Relative molecular mass information from aliphatic nitro compounds: A chemical ionization study

The mass spectra of a number of aliphatic nitro compounds have been studied using electron Ionization (EI) and a variety of chemical Ionization (CI) techniques in attempts to obtain relative molecular mass information. The use of positive ion ammonia chemical Ionization techniques gave very satisfactory results, providing abundant [M + NH4]⁺ ions, not only from both primary and secondary nitro compounds, but also from the much more labile tertiary nitro compounds. However, the use of methane and isobutane positive ion CI or EI conditions resulted in facile fragmentation with little relative molecular mass information being made available. Negative ion CI using methane, isobutane or ammonia as moderating gases all gave abundant [M ? 1]^? ions with primary and secondary nitro compounds but at much reduced sensitivity.     

THE PHOTOREACTIVITY OF PYRIMIDINE-PURINE SEQUENCES IN SOME DEOXYDINUCLEOSIDE MONOPHOSPHATES AND ALTERNATING DNA COPOLYMERS

Abstract— A reversed-phase HPLC system has been developed which separates the common nucleo-bases from the 6-methylimidazo[4,5- b ]pyridin-5-one (6-MIP) produced on acid hydrolysis of a thymine-adenine photoadduct (TA*) that is formed between adjacent thymine and adenine bases in UV-irradiated polydeoxyribonucleotides. By measuring the relative amounts of adenine and 6-MIP in acid hydrolysates, this system has been used to investigate how polynucleotide conformation affects the yield of TA* in poly(dA-dT) irradiated at 254 nm. The photoreactivity of other pyrimidine-purine sequences has been examined with the deoxydinucleoside monophosphates d(TpI) and d(m⁵CpA) and with the alternating DNA copolymers poly(dA-dU), poly(dI-dC), poly(dG-dC) and poly(dA-dC).poly(dG-dT). Samples were irradiated at 254 nm in aqueous solution and in ice, and at wavelengths >290 nm with acetone as photosensitizer. A photoproduct resembling TA*, and giving 6-MIP on acid hydrolysis, was isolated from d(TpI) irradiated at 254 nm in solution or in ice; d(m⁵CpA) was comparatively unreactive. Acid hydrolysates of the irradiated DNA copolymers were screened by HPLC and by TLC and paper electrophoresis, for the presence of imidazo[4,5- b ]pyridin-5-one, 6-MIP, or other species attributable to specific photoproduct formation. By this criterion, however, none of the copolymers showed evidence of significant photoreactivity in either their single- or double-stranded conformational states. The formation of mixed pyrimidine-purine photoadducts in DNA is therefore probably restricted to T-A doublets.     

Stabilised phosphorus(I) and arsenic(I) iodide: readily-synthesised reagents for low oxidation state main group chemistry

Herein we report a surprisingly facile and clean synthesis of base-stabilised phosphorus(I) and arsenic(I) iodide salts, which are reagents that provide convenient access to new low oxidation state main group compounds.     

In vivo monitoring of skeletal aluminum burden in patients with renal failure

In vivo neutron activation analysis was used to examine the total body and partial body (hand) aluminum levels in patients with end-stage renal failure. Patients maintained on chronic hemodialysis had higher mean body burdens of aluminum than, did those clinically managed without dialysis. Approximately 70% of the patients examined indicated elevated levels of body or skeletal aluminum. A significant correlation was observed between the in vivo aluminum/calcium ratio obtained for the hand measurement and the increase in serum aluminum levels following a disferroxamine infusion test. The direct in vivo monitoring of hand Al/Ca values in patients may provide an alternate choice to bone biopsy for the detection of aluminum intoxication.     

