Analysis of natural flavonoids by microchip-micellar electrokinetic chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection

Catechins (catechin and other derivatives) are naturally occurring flavonoids present in a number of plants and foods. They are also part of numerous nutraceutical formulations because they are believed to have antioxidant, cancer chemo-preventative, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. The determination of catechins has traditionally been performed by HPLC. However, this methodology is both time and sample intensive and generates large amounts of organic solvent waste. In the current report, an application of MEKC using a PDMS microchip is presented for the analysis of catechins. The system uses pulsed amperometric detection for direct analysis of important naturally occurring catechins. The effect of pH, surfactant concentration, detection potential and signal stability were analyzed. Linear relationships were found between the concentration and peak current, with good stability and limits of detection of 8 [micro sign]M for catechin, epigallocatechin gallate and epicatechin, and 14 [micro sign]M for epicatechin gallate. Optimum conditions were applied to the detection of selected catechins in a commercially available green tea extract nutraceutical and the results were compared to HPLC analysis. The analysis using microchip micellar electrokinetic chromatography and pulsed amperometric detection was completed in 4.5 min, 10 times faster than the HPLC analysis.     

Darstellung und Struktur von Ag2C4O4

Preparation and Structure of Ag₂C₄O₄ Ag₂C₄O₄ occurs in a yellow and a colourless modification. Both forms decompose to metallic silver upon heating. Ag⁺ is coordinated in two different fashions in the yellow Ag₂C₄O₄. Ag(1) shows distorted tetrahedral coordination, Ag(2) is coordinated in an unusual distorted square planar manner. The connection of Ag⁺ and C₄O₄^2? leads to a complicated three-dimensional framework. C₄O₄^2? is planar with C? O and C? C bonds lengths typical of complete delocalization of the π-electron system.     

Fine structure and hyperfine structure in the excited configuration 5p 26s of the antimony I spectrum

By optical interference and VUV spectroscopy the doublet system of SbI 5p ²6s was investigated, so that now the hyperfinestructure of all 8 levels of 5p ²6s (A- andB-splitting constants) are known. From the analysis we receive a spin-orbit parameter ζ_5p =3,538(57) cm^?1 and from the hyperfine-analysis single electron splitting constantsa _5p ⁰¹ =52.4(4.6),a _5p ¹⁰ =?1.6(7.3),a _5p ¹² =72.3(2.3),a _6s ¹⁰ =91.7(4.1),b _5p ⁰² =?49.6(1.1) andb _5p ¹¹ =30.4(3.2) (all values in mK). For all calculations in the fs- and hfs-analysis the 5p ²6s ² D _3/2 has to be excluded (see discussion). With the figures given above the quadrupole moment¹²¹ Q(5p ²6s)=?0.44(3) barn was obtained. It is in good agreement with the¹²¹ Q(5p ³). For the core-polarization by the 5p electron in the innerfieldns-shells (n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and the unpaired 6s electron a field of +500(300) kG was obtained.     

Orientation of nonionic surfactants on solid surfaces: n-alkyl polyglycol ethers on montmorillonite

Summary Complexes of nonionic surfactantsR-(OCH₂CH₂)x OH with montmorillonite have been studied (R =n-hexadecyl,n-octadecyl and oleyl ;x=2, 10 and 20).On internal surfaces the surfactant molecules are arranged in bilayers. Withx=2 the alkyl chain and about one half of the polar group, (-R OCH₂CH₂O-) stand perpendicularly whereas the terminal —CH₂CH₂OH group is attached to the silicate surface (₁-phase). The bilayer thickness decreases stepwise with rising temperature due to the formation of kinks (i-phases). At higher temperature (52 °C withR=C₁₈H₃₇-, 43°C withR=n-C₁₆H₃₃-, and 12 °C withR = oleyl-) surfactant molecules are squeezed out of the interlayer space reversibly, the packing density decreases, the whole polar head group gets attached to the silicate surface and the alkyl chains rearrange into a gauche-block structure. This structure undergoes further structural changes at still higher temperatures ( _i -phases).The complexes withx =10 and 20 form -phases even at room temperature. These -phases take up long chain alkanol molecules under formation of -structures which rearrange at higher temperatures into -phases. Long-chain impurities of the surfactants can be intercalated in a similar way.Previous data indicating mono- or bilayers of flatly lying surfactant molecules refer to metastable phases due to steric hindrances of lattice expansion.It is proposed that the surfactant molecules build up similar films on the external surfaces, which can adopt - or -structures depending upon number of ethylene oxide groups and temperature. The films of hexadecyl polyglycol ethers for instance are about 27 Å thick in the -phases and about 17 Å in the a-phases.

