用θ-2θ型衍射仪测定溶液结构的新方法

叙述了用θ－２θ型Ｘ射线衍射仪精确测定电解质溶液结构的新实验技术。设计制作了具有恒温功能的超厚液体样品池，并建立了样品池窗口强度的校正方法。优化了液体Ｘ射线衍射数据和结构参数精细化的计算机程序，获得了非常令人满意的实验结果。由θ－２θ型Ｘ射线衍射仪精确测定的径向分布函数与θ－θ型衍射仪自由散射比较，表明ＤＲＦ分辨率有所提高。     

Thermal and autoxidation reactions of poly-3-methylenecyclobutene and poly-1-methyl-3-methylenecyclobutene

The thermal ring-opening reactions, autoxidation and hydrogenation of polymethy-lenecyclobutene (PMCB) and poly-1-methyl-3-methylenecyclobutene (PMMCB), were investigated. Both polymers were prepared by cationic polymerization and consisted almost entirely of 1,5-repeating units containing cyclobutene rings in the polymer backbone. Both polymers showed well behaved exothermic processes at elevated temperatures which apparently resulted in crosslinking. These processes were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and interpreted to involve thermal ring-opening reactions. Autoxidation occurred very rapidly in PMCB but much more slowly in PMMCB as predicted by Bolland's rules. Attempts to hydrogenate the cyclobutene rings in both polymers resulted in the occurrence of hydrogenolysis in PMCB and little or no reaction with PMMCB for a Pd-catalyzed reaction and partial hydrogenation of the latter for a diimide reaction.     

Differentiation and quantitation of isomeric dipeptides by low-energy dissociation of copper(II)-bound complexes

Application of the kinetic method based on the dissociation of transition metal centered cluster ions is extended from chiral analysis (Tao, W. A.; Zhang, D.; Nikolaev, E. N.; Cooks, R. G. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 10598) to quantitative analysis of isomeric mixtures, including those with Leu/Ile substitutions. Copper(II)-bound complexes of pairs of peptide isomers are generated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and the trimeric complex [CuII(ref)2(A) - H]+ (analyte A, a mixture of isomeric peptides; reference compound ref, usually a peptide) is caused to undergo collisional dissociation. Competitive loss of the neutral reference compound or the neutral analyte yields two ionic products and the ratio of rates of the two competitive dissociations, viz. the product ion branching ratio R is shown to depend strongly on the regiochemistry of the analyte in the precursor [CuII(A)(ref)2 - H]+ complex ion. Calibration curves are constructed by relating the branching ratio measured by the kinetic method, to the isomeric composition of the mixture to allow rapid quantitative isomer analysis.     

An Education in Robustness

A case study is presented of the application of robustness analysis to the choice of examination subjects to be made by a 14-year-old girl. The analysis is conducted in terms of the desirable future career options which may be preserved by different combinations of subjects, and also of the balance with topics selected for their intrinsic interest. The approach, which employs very limited technical apparatus, is justified on a number of grounds-in particular, the crucial importance of uncertainty, and the need for understanding and acceptance by a "client" very unlike the corporate manager. Some tentative conclusions are reached on the extension of such methods to other cases of decision-makers with little, if any, resources to control except their own lives.     

Interaction of tetrandrine with human serum albumin: a fluorescence quenching study.

The interaction of tetrandrine with human serum albumin (HSA) was studied by measuring fluorescence quenching spectra, synchronous fluorescence spectra and ultra-violet spectra. The fluorescence quenching spectra of HSA in the presence of tetrandrine showed that tetrandrine quenched the fluorescence of HSA. The quenching constants of tetrandrine on HSA were determined using the Stern-Volmer equation. Static quenching and non-radiation energy transfer were the two main reasons leading to the fluorescence quenching of HSA by tetrandrine. According to the F?rster theory of non-radiation energy transfer, the binding distances (r) and the binding constants (K(A)) were obtained. The thermodynamic parameters obtained in this study revealed that the interaction between tetrandrine and HSA was mainly driven by a hydrophobic force. The conformational changes of HSA were investigated by synchronous spectrum studies.     

What controls the melting properties of DNA-linked gold nanoparticle assemblies?

