Thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers containing five-membered heterocyclic groups VIII. Synthesis,and liquid crystalline and photoluminescent properties of semi-rigid polyesters based on a distyrylbenzene analogue of 1,3,4-thiadiazole

New semi-rigid polyesters composed of the distyrylbenzene analogue of 1,3,4-thiadiazole, 2,5-bis(2-phenylethenyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole and aliphatic (dodeca-, deca- and octamethylene) chains were prepared by high temperature solution polycondensation; their liquid crystalline (LC) and photoluminescent properties were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction show that the polyesters having both dodeca- and decamethylene chains form a thermotropic smectic C phase and a lyotropic LC phase in trifluoroacetic acid, but the polyester containing octamethylene chains only exhibits a thermotropic smectic C phase. Solution and solid state absorption and fluorescent spectra indicate that all the polyesters in this work display absorption maxima based on the 2,5-bis(2-phenylethenyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole moiety, emitting blue light in HFIP solutions and bluish-green light in solids; the Stokes shifts are 80.1-80.7 nm in solution and 74.2-87.2 nm in the solid state.     

An α-Glucuronidase Enzyme Activity Assay Adaptable for Solid Phase Screening

Glucuronic acid is a common chemical moiety that decorates the xylan polymer of hemicellulose. This chemical substituent impairs both enzymatic and acidic hydrolysis of xylosidic bonds. The α-glucuronidase enzyme hydrolyzes the 1,2-linked glucuronic acid from the terminal, non-reducing xylose of xylo-oligosaccharides. There are relatively few α-glucuronidase genes in the public databases. We have developed an assay with commercially available reagents that can be used to search DNA libraries for α-glucuronidase genes in a high-throughput, solid phase activity screen.     

Proposed substitution of apolane-87 for squalane as a nonpolar reference phase in gas chromatography

Squalane is the standard, nonpolar reference phase used in schemes to characterize the solvent strength and selectivity of stationary phases in gas-liquid chromatography. A commentary, supported by additional experimental evidence, is provided to indicate a lack of suitability for this purpose. Primary objections to its use as a reference phase are its high volatility, compositional variations due to the presence of impurities, susceptibility to oxidative degradation, poor film forming and stabilizing properties, and retention properties that are strongly influenced by the character and treatment of the support used to prepare column packings. Because similar problems were not observed, or were much less significant, for the synthetic hydrocarbon Apolane-87, its use as a reference phase is to be preferred. Reference values for retention indexes, gas—liquid partition coefficients, and partial molal Gibbs free energies of solution for a series of solvent-selectivity test solutes are provided for both phases.     

Simple and sensitive HPLC method for determination of amrubicin and amrubicinol in human plasma: application to a clinical pharmacokinetic study

A simple and sensitive high‐performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed for determination of amrubicin and its metabolite amrubicinol in human plasma. After protein precipitation with methanol without evaporation procedure, large volume samples were injected and separated by two monolithic columns with a guard column. The mobile phase consisted of tetrahydrofuran–dioxane–water (containing 2.3 mM acetic acid and 4 mM sodium 1‐octanesulfonate; 2:6:15, v/v/v). Wavelengths of fluorescence detection were set at 480 nm for excitation and 550 nm for detection. Under these conditions, linearity was confirmed in the 2.5–5000 ng/mL concentration range of both compounds. The intra‐ and inter‐day precision and intra‐ and inter‐day accuracy for both compounds were less than 10%. The method was successfully applied to a clinical pharmacokinetic study of amrubicin and amrubicinol in cancer patients. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermally stable,highly fluorinated stationary phases for gas chromatography

The chromatographic properties of three highly fluorinated stationary phases namely Fomblin YR [a poly(perfluoroalkyl) ether], PPF-20 [a poly(perfluorphenylene) ether], and Fluorad FC-430 [a fluoroalkyl ester], are compared with those of conventional phases. The importance of phase structure, coating solvent, and surface chemistry of the support for the preparation of efficient and stable column packings is outlined. The retention of solutes of different structures is shown to occur by a combination of gas—liquid partitioning and interfacial adsorption. The relative importance of partitioning compared to adsorption is influence by the degree of fluorination and the measurement temperature. From accurately determined gas—liquid partition coefficients, corrected McReynolds phase constants and partial molar free energies of solution for a methylene group (ΔG) were determined for the highly fluorinated phases. In the case of Fomblin YR, the very low value for ΔG(CH₂) compared to conventional phases provides a quantitative indication of the weak intermolecular forces operating in the chromatographic system. Higher values for PPF-20 indicate stronger dispersive interactions for the perfluroaromatic phase compared to the perfluoroalkyl phases.     

