Mass spectrometry imaging for biomedical applications

The development of technologies for mass spectrometry imaging is of substantial research interest. Mass spectrometry is potentially capable of providing highly specific information about the distribution of compounds in tissues, with high sensitivity. The in-situ analysis needed for tissue imaging requires MS to be performed under conditions different from the traditional ones, typically with intensive sample preparation and optimized for pharmaceutical applications. In this paper we critically review the current status of MS imaging with different methods of sample ionization and discuss the 3D and quantitative imaging capabilities which need further development, the importance of the multi-modal imaging, and the balance between the pursuit of high-resolution imaging and the practical application of MS imaging in biomedicine.     

Highly selective synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes from methane in a coupled Downer-turbulent fluidized-bed reactor

For the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) from CH₄ over a Fe/MgO catalyst, we proposed a coupled Downer-turbulent fluidized-bed (TFB) reactor to enhance the selectivity and yield (or production rate) of SWCNTs. By controlling a very short catalyst residence time (1–3 s) in the Downer, only part of Fe oxides can be reduced to form Fe nano particles (NPs) available for the growth of SWCNTs. The percentage of unreduced Fe oxides increased and the yield of SWCNTs decreased accordingly with the increase of catalyst feeding rate in Downer. SWCNTs were preferentially grown on the catalyst surface and inhibited the sintering of the Fe crystallites which would be formed thereafter in the downstream TFB, evidenced by TEM, Raman and TGA. The coupled Downer-turbulent fluidized-bed reactor technology allowed higher selectivity and higher production rate of SWCNTs as compared to TFB alone.     

Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation Reaction Promoted by Cadmium In Aqueous Media

Promoted by metallic cadmium allylilic and propargyl bromides react smoothly with aldehydes in aqueous DMF to give homoallylic and homopropargyl alcohols in moderate to good yields. It can also promote pinacol coupling of aromatic aldehydes. The metallic cadmium is produced in situ by the reduction of CdCl₂ H₂O with samarium metal.     

Ultrasonicated Condensation of Indene and 2-Nitrofluorene with Aromatic Aldehydes Catalyzed by bis-(pMethoxyphenyl)telluroxide (BMPTO)

The condensation of indene or 2-nitrofluorene with aromatic aldehydes catalyzed by bis-(p-methoxyphenyl)telluroxide (BMPTO) under ultrasonic wave irradiation gave corresponding fulvenes in fair to good yield.     

Synthesis of 5-Mercaptoalkylthiopyrazolyl-and 3-Mercaptoalkylthioisoxazolyl)-1,2,4-triazoles by Ring Chain Transformation

Cyclic α-oxo-α-(1,2,4-triazolyl)ketene S,S-acetals 1a-e react with hydrazine affording the substituted pyrazolyl-1,2,4-triazoles 3a-e. With hydroxylamine hydrochloride under basic conditions the substituted isoxazolyl-1,2,4-triazoles 5a-c are obtained.     

One-Pot Synthesis of Cefpirome Sulfate from GCLE

Abstract

Cefpirome was synthesized in 37.7% overall yield from 3-chloromethyl-7-phenylacetylamino cephalosporanic acid p-methoxybenzyl ester (GCLE) by sequential substitution of C-3 chloride with iodide and 2,3-cyclopentenopyridine, followed by a one-pot procedure including deprotection of carboxyl group, hydrolysis of 7-phenylacetamido, and reaction with 2-mercaptobenzothiazolyl-(Z)-2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-methoxyiminoacetate (MAEM). The reaction conditions were as follows: obtained from GCLE at low temperature (?5 to 0 °C) and absence of light, 3-iodomethyl-7-phenylacetylamino cephalosporanic acid p-methoxybenzyl ester (GILE) without purification was reacted directly with 2,3-cyclopentenopyridine, in which the molar ratio of GCLE, NaI, and 2,3-cyclopentenopyridine was 1:2:4, and the molar ratio of the resulting compound p-methoxybenzyl 7-phenylacetylamido-3-(2,3-cyclopenteno-1-pyridinio)methyl-3-cephem-4-carboxylate iodide and MAEM was 1:1.1. The structure of the intermediate and the target compound obtained were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and mass spectroscopy.     

New Synthetic Method of p-Nitrocalixarenes

Calixarenes 1 were directly nitrated with potassium nitrate and aluminum chloride to give p-nitrocalixarenes 2 in good yields. Formation of p-nitrocalix[4]arene (2a) from reaction of p-bromomethylcalix[4]arene (3) with silver nitrate is also described.     

Migration study of iodine in Beishan granite by a column method

The fate and migration behavior of radionuclides in environment are influenced by a series of physical and chemical processes such as advection, hydrodynamic dispersion (including mechanical dispersion and molecular diffusion), retention, chemical reaction and so on. In this study, the migration of ¹²⁵I^? in Beishan granite and the potential retention of iodine by silver halide additives were investigated by a pulse injection column method. All breakthrough curves were analyzed according to the analytical solution of transport equation and the dispersion coefficient (D), and first-order sorption constant (k) were obtained. For conservative nuclide, the dispersion behavior is only related to the dispersion medium. Silver halides were proved having sorption ability for ¹²⁵I^? in the order of AgCl > AgBr > AgI. The transport of iodine in the crushed granite column can be adequately described by the advection–dispersion equation with a first-order, irreversible sorption term. The pulse injection column method can be used as a fast method to evaluate the sorption or retention ability of solid phase.     

Dynamics of viscous fingers in Hele-Shaw cells of liquid crystals Theory and experiment

The theoretical and experimental developments in the interfacial dynamics and the formation of viscous fingering patterns in Hele-Shaw cells of liquid crystal-air systems are summarized and discussed. These include radial and linear cells with or without grooves engraved on the cell plates. Instabilities of fingers, the role of intrinsic and extrinsic anisotropies, etc., are emphasized. In a linear cell, when the injected air is kept at constant pressure, a whole sequence of successive instabilities of fingers (hump, tip-splitting, sidewrinkling, sidebranching and DLA-like structure) is observed in a single run of the experiment. In our theory, the equations of motion of nematic flows in Hele-Shaw cells are derived from the Ericksen-Leslie equations. In the linear approximation, the equations resemble those of isotropic liquids with the presence of effective viscosities and anisotropic surface tension. Experimental observations are interpreted with the introduction of an effective control parameter which may be time dependent. Special features of viscous fingers in liquid crystals in contrast to those in isotropic liquids, such as asymmetric dendritics, displacement of the finger from the central axis of the linear cell, and reentrant sequence of patterns, are pointed out. Plausible explanations of these phenomena are given. In this newly developed field, a large number of interesting problems remain to be solved.