Radiochemical measurements of99Tc: Sources and environmental levels

A method of⁹⁹Tc determination has been developed based on sample decomposition followed by purification from interfering elements by hydroxide and oxide precipitations. Technetium is extracted by TBP and electrodeposited onto stainless steel discs from sodium hydroxide solution.⁹⁹Tc^m is used as yield monitor. The method has been applied to study releases from different sources and contents in different samples of atmospheric, terrestrial and marine origin. Results show enhanced⁹⁹Tc/¹³⁷Cs activity ratios for samples collected in recent years which are only expected to be contaminated from fallout from nuclear tests. Integrated fallout measurements did not reflect these enhanced ratios.     

Continuous separation of lipid particles from erythrocytes by means of laminar flow and acoustic standing wave forces

Improved continuous acoustic particle separation (separation efficiency close to 100%) and separation of erythrocytes (red blood cells) from lipid microemboli in whole blood is reported.     

Rearrangement of symmetrical dicubane clusters into topological analogues of the P cluster of nitrogenase: nature's choice?

Reaction schemes have been developed that lead to clusters having the topology of the PN cluster of nitrogenase. The single cubane clusters [(Tp)MFe3S4Cl3]z (M = Mo, z = 1-; M = V, z = 2-) react with PEt3 to give [(Tp)MFe3S4(PEt3)3]1+, which are reduced to the neutral edge-bridged double cubanes [(Tp)2M2Fe6S8(PEt3)4] with highly reduced (2[MFe3S4]1+) cores. Reaction of these clusters in acetonitrile with (Et4N)(HS) results in the formation of [(Tp)2Mo2Fe6S9(SH)2]3- and [(Tp)2V2Fe6S9(SH)2]4-. X-ray structures of the Et4N+ salts reveal the bridging pattern M2Fe6(mu2-S)2(mu3-S)6(mu6-S) in which two cuboidal MFe3(mu3-S)3 units share the common bridge atom mu6-S and are externally bridged by two mu2-S atoms. The M sites possess trigonal octahedral, and the Fe sites, distorted tetrahedral coordination. Hydrosulfide ligands and sulfide atoms simulate terminal cysteinate ligation and mu2 bridges, respectively, in the protein-bound cluster Fe8S7(mu2-SCys)2(SCys)4. The synthetic clusters have the same bridging pattern as the PN cluster and approach congruency with it. These clusters are the first molecular topological analogues of a PN cluster. Like the latter, they are substantially reduced (majority of Fe(II)).     

Determination of urinary arsenic and impact of dietary arsenic intake

An analytical method based on microwave decomposition and flow injection analysis (FIA) coupled to hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) is described. This is used to differentiate arsenite [As(III)], arsenate [As(V)], monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) from organoarsenic compounds usually present in seafood. Without microwave digestion, direct analysis of urine by HGAAS gives the total concentration of As(III), As(V), MMA and DMA because organoarsenic compounds such as arsenobetaine, usually found in most seafood, are not reducible upon treatment with borohydride and therefore cannot be determined by using the hydride generation technique. The microwave oven digestion procedure with potassium persulfate and sodium hydroxide as decomposition reagents completely decomposes all arsenicals to arsenate and this can be measured by HGASS. Microwave decomposition parameters were studied to achieve efficient decomposition and quantitative recovery of arsenobetaine spiked into urine samples. The method is applied to the determination of urinary arsenic and is useful for the assessment of occupational exposure to arsenic without intereference from excess organoarsenicals due to the consumption of seafood. Analysis of urine samples collected from an individual who ingested some seafood revealed that organoarsenicals were rapidly excreted in urine. After the ingestion of a 500-g crab, a 10-fold increase of total urinary arsenic was observed, due to the excretion of organoarsenicals. The maximum arsenic concentration was found in the urine samples collected approximately between 4 to 17 hr after eating seafood. However, the ingestion of organoarsenic-containing seafoods such as crab, shrimp and salmon showed no effect on the urinary excretion of inorganic arsenic, MMA and DMA.     

Tablets of functionalized polystyrene beads alone and in combination with solid reagents or catalysts. Preparation and applications in parallel solution and solid phase synthesis

Pretreatment of polystyrene beads with a nonpolar organic solvent is the key for the generation of mechanically robust tablets consisting of neat functionalized polystyrene beads, both alone and in combination with solid reagents or catalysts. The novel dosing methodology provides accurately preweighed tablets in virtually any shape and size and with excellent disintegration properties, speeding up parallel solution and solid phase synthesis. The use of tablets is demonstrated in parallel Mitsunobu and acylation reactions.     

