Variability of procedural blanks leads to greater uncertainty in assessing detection limits for the measurement of polonium-210

Low-level measurements of ²¹⁰Po using alpha spectrometry with a ²⁰⁹Po tracer have been conducted at the Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist (eriss) for many years, on samples with a range of activity concentrations spanning several orders of magnitude. These samples originated from a wide range of research and monitoring projects, and included a wide variety of traditional foods consumed by the indigenous population in Australia’s Northern Territory. Assessment of instrument blank and analyte blank data from these measurements collected over a period of 8 years was conducted. Instrumental blank data for ²¹⁰Po and ²⁰⁹Po generally followed a normal distribution, whereas analyte blank data for ²¹⁰Po followed a lognormal distribution. Instrumental blank data for ²⁰⁹Po indicated an increasing trend, indicative of a low level of polonium volatilisation from prepared sources. Lower limits of detection, including the critical limit, detection limit and quantification limit have been calculated. The critical limit ranges from 12 to 37 counts per day. Detection and quantification limits range from 0.18 to 0.33 mBq and 2.3 to 3.6 mBq for a 4-day count, with an assumed mean chemical recovery of 53 %. These limits are relatively high for alpha spectrometric techniques due to the high variability of the analyte blank signal and non-normal distribution for ²¹⁰Po. Native plant species have relatively low activity concentrations of ²¹⁰Po in their edible fruits and the amount of sample that should be used for analysis to ensure 90 % of fruit samples analysed reach the specified quantification limit was 11 g.     

Rearrangement of 3-Acyl Derivatives of L-Ascorbic Acid

Abstract

Evidence of rearrangement of 3-acyl derivatives of ascorbic acid to 2-acyl derivatives has been found for carbon and phosphorus acyl groups. The observations are consistent with intramolecular rearrangement through a cyclic intermediate in which the acyl group is bonded to both the 2- and 3-oxygen atoms of ascorbic acid. A rate of rearrangement has been measured for the 3-diphenylphosphinate ester. Calculated results indicate an increase in negative atomic charge at O-2 in the 3-acyl esters but a decrease in the charge of O-3 in the 2-acyl esters.     

Addition Reactions of Glycal Esters: Access to Glycosyl Donors of Kdo,d-glycero-d-talo- and d-glycero-d-galacto-2-Octulosonic Acid Residues

ABSTRACT

Addition reactions of O-acetylated glycal esters of Kdo mono-, α-(2→8)- and α-(2→4)- linked Kdo disaccharide derivatives 1a - c with NIS in acetic acid afforded good yields of trans-diaxial as well as minor amounts of trans-diequatorial and cis-configured 2-O-acetyl-3-deoxy-3-iodo derivatives, which were efficiently reduced with Bu₃SnH/AIBN to give the corresponding per-O-acetylated Kdo methyl ester derivatives. Similar reactions of 1a with NBS or NCS furnished the trans-diaxial 2-O-acetyl-3-bromo-3-deoxy- as well as 3-chloro-3-deoxy derivatives as the main products. Reaction of 1a with NBS in aqueous MeCN provided the 2,3-trans-bromohydrin derivative 11c, which upon treatment with DBU in MeCN gave the elimination product 11 and the α-2,3-anhydro derivative 12 as a suitable donor of glycosides with D-glycero-D-talo- or D-glycero-D-galacto configuration, respectively.     

An activated building block for the introduction of the histidine side chain in aliphatic oligourea foldamers

A new N-Boc-protected monomer for the synthesis of oligourea foldamers containing the (1H-imidazolyl-4yl)methyl side chain of histidine, has been prepared in seven steps from Trt-His(τ-Trt)-OMe. This protecting group combination on histidine was found to be critical to ensure efficient access to the requisite activated building block. This new derivative, suitable for solid phase synthesis, expands the current arsenal of building blocks with proteinogenic side chains useful for the design of peptidomimetic oligourea foldamers.