You cannot fight the pressure: Structural rearrangements of active pharmaceutical ingredients under magic angle spinning

Although solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a versatile analytical tool to study polymorphs and phase transitions of pharmaceutical molecules and products, this work summarizes examples of spontaneous and unexpected (and unwanted) structural rearrangements and phase transitions (amorphous-to-crystalline and crystalline-to-crystalline) under magic angle spinning (MAS) conditions, some of them clearly being due to the pressure experienced by the samples. It is widely known that such changes can often be detected by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD); here, the capability of solid-state NMR experiments with a special focus on ¹H-¹³C frequency-switched Lee–Goldburg heteronuclear correlation (FSLG HETCOR)/MAS NMR experiments to detect even subtle changes on a molecular level not observable by conventional 1D NMR experiments or XRPD is presented. Furthermore, it is shown that a polymorphic impurity combined with MAS can induce a crystalline-to-crystalline phase transition. This showcases that solid-state NMR is not always noninvasive and such changes upon MAS should be considered in particular when compounds are studied over longer time spans.     

Anticancer Aminoferrocene Derivatives Inducing Production of Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species

Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and deficient mitochondria are two weak points of cancer cells. Their simultaneous targeting is a valid therapeutic strategy to design highly potent anticancer drugs. The remaining challenge is to limit the drug effects to cancer cells without affecting normal ones. We have previously developed three aminoferrocene (AF)-based derivatives, which are activated in the presence of elevated levels of ROS present in cancer cells with formation of electron-rich compounds able to generate ROS and reduce mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). All of them exhibit important drawbacks including either low efficacy or high unspecific toxicity that prevents their application in vivo up to date. Herein we describe unusual AF-derivatives lacking these drawbacks. These compounds act via an alternative mechanism: they are chemically stable in the presence of ROS, generate mitochondrial ROS in cancer cells, but not normal cells and exhibit anticancer effect in vivo.     

A Comparison of Four Different Electrode Matrices on the Performance of Amperometric Hydrogen Peroxide (Bio)Sensors

A comparison of the analytical performances of four different (bio)sensor designs in H₂O₂ determination is discussed. The (bio)sensor designs developed were based on the use of (i) multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP), prussian blue (PB); (ii) MWCNT, ZnONP, PB and ionic liquid (IL); (iii) MWCNT, ZnONP and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and (iv) MWCNT, ZnONP, HRP and IL modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). A performance comparison of (bio)sensors showed that the one based on HRP/IL-MWCNT-ZnONP/GCE showed the best analytical characteristics with a linear dynamic range of 9.99×10⁻⁸–7.55×10⁻⁴ M, detection limit of 1.37×10⁻⁸ M and sensitivity of 17.00 μA mM⁻¹.     

A new Approach for the Voltammetric Sensing of the Phytoestrogen Genistein at a Non-modified Boron-doped Diamond Electrode

An effective electrochemical sensor was constructed using an unmodified boron-doped diamond electrode for determination of genistein by square-wave voltammetry. Cyclic voltammetric investigations of genistein with HClO₄ solution indicated that irreversible behavior, adsorption-controlled and well-defined two oxidation peaks at about +0.92 (P_A1) & +1.27 V (P_A2). pH, as well as supporting electrolytes, are important in genistein oxidations. Quantification analyses of genistein were conducted using its two oxidation peaks. Using optimized experiments as well as instrumental conditions, the current response with genistein was proportionately linear in the concentrations range of 0.1 to 50.0 μg mL⁻¹ (3.7×10⁻⁷−1.9×10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹), by the detection limit of 0.023 μg mL⁻¹ (8.5×10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹) for P_A1 and 0.028 μg mL⁻¹ (1.1×10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹) for P_A2 in 0.1 mol L⁻¹ HClO₄ solution (in the open circuit condition at 30 s accumulation time). Ultimately, the developed method was effectively applied to detect genistein in model human urine samples by using its second oxidation peak (P_A2).     

