Rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the quantitation of epirubicin and identification of metabolites in biological samples

A highly sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method has been developed for the determination of epirubicin in serum and cell specimens using daunorubicin as an internal standard. Using atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI), the epirubicin metabolites were readily distinguishable by their fragmentation pattern in the mass spectrometer. Selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode was employed for quantitation of epirubicin and the metabolites. Following extraction, chromatography was performed on a C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of water-acetonitrile-formic acid, pH 3.2, with a flow rate of 200 μl/min. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) of this method in serum were determined to be 1.0 and 2.5 ng/ml, respectively. Linearity of the method was verified over the concentration range of 2.5-2000 ng/ml, with a high correlation coefficient (R² ≥ 0.998). For the extraction procedure, an aliquot of 500 μl serum, spiked with internal standard, was extracted using a chloroform-2-isopropanol (2:1, v/v) mixture. The method has been applied to the analysis of epirubicin in cancer cell samples and the identification of known and unknown metabolites in clinical trial patient serum samples.     

Endohedral nickel and palladium atoms in metal clusters: analogy to endohedral noble gas atoms in fullerenes in polyhedra with five-fold symmetry

Nickel and palladium atoms with their closed-shell d(10) electronic configurations are encapsulated in the icosahedral clusters [Ni@Ni(10)E(2)(CO)(18)](4-)(E = Sb, Bi, Sb[rightward arrow]Ni(CO)(3), CH(3)Sn and n-C(4)H(9)Sn) and the geometrically related pentagonal antiprismatic cluster Pd@Bi(10)(4+) found in Bi(14)PdBr(16). Such endohedral d(10) atoms in pentagonal antiprismatic clusters are donors of zero skeletal electrons and interact only weakly with the atoms in the surrounding polyhedron so that they may be regarded as analogous to endohedral noble gases in fullerenes such as He@C(60). On the other hand, endohedral nickel and palladium atoms in 10- and 11-vertex flattened deltahedral bare metal clusters of group 13 metals without five-fold symmetry, such as Ni@E(10)(10-) found in Na(10)NiE(10)(E = Ga, In) and Pd@Tl(11)(7-) found in A(8)Tl(11)Pd (A = Cs, Rb, K), interact significantly with the cluster atoms, particularly those at the flattened vertices of the deltahedron. The role of endohedral d(10) atoms Ni and Pd in polyhedra with five-fold symmetry as "pseudo-noble-gases" can be related to their positions at the "composite divide" of the "Metallurgists' Periodic Table" proposed by H. E. N. Stone on the basis of alloy systematics as well as the equivalence of the five d orbitals in polyhedra with five-fold symmetry.     

Collisional quenching of resonance states of rare gases

We report an experimental study of Xe(³P₁) → Xe(³P₂) electronic quenching by Ar in Xe/Ar mixtures optically excited by the 1470 Å line of Xe. The quenching process was monitored by the observation of the Xe^*₂ second emission continuum at low Xe pressures.     

Dendrimers as potential drug carriers; encapsulation of acidic hydrophobes within water soluble PAMAM derivatives

This paper describes the synthesis of three neutral water soluble poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer derivatives. The ability of the two larger dendrimers to bind small acidic hydrophobic molecules is reported. Spectroscopic data and pH behaviour suggested that the acidic hydrophobes were forming stable ion pairs with the dendrimer's internal, basic tertiary nitrogens. With respect to forming 1:1 and 2:1 substrate/dendrimer complexes, both of the larger dendrimers were equally efficient at binding. All dendrimer/substrate complexes were completely miscible with water in all proportions (i.e. infinitely water soluble). When the bound substrates are drug moieties, then the resulting complexes could be considered as potential drug delivery systems. Flow calorimetry demonstrated that the dendrimers were able to release their hydrophobic guests when in contact with a biological cell.     

