The metabolism of norethandrolone in the horse: characterization of 16-, 20- and 21-oxygenated metabolites by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

After oral administration to a thoroughbred gelding, the anabolic steroid norethandrolone was converted into a complex mixture of oxygenated metabolites. These metabolites were extracted from the urine, deconjugated by methanolysis and converted to their O-methyloxime trimethylsilyl derivatives. Gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analysis indicated the major metabolites to be 19-norpregnane-3,16,17-triols, 19-norpregnane-3,17,20-triols and 3,17-dihydroxy-19-norpregnan-21-oic acids. Some minor metabolites were also detected.     

On the excited states ofp-quinones and an interpretation of the photocycloaddition ofp-quinones to alkenes

A theoretical investigation is made of the electronic states ofp-benzoquinone (PBQ), methyl substituted PBQ's and 1,4-naphthoquinone (NQ). In accord with experiment, the lowest triplet state of PBQ is calculated to be³ B _1g (n, *), while that for duroquinone (DQ) is³ B _3g (, *). The electron densities of these states are consistent with the hypothesis that³ n, * states lead to oxetan formation and³, * states to cyclobutanes. It is predicted that trimethyl PBQ might form both adducts, as the two states are calculated to be nearly degenerate.The photochemistry of NQ is more complex. The lowest excited triplet state is calculated to be ofn, * symmetry, in accord with experiment; however, several other states are predicted near in energy, and the photochemistry cannot be rationalized unambiguously.This work was supported in part by the National Research Council of Canada.     

Cadmium Malonate Complexation in Aqueous Sodium Trifluoromethanesulfonate Media to 75°C; Including Dissociation Quotients of Malonic Acid

The molal formation quotients for cadmium–malonate complexes were measured potentiometrically from 5 to 75°C, at ionic strengths of 0.1, 0.3, 0.6 and 1.0 molal in aqueous sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate (NaTr) media. In addition, the stepwise dissociation quotients for malonic acid were measured in the same medium from 5 to 100°C, at ionic strengths of 0.1, 0.3, 0.6, and 1.0 molal by the same method. The dissociation quotients for malonic acid were modeled as a function of temperature and ionic strength with empirical equations formulated such that the equilibrium constants at infinite dilution were consistent, within the error estimates, with the malonic acid dissociation constants obtained in NaCl media. The equilibrium constants calculated for the dissociation of malonic acid at 25°C and infinite dilution are log K _1a=-2.86 ± 0.01 and log K _2a=-5.71 ± 0.01. A single Cd–malonate species, CdCH₂C₂O₄, was identified from the complexation study and the formation quotients for this species were also modeled as a function of temperature and ionic strength. Thermodynamic parameters obtained by differentiating the equation with respect to temperature for the formation of CdCH₂C₂O₄ at 25°C and infinite dilution are: K = 3.45 ± 0.09, S° = 7 ± 6 kJ-mol^-1, S° = 91 ± 22 J-K^--mol^-1, and C _p ^o =400±300 J­K^-1­mol^-1.     

Surface protonation at the rutile (110) interface: explicit incorporation of solvation structure within the refined MUSIC model framework

