Efficiency of composite vs. conically shaped chromatographic columns

The theory of composite chromatographic columns has been re-examined and general equations relating their efficiency to those of individual columns were derived. The derivations were based on elementary principles without reference to the principle of variance additivity. Derived also, were general equations for the efficiency of columns with continuously varying diameters, HETP and other properties from which formulae for special cases of practical interest were deduced. An example comparing the efficiencies of two columns, one conical and the other composite was given. The calculations show clearly that the conical column is superior in efficiency for the same total length and total retention volume.     

Large-scale separation of metallic and semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes

In the applications of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), it is extremely important to separate semiconducting and metallic SWNTs. Although several methods have been reported for the separation, only low yields have been achieved at great expense. We show a separation method involving a dispersion-centrifugation process in a tetrahydrofuran solution of amine, which makes metallic SWNTs highly concentrated to 87% in a simple way.     

Chemistry of Phosphorus Ylides. Part 22 [1]. Effect of Newly Synthesized Niclosamide Mannich Bases, Phosphopyranones, Phosphoranylidenes, and Oxaphosphinin on Some Metabolic Aspects of Biomphalaria Alexandrina

Niclosamide reacts with secondary amines and formaldehyde under the condition of Mannich reaction, to give new Mannich bases. The reaction of these niclosamide Mannich bases with active phosphacumulene ylides affords the corresponding phenyliminopyranone, pyranone, and pyranthione, respectively. When Wittig reaction was carried out on the pyranone, using p-nitrobenzaldehyde, a new arylidene and triphenylphosphine oxide were obtained. On the other hand, stabilized phosphonium ylides affect the transylidation of niclosamide Mannich bases to the corresponding phosphoranylidenes. When diphenylmethylenetriphenylphosphorane reacts with a niclosamide Mannich base, an oxaphosphinin was obtained. The molluscicidal potency of the newly synthesized derivatives against Biomphalaria alexandrina was studied, too.     

Fully automated high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the analysis of free catecholamines in urine

A totally automated and reliable high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the routine determination of free catecholamines (norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine) in urine. The catecholamines were isolated from urine samples using small alumina columns. A standard automated method for pH adjustment of urine before the extraction step has been developed. The extraction was performed on an ASPEC (Automatic Sample Preparation with Extraction Columns, Gilson). The eluate was collected in a separate tube and then automatically injected into the chromatographic column. The catecholamines were separated by reversed-phase ion-pair liquid chromatography and quantified by fluorescence detection. No manual intervention was required during the extraction and separation procedure. One sample may be run every 15 min, ca. 96 samples in 24 h. Analytical recoveries for all three catecholamines are 63-87%, and the detection limits are 0.01, 0.01, and 0.03 microM for norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine, respectively, which is highly satisfactory for urine. Day-to-day coefficients of variation were less than 10%.     

Phosphomolybdic acid supported on silica gel and promoted with alkali metal ions as catalysts for the esterification of acetic acid by ethanol

Different ratios of phosphomolybdic acid PMA supported on silica gel (1–30 wt%) and promoted with alkali metal hydroxide have been prepared by an impregnation method and calcinated at 350 °C for 4 h. The catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy and N₂ adsorption measurements. The surface acidity and basicity of the catalysts were determined by adsorption of pyridine and the dehydration–dehydrogenation of 2-propanol. The gas-phase esterification of acetic acid by ethanol was carried out in a conventional flow bed reactor. The results clearly revealed that among the PMA loading, the use of 10 wt% catalyst showed maximum yield of ethyl acetate. This catalyst also improved on addition of Na or K-hydroxide. These results were correlated with the structure and the acid–base properties of the prepared catalysts.     

Correlation of thermodynamic stabilities of charge transfer complexes of anthracene and chloranil with those of tetra-cyanoethylene

The formation constants of charge-transfer complexes of a number of 9- and 9,10-substituted anthracenes with chloranil have been measured by a spectrophotometric method and the corresponding thermodynamic parameters ΔG°_c, ΔH°_c and ΔS°_c evaluated in various solvents. v_max values of the chargetransfer band for chloranil were linearly related to those for tetracyanoethylene (TCNE). Good correlations were also obtained between v_max and the corresponding ionisation potentials Ip of the donor molecules. In addition ΔG°_c varied linearly with Ip and from these correlations, values of ΔG°_c, etc. for the corresponding TCNE complexes could be calculated. These values are otherwise very difficult to obtain due to the high reactivity of TCNE.     

Structures and cytotoxicities of fascaplysin and related alkaloids from two marine phyla—Fascaplysinopsis sponges and Didemnum tunicates

The structural variations and bioactivity properties of the alkaloids in the fascaplysin (1) and the reticulatine (3) families were examined. Four organisms were analyzed consisting of two collections of the sponge Fascaplysinopsis reticulata and two collections of the tunicate Didemnum sp. Reported are the isolation of three new compounds: 3-bromofascaplysin (2), 14-bromoreticulatine (4), and 14-bromoreticulatate (6) along with reticulatate (5) previously known as a semi-synthetic product of 1. Compounds 1 and 5 showed selectivity in a cell based cytotoxicity assay.     

Synthesis and Ring Transformation of Pyrrolo[2,3-d][1,3]oxazine to Pyrrolo[2,3-d]Pyrimidines

A convenient route is reported for the synthesis of fused pyrrolo[2,3-d][1,3]oxazine and pyrrolo[2,3-d]-pyrimidine derivatives from 2-amino-1-benzyl-3-t-butoxycarbonyl]-4,5-dimethylpyrrole.     

Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of chromium(III)-tetraoxalylurea complex by periodate

A novel chromium(III) complex of tetraoxalylurea was prepared. In aqueous solutions, [Cr^III(H₂L)(H₂O)]⁺ (H₂L = diprotonated tetraoxalylurea) is oxidized by IO ₄ ^– according to the rate law