Determination of carbonyl compounds in exhaust gas by using a modified DNPH-method

The determination of carbonyl compounds in gaseous samples is usually accomplished by enrichment methods, in which 2,4-dinitrophenyl-hydrazine (DNPH) as a derivatization reagent has become established to a large extent. However, the conventional methods of DNPH-impingers and of DNPH-cartridges are applicable to emission measurements in a limited way only, depending on the NO₂-concentration in the exhaust gas. It could be proved that DNPH-derivatives, as well as DNPH, are also decomposed by NO₂ at a different speed, in which the hydrazones of unsaturated carbonyl compounds are probably more sensitive than those of the saturated carbonyl compounds. In view of this fact, the collecting methods had to be modified to avoid losses with the enrichment. The analysis of the compounds is carried out by HPLC with an effective gradient-system which is able to separate and detect the carbonyl compounds in exhaust gas within 16 min. Furthermore, a simple working-up procedure is presented which facilitates a parallel analysis by GC.     

Conformational study of a new SGTx1 neurotoxin from the spider Scodra griseipes using mass spectrometry

SGTx1 is a new neurotoxin from the venom of Scodra griseipes. Because of the small quantity of this natural peptide available, mass spectrometry was used to obtain information on its higher-order structure. The kinetics of reduction by 1,4-dithiothreitol (DTT) was monitored by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS), and showed that one of the three disulfide bridges was appreciably more accessible to the DTT. Studies based on the charge state distribution (CSD) and H/D exchange of the non-reduced peptide, under neutral and acidic conditions, were performed using electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-MS). In neutral solution, SGTx1 showed a maximum charge state of four compared with seven potentially protonated basic residues, and all labile hydrogens were exchanged. However, under acidic conditions, a maximum charge state of only five was observed, and four of the labile hydrogens could not be deuterated. These observations are interpreted in terms of a rigid structure maintained by the disulfide bridges, which can be temporarily relaxed by disulfide bridge scrambling only at higher pH values.     

Nickel-Catalyzed Preparations of Functionalized Organozincs

The reaction of primary alkyl bromides or chlorides with diethylzinc in the presence of Ni(acac)(2) (5 mol %) furnishes the corresponding alkylzinc halides (X = Br, Cl) via a halogen-zinc exchange reaction. The treatment of terminal alkenes with diethylzinc (neat, 25-60 degrees C) in the presence of Ni(acac)(2) as a catalyst (1-5 mol %) and 1,5-cyclooctadiene (COD) affords the corresponding dialkylzincs via a hydrozincation reaction. Whereas the conversion for simple alkenes bearing a remote functionality reaches 40 to 63%, the hydrozincation of allylic, homoallylic alcohols and allylic amines proceeds very efficiently (85-95% conversion). All the zinc organometallics obtained react with various electrophiles (allylic halides, enones, acid chlorides, alkynyl halides, ethyl propiolate) after transmetalation with CuCN.2LiCl. In the presence of the chiral catalyst 12, the dialkylzincs prepared add to aldehydes with high enantioselectivity.     

Microporous SiO2 and SiO2/MOx (M=Ti,Zr, Al) for ceramic membrane applications: A microstructural study of the sol-stage and the consolidated state

Microporous SiO₂ and SiO₂/MO₂ (M=Ti, Zr, Al; 10 mol% MO_x) materials for gas separation membrane applications have been prepared from polymeric sols. Characterization of these sols with SAXS showed that the mean fractal dimension of the SiO₂ sols is 1.3–1.4 with a radius of gyration of approximately 2.5 nm. The dried and calcined films are microporous and the pore size distribution was bimodal with maxima at diameters of 0.5 nm and 0.75 nm. For the SiO₂/TiO₂, SiO₂/ZrO₂ and SiO₂/Al₂O₃ systems, much milder reaction conditions proved to be necessary to obtain sols with comparable fractal dimensions due to the high reactivity of the Ti/Zr/Al-alkoxides. Microporous supported membranes with molecular sieve-like gas transport properties can be prepared from a relatively wide range of sol structures: from polymers too small to characterize with SAXS to structures with fractal dimensions: 1<d _f<2.04.     

Sequence-defined positioning of amine and amide residues to control catechol driven wet adhesion

Catechol and amine residues, both abundantly present in mussel adhesion proteins, are known to act cooperatively by displacing hydration barriers before binding to mineral surfaces. In spite of synthetic efforts toward mussel-inspired adhesives, the effect of positioning of the involved functional groups along a polymer chain is not well understood. By using sequence-defined oligomers grafted to soft hydrogel particles as adhesion probes, we study the effect of catechol–amine spacing, as well as positioning relative to the oligomer terminus. We demonstrate that the catechol–amine spacing has a significant effect on adhesion, while shifting their position has a small effect. Notably, combinations of non-charged amides and catechols can achieve similar cooperative effects on adhesion when compared to amine and catechol residues. Thus, these findings provide a blueprint for the design of next generation mussel-inspired adhesives.

The catechol driven adhesion of precision macromolecules on glass surfaces is quantified by soft colloidal probe readout. Catechol moieties are shown to synergize with amine and amide residues depending on residue spacing and residue order.     

Asymmetric strecker synthesis of alpha-amino acids via a crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation using (R)-phenylglycine amide as chiral auxiliary

[reaction: see text]. Diastereoselective Strecker reactions based on (R)-phenylglycine amide as chiral auxiliary are reported. The Strecker reaction is accompanied by an in situ crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation, whereby one diastereomer selectively precipitates and can be isolated in 76-93% yield and dr > 99/1. The diastereomerically pure alpha-amino nitrile obtained from pivaldehyde (R1 = t-Bu, R2 = H) was converted in three steps to (S)-tert-leucine in 73% yield and >98% ee.