Coordinating properties of [M(CO)5(CN)] [M=Cr; Mo; W] ligands: formation of ion pairs or dinuclear cyanide-bridged complexes, spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction studies

The reaction of sodium cyanopentacarbonylmetalates Na[M(CO)₅(CN)] (M=Cr; Mo; W) with cationic Fe(II) complexes [Cp(CO)(L)Fe(thf)][O₃SCF₃], [L=PPh₃ (1a), CN-Benzyl (1b), CN-2,6-Me₂C₆H₃ (1c); CN-Bu^t (1d), P(OMe)₃ (1e), P(Me)₂Ph (1f)] in acetonitrile solution, yielded the metathesis products [Cp(CO)(L)Fe(NCCH₃)][NCM(CO)₅] [M=W, L=PPh₃ (2a), CN-Benzyl (2b), CN-2,6-Me₂C₆H₃ (2c); CN-Bu^t (2d), P(OMe)₃ (2e), P(Me)₂Ph (2f); M=Cr, L=(PPh₃) (3a), CN-2,6-Me₂C₆H₃ (3c); M=Mo, L=(PPh₃) (4a), CN-2,6-Me₂C₆H₃ (4c)]. The ionic nature of such complexes was suggested by conductivity measurements and their main structural features were determined by X-ray diffraction studies. Well-resolved signals relative to the [M(CO)₅(CN)] moieties could be distinguished only when ¹³C NMR experiments were performed at low temperature (from −30 to −50 °C), as in the case of [Cp(CO)(PPh₃)Fe(NCCH₃)][NCW(CO)₅] (2a) and [Cp(CO)(Benzyl-NC)Fe(NCCH₃)][NCW(CO)₅] (2b). When the same reaction was carried out in dichloromethane solution, neutral cyanide-bridged dinuclear complexes [Cp(CO)(L)FeNCM(CO)₅] [M=W, L=PPh₃ (5a), CN-Benzyl (5b); M=Cr, L=(PPh₃) (6a), CN-2,6-Me₂C₆H₃ (6c), CO (6g); M=Mo, L=CN-2,6-Me₂C₆H₃ (7c), CO (7g)] were obtained and characterized by infrared and NMR spectroscopy. In all cases, the room temperature ¹³C NMR measurements showed no broadening of cyano pentacarbonyl signals and, relative to tungsten complexes [Cp(CO)(PPh₃)FeNCW(CO)₅] (5a) and [Cp(CO)(CN-Benzyl)FeNCW(CO)₅] (5b), the presence of ¹⁸³W satellites of the ¹³CN resonances (J_CW ∼ 95 Hz) at room temperature confirmed the formation of stable neutral species. The main ¹³C NMR spectroscopic properties of the latter compounds were compared to those of the linkage isomers [Cp(CO)(PPh₃)FeCNW(CO)₅] (8a) and [Cp(CO)(CN-Benzyl)FeCNW(CO)₅] (8b). The characterization of the isomeric couples 5a-8a and 5b-8b was completed by the analyses of their main IR spectroscopic properties. The crystal structures determined for 2a, 5a, 8a and 8b allowed to investigate the geometrical and electronic differences between such complexes. Finally, the study was completed by extended Hückel calculations of the charge distribution among the relevant atoms for complexes 2a, 5a and 8a.     

Evaluation of electrodeposited tungsten chemical modifier for direct determination of chromium in urine by ETAAS

The direct determination of chromium in urine by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) using graphite tubes modified with tungsten is proposed. Modification of the graphite is made by tungsten electrodeposition over the whole surface atomizer followed by carbide formation by heating the tube inside its own furnace. For tungsten electrocoating, the graphite tube and a platinum electrode were connected to a power supply as cathode and anode, respectively, and immersed in a solution containing 2 mg of W in 0.1% v/v HNO₃. Then, 5 V was applied between the electrodes during 20 min for tungsten electrodeposition over the whole atomizer. A SpectrAA 220 Varian atomic absorption spectrometer equipped with a deuterium background corrector was used throughout. Undiluted urine (20 μl) was delivered over the tungsten-treated tube and the chromium-integrated absorbance was measured after applying a suitable heating program with maximum pyrolysis at 1300 °C and atomization at 2500 °C. With electrodeposited tungsten modifier, the tube lifetime increased up to four times when compared to previous published methods for Cr determination in urine by ETAAS, reaching 800 firings. Method detection limit (3 S.D.) was 0.10 μg l⁻¹, based on 10 integrated absorbance measurements of a urine sample with low Cr concentration. Two reference materials of urines (SRM 2670) from National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were analyzed for method validation. For additional validation, results obtained from eight human urine samples were also analyzed in a spectrometer with Zeeman effect background correction.     

Capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of volatile and semi-volatile compounds of Salvia officinalis

The essential oil and infusion of Salvia officinalis leaves have been widely applied in traditional medicine since ancient times and nowadays subjected to extensive research of their antibacterial, antiviral and cytotoxic properties. This paper shows chemical composition data of S. officinalis leaves essential oil isolated by steam distillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus. Also, the paper presents the chemical content of volatile and semi-volatile compounds of S. officinalis leaves infusion. The volatile and semi-volatile compounds of S. officinalis leaves infusion were isolated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid-liquid extraction with hexane and dichloromethane. SPE was carried out on 500 mg octadecylsilane (C18) cartridges and elution with dichloromethane. Liquid-liquid extraction was performed with hexane and dichloromethane. The essential oil in dichloromethane and infusion extracts in hexane and dichloromethane were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The quantitative results obtained by solid-phase extraction and liquid-liquid extraction showed that SPE on C18 performed the highest recovery of the volatile compounds from infusion sample.     

Hybrid polymer inorganic materials prepared from ternary microemulsions

The microemulsion system containing vinyl acetate (Vac), silane derivatives tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTS), vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES), methyltriethoxysilane (MeTES), octyltriethoxysilane (OTES), nonylphenol etoxylated with 25 mol of ethylene oxyde (NPEO₂₅) and water was studied. It was established that the probability of microemulsion formation increases with surfactant concentration. The microenviroment of the solubilization of the VAc and of silane derivatives in the aggregates of NPEO₂₅ was affected by their polarity. Hybrid materials were obtained by sol-gel reaction of silane derivatives combined with free-radical polymerization of VAc. The change of the glass transition temperature and of thermal stability of the polymer chains in the presence of the inorganic one proved the formation of simultaneous polymer inorganic hybrids.     

A local-MP2 approach to the ab initio study of electron correlation in crystals and to the simulation of vibrational spectra: the case of Ice XI

Wave-function-based computational techniques for describing electron correlation effects in periodic systems have a long history. Among early attempts, the method proposed by Colle and Salvetti (Theor Chim Acta 37:329, 1975) more than 30 years ago is noteworthy for its simplicity, power, and far-reaching consequences. The renewed interest in this topic is due to the well-known failure of techniques based on Density Functional Theory when it comes to obtaining very accurate estimates of some important quantities. Here we present the essential features of an ab initio code, ( CRYSCOR ) recently implemented (Phys Rev B 76: 075101, 075102, 2007), which solves the MP2 equations for crystals by adopting a local-correlation approach and using as a reference the Hartree-Fock solution provided by the CRYSTAL program. As an example of application, we discuss the MP2 corrections to the frequency of some vibrational modes in a proton-ordered structure of water ice (Ice XI).     

Study of immobilized metal affinity chromatography sorbents for the analysis of peptides by on‐line solid‐phase extraction capillary electrophoresis‐mass spectrometry

