Strong Attraction of Caffeine to the Mercurous Dumbbell in the Salt [Hg2(Caf)2](ClO4)2(H2O)2

Colourless single crystals of the caffeine adduct of mercurous perchlorate dihydrate, [Hg₂(Caf)₂](ClO₄)₂(H₂O)₂, were grown from aqueous solutions of mercurous perchlorate and caffeine by isothermal evaporation at ambient temperature. The crystal structure (monoclinic, P2₁/n, Z = 4, a = 1628.0(2), b = 780.4(1), c = 2229.6(3) pm, β = 99.84(1)°, R₁(all data) = 0.0894) contains [trans‐Caf‐Hg‐Hg‐Caf]²⁺ cations with a Hg‐Hg distance of 250.88(6) pm, Hg‐N (bond) distances of 214.4(6) and 215.1(6) pm and Hg‐Hg‐N angles of 176.9(2) and 165.1(2)°, respectively. These cations are attached via weak Hg‐O contacts to dimers which are further arranged to leave large channels into which one crystal water molecule is included. The second water molecule and the two perchlorate anions are weakly attracted to one Hg atom.     

Alkylsulfamoyl Chlorides as Key Units in the Synthesis of Novel Biologically Active Compounds for Crop Protection

Due to their bifunctional character, alkylsulfamoyl chlorides are versatile units for the synthesis of heterocycles, polar sulfamates, and sulfonamides. In the last decade, synthetic methods of general preparative use have been developed, by means of which amine hydrochlorides, isocyanates, aziridines or tertiary alcohols can be reacted with suitable sulfuric acid derivatives to give novel, variously substituted alkylsulfamoyl chlorides. These compounds can subsequently be converted either to previously unobtainable N-alkoxyalkyl-N-alkylsulfamoyl chlorides or to novel heterocycles of the type 1H-2,1,3-benzothiadiazin-4-one-2,2-dioxide, 2H-1,2,6-thiadia-zin-3-one-1,1-dioxide and 2H-1,2,4,6-thiatriazin-5-one-1,1-dioxide; these compounds are examples of interesting models which illustrate the relation between the structure and the action of the compound, and in some cases lead to highly selective, ecologically unobjectionable herbicides. On the other hand, the alkylsulfamoyl chlorides themselves can be N-acylated to give further 3- to 5-atom bifunctional synthesis units, with which novel heterocyclic syntheses can be carried out. Further uses of the alkylsulfamoyl chlorides include the preparation of biologically active sulfamates, and cycloaddition reactions of N-sulfonylamines prepared in situ.     

Analysis of lipoproteins with analytical capillary isotachophoresis

An analytical free flow capillary isotachophoresis procedure, with a discontinuous electrolyte system, for the detailed analysis of lipoproteins in human body fluids has been developed. The technique is based on prestaining whole serum lipoproteins with a lipophilic dye before separation. Human serum lipoproteins are separated into 14 well-characterized subfractions according to their electrophoretic mobility. High density lipoproteins (fraction 1 to 6) are separated into three major subpopulations, the fast migrating high density lipoprotein (HDL) subpopulation, containing mainly apo AI and phosphatidylcholine, the subpopulation with intermediate mobility, consisting of particles rich in apo AII, apo E, and C apolipoproteins, and the slowly migrating HDL subfraction, containing mainly particles rich in apo AI, apo AIV, and lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity. The apo B containing lipoproteins (fraction 7 to 14) can be subdivided into four major functional groups. The first represents chylomicron derived particles and large triglyceride-rich very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). The second group consists of small VLDL and intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL) particles, anf the third and fourth group represent the low density lipoproteins. The isotachophoretic analysis of human serum samples obtained from patients with hyperlipoproteinemias is compatible with the classification according to the Frederickson phenotypes and reflects the respective biochemical abnormalities. Furthermore, several genetic disorders of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism like HDL deficiency syndromes, familial LCAT deficiency, Fish eye disease, hypobetalipoproteinemia and abetalipoproteinemia can be well characterized by analytical capillary iso tachophoresis. In addition to patient analysis we investigated the influence of lipid lowering drugs on the lipoprotein subfraction distribution during therapy with analytical capillary isotachophoresis.     

