Sulfonamide carbazole receptors for anion recognition

Carbazole-based receptors functionalized with two sulfonamide groups have been synthesized and their properties as anion receptors have been evaluated. The receptor with bis(trifluoromethyl)aniline groups has shown a very high affinity for halide ions, especially remarkable as only two hydrogen bonds are formed in the complexes. (1)H NMR and fluorescence titrations have been carried out and binding constants up to 7.9 × 10(6) M(-1) have been reached. X-ray structures have been obtained and a modelling study has shown the possible reasons for the large affinity of these compounds for halide anions.     

Determination of organophosphorous pesticides in the ppq range using a simple solid-phase extraction method combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction

Solid-phase extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (SPE-DLLME) was applied for the extraction of six organophosphorous pesticides (OPPs) in water samples. The analytes considered in this study were determined by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and included prophos, diazinon, chlorpyrifos methyl, methyl parathion, fenchlorphos and chlorpyrifos. Several extraction conditions (extraction solvent and elution/dispersion solvents nature, extraction solvent volume, elution solvent volume, water volume and sample volume) were tested for SPE-DLLME with these analytes and the best results were obtained using carbon tetrachloride as the extraction solvent and acetone as the elution/dispersion solvent. Calibration curves for the determination of OPPs in water samples were constructed in the concentration range of 10-100 ng/L. Limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 38 to 230 pg/L values that are below the maximum admissible level for drinking water (100 ng/L). Relative standard deviations (RSD) were between 8.6 and 10.4% for a fortification level of 100 ng/L. At the same fortification level, the relative recoveries (R.R.) of tap, well and irrigation water samples were in the range of 30.2-97.1%.     

Laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy of tetracene with large Ar, Ne, and H2 clusters in superfluid He nanodroplets

Clusters of tetracene molecules with different numbers of attached (Ar)(N), (Ne)(N) and (H(2))(N) particles (N = 1-2000) are assembled inside superfluid He nanodroplets and studied via laser-induced fluorescence. The frequency shift of the fluorescence spectrum of the tetracene molecules is studied as a function of cluster size and pickup order of tetracene and cluster species. For (Ar)(N) and (Ne)(N) clusters, our results indicate that the tetracene molecules reside inside the clusters when tetracene is captured by the He nanodroplet before the cluster species; conversely, the tetracene molecules stay on the surface of the clusters when tetracene is captured after the cluster species. In the case of (H(2))(N) clusters, however, tetracene molecules reside inside the (H(2))(N) clusters irrespective of the pickup order. We conclude that (Ar)(N) and (Ne)(N) clusters are rigid at T = 0.38 K, while (H(2))(N) clusters of up to N = 2000 remain fluxional at the same temperature. The results may also indicate the occurrence of heterogeneous nucleation of the (H(2))(N) clusters, which is induced by the interaction with tetracene chromophore molecules.     

Crystallization and characterization of an inflammatory lectin purified from the seeds of Dioclea wilsonii

DwL, a lectin extracted from the seeds of Dioclea wilsonii, is a metalloprotein with strong agglutinating activity against rabbit and ABO erythrocytes, inhibited by glucose and mannose. DwL was purified by affinity chromatography on a Sephadex G-50 column and ion exchange chromatography on a HiTrap SP XL column. SDS-PAGE revealed three electrophoretic bands corresponding to the α (25,634 ± 2 Da), β (12,873 ± 2 Da) and γ (12,779 ± 2 Da) chains. Protein sequencing was done by Tandem Mass Spectrometry. The primary sequence featured 237 amino acids and was highly homologous to other reported Diocleinae lectins. A complete X-ray dataset was collected at 2.0 ? for X-Man-complexed DWL crystals produced by the vapor diffusion method. The crystals were orthorhombic and belonged to the space group I222, with the unit-cell parameters a = 59.6, b = 67.9 and c = 109.0 ?. DWL differed in potency from other ConA-like lectins and was found to induce neutrophil migration in rats, making it particularly useful in structural/functional studies of this class of proteins.     

Intramolecular carboxylic group‐assisted cleavage of N‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)phthalamic acid (7) and N‐(2‐methoxyphenyl)phthalamic acid (8): Absence of intramolecular general acid catalysis due to 2‐OH in 7

The values of pseudo first‐order rate constants (k_obs) for the cleavage of N‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)phthalamic acid ( 7 ), obtained at 4.9 × 10^?2 M HCl, 35°C, and within CH₃CN content range 2–80% (v/v) in mixed aqueous solvent are smaller than k_obs for the cleavage of N‐(2‐methoxyphenyl)phthalamic acid ( 8 ), obtained under almost similar experimental conditions, by nearly 1.5‐ to 2‐fold. These observations show the absence of expected intramolecular general acid catalysis due to 2‐OH group in 7 . The values of k_obs for the cleavage of 7 and 8 decrease by more than 20‐fold with the increase in the content of CH₃CN from 2 to 80–82% (v/v) in mixed aqueous solvent. The kinetic data reveal that in acidic aqueous cleavage of 7 , N‐cyclization (leading to the formation of imide) and O‐cyclization (leading to the formation of phthalic anhydride) vary from ～10 to 15% and ～90 to 85%, respectively, with the increase in CH₃CN content from 2 to 80% (v/v). Similar increase in CH₃CN content causes increase in N‐cyclization from ～0 to 5% and decrease in O‐cyclization from ～100 to 95% in the acidic aqueous cleavage of 8 . Some speculative, yet conceivable, reasons for nearly 10 and 0% N‐cyclization in the cleavage of respective 7 and 8 at low content of CH₃CN have been described. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 38: 746–758, 2006     

Book Reviews

Ultraviolet Spectroscopy and UV Lasers, Edited by P. Misra and M. A. Dubinskii Supercritical Fluid Technology in materials Science and Engineering (Syntheses, Properties and Applications), Edited by Ya-Ping Sun This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Just two total graphs are complementary

It is proved that there are just two non-trivial total graphs which are complementary, namely the triangle and its complement.With 7 Figures     

On optimal embeddings of metrics in graphs

This paper extends previous results of the authors. In particular, non-treerealizable metrics are investigated and it is shown that every finite metric has an optimal realization by a graph.     

On the confinement phase transition for a colourless bag

Critical temperatures forSU(N)-singlet bags are determined and a deconfinement phase transition is exhibited.