---

Zusammenfassung Es wurden Montmorillonitkomplexe mit nichtionogenen TensidenR(-OCH₂CH₂) _x ,OH (R =n-hexadecyl-,n-octadecyl- und oleyl-;x = 2, 10 and 20) hergestellt. Die Tensidmoleküle bilden zwischen den Silicatschichten bimolekulare Filme.Mitx=2 sind die hydrophoben Reste und die anschließende -OCH₂CH₂-Äthergruppe bei niedriger Temperatur gestreckt und senkrecht zu den Silicatschichten orientiert ( _i -Phase); nur die endständige HOCH₂CH₂-Gruppe sitzt direkt auf der Silicatschicht auf. Beim Erwärmen erniedrigt sich die Dicke der bimolekularen Tensidschicht stufenweise durch den Einbau von Kinken ( _i -Phasen). Bei höheren Temperaturen (52°C mitR =C₁₈H₃₇-, 43 °C mitR =C₁₆H_33- und 12 °C mitR = oleyl) werden Tensidmoleküle reversibel aus den Schichtzwischenräumen verdrängt, die Packungsdichte erniedrigt sich, die gesamte polare Gruppe kommt in direkten Kontakt mit der Silicatschicht und die Alkylketten ordnen sich in eine Gaucheblockstruktur ( _i -Phase). Diese kann bei noch höheren Temperaturen weitere Phasenumwandlungen erleiden.Mitx =10 undx = 20 werden auch bei Zimmertemperatur nur -Phasen gebildet. Diese -Phasen können zusätzlich langkettige Alkanolmoleküle aufnehmen und ternäre Komplexe mit -Struktur bilden, die sich beim Erhitzen reversibel in -Formen umwandeln. Langkettige polare Verunreinigungen in den Tensiden wirken ähnlich wie die Alkanolmoleküle.An den äußeren Oberflächen werden die Tensidmoleküle gleichartige Filme mit - oder -Struktur bilden, je nach der Zahl der -CH₂CH₂O-Gruppen und der Temperatur. Ein Film aus Hexadecylpolyglykoläthern wird etwa 27 Å dick sein in der -Phase und etwa 17 Å in der -Form.

     

The structure of small penta-twinned gold particles

The structural feathers of penta-twinned gold particles (size between 2 and 6 nm) generated by gas evaporation have been investigated by high resolution TEM. The structural characteristic of penta-twinned particles is different from that of quasi-crystals that the five coherent or incoherent twin boundaries separating the twin oriented segments do not join up along a common edge. The lattice parameter is reduced by 4–5% in comparison to that of bulk gold. The formation of the penta-twinned particles is proposed to occur by particle collision. The particles were observed to be crystalline at ambient temperature.     

“Anti-electrostatic” halogen bonding in solution

Halogen-bonded (XB) complexes between halide anions and a cyclopropenylium-based anionic XB donor were characterized in solution for the first time. Spontaneous formation of such complexes confirms that halogen bonding is sufficiently strong to overcome electrostatic repulsion between two anions. The formation constants of such “anti-electrostatic” associations are comparable to those formed by halides with neutral halogenated electrophiles. However, while the latter usually show charge-transfer absorption bands, the UV-Vis spectra of the anion–anion complexes examined herein are determined by the electronic excitations within the XB donor. The identification of XB anion–anion complexes substantially extends the range of the feasible XB systems, and it provides vital information for the discussion of the nature of this interaction.

