An unexpected two-group migration involving a sulfonynamide to nitrile rearrangement. Mechanistic studies of a thermal N --> C tosyl rearrangement

We report the discovery of the first double-barreled thermal rearrangement of a sulfonynamide and a methoxybenzyl to a nitrile and the first rearrangement of an SO(2) group from sulfonamide to ketoimine. The rearrangement occurs under surprisingly mild conditions (onset at 100 degrees C in the melt). [reaction: see text]     

Reconstitution of a new cysteine biosynthetic pathway in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A new pathway for cysteine biosynthesis has been elucidated in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This pathway involves a protein-bound thiocarboxylate (CysO-SH) as the sulfide donor, similar to thiamin biosynthesis. Cysteine synthase M (CysM) catalyzes the addition of cysteine to the carboxy terminus of the protein-bound thiocarboxylate to generate a CysO-cysteine adduct. A protease, Mec+, hydrolyzes the CysO-cysteine adduct to release cysteine and regenerate CysO. Mec+ contains a JAMM motif, and this work provides the first functional characterization of the JAMM motif in prokaryotes. MoeZ, a paralogue of ThiF, has been shown to transfer sulfur onto CysO.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (E)-trisubstituted alpha,beta-unsaturated amides and acids

Potassium alkoxides of N-acyl-oxazolidin-2-one-syn-aldols undergo stereoselective elimination reactions to afford a range of trisubstituted (E)-alpha,beta-unsaturated amides in >95% de, that may be subsequently converted into their corresponding (E)-alpha,beta-unsaturated acids or (E)-alpha,beta-unsaturated oxazolines in good yield. syn-Aldols derived from alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes gave their corresponding trisubstituted (E)-alpha,beta-unsaturated-amides with poorer levels of diastereocontrol, whilst there was a similar loss in (E)-selectivity during elimination of syn-aldols derived from chiral aldehydes. These elimination reactions proceed via rearrangement of the potassium alkoxide of the syn-aldol to a 1,3-oxazinane-2,4-dione enolate intermediate that subsequently eliminates carbon dioxide to afford a trisubstituted (E)-alpha,beta-unsaturated amide. The (E)-selectivity observed during the E1cB-type elimination step has been rationalised using a simple conformational model that employs a chair-like transition state to explain the observed stereocontrol.     

Nickel Hexacyanoferrate‐Based Sensor Electrode for the Detection of Nitric Oxide at Low Potentials

Recently transition metal hexacyanoferrates, analogues of Prussian Blue, have found application in electroanalysis for the detection of biologically relevant species. Our study describes the development of a novel electrode based on nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) for the sensorial NO determination. A NiHCF layer was deposited on platinum by cyclic voltammetry in a solution of nickel (II) chloride and potassium hexacyanoferrate (III). The electrode was found to be active for NO reduction. The interaction with the radical was studied voltammetrically within the range from 0 V up to +0.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl/1 M KCl. The most appropriate potential for an amperometric detection was determined to be +0.25 V due to the advantageous signal/noise ratio. The sensitivity of the electrodes was found to be 2.0–2.3 A M^?1 cm^?2. The sensor response of the most important interferents for NO analysis, hydrogen peroxide, ascorbic acid and nitrite, was measured and determined to be sufficiently low.     

Quantitative analysis of fluid inclusions in evaporites by ion chromatography

Natural salt minerals often contain inclusions of saturated salt solutions with diameters from 1 to> 100 μm. With the quantification of the composition of the fluid inclusions, the origin and metamorphism of the salt rocks can be interpreted. Hence, these data are important concerning the long-term safety of underground repositories in salt rocks [1]. For the extraction of the solutions in fluid inclusions with diameters 300 μm, an optical precision instrument was developed. For the simultaneous determination of Cl⁻, Br⁻, SO₄²⁻, Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ two ion chromatographic systems with conductivity detection for cations and anions and additional photometric detection for Br⁻ were used. To prevent column overload, the Cl concentration must be less than 50 μg/ml in the measuring solution. The extracted samples (volumes> 0.1 μl) are diluted with demineralized water by a factor of 1 · 10⁴ (20-μl sample loops). The practical limit of determination for the measured elements is 0.01–0.3 μg/ml in the measuring solutions. By calculation of the anion and cation charge balance (molar equivalence), a relative error of <5% for the analysis of fluid inclusions was found.     