A Sequence-specific Alkali-labile Photolesion Mapping to Adenine in Single-stranded DNA

Abstract— Following UV irradiation at 254 nm and treatment with hot piperidine, single-stranded 49-mer and 12-mer oligodeoxyribonucleotides have been shown by gel-sequencing experiments to contain a prominent alkali-labile cleavage site that maps to adenine in the sequence element 5'-TTGATC-3'. This behavior is abolished by single base substitutions within the photoreactive tract and does not occur with duplex DNA. The distinctive properties of the photolesion are consistent with the formation of an abasic site through initial loss of a photomodified adenine base of unknown structure. The presence of an abasic site is supported by the observations that the alkaline cleavage fragments are terminally phosphorylated and that strand scission can also be effected by spermidine and the tripeptide Lys-Trp-Lys.     

Synthesis of zirconium titanate with an ordered M-fergusonite (beta) structure

We report a new zirconium titanate compound (Zr,Ti)O₂ with 27.5-35 mol% titania (TiO₂) formed from the oxides at 35-38 kbar, 1400-1500 °C. Crystal structure investigations at atmospheric conditions with powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed a monoclinic structure related to that of M-fergusonite (beta). Unit-cell dimensions (from 27.5 to 35 mol% TiO₂): a=7.267(20)-7.340(2) Å, b=10.435(3)-10.429(1) Å, c=5.023(11)-5.040(1) Å, β=136.45(12)-137.55(1)°, V=262.44(92)-260.40(12) Å³, Z=4. Rietveld refinement (R_F=1.55) of a sample with 32.8 mol% TiO₂ indicates that site A is 8-fold coordinated, mostly occupied by Zr, while site B has 6-fold average coordination, occupied by Ti and Zr. Site B is at least partly ordered, as indicated by superstructure reflections 0 0 1 and −2 0 1 detected with TEM, reducing the space group from C2/c to C2. Pronounced streaking of selected diffraction spots is linked to the boundaries of lamellar domains in twin orientation, with twin planes either (200) or (20−2). Adjacent lamellae differ slightly in composition, causing subtle asymmetry of the twin diffraction patterns.     

Recent highlights in stationary phase design for open-tubular capillary electrochromatography

This review examines the most recent innovations made to achieve high performance in open-tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC) separations, focusing on the ingenious chemical and physical solutions made to increase the surface area and equip the stationary phase with exploitable selectivity. Among the approaches taken are chemically bonded ligands, etching with chemical bonding, sol-gels, molecularly imprinted polymers, porous layers, physically attached or adsorbed phases, and nanoparticle coatings. Particularly noteworthy are modern developments with macrocyclic receptor ligands, nanoparticles and open channel electrochromatography on-chip.     

Tuning the band gap in hybrid tin iodide perovskite semiconductors using structural templating

Structural distortions within the extensive family of organic/inorganic hybrid tin iodide perovskite semiconductors are correlated with their experimental exciton energies and calculated band gaps. The extent of the in- and out-of-plane angular distortion of the SnI4(2-) perovskite sheets is largely determined by the relative charge density and steric requirements of the organic cations. Variation of the in-plane Sn-I-Sn bond angle was demonstrated to have the greatest impact on the tuning of the band gap, and the equatorial Sn-I bond distances have a significant secondary influence. Extended Hückel tight-binding band calculations are employed to decipher the crystal orbital origins of the structural effects that fine-tune the band structure. The calculations suggest that it may be possible to tune the band gap by as much as 1 eV using the templating influence of the organic cation.     

Scoring functions: A view from the bench

Computational approaches to drug design are presently hindered by the complexity of the physical chemistry which underlies weak, non- covalent interactions between protein targets and small molecule ligands. Although a number of programs are now available for the design of novel potential ligands, it remains a key problem to rank these rapidly and reliably by estimated binding affinity. Such a step is necessary to select only the most promising candidates for synthesis and experimental characterisation. To calculate ligand affinity quickly and reliably is an extremely difficult problem, but it may well prove possible to estimate sufficiently accurately given an appropriate set of parameters to score individual protein–ligand interactions. Improvements in the situation will require a wider set of thermodynamically characterised systems than is currently available.