Syntheses and spectroscopic studies on zinc(II) and mercury(II) complexes of isatin-3-thiosemicarbazone

Zinc(II) and mercury(II) complexes were prepared by reacting isatin-3-thiosemicarbazone (ISTSCH) with zinc(II) acetate or mercury(II) bromide. The complexes were characterized by IR, Raman, diffuse reflectance, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra and elemental analysis. Tetrahedral structures for Zn(ISTSC)₂ and Hg(ISTSCH)Br₂ are suggested.     

Depression in the cloud point of Tween in the presence of glycol additives and triblock polymers

Cloud point (C_P) measurements of Tween 20 and Tween 80 were carried out in the presence of various glycol oligomers and triblock polymers (TBP). The cloud points of both Tween 20 and 80 decrease in the presence of both types of additives. Among the glycol oligomeric additives, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether was found to reduce the C_P maximum. An increase in the repeating units of polymeric glycol additives leads to a decrease in C_P. Reduction in the C_P in the presence of TBP depends upon the increase in hydrophobic/hydrophilic ratio among the polypropylene to polyethylene units.     

Trace elemental analysis of automotive paints by laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS)

Paints and coatings are frequently encountered as types of materials that are submitted to forensic science laboratories as a result of trace evidence transfers. The aim of this study was to develop a method to complement the commonly used techniques in a forensic laboratory in order to better characterize these samples for forensic purposes. A laser ablation method has been used to simultaneously sample several layers directly prior to introduction into an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer for the detection and quantification of the trace metals present in the layer(s). Time-resolved analysis plots displaying the elemental response and quantification of selected metals are compared to associate/discriminate paint samples. Matrix-matched standards were successfully incorporated into the analysis scheme for quantification of lead in the solid paint samples. Preparation of new matrix-matched standards for quantification of additional elements developed for this study are also presented. A sample set of eighteen (18) survey automotive paint samples have been analyzed with the developed method in order to determine the utility of LA-ICP-MS for trace element analysis of paints.     

Validated HPLC–MS–MS method for determination of azithromycin in human plasma

A validated, highly sensitive, and selective HPLC method with MS–MS detection has been developed for quantitative determination of azithromycin (AZI) in human Na₂EDTA plasma. Roxithromycin (ROX) was used as internal standard. Human plasma containing AZI and internal standard was ultrafiltered through Centrifree Micropartition devices and the concentration of AZI was determined by isocratic HPLC–MS–MS. Multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) was used for MS–MS detection. The calibration plot was linear in the concentration range 2.55–551.43 ng mL⁻¹. Inter-day and Intra-day precision and accuracy of the proposed method were characterized by R.S.D and percentage deviation, respectively; both were less than 8%. Limit of quantification was 2.55 ng mL⁻¹. The proposed method was used to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of AZI (250-mg tablets).     

Pharmacokinetic detection of penicillin excreted in urine using a totally internally reflected resonance light scattering technique with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide

A quantitative analysis method for penicillins including ampicillin (AmP), benzyl penicillin (BP), oxacillin (OA) and amoxycillin (AmO) is proposed that makes use of the totally internally reflected resonance light scattering (TIR-RLS) signal from the penicillin at the H₂O/CCl₄ interface in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB), and enables the pharmacokinetics of penicillin taken orally and excreted through urine to be monitored. Penicillin is coadsorbed with CTMAB at the H₂O/CCl₄ interface in neutral solution, resulting in the formation of ion associates that display greatly enhanced TIR-RLS signals (maximum at 368–372 nm). This enhanced TIR-RLS intensity was found to be proportional to the penicillin concentration over the range 0.2×10^–6 to 2.2×10^–6 mol L^–1, with limits of determination (3) of 5.0×10^–8 to 7.0×10^–8 mol L^–1. Pharmacokinetics studies performed using the present method show that the excretion of orally-taken ampicillin through urine has a half-time of 1.05 h and an excremental quantum over 8 h of 49.3%, respectively.     

