Mass spectrometric analysis of androstan-17β-ol-3-one and androstadiene-17β-ol-3-one isomers

Mass spectrometric identification and characterization of steroids using electrospray ionization and tandem mass spectrometry has advantages in drug testing and doping control analysis attributable to limitations of gas chromatography followed by electron ionization mass spectrometry. Steroids with an androstadiene-17beta-ol-3-one nucleus and double bonds located either at C-1 and C-4, C-4 and C-9, or C-4 and C-6 were used to determine characteristic fragmentation pathways. Diagnostic dissociation routes are proposed using deuterium labeling, MS3 experiments, and analyses of structurally closely related compounds. Steroids such as boldenone (androst-1,4-diene-17beta-ol-3-one) produced characteristic product ions at m/z 121, 135, and 147. Compounds with double bonds at C-4 and C-9 generated abundant product ions at m/z 145 and 147. Conjugated double bonds at C-4 and C-6 gave rise to an intense and characteristic signal at m/z 133. Stereochemical differentiation between 5alpha- and 5beta-isomers of androstan-17beta-ol-3-ones was possible because of significant differences in relative abundance of product ions generated by elimination of acetone from alpha,beta-saturated 3-keto steroids.     

Novel composite anode materials for lithium ion batteries with low sensitivity towards humidity

Graphitic anode materials for lithium ion batteries processed under high humidity conditions show severe performance losses. The sensitivity of these materials towards humidity can be significantly reduced by adsorbing metal ions like silver or copper ions, with subsequent heat treatment of these composites. Results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high-resolution electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, and differential thermal analysis indicate that the deposited metals exist in metallic and carbide, M_xC (M=Cu or Ag), forms. They remove or cover (i.e. deactivate) active hydrophilic sites at the surface of the graphite. These composites absorb less water during processing. The electrochemical performance, including reversible capacity, coulombic efficiency in the first cycle, and cycling behavior, is markedly improved. This approach provides a potentially powerful method to manufacture lithium ion batteries under less demanding conditions.Presented at the 3rd International Meeting on Advanced Batteries and Accumulators, 16–20 June 2002, Brno, Czech Republic     

Polyaniline-coated silica gel

Silica gel microspheres 7 and 15 μm in diameter were coated with an overlayer of polyaniline camphorsulfonate or hydrochloride during the oxidative polymerization of aniline. Coated silica gel and polyaniline precipitate were separated using a difference in sedimentation rate. In an alternative approach, the microspheres were modified with polyaniline in the presence of 35 nm colloidal silica. This technique prevented the macroscopic precipitation of polyaniline. Coatings of neat, 3-aminopropyl- and octadecyl-modified silica gel with polyaniline hydrochloride were compared. The surface composition of coated microspheres was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Potential applications of particles in electrorheology, organic catalysis, and in modeling of conductivity behavior in composites are demonstrated.     

Flow-injection chemiluminescence determination of quinine using on-line electrogenerated cobalt(III) as oxidant

A novel chemiluminescence (CL) flow system for the determination of quinine is described. It is based on the direct chemiluminescence reaction of quinine and cobalt(III) in sulfuric acid medium. The unstable Co(III) was on-line electrogenerated by constant-current electrolysis. The chemiluminescence intensity was linear with a quinine concentration in the range of 0.1-100 mug ml(-1). The determination limit was 3.3x10(-8) g ml(-1). The whole process could be completed in 1 min. The proposed method is suitable for automatic and continuous analysis, and has been applied successfully to the analysis of quinine in pharmaceutical preparation.     

A Novel Synthesis of Two-dimensional Nanopatterned TiO2 Thin Film

Recently the research on structures with an ordered two-dimensional(2D) pattern has attracted great attention due to its versatile applications in the fields of microelectronic and optoelectronic devices, displays, biochips and sensors, enzymatic immobilization, drug carriers, and photonic band gap materials. Various well-arrayed 2D structures have been made by the modern technique such as laser writing pattern fabrication, photoetching technique, micro-electromechanical systems based on scann…     

A study of carboxylic-modified mesoporous silica in controlled delivery for drug famotidine

A series of pure silica MSU and carboxylic-modified MSU materials were prepared. The formation of mesoporous silica materials with terminal carboxylic groups on pore surface was performed by the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of cyano to carboxylic. Then their potential applications in controlled drug delivery carriers were investigated. Drug famotidine was selected as a model molecule out of the consideration of the terminal amino groups in its molecule. The adsorption experiments show significant adsorption of famotidine on the carboxylic-modified MSU materials. And, the functionalization level of carboxylic groups has been found to be the key factor affecting the adsorption capacities of the modified MSU materials for famotidine. Subsequently, three kinds of release fluids, including simulated gastric medium, simulated intestinal medium, and simulated body fluid, were used to test the famotidine release rate from the carboxylic-modified MSU material. Obvious delayed effect has been observed for the famotidine release from the carboxylic-modified mesoporous silica material under the in vitro assays.     

