Analysis of amphetamines and fentanyls by atmospheric pressure desorption/ionization on silicon mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and its application to forensic analysis of drug seizures

The suitability of atmospheric pressure desorption/ionization on silicon mass spectrometry (AP-DIOS-MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (AP-MALDI-MS) for the identification of amphetamines and fentanyls in forensic samples was studied. With both ionization techniques, the mass spectra recorded showed abundant protonated molecules, and the background did not disturb the analysis. The use of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) allowed unambiguous identification of the amphetamines and fentanyls. AP-DIOS-MS/MS and AP-MALDI-MS/MS were also successfully applied to the identification of authentic compounds from drug seizures. Common diluents and tablet materials did not disturb the analysis and compounds were unequivocally identified. The limits of detection (LODs) for amphetamines and fentanyls with AP-DIOS-MS/MS were 1-3 pmol, indicating excellent sensitivity of the method. The LODs with AP-MALDI-MS/MS were about 5-10 times higher.     

NMR Spin–Spin Coupling Constants in Polymethine Dyes as Polarity Indicators

Herein, we explore the use of spin–spin coupling constants (SSCCs) in merocyanine (MCYNE) dyes as indicators of polarity. For this purpose, we use Car–Parrinello hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) to determine the structures of MCYNE in solvents of different polarity, followed by computations of the SSCCs by using QM/MM linear‐response theory. The molecular geometry of MCYNE switches between neutral, cyanine‐like, and zwitterionic depending on the polarity of the solvent. This structural variation is clearly reflected in the proton SSCCs in the polymethine backbone, which are highly sensitive to the dielectric nature of the environment; this mechanism can be used as a “polarity indicator” for different microenvironments. This result is highlighted by computing the SSCCs of the MCYNE probe in the cavity of the beta‐lactoglobulin protein. The computed SSCCs clearly indicate a non‐polar hydrophobic dielectric nature of this cavity.     

Modified hydrotalcites application as precursors for (Na,K)Mg/Al spinel-type compounds formation

In this work, a synthesis route of (Na,K)Mg/Al spinel-type compounds, which combines hydrothermal synthesis at low temperatures (<200 °C) and solid-state sintering (>800 °C) methods, is presented. It was examined that NaOH and KOH additives induce the reaction between initial Mg and Al components and the formation of hydrotalcite during hydrothermal treatment. It should be noted that after 1 h of calcination of synthetic precursors at 850 °C spinel-type compounds are formed only in the samples with alkali addition. Meanwhile in the pure system only traces of the mentioned compounds are observed at 900 °C. Moreover, the increase in solid-state sintering temperature and duration lead to the higher-crystallinity (Na,K)MgAl₂O₄ spinel-type compounds. It should be noted that textural properties of formed (Na,K)Mg/Al spinel-type compounds depend on the chemical composition of precursors. The synthetic and calcined products are characterised by XRD, STA, FT-IR analyses and BET method.     

One small step in synthesis, a big leap in charge mobility: diphenylethenyl substituted triphenylamines

Star-shaped charge transporting materials with a triphenylamine core and a varying number of diphenylethenyl sidearms, obtained using a one step synthesis procedure from commercially available and relatively inexpensive starting materials and possessing comparatively high hole drift mobility (up to 0.017 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)), are reported.     

Anisotropic subdiffractive solitons

We study solitons in the two-dimensional defocusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation with the spatio-temporal modulation of the external potential. The spatial modulation is due to a square lattice; the resulting macroscopic diffraction is rotationally symmetric in the long-wavelength limit but becomes anisotropic for shorter wavelengths. Anisotropic solitons-solitons with the square (x, y)-geometry - are obtained both in the original nonlinear Schrödinger model and in its averaged amplitude equation.     

Effect of high-frequency stimulation on nerve pulse propagation in the FitzHugh–Nagumo model

We consider the FitzHugh–Nagumo model axon under action of a homogeneous high-frequency stimulation (HFS) current. Using a multiple scale method and a geometrical singular perturbation theory, we derive analytically the main characteristics of the traveling pulse. We show that the effect of HFS on the axon is determined by a parameter proportional to the ratio of the amplitude to the frequency of the stimulation current. When this parameter is increased, the pulse slows down and shrinks. At some threshold value, the pulse stops and its width becomes zero. The HFS prevents the pulse propagation when the parameter exceeds the threshold value. The analytical results are confirmed by numerical experiments performed with the original system of partial differential equations.     

Determination of critical indices by "slow" spectroscopy: NMR shifts by statistical thermodynamics and density functional theory calculations

The temperature dependencies of NMR shifts in the critical region of two coexisting phases have been simulated using statistical thermodynamics and graph-theory consideration of equilibrium processes of molecular association. Microparameters of magnetic screening of various water and water/pyridine structures used in the statistical averaging have been evaluated by density functional theory calculations (PBE1PBE and B3PW91 functionals in the 6-311++G** basis set). The gauge-including atomic orbital (GIAO) approach has been applied to ensure gauge invariance of the results. Solvent effects were taken into account by a polarized continuum model (PCM). NMR shifts "order parameters" (Deltadelta = |delta+ - delta-|) and "diameters" (phidelta = |(delta+ + delta-)/2 - deltaC|, where delta+, delta-, and deltaC are the chemical shifts of coexisting phases and at the critical point respectively) have been calculated in each case close to the lower critical solution point (TL) and processed using linear regression analysis of Deltadelta approximately |T - TL| and phidelta approximately |T - TL| in the log-log plot. It has been shown that the critical index beta can be evaluated with high precision from the slope of Deltadelta = f(T - TL) at any realistic set of model input parameters. The slope of diameter has been found to depend on both input beta and alpha values. The obtained phidelta slopes (0.58-0.63) are very close to 2beta values. The results are discussed within the concept of complete scaling. Results of simulation are compared and supported by experimental NMR data for water/2,6-lutidine, acetic anhydride/n-heptane, and acetic anhydride/cyclohexane systems.     

Solvent effects on NMR isotropic shielding constants. a comparison between explicit polarizable discrete and continuum approaches

The gas-to-aqueous solution shifts of the 17O and 13C NMR isotropic shielding constants for the carbonyl chromophore in formaldehyde and acetone are investigated. For the condensed-phase problem, we use the hybrid density functional theory/molecular mechanics approach in combination with a statistical averaging over an appropriate number of solute-solvent configurations extracted from classical molecular dynamics simulations. The PBE0 exchange-correlation functional and the 6-311++G(2d,2p) basis set are used for the calculation of the shielding constants. London atomic orbitals are employed to ensure gauge-origin independent results. The effects of the bulk solvent molecules are found to be crucial in order to calculate accurate solvation shifts of the shielding constants. Very good agreement between the computed and experimental solvation shifts is obtained for the shielding constants of acetone when a polarizable water potential is used. Supermolecular results based on geometry-optimized molecular structures are presented. We also compare the results obtained with the polarizable continuum model to the results obtained using explicit MM molecules to model the bulk solvent effect.     

Continuous control of chaos by self-controlling feedback

Two methods of chaos control with a small time continuous perturbation are proposed. The stabilization of unstable periodic orbits of a chaotic system is achieved either by combined feedback with the use of a specially designed external oscillator, or by delayed self-controlling feedback without using of any external force. Both methods do not require an a priori analytical knowledge of the system dynamics and are applicable to experiment. The delayed feedback control does not require any computer analyses of the system and can be particularly convenient for an experimental application.