Semi-continuous High Speed Gas Analysis of Generated Vapors of Chemical Warfare Agents

A method is presented for the continuous analysis of generated vapors of the nerve agents soman and sarin and the blistering agent sulfur mustard. By using a gas sampling valve and a very short (15 cm) column connected to an on-column injector with a “standard length” column, the system can either be calibrated or used for performing high speed gas analyses. When using a flame ionization detector, the detection limit was ca. 100 ppb (ca. 0.5–1.0 mg/m³). This technique is applied in inhalation toxicokinetic studies of nerve agents and mustard gas in the guinea pig.     

Properties of monolayers of crown ethers bearing an azo and azoxy group in the macrocycle

Two methods are described for preparing monomolecular layers of crown ethers with an azo or azoxy group in the macrocycle. When the molecules used to build the monolayer are soluble in aqueous solutions, adsorptive preconcentration on mercury electrodes was used to prepare the monolayer coating. The monolayer was electroactive due to the presence of the azo or azoxy unit in the molecules. Monolayers of crown ethers bearing an azo group in the macrocycle were shown to recognize alkali metal cations present in the solution. Changes of the parameters of the voltammetric reduction peaks - peak potential and peak width, served as an indication of specific interactions of the monolayer of 13-membered and 16-membered azocrown ethers with Na⁺ and K⁺ cations, respectively.The monolayers capable of recognizing cations have also been prepared on the aqueous solution-air interface, using the Langmuir technique. In this approach, amphiphilic derivatives of the azocrowns were synthesized and the monolayer has been assembled on the subphase containing metal cations. Binding of the cation by the macrocycle has a stabilizing effect on the monolayer and higher collapse pressures are achieved than on the pure water subphase. The monolayer was transferred from the air-water interface on the solid substrate using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. Thin mercury film electrodes on the Ag substrate, or An films evaporated on glass slides were employed as the electrode substrates. The former gave monolayer modified electrodes of higher stability.Presented at the Sixth International Seminar on Inclusion Compounds, Istanbul, Turkey, 27–31 August, 1995.     

Xanthate complexes of nickel with nitrogen donor ligands. Part V

Nickel(II) xanthate complexes of general formula, [Ni(Rxa)₂(L)] [R = i-Pr, i-Am, xa = OCS^– ₂, L = 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline(baphen), 4,4-dimethyl-2,2-bipyridyl (me₂bpy), 2-9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline(neo) or trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane (dch)] and [Ni(Rxa)(cyclam)](Rxa) (= 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, i.r. and electronic spectroscopy, magnetic and conductivity measurements. The complexes with cyclam were studied by cyclic voltammetry. Values of magnetic moments at room temperature lie within the 3.25–3.51 B.M. range and thus indicate the presence of two unpaired electrons, except for the complexes with cyclam, where the anomalous values of 1.76 and 1.74 B.M. were obtained in respect to the nickel(II) complexes. Magnetic susceptibility data for [Ni(i-Prxa)(cyclam)](i-Prxa) were measured over the 79–298 K range and indicate no exchange interaction between paramagnetic nickel(II) centres.     

Acetogenic isoquinoline alkaloids: CXII. Separation and identification of dimeric naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The atropodiastereomeric dimeric naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids, michellamines A (1a), B (1b) and C (1c), together with their monomers, korupensamines A (2a) and B (2b), were investigated using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (LC–ESI-MS–MS). From the spectra obtained, characteristic product ions were chosen to monitor the chromatographic separation achieved on an RP-18 column. Under acidic conditions required for chromatographic analysis, the monomeric alkaloids 2a and 2b yielded protonated molecules [M+H]⁺, while the dimers, the michellamines, exhibited doubly protonated [M+2H]²⁺ molecules. In addition, the coeluting alkaloids 1b and 2b were identified unambiguously by means of tandem mass spectrometry. Thus, together with the retention times of the alkaloids, the product ion spectra allowed us the identification of michellamines in the presence of their presumed biogenetic monomeric precursors. Application of the HPLC–MS–MS method successfully proved the enzymatic formation of michellamine C (1c) by in vitro dimerization of korupensamine B (2b).     

Susceptibility to Effects of UVB Irradiation on Induction of Contact Sensitivity, Relevance of Number and Function of Langerhans Cells and Epidermal Macrophages

