An unknown coordination mode of the phosphite unit and a carbon-free heterocycle in two different heterobimetallic alumophosphites

The unique alumophosphite reagent LAl(SH)(mu-O)P(OEt)2 was prepared and used for the synthesis of the heterobimetallic alumophosphites [{kappa2-S,P-LAl(S)(mu-O)P(OEt)2}2Zn] and [{kappa4-S,O,O-LAl(SLi)(mu-O)P(OEt)2}2]. The first contains a rare example of two carbon-free five-membered heterocycles (Al-S-Zn-P-O) connected in a spiro fashion through the zinc atom, whereas the second possesses an unknown example of a coordination environment of a phosphite unit M-O-P(mu-OEt)2M with an uncoordinated lone electron pair on the phosphorus center.     

Metadynamics in essential coordinates: free energy simulation of conformational changes

We propose an approach that combines an extraction of collective motions of a molecular system with a sampling of its free energy surface. A recently introduced method of metadynamics allows exploration of the free energy surface of a molecular system by means of coarse-grained dynamics with flooding of free energy minima. This free energy surface is defined as a function of a set of collective variables (e.g., interatomic distances, angles, torsions, and others). In this study, essential coordinates determined by essential dynamics (principle component analysis) were used as collective variables in metadynamics. First, dynamics of the model system (explicitly solvated alanine dipeptide, Ace-Ala-Nme) was simulated by a classical molecular dynamics simulation. The trajectory (1 ns) was then analyzed by essential dynamics to obtain essential coordinates. The free energy surface as a function of the first and second essential coordinates was then explored by metadynamics. The resulting free energy surface is in agreement with other studies of this system. We propose that a combination of these two methods (metadynamics and essential dynamics) has great potential in studies of conformational changes in peptides and proteins.     

Unusual In2N4 cores in complexes containing triazole-based chalcogen-phosphoranyl ligands

The 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphoranyl)-1,2,3-triazole [4,5-(P(E)Ph2)2tz] derivatives of indium {kappa3-N,N',E-[4,5-(P(E)Ph2)2(mu-tz)]InMe2}2 (E = O2, S3, Se4) were prepared in good yield. In addition, compound 5 (E = O, E' = Se) was obtained from 4 through the replacement of a selenium atom in the P-Se(In) moiety by an oxygen atom, giving the mixed-chalcogen complex. The crystal structures of 2 and 5 exhibit a central C4In2N6O2P4core with an almost planar arrangement (mean deviation = 0.019 and 0.042 A for 2 and 0.100 A for 5), while the C4In2N6S2P4 core in 3 is nonplanar (mean deviation = 0.223 A).     

Novel approaches to analysis of 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol esters in vegetable oils

A sensitive and accurate method utilizing ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (U-HPLC) coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry based on orbitrap technology (orbitrapMS) for the analysis of nine 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) diesters in vegetable oils was developed. To remove the interfering triacylglycerols that induce strong matrix effects, a clean-up step on silica gel column was used. The quantitative analysis was performed with the use of deuterium-labeled internal standards. The lowest calibration levels estimated for the respective analytes ranged from 2 to 5 μg kg⁻¹. Good recovery values (89–120%) and repeatability (RSD 5–9%) was obtained at spiking levels of 2 and 10 mg kg⁻¹. As an alternative, a novel ambient desorption ionization technique, direct analysis in real time (DART), hyphenated with orbitrapMS, was employed for no separation, high-throughput, semi-quantitative screening of 3-MCPD diesters in samples obtained by chromatographic fractionation. Additionally, the levels of 3-MCPD diesters measured in real-life vegetable oil samples (palm oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil) using both methods are reported. Relatively good agreement of the data generated by U-HPLC-orbitrapMS and DART-orbitrapMS were observed. With regard to a low ionization yield achieved for 3-MCPD monoesters, the methods presented in this paper were not yet applicable for the analysis of these contaminants at the naturally occurring levels.     

In vitro inhibitory activity of essential oil vapors against Ascosphaera apis

This work evaluates the in vitro inhibitory activity of 70 essential oils (EOs) in the vapor phase for the control of Chalkbrood disease caused by Ascosphaera apis Maassen ex Claussen (Olive et Spiltoir). Two wild strains isolated from infected honey bee colonies together with one standard collection strain were tested by the microatmosphere method. From 70 EOs, 39 exhibited an antifungal effect against A. apis standard and wild strains. The greatest antifungal action was observed for EO vapors from Armoracia rusticana, followed by Thymus vulgaris, Cymbopogon flexosus, Origanum vulgare and Allium sativum. An investigation of chemical composition by GC-MS revealed, that the most active EOs contained allyl isothiocyanate, citral, carvacrol and diallyl sulfides as the main constituents. The chemical composition plays a key role, as activities of different EOs from the same botanical species were different according to their composition.     

Immunoextraction of zinc proteins from human plasma using chicken yolk antibodies immobilized onto paramagnetic particles and their electrophoretic analysis

Zinc(II) as the only transition metal lacking redox activity is an essential part of approximately 10% proteins as a cofactor of these proteins. Considering the fact that there are numerous zinc(II) containing proteins, proteomics and metallomics studies aimed on them require accurate methods for preparation of real biological samples prior to their subsequent analysis using 2DE and MS. For this purpose, we suggested a new method based on chicken anti-zinc antibodies and magnetizable particles. Antibodies were covalently immobilized to the surface of paramagnetic beads activated with tosyl group. Binding of the antibody to the beads was confirmed by secondary anti-chicken antibody conjugated with horseradish peroxidase. The immunoextraction conditions, such as concentration of the beads (6-18 μg/mL of the sample), time of immunoextraction (6-34 min), pH and composition of the elution buffer, and time of extraction (48-300 s) were optimized. Subsequently, zinc proteins were extracted from human plasma and total concentration of zinc was monitored by electrochemical detection in the extracts. Under optimal conditions it was possible to monitor the proteins and zinc removal from the sample by chip CE, SDS-PAGE, and indirectly using electrochemistry.     

Core level binding energy shifts of K and Cs adlayers on Ru(001)

Using synchrotron radiation from the VUV ring at NSLS and vacuum ultraviolet radiation from a HeI resonance lamp, we have recorded high resolution photoemission spectra of K and Cs overlayers on Ru(001). It is found that for “thin” multilayer coverages ( 3 ML) the K3p and Cs5p core levels exhibit three sets of core levels which can be assigned to interface, “bulkrd and surface emission in increasing binding energy. The results are discussed in terms of the nature of electronic interaction and a thermodynamic model. The K3p core level spin-orbit splitting is also resolved in these measurements for K in the condensed phase, for the first time with photoemission spectroscopy.     

Synergistic interactions in three-center metal---metal bonding. Cu---Zn on Ru(0001)

Cu and Zn alloy when co-adsorbed on top of Ru(0001). The properties of these alloy films have been examined using thermal desorption mass spectroscopy, core-level photoemission, and CO chemisorption. For submonolayer coverages of Cu and Zn, the interaction among the Ru---Zn, Ru---Cu and Zn---Cu bonds produces a system that has electronic and chemical properties significantly different from those of Cu/Ru(0001), Zn/Ru(0001) and thick copper zinc alloys. Two-dimensional copper zinc alloys supported on Ru(0001) show Zn---Ru and Zn---Cu bonds more stable than the corresponding bonds in Zn/Ru(0001) or thick CuZn alloys. We propose that this phenomenon is caused by synergistic interactions in three-center metal---metal bonding.