Chemical ionization mass spectrometric characteristics of morphine alkaloids

The ion-molecular reaction behavior of ten morphine alkaloids with several commonly used reagent gases are studied under chemical ionization mass spectrometry conditions. These studies emphasize the correlation of the structural characteristics of the 10 alkaloids with the following four mass spectrometric parameters: (i) mass shifts of the protonated ion as a result of replacing ammonia with deuterated ammonia as the reagent gas, (ii) relative tendencies of the adduct ion and the protonated ion to lose molecules of water, (iii) relative intensity ratio of the adduct ion and the protonated ion and (iv) tendency of a compound to undergo a reduction reaction.     

Comparative DFT study of the spin trapping of methyl, mercapto, hydroperoxy, superoxide, and nitric oxide radicals by various substituted cyclic nitrones

The thermodynamics of the spin trapping of various cyclic nitrones with biologically relevant radicals such as methyl, mercapto, hydroperoxy, superoxide anion, and nitric oxide was investigated using computational methods. A density functional theory (DFT) approach was employed in this study at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d) level. The order of increasing favorability for Delta G(rxn) (kcal/mol) of the radical reaction with various nitrones, in general, follows a trend similar to their respective experimental reduction potentials as well as their experimental second-order rate constants in aqueous solution: NO (14.57) < O2*- (-7.51) < *O2H (-13.92) < *SH (-16.55) < *CH3 (-32.17) < *OH (-43.66). The same qualitative trend is predicted upon considering the effect of solvation using the polarizable continuum model (PCM): i.e., NO (14.12) < O2*- (9.95) < *O2H (-6.95) < *SH (-13.57) < *CH3 (-32.88) < *OH (-38.91). All radical reactions with these nitrones are exoergic, except for NO (and O2*- in the aqueous phase), which is endoergic, and the free energy of activation (Delta G) for the NO additions ranges from 17.7 to 20.3 kcal/mol. This study also predicts the favorable formation of certain adducts that exhibit intramolecular H-bonding interactions, nucleophilic addition, or H-atom transfer reactions. The spin density on the nitronyl N of the superoxide adducts reveals conformational dependences. The failure of nitrones to trap NO at normal conditions was theoretically rationalized due to the endoergic reaction parameters.     

Enthalpy of solution of carbohydrates using a modified differential scanning calorimeter

A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was modified for the determination of enthalpies of solution. The measurements were performed on aqueous solutions of the deoxy- and fluoro-deoxy derivatives of D-glucopyranose (Glu) where the OH group on the C1, C2, C3, and C6 is replaced by H (1HGlu, 2HGlu, 3HGlu, and 6HGlu) and by F (1FGlu, 2FGlu, 3FGlu, and 6FGlu), 4-deoxy 4-fluoro--D-glucopyranoside (4FGlu), 1-methoxy--D-glucopyranoside (MeOGlu), 1-phenoxy--D-glucopyranoside (PheOGlu), D-mannopyranose (Man), and 3-methoxy--D-glucopyranoside (3MeOGlu), at 15.1, 25.0, 35.0, and 45.1°C. The enthalpies of solution _sH⁰(T) ranged from 1.00±0.25 kJ-mol^–1 for 6HGlu at 15.1°C to 20.4±1.4 for PhOGlu at 45.1°C and were in good agreement with literature values for Man, Glu, MeOGlu, and 3MeOGlu at 25.0 and 35.0°C and for MeOMan and 2HGlu at 35.0°C. _sH⁰(T) for the derivatives were then extrapolated up to the melting temperature T_m and compared with their enthalpies of fusion, _fH also determined from DSC measurements. If the agreement between _sH⁰(T_m) and _fH was within the 95% confidence level, then it was concluded that intermolecular interactions between the carbohydrate molecules in the liquid phase were the same as between the carbohydrate and water molecules in the solution phase. This agreement was observed for aqueous solutions of Man, Glu, MeOGlu, 3HGlu, 3FGlu, and 6FGlu.     