Spontaneous formation of “anti-electrostatic” complexes in solution demonstrates that halogen bonding can be sufficiently strong to overcome anion–anion repulsion when the latter is attenuated by the polar medium.

Halogen bonding (XB) is an attractive interaction between a Lewis base (LB) and a halogenated compound, exhibiting an electrophilic region on the halogen atom.¹ It is most commonly related to electrostatic interaction between an electron-rich species (XB acceptor) and an area of positive electrostatic potential (σ-holes) on the surface of the halogen substituent in the electrophilic molecule (XB donor).² Provided that mutual polarization of the interacting species is taken into account, the σ-hole model explains geometric features and the variation of stabilities of XB associations, especially in the series of relatively weak complexes.³ Based on the definition of halogen bonding and its electrostatic interpretation, this interaction is expected to involve either cationic or neutral XB donors. Electrostatic interaction of anionic halogenated species with electron-rich XB acceptors, however, seems to be repulsive, especially if the latter are also anionic. Yet, computational analyses predicted that halogen bonding between ions of like charges, called “anti-electrostatic” halogen bonding (AEXB),⁴ can possibly be formed^5–12 and the first examples of AEXB complexes formed by different anions, i.e. halide anions and the anionic iodinated bis(dicyanomethylene)cyclopropanide derivatives 1 (see Scheme 1) or the anionic tetraiodo-p-benzoquinone radical, were characterized recently in the solid state.^13,14 The identification of such complexes substantially extends the range of feasible XB systems, and it provides vital information for the discussion of the nature of this interaction. Computational results, however, significantly depend on the used methods and applied media (gas phase vs. polar environment and solvation models) and the solid state arrangements of the XB species might be affected by crystal forces and/or counterions. Unambiguous confirmation of the stability of the halogen-bonded anion–anion complexes and verification of their thermodynamic characteristics thus requires experimental characterization of the spontaneous formation of such associations in solution. Still, while the solution-phase complexes formed by hydrogen bonding between two anionic species were reported previously,^15–17 there is currently no example of “anti-electrostatic” XB in solution.Open in a separate windowScheme 1Structures of the XB donor 1 and its hydrogen-substituted analogue 2.To examine halogen bonding between two anions in solution, we turn to the interaction between halides and 1,2-bis(dicyanomethylene)-3-iodo-cyclopropanide 1 (Scheme 1).^‡ Even though this compound features a cationic cyclopropenylium core, it is overall anionic, and calculations have demonstrated that its electrostatic potential is universally negative across its entire surface.¹³ The solution of 1 (with tris(dimethylamino)cyclopropenium (TDA) as counterion) in acetonitrile is characterized by an absorption band at 288 nm with ε = 2.3 × 10⁴ M⁻¹ cm⁻¹ (Fig. 1). As LB, we first applied iodide anions taken as a salt with n-tetrabutylammonium counter-ion, Bu₄NI. This salt does not show absorption bands above 290 nm, but its addition to a solution of 1 led to a rise of absorption in the 290–350 nm range (Fig. 1). Subtraction of the absorption of the individual components from that of their mixture produced a differential spectrum which shows a maximum at about 301 nm (insert in Fig. 1). At constant concentration of the XB donor (1) and constant ionic strength, the intensity of the absorption in the range of 280–300 nm (and hence differential absorbance, ΔAbs) rises with increasing iodide concentration (Fig. S1 in the ESI^†). This suggests that the interaction of iodide with 1 results in the formation of the [1, I⁻]-complex which shows a higher absorptivity in this spectral range (eqn (1)):1 + X⁻ ⇌ [1, X⁻]1Open in a separate windowFig. 1Spectra of acetonitrile solutions with constant concentration of 1 (0.60 mM) and various concentrations of Bu₄NI (6.0, 13, 32, 49, 75, 115 and 250 mM, solid lines from the bottom to the top). The dashed lines show spectra of the individual solutions 1 (c = 0.60 mM, red line) and Bu₄NI (c = 250 mM, blue line). The ionic strength was maintained using Bu₄NPF₆. Insert: Differential spectra of the solutions obtained by subtraction of the absorption of the individual components from the spectra of their corresponding mixtures.To clarify the mode of interaction between 1 and iodide in the complex, we also performed analogous measurements with the hydrogen-substituted compound 2 (see Scheme 1). The addition of iodide to a solution of 2 in acetonitrile did not increase the absorption in the 280–300 nm spectral range. Instead, some decrease of the absorption band intensity of 2 with the increase of concentration of I⁻ anions was observed (Fig. S2 in the ESI^†). Such changes are related to a blue shift of this band resulting from the hydrogen bonding between 2 and iodide (formation of hydrogen-bonded [2, I⁻] complex is corroborated by the observation of the small shift of the NMR signal of the proton of 2 to the higher ppm values in the presence of I⁻ anions, see Fig. S3 in the ESI^†).^§ Furthermore, since H-compound 2 should be at least as suitable as XB donor 1 to form anion–π complexes with the halide, this finding (as well as solid-state and computational data^¶) rules out that any increase in absorption in this region observed with the I-compound 1 may be due to this alternative interaction.Likewise, the addition of NBu₄I to a solution of TDA cations taken as a salt with Cl⁻ anions did not result in an increase in the relevant region. Hence, we could also rule out anion–π interactions with the TDA counter-ions as source of the observed changes, which is in line with previous reports on the electron-rich nature of TDA.¹⁸All these observations (supported by the computational analysis, vide infra) indicate that the [1, I⁻] complex (eqn (1)) is formed via halogen bonding of I⁻ with iodine substituents in 1. The changes in the intensities of the differential absorption ΔAbs as a function of the iodide concentration (with constant concentration of XB donor (1) as well as constant ionic strength) are well-modelled by the 1 : 1 binding isotherm (Fig. S1 in the ESI^†). The fit of the absorption data produced a formation constant of K = 15 M⁻¹ for the [1, I⁻] complex (Table 1).^|| The overlap with the absorption of the individual XB donor hindered the accurate evaluation of the position and intensity of the absorption band of the corresponding complex which is formed upon LB-addition to 1. As such, the values of Δλ_max shown in Table 1 represent a wavelength of the largest difference in the absorptivity of the [1, I⁻] complex and individual anion 1, and Δε reflects the difference of their absorptivity at this point (see the ESI^† for the details of calculations).Equilibrium constants and spectral characteristics of the complexes of 1 with halide anions X⁻