Sensitization on skin exposed to acute low-dose UVB irradiation separates normal humans into two phenotypically distinct groups: One group, following sensitization on UVB-irradiated skin, develops contact sensitivity, designated UVB resistant (UVB-R) and the second group, following sensitization on UVB-irradiated skin, fails to develop contact sensitivity, designated UVB susceptible (UVB-S). To investigate whether UVB susceptibility in humans is related to antigen-presenting activity in the skin we studied the effect of UVB irradiation on the number and function of the epidermal antigen-presenting cells in volunteers identified as UVB-R and UVB-S. Single cell suspensions of epidermal cells from control skin and skin exposed to 3 minimal erythema doses (MED) of UVB 3 days previously were stained for Langerhans cells (CD1a+HLA-DR+) and epidermal macrophages (CD1a-HLA-DR+). The UVB exposure of the skin significantly decreased the percentage of Langerhans cells (UVB-R: n = 7, P < 0.02, UVB-S: n = 6, P < 0.03) and increased the percentage of epidermal macrophages (UVB-R: n = 7, P < 0.03, UVB-S: n = 6, P < 0.03) however to the same degree in both the UVBR and the UVB-S group. To study the effect on Langerhans cell alloreactivity, epidermal cells were harvested immediately after UVB irradiation. However, in both UVB-R and UVB-S subjects the Langerhans cell alloreactivity was blocked to the same degree immediately after UVB irradiation compared to nonirradiated epidermal cells. To determine the effect of UVB irradiation on epidermal macrophages, epidermal cells were harvested 3 days after UVB irradiation. Irradiated epidermal cells from both UVB-R and UVB-S subjects demonstrated a strong antigen-presenting capacity compared to epidermal cells from control skin leading to activation of T cells that mainly secrete interferon (1FN)-γ and not interleukin (IL)-4. In conclusion we found that UVB susceptibility was not correlated with the number of Langerhans cells or epidermal macrophages in the skin at the same time of sensitization. Neither was it correlated with the capacity of Langerhans cells nor UVB-induced epidermal macrophages to activate T cells in vitro.     

Spectroscopic and structural evidence for the hydrogen bond nature of CC---H…C=C contacts in ethynyl steroids

Structural and IR-spectroscopic evidence is given that directed contacts from terminal alkynes to C=C double bonds possess the essential characteristics of weak hydrogen bonds. The contacts are directed at the center of the π-bond rather than at one of the individual C-atoms. The contact distances from H to the center of the C=C bond are typically 2.8 Å, with the shortest distances being 2.5 Å. The interaction is of pronounced long-range nature and can be detected in the infrared spectrum even with a long H…π distance of almost 3.0 Å. The sample used is mainly composed of ethynyl steroids belonging to the progestine family.     

Hydroxid-bewirkte Halogenwasserstoff-Abspaltungen aus vic-Dihalogeniden unter heterogenen Bedingungen: Reaktionssteuerung dank überraschender Solvens- und Metall-Einflüsse

Hydroxide-Promoted Dehydrohalogenation of vic-Dihalides under Heterogeneous Conditions: Control Over the Reaction Outcome Due to Surprising Solvent and Metal Effects Selective elimination of either one or two molecules of hydrogen halide from vic-dihalides can be conveniently achieved by employing solid sodium or potassium hydroxide in the presence of solvents such as glycol dimethylether or tetraethyleneglycol dimethylether.     

Standardisierung der dünnschichtchromatographischen Trennungen von Flechtensäuren zur Chemotaxonomie von Flechten

Zusammenfassung Die dünnschichtchromatographische Trennung von Flechtenextrakten zur Unterstützung der Taxonomie wurde in Bezug auf die Trennleistung und auf die Reproduzierbarkeit optimiert. Dabei wurden besonders gute Trennleistungen erhalten mit dem Flie?mittelgemisch Benzol:Dioxa:Eisessig=90∶25∶4 bei Verwendung von Kieselgel, dessen Aktivit?t durch eine Umgebung mit relativer Feuchte von 70% festgelegt wurde, und mit Methylenchlorid als Eluiermittel bei Verwendung von mit Oxals?ure impr?gniertem Kieselgel und antiparallelem Aktivit?tsgradienten. Eine hohe Reproduzierbarkeit der Trennungen wurde erreicht durch Verwendung der Vario-KS-Kammer nach Geiss, die die Einstellung einer definierten Schichtaktivit?t bzw. eines definierten Aktivit?tsgradienten und eine reproduzierbare Vorbedampfung der Schicht mit Flie?mittel erm?glicht. Es konnte gezeigt werden, da? durch unterschiedliche chromatographische Trennungen der gleichen Extrakte und durch die Verwendung verschiedener Anf?rbereagenzien die Identifizierung und damit die Aussagekraft für taxonomische Probleme steigt.

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Standardisation of the thin-layer chromatographic separation of lichen acids for the chemotaxonomy of lichens

Summary The thin-layer chromatography of lichen extracts for taxonomic studies has been optimized in relation to separation and to reproducibility. Especially good separations were found with benzene:dioxane:acetic acid (90∶25∶4) developer and silica gel thin-layer plates, whose activity was fixed by an ambient moisture content of 70%, and with methylene chloride developer and silica gel plates impregnated with oxalic acid and antiparallel activity gradient. High reproducibility of separation was obtained using the Geiss Vario-KS tank, which allows the activity of the plates or the activity gradient to be adjusted and which also allows reproducible exposure of plates to the vapour of developing solvents. By different chromatographic separations of the same extracts and by using different colour reactions the accuracy of identification for taxonomic studies has been improved.