Reactivities of mixed organozinc and mixed organocopper reagents. Part 13 Kinetic study for phosphine‐catalyzed acylation of alkylarylzincs and effect of residual group on the transfer rate of alkyl group

Kinetics of reactions of di‐n‐butylzinc, n‐Bu₂Zn, and mixed n‐butyl(substituted phenyl)zinc reagents and n‐Bu(functional group (FG)?C₆H₄)Zn with benzoyl chloride in the presence of tri‐n‐butylphosphine have been investigated. Reaction rates of transferable n‐butyl group have been determined in tetrahydrofuran at 0 °C to compare the transfer rate of n‐butyl group in homo and mixed diorganozincs. Rate law is consistent with a third‐order reaction, which is first order in diorganozinc, benzoyl chloride, and n‐Bu₃P, and a mechanism was proposed. The lower reaction rate of n‐BuPhZn than that of n‐Bu₂Zn and negative reaction constant in Hammett plot are in accordance with the carbanionic charge of transferable n‐butyl group in the acylation reaction. These findings support the hypothesis that the reaction rate of transferable group, R_T, changes depending upon the residual group, R_R, in R_RR_TZn reagents. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved CE(SDS)-CZE-MS method utilizing an 8-port nanoliter valve

Capillary sieving electrophoresis utilizing SDS (CE(SDS)) is one of the most applied methods for the analysis of antibody (mAb) size heterogeneity in the biopharmaceutical industry. Inadequate peak identification of observed protein fragments is still a major issue. In a recent publication, we introduced an electrophoretic 2D system, enabling online mass spectrometric detection of generic CE(SDS) separated peaks and identification of several mAb fragments. However, an improvement regarding system stability and handling of the approach was desired. Here, we introduce a novel 8-port valve in conjunction with an optimized decomplexation strategy. The valve contains four sample loops with increased distances between the separation dimensions. Thus, successively coinjection of solvent and cationic surfactant without any additional detector in the second dimension is enabled, simplifying the decomplexation strategy. Removal efficiency was optimized by testing different volumes of solvents as presample and cationic surfactant as postsample zone. 2D measurements of the light and heavy chain of the reduced NIST mAb with the 8-port valve and the optimized decomplexation strategy demonstrates the increased robustness of the system. The presented novel set-up is a step toward routine application of CE(SDS)-CZE-MS for impurity characterization of proteins in the biopharmaceutical field.     

Probing the Local Reaction Environment During High Turnover Carbon Dioxide Reduction with Ag-Based Gas Diffusion Electrodes

Discerning the influence of electrochemical reactions on the electrode microenvironment is an unavoidable topic for electrochemical reactions that involve the production of OH⁻ and the consumption of water. That is particularly true for the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR), which together with the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) exert changes in the local OH⁻ and H₂O activity that in turn can possibly affect activity, stability, and selectivity of the CO₂RR. We determine the local OH⁻ and H₂O activity in close proximity to a CO₂-converting Ag-based gas diffusion electrode (GDE) with product analysis using gas chromatography. A Pt nanosensor is positioned in the vicinity of the working GDE using shear-force-based scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) approach curves, which allows monitoring changes invoked by reactions proceeding within an otherwise inaccessible porous GDE by potentiodynamic measurements at the Pt-tip nanosensor. We show that high turnover HER/CO₂RR at a GDE lead to modulations of the alkalinity of the local electrolyte, that resemble a 16 m KOH solution, variations that are in turn linked to the reaction selectivity.     

MODELING HARVEST SCHEDULING IN MULTIFUNCTIONAL PLANNING OF FORESTS FOR LONGTERM WATER YIELD OPTIMIZATION

In this study, wood production and hydrologic functions of forests were accommodated within a planning procedure for separate working circles (areas dedicated to certain forest functions) that were delineated according to an Ecosystem‐Based Functional Planning approach. Mixed integer goal programming was used as the optimization technique. The timing and scheduling of a maintenance cutting (partial harvest) was the decision variable in the modeling effort, and an original formulation was developed as a multiobjective planning procedure. Four sample planning strategies were developed and model outputs were evaluated according to these strategies. Spatial characteristics of stands were considered, and used to prohibit the regeneration of adjacent stands during the same time period. Because of the positive relationship between qualified water production and standing timber volume in the forest, the model attempts to maximize qualified water production levels by increasing standing volume stocks in the forest through the delay of regeneration activities.     

Classification of Graeco‐Latin Cubes

A q‐ary code of length n, size M, and minimum distance d is called an code. An code with is said to be maximum distance separable (MDS). Here one‐error‐correcting () MDS codes are classified for small alphabets. In particular, it is shown that there are unique (5, 5³, 3)₅ and (5, 7³, 3)₇ codes and equivalence classes of (5, 8³, 3)₈ codes. The codes are equivalent to certain pairs of mutually orthogonal Latin cubes of order q, called Graeco‐Latin cubes.