Design, synthesis, and evaluation of a biomimetic artificial photolyase model

Two new artificial photolyase models that recognize pyrimidine dimers in protic and aprotic organic solvents as well as in water through a combination of charge and hydrogen-bonding interactions and use a mimic of the flavine to achieve repair through reductive photoinduced electron transfer are presented. Fluorescence and NMR titration studies show that it forms a 1:1 complex with pyrimidine dimers with binding constants of approximately 10(3) M(-1) in acetonitrile or methanol, while binding constants in water at pH 7.2 are slightly lower. Excitation of the complex with visible light leads to clean and rapid cycloreversion of the pyrimidine dimer through photoinduced electron transfer catalysis. The reaction in water is significantly faster than in organic solvents. The reaction slows down at higher conversions due to product inhibition.     

Geometry and Electronic Structure of CuCl(6)(4-) Polyhedra Doped into (3-Chloroanilinium)(8)[CdCl(6)]Cl(4)-An EPR and Structural Investigation

The EPR single-crystal and powder spectra of mixed crystals of (3-chloroanilinium)(8)(Cd(1-x)Cu(x)Cl(6))Cl(4) are measured as a function of temperature and x and analyzed with respect to the geometry and bonding properties of the CuCl(6) polyhedra. These undergo strong distortions due to vibronic Jahn-Teller coupling, with the resulting tetragonal elongation being superimposed by a considerable orthorhombic symmetry component induced by a host site strain acting as a compression along the crystallographic a axis. This strain becomes apparent in the cadmium compound (x = 0), whose crystal structure is also reported [a = 8.701(2) ?, b = 13.975(2) ?, c = 14.173(2) ?, alpha = 81.62(1) degrees, beta = 72.92(1) degrees, gamma = 77.57(1) degrees, triclinic P&onemacr;, Z = 1]. A calculation of the ground state potential surface and its vibronic structure nicely reproduces the g values, Cu-Cl spacings, and ligand field data. At high copper concentrations (including x = 1), the CuCl(6) polyhedra are coupled elastically, with the long axes of neighboring polyhedra having perpendicular orientations. The elastic correlation presumably is not of the long-range antiferrodistortive type, however. Above about 55 K, the angular Jahn-Teller distortion component becomes dynamically averaged within the time scale of the EPR experiment, leading to local tetragonally compressed CuCl(6) octahedra.     

High pressure-temperature Raman measurements of H2O melting to 22 GPa and 900 K

The melting curve of H(2)O has been measured by in situ Raman spectroscopy in an externally heated diamond anvil cell up to 22 GPa and 900 K. The Raman-active OH-stretching bands and the translational modes of H(2)O as well as optical observations are used to directly and reliably detect melting in ice VII. The observed melting temperatures are higher than previously reported x-ray measurements and significantly lower than recent laser-heating determinations. However, our results are in accord with earlier optical determinations. The frequencies and intensities of the OH-stretching peaks change significantly across the melting line while the translational mode disappears altogether in the liquid phase. The observed OH-stretching bands of liquid water at high pressure are very similar to those obtained in shock-wave Raman measurements.     

The Coordination Chemistry of Iron with the 1,4‐Bis(2‐pyridyl‐methyl)piperazine Ligand

The behaviour of Fe^II and Fe^III ions in combination with the potential ligand 1,4‐bis(2‐pyridyl‐methyl)piperazine (BPMP) under anhydrous conditions has been investigated. BPMP has been reacted with FeCl₂, FeCl₃ and [Fe(OTf)₂(MeCN)₂]. This led to the isolation of four new complexes, which were fully characterized and structurally investigated by single crystal X‐ray diffraction. It turned out that in the presence of chloride co‐ligands Fe^III favours the tetradentate coordination mode of BPMP with the piperazine unit in a boat configuration, like for instance in [BPMP(Cl)Fe(μ‐O)FeCl₃] or [BPMP‐FeCl₂][FeCl₄], ( 1 ). However, the employment of FeCl₂ leads to the formation of a coordination polymer [BPMP‐FeCl₂]_n, ( 2 ), containing the piperazine ring in a chair configuration binding to two iron centres each. 2 can only be dissolved in very polar solvents like dmf which is capable of breaking up the polymeric structure under formation of [Cl₂(dmf)Fe(μ‐BPMP‐1κ²N,N:2κ²N,N))Fe(dmf)Cl₂]·2 dmf, ( 3 ). In contrast, using [Fe(OTf)₂(MeCN)₂] instead of FeCl₂ as the starting material leads to a mononuclear Fe^II complex with BPMP bound in the desirable tetradentate fashion: [BPMP‐Fe(OTf)₂], ( 4 ). Unlike other complexes with tetradentate N/py ligands the two residual ligands in 4 are bound almost trans to each other with the potential to adopt a cis orientation under oxidising conditions, and it will be interesting to exploit its catalytic properties in future.     

