Proton to carbon-13 INEPT in solid-state NMR spectroscopy

A refocused INEPT through-bond coherence transfer technique is demonstrated for NMR of rigid organic solids and is shown to provide a valuable building block for the development of NMR correlation experiments in biological solids. The use of efficient proton homonuclear dipolar decoupling in combination with a direct spectral optimization procedure provides minimization of the transverse dephasing of coherences and leads to very efficient through-bond (1)H-(13)C INEPT transfer for crystalline organic compounds. Application of this technique to 2D heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy leads to up to a factor of 3 increase in sensitivity for a carbon-13 enriched sample in comparison to standard through-bond experiments and provides excellent selectivity for one-bond transfer. The method is demonstrated on a microcrystalline sample of the protein Crh (2 x 10.4 kDa).     

Identification of odor signature chemicals in cocaine using solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography and detector-dog response to isolated compounds spiked on U.S. paper currency

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with gas chromatography (GC) is optimized and applied to the analysis of street-cocaine samples followed by the field-testing of isolated chemicals using certified detector dogs. SPME proves to be a very sensitive and rapid method for isolating odor chemicals from street-cocaine samples. SPME-GC and activated charcoal strip (ACS)-SPME-GC signature profile methods are developed for the detection and quantitation of cocaine-odor chemicals, including the optimization of controllable variables such as fiber chemistry, extraction time, and desorption time. The volatile odor chemicals in representative illicit cocaine samples are identified and quantitated by the ACS-SPME-GC signature profile method and direct injection. Field tests with drug detector dogs show methyl benzoate to be the dominant signature odor chemical along with cocaine on U.S. currency at a threshold level of approximately 1-10 microg when spiked or when 10 ng/s methyl benzoate is diffused from polymer bottles, which is required in order to initiate an alert. No other substance studied initiated consistent responses by the drug dogs. The results indicate that the microgram levels of cocaine that have been reported on circulated U.S. currency are insufficient to signal an alert from law-enforcement trained drug detector dogs.     

A study of mesoamerican obsidian sources using activation analysis

An extensive study of Mesoamerican obsidian source samples from 37 sites has been begun to better differentiate and define the trace element content at known Mesoamerican obsidian quarries, with particular emphasis on those in Mexico. This paper reports on the first results in that study as well as studies of sample contamination by grinding and results for the new National Bureau of Standards No. 278 Obsidian SRM.     

Frequency-domain measurement of the photodegradation process of fluorescein

The frequency-domain technique is applied to measure the photodegradation rate of fluorescein in aqueous solutions. The illuminating light is modulated, and the changes in fluorescence from the illuminated region are detected synchronously. A constant flow rate is imposed on the fluorescein solution to control the mass transport of fluorescein into the illuminated region. The fluorescence response is described by a model that assumes that photodegradation occurs from the triplet excited state. The predictions of the model are consistent with the observed variations in the fluorescence response with flow rate, modulation frequency and incident power. We discuss in this article how the dependence of the model parameters on experimental conditions can be used to infer the photodegradation rate as well as some of the details of the photodegradation mechanism. The results are consistent with the known mechanism of photodegradation of fluorescein. The frequency-domain technique gives a photodegradation rate of 53 s(-1) in an air-saturated solution and 37 s(-1) in solutions purged with argon gas.     

Detection of adsorption of Ru(II) and Os(II) polypyridyl complexes on gold and silver nanoparticles by single-photon counting emission measurements

The present study describes a new application of ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridine) (Ru(bpy)3(2+)) and osmium(II) tris(bipyridine) (Os(bpy)3(2+)) as phosphorescent labels for the quantification of surface binding of molecules to gold and silver nanoparticles. The fraction of Ru(bpy)3(2+) and Os(bpy)3(2+) that is in solution can be distinguished from the surface-bound fraction by the relative lifetimes and integrated emission yields as determined by time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) spectroscopy. Complementary steady-state measurements were carried out to confirm surface attachment of the phosphorescent label molecules. Although the emission of solutions of Ru(bpy)3(2+) and Os(bpy)3(2+) is quenched proportional to the concentration of 10 nm Au or 20 nm Ag nanoparticles, the quenching is static and not diffusional quenching observed in Stern-Volmer plots. The results demonstrate that time-resolved spectroscopy provides a rapid method for the measurement of surface binding of labeled molecules on metallic nanoparticles. While steady-state measurements require the preparation of a series of samples with varying quencher concentrations and a reference, the method described herein requires a single sample plus reference. The mechanism for phosphorescence quenching on Au and Ag nanoparticles is discussed in terms of energy and electron transfer theories.     