Potentiodynamic deposition of Prussian blue from a solution containing single component of ferricyanide and its mechanism investigation

Potentiodynamic techniques were used for the direct electrodeposition of Prussian blue nano-clusters from an acidic solution of ferricyanide. Electrochemical, EQCM, IR, AFM, and UV/vis measurements were carried out to characterize deposited nano-sized Prussian blue and to explore the formation mechanism. Results showed that ferricyanide could partially dissociate to free ferric and cyanide ions. The driving force of this dissociation is the formation of PB and the evolution of HCN. The optimal potential window for the potentiodynamic formation of PB from an acidic solution (pH 1.6) is between –0.5 V and 0.4 V. In addition, the influence of surface adsorption of CN^- ions on the formation of PB was discussed.Dedicated to Professor W. Vielstich on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

二茂钛苄氧基衍生物的合成及性质研究

Ｃｐ２ＴｉＣｌ２及（ＭｅＣｐ）２ＴｉＣｌ２在Ｅｔ３Ｎ或ＮａＮＨ２存在下与苄醇类化合物反应，高产率地合成了６个未见文献报道的二茂钛（Ⅳ）苄氧基衍生物，甲基二茂钛（Ⅳ）苄氧基化合物，经元素分析，ＨＮＭＲ和ＩＲ光谱确定了化合物的结构，并对其部分性质进行了讨论。     

Measurements by microdialysis of free tissue concentrations of propranolol.

To determine the free concentration of a drug (propranolol) in the interstitial space in humans in vivo, seven male students were investigated by microdialysis of the periumbilical subcutaneous tissue. The microdialysis catheters were calibrated in vivo and the propranolol concentration was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Ten hours after intake of 80 mg of propranolol, the total plasma and free interstitial propranolol concentrations were 80 +/- 43 and 7 +/- 2 nM, respectively. After a second dose, maximum concentration was reached after 80 +/- 10 min and 98 +/- 12 min, in plasma, and the concentrations in the interstitial water were 594 +/- 138 and 27 +/- 7 nM, respectively. In a second study, microdialysis was performed on the left ventricular wall in six pigs receiving an intravenous injection of 5 mg of propranolol followed by a constant propranolol infusion for 40 min (5 mg propranolol per h). The maximum concentrations of propranolol were 97 +/- 29 and 6 +/- 2 nM in plasma and in interstitial water, respectively. The data suggest that microdialysis is a useful tool for recording the free concentrations of a drug in the interstitial space.     

Simple <Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis> ions have cyclic oxazolone structures. A neutralization-reionization mass spectrometric and computational study of oxazolone radicals

The 2-methyloxazol-5-on-2-yl radical (3) and its deuterium labeled analogs were generated in the gas-phase by femtosecond electron-transfer and studied by neutralization-reionization mass spectrometry and quantum chemical calculations. Radical 3 undergoes fast dissociation by ring opening and elimination of CO and CH(3)CO. Loss of hydrogen is less abundant and involves hydrogen atoms from both the ring and side-chain positions. The experimental results are corroborated by the analysis of the potential energy surface of the ground electronic state in 3 using density functional, perturbational, and coupled-cluster theories up to CCSD(T) and extrapolated to the 6-311 ++ G(3df,2p) basis set. RRKM calculations of radical dissociations gave branching ratios for loss of CO and H that were k(CO)/k(H) > 10 over an 80-300 kJ mol(-1) range of internal energies. The driving force for the dissociations of 3 is provided by large Franck-Condon effects on vertical neutralization and possibly from involvement of excited electronic states. Calculations also provided the adiabatic ionization energy of 3, IE(adiab) = 5.48 eV and vertical recombination energy of cation 3(+), RE(vert) = 4.70 eV. The present results strongly indicate that oxazolone structures can explain fragmentations of b-type peptide ions upon electron capture, contrary to previous speculations.