Inductively-coupled plasma/atomic emission spectrometry of sulfur with a vacuum scanning spectrometer and its application to the analysis of coal liquefaction catalysts

Inductively-coupled plasma/atomic emission spectrometry with a high-resolution vacuum scanning monochromator is described for the determination of sulfur at 180.734 nm. The behavior of the signal-to-background ratio is investigated as functions of RF power, argon gas flow rate and observation height above the load coil. Under the operating conditions selected, the detection limit is 3 μg l^?1. The Se I 196.090-nm line is chosen as internal standard, because the S/Se line pair exhibited the least change with carrier gas flow rate and acid concentration of solution. Sulfur in NiMo and CoMo/ Al₂O₃ catalysts used for coal liquefaction is determined as S(II) and S(VI) species. The total amount of the species agreed well with the sulfur value obtained by the conventinal combustion method.     

Oxo transfer reactions mediated by bis(dithiolene)tungsten analogues of the active sites of molybdoenzymes in the DMSO reductase family: comparative reactivity of tungsten and molybdenum.

The discovery of tungsten enzymes and molybdenum/tungsten isoenzymes, in which the mononuclear catalytic sites contain a metal chelated by one or two pterin-dithiolene cofactor ligands, has lent new significance to tungsten-dithiolene chemistry. Reaction of [W(CO)(2)(S(2)C(2)Me(2))(2)] with RO(-) affords a series of square pyramidal desoxo complexes [W(IV)(OR')(S(2)C(2)Me(2))(2)](1)(-), including R' = Ph (1) and Pr(i)() (3). Reaction of 1 and 3 with Me(3)NO gives the cis-octahedral complexes [W(VI)O(OR')(S(2)C(2)Me(2))(2)](1)(-), including R' = Ph (6) and Pr(i)() (8). These W(IV,VI) complexes are considered unconstrained versions of protein-bound sites of DMSOR and TMAOR (DMSOR = dimethylsulfoxide reductase, TMAOR = trimethylamine N-oxide reductase) members of the title enzyme family. The structure of 6 and the catalytic center of one DMSO reductase isoenzyme have similar overall stereochemistry and comparable bond lengths. The minimal oxo transfer reaction paradigm thought to apply to enzymes, W(IV) + XO --> W(VI)O + X, has been investigated. Direct oxo transfer was demonstrated by isotope transfer from Ph(2)Se(18)O. Complex 1 reacts cleanly and completely with various substrates XO to afford 6 and product X in second-order reactions with associative transition states. The substrate reactivity order with 1 is Me(3)NO > Ph(3)AsO > pyO (pyridine N-oxide) > R(2)SO > Ph(3)PO. For reaction of 3 with Me(3)NO, k(2) = 0.93 M(-)(1) s(-)(1), and for 1 with Me(2)SO, k(2) = 3.9 x 10(-)(5) M(-)(1) s(-)(1); other rate constants and activation parameters are reported. These results demonstrate that bis(dithiolene)W(IV) complexes are competent to reduce both N-oxides and S-oxides; DMSORs reduce both substrate types, but TMAORs are reported to reduce only N-oxides. Comparison of k(cat)/K(M) data for isoenzymes and k(2) values for isostructural analogue complexes reveals that catalytic and stoichiometric oxo transfer, respectively, from substrate to metal is faster with tungsten and from metal to substrate is faster with molybdenum. These results constitute a kinetic metal effect in direct oxo transfer reactions for analogue complexes and for isoenzymes provided the catalytic sites are isostructural. The nature of the transition state in oxo transfer reactions of analogues is tentatively considered. This research presents the first kinetics study of substrate reduction via oxo transfer mediated by bis(dithiolene)tungsten complexes.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of sialylated glycopeptides derived from mucins and T-cell stimulating peptides.

The Tn, T, sialyl-Tn, and 2,3-sialyl-T antigens are tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens expressed on mucins in epithelial cancers, such as those affecting the breast, ovary, stomach, and colon. Glycopeptides carrying these antigens are of interest for development of cancer vaccines and a short, chemoenzymatic strategy for their synthesis is reported. Building blocks corresponding to the Tn (GalNAc alpha-Ser/Thr) and T [Gal beta(1-->3)GalNAc alpha-Ser/Thr] antigens, which are relatively easy to obtain by chemical synthesis, were prepared and then used in the synthesis of glycopeptides on the solid phase. Introduction of sialic acid to give the sialyl-Tn [Neu5Ac alpha(2-->6)GalNAc alpha-Ser/Thr] and 2,3-sialyl-T [Neu5Ac alpha(2-->3)Gal beta(1-->3)GalNAc alpha-Ser/Thr] antigens is difficult when performed chemically at the building block level. Sialylation was therefore carried out with recombinant sialyltransferases in solution after cleavage of the Tn and T glycopeptides from the solid phase. In the same manner, the core 2 trisaccharide [Gal beta 1-->3(GlcNAc beta 1-->6)GalNAc] was incorporated in glycopeptides containing the T antigen by using a recombinant N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase. The outlined chemoenzymatic approach was applied to glycopeptides from the tandem repeat domain of the mucin MUC1, as well as to neoglycosylated derivatives of a T cell stimulating viral peptide.     