Dielectrophoresis-based programmable fluidic processors

Droplet-based programmable processors promise to offer solutions to a wide range of applications in which chemical and biological analysis and/or small-scale synthesis are required, suggesting they will become the microfluidic equivalents of microprocessors by offering off-the-shelf solutions for almost any fluid based analysis or small scale synthesis problem. A general purpose droplet processor should be able to manipulate droplets of different compositions (including those that are electrically conductive or insulating and those of polar or non-polar nature), to control reagent titrations accurately, and to remain free of contamination and carry over on its reaction surfaces. In this article we discuss the application of dielectrophoresis to droplet based processors and demonstrate that it can provide the means for accurately titrating, moving and mixing polar or non-polar droplets whether they are electrically conductive or not. DEP does not require contact with control surfaces and several strategies for minimizing surface contact are presented. As an example of a DEP actuated general purpose droplet processor, we show an embodiment based on a scaleable CMOS architecture that uses DEP manipulation on a 32 x 32 electrode array having built-in control and switching circuitry. Lastly, we demonstrate the concept of a general-purpose programming environment that facilitates droplet software development for any type of droplet processor.     

Microscopic and semimicroscopic calculations of electrostatic energies in proteins by the POLARIS and ENZYMIX programs

Different microscopic and semimicroscopic approaches for calculations of electrostatic energies in macromolecules are examined. This includes the Protein Dipoles Langevin Dipoles (PDLD) method, the semimicroscopic PDLD (PDLD/S) method, and a free energy perturbation (FEP) method. The incorporation of these approaches in the POLARIS and ENZYMIX modules of the MOLARIS package is described in detail. The PDLD electrostatic calculations are augmented by estimates of the relevant hydrophobic and steric contributions, as well as the effects of the ionic strength and external pH. Determination of the hydrophobic energy involves an approach that considers the modification of the effective surface area of the solute by local field effects. The steric contributions are analyzed in terms of the corresponding reorganization energies. Ionic strength effects are studied by modeling the ionic environment around the given system using a grid of residual charges and evaluating the relevant interaction using Coulomb's law with the dielectric constant of water. The performance of the FEP calculations is significantly enhanced by using special boundary conditions and evaluating the long-range electrostatic contributions using the Local Reaction Field (LRF) model. A diverse set of electrostatic effects are examined, including the solvation energies of charges in proteins and solutions, energetics of ion pairs in proteins and solutions, interaction between surface charges in proteins, and effect of ionic strength on such interactions, as well as electrostatic contributions to binding and catalysis in solvated proteins. Encouraging results are obtained by the microscopic and semimicroscopic approaches and the problems associated with some macroscopic models are illustrated. The PDLD and PDLD/S methods appear to be much faster than the FEP approach and still give reasonable results. In particular, the speed and simplicity of the PDLD/S method make it an effective strategy for calculations of electrostatic free energies in interactive docking studies. Nevertheless, comparing the results of the three approaches can provide a useful estimate of the accuracy of the calculated energies. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Di-isophorone and related compounds. Part 9 1-(substituted)aminodi-isophoranes and their cyclodehydration products

The interaction of 1-chlorodi-isophor-2(7)-en-3-one (or its 5,11-bisnorhomologue) with aromatic, heteroaromatic, or saturated heterocyclic amines produces 1-(substituted)aminodi-isophor-2(7)-3n-3-ones by nucleophilic replacement of the bridgehead halogen. Subsequent cyclodehydration affords, in certain examples, substituted 2,3,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-1H,9h-5,8a-methanocycloocta[gh]phenanthridines (2,3-dehydro-1-anilinodi-isophor-2,7-dien-3-ols). Some physical and chemical properties of these novel amines and condensed pentacylic bases are described.Part 8,Allen, A. A., Kurzer, F., Mh. Chem.112, 617 (1978).     

