Solid-phase microextraction and on-line methylation gas chromatography for aliphatic carboxylic acids

Methylation of carboxylic acids upon syringe injection of a mixture of the acid sample and phenyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (PTMAH) into the GC injection port is a convenient but under-utilized derivatization procedure. To minimize potential instrumental problems due to the sample matrix, it was shown that solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is effective for the absorption of both the carboxylic acid (RCOOH) and PTMAH permitting on-line methylation from the fiber. A comparison of three fibers, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyacrylate (PA), and carboxene/PDMS for decanoic and stearic acids showed the carboxene/PDMS fiber was about five times more effective for the extraction of the RCOOH-PTMAH mixture dissolved in methanol. The optimum fiber absorption time was about 20 min and the optimum desorption time in the injection port held at 280 degrees C was about 5-10 min. The optimum PTMAH/RCOOH ratio was about 125:1. Linearity for C18:0 at 3.3 x 10(-6)-3.3 x 10(-4) M was demonstrated by GC-MS with a detection limit of 1 microM. This SPME method is also effective for the methylation of C18:1, C18:2, and C18:3 fatty acids. Transesterification of olive oil using PTMAH and then on-line methylation either by the syringe method or by SPME gave comparable fatty acid methyl ester profiles.     

Non-Gaussian statistics of amide I mode frequency fluctuation of N-methylacetamide in methanol solution: linear and nonlinear vibrational spectra

By carrying out molecular dynamics simulations of an N-methylacetamide (NMA) in methanol solution, the amide I mode frequency fluctuation and hydrogen bonding dynamics were theoretically investigated. Combining an extrapolation formula developed from systematic ab initio calculation studies of NMA-(CH3OH)n clusters with a classical molecular dynamics simulation method, we were able to quantitatively describe the solvatochromic vibrational frequency shift induced by the hydrogen-bonding interaction between NMA and solvent methanol. It was found that the fluctuating amide I mode frequency distribution is notably non-Gaussian and it can be decomposed into two Gaussian peaks that are associated with two distinctively different solvation structures. The ensemble-average-calculated linear response function associated with the IR absorption is found to be oscillating, which is in turn related to the doublet amide I band shape. Numerically calculated infrared absorption spectra are directly compared with experiment and the agreement was found to be excellent. By using the Onsager's regression hypothesis, the rate constants of the interconversion process between the two solvation structures were obtained. Then, the nonlinear response functions associated with two-dimensional infrared pump-probe spectroscopy were simulated. The physics behind the two-dimensional line shape and origin of the cross peaks in the time-resolved pump-probe spectra is explained and the result is compared with 2D spectra experimentally measured recently by Woutersen et al.     

Unifying criteria for dissolution kinetics of various hydroxyapatite preparations

A powder suspension method has been used to study the dissolution rate behavior of various hydroxyapatite (HAP) preparations in acidic media containing different levels of calcium and phosphate. Despite the reported variabilities in the properties among differently prepared samples, the present study indicates that, with regard to the dissolution rate behavior, there is an important common characteristic dissolution rate component. There appears to be a dissolution site common to most HAP preparations that may be associated with the predominant surface of the HAP crystal. Also, an attempt is made to correlate the dissolution rate data with the study of Young and Holcomb on the properties of different HAP preparations.     

Polynucleotide analogues. VI. Synthesis and characterization of alternating copolymers of maleic anhydride and dihydropyran containing guanine derivatives

2-Amino-6-chloropurine was reacted with 2-(tosyloxymethyl)-2,3-dihydro-2H-pyran to give 2-(2-amino-6-chloropurin-9-ylmethyl)-2,3-dihydro-2H-pyran ( 3 ) and its N⁷-isomer ( 4 ), which were treated with 5% aqueous trimethylamine to result in 2-(guanin-9-ylmethyl)-2,3-dihydro-2H-pyran ( 5 ) and its N⁷-isomer ( 6 ), respectively. 2-(N²-Acetylguanin-9-yl-methyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran ( 7 ) and 2-(N²-acetylguanin-7-ylmethyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran ( 8 ), obtained by acetylation of compounds 5 and 6 , were copolymerized with maleic anhydride to give the alternating copolymers 9 and 10 , and they were hydrolyzed to result in poly[ {2-(guanin-9-ylmethyl)tetrahydropyran-5,6-diyl} {1,2-dicarboxyethylene}] ( 11 ) and poly[ {2-(guanin-7-ylmethyl)tetrahydropyran-5,6-diyl} {1,2-dicarboxyethylene}] ( 12 ), re-spectively. Polymer 11 showed hypochromicity whereas 12 exhibited hyperchromicity in aqueous solutions. Polymers 11 and 12 in aqueous solutions showed very strong excimer fluorescence with the maximum intensities at 432 and 446 nm, respectively, at room tem-perature. The two polymers showed polyelectrolyte effects, e.g., very high GPC molecular weights as well as reduced viscosities at low concentrations in water. Normal behavior was retained by addition of inorganic salts. Sodium salts of polymers 11 and 12 migrated to the anode by electrophoresis and both showed two bands. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.