Toward the prediction of the activity of antioxidants: Experimental and theoretical study of the gas-phase acidities of flavonoids

The relative gas-phase acidities were determined for eight flavonoids, applying the kinetic method, by means of electrospray-ion trap mass spectrometry. The experimental acidity order, myricetin > luteolin > quercetin > (+/-)-taxifolin > kaempferol > apigenin > (+)-catechin > (+/-)-naringenin shows good agreement with the order obtained by theoretical calculations at the B3LYP/6-311 + G(2d,2p)//HF/6-31G(d) level. Moreover, these calculations provide the gas-phase acidities of the different OH groups for each flavonoid. The calculated acidity values (Delta(ac)H), corresponding to the most favorable deprotonation, cover a narrow range, 314.8-330.1 kcal/mol, but the experimental method is sensitive enough to differentiate the acidity of the various flavonoids. For all the flavones and the flavanol, catechin, the 4'-hydroxyl group is the most favored deprotonation site whereas for the flavanones studied, taxifolin and naringenin, the most acidic site is the 7-hydroxyl group. On the other hand, the 5-hydroxyl, in flavones and naringenin, and the 3-hydroxyl, in taxifolin and catechin, are always the less acidic positions. The acidity pattern observed for this family of compounds mainly depends on the following structural features: The ortho-catechol group, the 2,3 double bond and the 4-keto group.     

A fast isocratic liquid chromatography method for the quantification of xanthophylls and their stereoisomers

A fast isocratic liquid chromatography method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of eight xanthophylls (13‐Z‐lutein, 13’‐Z‐lutein, 13‐Z‐zeaxanthin, all‐E‐lutein, all‐E‐zeaxanthin, all‐E‐canthaxanthin, all‐E‐β‐apo‐8’‐carotenoic acid ethyl ester and all‐E‐β‐apo‐8’‐carotenal) within 12 min, compared to 90 min by the conventional high‐performance liquid chromatography method. The separation was achieved on a YMC C₃₀ reversed‐phase column (100 mm x 2.0 mm; 3 μm) operated at 20°C using a methanol/tert‐butyl methyl ether/water solvent system at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The method was successfully applied to quantify lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers in egg yolk, raw and cooked spinach, and a dietary supplement. The method can be used for the rapid analysis of xanthophyll isomers in different food products and for quality control purposes.     

Influence of gamma radiation onto polymeric matrix with papain

Papain is a proteolytic enzyme that has been widely used as debridement agent for scars and wound healing treatment. However, papain presents low stability, which limits its use to extemporaneous or short shelf-life formulations. The purpose of this study was to entrap papain into a polymeric matrix in order to obtain a drug delivery system that could be used as medical device. Since these systems must be sterile, gamma radiation is an interesting option and presents advantages in relation to conventional agents: no radioactive residues are formed; the product can be sterilized inside the final packaging and has an excellent reliability. The normative reference for the establishment of the sterilizing dose determines 25 kGy as the inactivation dose for viable microorganisms. A silicone dispersion was selected to prepare membranes containing 2% (w/w) papain. Irradiated and non-irradiated membranes were simultaneously assessed in order to verify whether gamma radiation interferes with the drug-releasing profile. Results showed that irradiation does not affect significantly papain release and its activity. Therefore papain shows radioresistance in the irradiation conditions applied. In conclusion, gamma radiation can be easily used as sterilizing agent without affecting the papain release profile and its activity onto the biocompatible device is studied.     

A simple method for patterning poly(dimethylsiloxane) barriers in paper using contact-printing with low-cost rubber stamps

This paper presents a simple and low-cost method for patterning poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) barriers in porous support such as paper for the construction of flexible microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs). The fabrication method consisted of contact-printing a solution of PDMS and hexane (10:1.5 w/w) onto chromatographic paper using custom-designed rubber stamps containing the patterns of μPADs. After penetrating the paper (∼30 s), the PDMS is cured to form hydrophobic barriers. Under optimized conditions, hydrophobic barriers and hydrophilic channels with dimensions down to 949 ± 88 μm and 771 ± 90 μm (n = 5), respectively, were obtained. This resolution is well-suitable for most applications in analytical chemistry. Chemical compatibility studies revealed that the PDMS barriers were able to contain some organic solvents, including acetonitrile and methanol, and aqueous solutions of some surfactants. This find is particularly interesting given that acetonitrile and methanol are the most used solvents in chromatographic separations, non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis and electroanalysis, as well as aqueous solutions of surfactants are suitable mediums for cell lyses assays. The utility of the technique was evaluated in the fabrication of paper-based electrochemical devices (PEDs) with pencil-drawn electrodes for experiments in static cyclic voltammetry and flow injection analysis (FIA) with amperometric detection, in both aqueous and organic mediums.     