The contact interface of a 120 kD CheA-CheW complex by methyl TROSY interaction spectroscopy

During bacterial chemotaxis, the histidine autokinase CheA interacts with the chemotaxis receptors with the help of the coupling protein CheW. This interaction is typical of many macromolecular complexes where protein-protein interactions play an important role. In this case, a relatively small protein, CheW, becomes part of a much larger complex. Here we describe a new method to map the residues at a protein-protein interface for macromolecular complexes of molecular weight greater than 100 kD.     

Palladium-Catalyzed Coupling of Ethynylated p-Carborane Derivatives: Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Modular Ethynylated p-Carborane Molecules

Methodology leading to a new class of rodlike p-carborane derivatives is described, involving the palladium-catalyzed coupling of B-iodinated p-carboranes with terminal alkynes. The products of these reactions contain an alkyne substituent at a boron vertex of the p-carborane cage. Reaction of closo-2-I-1,12-C(2)B(10)H(11) (1) with closo-2-(C&tbd1;CH)-1,12-C(2)B(10)H(11) (3) in the presence of pyrrolidine and catalytic quantities of bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium dichloride and cupric iodide yields 1,2-(closo-1',12'-C(2)B(10)H(11)-2'-yl)(2) acetylene (4). Oxidative coupling of 3 in the presence of cupric chloride in piperidine affords 1,4-(closo-1',12'-C(2)B(10)H(11)-2'-yl)(2)-1,3-butadiyne (5). Reaction of 2 molar equiv. of closo-2,9-I(2)-1,12-C(2)B(10)H(10) (6) withcloso-2,9-(C&tbd1;CH)(2)-1,12-C(2)B(10)H(10) (7) in the presence of pyrrolidine and catalytic quantities of bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium dichloride and cupric iodide yields closo-2,9-(closo-2'-I-9'-C&tbd1;C-1',12'-C(2)B(10)H(10))(2)-1,12-C(2)B(10)H(10) (8), a rigid, iodine-terminated carborod trimer in which the p-carborane cages are linked at the 2 and 9 B-vertices by alkyne (C&tbd1;C) bridges. The molecular structures of 5 and the previously described closo-2,9-(C&tbd1;CSiMe(3))(2)-1,12-C(2)B(10)H(10) (9) have been determined by X-ray crystallography. Crystallographic data are as follows: for 5, monoclinic, space group P2/a, a = 12.352(6) ?, b = 14.169 (6) ?, c = 12.384(5) ?, beta = 109.69(2) degrees, V = 2041 ?(3), Z = 4, R = 0.098, R(w)( )()= 0.135; for 9, monoclinic, space group C2/m, a = 22.111(4) ?, b = 7.565(2) ?, c = 6.943(2) ?, beta = 107.871(8) degrees, V = 1105 ?(3), Z = 2, R = 0.059, R(w)( )()= 0.090.     

Photoionization of liquid benzene: Fluorescence and electron scavenger quenching between 1900 and 1150 Å

In the photoionization region of liquid benzene, the fluorescence yield and quenching constanta increase from 1900 to 1400 Å and level off from 1400 to 1150 Å. Below 1750 Å, the quenching constants of CHCl₃, CH₃Cl, and C₂H₅Cl are proportional to their reactivities with quasi-free electrons and they extrapolate to zero at 7.1 eV, the estimated IP of liquid benzene.     

Subtractive differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry at a stationary mercury-coated glassy carbon electrode

The application of subtractive mode differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (SDPASV) at a stationary mercury-coated glassy carbon electrode for the analysis of labile Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) is described. It is shown that the method has an improved sensitivity to Cu(II) owing to elimination of high background currents normally encountered in normal mode DPASV at the TFME. The sensitivity limits of the present method to Cd(II) and Cu(II) is estimated to be 0.025 and 0.067 ppb respectively, when a 2 min deposition time is used. It is suggested that the high sensitivity of the method coupled to the relative simplicity of the stationary electrodes could make the method useful in environmental and natural water studies.