Detection, characterization, and quantification of resveratrol glycosides in transgenic arabidopsis over-expressing a sorghum stilbene synthase gene by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Transgenic Arabidopsis plants were analyzed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) to investigate the glycosylation patterns of resveratrol derived from expression of a sorghum stilbene synthase gene. In negative ionization mode, the different resveratrol derivatives fragmented to yield the diagnostic deprotonated resveratrol ion at m/z 227.2. The use of precursor ion scanning led to the identification of precursor ions for different resveratrol glycosides through rapid differentiation from other phytochemical constituents. Structural information was generated simultaneously from the low-collision-energy product ion spectra using hybrid linear ion-trap mass spectrometry. Three additional resveratrol-related metabolites - a resveratrol diglucoside (M1) and trans- and cis-resveratrol acetylhexosides (M2 and M3) - were detected in the crude plant extracts. The identities of M1, M2, and M3 were confirmed by accurate mass analysis on a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer as well as beta-glucosidase digestion or UV-induced isomerization. Quantitative analyses by LC/MS in multiple reaction monitoring mode revealed that resveratrol diglucoside and cis-resveratrol acetyhexoside accumulated up to 2.79 and 10.38 microg/g, respectively, while trans-resveratrol acetylhexoside was barely detectable. This study demonstrated the power of the hybrid linear ion-trap technology for simultaneous profiling and structural characterization of stilbene-related metabolites, which would be useful to understand how resveratrol is modified in sorghum and other plants.     

Method of fast trace microanalysis of the chiral pesticides epoxiconazole and novaluron in soil samples using off-line flow-through extraction and on-column direct large volume injection in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography

An analytical method combining off-line flow-through extraction of a soil micro-sample (mass around 100 mg, packed into a short HPLC glass column) and direct on-column large-volume injection (LVI up to 1.00 mL) of a methanol-water soil extract onto a conventional C18 RP HPLC column enabled fast (within 3.5 minutes) trace micro-analysis of the relatively new chiral pesticides epoxiconazole (E) and novaluron (N), respectively. Linear calibration curves were evaluated from UV detection (230 nm) data in the range from 0.1 to 5 mg/kg in three most abundant Slovak agricultural soils. LOD (confidence band) at the levels 0.08-0.11 mg/kg and LOQ 0.4-0.6 mg/kg and LOD (S/N = 3) at the levels 0.007-0.018 mg/kg and LOQ (S/N = 10) 0.024-0.060 mg/kg, respectively, of dry soil were achieved. Recovery of pesticides in the overall LVI method including flow-through 130-200 mg soil micro-sample extraction was: for epoxiconazole from 74 to 85% and from 56% to 90% for novaluron with reproducibility within +/- 6% RSD. This fast (30 min) and simple method consists of just three steps which are short column filling with a solid micro-sample; flow-through liquid extraction and direct large-volume injection RP HPLC DAD analysis. The method is prepared for automation and further analysis of enantiomers of both investigated pesticides by achiral-chiral column switching techniques.     

Magnetic properties of binary and ternary mixed metal oxides NiFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> and Zn<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> doped with rare earths by sol—gel synthesis

The spinel-type ferrites NiFe₂O₄ and Zn_0.5Ni_0.5Fe₂O₄ modified by lanthanide ions Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ were prepared by a sol—gel process with propylene oxide as a gelating agent. The phase homogeneity of the samples was tested by XRD and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Transmission electronic microscopy used for characterisation of the morphology of the samples revealed nanosized powdered samples with a narrow distribution of particle sizes. It was noted that the presence of Ln³⁺ ions influenced the magnetic properties of nanosized NiFe₂O₄ and Ni_0.5Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄ ferrites. The dependence of the magnetic properties of the samples on the rare-earth doping may be explained by the different grain sizes. The saturation magnetisation tends to decrease with increasing rare-earth doping and decreasing crystallite size. A similar trend was observed for the coercive field, with the exception of the Tb³⁺-doped Zn_0.5Ni_0.5Fe₂O₄ where it remained the same as in the pure ferrite.     

Synthesis of Tetrazino‐tetrazine 1,3,6,8‐Tetraoxide (TTTO)

This study presents the first synthesis and characterization of a new high energy compound [1,2,3,4]tetrazino[5,6‐e][1,2,3,4]tetrazine 1,3,6,8‐tetraoxide (TTTO). It was synthesized in ten steps from 2,2‐bis(tert‐butyl‐NNO‐azoxy)acetonitrile. The synthetic strategy was based on the sequential closure of two 1,2,3,4‐tetrazine 1,3‐dioxide rings by the generation of oxodiazonium ions and their intramolecular coupling with tert‐butyl‐NNO‐azoxy groups. The TTTO structure was confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray.     

An Easily Accessed Nickel Nanoparticle Catalyst for Alkene Hydrosilylation with Tertiary Silanes

The first efficient and non‐precious nanoparticle catalyst for alkene hydrosilylation with commercially relevant tertiary silanes has been developed. The nickel nanoparticle catalyst was prepared in situ from a simple nickel alkoxide precatalyst Ni(O^tBu)₂?x KCl. The catalyst exhibits high activity for anti‐Markovnikov hydrosilylation of unactivated terminal alkenes and isomerizing hydrosilylation of internal alkenes. The catalyst can be applied to synthesize a single terminal alkyl silane from a mixture of internal and terminal alkene isomers, and to remotely functionalize an internal alkene derived from a fatty acid.     

Peculiar All‐Metal σ‐Aromaticity of the [Au2Sb16]4− Anion in the Solid State

Gas‐phase clusters are deemed to be σ‐aromatic when they satisfy the 4n+2 rule of aromaticity for delocalized σ electrons and fulfill other requirements known for aromatic systems. While the range of n values was shown to be quite broad when applied to short‐lived clusters found in molecular‐beam experiments, stability of all‐metal cluster‐like fragments isolated in condensed phase was previously shown to be mainly ascribed to two electrons (n=0). In this work, the applicability of this concept is extended towards solid‐state compounds by demonstrating a unique example of a storable compound, which was isolated as a stable [K([2.2.2]crypt)]⁺ salt, featuring a [Au₂Sb₁₆]^4? cluster core possessing two all‐metal aromatic AuSb₄ fragments with six delocalized σ electrons each (n=1). This discovery pushes the boundaries of the original idea of Kekulé and firmly establishes the usefulness of the σ‐aromaticity concept as a general idea for both small clusters and solid‐state compounds.