Comparison of the response of four aerosol detectors used with ultra high pressure liquid chromatography

The responses of four different types of aerosol detectors have been evaluated and compared to establish their potential use as a universal detector in conjunction with ultra high pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC). Two charged-aerosol detectors, namely Corona CAD and Corona Ultra, and also two different types of light-scattering detectors (an evaporative light scattering detector, and a nano-quantity analyte detector [NQAD]) were evaluated. The responses of these detectors were systematically investigated under changing experimental and instrumental parameters, such as the mobile phase flow-rate, analyte concentration, mobile phase composition, nebulizer temperature, evaporator temperature, evaporator gas flow-rate and instrumental signal filtering after detection. It was found that these parameters exerted non-linear effects on the responses of the aerosol detectors and must therefore be considered when designing analytical separation conditions, particularly when gradient elution is performed. Identical reversed-phase gradient separations were compared on all four aerosol detectors and further compared with UV detection at 200 nm. The aerosol detectors were able to detect all 11 analytes in a test set comprising species having a variety of physicochemical properties, whilst UV detection was applicable only to those analytes containing chromophores. The reproducibility of the detector response for 11 analytes over 10 consecutive separations was found to be approximately 5% for the charged-aerosol detectors and approximately 11% for the light-scattering detectors. The tested analytes included semi-volatile species which exhibited a more variable response on the aerosol detectors. Peak efficiencies were generally better on the aerosol detectors in comparison to UV detection and particularly so for the light-scattering detectors which exhibited efficiencies of around 110,000 plates per metre. Limits of detection were calculated using different mobile phase compositions and the NQAD detector was found to be the most sensitive (LOD of 10 ng/mL), followed by the Corona CAD (76 ng/mL), then UV detection at 200 nm (178 ng/mL) using an injection volume of 25 μL.     

An antiferromagnetically coupled hexanuclear copper(II) Schiff base complex containing phenoxo and dicyanamido bridges: Structural aspects and magnetic properties

A novel hexanuclear complex [{(CuL)₂Cu}₂(μ-dca)₂](ClO₄)₂·2L′(1) (where H₂L = (OH)C₆H₄C(CH₃)N(CH₂)₃NC(CH₃)C₆H₄(OH) or N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyacetophenone) propylenediimine and dca = N(CN)₂⁻ and L′ = 2-hydroxyacetophenone) has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, UV-Vis, FT-IR spectroscopic and electrochemical methods. Single crystal X-ray structural characterization reveals a centrosymmetric nature of the complex unit, where the metal centers adopt distorted square-planar and distorted octahedral geometries. Structural analysis also reveals μ₂-phenoxo bridges between terminal and the central copper(II) centers of the asymmetric [(CuL)₂Cu(dca)] unit, the latter being interconnected to its symmetry related counterpart by double μ_1,5-dca bridges, leading to the hexanuclear complex ion [{(CuL)₂Cu}₂(μ-dca)₂]²⁺. Low temperature susceptibility measurements of 1 revealed the presence of strong antiferromagnetic coupling (2J = −407 cm⁻¹) between the copper(II) centers.     

Proton transfer events in GFP

Proton transfer is one of the most important elementary processes in biology. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) serves as an important model system to elucidate the mechanistic details of this reaction, because in GFP proton transfer can be induced by light absorption. Illumination initiates proton transfer through a 'proton-wire', formed by the chromophore (the proton donor), water molecule W22, Ser205 and Glu222 (the acceptor), on a picosecond time scale. To obtain a more refined view of this process, we have used a combined approach of time resolved mid-infrared spectroscopy and visible pump-dump-probe spectroscopy to resolve with atomic resolution how and how fast protons move through this wire. Our results indicate that absorption of light by GFP induces in 3 ps (10 ps in D(2)O) a shift of the equilibrium positions of all protons in the H-bonded network, leading to a partial protonation of Glu222 and to a so-called low barrier hydrogen bond (LBHB) for the chromophore's proton, giving rise to dual emission at 475 and 508 nm. This state is followed by a repositioning of the protons on the wire in 10 ps (80 ps in D(2)O), ultimately forming the fully deprotonated chromophore and protonated Glu222.     