Determination of tin and lead in sediment slurries by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Methods were determined for lead and tin determinations in river, marine and lake sediments by slurry sampling and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The optimizations were carried out using River Sediment BCR 320 and Marine Sediment PACS-2 for Pb and Sn, respectively. For Pb determination, the parameters studied included inorganic acid mixture, stabilizing agent, sample mass and sonication time. The influence of diluents and the extraction to the liquid phase for two different matrices was evaluated for Sn. The Pb content in the slurry liquid phase was ca. 56%, and ranged from 75% to 100% for Sn. Representative masses of 34 and 45 mg, and effective masses of 12 and 48 μg for Pb and Sn, respectively, were obtained under optimized conditions. Detection and quantification limits of 0.2 and 0.7 μg g⁻¹ for Pb, and 1.5–2.6 and 4.5–7.6 μg g⁻¹ for Sn were obtained.

     

Gas‐phase fragmentation of γ‐lactone derivatives by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Fragmentation reactions of β‐hydroxymethyl‐, β‐acetoxymethyl‐ and β‐benzyloxymethyl‐butenolides and the corresponding γ‐butyrolactones were investigated by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS/MS) using collision‐induced dissociation (CID). This study revealed that loss of H₂O [M + H ?18]⁺ is the main fragmentation process for β‐hydroxymethylbutenolide (1) and β‐hydroxymethyl‐γ‐butyrolactone (2). Loss of ketene ([M + H ?42]⁺) is the major fragmentation process for protonated β‐acetoxymethyl‐γ‐butyrolactone (4), but not for β‐acetoxymethylbutenolide (3). The benzyl cation (m/z 91) is the major ion in the ESI‐MS/MS spectra of β‐benzyloxymethylbutenolide (5) and β‐benzyloxymethyl‐γ‐butyrolactone (6). The different side chain at the β‐position and the double bond presence afforded some product ions that can be important for the structural identification of each compound. The energetic aspects involved in the protonation and gas‐phase fragmentation processes were interpreted on the basis of thermochemical data obtained by computational quantum chemistry. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Densities and refractive indices of imidazolium- and phosphonium-based ionic liquids: Effect of temperature,alkyl chain length,and anion

A systematic study of densities and refractive indices of 17 room temperature ionic liquids is presented at four different temperatures ranging from 293 K to 333 K. The ionic liquids are grouped into four families: 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide, [C_nmim][Ntf₂], ionic liquids (with n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14); 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [C_nmim][PF₆], ionic liquids (with n = 4, 6, 8); ionic liquids based on the trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium cation, [P_{6 6 6 14}], combined with the anions bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide, [Ntf₂], acetate, [OAc], and triflate, [OTf]; and [C₄mim]-based ionic liquids combined with the anions [OAc], [OTf], methylsulfate [MeSO₄], and tetrafluoroborate [BF₄]. The data obtained were analysed to determine the effect of (i) temperature, (ii) the alkyl chain length of the 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cation, and (iii) the nature of the anion. Different empirical models for the calculation of the densities of the ionic liquids were tested. Molar refractions were also calculated from the volumetric and refractive index data and the values were discussed with the aim of checking their utility in obtaining insights on the intermolecular forces and behaviour in solution of the different ionic liquids.     

Tunable Fluorophores Based on 2‐(N‐Arylimino)pyrrolyl Chelates of Diphenylboron: Synthesis,Structure, Photophysical Characterization,and Application in OLEDs

