Concise Synthesis of Well‐Defined Linear and Branched Oligothiophenes with Nickel‐Catalyzed Regiocontrolled Cross‐Coupling of 3‐Substituted Thiophenes by Catalytically Generated Magnesium Amide

The synthesis of linear and branched oligothiophenes of well‐defined structures is performed with regioselective deprotonation of 3‐substituted thiophenes and nickel‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of the thus formed metalated species with a bromothiophene. The reaction of 3‐hexylthiophene with EtMgCl and 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine (TMP‐H, 10 mol %) induces the metalation selectively at the 5‐position by use of the catalytically generated hindered magnesium amide (TMPMgCl) and the subsequent reaction of a 2‐halo‐3‐hexylthiophene (bromide or chloride) in the presence of a nickel catalyst affords a head‐to‐tail (HT)‐type dimer. By repeating the same sequence, the linear oligothiophene up to a 4‐mer is synthesized in good yield. The reaction of 3‐hexylthiophene with 2,3‐dibromothiophene also takes place to afford a branched oligothiophene 3‐mer in quantitative yield. The obtained 3‐mer is also metalated at the sterically less‐hindered position in a regioselective manner furnishing a 7‐mer in >99 % yield after a further coupling reaction with 2,3‐dibromothiophene. These dendrimers react with several multifunctionalized organic electrophiles, leading to a variety of branched oligothiophenes.     

Rapid Determination of Polar and Non-Polar Pesticides in Human Serum,Using Mixed-Mode C-C18 Monolithic Spin Column Extraction and LC–MS/MS

Organophosphates and carbamates are pesticides whose acute toxicities are caused by inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. A liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the quantification of 16 organophosphate and carbamate insecticides in human serum. Nonpolar and polar pesticides were simultaneously extracted from serum samples using a simple and fast monolithic spin column procedure using mixed-mode C-C₁₈ cartridges. Recovery was achieved in the range 11.9–99.2 %. Chromatography was carried out on an InertSustain^® C₁₈ HP 3 μm analytical column with gradient elution. Mass spectrometric analysis was performed using an Agilent 6410 Triple Quad Tandem mass spectrometer coupled with an electrospray ionization source in the positive ion mode. The assay was validated over a large concentration range and the limits of detection for all compounds ranged from 0.1 to 50 ng mL⁻¹. The precision for both intra- and inter-day determination of all analytes was found to be acceptable (< 12.9 %) and no significant matrix effect was observed. The developed method was effectively applied to clinical samples from patients presenting at hospital with symptoms of acute intentional organophosphate or carbamate poisoning, demonstrating its applicability to diagnostic applications.

     

Mix-mode TiO-C18 monolith spin column extraction and GC-MS for the simultaneous assay of organophosphorus compounds and glufosinate, and glyphosate in human serum and urine

A rapid, specific, and sensitive method for the simultaneous quantitation of organophosphates (fenitrothion (MEP), malathion, and phenthoate (PAP)), glufosinate (GLUF), and glyphosate (GLYP) in human serum and urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been validated. All of the targeted compounds together with the internal standard were extracted from the serum and urine using a mix-mode TiO-C(18) monolithic spin column. The recovery of organophosphates from serum and urine ranged from 12.7 to 49.5%. The recovery of GLUF and GLYP from serum and urine ranged from 1.9 to 7.9%. The intra- and inter-accuracy and precision (expressed as relative standard deviation, %RSD) were within 96.7-107.7% and 4.0-13.8%, respectively. The detection and quantitation limits for serum and urine were 0.1 and 0.1 μg/ml, respectively, for organophosphates, 0.1 and 0.5 μg/ml, respectively for GLUF and GLYP. The method had linear calibration curves ranging from 0.1 to 25.0 μg/ml for organophosphates and 0.5-100.0 μg/ml for GLUF, and GLYP. The validated method was successfully applied to a clinical GLYP poisoning case.     

Monolithic spin column: a new extraction device for analysis of drugs in urine and serum by GC/MS and HPLC/MS

A monolithic spin column was developed for the extraction of analytes from biological materials. This column was constructed by packing a monolithic silica disk into a spin column. Sample loading, washing, and elution of the target drugs were accomplished simply by centrifugation of the column. Opiates and benzodiazepines are abused throughout the world. Identification and quantification of these drugs is very important to solve crimes or the cause of death. Three opiates (morphine, codeine, and dihydrocodeine) were extracted from urine and serum by using the column. After conversion to trimethylsilyl derivatives of the opiates by vigorous mixing with the derivatizing reagent, the solution was subjected to GC/MS. A linear curve was observed for opiates from 10 to 2500 ng/mL in urine and 5 to 1200 ng/mL in serum, respectively (correlation coefficient > 0.996). For benzodiazepines, the hydroxyl metabolites of triazolam and etizolam were extracted from urine using the column, and the eluate was directly analyzed by HPLC/MS without evaporation. The LOD values were at the ppb level, with RSD values lower than 15%. The proposed methods were successfully applied to clinical and forensic cases, and good agreement of results was obtained compared to conventional methods.     

Analysis of Multiple Melting of High-Speed Melt Spun Polylactide Fibers Based on Kinetic Modeling

Multiple melting behavior of high-speed melt-spun polylactide (PLA) fibers was investigated by temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC) in the heating process with various modulation periods in the calorimeter. In the case of the as-spun PLA fibers taken-up at 1 km/min, a melting endothermic peak and a recrystallization exothermic peak appeared at the same peak temperature of 151°C in the reversing and non-reversing heat flows (RHF and NRHF), respectively, whereas at 168°C, an endothermic peak was observed in both the RHF and NRHF. On the other hand, the as-spun PLA fibers taken-up at a high-speed of 6 km/min showed the melting in both the RHF and NRHF, but the recrystallization behavior was not obvious in the NRHF at the shorter modulation period conditions. The obtained data were analyzed based on the kinetic modeling of melting proposed by Toda et al. The real and imaginary parts of the complex apparent heat capacity in the melting region showed a strong modulation period dependence for both the low- and high-speed spun fibers. The endothermic heat flow of melting was separated by extrapolating the frequency to zero. For the PLA fibers spun at 1 km/min, a set of melting and recrystallization peaks in the RHF and NRHF appeared even for the melting at 168°C. In other words, the simultaneous occurrence of melting and recrystallization was confirmed through this extrapolation. For the 6 km/min PLA fibers, the presence of an exothermic heat of recrystallization was clearly confirmed at a peak temperature of 164°C.