X-ray microscopy studies of protein adsorption on a phase segregated polystyrene/polymethylmethacrylate surface. 2. Effect of pH on site preference

X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (XPEEM) using synchrotron radiation illumination has been used to study the adsorption of human serum albumin (HSA) onto a phase segregated polystyrene/polymethylmethacrylate (PS/PMMA) blend surface from solutions of five different pH values. The absolute coverage of albumin on each of three chemically distinct components of the surface, PS domains, PMMA domains, and the interface between the domains, was determined from a quantitative analysis of C 1s image sequences. At all pH values, the preferred adsorption site is the interface. At neutral pH (7.0), albumin showed a slight preference for PS regions relative to PMMA. At strongly acidic pH (2.0) and strongly basic pH (10.0), similar amounts of albumin adsorb on the PS and PMMA regions. However, at pH 4.0, the amount of albumin adsorbed on PMMA domains is approximately 1.6 times greater than that on PS domains, while at pH 8.6 the amount of albumin adsorbed on PMMA is one-half that adsorbed on PS domains. The pH dependence of the site preference is rationalized in terms of the known changes of albumin conformation with pH [Peters, T., Jr. All About Albumin: Biochemistry, Genetics, and Medical Applications; Academic Press: New York, 1995]. We infer from our results that the site preference of albumin adsorption on PS/PMMA blends is related mainly to changes in hydrophobic interactions, which are driven by pH-dependent electrostatic effects, that is, changes to the protein surface structure as the charge on the protein changes. The results provide insight into changes in the secondary structure of albumin in acid and basic media.     

An off-line automated preconcentration system with ethylenediaminetriacetate chelating resin for the determination of trace metals in seawater by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A novel automated off-line preconcentration system for trace metals (Al, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) in seawater was developed by improving a commercially available solid-phase extraction system SPE-100 (Hiranuma Sangyo). The utilized chelating resin was NOBIAS Chelate-PA1 (Hitachi High-Technologies) with ethylenediaminetriacetic acid and iminodiacetic acid functional groups. Parts of the 8-way valve made of alumina and zirconia in the original SPE-100 system were replaced with parts made of polychlorotrifluoroethylene in order to reduce contamination of trace metals. The eluent pass was altered for the back flush elution of trace metals. We optimized the cleaning procedures for the chelating resin column and flow lines of the preconcentration system, and developed a preconcentration procedure, which required less labor and led to a superior performance compared to manual preconcentration (Sohrin et al. [5]). The nine trace metals were simultaneously and quantitatively preconcentrated from ∼120 g of seawater, eluted with ∼15 g of 1 M HNO₃, and determined by HR-ICP-MS using the calibration curve method. The single-step preconcentration removed more than 99.998% of Na, K, Mg, Ca, and Sr from seawater. The procedural blanks and detection limits were lower than the lowest concentrations in seawater for Mn, Ni, Cu, and Pb, while they were as low as the lowest concentrations in seawater for Al, Fe, Co, Zn, and Cd. The accuracy and precision of this method were confirmed by the analysis of reference seawater samples (CASS-5, NASS-5, GEOTRACES GS, and GD) and seawater samples for vertical distribution in the western North Pacific Ocean.     

Investigation of catalyst‐transfer condensation polymerization for the synthesis of n‐type π‐conjugated polymer,poly(2‐dioxaalkylpyridine‐3,6‐diyl)

Kumada‐Tamao coupling polymerization of 6‐bromo‐3‐chloromagnesio‐2‐(3‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)propyl)pyridine 1 with a Ni catalyst and Suzuki‐Miyaura coupling polymerization of boronic ester monomer 2 , which has the same substituted pyridine structure, with ^tBu₃PPd(o‐tolyl)Br were investigated for the synthesis of a well‐defined n‐type π‐conjugated polymer. We first carried out a model reaction of 2,5‐dibromopyridine with 0.5 equivalent of phenylmagnesium chloride in the presence of Ni(dppp)Cl₂ and then observed exclusive formation of 2,5‐diphenylpyridine, indicating that successive coupling reaction took place via intramolecular transfer of Ni(0) catalyst on the pyridine ring. Then, we examined the Kumada‐Tamao polymerization of 1 and found that it proceeded homogeneously to afford soluble, regioregular head‐to‐tail poly(pyridine‐2,5‐diyl), poly(3‐(2‐(2‐(methoxyethoxy)propyl)pyridine) (PMEPPy). However, the molecular weight distribution of the polymers obtained with several Ni and Pd catalysts was very broad, and the matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectra showed that the polymer had Br/Br and Br/H end groups, implying that the catalyst‐transfer polymerization is accompanied with disproportionation. Suzuki‐Miyaura polymerization of 2 with ^tBu₃PPd(o‐tolyl)Br also afforded PMEPPy with a broad molecular weight distribution, and the tolyl/tolyl‐ended polymer was a major product, again indicating the occurrence of disproportionation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012