Heterobimetallische phosphanido-verbrückte Zweikern-Komplexe - Synthese von cis-rac-[(η-C5H4R)2Zr{μ-PH(2,4,6−iPr3C6H2)}2M(CO)4] (RMe,MCr,Mo; RH,MMo)

Heterobimetallic Phosphanido-bridged Dinuclear Complexes - Syntheses of cis-rac-[(η-C₅H₄R)₂Zr{μ-PH(2,4,6-ⁱPr₃C₆H₂)}₂M(CO)₄] (R?Me, M?Cr, Mo; R?H, M?Mo) The zirconocene bisphosphanido complexes [(η-C₅H₄R)₂Zr{PH(2,4,6-ⁱPr₃C₆H₂)}₂] (R?Me, H) react with [(NBD)M(CO)₄] (NBD?norbornadiene, M?Cr, Mo) to give only one diastereomer of the phosphanido-bridged heterobimetallic dinuclear complexes cis-rac-[(η-C₅H₄R)₂Zr{μ-PH(2,4,6-ⁱPr₃C₆H₂)}₂M(CO)₄] [R?Me, M?Cr ( 1 ), Mo ( 2 ); R?H, M?Mo ( 3 )]. However, no reaction was observed between [(η-C₅H₅)₂Zr{PH(2,4,6-^tBu₃ C₆H₂)}₂] and [Pt(PPh₃)₄]. 1—3 were characterised spectroscopically. For 1—3 , the presence of the racemic isomer was shown by NMR spectroscopy. No reaction was observed at room temperature for 3 and CS₂, (NO)BF₄, Me₃NO or PH(2,4,6-Me₃C₆H₂)₂. With Et₂AlH or PhC?CH decomposition of 3 was observed.     

Matched/Mismatched interaction of a cyclic hexapeptide with ion pairs containing chiral cations and chiral anions

The binding of a chiral quaternary ammonium ion to a cyclopeptide containing aromatic amino acid subunits is affected not only by the configuration of the cation but also by the configuration of the chiral counterion. Analysis of the binding equilibria shows that complex formation involves interaction of the whole ion pair with the host indicating that steric requirements of the anion influence complex geometry and stability.     

Application of divergent multi-component reactions in the synthesis of a library of peptidomimetics based on γ-amino-α,β-cyclopropyl acids

The multi-component condensation of organozirconocene, aldimine and zinc carbenoid was applied to the stereoselective synthesis of cyclopropane amino acid derivatives. These compounds served as scaffolds for the preparation of a 46-member library. The C- and N-termini of the cyclopropane amino acid derivatives were diversified by condensations with ten amines and ten acylating agents, respectively. To improve yields and accelerate library synthesis, most products were prepared under microwave irradiation and purified by polymer-bound scavengers and SPE methodology. All compounds were analyzed by LC-MS and a representative selection was fully characterized.     

Structural and magnetic properties of hexagonal perovskites La1.2Sr2.7MO7.33 (M = Ru, Ir) containing peroxide ions

The structures of the new compound La(1.2)Sr(2.7)IrO(7.33) and the recently discovered La(1.2)Sr(2.7)RuO(7.33) have been solved using a combination of X-ray and neutron diffraction. Both compounds crystallize in the trigonal space group Rm and consist of isolated MO6 (M = Ru, Ir) octahedra, which are arranged in well-defined hexagonal perovskite slabs. These slabs are separated by (Sr2O(1+delta)) layers containing both O2- and (O2)2- ions. The composition can therefore be written as La(1.2)Sr(2.7)MO(7-delta)(O2)delta with delta = 0.33. Results of the magnetic susceptibility and XANES measurements show that the transition metal cations are in a pentavalent state. While in La(1.2)Sr(2.7)RuO(7.33) an antiferromagnetic interaction between the Ru5+ ions is found, La(1.2)Sr(2.7)IrO(7.33) shows a very small temperature-independent paramagnetism down to 1.8 K due to the strong spin-orbit coupling characteristic for the 5d element iridium.     

Chiral bidentate aminophosphine ligands: synthesis, coordination chemistry and asymmetric catalysis

Chiral aminophosphines Ph2PN(R)(CH2)nN(R)PPh2 1-4 [n= 2, R = CH(CH3)(Ph) 1; n= 3, R = CH(CH2CH3)(Ph) 2, n= 2, R = CH(CH3)(1-naphthyl) 3; n= 2, R = CH(CH3)(C6H11) 4] were synthesized by the reaction of ClPPh2 with the appropriate easily accessible enantiopure amine building blocks. For compounds 1 and 2, the corresponding selenides 5 and 6 were prepared to determine the electronic character of the phosphine moieties. By reaction of 1 with either PdCl2(cod) or PdCl(CH3)(cod) the cis-complexes 7 and 8 were obtained. The molecular structure for complex 7, cis-[PdCl2(1)], was determined by X-ray crystallography. Reaction of PtCl2(cod) with 1 or 2 yielded the corresponding monomeric cis-isomers 9 and 10. The rhodium derivative [RhCl(CO)(1)] (11) was obtained as a mixture of cis and trans-isomers. Preliminary results in the rhodium catalyzed hydroformylation of styrene and vinyl acetate, with ee's up to 51% and high regioselectivities, showed the potential of these chiral aminophosphines for homogeneous catalysis.