A study of the polarographic behaviour of meso-tetra(4-trimethylammoniumphenyl)porphine and its copper and magnesium complexes and its analytical applications

The investigation of the electrochemical reduction and the adsorption of meso-tetra(4-trimethylammoniumphenyl)porphine (T(4-TMAP)P) at a mercury electrode in alkaline solution shows that the overall reduction involves three two-electron steps, of which the first step is reversible and the latter two are irreversible. In addition, T(4-TMAP)P and its metal complexes of Cu(II) and Mg(II) can be strongly adsorbed on the surface of a mercury electrode. The adsorption phenomena have been utilized as a preconcentration step for the determination of trace amounts of the two ions by single sweep polarography. For copper, the detection limit is 1 × 10^–8 mol dm^–3, for magnesium, 1 × 10^–7 mol dm^–3, the latter being limited by the reagent blank. The proposed method was applied to the determination of Cu and Mg in various types of samples (chemicals, hair and liver tissues) with satisfactory results.     

Biosorption of americium-241 by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The biosorption of radionuclide ²⁴¹Am from solution by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae), and the effects of experimental conditions on the adsorption were investigated. The preliminary results showed thatS. cerevisiae is a very efficient biosorbent. An average of more than 99% of the total ²⁴¹Am could be removed by S. cerevisiae of 2.1 g/l (dry weight) from ²⁴¹Am solutions of 17.54–4386.0 mg/l (2.22 MBq/l–555 MBq/l) with adsorption capacities of 7.45–1880.0 mg/g biomass (dry weight) (0.94 MBq/g–237.9 MBq/g). The adsorption equilibrium was achieved within 1 hour and the optimum pH ranged 1–3. No significant differences on ²⁴¹Am adsorption were observed at 10–45 °C, or in solutions containing Au³⁺ or Ag⁺, even 2000 times above ²⁴¹Am concentration. The relationship between concentrations and adsorption capacities of ²⁴¹Am indicated the biosorption process should be described by the Freundlich adsorption isotherm.     

Experimental verification of a predicted, previously unseen separation selectivity pattern in the capillary electrophoretic separation of noncharged enantiomers by octakis(2,3-diacetyl-6-sulfato)-gamma-cyclodextrin

The capillary electrophoretic separation of noncharged enantiomers with single-isomer anionic resolving agents is reexamined here with the help of the charged resolving agent migration model. Two general model parameters have been identified that influence the effective mobility, separation selectivity and mobility difference curves of the enantiomers: parameter b, called binding selectivity (K(RCD)/K(SCD)), and parameter s, called size selectivity (mu(o)RCD/mu(o)SCD). Analysis of the model in terms of these parameters indicates that in addition to the known, previously observed separation selectivity vs. resolving agent concentration patterns, a new pattern, increasing separation selectivity with increasing resolving agent concentration, is also possible provided that (i) K(RCD)/K(SCD)<1 and mu(o)RCD/mu(o)SCD>1 and (K(RCD)mu(o)RCD)/(K(SCD)mu(o)SCD)>1, or (ii) K(RCD)/ K(SCD)>1 and mu(o)SCD/mu(o)SCD<1 and (K(RCD)mu(o)RCD)/(K(SCD)mu(o)SCD)<1. This hitherto unseen separation selectivity pattern was experimentally verified during the capillary electrophoretic separation of the enantiomers of O-isopropyl p-nitrophenyl methylphosphonate with the single-isomer octakis(2,3-diacetyl-6-sulfato)-gamma-cyclodextrin as resolving agent.     

