Fragmentation of N-linked glycans with a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometer

N-Linked glycans were ionized from several matrices with a Shimadzu-Biotech AXIMA-QIT matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization quadrupole ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometer. [M+Na]+ ions were produced from all matrices and were accompanied by varying amounts of in-source fragmentation products. The least fragmentation was produced by 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and the most by alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid and 6-aza-2-thiothymine. Sialic acid loss was extensive but could be prevented by formation of methyl esters. Fragmentation produced typical low-energy-type spectra dominated by ions formed by glycosidic cleavages. MS(n) spectra (n = 3 and 4) were used to probe the pathways leading to the major diagnostic ions. Thus, for example, an ion that was formed by loss of the core GlcNAc residues and the 3-antenna was confirmed as being formed by a B/Y rather than a C/Z mechanism. The proposed structures of several cross-ring cleavage ions were confirmed and it was shown that MS3 spectra could be obtained from as little as 10 fmol of glycan.     

Multiresidue screening of pesticides in foods using retention time locking, GC-AED, database search, and GC/MS identification

Fruit and vegetable extracts were screened for over 400 pesticides by gas chromatography with atomic emission detection (GC-AED) and an experimental database. A technique called retention time locking was used to match GC-AED and GC with mass spectrometry (MS) retention times to those of the database. Samples were analyzed for sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, and chlorine by GC-AED. Possible pesticides were suggested by database search and identified by GC/MS. Forty-four pesticide standards were analyzed to determine the precision of retention time matching and the accuracy of the database search. Analytical retention times matched database retention times within 0.32 min. Using elemental criteria, the database search identified the correct compound for 41 of 44 pesticide standards. For blind spikes of fruit and vegetable extracts, the database suggested 22 of 26 spiked pesticides as matches. Nineteen were identified by GC/MS. The combination of retention time locking, GC-AED, database search, and GC/MS can be a powerful tool for identifying pesticides in a complex matrix.     

Qualitative supercritical fluid extraction coupled to capillary gas chromatography

The usefulness and ease of utilizing supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) directly coupled to capillary gas chromatography (GC) as quantitative or qualitative analytical problem-solving tools will be demonstrated. As an alternative to conventional liquid solvent extractions, SFE presents itself as a means to achieve high extraction efficiencies of different compounds in complex solid matrices in very rapid tims frames. Moreover, SFE has an additional advantage of being able to achieve distinct extraction selectivities as a function of the solubilizing power of the supercritical fluid extracting phase. For on-line SFE/GC, the extraction effluent is directly transferred to the analytical chromatograph. On-line SFE/GC involves the decompression of pressurized extraction effluent directly into a heated, unmodified capillary split injection port of the GC. In this respect, SFE introduction into GC can be used as an alternative means of GC injection, comparable to such modes of injection as pyrolysis and thermal desorption. This paper will show applications of SFE/GC where mass spectrometric detection together with flame ionization detection was used for component identification from environmental, tobacco, and petroleum matrices.     

An efficient palladium-catalyzed Negishi cross-coupling reaction with arylvinyl iodides: facile regioselective synthesis of E-stilbenes and their analogues

A general synthetic route for the Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling of an arylzinc reagent with arylvinyl iodides (Negishi cross-coupling) has been developed. The system permits efficient and selective preparation of E-stilbenes and their analogues. It also functions effectively at low levels of catalyst loading without the need for an additional ligand and tolerates a wide range of functional groups including heteroaromatic substrates. A systematic study of various parameters was performed and correlated with catalyst-substrate activity.     

Controlling the outcome of an N-alkylation reaction by using N-oxide functional groups

Covalent modifiers of proteins are of importance in chemical proteomics, an emerging chemical technology used to assign protein function. In this study, high-field (1)H NMR techniques were used to analyze the reaction of the bioactive compound, 2,3-bis(bromomethyl)quinoxaline 1,4-dioxide, with amines (a model system for proteins containing nitrogen-based nucleophiles). Unexpectedly, the results show that a double nucleophilic substitution reaction involving 2 equiv of the amine is preferred to an intramolecular cyclization pathway. A direct comparison with the reaction carried out on a substrate lacking the N-oxide functional groups is also provided. X-ray crystal structures and computational studies are used to rationalize the observed differences in reactivity between the two systems.     

The proton affinity of proline analogs using the kinetic method with full entropy analysis

The proton affinity of proline analogs, L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (Aze), L-proline (Pro), and L-pipecolic acid (Pip), have been measured using the Armentrout modification of the extended kinetic method in a quadrupole ion trap instrument. Experimental values of 223.0 +/- 1.5, 224.9 +/- 1.6, and 225.6 +/- 1.6 kcal/mol have been determined for the 298K proton affinities of Aze, Pro, and Pip respectively. High level theoretical calculations using both MP2 and B3LYP methods at a variety of basis sets were carried out in order to give theoretical predictions for the 298 K proton affinity and gas phase basicity of all three analogs. Recommended values for the gas phase basicity and proton affinity for proline based on our work and other recent determinations are 216 +/- 2 and 224 +/- 2 kcal/mol.     

