Factors determining the performance of triple quadrupole, quadrupole ion trap and sector field mass spectrometers in electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry of oligonucleotides. 1. Comparison of performance characteristics

The performance of triple-stage quadrupole (TSQ), quadrupole ion trap (QIT), and double focusing sector field (DFSF) mass spectrometers for the generation of fragment ions to obtain sequence information about oligonucleotides was compared. Upon electrospray ionization (ESI), the charge-state distribution of candidate precursor ions not only varied significantly with the type of mass spectrometer, but also with the size and sequence of the investigated oligonucleotides. While concentration limits of detection for an octanucleotide were in the 100 pmol/L range on the QIT and in the 5-10 nmol/L range on the TSQ and DFSF instruments, those of a 24-mer were in the 2-13 nmol/L range on all three instruments. Reproducibility of mass determination, an important prerequisite for reliable identification of fragment ions, was highest on the TSQ with 0.0037% relative standard deviation over three days. Finally, the tandem mass spectra of a dimethoxytritylated pentanucleotide recorded on the three instruments were compared. Relatively simple spectra dominated by complete series of fragment ions of the (a-B) and w type were obtained on the QIT. Complete series of (a-B) and w ions were also observed on the TSQ. However, additional fragments belonging to the b, c, d, x and z series were found in the spectrum. In the spectrum recorded after in-source fragmentation in the DFSF, only fragments corresponding to the loss of a nucleobase and a complete series of w ions were observed. All three mass spectrometers were suitable for the generation of fragment ions, from which the complete nucleotide sequence of the pentanucleotide could be deduced.     

The molecular structure of cis- and trans-1,2-difluoro-ethene: An electron diffraction study

The molecular structure of cis- and trans-1,2-difluoroethene was studied in the gas phase by electron diffraction, using the sector-microphotometer technique. The molecules are planar. For trans-difluoroethene the geometrical parameters are: C-F bond: 1.338(0.003) Å; CC bond: 1.320(0.009) Å; C-H bond: 1.088(0.004) Å, ∠CCF 119.8°(0.2°); ∠CCH: 125° (1.2°). For cis-difluoroethene: C-F bond: 1.332(0.003) Å; CC bond: 1.311(0.008) Å; C-H bond: 1.100(0.003) Å; ∠CCF: 122.5°(0.2°); ∠CCH:127.0 °(2.3°).     

Pentacarbonyltungsten complexes of cis- and trans-Azoiscopropane. Azo ligand geometry effects on the formation and properties of organometallic complexes

A pair of azo ligand complexes W(CO)₅L (L = cis- or trans-azoisopropane) are reported in which ligand geometry is the only structural difference. The properties and particularly the difference in dynamical behavior of the complexes is disccused.     

Spectrochemical determination of lithium,sodium, potassium and rubidium in rocks and minerals using the stallwood jet

A D C, spectrochemical method using the STALLWOOD jet has been developed for the determination of Li, Na, K and Rb in silicate minerals and rocks. Samples are mixed with graphite and Cs₂CO₃ in tho ratio 2 : 1 : 1, and Cs serves as internal standard. Precision and accuracy is satisfactory.     

Polycondensats entre la l-lysine et le disulfochlorure-1,3 benzene. Mise en evidence d'interactions hydrophobes en solution aqueuse

The influence of alkaline or quaternary ammonium counter-ions on the conformation in aqueous solution of the polycondensate between l-lysine and 1,3-benzene disulphonyl chloride has been shown by potentiometric titrations and viscometric studies without added salt. The polyelectrolyte has a compact structure at low degrees of neutralization, attributed to hydrophobic interactions (which are more important than the polymer-solvent interactions) between hydrocarbon groups of a same chain. The transition to random coil formation takes place for degrees of neutralization (ᾱ) between 0·2 and 0·3 for the alkaline ions and the first alkyl ammonium terms when the charge repulsions become sufficiently high. If the length of the alkyl chain increases, this transition is displaced towards much higher values of ᾱ. This effect is due to the stabilization of the hydrophobic interactions by the counter-ions retained near to the polyelectrolyte chains.     

Application of the chemiluminescence systems to evaluate the role of Fcgamma and complement receptors in stimulating the oxidative burst in neutrophils

We have established a luminol- and a lucigenin-dependent CL methods to investigate the role of the receptors for Fc portion of IgG (FcgammaR) and/or complement receptors (CR) in mediating the oxidative burst in neutrophils from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients compared with healthy controls. In the luminol-CL system, all the reactive oxygen species (ROS) are responsible for light production, whereas in the lucigenin-CL system, only the first ROS generated, converts the lucigenin into an unstable intermediate molecule, which also emits light. First, neutrophils from healthy controls and SLE patients were stimulated with different IC opsonized or not with complement from normal human serum (NHS) or SLE serum, in presence of 10(-4) M luminol. This method was able to differentiate the role of the FcgammaR, CR and FcgammaR/CR co-operation in mediating the oxidative burst, as well as show that the oxidative burst mediated by these receptors was reduced in neutrophils from SLE patients. Second, neutrophils from healthy controls and SLE patients were stimulated with different IC, opsonized or not with NHS, in presence of 10(-3) M lucigenin. In this case, the lucigenin-CL system was also able to differentiate the role of FcgammaR and FcgammaR/CR co-operation, as well as show differences among healthy controls and two different groups of SLE patients according to their clinical manifestations. In conclusion, we have established two sensitive CL systems to study the role of FcgammaR and/or CR in stimulating the oxidative burst of neutrophils, which can be applied in monitoring the involvement of these receptors in the immunopathogenesis of SLE.     

Metal-ligand bonding and rutile- versus CdI2-type structural preference in platinum dioxide and titanium dioxide

First principles electronic structure calculations were carried out to determine the relative stabilities of the rutile- and CdI₂-type structures of platinum dioxide (PtO₂) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂). The orbital interactions between the transition metal d- and oxygen p-orbitals were analyzed to gain insight into why PtO₂ has both the rutile- and CdI₂-type structures, but TiO₂ has only the rutile-type structure. The cause for the large difference in the c/a ratios of the CdI₂-type structures of TiO₂ and PtO₂ was examined.     

Rhodium-catalyzed reductive aldol reactions using aldehydes as the stoichiometric reductants

Chelated acyl rhodium hydrides, generated from the addition of [Rh(dppe)]ClO4 to beta-sulfide-substituted aldehydes, can function as the stoichiometric reductants in reductive aldol processes. Unsaturated nitriles, esters, and ketones can be used as enolate equivalents, and a variety of simple alpha- and beta-substituted aldehydes can be employed. The use of a second, more electrophilic, aldehyde allows three-component reactions to be performed.     

Oxygen adsorption on nickel surfaces: Detection of different species by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Interaction of oxygen with evaporated nickel films has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XPS, over the temperature range 77–500 K and pressure range 10^?9?10^?4 torr. Three oxygen species have been positively identified from O(1s) binding energy shifts (I, II and III with BE's 529.5, 531.4 and 533.2 eV). A fourth state at ca. 534.8 eV may also exist. The relative proportions of each species present depends on the temperature of the substrate. Type I is tentatively considered to represent oxygen atoms in an oxide-like electronic environment, type II is assigned as chemisorbed oxygen atoms, although the possibility of assignment at high oxygen coverages to a defect Ni₂ O₃ structure is admitted. Type III is only formed in sub-monolayer quantities on interaction at 77 K; converting irreversibly to II on warming to 300 K. I and II are always formed together between 300 and 500 K. The authors believe this implies some incorporation of oxygen atoms from the start of adsorption, which in turn has important implications for recent LEED studies.