Metal carbonyl catalysis of carbon monoxide and formate reactions

The water gas shift reaction (CO + H₂O = CO₂+ H₂) is catalyzed by aqueous metal carbonyl systems derived from simple mononuclear carbonyls such as Fe(CO)₅ and M(CO)₆ (M = Cr, Mo, and W) and bases in the 140–200 °C temperature range. The water gas shift reaction in a basic methanol-water solution containing Fe(CO)₅ is first order in [Fe(CO)₅], zero order in [CO], and essentially independent of base concentration and appears to involve an associative mechanism with a metallocarboxylate intermediate [(CO)₄Fe-CO₂H]^–. The water gas shift reactions using M(CO)₆ as catalyst precursors are first order in [M(CO)₆], inverse first order in [CO], and first order in [HCO₂ ^–] and appear to involve a dissociative mechanism with formatometallate intermediates [(CO)₅M-OCHO]^–.The Reppe hydroformylation of ethylene to produce propionaldehyde and 1-propanol in basic solutions containing Fe(CO)₅ occurs at 110–140 °C. This reaction is second order in [Fe(CO)₅], first order in [C₂H₄] up to a saturation pressure >1.5 MPa, and inhibited by [CO]. These experimental results suggest a mechanism where the rate-determining step involves a binuclear iron carbonyl intermediate. The substitution of Et₃N for NaOH as the base facilitates the reduction of propionaldehyde to 1-propanol but results in a slower rate for the overall reaction.The homogeneous photocatalytic decomposition of the formate ion to H₂ and CO₂ in the presence of Cr(CO)₆ appears to be closely related to the water gas shift reaction. The rate of H₂ production from the formate ion exhibits saturation kinetics in the formate ion and is inhibited by added pyridine. The infrared spectra of the catalyst solutions indicate an LCr(CO)₅ intermediate. Photolysis of the Cr(CO)₆/formate system in aqueous methanol in the presence of an aldehyde RCHO (R =n-heptyl,p-tolyl, andp-anisyl) results in catalytic hydrogenation of the aldehyde to the corresponding alcohol RCH₂OH by the formate ion. Detailed kinetic studies onp-tolualdehyde hydrogenation by this method indicates saturation kinetics in formate ion, autoinhibition by thep-tolualdehyde, and a threshold effect for Cr(CO)₆ at concentrations >0.004 mol L^–1. The presence of an aldehyde can interrupt the water gas shift catalytic cycle by interception of an HCr(CO)₅ ^– intermediate by the aldehyde.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1533–1539, September, 1994.     

Studies on poly(iminomethylenes)

A variety of simple alkyl and aryl isocyanides have been polymerized using 0.5% NiCl₂ in ethanol as a catalyst. The resulting poly(iminomethylenes) have been characterized by carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy and their polystyrene-equivalent molecular weights have been determined by gel permeation chromatography. Straight chain aliphatic isocyanides having from three to ten carbon atoms in the chain form readily solyble polymers having molecular weights (M_w) in the general range 10,000 to 30,000. Neopentyl isocyanide unlike tert-butyl isocyanide forms an insoluble polymer. A number of new soluble aryl isocyanide polymers have been obtained. However, aryl isocyanides having a single alkyl substituent (CH₃, C₂H₅, CF₃) in the ortho position give only insoluble polymers, whereas aryl isocyanides having alkyl substituents in both ortho positions (e.g., 2,6-(CH₃)₂C₆H₃NC and 2,4,6-(CH₃)₃C₆H₂NC) fail to polymerize under these conditions. The highest molecular weight soluble aryl isocyanide homopolymer is obtained from 3-CH₃OC₆H₄NC(M_w = 26,000). The trimethylsilyl substituted isocyanide (CH₃)₃SiCH₂CH₂NC has been obtained from LiCH₂NC and (CH₃)SiCH₂Cl and gives a brown soluble homopolymer with a molecular weight (M_w) of 19,000.     

Synthesis of arenediynes via the vinylidenecarbene-acetylene rearrangement

A convenient method for the two-step synthesis of arenediynes from 1,2-arenedialdehydes is reported. Dibromomethylenation of dialdehydes under Corey-Fuchs conditions (CBr₄, Ph₃P, Zn) provides the tetrabromides in excellent yields. Treatment of the tetrabromides with n-BuLi or LDA affords 3,4-unsaturated 1,5-diynes, the key structural moiety present in several naturally occurring antitumour antibiotics, in varying yields. The key intermediates in these transformations appear to be vinylidenecarbenes or carbenoids, generated in situ via metal-halogen exchange and elimination.     

Adhesive transfer of thin viscoelastic films

Micellar suspensions of acrylic diblock copolymers are excellent model materials for studying the adhesive transfer of viscoelastic solids. The micellar structure is maintained in films with a variety of thicknesses, giving films with a well-defined structure and viscoelastic character. Thin films were cast onto elastomeric silicone substrates from micellar suspensions in butanol, and the adhesive interactions between these coated elastomeric substrates and a rigid indenter were quantified. By controlling the adhesive properties of the film/indenter and film/substrate interfaces we were able to obtain very clean transfer of the film from the substrate to the portion of the glass indenter with which the film was in contact. Adhesive failure at the film/substrate interface occurs when the film/indenter interface is able to support an applied energy release rate that is sufficient to result in cavity nucleation at the film/substrate interface. Cavity formation is rapidly followed by delamination of the entire region under the indenter. The final stage in the transfer process involves the failure of the film that bridges the indenter and the elastomeric substrate. This film is remarkably robust and is extended to three times its original width prior to failure. Failure of this film occurs at the periphery of the indenter, giving a transferred film that conforms to the original contact area between the indenter and the coated substrate.     

The oxidation of water by cerium(IV) catalysed by nanoparticulate RuO2 on mesoporous silica

Mesoporous silicates are prepared by templating on the hexagonal (H1) mesophase of surfactant bipyridine complexes of ruthenium(II) using a true liquid-crystal templating approach. On calcination, the surfactant template is removed except for the central metal ion that is oxidised, forming nanoparticles of RuO2 that deposit within the pores. RuO2 is a known oxidation catalyst and, despite its anhydrous nature in these silicates, is found to be very active in catalyzing the oxidation of water by acidic CeIV.