A metric on the manifold of immersions and its Riemannian curvature

E. Binz [1] considered two canonical Riemannian metrics on the space of embeddings of a closed (n–1) dimensional manifold into ⁿ , and computed the geodesic sprays. Here we consider the space of immersions Imm (M, N) whereM is without boundary, and we compute the covariant derivative (in the form of its connector) and the Riemannian curvature of one of these metrics, the non trivial one. The setting is close to that used byP. Michor [2], and we refer the reader to this paper for notation.     

Transport properties of LaCu2Si2 and CeCu2Si2 between 1.5K and 300K

We report measurements of the electrical resistivity, the thermal conductivityk and the thermoelectric powerS between 1.5K and 300K on the anomalous CeCu₂Si₂ compound and on LaCu₂Si₂ as reference compound. For LaCu₂Si₂ the temperature dependences of andS are in accord with those found in otherd band metals. For CeCu₂Si₂ the observed resistivity (220 µ cm at 200K) leads to a very short electronic mean free path which is of the order of the Ce-Ce spacing. Correspondingly,k is almost identical with the phonon contributionk _p . Below 20K, resistivity and thermoelectric power strongly suggest Fermi liquid behavior with a degeneracy temperature between 20K and 40K. Above 200K, both andS decrease proportionally to –ln(T/1 K).Work performed within the research program of the Sonderforschungsbereich 125 Aachen/Jülich/KölnPart of this work will be presented at the Int. Conf. on Rare Earths in the Metallic State, St. Pierre de Chartreuse, Sept. 1978     

Determination of Aroma Compounds from Alcoholic Beverages in Spiked Blood Samples by Means of Dynamic Headspace GC–MS

Some aroma compounds found in alcoholic beverages are characteristic of a certain beverage (i.e. 2,4-decadienoic acid ethyl ester is characteristic of pear spirit and 5-butyltetrahydro-4-methylfuran-2-on “whiskey lactone” is characteristic of aged spirits like whiskey). These substances were detectable in beverages but not in blood samples. The aim of this investigation was to find a sensitive sampling technique for aroma compounds in whole blood samples. This technique may be used in forensic toxicology for examination of drinking claims. The method comprises dynamic headspace sampling using a purge and trap concentrator, followed by quantitative gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (dynamic HS–GC–MS). The influence of sample preparation, trap adsorbents and sample temperature as well as desorption time and purge time on the quality of the analytical results were investigated. The following optimal parameters were determined: stirred and diluted whole blood sample without salt addition, use of Carbotrap C as trap material, sample temperature at 80 °C, desorption time 20 min and purge time 30 min. These optimal parameters were used for the determination of detection limits (LOD). The LOD of aroma compounds by means of dynamic headspace sampling were compared with the results of conventional sampling: the static headspace technique. Limits of detection for the aroma compounds with conventional static headspace GC are in the range 400–10,000 μg L^?1. Dynamic headspace–GC was found to be a more sensitive sampling technique for most of the aroma compounds investigated (e.g. C₄–C₈ ethyl esters, benzoic acid ethyl ester, linalool oxide and 4-ethylguaiacol) with detection limits between 1 and 50 μg L^?1, but there were also limits to the sampling of substances with lower volatility like decanoic acid ethyl ester, 2,4-decadienoic acid ethyl ester, eugenol and whiskey lactone with detection limits of about 1,000 μg L^?1.     