Simultaneous determination of oxycodone and its major metabolite, noroxycodone, in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

Oxycodone (14-hydroxy-7,8-dihydrocodeinone) is a potent opioid receptor agonist. In the present study, a liquid-liquid extraction-based reversed-phase HPLC method with UV detection was validated and applied for the analysis of oxycodone and its major metabolite, noroxycodone, in human plasma. The analytes were separated using a mobile phase, consisting of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer (8:92, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min, and UV detection at 205 nm. The retention times for oxycodone, noroxycodone and codein (internal standard) were 14.7, 13.8 and 10.2 min, respectively. The validated quantitation range of the method was 2-100 ng/mL for oxycodone and 10-100 ng/mL for noroxycodone. The developed procedure was applied to assess the pharmacokinetics of oxycodone and its metabolite following administration of a single 20 mg oral dose of oxycodone hydrochloride to one healthy male volunteer.     

Metabolism of levamisole and kinetics of levamisole and aminorex in urine by means of LC-QTOF-HRMS and LC-QqQ-MS

The antihelminthic drug Levamisole can enhance cocaine effects by conversion into the amphetamine-like drug aminorex. We describe an LC-MS method for the determination of levamisole and its metabolite aminorex in human urine. Selectivity is given, calibration curves were linear within the calibration range 2.5–250 ng/mL; limits of the method were LoD 0.51 ng/mL, LoQ 1.02 ng/mL for levamisole and LoD 0.65 ng/mL, LoQ 0.76 ng/mL for aminorex. Precision data was in accordance with the guidelines (intraday precision for aminorex ranged between 5.75 and 11.0 % for levamisole between 8.36 and 10.9 %; interday precision for levamisole 10.9–16.9 % and for aminorex 7.64–12.7 %; accuracy data for levamisole ?1.96 to –14.3 % and for aminorex?11.9 to–18.5 %). The validated method was successfully applied to study the urinary excretion of levamisole after the administration of 100 mg of levamisole orally. Levamisole and aminorex could be detected in post-administration urine samples. Levamisole could be detected up to 39 h after ingestion, while aminorex was detectable up to 54 h. Maximum aminorex concentrations were 45 ng/mL urine. Further metabolites of levamisole after oral ingestion by means of liquid chromatography hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-HRMS) were identified. Only 0.5 % of the ingested drug was quantified as unchanged levamisole in urine. Besides aminorex, five isomers of aminorex and 4 hydroxy-metabolites of aminorex or its isomers were found. Furthermore, levamisole is also hydroxylated and eliminated free or conjugated with sulfate or glucuronide into urine.     

Influence of Gold Nanoparticle Film Porosity on the Chemiresistive Sensing Performance

The porosity of 1‐hexanethiol‐functionalised gold nanoparticle films was assessed and utilised as chemiresistor sensors. Electrochemical capacitance measurements showed that the accessibility of electrolytes of different ionic strengths into the pores depended on the thickness of the electric double layer formed. A large variation in capacitance was measured in 0.01–1000 mM NaClO₄, implying a wide pore size distribution. The change in morphology of the nanoparticle films upon storage in air, water and ethanol for two weeks was investigated. There was a significant decrease in the electrochemical capacitance at high electrolyte concentrations for the ethanol‐stored films compared to the freshly‐prepared films suggesting a decrease in the number of small pores of radii in the range of 0.3–3 nm. This was further supported by optical topographical measurements where a decrease in the thickness of ethanol‐stored films was observed relative to the freshly‐prepared films. The porous nature of the nanoparticle films was found to have an effect on the chemical sensing behaviour. When used as chemiresistor sensors, for the detection of heptane in water, the ethanol‐stored films provided larger resistance changes and longer response times. This suggests that the more densely packed ethanol‐stored films provided more sites that enabled film swelling, and that diffusion of the analyte occurred through the narrower water‐filled pores. This demonstrates the effect of different storage conditions on film morphology and subsequently sensor response.     

Eosin Y (EY) Photoredox‐Catalyzed Sulfonylation of Alkenes: Scope and Mechanism

Alkyl‐ and aryl vinyl sulfones were obtained by eosin Y (EY)‐mediated visible‐light photooxidation of sulfinate salts and the reaction of the resulting S‐centered radicals with alkenes. Optimized reaction conditions, the sulfinate and alkene scope, and X‐ray structural analyses of several reaction products are provided. A detailed spectroscopic study explains the reaction mechanism, which proceeds through the EY radical cation as key intermediate oxidizing the sulfinate salts.