Comparison of direct mass spectrometry methods for the on‐line analysis of volatile compounds in foods

For the on‐line monitoring of flavour compound release, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and proton transfer reaction (PTR) combined to mass spectrometry (MS) are the most often used ionization technologies. APCI‐MS was questioned for the quantification of volatiles in complex mixtures, but direct comparisons of APCI and PTR techniques applied on the same samples remain scarce. The aim of this work was to compare the potentialities of both techniques for the study of in vitro and in vivo flavour release. Aroma release from flavoured aqueous solutions (in vitro measurements in Teflon bags and glass vials) or flavoured candies (in vivo measurements on six panellists) was studied using APCI‐ and PTR‐MS. Very similar results were obtained with both techniques. Their sensitivities, expressed as limit of detection of 2,5‐dimethylpyrazine, were found equivalent at 12 ng/l air. Analyses of Teflon bag headspace revealed a poor repeatability and important ionization competitions with both APCI‐ and PTR‐MS, particularly between an ester and a secondary alcohol. These phenomena were attributed to dependency on moisture content, gas/liquid volume ratio, proton affinities and product ion distribution, together with inherent drawbacks of Teflon bags (adsorption, condensation of water and polar molecules). Concerning the analyses of vial headspace and in vivo analyses, similar results were obtained with both techniques, revealing no competition phenomena. This study highlighted the equivalent performances of APCI‐MS and PTR‐MS for in vitro and in vivo flavour release investigations and provided useful data on the problematic use of sample bags for headspace analyses. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tandem CH Activation/Arylation Catalyzed by Low‐Valent Iron Complexes with Bisiminopyridine Ligands

Tandem C?H activation/arylation between unactivated arenes and aryl halides catalyzed by iron complexes that bear redox‐active non‐innocent bisiminopyridine ligands is reported. Similar reactions catalyzed by first‐row transition metals have been shown to involve substrate‐based aryl radicals, whereas our catalytic system likely involves ligand‐centered radicals. Preliminary mechanistic investigations based on spectroscopic and reactivity studies, in conjunction with DFT calculations, led us to propose that the reaction could proceed through an inner‐sphere C?H activation pathway, which is rarely observed in the case of iron complexes. This bielectronic noble‐metal‐like behavior could be sustained by the redox‐active non‐innocent bisiminopyridine ligands.     

Simple but Precise Engineering of Functional Nanocapsules through Nanoprecipitation

A general, rapid, and undemanding method to generate at will functional oil‐filled nanocapsules through nanoprecipitation is reported. On the basis of polymer and hexadecane/water/acetone phase diagrams, the composition can be set so that polymer chains preferentially stick at the interface of the oil droplets to create nanocapsules. The nanocapsules can be decorated with biorelevant molecules (biotin, fluorescent tags, metal nanoparticles) within the shell and loaded with hydrophobic molecules in a simple one‐pot procedure.     

A Highly Effective Ruthenium System for the Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Cyclization of Amine–Boranes to Cyclic Boranes under Mild Conditions

We recently disclosed a new ruthenium‐catalyzed dehydrogenative cyclization process (CDC) of diamine–monoboranes leading to cyclic diaminoboranes. In the present study, the CDC reaction has been successfully extended to a larger number of diamine–monoboranes ( 4 – 7 ) and to one amine–borane alcohol precursor ( 8 ). The corresponding NB(H)N‐ and NB(H)O‐containing cyclic diaminoboranes ( 12 – 15 ) and oxazaborolidine ( 16 ) were obtained in good to high yields. Multiple substitution patterns on the starting amine–borane substrates were evaluated and the reaction was also performed with chiral substrates. Efforts have been spent to understand the mechanism of the ruthenium CDC process. In addition to a computational approach, a strategy enabling the kinetic discrimination on successive events of the catalytic process leading to the formation of the NB(H)N linkage was performed on the six‐carbon chain diamine–monoborane 21 and completed with a ¹⁵N NMR study. The long‐life bis‐σ‐borane ruthenium intermediate 23 possessing a reactive NHMe ending was characterized in situ and proved to catalyze the dehydrogenative cyclization of 1 , ascertaining that bis σ‐borane ruthenium complexes are key intermediates in the CDC process.     

Preparation and characterization of vanadium oxide deposited on thermally stable mesoporous titania

Vanadium oxide was deposited on mesoporous titania by the molecular designed dispersion method to investigate the potential properties of these catalysts. Mesoporous titania was synthesized following the evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method with a subsequent treatment with ammonia to increase the thermal stability. As a result, the mesoporous titania obtained shows a high surface area (approximately 350 m2/g) and high stability. Vanadium oxide was deposited by the MDD method using a vanadyl acetylacetonate complex that was transformed into VOx after a controlled calcination in air flow at 300 degrees C. The mesostructure and porosity characteristics of titania remain even until the maximum V-loading was reached (0.4 mmol/g), as it was shown by N2 sorption measurements at -196 degrees C. The catalysts were characterized by chemical analysis, Fourier transform infrared-photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS), UV-vis diffuse reflectance (DR), and Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectra showed isolated V species for the different V-containing catalysts. Furthermore, UV-vis-DR revealed a higher contribution of polymeric species as the V loading increases. The VOx/mesoporous titania catalysts were highly active in the selective catalytic reduction of NOx. A high activity in the NO conversion was observed, which increases with increasing metal loading.     