The perfluorinated alcohols (F5C6)(F3C)2COH and (F5C6)(F10C5)COH: synthesis, theoretical and acidity studies, spectroscopy and structures in the solid state and the gas phase

The syntheses of the perfluorinated alcohols (F(5)C(6))(F(3)C)(2)COH (1) and (F(5)C(6))(C(5)F(10))COH (2) are described. Both compounds were prepared in reasonable yields (1: 65%, 2: 85%) by reacting the corresponding ketone with C(6)F(5)MgBr, followed by acidic work-up. The alcohols were characterized by NMR, vibrational spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, acidity measurements and gas-phase electron diffraction. A combination of appropriate 2D NMR experiments allowed the unambiguous assignment of all signals in the (19)F spin systems, of which that of 2 was especially complex. High acidity of the alcohols is indicated by acidity measurements as well as the calculated gas phase acidities. It is also supported by the crystal structure of 2, which exhibits only a single weak intermolecular hydrogen bridge with an O...O distance of 301 pm. This shows the low donor strength of the oxygen atom in the compound, which is partly compensated through formation of two intramolecular CF...H contacts of 220 and 232 pm length to the proton not involved in the hydrogen bridge. The pK(a) values in acetonitrile are 22.2 for 1 and 22.0 for 2; their calculated gas phase acidities are 1367 and 1343 kJ mol(-1) (MP2/TZVPP level).     

Spin crossover in di-, tri- and tetranuclear, mixed-ligand tris(pyrazolyl)methane iron(II) complexes

A series of polynuclear mixed-ligand tris(pyrazolyl)methane iron(II) complexes displaying high temperature spin crossover behaviour has been synthesised. These complexes are of the type [(Fe((3,5-Me(2)pz)(3)CH))(n)(μ-L)](BF(4))(2n), where μ-L is one of five bridging ligands X(CH(2)OCH(2)C(pz)(3))(n), (X = the central linking moiety, pz = pyrazolyl ring and n = 2 (ditopic), 3 (tritopic) or 4 (tetratopic)). Throughout the series the terminal tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)methane co-ligand (3,5-Me(2)pz)(3)CH and the BF(4)(-) counter anion were kept constant while variations in the central linking moiety have produced three dinuclear complexes and a trinuclear and tetranuclear complex, all isolated as solvates. The three dinuclear complexes are a 1,4-xylene-bridged complex 1·2DME, a 2,6-naphthalene-bridged complex 2·2.5MeCN.2DME and a 1,4-butene-bridged complex 3·2DME. The trinuclear complex 4·solvent (solvent undefined) has a 1,3,5-mesitylene core and the tetranuclear complex, 5·8MeCN.2(t)BuOMe, has a 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene core (DME = dimethoxyethane, (t)BuOMe = tertiarybutyl-methylether). The trinuclear cluster has a "3-up" cup shape with the cups arranging themselves in pairs to form capsules that contain anion guests. All the solvated compounds have been structurally characterised and both the solvated and desolvated versions have had their magnetic and thermal properties thoroughly investigated by variable temperature magnetic susceptibility, differential scanning calorimetric and M?ssbauer spectral methods. They all display typical low spin iron(II) magnetic behaviour at room temperature and all undergo a spin state transition to high spin iron(II) above room temperature. In particular, complex 1·2DME shows an abrupt spin transition which shifts, upon desolvation, to a lower value of T(1/2) and in addition displays a small thermal hysteresis.     

A temperature-dependent order-disorder and crystallographic phase transition in a 0D Fe(II) spin crossover compound and its non-spin crossover Co(II) isomorph

The new dipyridylamino/triazine ligand DDE (N(2),N(2),N(4),N(4)-tetraethyl-N(6),N(6)-di(pyridin-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine) has been incorporated into the mononuclear Fe(II) SCO compounds cis-[Fe(II)(NCSe)(2)(DDE)(2)] (1), cis-[Fe(II)(NCBH(3))(2)(DDE)(2)] (2), and cis-[Fe(II)(NCS)(2)(DDE)(2)] (3). Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that each of 1, 2 and 3 undergoes a complete, continuous spin transition with a T(?) of ～260 K, ～300 K and ～205 K, respectively. An analogue and isomorph of 1, cis-[Co(II)(NCSe)(2)(DDE)(2)] (4), remains high spin down to low temperatures. Variable temperature single crystal data reveal that 1 and 4 undergo a crystallographic phase transition (from orthorhombic Pbcn at high temperatures to monoclinic P2/c at low temperatures) accompanied by an order-disorder transition of ethyl moieties of the DDE ligand. In the Pbcn phase, the structures of 1 and 4 contain one crystallographically unique M(II) centre, while in the P2/c phase, 1 and 4 contain two crystallographically unique M(II) centres. Variable temperature powder X-ray diffraction experiments reveal that the crystallographic phase transition occurs at ～250 K for 1. The occurrence of the concomitant order-disorder and crystallographic phase transitions undergone by 1 and 4 is not directly apparent in their magnetic susceptibility measurements, and this is likely due to the local environment of the M(II) centres remaining largely undisturbed as the transitions occur. The compound 2 is isostructural to 1 and 4 at low temperatures.