The detailed solvation structure at the (110) surface of rutile (alpha-TiO2) in contact with bulk liquid water has been obtained primarily from experimentally verified classical molecular dynamics (CMD) simulations of the ab initio-optimized surface in contact with SPC/E water. The results are used to explicitly quantify H-bonding interactions, which are then used within the refined MUSIC model framework to predict surface oxygen protonation constants. Quantum mechanical molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations in the presence of freely dissociable water molecules produced H-bond distributions around deprotonated surface oxygens very similar to those obtained by CMD with nondissociable SPC/E water, thereby confirming that the less computationally intensive CMD simulations provide accurate H-bond information. Utilizing this H-bond information within the refined MUSIC model, along with manually adjusted Ti-O surface bond lengths that are nonetheless within 0.05 A of those obtained from static density functional theory (DFT) calculations and measured in X-ray reflectivity experiments (as well as bulk crystal values), give surface protonation constants that result in a calculated zero net proton charge pH value (pHznpc) at 25 degrees C that agrees quantitatively with the experimentally determined value (5.4+/-0.2) for a specific rutile powder dominated by the (110) crystal face. Moreover, the predicted pHznpc values agree to within 0.1 pH unit with those measured at all temperatures between 10 and 250 degrees C. A slightly smaller manual adjustment of the DFT-derived Ti-O surface bond lengths was sufficient to bring the predicted pHznpcvalue of the rutile (110) surface at 25 degrees C into quantitative agreement with the experimental value (4.8+/-0.3) obtained from a polished and annealed rutile (110) single crystal surface in contact with dilute sodium nitrate solutions using second harmonic generation (SHG) intensity measurements as a function of ionic strength. Additionally, the H-bond interactions between protolyzable surface oxygen groups and water were found to be stronger than those between bulk water molecules at all temperatures investigated in our CMD simulations (25, 150 and 250 degrees C). Comparison with the protonation scheme previously determined for the (110) surface of isostructural cassiterite (alpha-SnO2) reveals that the greater extent of H-bonding on the latter surface, and in particular between water and the terminal hydroxyl group (Sn-OH) results in the predicted protonation constant for that group being lower than for the bridged oxygen (Sn-O-Sn), while the reverse is true for the rutile (110) surface. These results demonstrate the importance of H-bond structure in dictating surface protonation behavior, and that explicit use of this solvation structure within the refined MUSIC model framework results in predicted surface protonation constants that are also consistent with a variety of other experimental and computational data.     

Multiple-timescale photoreactivity of a model compound related to the active site of [FeFe]-hydrogenase

Ultraviolet (UV) photolysis of (mu-S(CH 2) 3S)Fe 2(CO) 6 ( 1), a model compound of the Fe-hydrogenase enzyme system, has been carried out. When ultrafast UV-pump infrared (IR)-probe spectroscopy, steady-state Fourier transform IR spectroscopic methods, and density functional theory simulations are employed, it has been determined that irradiation of 1 in an alkane solution at 350 nm leads to the formation of two isomers of the 16-electron complex (mu-S(CH 2) 3S)Fe 2(CO) 5 within 50 ps with evidence of a weakly associated solvent adduct complex. 1 is subsequently recovered on timescales covering several minutes. These studies constitute the first attempt to study the photochemistry and reactivity of these enzyme active site models in solution following carbonyl ligand photolysis.     

Desorption ionization/tandem mass spectrometry with a caesium ion source and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer

The coupling of a caesium ion source to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer is described. The potential of this combination for examining thermally labile, non-volatile molecules, such as thiamine hydrochloride, is examined. Emphasis is placed on the advantages the various scanning modes of tandem mass spectrometry provide in ion structure elucidation and the investigation of desorption ionization mechanisms. Use of the caesium ion source for desorption of neutral molecules which are chemically ionized by an auxiliary gas is demonstrated. This procedure may be especially useful for examining non-volatile, non-ionic samples.     

