chemical Constituents and Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Two Aglaia Species

In the course of searching bioactive natural products from the plant genus Aglaia, we selected two species, A. cordata and A. testicularis, for further chemical study. Totally twenty natural compounds were obtained and structurally elucidated with which eleven of them were discovered for the first time. Among these compounds, lignans, rocaglamides,aglains and bisamides were the main constituents of the two plant species. The results from a bioactive screening indicated that some of the lignans possess potent antibacterial and antifungal activity.