Buchbesprechungen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Anionenaustauschtrennungen der mit Tributylphosphat extrahierbaren Elemente. VII

Zusammenfassung Eine Methode zur Abtrennung des Urans wird beschrieben, bei der das Uran aus einer 6-m salzsauren Lösung mit reinem, unverdünntem TBP extrahiert und aus einer Mischung von 30 Vol.% TBP, 60 Vol.% Methylglykol und 10 Vol.% 12-m Salzsäure am stark basischen Anionenaustauscher Dowex 1-X8 (Chloridform) adsorbiert wird. Da der TBP-Extrakt zur Bereitung dieser Mischung verwendet wird, lassen sich Extraktion und Ionenaustausch kombinieren, wodurch nicht nur die Selektivität der Abtrennung des Urans wesentlich erhöht wird, sondern auch eine so weitgehende Anreicherung des Urans auf dem Harz erfolgt, daß auch ppm-Mengen leicht zu bestimmen sind. Das Harz wird zu diesem Zweck zunächst zur Entfernung des TBP mit einer Mischung von 90 Vol.% Methylglykol und 10 Vol.% 12-m Salzsäure, dann zur Entfernung von mitadsorbierten Elementen mit 6-m Salzsäure behandelt; anschließend wird das Uran mit 1-m Salzsäure eluiert und fluorimetrisch bestimmt. Zu Vergleichszwecken wurden 16 geologische Proben nach dieser Methode und auch unter Anwendung einer anderen Anionenaustauschmethode analysiert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß das hier beschriebene Trennverfahren eine quantitative Abtrennung des Urans ermöglicht und zu gut reproduzierbaren Resultaten führt.

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Anionic exchange separations of the elements that are extractable with tributyl phosphate. VII

Summary A method is described for the separation of uranium in which the latter is extracted from a 6M hydrochloric acid solution by means of pure undiluted TBP and adsorbed from a mixture of 30 volume % TBP, 60 volume % methylglycol and 10 volume % of 12M hydrochloric acid on the strongly basic anionexchanger Dowex 1-X8 (chloride form). Since the TBP-extract is used for the preparation of this mixture, the extraction and the ion-exchange may be combined, whereby not only the selectivity of the separation of the uranium is significantly raised but also there follows such a rar-reaching enrichment of the uranium on the resin that even ppm quantities are readily determined. For this latter purpose, the resin is first treated with a mixture of 90 volume % methylglycol and 10 volume % 12M hydrochloric acid to remove the TBP, and then with 6M hydrochloric acid to remove the co-adsorbed elements; and then the uranium is eluted by means of 1M hydrochloric acid and determined fluorimetrically. For comparison purposes, 16 geologic specimens were analyzed in accord with this procedure and also employing another anion exchange method. The results show that the separation method described here makes possible a quantitative separation of the uranium and leads to good reproducible results.

     

Clustering of nucleosides in the presence of alkali metals: Biologically relevant quartets of guanosine,deoxyguanosine and uridine observed by ESI-MS/MS

Electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectra of nucleosides, recorded in the presence of alkali metals, display alkali metal ion-bound quartets and other clusters that may have implications for understanding non-covalent interactions in DNA and RNA. The tetramers of guanosine and deoxyguanosine and also their metaclusters (clusters of clusters), cationized by alkali metals, were observed as unusually abundant magic number clusters. The observation of these species in the gas phase parallels previous condensed-phase studies, which show that guanine derivatives can form quartets and metaclusters of quartets in solution in the presence of metal cations. This parallel behavior and also internal evidence suggest that bonding in the guanosine tetramers involves the bases rather than the sugar units. The nucleobases thymine and uracil are known to form magic number pentameric adducts with K+, Cs+ and NH4+ in the gas phase. In sharp contrast, we now show that the nucleosides uridine and deoxythymidine do not form the pentameric clusters characteristic of the corresponding bases. More subtle effects of the sugars are evident in the fact that adenosine and cytidine form numerous higher order clusters with alkali metals, whereas deoxyadenosine and deoxycytidine show no clustering. It is suggested that hydrogen bonding between the bases in the tetramers of dG and rG are the dominant interactions in the clusters, hence changing the ribose group to deoxyribose (and vice versa) generally has little effect. However, the additional hydroxyl group of RNA nucleosides enhances the non-selective formation of higher-order aggregates for adenosine and cytidine and results in the lack of highly stable magic number clusters. Some clusters are the result of aggregation in the course of ionization (ESI) whereas others appear to be intrinsic to the solution being examined.     

Strategy of analysis for the estimation of the bioavailability of zinc in foodstuffs

After the application of simulated digestive fluids (gastric and intestinale fluid) as extraction solutions, AAS and differential pulse anodic-stripping voltammetry (DPASV) were used as analytical methods in combination with ion-exchange procedures for the determination of zinc species and total zinc contents. The ion exchange procedure and the shifting of electrochemical potentials as well as changes of the calibration slope after standard addition in the polarographic analysis allowed discriminating statements with regard to a possible resorption of zinc. On the basis of these methods, a strategy is presented for in vitro investigations of the bioavailability of zinc in foodstuffs.     

Detection of VX contamination in soil through solid-phase microextraction sampling and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of the VX degradation product bis(diisopropylaminoethyl)disulfide

A solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) sampling and analysis method was developed for bis(diisopropylaminoethyl)disulfide (a degradation product of the nerve agent VX) in soil. A 30-min sampling time with a polydimethylsiloxane-coated fiber and high temperature alkaline hydrolysis allowed detection with 1.0 microg of VX spiked per g of agricultural soil. The method was successfully used in the field with portable GC-MS instrumentation. This method is relatively rapid (less than 1 h), avoids the use of complex preparation steps, and enhances analyst safety through limited use of solvents and decontamination of the soil before sampling.     

Novel methyl helianthrones as photosensitizers: synthesis and biological evaluation

A combination of light, oxygen and a photosensitizer is used to induce death of cancer cells by photodynamic therapy. In this study, we have synthesized several new methyl helianthrone derivatives and compared their phototoxicity with that of hypericin. In contrast to hypericin, methyl helianthrones are soluble in aqueous solutions and have a broad range of light absorbance, which allows the use of polychromatic light. Structural modifications of methyl helianthrone demonstrated that substitution of hydrogen atoms of methyl helianthrone at Positions 2 and 5 with Br atoms or methylation of its phenolic hydroxyls, significantly increases the corresponding singlet oxygen quantum yield and their phototoxicity toward alphaT3-1, M2R and LNCaP cells. The phototoxicity of some of these compounds was similar to that of hypericin. Methyl helianthrones, like hypericin, accumulated mainly in the perinuclear region as evident by confocal microscopy. Irradiation of cells pretreated with methyl helianthrone derivatives generates intracellular reactive oxygen species and lipid free radicals, as shown by a fluorescentic probe and electron paramagnetic resonance methods, respectively. The phototoxicity of these methyl helianthrones as well as their ability to oxidize membrane lipids were significantly decreased on addition of specific Type-II inhibitors, suggesting the involvement of singlet oxygen as the main oxidant.