Reactions of Polyarsenides with Acetylene: Synthesis and Characterization of [Cs([18]crown‐6)]2As7C14H11·6NH3 and As2C6H6

The reaction of Cs₃As₇ with diphenylacetylene in the presence of 18 crown‐6 in liquid ammonia results in the formation of the new compound [Cs( 18 crown‐6)]₂As₇C₁₄H₁₁ · 6NH₃, which crystallizes in black monoclinic crystals. It contains the first monosubstituated heptaarsenide anion with a hydrocarbon‐only substituent and theoretical calculations show a significant influence of the organic substituent on the electronic structure within the cage. The (Z)‐1, 2‐diphenylethenyl‐heptaarsenide di‐anion can be seen as the first step towards the formation of 1, 2,3‐triarsolides. Further experiments regarding the reaction of Rb₃As₁₁ and Cs₃As₁₁ with acetylene gas in liquid ammonia reveal the formation of the diarsabarrelene As₂C₆H₆, which crystallizes as colorless orthorhombic crystals. Calculations based on the structural data obtained by X‐ray crystallography show the electronically inert character of the arsenic lone pair.     

Capillary isoelectric focusing immunoassay as a new nanoscale approach for the detection of oligoclonal bands

The detection of oligoclonal bands (OCBs) in cerebrospinal fluid is an indicator of intrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulins which is a neurochemical sign of chronic inflammatory brain diseases. Intrathecally synthesized IgGs are typically observed in patients with multiple sclerosis. The current standard protocol for the detection of OCBs is IEF on agarose or polyacrylamide gels followed by immunoblotting or silver staining. These methods are time consuming, show substantial interlaboratory variation and cannot be used in a high throughput‐approach. We have developed a new nanoscale method for the detection of OCBs based on automated capillary IEF followed by immunological detection. Evidence for intrathecal IgG synthesis was found in all tested patients (n = 27) with multiple sclerosis, even in two subjects who did not have oligoclonal bands according to standard methods. The test specificity was at 97.5% (n = 19). Our findings indicate that the novel OCB‐CIEF‐immunoassay is suitable for the rapid and highly sensitive detection of OCBs in clinical samples. Furthermore, the method allows for a higher sample throughput than the current standard methods.     

One‐Step Synthesis of a [20]Silafullerane with an Endohedral Chloride Ion

Silicon analogues of the most prominent carbon nanostructures, namely, hollow spheroidals such as C₆₀ and the fullerene family, have been unknown to date. Herein we show that discrete Si₂₀ dodecahedra, stabilized by an endohedral guest and valence saturation, are accessible in preparative yields through a chloride‐induced disproportionation reaction of hexachlorodisilane in the presence of tri(n‐butyl)amine. X‐ray crystallography revealed that each silicon dodecahedron contains an endohedral chloride ion that imparts a net negative charge. Eight chloro substituents and twelve trichlorosilyl groups are attached to the surface of each cluster in a strictly regioregular arrangement, a thermodynamically preferred substitution pattern according to quantum‐chemical assessment. Our results demonstrate that the wet‐chemical self‐assembly of a complex, monodisperse Si nanostructure is possible under mild conditions starting from simple Si₂ building blocks.     

Studies into the Early Degradation Stages of Cellulose by Different Iron Gall Ink Components

Selective fluorescence labelling of oxidized cellulose functionalities followed by GPC-MALLS was used to get a deeper insight into ink-induced degradation processes. As the method is very sensitive towards oxidation and molecular weight changes, slight variations at the very beginning of aging processes, e.g. during ink corrosion of cellulose, can be studied. Five different ink modifications were applied on model papers and underwent mild accelerated aging at 55 °C and cycling humidity (7 days) followed by a short period of static humid aging at 80 °C (2 days). Pure ink constituents like tannic acid or iron sulphate do not result in the same degree of oxidation or chain scission as complete inks. Balanced ink degrades paper more than single compounds, but less than unbalanced inks. Interestingly, some degradation occurs already during or shortly after the application process of unbalanced inks on paper. It could be demonstrated that this oxidation proceeded in a rather high Mw area, while the subsequent aging steps affected predominantly regions of shorter cellulose chains.     

CE characterization of semiconductor nanocrystals encapsulated with amorphous silicium dioxide

The electrophoretic mobility of silica-encapsulated semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots) dependent on the pH and the ionic strength of the separation electrolyte has been determined by CE. Having shown the viability of the approach, the electrophoretic mobility mu of the nanoparticles investigated is calculated for varied zeta potential zeta, particle radius r, and ionic strength I employing an approximate analytical expression presented by Ohshima (J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2001, 239, 587-590). The comparison of calculated with measured data shows that the experimental observations exactly follow what would be expected from theory. Within the parameter range investigated at fixed zeta and I there is an increase in mu with r which is a nonlinear function. This dependence of mu on size parameters can be used for the size-dependent separation of particles. Modeling of mu as function of I and zeta makes it possible to calculate the size distribution of nanoparticles from electrophoretic data (using the peak shape of the particle zone in the electropherogram) without the need for calibration provided that zeta is known with adequate accuracy. Comparison of size distributions calculated via the presented method with size histograms determined from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs reveals that there is an excellent matching of the size distribution curves obtained with the two independent methods. A comparison of calculated with measured distributions of the electrophoretic mobility showed that the observed broad bands in CE studies of colloidal nanoparticles are mainly due to electrophoretic heterogeneity resulting from the particle size distribution.     

NMR chemical shifts of the rhodopsin chromophore in the dark state and in bathorhodopsin: a hybrid QM/MM molecular dynamics study

We investigate nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) parameters of the rhodopsin chromophore in the dark state of the protein and in the early photointermediate bathorhodopsin via first-principles molecular dynamics simulations and NMR chemical shift calculations in a hybrid quantum/classical (QM/MM) framework. NMR parameters are particularly sensitive to structural properties and to the chemical environment, which allows us to address different questions about the retinal chromophore in situ. Our calculations show that both the 13C and the 1H NMR chemical shifts are rather insensitive to the protonation state of Glu181, an ionizable amino acid side chain located in the vicinity of the isomerizing 11-cis bond. Thus, other techniques should be better suited to establish its protonation state. The calculated chemical shifts for bathorhodopsin further support our previously published theoretical structure, which is in very good agreement with more recent X-ray data.     

Determination of 13C/12C ratios of endogenous urinary steroids: method validation, reference population and application to doping control purposes

The application of a comprehensive gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS)-based method for stable carbon isotopes of endogenous urinary steroids is presented. The key element in sample preparation is the consecutive cleanup with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of underivatized and acetylated steroids, which allows the isolation of ten analytes (11beta-hydroxyandrosterone, 5alpha-androst-16-en-3beta-ol, pregnanediol, androsterone, etiocholanolone, testosterone, epitestosterone, 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol, 5beta-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol and dehydroepiandrosterone) from a single urine specimen. These steroids are of particular importance to doping controls as they enable the sensitive and retrospective detection of steroid abuse by athletes.Depending on the biological background, the determination limit for all steroids ranges from 5 to 10 ng/mL for a 10 mL specimen. The method is validated by means of linear mixing models for each steroid, which covers repeatability and reproducibility. Specificity was further demonstrated by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for each analyte, and no influence of the sample preparation or the quantity of analyte on carbon isotope ratios was observed. In order to determine naturally occurring (13)C/(12)C ratios of all implemented steroids, a reference population of n = 61 subjects was measured to enable the calculation of reference limits for all relevant steroidal Delta values.