Substitution and oxidation reactions of bis(dithiolene)tungsten complexes of potential relevance to enzyme sites

Structurally characterized tungstoenzymes contain mononuclear active sites in which tungsten is coordinated by two pterin-dithiolene ligands and one or two additional ligands that have not been identified. In this and prior investigations (Sung, K.-M.; Holm, R. H. Inorg. Chem. 2000, 39, 1275; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 1931), stable coordination units of bis(dithiolene)tungsten(IV,V,VI) complexes potentially related to enzyme sites have been sought by exploratory synthesis. In this work, additional members of the sets [WL(S2C2Me2)2](2-,-) and [WLL'(S2C2Me2)2](2-,-) have been prepared and structurally characterized. Tungsten(IV) complexes obtained by substitution are carbonyl displacement products of [W(CO)2(S2C2Me2)2] and include those with the groups W(IV)S (4), W(IV)(O2CPh) (5), and W(IV)(2-AdQ)(CO) (Q = S (6), Se (7); Ad = adamantyl). Those obtained by oxidation reactions contain the groups W(V)O (9), W(V)(QPh)2 (Q = S (10), Se (11)), W(VI)S(OPh) (12), and W(VI)O2 (14). The latter two complexes were obtained from W(IV) precursors using sulfur and oxygen atom transfer reactions, respectively. Complexes 4 and 9 are square pyramidal; 6, 7, 10, and 11 are distorted trigonal prismatic with cis ligands LL'; and 12 and 14 are distorted octahedral. Complexes 4, 10, and 11 support three-membered electron transfer series. Attempts to oxidize 4 to the W(V)S complex results in the formation of binuclear [W2(mu2-S)2(S2C2Me2)4](2-) having distorted octahedral coordination. The 21 known functional groups WL and WLL' in mononuclear bis(dithiolene) complexes prepared in this and prior investigations are tabulated. Of those with physiological-type ligands, it remains to be seen which (if any) of these ligation modes are displayed by enzyme sites.     

Molybdenum-iron-sulfur clusters of nuclearities eight and sixteen, including a topological analogue of the P-cluster of nitrogenase

Transformations of the edge-bridged double cubane cluster [(Cl4cat)2(Et3P)2Mo2Fe6S8(PEt3)4] (1) under reducing conditions have been investigated as synthetic approaches to the clusters of nitrogenase. Cluster 1 is a versatile precursor to different Mo-Fe-S cluster types. The reaction system 1/K(C14H10) in THF yields the reduced cluster [(Cl4cat)2(Et3P)2Mo2Fe6S8(PEt3)4]1- (2), which as its crystalline Et4N+ salt retains the edge-bridged structure of 1. X-ray structural and M?ssbauer spectroscopic results indicate an unsymmetrical electron distribution with localized [MoFe3S4]2+,1+ cubane-type units. The system 1/2K(C14H10)/2HS- in THF/acetonitrile affords [(Cl4cat)4(Et3P)4Mo4Fe12S20K3(DMF)]5- (3), whose structure was determined as the Ph3PMe+ salt. The cluster consists of two isostructural Mo2Fe6S9 fragments connected by two mu 2-S bridges. Three potassium ions are bound between the two fragments. In each fragment, the iron atoms are present in tetrahedral FeS4 and the molybdenum atoms in octahedral MoO2PS3 coordination units, and two MoFe3(mu 3-S)3 cuboidal units are bridged by a common mu 6-S atom. The fragments have idealized mirror symmetry and are isostructural with two of the fragments present in the previously reported high-nuclearity cluster [(Cl4cat)6(Et3P)6Mo6Fe20S30]8- (4) (Osterloh, F.; Sanakis, Y.; Staples, R. J.; Münck, E.; Holm, R. H. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 1999, 38, 2066). On the basis of overall shape, atom connectivities, and metric features, the Mo2Fe6S9 fragment is a topological analogue of the P-cluster of nitrogenase in the PN (reduced) state. A third cluster type, formed as a minor byproduct in the reaction system leading to 2, was crystallographically identified as [(Cl4cat)2(Et3P)2Mo2Fe6S8(PEt3)4]4-, whose core is made up of two MoFe3(mu 3-S)3 cuboidal units bridged by two mu 2-S atoms and connected by a direct Fe-Fe bond. Full structural details and the redox properties of 2 and 3 are reported.