Dual‐mode hydrophilic interaction normal phase and reversed phase liquid chromatography of polar compounds on a single column

Adopting a stationary phase convention circumvents problematic definition of the boundary between the stationary and the mobile phase in the liquid chromatography, resulting in thermodynamically consistent and reproducible chromatographic data. Three stationary phase definition conventions provide different retention data, but equal selectivity: (i) the complete solid phase moiety; (ii) the solid porous part carrying the active interaction centers; (iii) the volume of the inner column pores. The selective uptake of water from the bulk aqueous‐organic mobile phase significantly affects the volume and the properties of polar stationary phases. Some polar stationary phases provide dual‐mode retention mechanism in aqueous‐organic mobile phases, reversed‐phase in the water‐rich range, and normal‐phase at high concentrations of the organic solvent in water. The linear solvation energy relationship model characterizes the structural contributions of the non‐selective and selective polar interactions both in the water‐rich and organic solvent‐rich mobile phases. The inner‐pore convention provides a single hold‐up volume value for the retention prediction on the dual‐mode columns over the full mobile phase range. Using the dual‐mode monolithic polymethacrylate zwitterionic micro‐columns alternatively in each mode in the first dimension of two‐dimensional liquid chromatography, in combination with a short reversed‐phase column in the second dimension, provides enhanced sample information.     

Base stacking in cytosine dimer. A comparison of correlated ab initio calculations with three empirical potential models and density functional theory calculations

Ab initio MP2/6-31G* interaction energies were calculated for more than 80 geometries of stacked cytosine dimer. Diffuse polarization functions were used to properly cover the dispersion energy. The results of ab initio calculations were compared with those obtained from three electrostatic empirical potential models, constructed as the sum of a Lennard-Jones potential (covering dispersion and repulsion contributions) and the electrostatic term. Point charges and point multipoles of the electrostatic term were also obtained at the MP2/6-31G* level of theory. The point charge MEP model (atomic charges derived from molecular electrostatic potential) satisfactorily reproduced the ab initio data. Addition of π-charges localized below and above the cytosine plane did not affect the calculated energies. The model employing the distributed multipole analysis gave worse agreement with the ab initio data than the MEP approach. The MP2 MEP charges were also derived using larger sets of atomic orbitals: cc-pVDZ, 6-311 + G(2d, p), and aug-cc-pVDZ. Differences between interaction energies calculated using these three sets of point charges and the MP2/6-31G* charges were smaller than 0.8 kcal/mol. The correlated ab initio calculations were also compared with the density functional theory (DFT) method. DFT calculations well reproduced the electrostatic part of interaction energy. They also covered some nonelectrostatic short-range effects which were not reproduced by the empirical potentials. The DFT method does not include the dispersion energy. This energy, approximated by an empirical term, was therefore added to the DFT interaction energy. The resulting interaction energy exhibited an artifact secondary minimum for a 3.9-4.0 vertical separation of bases. This defect is inherent in the DFT functionals, because it is not observed for the Hartree-Fock + dispersion interaction energy.© 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

DNA base amino groups and their role in molecular interactions: Ab initio and preliminary density functional theory calculations

Interactions of DNA bases frequently involve the DNA base amino groups. In contrast to the empirical force fields, the ab initio calculations predict nonplanar DNA base amino groups. The same conclusion also follows from the density functional theory (DFT ) calculations. Both local and nonlocal density approximations were used. Optimized geometries of two other molecules with nonplanar amino groups (aniline, formamidine) are presented for comparison. The influence of nonplanar DNA base amino groups on the conformational variability of DNA is discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

One-phase supported titanium-based catalyst for polymerization of ethylene. IV. Effect of alkyl group at organoaluminium compound on catalyst performance

The effect of a basic layer (SiO₂—R₃Al intermediate) in the one-phase silica supported titanium-based catalyst was investigated using the simple model catalyst systems obtained by reacting the activated silica gel consecutively with R₃Al and TiCl₄. Mode of the interaction of SiO₂ with R₃Al—resulting in the formation of the basic layer—was observed via analysis of the concentration of the unreacted OH groups on the silica surface employing IR spectroscopy and via analysis of the concentration of aluminium in solvent using AA spectroscopy. It was found that nature of the alkyl group in R₃Al modified the structure of the basic layer, thus influencing the catalyst performance including the concentration of both the sum of Ti²⁺ and Ti³⁺ and the ESR-active Ti (III) centers. The sum of Ti²⁺ and Ti³⁺ ranged from 45 to 52 mol % and the amount of the ESR-active Ti (III) species ranged from 6 to 17 mol % of the all titanium content. A significant effect of alkyl group at organoaluminium compound on the molecular weight distribution of the resulting polymer was observed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Chiral SmC* liquid crystals obtained by mixing of SmC and cholesteric phase

The binary mixtures of the substance providing cholesteric phase exhibit a chiral SmC* phase for certain concentration and temperature range. This phase was verified to be ferroelectric. The temperature dependences of the spontaneous polarization and the coercive field were determined for three concentrations. The pitch of the helical structure is approximately indirectly proportional to the molar concentration of the cholesteric substance and varies from 3 μm to about 25 μm in the concentration range from 20 mol% to 5 mol% of the cholesteric substance. For the lower concentrations the sample is unwound in planar samples due to the surface anchoring. Two possible unwound planar configurations can be switched by electric field.     