Reactions of 2‐(N‐arylimino)pyrroles (HNC₄H₃C(H)?N‐Ar) with triphenylboron (BPh₃) in boiling toluene afford the respective highly emissive N,N′‐boron chelate complexes, [BPh₂{κ²N,N′‐NC₄H₃C(H)?N‐Ar}] (Ar=C₆H₅ ( 12 ), 2,6‐Me₂‐C₆H₃ ( 13 ), 2,6‐iPr₂‐C₆H₃ ( 14 ), 4‐OMe‐C₆H₄ ( 15 ), 3,4‐Me₂‐C₆H₃ ( 16 ), 4‐F‐C₆H₄ ( 17 ), 4‐NO₂‐C₆H₄ ( 18 ), 4‐CN‐C₆H₄ ( 19 ), 3,4,5‐F₃‐C₆H₂ ( 20 ), and C₆F₅ ( 21 )) in moderate to high yields. The photophysical properties of these new boron complexes largely depend on the substituents present on the aryl rings of their N‐arylimino moieties. The complexes bearing electron‐withdrawing aniline substituents 17 – 20 show more intense (e.g., ?_f=0.71 for Ar=4‐CN‐C₆H₄ ( 19 ) in THF), higher‐energy (blue) fluorescent emission compared to those bearing electron‐donating substituents, for which the emission is redshifted at the expense of lower quantum yields (?_f=0.13 and 0.14 for Ar=4‐OMe‐C₆H₄ ( 15 ) and 3,4‐Me₂‐C₆H₃ ( 16 ), respectively, in THF). The presence of substituents bulkier than a hydrogen atom at the 2,6‐positions of the aryl groups strongly restricts rotation of this moiety towards coplanarity with the iminopyrrolyl ligand framework, inducing a shift in the emission to the violet region (λ_max=410–465 nm) and a significant decrease in quantum yield (?_f=0.005, 0.023, and 0.20 for Ar=2,6‐Me₂‐C₆H₃ ( 13 ), 2,6‐iPr₂‐C₆H₃ ( 14 ), and C₆F₅ ( 21 ), respectively, in THF), even when electron‐withdrawing groups are also present. Density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT (TD‐DFT) calculations have indicated that the excited singlet state has a planar aryliminopyrrolyl ligand, except when prevented by steric hindrance (ortho substituents). Calculated absorption maxima reproduce the experimental values, but the error is higher for the emission wavelengths. Organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been fabricated with the new boron complexes, with luminances of the order of 3000 cd m^?2 being achieved for a green‐emitting device.     

Electrochemical Oxidation of Sulfasalazine at a Glassy Carbon Electrode

Sulfasalazine (SSZ) is a pharmaceutical compound used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The electrochemical oxidation of SSZ at a glassy carbon electrode was studied by cyclic, differential pulse and square wave voltammetry in a wide pH range. For electrolytes with pH<11.0, the oxidation is an irreversible, diffusion‐control, pH‐dependent process that involves the transfer of one electron and one proton from the hydroxyl group of the salicylic moiety. For pH>11.0 the oxidation is pH‐independent, and a pK_a≈11 was determined. The formation of a quinone‐like oxidation product that undergoes two electrons and two protons reversible redox reaction was observed. Also, UV‐vis spectra of SSZ were recorded as a function of supporting electrolytes pH. An electrochemical oxidation mechanism was proposed.     

Conformational flexibility, UV-induced decarbonylation, and FTIR spectra of 1-phenyl-1,2 propanedione in solid xenon and in the low temperature amorphous phase

1-Phenyl-1,2-propanedione has been isolated in low-temperature xenon matrixes and studied by FTIR spectroscopy, supported by DFT(B3LYP)/6-311++G(d,p) calculations. In good agreement with previous electron diffraction data [Shen, Q.; Hagen, K. J. Phys. Chem. 1993, 97, 985], the calculations predicted the existence of only one stable conformation for the compound, in which the O=C-C=O dihedral angle is 135.6 degrees. On the other hand, the experimental data clearly reveals that, in the as-deposited xenon matrixes (T = 20 K), there is a distribution of molecules with different O=C-C=O dihedral angles around the equilibrium value. This distribution results from the efficient trapping of the conformational distribution existing in the gas phase, prior to deposition, which is determined by the low frequency, large amplitude torsional vibration around the C-C central bond. Upon annealing to higher temperatures (T approximately 45 K), the initially trapped conformational distribution can be modified in a certain degree, favoring more polar structures (corresponding to smaller O=C-C=O dihedral angles), as a result of the interactions with the matrix media. Irradiation of the matrix with UV light (lambda > 235 nm) led to decarbonylation of the compound, with generation of acetophenone and carbon monoxide, with an almost complete consumption of the reagent after 1100 min of irradiation (k = 2.8 x 10(-2) min.(-1)). Aggregation of the compound resulting from the matrix warming was also investigated, providing useful information for interpretation of the spectroscopic data obtained for the low-temperature amorphous state of the neat compound.