A Role for Ion Association and Polymer Elasticity in Bioenergetics

This paper interprets some of the complex energy transducing reactions of lipoprotein biochemical membranes in terms of macromolecular science. The processes considered involve ion (or electron)-exchange membrane reactions. Dilation of the membrane through osmosis and electrostatic repulsion at the exchange sites are opposed by a contraction which is postulated to arise from the presence of rubber like lipid bilayers. A change in the elasticity of the membrane alters the dilation-contraction equilibrium and modifies the ion interaction energies at the exchange sites. The elasticity is regulated by swelling interactions of the bilipids with control substances and, in some systems, by reversible cross-linking reactions. The latter can involve thioester cross-links, formed in reversible reactions with ATP, or various types of salt-links formed in association with ion concentration gradients across the membrane. Energized formation of the cross-links can oppose the dilation and change the ion selectivities reversibly. Such systems can therefore transfer energy reversibly between participants in the contractile and dilatory processes.

Such a concept can explain the operation of some membrane pumps, oxidative phosphorylation, action potentials, and some sensory receptors.     

Ultrathin functional films of titanium(IV) oxide

Chemistry and physics of thin semiconducting layers of various types are subjects of intense research. Especially when nanotechnology methods such as self-assembly are involved, amazing structural and/or functional properties may appear. Also modern physical methods using variously organized plasma arrangements are able to produce uniform structures with distinctive functionality. In this review, based virtually on our own work, discussions on the preparation, structure, morphology, and function of titanium(IV) oxide nanoscopic thin films are presented. It was shown that structurally and functionally similar titanium(IV) oxide films can be prepared via completely different preparation techniques. Function tests were arranged as “primary”, covering the assessment of the light induced charge separation efficiency, and “secondary”, based on photocatalytic surface oxidations.