Several commercial immobilized metal affinity chromatography sorbents were evaluated in this study for the analysis of two small peptide fragments of the amyloid β‐protein (Aβ) (Aβ(1–15) and Aβ(10–20) peptides) by on‐line immobilized metal affinity SPE‐CE (IMA‐SPE‐CE). The performance of a nickel metal ion (Ni(II)) sorbent based on nitrilotriacetic acid as a chelating agent was significantly better than two copper metal ion (Cu(II)) sorbents based on iminodiacetic acid. A BGE of 25 mM phosphate (pH 7.4) and an eluent of 50 mM imidazole (in BGE) yielded a 25‐fold and 5‐fold decrease in the LODs by IMA‐SPE‐CE‐UV for Aβ(1–15) and Aβ(10–20) peptides (0.1 and 0.5 μg/mL, respectively) with regard to CE‐UV (2.5 μg/mL for both peptides). The phosphate BGE was also used in IMA‐SPE‐CE‐MS, but the eluent needed to be substituted by a 0.5% HAc v/v solution. Under optimum preconcentration and detection conditions, reproducibility of peak areas and migration times was acceptable (23.2 and 12.0%RSD, respectively). The method was more sensitive for Aβ(10–20) peptide, which could be detected until 0.25 μg/mL. Linearity for Aβ(10–20) peptide was good in a narrow concentration range (0.25–2.5 μg/mL, R² = 0.93). Lastly, the potential of the optimized Ni(II)‐IMA‐SPE‐CE‐MS method for the analysis of amyloid peptides in biological fluids was evaluated by analyzing spiked plasma and serum samples.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Far‐Red/NIR‐Fluorescent BODIPY Dyes,Solid‐State Fluorescence,and Application as Fluorescent Tags Attached to Carbon Nano‐onions

A series of π‐extended distyryl‐substituted boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivatives with intense far‐red/near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescence was synthesized and characterized, with a view to enhance the dye’s performance for fluorescence labeling. An enhanced brightness was achieved by the introduction of two methyl substituents in the meso positions on the phenyl group of the BODIPY molecule; these substituents resulted in increased structural rigidity. Solid‐state fluorescence was observed for one of the distyryl‐substituted BODIPY derivatives. The introduction of a terminal bromo substituent allows for the subsequent immobilization of the BODIPY fluorophore on the surface of carbon nano‐onions (CNOs), which leads to potential imaging agents for biological and biomedical applications. The far‐red/NIR‐fluorescent CNO nanoparticles were characterized by absorption, fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopies, as well as by thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic light scattering, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, and confocal microscopy.     

Shape‐memory effect in hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimine)‐modified epoxy thermosets

A series of shape‐memory epoxy thermosets were synthesized by crosslinking diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A with mixtures of commercially available hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimine) and polyetheramine. Thermal, mechanical and shape‐memory properties were studied and the effect on them of the content and structure of the hyperbranched polymer was discussed. Measurements showed that the glass transition temperature can be tailored from 60 °C to 117 °C depending on the hyperbranched polymer content, and all formulations showed an appropriate glassy/rubbery storage modulus ratio. Shape‐memory programming was carried out at TgE′ given the excellent mechanical properties of the materials, with maximum stress and failure strain up to 15 MPa and 60%, respectively. The resulting shape‐memory behavior was excellent, with maximum shape recovery and shape fixity of 98% as well as a fast shape‐recovery rate of 22%/min. The results show that hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimine) as a crosslinking agent can be used to enhance mechanical and shape‐memory properties with different effects depending on the crosslinking density. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 924–933     

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of blood plasma and serum using Ag and Au nanoparticles: a systematic study

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a good candidate for the development of fast and easy-to-use diagnostic tools, possibly used on biofluids in point-of-care or screening tests. In particular, label-free SERS spectra of blood serum and plasma, two biofluids widely used in diagnostics, could be used as a metabolic fingerprinting approach for biomarker discovery. This study aims at a systematic evaluation of SERS spectra of blood serum and plasma, using various Ag and Au aqueous colloids, as SERS substrates, in combination with three excitation lasers of different wavelengths, ranging from the visible to the near-infrared. The analysis of the SERS spectra collected from 20 healthy subjects under a variety of experimental conditions revealed that intense and repeatable spectra are quickly obtained only if proteins are filtered out from samples, and an excitation in the near-infrared is used in combination with Ag colloids. Moreover, common plasma anticoagulants such as EDTA and citrate are found to interfere with SERS spectra; accordingly, filtered serum or heparin plasma are the samples of choice, having identical SERS spectra. Most bands observed in SERS spectra of these biofluids are assigned to uric acid, a metabolite whose blood concentration depends on factors such as sex, age, therapeutic treatments, and various pathological conditions, suggesting that, even when the right experimental conditions are chosen, great care must be taken in designing studies with the purpose of developing diagnostic tests.