A method for the low-level (ng g(-1)) determination of perfluorooctanoate in paper and textile by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

The determination of perfluorooctanoate (PFO) in articles of commerce has become increasingly important to understand if treated products are a possible source of PFO. An LC-MS/MS method for the determination of PFO in paper and textile using a dual labeled 13C-PFOA internal standard was successfully developed and validated. Residues of PFO were determined using an isocratic, reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with an ammonium acetate/methanol buffer. Ions monitored were 413 (parent) and 369 (daughter) for PFO and 415 (parent) and 370 (daughter) for dual labeled 13C-PFOA internal standard. As a precaution against ubiquitous PFO that occasionally occurs in mobile phase or instrument components, two Hypercarb cartridges (4 mm) were placed before the HPLC injector. Any PFO that was captured by the cartridges was removed before each injection by flushing the system with 100% methanol prior to equilibration with the isocratic mobile phase. Overall recovery and standard deviation over a 3 day validation regimen for samples (n=54-55) fortified with PFOA at 5, 50, and 200 ng g(-1) were 114+/-4.9% for textile and 110+/-7.6% for paper. The results also established a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 ng g(-1) in textile and 2 ng g(-1) in paper based upon S/N of the 5.0 ng g(-1) fortification versus the untreated paper and textile.     

Isolated maximal surfaces in spacetime

Maximal surfaces and their implications for the ambient spacetime are studied. Our methods exploit the interplay between contact of the volume functional and energy conditions. Essentially, we find that in closed universes, maximal surfaces are unique; they maximize volume; and they yield future and past singularities.Supported in part by the National Science Foundation under grant No. PHY 70-02077A03 and by the Humboldt FoundationSupported in part by the Sonderforschungsbereich (Theoretische Mathematik) of the University of Bonn     

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of B-benzyl-9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane to furnish methylene-linked biaryls

[reaction: see text] Benzylboranes are noticeably uncommon partners within Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions. B-Benzyl-9-BBN was successfully coupled to a range of aryl/heteroaryl bromides, chlorides, and triflates to give pharmacologically important methylene-linked biaryl structures. Activated, deactivated, and sterically hindered substrates were successfully coupled in high yield using Pd(PPh(3))(4) or Pd(OAc)(2) with SPhos as the catalyst system.     

Optimization and Anti-Cancer Properties of Fluoromethylketones as Covalent Inhibitors for Ubiquitin C-Terminal Hydrolase L1

The deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) UCHL1 is implicated in various disease states including neurodegenerative disease and cancer. However, there is a lack of quality probe molecules to gain a better understanding on UCHL1 biology. To this end a study was carried out to fully characterize and optimize the irreversible covalent UCHL1 inhibitor VAEFMK. Structure-activity relationship studies identified modifications to improve activity versus the target and a full cellular characterization was carried out for the first time with this scaffold. The studies produced a new inhibitor, 34, with an IC₅₀ value of 7.7 µM against UCHL1 and no observable activity versus the closest related DUB UCHL3. The molecule was also capable of selectively inhibiting UCHL1 in cells and did not demonstrate any discernible off-target toxicity. Finally, the molecule was used for initial probe studies to assess the role of UCHL1 role in proliferation of myeloma cells and migration behavior in small cell lung cancer cells making 34 a new tool to be used in the biological evaluation of UCHL1.     

Suzuki–Miyaura Cross‐Coupling of Potassium Organoborates with 6‐Sulfonate Benzimidazoles Using Microwave Irradiation

This article focuses on the utility of organotrifluoroborate salts as coupling partners for Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling with 4‐nitro‐6‐triflyl benzimidazoles using microwave irradiation. The C–C bond formation at the 6‐position of the electron‐rich 1‐,4‐,6‐trisubstituted benzimidazole core is challenging and was not achievable via Kumada, Negishi, Stille, or Heck coupling strategies. Yields of 37–70% could be obtained via palladium coupling strategies utilizing potassium benzyl trifluoroborates as the organometallic coupling partner.     

A High Voltage Power Supply That Mitigates Current Reversals in Capillary Zone Electrophoresis-Electrospray Mass Spectrometry

Capillary electrophoresis coupled with electrospray ionization typically employs two power supplies, one at each end of the capillary. One power supply is located at the proximal (injection) end of the capillary. The power supply located at the distal (detector) end of the capillary drives the electrospray. Electrophoresis is driven by the difference in potential between these power supplies. Separations that employ large capillary inner diameter, high conductivity background electrolyte, and high separation potentials generate higher current than that produced by the electrospray. Excess current flows through the electrospray power supply. Most power supplies are not designed to sink current, and the excess current will cause the electrospray voltage to deviate from its set point. We report a simple circuit to handle this excess current, allowing separations under a wide range of electrophoretic conditions.

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Formal total synthesis of (+)-salicylihalamides A and B: a combined chiral pool and RCM strategy

The formal total synthesis of the (+)-salicylihalamides A and B is detailed, utilizing a chiral pool approach to generate the three stereogenic centers and a ring-closing metathesis (RCM) for the formation of the macrocyclic ring structure. Starting from a known glucose-derived alcohol, the formal total synthesis was achieved in an efficient 13-step protocol in 26% overall yield. It was found that substitution at the remote phenolic group significantly influenced the ratio of the E- and Z-double bond products in the RCM step. The introduction of phenol protecting groups provided E-isomers preferentially and also enhanced the rates of the RCM reactions.     

The nonlinear graviton in interaction with a photon

It is shown that Einstein-Maxwell complex space-times with self-(anti-self-) dual Weyl tensor and algebraically general anti-self-(self-) dual Maxwell tensor are completely characterized as quasi-Kählerian space-times with vanishing scalar curvature. Following Penrose's interpretation ofH-spaces, we propose that an electrifiedH-space be interpreted as a nonlinear graviton in interaction with a photon. Two families of exact solutions are presented as examples.Supported in part by NSF Grant #MPS74-15246.