Penetration into three-dimensional complex porous structures

The short-term uptake of a fluid by porous media is important in a number of processes, such as in coating and printing operations. We present a new model to predict short-term absorption into real pore geometries taking into account fluid properties, surface forces, and the complex pore geometry. Two assumptions are made to reduce the complexity of the situation: (1) the flow resistance between pores can be estimated from pore geometry or air permeability measurements, and (2) the volume of fluid in the constrictions between pores is small. Pores can be connected in any manner and can be in any arrangement. The absorption rates predicted by the model are compared to experimental values obtained with coating layers of plastic, kaolin, and calcium carbonate pigments. These coatings are characterized in terms of void fraction, pore size, contact angle, and permeability. The comparison is good for water and inks when the air permeability of the porous layer is used to determine the average resistance to flow in the sample. These resistance values are close to the values obtained from pore geometries estimated from particle packing simulations.     

Synthesis and optical resolution of a series of inherently chiral calix[4]crowns with cone and partial cone conformations

A series of inherently chiral calix[4]arenes with cone and partial cone conformations and with crown ether moieties of variable size have been readily synthesized. By taking advantage of the carboxy appendage on the lower rim, these were condensed with the chiral auxiliary (S)-BINOL to form diastereomers which, in most cases, could be separated by preparative TLC, or more desirably, by column chromatography on silica gel (diastereomeric excess >99 % based on HPLC analysis). Seven enantiopure antipodes of inherently chiral calix[4]crowns were obtained after hydrolysis. It has been found that both the size of the crown moiety and alkylation of the last phenolic hydroxy group (accompanied with or without a change in the conformation) affect the separation of the diastereomers.     

Use of stable isotope labeling technique and mass isotopomer distribution analysis of [(13)C]palmitate isolated from surfactant disaturated phospholipids to study surfactant in vivo kinetics in a premature infant

Pulmonary surfactant is a complex mixture of phospholipids and proteins which lowers surface tension and maintains alveolar expansion at end expiration. Developmental and genetic disruption of pulmonary surfactant metabolism leads to respiratory distress in newborns. Stable isotope labeling of metabolic precursors of disaturated phospholipids, the most abundant and specific component of pulmonary surfactant, permits the measurement of the kinetics of surfactant metabolism in vivo. We measured [U-(13)C(6)]glucose incorporation into palmitic acid derived from disaturated surfactant phospholipids. A 24 h infusion of [U-(13)C(6)]glucose (140 mg kg(-1)) was administered to a premature infant who required mechanical ventilation for respiratory distress syndrome; tracheal aspirate samples were obtained at the start of the infusion and at regular intervals for the next 70 h. Each tracheal aspirate sample was incubated with osmium tetroxide to isolate disaturated surfactant phospholipids. Methyl esters of the fatty acids in the disaturated phospholipids were prepared and the enrichment of [(13)C]methyl palmitate was measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography/combination/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS). Mass isotopomer distribution analysis (MIDA) was used to calculate the fractional synthetic rate (FSR) of palmitate synthesized from acetate. With both GC/MS and GC/C/IRMS, palmitate (13)C enrichment was first detected 12.3 h after the start of the tracer infusion. The enrichment increased in a linear fashion, reached a peak at 47 h and remained constant in the remainder of the samples. The FSR of palmitate from acetate was 5.2% per day. Stable isotope techniques and MIDA will provide insights into the kinetics of surfactant metabolism in newborns with respiratory dysfunction.     

Determination of buprenorphine by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection: application to human and rabbit pharmacokinetic studies.

A rapid, sensitive, precise and accurate high-performance liquid chromatographic assay with fluorescence detection was developed for the determination of buprenorphine in human, rabbit, pig and dog plasma. It is comprised of only a one-step extraction procedure with hexane-isoamyl alcohol at pH 9.25 and reversed-phase chromatography on a muPorasil column. The recoveries of buprenorphine and nalbuphine (internal standard) were greater than 90%. Calibration graphs were linear over the concentration range 3-300 ng/ml with a coefficient of variation, both within-day and between-day, of less than 9% at any level. The limit of detection was 1.0 ng/ml of plasma based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Eight other clinically used narcotics were investigated to check for potential interferences and their analytical conditions. The possible decomposed compounds of buprenorphine were also checked for the specificity of this assay. The method has been successfully applied to the stability and pharmacokinetic studies of buprenorphine. Buprenorphine in plasma did not decompose significantly at -20 degrees C for four weeks. Pharmacokinetic application in six rabbits and a surgical patient revealed that buprenorphine followed a linear three-compartment model with two distribution phases. The two distribution and elimination half-lives and the clearance of buprenorphine were 1.32, 24.8 and 230 min and 224 ml/min in human plasma, and 0.94, 12.5 and 232 min and 30 ml/min in rabbit plasma.     

