Computer-aided identification of powdered vegetable materials

The use and limitations of the microcomputer as an aid for the analyst in the identification of powdered vegetable materials is presented and suggestions are given for extending the applicability of the method and the programs described.     

Nickelocene chemistry : II. New methylidyne trinickel cluster compounds

The new methylidene trinickel cluster complexes, [RCNi₃(η⁵-C₅H₅₃] (R  CMe₃ or SiMe₃) and [Me₃SiCNi₃(η⁵-C₅H₅)2(η⁵-C₅H₄CH₂SiMe₃)] have been isolated in low yield from reactions between nickelocene and the corresponding alkyllithium reagents, RCH₂Li. The compounds [RCNi₃(η⁵-C₅H₅)₃] (R  Ph, CMe₃ or SiMe₃) have also been obtained by treatment of the σ-alkylnickel complexes [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Ni(CH₂R)(PPh₃)] with n-BuLi in the presence of an excess of nickelocene, but under similar conditions [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Ni(CH₂C_1OH₇-2)-(PPh₃)] (where C_1OH₇-2  2-naphthyl) failed to give [2-C_1OH₇CNi₃(η⁵-C₅H₅)₃]. The attempted synthesis of [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Ni(CH₂CCH)(PPh₃)] from [(η⁵-C₅H₅)-NiBr(PPh₃)] and CHCCH₂MgBr gave only [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Ni(CCMe)(PPh₃)] by an unusual rearrangement reaction.     

Quenching echo modulations in NMR spectroscopy.

In NMR spectroscopy, homonuclear scalar couplings normally lead to modulations of spin echoes that tend to interfere with the accurate determination of transverse relaxation rates by Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) multiple refocusing experiments. Surprisingly, the echo modulations are largely cancelled when the refocusing pulses applied to the coupling partner deviate slightly from ideal pi rotations due to tilted effective radio-frequency (RF) fields, even at offsets that are much smaller than the radio-frequency amplitude. Experiments and simulations illustrate these effects for two-spin IS systems containing donor and acceptor (15)N nuclei I=N (D) and S=N(A) in RNA Watson-Crick base pairs with homonuclear scalar couplings J(IS)=(2h)J(N(D), N(A)) across the hydrogen bonds.     

Metamorphosis of ordered mesopores to micropores: periodic silica with unprecedented loading of pendant reactive organic groups transforms to periodic microporous silica with tailorable pore size

Ordered porous silicas with unprecedented loadings of pendant vinyl groups have been synthesized via co-condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and triethoxyvinylsilane (TEVS) under basic conditions in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium surfactant. The resulting organosilicate-surfactant composites exhibited at least one low-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) peak up to the TEVS:TEOS molar ratio of 7:3 (70% TEVS loading) in the synthesis gel. The surfactant was removed from these composites without any structural collapse. Nitrogen adsorption provided strong evidence of the presence of uniformly sized pores and the lack of phase separation up to TEVS:TEOS ratios as high as 13:7 (65% TEVS loading), whereas (29)Si MAS NMR and high-resolution thermogravimetry showed essentially quantitative incorporation of the organosilane. Thus, a hitherto unachieved loading level for pendant groups, considered by many to be impossible to achieve for stable organosilicas because of the expected framework connectivity constraints, has been obtained. The resulting vinyl-functionalized silicas exhibited gradually decreasing pore diameter (from 2.8 to 1.7 nm for TEVS loadings of 25-65%) and pore volume as the loading of pendant groups increased, but the specific surface area was relatively constant. Because of the reactivity of vinyl groups, ordered silicas with very high loadings of these groups are expected to be robust starting materials for the synthesis of other organic-functionalized ordered microporous materials. Herein, we demonstrate that these starting materials can also be transformed via calcination into ordered microporous silicas with pore diameters tailorable from 2.5 to as little as 1.4 nm simply by using an appropriate loading of the vinyl-functionalized precursor. This ease of the micropore size adjustment and the attained degree of structural ordering (as judged from XRD) have not been reported before. The novel ordered microporous materials reported herein are promising as adsorbents and catalyst supports.     

Thallium-205 NMR spectroscopy. Solvation of the thallous ion in dilute aqueous-amide and amide-amide binary solvent systems of formamide,N-methylformamide,andN-ethylformamide

Solvation of the thallous ion in dilute solutions of six binary solvent systems (formamide/water,N-methylformamide/water,N-ethylformamide/water, formamide/N-methylformamide, formamide/N-ethylformamide, andN-methylformamide/N-ethylformamide) was studied with²⁰⁵Tl NMR spectroscopy. An attempt was made to separate solvation effects related to the electrondonating ability (Lewis basicity) of the solvents from effects resulting from structural changes in the solvation sphere. Structural effects were found to be greatest in theN-methylformamide/water system and least in theN-methylformamide/formamide system.     