The calculated spectra of the azanaphthalenes

A modified INDO (intermediate neglect of differential overlap) method is used to calculate the electronic spectra of naphthalene and some mono-, di-, and tetraazanaphthalenes. The technique is capable of reproducing the better classified bands of this series within a rms error of 1000 cm⁻¹.The four lowest π-π^* bands of naphthalene are well represented; a fifth band reported at 52,600 cm⁻¹, and generally assigned ¹B_2u(π-π^*), may be ¹B_3g(π-π^*) borrowing intensity. The lowest excited singlet state calculated for quinoline is n → π^*, estimated nearly degenerate with the lowest π-π^*, while that for isoquinoline is calculated π-π^*; experimental evidence supports the π-π^* assignment in both cases, but the corresponding absorption in quinoline appears complex. Of the diazanaphthalenes examined (with two nitrogens in one benzenoid ring) all are calculated to have one n-π^* transition before the first π-π^* except phthalazine, in which two n-π^* transitions are calculated to be the lowest lying. This is in accord with experimental evidence to date, although the nature of the observation in phthalazine is reinterpreted as one ¹B₂(n-π). 1,4,5,8-tetrazanaphthalene is predicted to have a group theoretically forbidden n-π^* excited state as low as 21,000 cm⁻¹, and should prove interesting experimentally. Even though n-π^* excited states are often calculated to be the lowest lying, none of these compounds are predicted to have an “n” orbital as homo.Further interpretations of the spectra of the azanaphthalenes are made in view of the calculations. Theoretical limitations of the method employed for this study are discussed.     

Comparison of cation adsorption by isostructural rutile and cassiterite

Macroscopic net proton charging curves for powdered rutile and cassiterite specimens with the (110) crystal face predominant, as a function of pH in RbCl and NaCl solutions, trace SrCl(2) in NaCl, and trace ZnCl(2) in NaCl and Na Triflate solutions, are compared to corresponding molecular-level information obtained from static DFT optimizations and classical MD simulations, as well as synchrotron X-ray methods. The similarities and differences in the macroscopic charging behavior of rutile and cassiterite largely reflect the cation binding modes observed at the molecular level. Cation adsorption is primarily inner-sphere on both isostructural (110) surfaces, despite predictions that outer-sphere binding should predominate on low bulk dielectric constant oxides such as cassiterite (ε(bulk) ≈ 11). Inner-sphere adsorption is also significant for Rb(+) and Na(+) on neutral surfaces, whereas Cl(-) binding is predominately outer-sphere. As negative surface charge increases, relatively more Rb(+), Na(+), and especially Sr(2+) are bound in highly desolvated tetradentate fashion on the rutile (110) surface, largely accounting for enhanced negative charge development relative to cassiterite. Charging curves in the presence of Zn(2+) are very steep but similar for both oxides, reflective of Zn(2+) hydrolysis (and accompanying proton release) during the adsorption process, and the similar binding modes for ZnOH(+) on both surfaces. These results suggest that differences in cation adsorption between high and low bulk dielectric constant oxides are more subtly related to the relative degree of cation desolvation accompanying inner-sphere binding (i.e., more tetradentate binding on rutile), rather than distinct inner- and outer-sphere adsorption modes. Cation desolvation may be favored at the rutile (110) surface in part because inner-sphere water molecules are bound further from and less tightly than on the cassiterite (110) surface. Hence, their removal upon inner-sphere cation binding is relatively more favorable.     

The Ã1A1-X̃1A1 two-photon fluorescence excitation spectrum of 1,2-difluorobenzene

The two-photon fluorescence excitation spectrum of 1,2-difluorobenzene was obtained with a tunable dye laser calibrated using a combination of the neon optogalvanic spectrum and etalon fringes. The spectrum consists only of A₁-A₁ bands but the use of linear and circular polarization divides the bands into two types. The 0⁰₀ type retains its intensity in circular polarization and, rotationally, shows little or no zero-rank contribution. The 5¹₀ (or 14¹₀) type loses much of its intensity in circular polarization and, rotationally, shows a large zero-rank contribution. These observations all accord with the trace of the two-photon transition tensor being close to zero for the 0⁰₀ type and large for the 5¹₀ type, the latter type being involved in vibronic interaction which mixes the $\text{A}\text{?}$ and $\text{X}\text{?}$ states. There is strong evidence for Fermi resonance between the 5¹ and 6¹10¹ levels. Parts of the one-photon absorption spectrum have been photographed to aid sequence identification and also to look for the 5¹₀, A₁-A₁ transition. This transition is not observed: nor is there any evidence for intensity stealing by b₂ vibrations.