An ab initio study of some structural features and the rotational barriers in performic acid,formic acid and hydrogen peroxide

Calculations on performic acid at the 4-31G level, with and without bond functions with complete geometry optimization, and at the (9, 5) level, with and without polarization functions and rigid rotation, all give no sign of a well in the potential energy curve for rotation about the O/O bond axis in the region of 50° – 90° ; and all but the unaugmented 4-31G basis set find the cis-cis planar conformer to be the most stable form. Calculations at the (9,5) level with rigid rotation find the energies of the other planar conformers, relative to the cis-cis conformer, to be 0.94, 1.50 and 14.80 kcal mol^?1 for the trans-trans, cis-trans and trans-cis structures respectively. These energies and also that for the barrier separating the cis-cis and cis-trans conformers, 1–2 kcal mol^?1, are discussed in relation to corresponding data for formic acid, hydrogen peroxide and several planar four heavy-atom molecules. Dipole moment calculations using the same basis sets would seem to favor a skew conformation as the most stable for performic acid, but comparisons between calculated and experimental values for formic acid and for hydrogen peroxide cast doubt on the validity of such results.     

Ring expansion and hydrogen scrambling in the molecular ion of 3-methylthiophene

The ratio [M ? D]/{[M-D] + [M ? H]} in the 70 eV mass spectra of six deuterated 3-methylthiophenes has been determined. From these values the mole fractions of the molecular ions that lose hydrogen atoms specifically from the various positions of the molecule were calculated, as well as the mole fraction in which the hydrogen atoms are fully scrambled before hydrogen elimination. It appears that hydrogen atoms are mainly lost from a fully scrambled [C₅H₆S]⁺· ion and from the α-position of the original molecular ion. A deuterium isotope effect of 1·60 to 1·72 was calculated for the hydrogen elimination. The reaction was also studied at low electron energies. In order to determine the degree of scrambling in the [C₅H₅S]⁺ ions, some decomposition reactions of this ion were investigated.     

Optimization of the extraction and fractionation of corn bran oil using analytical supercritical fluid instrumentation

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is combined with supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) in an analytical mode to develop a system for fractionating and enriching high value ferulate-phytosterol esters (FPE) contained in corn bran oil. Corn bran is initially extracted with neat supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) at various pressures (13.8, 34.5, and 69 MPa) and temperatures (40, 60, and 80 degrees C) to see if the FPE can be enriched in the extracts. These initial studies show the greatest percentage of FPE could be extracted under two sets of conditions: 69 MPa at 80 degrees C and 34.5 MPa at 40 degrees C. Both sets of parameters yield an extract containing approximately 1.25% FPE. A stock supply of corn bran oil is then produced by scaled-up SFE at 34.5 MPa and 40 degrees C for subsequent chromatographic fractionation. The SFE-obtained corn bran oil is then applied to the head of a minichromatographic column containing an amino-propyl sorbent. SFC is than commenced using neat SC-CO2 at 69 MPa and 80 degrees C to remove the majority of the triglyceride-based oil. Pressure and temperature are then lowered to 34.5 MPa and 40 degrees C, respectively, and ethanol is added as a modifier. The modifier is added in an increasing stepwise gradient program, and fractions are collected at equal volume intervals. The resultant fractions are analyzed by analytical high-performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light-scattering detection and show that FPE could be enriched to a 14.5% (w) level.