Future potential of targeted component analysis by multidimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Multidimensional liquid chromatography (MDLC) may be used in either (i) the profiling mode where it is the objective to fractionate all components in a mixture or (ii) the targeted component mode in which it is the objective to determine specific analytes. This paper focuses on targeted component analysis from complex mixtures, addressing the critical operations of analyte selection and transport from the first to the second dimension. Although the physical operation of switching a component into the second dimension with computer controlled valving is simple, it is shown that changes in analyte retention time and peak width with column age and fouling are a serious problem. The analyte moves out of the preselected time window for valve switching and quantitation is compromised in the second dimension. It is proposed that a solution to the “drifting peak” phenomenon in targeted component analysis is to use binary mobility elution in the first dimension. Binary mobility refers to those systems, such as affinity chromatography, in which analyte mobility is generally either 0 or 1 relative to mobile phase velocity. Coupling these binary changes in analyte mobility in the first dimension with valve switching eliminates the “drifting peak” phenomenon. In addition, it is shown that a wide time window may be used in affinity separations without compromising the separation or accumulating contaminants. Several cases are described in which immunosorbents were used with reversed phase columns to provide quantitative targeted component analyses from complex mixtures.     

Speciation of ionic alkyllead in grass and tree leaves

A preliminary study aimed at outlining the potential of the extraction/derivatization/gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectrometry methodology for the species-specific determination of ionic organolead compounds in grass and tree leaves is described. A pretreatment procedure based on leaching the species from the matrix using tetramethylammonium hydroxide appeared to be efficient. In grass, concentrations up to 100 ng Pb g^-1 were detected; a reliable differentiation between the amount taken up and the amount superficially adsorbed could not yet be achieved.     

SINGLET OXYGEN GENERATION BY PORPHYRINS AND THE KINETICS OF 9,10-DIMETHYLANTHRACENE PHOTOSENSITIZATION IN LIPOSOMES

Abstract— Two new sensitizers are introduced for a potential use in photodynamic therapy: Zn²⁺- and MG²⁺-tetrabenzoporphyrin (ZnTBP and MgTBP). A comparative study of the quantum yields of singlet oxygen generation (Φ_Δ) of hematoporphyrin derivative (HpD), Photofrin II (PF-II), Zn²⁺-phthalocyanine tetrahydroxyl [ZnPC(OH)₄] and the newly introduced sensitizers ZnTBP and MgTBP in liposomes, as well as the kinetics of a photochemical reaction sensitized by them, was made by employing the fluorescent membrane probe 9,10-dimethylanthracene (DMA). We followed the photosensitization of DMA in real time by monitoring its fluorescence decrease at 457 nm and found that DMA's photosensitization is oxygen mediated. The kinetic traces of the photosensitization reactions were fitted to an analytical function, and the Φ_Δ values were evaluated. At 10 μ M sensitizer in an aqueous suspension of 2 mg/mL egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC), HpD was found to have the largest value of Φ_Δ (0.215), followed by PF-II (0.191), ZnTBP (0.023), MgTBP (0.019) and ZnPC(OH)₄ (0.005). As a test of the method, Φ_Δ for methylene blue in ethanol was measured and found to be 0.45 as compared to 0.52 reported in the literature. Due to difference in the sensitizers' absorbances at the laser's wavelength, the reaction photosensitized by ZnTBP was the fastest with a time constant of 6.7 min, followed by MgTBP (8.7), PF-II (11.9), HpD (17.1) and ZnPC(OH)₄ (31.2), all at equal sensitizers' concentrations and laser intensities. The binding constants of the sensitizers to EPC liposomes are also reported.     

Absorption cross-section and related optical properties of colloidal InAs quantum dots

We report the absorption cross-section of colloidal InAs quantum dots of mean radii from 1.6 to 3.45 nm. We find excellent agreement between the measured results and calculated values based on a model of small-particle light absorption. The absorption cross-section per dot is 6.2 x 10(-16)R(3) cm(2) at 2.76 eV and 3.15 x 10(-16)R(1.28) cm(2) at the first-exciton absorption peak, with the dot radius R in nm. We find that the per-quantum-dot particle oscillator strength of the first-exciton transition is constant for all sizes studied. The radiative lifetime of the first exciton calculated from the oscillator strength increases with dot size and ranges from 4 ns for the smallest dots to 14 ns for the largest ones.