Potentiometric discrimination of neutral forms of nitrophenol isomers by liquid membrane electrodes incorporated with corroles

The results of studies on the use of corrole derivatives as a host ligand in the PVC liquid membrane electrodes and their ability for the potentiometric high-throughput discrimination of nitrophenol guests have been presented. The significance of parameters which govern the mechanism of generation of potentiometric signals such as the attachment of substituents in the corrole structure, acidity and lipophilicity of the guests, and pH of the aqueous solutions has been discussed in details. Supramolecular recognition processes between corroles and para-nitrophenol molecules have been confirmed by independent NMR measurements.     

Rapid determination of moisture and fat in meats by microwave and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis--PVM 1:2003

A peer-verified method is presented for the determination of percent moisture and fat in meat products by microwave drying and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. The method involves determining the moisture content of meat samples by microwave drying and using the dried sample to determine the fat content by NMR analysis. Both the submitting and peer laboratories analyzed 5 meat products by using the CEM SMART system (moisture) and the SMART Trac (fat). The samples, which represented a range of products that meat processors deal with daily in plant operations, included the following: (1) fresh ground beef, high-fat; (2) deboned chicken with skin; (3) fresh pork, low-fat; (4) all-beef hot dogs; and (5) National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material. The results were compared with moisture and fat values derived from AOAC-approved methods, 950.46 (Forced Air Oven Drying) and 960.39 (Soxhlet Ether Extraction).     

Hydrazine borane: synthesis, characterization, and application prospects in chemical hydrogen storage

Hydrazine borane (N(2)H(4)BH(3)) is the novel boron- and nitrogen-based material appearing to be a promising candidate in chemical hydrogen storage. It stores 15.4 wt% of hydrogen in hydridic and protic forms, and the challenge is to release H(2) with maximum efficiency, if possible all hydrogen stored in the material. An important step to realize this ambitious goal is to synthesize HB with high yields and high purity, and to characterize it fully. In this work, we report a 2-step synthesis (salt metathesis and solvent extraction-drying) through which N(2)H(4)BH(3) is successfully obtained in 3 days, with a yield of about 80% and a purity of 99.6%. N(2)H(4)BH(3) was characterized by NMR, IR, XRD, TGA and DSC, its stability in dioxane and water was determined, and its thermolysis by-products were characterized. We thus present a complete data sheet that should be very useful for future studies. Furthermore, we propose a discussion on the potential of HB (with H(2) released by either thermolysis or hydrolysis) in chemical hydrogen storage.     

Study of the mass spectrometric fragmentation of pseudouridine: comparison of fragmentation data obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation post-source decay, electrospray ion trap multistage mass spectrometry, and by a method utilising electrospray quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry and in-source fragmentation

Many nucleosides and their modified forms have been studied by mass spectrometry elaborating the detailed fragmentation pathways under MS2 and MS(n) conditions. Although the C-nucleoside pseudouridine has been fragmented and studied briefly, usually amongst many other nucleosides, it has not been investigated to the same extent as other nucleosides. In this report a number of different mass spectrometric techniques are applied to obtain a fuller picture of pseudouridine fragmentation. At the same time this study is used to compare different tandem mass spectrometric techniques, including a novel methodology utilising a quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-ToF) instrument for MS(n) analysis comparable with that available with an ion trap mass spectrometer.     

Structural and oxidation-state changes at its nonstandard Ni-Fe site during activation of the NAD-reducing hydrogenase from Ralstonia eutropha detected by X-ray absorption, EPR, and FTIR spectroscopy

Structure and oxidation state of the Ni-Fe cofactor of the NAD-reducing soluble hydrogenase (SH) from Ralstonia eutropha were studied employing X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Ni K-edge, EPR, and FTIR spectroscopy. The SH comprises a nonstandard (CN)Ni-Fe(CN)(3)(CO) site; its hydrogen-cleavage reaction is resistant against inhibition by dioxygen and carbon monoxide. Simulations of the XANES and EXAFS regions of XAS spectra revealed that, in the oxidized SH, the Ni(II) is six-coordinated ((CN)O(3)S(2)); only two of the four conserved cysteines, which bind the Ni in standard Ni-Fe hydrogenases, provide thiol ligands to the Ni. Upon the exceptionally rapid reductive activation of the SH by NADH, an oxygen species is detached from the Ni; hydrogen may subsequently bind to the vacant coordination site. Prolonged reducing conditions cause the two thiols that are remote from the Ni in the native SH to become direct Ni ligands, creating a standardlike Ni(II)(CysS)(4) site, which could be further reduced to form the Ni-C (Ni(III)-H(-)) state. The Ni-C state does not seem to be involved in hydrogen cleavage. Two site-directed mutants (HoxH-I64A, HoxH-L118F) revealed structural changes at their Ni sites and were employed to further dissect the role of the extra CN ligand at the Ni. It is proposed that the predominant coordination by (CN),O ligands stabilizes the Ni(II) oxidation state throughout the catalytic cycle and is a prerequisite for the rapid activation of the SH in the presence of oxygen.     