Synthesis and mass spectrum of 3-(3′-pyridinyloxymethyl)pyridine and polarography of its dialkyl diquaternary salts

3-(3′-Pyridinyloxymethyl)pyridine is prepared by reaction of 3-hydroxymethylpyridine with 3-bromopyridine and converted to the 1,1′-dimethyl and 1,1′-diethyl diquaternary salts with alkyl iodides. The salts are reduced polarographically at a potential (E_o) of about - 1.02 to - 1.10 V in the pH range of 5.5-8.5.     

Anisotropic local motions and location of amide protons in proteins

A new method has been developed to obtain dynamic and structural information about peptide planes in proteins by a combination of measurements of weak short-range cross-correlation rates R(H(N)N/NC') that are due to concerted fluctuations of the H(N)-N and N-C' dipole-dipole interactions and stronger long-range cross-correlation rates R(C'H(N)/H(N)N) and R(NH(N)/H(N)C(alpha)). The rates were interpreted using the axially symmetric Gaussian axial fluctuation model (GAF). The oscillation amplitudes as well as the positions of H(N) atoms with respect to peptide planes in ubiquitin were determined. Most N-H(N) bonds were found not to lie exactly along the bisector of the N-C' and N-C(alpha) bonds but to be slightly tilted toward the carbon-terminal side of the peptide.     

In situ spectroscopic characterization of rectifying molecular monolayers self-assembled on gold.

We report visible, Raman, and infrared spectra of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formed by the donor-(pi-bridge)-acceptor chromophore, Z-beta-[N-(omega-acetylthioalkyl)-4-quinolinium]-alpha-cyano-4-styryldicyanomethanide (CH3CO-S-CnH2n-Q3CNQ where n=8, 10), on gold-coated substrates. The data are compared with the spectra collected for the same compound in solution and in the solid state, and with those obtained for a Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayer of C16H33-Q3CNQ deposited on gold. Spectral analysis confirms that in solution, in the solid state and in the LB film the chromophore has a zwitterionic (D+-pi-A-) ground state. At variance with this well-known result, our data show that in SAMs deposited on gold the chromophore has a more neutral, quinoid ground state. We relate this difference to the different packing of the molecules in the two different films: in SAMs in fact the chromophores stand almost vertical with respect to the substrate, whereas in LB films they make an angle of about 45 degrees. The Q3CNQ molecule is a well-known molecular rectifier, and for SAMs we were able to check the direction of electron flow at forward bias on the same samples that have been characterized spectroscopically, shedding light on the rectification mechanism.     

Analysis of cyanobacterial toxins by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

The combination of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with electrospray mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS) has been investigated as a tool for the analysis of assorted toxins produced by cyanobacteria. Toxins examined included saxitoxin and its various analogues (1-18), anatoxin-a (ATX-a, 19), cylindrospermopsin (CYN, 20), deoxycylindrospermopsin (doCYN, 21), and microcystins-LR (22) and -RR (23). The saxitoxins could be unequivocally detected in one isocratic analysis using a TSK gel Amide-80 column eluted with 65% B, where eluent A is water and B is a 95% acetonitrile/water solution, both containing 2.0 mM ammonium formate and 3.6 mM formic acid. The analysis of ATX-a, CYN and doCYN required 75% B isocratic. Simultaneous determination of 1-21 was also possible by using gradient elution. HILIC proved to be suitable for the analysis of microcystins, but peak shape was not symmetric and it was concluded that these compounds are best analysed using existing reversed-phase methods. The HILIC-MS method was applied to the analysis of field and cultured samples of Anabaena circinalis and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. In general, the method proved quite robust with similar results obtained in two different laboratories using different instrumentation.     

NiCl(2)(dppe)-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl mesylates, arenesulfonates, and halides with arylboronic acids

An investigation of the NiCl(2)(dppe)-, NiCl(2)(dppb)-, NiCl(2)(dppf)-, NiCl(2)(PCy(3))(2)-, and NiCl(2)(PPh(3))(2)-catalyzed cross-coupling of the previously unreported aryl mesylates, and of aryl arenesulfonates, chlorides, bromides, and iodides containing electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents with aryl boronic acids, in the absence of a reducing agent, is reported. NiCl(2)(dppe) was the only catalyst that exhibited high and solvent-independent activity in the two solvents investigated, toluene and dioxane. NiCl(2)(dppe) with an excess of dppe, NiCl(2)(dppe)/dppe, was reactive in the cross-coupling of electron-poor aryl mesylates, tosylates, chlorides, bromides, and iodides. This catalyst was also efficient in the cross-coupling of aryl bromides and iodides containing electron-donating substituents. Most surprisingly, the replacement of the excess dppe from NiCl(2)(dppe)/dppe with excess PPh(3) generated NiCl(2)(dppe)/PPh(3), which was found to be reactive for the cross-coupling of both electron-rich and electron-poor aryl mesylates and chlorides. Therefore, the solvent-independent reactivity of NiCl(2)(dppe) provides an inexpensive and general nickel catalyst for the cross-coupling of aryl mesylates, tosylates, chlorides, bromides, and iodides with aryl boronic acids.