Fluorescent properties of oligonucleotide-conjugated thiazole orange probes

The fluorescence properties of thiazole orange, linked via a (1) hydrophobic alkyl or a (2) hydrophilic ethylene glycol chain to the central internucleotidic phosphate group of a pentadeca-2'-deoxyriboadenylate (dA15), are evaluated. Linkage at the phosphate group yields two stereoisomers, S-isomer of the phosphorus chiral center (Sp) and R-isomer of the phosphorus chiral center (Rp); these are studied separately. The character of the linkage chain and the chirality of the internucleotidic phosphate linkage site influence the fluorescent properties of these thiazole orange-oligonucleotide conjugates (TO-probes). Quantum yields of fluorescence (phifl) of between 0.04 and 0.07 were determined for the single-stranded conjugates. The fluorescence yield increased by up to five times upon hybridization with the complementary sequence (d5'[CACT15CAC3']); (phifl values of between 0.06-0.35 were determined for the double-stranded conjugates. The phifl value (0.17) of thiazole orange, 1-(N,N'-trimethylaminopropyl)-4-[3-methyl-2,3-dihydro-(benzo-1,3-thiazole)-2-methylidene]-quinolinium iodide (TO-Pro 1) in the presence of the oligonucleotide duplex (TO-Pro 1: dA15.d5'[CACT15CAC3'] (1:1)) is much less than that for some of the hybrids of the conjugates. Our studies, using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence experiments, show that a number of discrete fluorescent association species between the thiazole orange and the helix are formed. Time-resolved studies on the four double-stranded TO-probes revealed that the fluorescent oligonucleotide-thiazole orange complexes are common, only the distribution of the species varies with the character of the chain and the chirality at the internucleotidic phosphate site. Those TO-probes in which the isomeric structure of the phosphate-chain linkage is Rp, and therefore such that the fluorophore is directed toward the minor groove, have higher phifl values than the Sp isomer. Of the systems studied, thiazole orange linked by an alkyl chain to the internucleotidic phosphate (Rp isomer) has the highest phifl and the greatest fraction of the longest-lived fluorescent thiazole orange species (in the hybrid form).     

Synthesis,crystal structure,magnetism, and absorption spectra of A2UX5 Type Halides (A = K,Rb; X = Cl,Br, I)

The ternary uranium(III) halides A₂UX₅ (A = K, Rb; X = Cl, Br, I) have been prepared from the binary components AX and UX₃ in sealed tantalum containers. According to their Guinier X-ray powder patterns, they all crystallize with the K₂PrCl₅/Y₂HfS₅ type of structure. Lattice constants for ambient temperature are reported. Single-crystal structure refinemens were undertaken for K₂UI₅ and Rb₂UCl₅. Magnetic susceptibility data were recorded with a SQUID magnetometer from liquid helium to room temperature. One-dimensional (intrachain) and three-dimensional antiferromagnetic ordering occur at low temperatures dependent upon the U³⁺? U³⁺ distance. Absorption spectra were recorded between 4 000 and 28 000 cm^?1. They show f—f transitions typical for U³⁺ and, depending on the halide, very strong f—d transitions above 14 000 to 15 000 cm^?1, respectively.     

Die Tieftemperatur-Synthese von Oxidhalogeniden,YOX (X = Cl,Br, I), als Quelle der Verunreinigung von Yttriumtrihalogeniden,YX3, bei der Gewinnung nach der Ammoniumhalogenid-Methode. Die Analogie von YOCl und YSCl

Low-Temperature Synthesis of Oxyhalides, YOX (X = Cl, Br, I), as the Source of Impurity in the Preparation of Trihalides, YX₃, via the Ammonium Halide Route. Analogy of YOCl and YSCl Ammonium halides, NH₄X (X = Cl, Br, I), react with Y₂O₃ and Y₂S₃, respectively, at temperatures as low as 230=C (X = Cl), 280=C (Br), and 360=C (I) (molar ratio 12:1) to yield (NH₄)₃YX₆, NH₃, and H₂O (H₂S). The choice of smaller ratios than 12:1 (for example 2:1) results in the formation of oxyhalides, YOX, via the reaction of (NH₄)₃YX₆ with surplus Y₂O₃. This reaction is therefore the actual source of impurity of rare-earth trihalides in their preparation via the ammonium halide routes.