Pyridazines. Part 37: Facile solution phase combinatorial synthesis of highly substituted pyridazin-3-ones

Arrays of polysubstituted pyridazinones were prepared through three- or four-component transformations starting from the readily accessible ene-adducts 2.     

Analysis of DNA-phosphate adducts in vitro using miniaturized LC-ESI-MS/MS and column switching: Phosphotriesters and alkyl cobalamins

DNA-phosphate adducts are known to be formed by a variety of alkylating agents. Due to little or no repair of DNA-phosphate adducts, these adducts may offer increased possibilities of both identifying and quantifying DNA adducts. The formation of DNA-phosphate adducts leads to a complete esterification of the phosphate group giving rise to a phosphotriester configuration. This work consists of the characterization of ethyl phosphotriesters (Ethyl PTE) using miniaturized LC-ESI-MS/MS and column switching in enzymatic hydrolysate of DNA treated in vitro with the model compound N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU). In vitro ENU-treated DNA was enzymatically degraded using nuclease P1, phosphodiesterase, and alkaline phosphatase. The use of column switch allowed for large-volume injections, where unmodified nucleosides were discarded in the loading step. The analytes were forward flushed to the analytical column in the eluting step and separated using a linear gradient. Ten different ethyl PTEs (dGpEtdG, dApEtdA, dCpEtdC, TpEtT, dGpEtdA, dGpEtdC, dGpEtT, dApEtdC, dApEtT, and dCpEtT) were characterized by their masses and CAD product ion spectra. Measurements of accurate masses were carried out yielding experimental masses within 5 ppm of the calculated masses for 9 of the 10 ethyl PTEs. For comparison, the enzymatic hydrolysate of ENU-treated DNA was subjected to transalkylation of the DNA-phosphate adducts by cob(I)alamin. Formed ethyl-cobalamins were analyzed according to earlier developed methods. The limit of detection of an alkyl-cobalamin standard and an alkyl PTE standard was 2 fmol and 5 fmol, respectively.     

Heteronuclear proton assisted recoupling

We describe a theoretical framework for understanding the heteronuclear version of the third spin assisted recoupling polarization transfer mechanism and demonstrate its potential for detecting long-distance intramolecular and intermolecular (15)N-(13)C contacts in biomolecular systems. The pulse sequence, proton assisted insensitive nuclei cross polarization (PAIN-CP) relies on a cross term between (1)H-(15)N and (1)H-(13)C dipolar couplings to mediate zero- and∕or double-quantum (15)N-(13)C recoupling. In particular, using average Hamiltonian theory we derive effective Hamiltonians for PAIN-CP and show that the transfer is mediated by trilinear terms of the form N(±)C(?)H(z) (ZQ) or N(±)C(±)H(z) (DQ) depending on the rf field strengths employed. We use analytical and numerical simulations to explain the structure of the PAIN-CP optimization maps and to delineate the appropriate matching conditions. We also detail the dependence of the PAIN-CP polarization transfer with respect to local molecular geometry and explain the observed reduction in dipolar truncation. In addition, we demonstrate the utility of PAIN-CP in structural studies with (15)N-(13)C spectra of two uniformly (13)C,(15)N labeled model microcrystalline proteins-GB1, a 56 amino acid peptide, and Crh, a 85 amino acid domain swapped dimer (MW=2×10.4 kDa). The spectra acquired at high magic angle spinning frequencies (ω(r)∕2π>20 kHz) and magnetic fields (ω(0H)∕2π=700-900 MHz) using moderate rf fields, yield multiple long-distance intramonomer and intermonomer (15)N-(13)C contacts. We use these distance restraints, in combination with the available x-ray structure as a homology model, to perform a calculation of the monomer subunit of the Crh protein.