Ultrasound-assisted extraction in the determination of arsenic,cadmium, copper,lead, and silver in contaminated soil samples by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

An extraction method was developed for the determination of toxic elements in contaminated soil samples by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The determination of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and silver in ultrasound-assisted extracts of SRM 2710 and SRM 2711 by ICP-AES was carried out with high accuracy and precision (RSD<3.7%). The certified concentrations of the SRMs were obtained for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and silver by using an ultrasound-assisted extraction method with a digestion solution of (1+1)-diluted aqua regia. The determination of copper in SRMs by the ultrasound-assisted extraction method and analysis by ICP-AES failed to obtain the certified concentrations at the 95% level of confidence using (+/-2 s) as confidence limits of the mean. However, the same results were observed with the use of the microwave digestion method and reflux, which is the ISO 11466 standard method. The analysis of the SRMs showed that the ultrasound-assisted extraction method is highly comparable with the other methods used for such purposes. The major advantages of the ultrasound-assisted extraction method compared to the microwave and reflux methods are the high treatment rate (50 samples simultaneously in nine minutes) and low reagent usage, the main benefit of which are the low chloride and nitrate concentrations in the extracts.     

Ultrafast energy transfer dynamics of a bioinspired dyad molecule

A caroteno-purpurin dyad molecule was studied by steady-state and pump-probe spectroscopies to resolve the excited-state deactivation dynamics of the different energy levels as well as the connecting energy flow pathways and corresponding rate constants. The data were analyzed with a two-step multi-parameter global fitting procedure that makes use of an evolutionary algorithm. We found that following ultrafast excitation of the donor (carotenoid) chromophore to its S2 state, the energy flows via two channels: energy transfer (70%) and internal conversion (30%) with time constants of 54 and 110 fs, respectively. Additionally, some of the initial excitation is found to populate the hot ground state, revealing another limitation to the functional efficiency. At later times, a back transfer occurs from the purpurin to the carotenoid triplet state in nanosecond timescales. Details of the energy flow within the dyad as well as species associated spectra are disentangled for all excited-state and ground-state species for the first time. We also observe oscillations with the most pronounced peak on the Fourier transform spectrum having a frequency of 530 cm(-1). The dyad mimics the dynamics of the natural light-harvesting complex LH2 from Rhodopseudomonas acidophila and is hence a good model system to be used in studies aimed to further explain previous work in which the branching ratio between the competing pathways of energy loss and energy transfer could be manipulated by adaptive femtosecond pulse shaping.     

On the syntheses and some reactions of bis- and tris(methylthio)thiophenes

Reaction between various thienyllithium derivatives and dimethyl disulfide has been used for the preparation of 2,5-, 2,3-, and 3,4-bis(methylthio)thiophenes, as well as 2,3,4- and 2,3,5-tris(methylthio)thiophenes. Bromination of (methylthio)thiophenes with N-bromosuccinimide was found to be most convenient for the preparation of brominated (methylthio)thiophenes such as 3-bromo-2,5-bis(methylthio)- and 5-bromo-2,3-bis(methylthio)thiophene, 3,4-dibromo-2,5-bis(methylthio)-, 2,5-dibromo-3,4-bis(methylthio)- and 2,3-dibromo-4,5-bis(methylthio)thiophene as well as 3-bromo-2,4,5-tris(methylthio)thiophene. The reaction of methylthio substituted thienyllithium derivatives with methyl chloroformate was used for the syntheses of methyl methylthio substituted thiophenecarboxylates and using 1/3 of an equivalent for the direct preparation of methylthio substituted 3-thienylcarbinols as tris[2,4,5-tris(methylthio)-3-thienyl]carbinol.     

Functional Columnar Liquid Crystalline Phases From Ionic Complexes of Dendronized Polymers and Sulfate Alkyl Tails

We describe how cationic dendronized polymers of generations 1, and 2 and anionic monoalkyl tails can be combined by supramolecular ionic complexation into comb-like liquid crystalline polymers. The final structures in bulk of these supramolecular complexes were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), cross-polarized optical microscopy (CPOM), small angle x-rays scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The combination of these techniques allowed elucidating (i) that these complexes exhibit thermotropic behaviour, (ii) that various liquid crystalline structures in the 3–5 nm length scale can be obtained such as columnar rectangular, columnar tetragonal, columnar hexagonal and lamellar, depending both on alkyl tail length and polymer generation, (iii) that although the alkyl tails represent the majority phase in the columnar phases, they form the cylindric domains, and the dendronized polymers occupy the continuous domains. Therefore, upon selective cleavage of the alkyl tails in the columnar phases, the present self-assembly approach may constitute an efficient strategy towards the formation of porous organic matrices with ultra-dense pore size in the range of 2 to 4 nm.     

