Analysis of cyanobacterial toxins (anatoxin-a, cylindrospermopsin, microcystin-LR) by capillary electrophoresis

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) were applied to the simultaneous separation of cyanobacterial toxins (anatoxin-a, microcystin-LR, cylindrospermopsin). The analytical performance data of both methods, optimized for the three toxins, were similar with a precision of migration times smaller than 0.8 RSD% and a detection limit in the range of 1-4 microg/mL, using spectrophotometric detection at 230 nm. Both methods were applied to an analysis of cyanotoxins in water bloom samples and crude cyanobacterial extracts. The results obtained indicate that, for complex matrices, the sequential application of CZE and MEKC is necessary. It is recommended to use both CE techniques for the analysis of the same sample in order to confirm the results by an orthogonal approach.     

Preparation and structural studies on the Bu2Sn(IV) complexes with aromatic mono- and dicarboxylic acids containing hetero {N} donor atom

Nine complexes of ^tBu₂Sn(IV)²⁺ were obtained in the solid state with ligands containing -COOH group(s) and aromatic {N} donor atom. The binding sites of the ligands were identified by FT-IR spectroscopic measurements. It was found that in most cases the -COO⁻ groups are co-ordinated in monodentate manner. Nevertheless, in some of our complexes, the -COO⁻ group forms bridges between two central {Sn} atoms resulting in the formation of an oligomeric structure, a motif that is characteristic only to the nicotinate compound. These pieces of information and the rationalisation of the experimental ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer nuclear quadrupole splittings, Δ, - according to the point charge model formalism - support the formation of octahedral (O_h) or trigonal bipyramidal (TBP) molecular structures. The X-ray diffraction analysis of one complex obtained as single crystal revealed the distortion of the TBP geometry towards square pyramidal (SP) one. This was rationalised by PM3 molecular modelling of the ^tBu₂Sn(pdc) complex. In the asymmetric unit, the two chemically similar but symmetry independent molecules form pseudo-dimers, in which the Sn?Sn separation amounts to ca. 6.4 Å. The crystal lattice is stabilised by C-H?O hydrogen bonding between individual molecules.     

Nitrogen bridgehead compounds. Part 88. Synthesis of 3H, 7H-[1,4]diazepino[3,4-b]quinazoline-3,7-diones

3H,7H-[1,4]Diazepino[3,4-b]quinazolone-3,7-diones 9, 11 were synthesized starting from 2-(1-bromo-ethyl)quinazolin-4(3H)-ones 3 and 17 via 2-[1-(4-methoxyphenylamino)ethyl]quinazolin-4(3H)-ones 4 and 18. Cyclization of 3-[2-(1-bromoethyl)-4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazolin-3-yl)propionic acid 14 by the action of triethylamine provided the first representative of the tricyclic 7H-[1,4]oxazepino[3,4-b]quinazoline-3,7-dione system, compound 15. The new tricyclic derivatives 9, 11 and 15 are characterized by uv, ir and ¹H nmr spectroscopy.     

Cr(III) and Cr(VI) on-line preconcentration and determination with high performance flow flame emission spectrometry in natural samples

Methods for the on-line chromatographic preconcentration of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) have been developed. Cr(VI) has been preconcentrated on an RP C18 silica based column with tetrabutylammonium-bromide (TBABr) as ion-pairing agent. Specially for Cr(III) a new and effective preconcentration technique based on the sorption of Cr(III)-ions in a C18 column in presence of KH-phthalate has been developed. The efficiency of sample introduction into the atomic emission spectrometer could be improved by hydraulic high pressure nebulization. For the detection of chromium the acetylene/N(2)O flame has been used as a powerful emission spectrometric source. Applying these steps the detection limit (3sigma) could be improved to 25 pg/mL for Cr(III) and to 20 pg/mL for Cr(VI). The method has been applied for the chromium speciation in natural water samples.     

The one-particle green's function: The minimal basis set description of the two-electron bond

The ionization potential (IP), electron affinity (EA), one-matrix and correlation energy of a two-electron chemical bond are calculated in a minimal basis set using one-particle, many-body Green's function theory. Results obtained using the second-order self-energy (Σ) and higher-order Σ's proposed by (1) Pickup and Goscinski, (2) Tsui and Freed, (3) Simons and Smith are compared with each other and with the exact values in the basis. The relationship between these methods and with configuration interaction is discussed and the consequences of making approximations in the context of Green's function theory are clarified.     

Ab initio torsional potential and transition frequencies of acetaldehyde

High-level ab initio electronic structure calculations, including extrapolations to the complete basis set limit as well as relativistic and diagonal Born-Oppenheimer corrections, resulted in a torsional potential of acetaldehyde in its electronic ground state. This benchmark-quality potential fully reflects the symmetry and internal rotation dynamics of this molecule in the energy range probed by spectroscopic experiments in the infrared and microwave regions. The torsional transition frequencies calculated from this potential and the ab initio torsional inverse effective mass function are within 2 cm(-1) of the available experimental values. Furthermore, the computed contortional parameter rho of the rho-axis system Hamiltonian is also in excellent agreement with that obtained from spectral analyses of acetaldehyde.     

The Effect of Alkane Chain Length on the Liquid–Liquid Critical Temperatures of Oligostyrene/Linear-Alkane Mixtures

Summary. Upper critical solution temperatures (UCSTs) for liquid–liquid demixing in a set of mixtures of linear alkanes (pentane (N ₁=5) to pentacontane (N ₁=50)) with an oligostyrene (1241amu, N ₂=12) are reported. We find strong correlation between the Hildebrand solubility parameters of the alkanes and the UCST. Correlations are developed which enable predictions concerning the miscibility of mixtures of compounds with longer chains.     

Toward direct determination of conformations of protein building units from multidimensional NMR experiments. V. NMR chemical shielding analysis of N-formyl-serinamide,a model for polar side-chain containing peptides

Knowledge of chemical shift-structure relationships could greatly facilitate the NMR chemical shift assignment and structure refinement processes that occur during peptide/protein structure determination via NMR spectroscopy. To determine whether such correlations exist for polar side chain containing amino acid residues the serine dipeptide model, For-L-Ser-NH(2), was studied. Using the GIAO-RHF/6-31+G(d) and GIAO-RHF/TZ2P levels of theory the NMR chemical shifts of all hydrogen ((1)H(N), (1)H(alpha), (1)H(beta1), (1)H(beta2)), carbon ((13)C(alpha), (13)C(beta), (13)C') and nitrogen ((15)N) atoms have been computed for all 44 stable conformers of For-L-Ser-NH(2). An attempt was made to establish correlation between chemical shift of each nucleus and the major conformational variables (omega(0), phi, psi, omega(1), chi,(1) and chi(2)). At both levels of theory a linear correlation can be observed between (1)H(alpha)/phi, (13)C(alpha)/phi, and (13)C(alpha)/psi. These results indicate that the backbone and side-chain structures of For-L-Ser-NH(2) have a strong influence on its chemical shifts.