Analysis of organic acids in wines by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been a major point of development in many wine laboratories in recent years. It enables almost instant analysis of several properties of wine, usually with very good precision and accurate results. Nevertheless, validation procedures should not be forgotten and should be fully performed. Recovery experiments were performed by spiking wine samples with different amounts of organic acids (tartaric, malic, lactic, acetic and citric—the most prominent in wines). After FTIR analysis of the total acidity and of each organic acid concentration, recoveries were calculated. For total acidity recovery results were, in general, good and very close to 100% (64–111%). On the other hand, for individual organic acid concentrations, the recovery results were lower than 100% (11–73%) for all spiking additions. These results could be explained by spectroscopic interferences between the organic acids. Because they have similar infrared spectra, it is not easy to distinguish between them and, therefore, to achieve accurate calibration. When total acidity, with a different infrared spectrum from the other abundant compounds in the wine, was taken as a single property the recovery results were acceptable.     

Optimization of the abnormal Beckmann rearrangement: application to steroid 17-oximes

A novel and practical procedure was developed for the abnormal Beckmann rearrangement of steroid 17-oximes. Treatment of the 17-oximes with TFA/CH(OMe)(3) in boiling THF for 2 h gives the corresponding 13,17-seco alkene nitrile products in unprecedented high yields (70-92%). Since the alkene nitriles can be subsequently converted into 18-norsteroids, this general method provides a highly efficient route to these biologically important compounds and, by extension, to other structurally related natural products.     

Optical properties of ZnO and ZnO:In nanorods assembled by sol-gel method

Self-assembled zinc oxide (ZnO) and indium-doping zinc oxide (ZnO:In) nanorod thin films were synthesized on quartz substrates without catalyst in aqueous solution by sol-gel method. The samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman-scattering spectroscopy, room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and temperature-dependent PL spectra measurements. XRD and Raman spectra illustrated that there were no single In2O3 phase in ZnO lattice after indium doping. The PL spectra of ZnO showed a strong UV emission band located at 394 nm and a very weak visible emission associated with deep-level defects. Indium incorporation induced the shift of optical band gap, quenching of the near-band-edge photoluminescence and enhanced LO mode multiphonon resonant Raman scattering in ZnO crystals at different temperatures. Abnormal temperature dependence of UV emission integrated intensity of ZnO and ZnO:In samples is observed. The local state emission peak of ZnO:In samples at 3.37 eV is observed in low-temperature PL spectra. The near-band-edge emission peak at room temperature was a mixture of excitons and impurity-related transitions for both of two samples.     

Study on the interaction of platinum(IV), gold(III) and silver(I) ions with DNA

Fluorescence, absorption spectra have been produced by the interaction of platinum(IV), silver(I) and gold(III) ions with the berberine–DNA system (berberine, Scheme 1). Platinum(IV) and gold(III) ions show different effects from that of silver(I) ion on the spectral characteristics of the berberine–DNA system. Quenching fluorescence is seen with platinum(IV) and gold(III) ions addition, whereas increasing fluorescence is observed for silver(I) ions. The addition of gold(III) and silver(I) ions cause an increase in absorption of the berberine–DNA system. The above results suggest that different metal ions exhibit different affinities when binding to DNA correlates well with the ions’ charge, structure and the coordination ability.     

Synthesis and X-ray crystal structure of oxamido-bridged heterobinuclear Ni(Ⅱ)-Cu(Ⅱ) complexes

The two complexes [Ni(oxen)Cu(L)2](ClO4)2.xH2O (L=2,2'-bipyridyl(bpy), 1,10-phenanthroline(phen)) have been synthesized, where oxen is N,N'-bis(2-aminoethyl)oxamido di-anion. The crystal structure of [Ni(oxen)Cu(bpy)2](ClO4)2.CH3OH has been determined by X-ray diffraction method. The crystal is triclinic system, space group P1 with a=12.179(1),b=12.298(2), c=11.476(2) A, a=97.57(1), B=97.52(1), 7=80.29(2), V=1669.04(67) A3, Z=2, Dcalcd=1.667 g/cm3. The structure has been refined to final R of 0.076 and Rw of 0.080, respectively. The complexes have an extended oxamido-bridged structure and consist of Ni(Ⅱ) ion in a square planar environment and Cu(Ⅱ) ion in a distorted octahedral environment.     

二氢茉莉酮酸甲酯的简便合成方法

本文报道二氢茉莉酮酸甲酯的简便合成方法。先由丁二酸和庚酰氯反应得到2-戊基-1,3-环戊二酮(1),再用甲醇醚化1,可得到2-戊基-3-甲氧基-环戊-2-烯酮(2)。2与丙二酸二甲酯反应生成(2-戊基-3-酮-1-环戊烯-)基乙酸甲酮(3)。最后,催化氢化3,便可得到二氢茉莉酮酸甲酯(4)。     

Micellar effect on the electron transfer reaction of chromium(V) ion with organic sulfides

The rate of electron transfer from organic sulfides to [Cr^V(ehba)₂]⁻ (ehba-2-ethyl-2-hydroxy butyric acid) decreases with a decrease in the polarity of the medium. The anionic surfactant, SDS and the cationic surfactant, CTAB have different effects on the kinetics of this reaction. The micellar inhibition observed in the presence of SDS is probably due to the decrease in the polarity and the electrostatic repulsion faced by the anionic oxidant from the anionic micelle and the partition of the hydrophobic substrate between the aqueous and micellar phases. The micellar catalysis in the presence of CTAB is attributed to the increase in the concentration of both reactants in the micellar phase. This micellar catalysis is observed to offset the retarding effects of the less polar micellar medium and the unfavorable charge-charge interaction between the + charge developed on S center in the transition state and the cationic micelle. This catalysis is contrary to the enormous micellar inhibition observed with IO₄⁻, HSO₅⁻ and HCO₄⁻ oxidation of organic sulfides.