Theoretical study of “protonated pyruvate”: A methylhydroxycarbene—carbon dioxide complex—implications for the decarboxylation of pyruvic acid

Two conformers of protonated pyruvate, CH₃C⁺(OH)COO, with the OH group either trans or cis to the methyl group and the carboxylate group in the C? C? C plane have been studied using the ab initio SCF/3-21G method, as well as by some semiempirical AM1 calculations. Both ab initio SCF and AM1 curves for the potential energy as a function of the C? COO distance exhibit a minimum corresponding to a complex of methylhydroxycarbene, CH₃COH, associated with carbon dioxide, but only the AM1 curves predict an inner minimum corresponding to a covalently bonded protonated pyruvate molecule with a C? COO distance of 1.6–1.7 Å. The two models also disagree on the dissociation pathway for pyruvic acid, with the AM1 calculations predicting formation of acetyl and HOCO radicals while the ab initio method predicts dissociation into methylhydroxycarbene and carbon dioxide following an initial intramolecular proton transfer. The weakly bound complexes of methylhydroxycarbene and carbon dioxide have been studied in some detail using ab initio SCF and MP2 methods in conjunction with 6-311G** basis sets, obtaining equilibrium geometries and vibrational frequencies. In addition, the lactone-type isomer of protonated pyruvate, which contains a C? C? O ring, was also studied. The conclusions of these calculations are consistent with those from earlier work using the smaller 3-21G basis set. The most stable complex is predicted to occur between trans-methylhydroxycarbene and carbon dioxide where substantial stabilization is provided by an OH ? OC hydrogen bond. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Acidic ent-kauranoids from the metabolism of ent-kaura-2,16-dien-19-ol in gibberella fujikuroi

Three acidic ent-kauranoid metabolites have been obtained as the methyl esters (7, 8, and 9) from incubation of the [17-¹⁴C]-labelled dienol (1) with Gibberella fujikuroi. Spectroscopic studies of the triol ester (7) and chemical degradation of B-ring cleaved products establish the assigned structure (7). The structures of the other two metabolite esters are indicated to be 8 and 9 from the spectroscopic data.     

C.I. Calculations on the lower transitions in the terphenyl and quaterphenyl di-valent ions

Energies and transition dipole moments for the lower electronic transitions in the terphenyl and quaterphenyl di-valent ions have been calculated starting from the Pople SCF MO's for the ground state ions. The configuration interaction included about one-hundred singly and doubly excited configurations. The results of the calculations for the lower allowed electronic transitions are in very satisfactory agreement with the experimental spectra.     

Synthesis of 6-amino-1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-c] pyridin-4(5H)one (8-aza-3-deazaguanine) and 6-amino-1-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)-1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-c] pyridin-4(5H)one (8-Aza-3-deazaguanosine) via novel ring closure procedures

The total synthesis of 6-amino-1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-c]pyridin-4(5H)one (8-aza-3-deazaguanine, 3 ) and 6-amino-1-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)-1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-c]pyridin-4(5H)one (8-aza-3-deazaguano-sine, 22 ) has been described for the first time by a novel base-catalyzed ring closure of 4(5)-cyanomethyl-1,2,3-triazole-5(4)carboxamide (14) and methyl 5-cyanomethyl-1-(2,3,5-tri-O-ben-zoyl-β-D-ribofuranosyl)-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxylate (17) , respectively. Under the catalysis of DBU, 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone of dimethyl 1,3-acetonedicarboxylate (7) was converted to methyl 5-methoxycarbonylmethyl-1-(2,4-dinitroanilino)-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxylate (12) via dimethyl 2-diazo-3-iminoglutarate (8) . Catalytic reduction of 12 gave methyl 4(5)methoxycar-bonylmethyl-1,2,3-triazole-5(4)carboxylate (11) from which methyl 4(5)carbamoylmethyl-1,2,3-triazole-5(4)carboxylate (10) was obtained by ammonolysis. Dehydration of 10 provided methyl 4(5)cyanomethyl-1,2,3-triazole-5(4)carboxylate (13) which on amination gave 14 . The 1,2,3-triazole nucleosides 17, 18 and 19 were obtained from the stannic chloride-catalyzed condensation of the trimethylsilyl 13 and a fully acylated β-D-ribofuranose. The yield and ratio of the ribofuranosyl derivatives of 13 markedly depends on the ratio of stannic chloride used. The structures of the nucleosides 22 and 23 were established by a combination of NOE, ¹H-nmr and ¹³C-nmr spectroscopy.