Development of Dpa-based imidazole zinc anion receptors

A synthetic route for a new, phenolic Dpa-based aza ligand is presented and its chelation with zinc ions and imidazole were studied using UV/vis and mass spectrometry. A bathochromic shift of 30 nm was observed for the 2∗Zn complex of the ligand in UV/vis zinc titration experiments. The mass spectrum indicated formation of an imidazole anion zinc chelate complex.     

Introduction of Amino Alcohols in the Ring-Opening Reaction of 3-bromo-2,5-dimethylthiophene 1,1-dioxide. A short diastereoselective synthesis of substituted ‘tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrrolizidines’ (= octahydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoindoles) using L-prolinol

Tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrrolizidines (= octahydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoindoles) and tetrahydrobenzo[a]indo-lizidines, (= decahydropyrido[2,1-a]isoindoles) were prepared stereoselectively in four steps through an amineinduced ring-opening of 3-bromo-2,5-dimethylthiophene 1,1-dioxide ( 1 ) with L -prolinol ( 9 ), piperidine-2-methanol ( 10 ), and piperidine-2-ethanol ( 11 ), yielding the dienes (2S)-1-[(2E,4Z)-4-bromohexa-2,4-dienyl]pyrrolidine-2-methanol ( 12 ), 1-[(2E,4Z)-4-bromohexa-2,4-dienyl]piperidine-2-methanol ( 13 ), and 1-[(2E,4Z)-4-bromo-hexa-2,4-dienyl]piperidine-2-ethanol ( 14 ; Scheme2), which, after conversion into their α,β-unsaturated esters, cyclized in a TiCl₄-catalyzed intramolecular Diets-Alder reaction (Scheme3). A discussion on the mechanism of the ring opening reaction including semiempirical and ab initio calculations is also presented.     

A Comparative Study of Pyrolysis Liquids by Slow Pyrolysis of Industrial Hemp Leaves,Hurds and Roots

This study assessed the pyrolysis liquids obtained by slow pyrolysis of industrial hemp leaves, hurds, and roots. The liquids recovered between a pyrolysis temperature of 275–350 °C, at two condensation temperatures 130 °C and 70 °C, were analyzed. Aqueous and bio-oil pyrolysis liquids were produced and analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and atmospheric pressure photoionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (APPI FT-ICR MS). NMR revealed quantitative concentrations of the most abundant compounds in the aqueous fractions and compound groups in the oily fractions. In the aqueous fractions, the concentration range of acetic acid was 50–241 gL⁻¹, methanol 2–30 gL⁻¹, propanoic acid 5–20 gL⁻¹, and 1-hydroxybutan-2-one 2 gL⁻¹. GC-MS was used to compare the compositions of the volatile compounds and APPI FT-ICR MS was utilized to determine the most abundant higher molecular weight compounds. The different obtained pyrolysis liquids (aqueous and oily) had various volatile and nonvolatile compounds such as acetic acid, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, 2-methoxyphenol, and cannabidiol. This study provides a detailed understanding of the chemical composition of pyrolysis liquids from different parts of the industrial hemp plant and assesses their possible economic potential.     

UV‐Vis Spectroscopy Reveals a Correlation Between Y263 and BV Protonation States in Bacteriophytochromes

Red‐light photosensory proteins, phytochromes, link light activation to biological functions by interconverting between two conformational states. For this, they undergo large‐scale secondary and tertiary changes which follow small‐scale Z to E bond photoisomerization of the covalently bound bilin chromophore. The complex network of amino acid interactions in the chromophore‐binding pocket plays a central role in this process. Highly conserved Y263 and H290 have been found to be important for the photoconversion yield, while H260 has been identified as important for bilin protonation and proton transfer steps. Here, we focus on the roles these amino acids are playing in preserving the chemical properties of bilin in the resting Pr state of the photosensory unit of a bacteriophytochrome from Deinococcus radiodurans. By using pH‐dependent UV‐Vis spectroscopy and spectral decomposition modeling, we confirm the importance of H260 for biliverdin protonation. Further, we demonstrate that in the canonical bacteriophytochromes, the pK_a value of the phenol group of the Y263 is uncommonly low. This directly influences the protonation of the bilin molecule and likely the functional properties of the protein. Our study expands the understanding of the tight interplay between the nearby amino acids and bilin in the phytochrome family.