We report a series of experiments and a theoretical model designed to systematically define and evaluate the relative importance of nanoparticle, oligonucleotide, and environmental variables that contribute to the observed sharp melting transitions associated with DNA-linked nanoparticle structures. These variables include the size of the nanoparticles, the surface density of the oligonucleotides on the nanoparticles, the dielectric constant of the surrounding medium, target concentration, and the position of the nanoparticles with respect to one another within the aggregate. The experimental data may be understood in terms of a thermodynamic model that attributes the sharp melting to a cooperative mechanism that results from two key factors: the presence of multiple DNA linkers between each pair of nanoparticles and a decrease in the melting temperature as DNA strands melt due to a concomitant reduction in local salt concentration. The cooperative melting effect, originating from short-range duplex-to-duplex interactions, is independent of DNA base sequences studied and should be universal for any type of nanostructured probe that is heavily functionalized with oligonucleotides. Understanding the fundamental origins of the melting properties of DNA-linked nanoparticle aggregates (or monolayers) is of paramount importance because these properties directly impact one's ability to formulate high sensitivity and selectivity DNA detection systems and construct materials from these novel nanoparticle materials.     

Structure and stability of endohedral X@Si20H20 complexes (X = Li, Na, K, Be, Mg, Ca)

The structure and stability of endohedral X@Si₂₀H₂₀ complexes (X = Li^0/+, Na^0/+, K^0/+, Be^0/2+, Mg^0/2+, Ca^0/2+) have been studied at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of density functional theory. It is found that complexes with X = Na^0/+, K^0/+, Mg and Ca^0/2+ are energy minimum structures with X at the cage center in I_h symmetry, while those with X = Li^0/+, Be^0/2+, Mg²⁺ have off-centered structures with X towards one pentagon face in C_5v symmetry. Large electron or charge transfer between the Si₂₀H₂₀ cage and the encapsulated X has been observed.     

Determination of proanthocyanidins in fresh grapes and grape products using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection

Fresh grapes and grape products, such as grape wine and grape juice, were analyzed for proanthocyanidins (PACs) using liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometric (MS) detection. PACs were successfully separated and analyzed on the basis of their protonated molecules, allowing the identification of PACs in different degrees of polymerization from monomers to oligomers (up to 7 units), and in various isomeric forms. Using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with MS detection, the PAC monomers, (+)-catechin (C), (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-catechin gallate (CG), and (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), were successfully quantified using selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Standard curves were fitted for each PAC ranging from 43.8 to 5600 ng/mL for C, from 42.2 to 5400 ng/mL for EC, from 36.7 to 4700 ng/mL for CG, and from 39.8 to 5100 ng/mL for ECG. Good linearity (r2>0.999) was achieved for each analyte. The accuracy and precision (RSD) were within 10% (n=8) at the limit of detection. This method allows direct quantification of monomeric PACs in fresh grapes and grape-derived products. Additionally, flow injection analysis (FIA) was applied to estimate the concentration levels of PAC oligomers by comparing their FIA-MS peak areas, which were well correlated (r2=0.936) to the total concentrations of PAC monomers.     

Reaction dynamics of Cl+CH3SH: rotational and vibrational distributions of HCl probed with time-resolved Fourier-transform spectroscopy

Rotationally resolved infrared emission spectra of HCl(v=1-3) in the reaction of Cl+CH3SH, initiated with radiation from a laser at 308 nm, are detected with a step-scan Fourier-transform spectrometer. Observed rotational temperature of HCl(v=1-3) decreases with duration of reaction due to collisional quenching; a short extrapolation to time zero based on data in the range 0.25-4.25 micros yields a nascent rotational temperature of 1150+/-80 K. The rotational energy averaged for HCl(v=1-3) is 8.2+/-0.9 kJ mol(-1), yielding a fraction of available energy going into rotation of HCl, fr=0.10+/-0.01, nearly identical to that of the reaction Cl+H(2)S. Observed temporal profiles of the vibrational population of HCl(v=1-3) are fitted with a kinetic model of formation and quenching of HCl(v=1-3) to yield a branching ratio (68+/-5):(25+/-4):(7+/-1) for formation of HCl(v=1):(v=2):(v=3) from the title reaction and its thermal rate coefficient k(2a)=(2.9+/-0.7)x10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). Considering possible estimates of the vibrational population of HCl(v=0) based on various surprisal analyses, we report an average vibrational energy 36+/-6 kJ mol(-1) for HCl. The fraction of available energy going into vibration of HCl is f(v)=0.45+/-0.08, significantly greater than a value fv=0.33+/-0.06 determined previously for Cl+H2S. Reaction dynamics of Cl+H(2)S and Cl+CH3SH are compared; the adduct CH3S(Cl)H is likely more transitory than the adduct H(2)SCl.     

Reversible formation of DNA G-quadruplex hairpin dimers from stilbenediether conjugates

Rapid and reversible G-quadruplex hairpin dimer formation is observed for bis(oligonucleotide) conjugates possessing stilbenediether (Sd) linkers connecting two short poly(G) sequences.