Evaluation of a series of prolylamidepyridines as the chiral derivatization reagents for enantioseparation of carboxylic acids by LC–ESI–MS/MS and the application to human saliva

Mass spectrometry has become a popular analytical tool because of its high sensitivity and specificity. The use of a chiral derivatization reagent for the mass spectrometry (MS) detection seems to be efficient for the enantiomeric separation of racemates. However, the number of chiral reagents for the liquid chromatography (LC)–MS/MS analysis is very limited. According to these observations, we are currently in the process of developing novel labeling reagents for chiral molecules in MS/MS analysis. The derivatization reagent that is effective for enhancing not only the electrospray ionization–MS/MS sensitivity but also the reversed-phase LC resolution of carboxylic acid enantiomers should have a highly proton-affinitive moiety and an asymmetric structure near the reactive functional group. Furthermore, the resulting derivative has to provide a characteristic product ion suitable for the selected reaction monitoring. Based upon these considerations, a series of prolylamidepyridines ((S)-N-pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid N-(pyridine-2-yl)amide (PCP2), (S)-N-pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid N-(pyridine-3-yl)amide, and (S)-N-pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid N-(pyridine-4-yl)amide) was synthesized as ideal labeling reagents for the enantioseparation of chiral carboxylic acids and evaluated in terms of separation efficiency and detection sensitivity by ultra-performance LC (UPLC)–MS/MS. Among the synthesized reagents, PCP2 was the most efficient chiral derivatization reagent for the enantioseparation of carboxylic acid. The Rs values and the detection limits of the derivatives of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which were selected as the representative carboxylic acids, were in the range of 2.52–6.07 and 49–260 amol, respectively. The sensitive detection of biological carboxylic acids (detection limits, 32–520 amol) was also carried out by the proposed method using PCP2 and UPLC–MS/MS. The PCP2 was applied to the determination of carboxylic acids in human saliva. Several biological carboxylic acids, such as lactic acid (LA), 3-hydroxybutylic acid, maric acid, succinic acid, α-ketoglutalic acid, and citric acid, were clearly identified in the saliva of healthy persons and diabetic patients. Furthermore, the ratio of d-LA in diabetic patients was higher than that in normal subjects. Judging from these results, PCP2 seems to be a useful chiral derivatization reagent for the determination not only of chiral, but also achiral, carboxylic acids in real samples.

Site‐Selective CH Borylation of Quinolines at the C8 Position Catalyzed by a Silica‐Supported Phosphane–Iridium System

Site‐selective C? H borylation of quinoline derivatives at the C8 position has been achieved by using a heterogeneous Ir catalyst system based on a silica‐supported cage‐type monophosphane ligand SMAP. The efficient synthesis of a corticotropin‐releasing factor₁ (CRF₁) receptor antagonist based on a late‐stage C? H borylation strategy demonstrates the utility of the C8 borylation reaction.     

Reaction of a Dialumene‐Benzene Adduct with Diphenylacetylene: Formation of 3,4‐Dialuminacyclobutene and 5,6‐Dialuminabicyclo[2.1.1]hex‐2‐ene Derivatives

Reaction of a dialumene‐benzene adduct bearing bulky aryl substituents with diphenylacetylene was found to give a novel 5,6‐dialuminabicyclo[2.1.1]hex‐2‐ene derivative in addition to the 3,4‐dialuminacyclobutene derivative, the formal [2+2]cycloadduct of an intermediary dialumene with diphenylacetylene. The molecular structure of the newly obtained 5,6‐dialuminabicyclo[2.1.1]hex‐2‐ene has been elucidated by X‐ray crystallographic analysis.     

Effects of post-deposition annealing on chemical composition of SiNx film in SiO2/SiNx/SiO2/Si stacked structure

To systematically evaluate the quality of SiN_x films in multi-stacked structures, we investigated the effects of post-deposition annealing (PDA) on the film properties of SiN_x within the SiO₂/SiN_x/SiO₂/Si stacked structure by performing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray reflectivity (XRR), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscope–electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS) analyses. The XPS results showed that PDA induces the oxidation of the SiN_x layer. In particular, new finding is that Si-rich SiN_x in the SiN_x layer is preferentially oxidized by PDA even in multi-stacked structure. The XRR results showed that the SiN_x layer becomes thinner, whereas the interface layer between the SiN_x layer and Si becomes thicker. It is concluded by STEM-EELS and XPS that this interface layer is SiON layer. The density of N–H and Si–H bonding within the stacked structure strongly depends on the PDA temperature. Our study helps elucidate the properties of SiN_x films in stacked structures from various perspectives.     

Hyperpolarized 13C Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Fumarate Metabolism by Parahydrogen-induced Polarization: A Proof-of-Concept in vivo Study

Hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]fumarate is a promising magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarker for cellular necrosis, which plays an important role in various disease and cancerous pathological processes. To demonstrate the feasibility of MRI of [1-¹³C]fumarate metabolism using parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP), a low-cost alternative to dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (dDNP), a cost-effective and high-yield synthetic pathway of hydrogenation precursor [1-¹³C]acetylenedicarboxylate (ADC) was developed. The trans-selectivity of the hydrogenation reaction of ADC using a ruthenium-based catalyst was elucidated employing density functional theory (DFT) simulations. A simple PHIP set-up was used to generate hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]fumarate at sufficient ¹³C polarization for ex vivo detection of hyperpolarized ¹³C malate metabolized from fumarate in murine liver tissue homogenates, and in vivo ¹³C MR spectroscopy and imaging in a murine model of acetaminophen-induced hepatitis.     

In vivo multispectral imaging of the absorption and scattering properties of exposed brain using a digital red–green–blue camera

Optical Review - To evaluate multi-spectral images of the absorption and scattering properties in the cerebral cortex of rat brain, we investigated spectral reflectance images estimated by the...     

Short and Sweet: D‐Glucose to L‐Glucose and L‐Glucuronic Acid

The scarcity and expense of access to L ‐sugars and other rare sugars have prevented the exploitation of their biological potential; for example D ‐psicose, only recently available, has been recognized as an important new food. Here we give the definitive and cheap synthesis of 99.4% pure L ‐glucose from D ‐glucose which requires purification of neither intermediates nor final product other than extraction into and removal of solvents; a simple crystallization will raise the purity to >99.8%.     

Solvent‐Dependent Cation Exchange in Metal–Organic Frameworks

We investigated which factors govern the critical steps of cation exchange in metal–organic frameworks by studying the effect of various solvents on the insertion of Ni²⁺ into MOF‐5 and Co²⁺ into MFU‐4l. After plotting the extent of cation insertion versus different solvent parameters, trends emerge that offer insight into the exchange processes for both systems. This approach establishes a method for understanding critical aspects of cation exchange in different MOFs and other materials.     

An Isotope‐Coded Fluorogenic Cross‐Linker for High‐Performance Target Identification Based on Photoaffinity Labeling

A photoaffinity labeling (PAL)‐based method for the rapid identification of target proteins is presented in which a high‐performance chemical tag, an isotope‐coded fluorescent tag (IsoFT), can be attached to the interacting site by irradiation. Labeled peptides can be easily distinguished among numerous proteolytic digests by sequential detection with highly sensitive fluorescence spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Subsequent MS/MS analysis provides amino acid sequence information with a higher depth of coverage. The combination of PAL and heterogeneous target‐selecting techniques significantly reduces the amount of time and protein required for identification. An additional photocleavable moiety successfully accelerated proteomic analysis using cell lysate. This method is a widely applicable approach for the rapid and accurate identification of interacting proteins.