Structural characterisation of a sol-gel copolymer synthesised from aliphatic and aromatic alkoxysilanes using 29Si-NMR spectroscopy

A hybrid organic-inorganic material was prepared from the hydrolytic co-condensation of 3-trimethoxysilylpropylmethacrylate (MAPTMS) and diphenyldiethoxysilane (DPHDES). The synthesis was performed in three steps: (1) MAPTMS pre-hydrolysis, (2) addition of DPHDES, and (3) further hydrolysis of the obtained mixture. ²⁹Si nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to characterise the structural evolution of the mineral network during the synthesis. It revealed the catalytic effect of DPHDES on the condensation reaction of silanol groups, initially observed for pre-hydrolysed MAPTMS. In addition, it was clearly demonstrated that the formation of the highest condensed species of the aromatic oligomers (D₂ species) occurred only in the presence of aliphatic oligomers, which decrease the sterical hindrance about the silicon nuclei.     

Phosphinoborane and Sulfidoborohydride as Chelating Ligands in Polyhydride Ruthenium Complexes: Agostic σ‐Borane versus Dihydroborate Coordination

A question of coordination mode : Two new borane compounds are prepared. They act as bifunctional ligands as illustrated by their reaction with ruthenium polyhydrides which leads to the formation of two complexes (see scheme) displaying either a δ‐agostic interaction of a η²‐B? H bond involving a trivalent boron atom or a dihydroborate ligation.

     

Structure and magnetic properties of oxychalcogenides A2F2Fe2OQ2 (A = Sr, Ba; Q = S, Se) with Fe2O square planar layers representing an antiferromagnetic checkerboard spin lattice

The oxychalcogenides A2F2Fe2OQ2 (A = Sr, Ba; Q = S, Se), which contain Fe2O square planar layers of the anti-CuO2 type, were predicted using a modular assembly of layered secondary building units and subsequently synthesized. The physical properties of these compounds were characterized using magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, specific heat, (57)Fe Mossbauer, and powder neutron diffraction measurements and also by estimating their exchange interactions on the basis of first-principles density functional theory electronic structure calculations. These compounds are magnetic semiconductors that undergo a long-range antiferromagnetic ordering below 83.6-106.2 K, and their magnetic properties are well-described by a two-dimensional Ising model. The dominant antiferromagnetic spin exchange interaction between S = 2 Fe(2+) ions occurs through corner-sharing Fe-O-Fe bridges. Moreover, the calculated spin exchange interactions show that the A2F2Fe2OQ2 (A = Sr, Ba; Q = S, Se) compounds represent a rare example of a frustrated antiferromagnetic checkerboard lattice.     

Interaction between water-soluble peptidic CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals and membranes: formation of hybrid vesicles and condensed lamellar phases

Due to their tunable optical properties and their well-defined nanometric size, core/shell nanocrystals (quantum dots, QDs) are extensively used for the design of biomarkers as well as for the preparation of nanostructured hybrid materials. It is thus of great interest to understand their interaction with soft lipidic membranes. Here we present the synthesis of water-soluble peptide CdSe/ZnS QDs and their interaction with the fluid lipidic membrane of vesicles. The use of short peptides results in the formation of small QDs presenting both high fluorescence quantum yield and high colloidal stability as well as a mean hydrodynamical diameter of 10 nm. Their interaction with oppositely charged vesicles of various surface charge and size results in the formation of hybrid giant or large unilamellar vesicles covered with a densely packed layer of QDs without any vesicle rupture, as demonstrated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments, zetametry, and optical microscopy. The adhesion of nanocrystals onto the vesicle membrane appears to be sterically limited and induces the reversion of the surface charge of the vesicles. Therefore, their interaction with small unilamellar vesicles induces the formation of a well-defined lamellar hybrid condensed phase in which the QDs are densely packed in the plane of the layers, as shown by freeze-fracture electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. In this structure, strong undulations of the bilayer maximize the electrostatic interaction between the QDs and the bilayers, as previously observed in the case of DNA polyelectrolytes interacting with small vesicles.     

Quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical study of mechanisms of heme degradation by the enzyme heme oxygenase: the strategic function of the water cluster

Heme degradation by heme oxygenase (HO) enzymes is important in maintaining iron homeostasis and prevention of oxidative stress, etc. In response to mechanistic uncertainties, we performed quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical investigations of the heme hydroxylation by HO, in the native route and with the oxygen surrogate donor H2O2. It is demonstrated that H2O2 cannot be deprotonated to yield Fe(III)OOH, and hence the surrogate reaction starts from the FeHOOH complex. The calculations show that, when starting from either Fe(III)OOH or Fe(III)HOOH, the fully concerted mechanism involving O-O bond breakage and O-C(meso) bond formation is highly disfavored. The low-energy mechanism involves a nonsynchronous, effectively concerted pathway, in which the active species undergoes first O-O bond homolysis followed by a barrier-free (small with Fe(III)HOOH) hydroxyl radical attack on the meso position of the porphyrin. During the reaction of Fe(III)HOOH, formation of the Por+*FeIV=O species, compound I, competes with heme hydroxylation, thereby reducing the efficiency of the surrogate route. All these conclusions are in accord with experimental findings (Chu, G. C.; Katakura, K.; Zhang, X.; Yoshida, T.; Ikeda-Saito, M. J. Biol. Chem. 1999, 274, 21319). The study highlights the role of the water cluster in the distal pocket in creating "function" for the enzyme; this cluster affects the O-O cleavage and the O-Cmeso formation, but more so it is responsible for the orientation of the hydroxyl radical and for the observed alpha-meso regioselectivity of hydroxylation (Ortiz de Montellano, P. R. Acc. Chem. Res. 1998, 31, 543). Differences/similarities with P450 and HRP are discussed.