Orthogonally Protected, Carboxy-Activated L-Homoisoserine, 2-Methyl-L-homoisoserine, and Homoisocysteine Derivatives. New Building Blocks for Peptide and Depsipeptide Modification

Starting from L-malic, L-citramalic, and rac. thiomalic acids routes to L-homoisoserine, 2-methyl-L-homoisoserine and rac. homoisocysteine have been developed. The new orthogonally protected and carboxy-activated building blocks are GABA as well as -hydroxy and -mercapto acid derivatives, suitable for the construction of peptide and depsipeptide surrogates.     

The de Sitter-Castelnuovo universe and elementary particle physics

If we study the de Sitter universe in the geodetic representation, we obtain the projective relativity, valid on the cosmic scale, for hyperdense matter and high energies. The new theory can be applied also to quantum and elementary particle physics. In this work we examine the angular momentum operator, the D'Alembertian generalized equation, and study the electron, conceived as an oscillating microuniverse.Work sponsored by GNFM-CNR.     

Luminescence Properties of Platinum(II) Dithiooxamide Compounds

Tight contact ion pairs of general formula {Pt(H(2)-R(2)-dto)(2)(2+),(X(-))(2)} have been prepared, and their absorption spectra and luminescence properties (at room temperature in dichloromethane fluid solution and at 77 K in butyronitrile rigid matrix) have been studied (dto = dithiooxamide; R = methyl, X = Cl (1); R = butyl, X = Cl (2); R = benzyl, X = Cl (3); R = cyclohexyl, X = Cl (4); R = cyclohexyl, X = Br (5); R = cyclohexyl, X = I (6)). The absorption spectra of all the compounds are dominated by moderately strong Pt(dpi)/S(p) to dithiooxamide (pi) charge transfer (Pt/S --> dto CT) bands in the visible region (epsilon in the 10(4)-10(5) M(-)(1) cm(-)(1) range). Absorption features are also present at higher energies, due to pi-pi transitions centered in the dto ligands (ligand centered, LC). All the compounds exhibit a unstructured luminescence band in fluid solution at room temperature, with the maximum centered in the 700-730 nm range. The luminescence bands are blue-shifted about 4000 cm(-)(1) on passing to the rigid matrix at 77 K. Luminescence lifetimes are on the 10(-)(8)-10(-)(7) s time scale at room temperature and 1 order of magnitude longer at 77 K. Luminescence is assigned to triplet Pt/S --> dto CT excited states in all cases. Compounds 3-6 also exhibit a second higher-energy luminescence band at room temperature, centered at about 610 nm, attributed to a LC excited state. Charge transfer interactions between halides and dto ligands destabilize dto-centered orbitals, affecting the energy of Pt/S --> dto CT transitions and states. The X counterions and X --> dto CT levels are proposed to play a role in promoting excited state conversion between LC and Pt/S --> dto CT levels. The R substituents on the nitrogen atoms of the dto ligands influence the absorption and photophysical properties of the compounds, by affecting proximity of the ion pairs. The possibility to functionalize the R substituents may open the way to interface these luminescent compounds with desired substrates and to construct supramolecular assemblies.     

Tuning the anion binding properties of calixpyrroles by means of p-nitrophenyl substituents at their meso-positions

Extended cavity calix[4]pyrroles and a calix[6]pyrrole were synthesized by cyclization of 5-methyl-5-(4-nitrophenyl)dipyrromethane with acetone in the presence of acid. The solid-state structures of the novel macrocycles were determined by X-ray crystallography. The host-guest chemistry of these receptors towards halide ions was investigated in solution by ¹H NMR titration techniques and compared with those of the meso-octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole and meso-dodecamethylcalix[6]pyrrole. The binding of chloride anions was observed to occur with different affinities on the two faces of the novel calix[6]pyrrole derivative described here.     

Determination of total chlorine in waste oil

Summary A simple method has been developed to determine the concentration of organic chlorine in waste oil. The determination is based on the conversion of organic chlorine to inorganic chloride by reaction with sodium biphenyl followed by extraction with nitric acid and a mixture of nitric acid and water. The concentration of chloride is determined by direct potentiometry with an ion-selective electrode. The limit of determination amounts to 3·10^–5 mol·l^–1 chloride ions with a standard deviation of 3.5%. Different samples of waste oil have been analyzed and the results have been compared to those obtained by combustion in a H₂/O₂ flame followed by potentiometric titration with silver nitrate.