Reaction Products of β-Aminopropioamidoximes Nitrobenzenesulfochlorination: Linear and Rearranged to Spiropyrazolinium Salts with Antidiabetic Activity

Nitrobenzenesulfochlorination of β-aminopropioamidoximes leads to a set of products depending on the structure of the initial interacting substances and reaction conditions. Amidoximes, functionalized at the terminal C atom with six-membered N-heterocycles (piperidine, morpholine, thiomorpholine and phenylpiperazine), as a result of the spontaneous intramolecular heterocyclization of the intermediate reaction product of an S_N2 substitution of a hydrogen atom in the oxime group of the amidoxime fragment by a nitrobenzenesulfonyl group, produce spiropyrazolinium ortho- or para-nitrobenzenesulfonates. An exception is ortho-nitrobenzenesulfochlorination of β-(thiomorpholin-1-yl)propioamidoxime, which is regioselective at room temperature, producing two spiropyrazolinium salts (ortho-nitrobezenesulfonate and chloride), and regiospecific at the boiling point of the solvent, when only chloride is formed. The para-Nitrobezenesulfochlorination of β-(benzimidazol-1-yl)propioamidoxime, due to the reduced nucleophilicity of the aromatic β-amine nitrogen atom, is regiospecific at both temperatures, and produces the O-para-nitrobenzenesulfochlorination product. The antidiabetic screening of the new nitrobezenesulfochlorination amidoximes found promising samples with in vitro α-glucosidase activity higher than the reference drug acarbose. ¹H-NMR spectroscopy and X-ray analysis revealed the slow inversion of six-membered heterocycles, and experimentally confirmed the presence of an unfavorable stereoisomer with an axial N–N bond in the pyrazolinium heterocycle.     

Ferroptosis: A New Road towards Cancer Management

Ferroptosis is a recently described programmed cell death mechanism that is characterized by the buildup of iron (Fe)-dependent lipid peroxides in cells and is morphologically, biochemically, and genetically distinct from other forms of cell death, having emerged to play an important role in cancer biology. Ferroptosis has significant importance during cancer treatment because of the combination of factors, including suppression of the glutathione peroxidase 4 (Gpx4), cysteine deficiency, and arachidonoyl (AA) peroxidation, which cause cells to undergo ferroptosis. However, the physiological significance of ferroptosis throughout development is still not fully understood. This current review is focused on the factors and molecular mechanisms with the diagrammatic illustrations of ferroptosis that have a role in the initiation and sensitivity of ferroptosis in various malignancies. This knowledge will open a new road for research in oncology and cancer management.     

Mechanism of enhanced conversion of 1,2,3-trichloropropane by mutant haloalkane dehalogenase revealed by molecular modeling

1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP) is a highly toxic, recalcitrant byproduct of epichlorohydrin manufacture. Haloalkane dehalogenase (DhaA) from Rhodococcus sp. hydrolyses the carbon–halogen bond in various halogenated compounds including TCP, but with low efficiency (k _cat/K _m = 36 s^-1 M^-1). A Cys176Tyr-DhaA mutant with a threefold higher catalytic efficiency for TCP dehalogenation has been previously obtained by error-prone PCR. We have used molecular simulations and quantum mechanical calculations to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the improved catalysis of the mutant, and enantioselectivity of DhaA toward TCP. The Cys176Tyr mutation modifies the protein access and export routes. Substitution of the Cys residue by the bulkier Tyr narrows the upper tunnel, making the second tunnel “slot” the preferred route. TCP can adopt two major orientations in the DhaA enzyme, in one of which the halide-stabilizing residue Asn41 forms a hydrogen bond with the terminal halogen atom of the TCP molecule, while in the other it bonds with the central halogen atom. The differences in these binding patterns explain the preferential formation of the (R)- over the (S)-enantiomer of 2,3-dichloropropane-1-ol in the reaction catalyzed by the enzyme.     

Polymetacrylate and hybrid interparticle monolithic columns for fast separations of proteins by capillary liquid chromatography

Preparation of organic polymer monolithic columns in fused silica capillaries was aimed at fast gradient separation of proteins. For this purpose, polymerization in situ procedure was optimized, using ethylene dimetacrylate and butyl metacrylate monomers with azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator of the polymerization reaction in presence of non-aqueous porogen solvent mixtures composed of 1-propanol and 1,4-butanediol. The separation of proteins in totally monolithic capillary columns was compared with the chromatography on a new type of "hybrid interparticle monolithic" capillary columns, prepared by in situ polymerization in capillary packed with superficially porous spherical beds, 37-50 microm. The "hybrid" columns showed excellent stability and improved hydrodynamic flow properties with respect to the "totally" monolithic capillary columns. The separation selectivity is similar in the two types of columns. The nature of the superficially porous layer (bare silica or bonded C18 ligands) affects the separation selectivity less significantly than the porosity (density) of the monolithic moiety in the interparticle space, controlled by the composition of the polymerization mixture. The retention behaviour of proteins on all prepared columns is consistent with the reversed-phase gradient elution theory.