Adsorption behavior of noble metal ions (Au, Ag, Pd) on nanometer-size titanium dioxide with ICP-AES.

The adsorption behavior of gold (Au), silver (Ag) and palladium (Pd) on nanometer-size titanium dioxide (NSTD) at low concentrations was studied using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). A preconcentration procedure of the analytes was carried out using NSTD as a solid-phase extractant before their determination by ICP-AES. The optimum conditions for adsorption were studied in detail, and under the condition that Au, Ag and Pd ions could be adsorbed and recovered quantitatively. The static adsorption capacities of Au, Ag and Pd on NSTD were 22.63, 14.06 and 11.82 mg/g, respectively. For the elution of gold, silver and palladium, a mixture of 5% thiourea solution and 3 mol L(-1) HNO3 was used. The parameters tested included: pH conditions, contact time of the analytes with NSTD, flow rate, adsorption capacity and sorption kinetics. According to the definition of IUPAC, the detection limits (3sigma) of this method for Au, Ag and Pd with an enrichment factor of 50 were (0.016), (0.006) and (0.012) microg mL(-1), respectively, the relative standard deviations (RSD) were 8.7%, 4.5% and 7.4%, respectively (n = 6). Some geological samples were determined with satisfactory results.     

Electrochemical Initiated C‐N Coupling of 3‐Methylcatechol and n‐Hexylamine in a Flow Cell Monitored with ESI‐MS

The electrochemical initiated heterocoupling of 3‐methylcatechol and n‐hexylamine was investigated. The oxidation of 3‐methylcatechol was performed in an electrochemical flow cell with glassy carbon as the working electrode. As a result, the two‐electron, two‐proton oxidised chinone intermediate undergoes a C‐N coupling reaction in the presence of an amine (Michael addition). This mono coupling product can undergo a second two‐electron, two‐proton oxidation depending on acidic or basic conditions and substrate ratios. This flow cell was coupled on‐line with electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry to identify the possible coupling products. Higher substrate concentrations were performed off‐line as first scale‐up experiments in a two‐step procedure.     

Aromatic Osmacyclopropenefuran Bicycles and Their Relevance for the Metal‐Mediated Hydration of Functionalized Allenes

The aromatic osmacyclopropenefuran bicycles [OsTp{κ³‐C¹,C²,O‐(C¹H₂C²CHC(OEt)O)}(PⁱPr₃)]BF₄ (Tp=hydridotris(1‐pyrazolyl)borate) and [OsH{κ³‐C¹,C²,O‐(C¹H₂C²CHC(OEt)O)}(CO)(PⁱPr₃)₂]BF₄, with the metal fragment in a common vertex between the fused three‐ and five‐membered rings, have been prepared via the π‐allene intermediates [OsTp(η²‐CH₂=CCHCO₂Et)(OCMe₂)(PⁱPr₃)]BF₄ and [OsH(η²‐CH₂=CCHCO₂Et)(CO)(OH₂)(PⁱPr₃)₂]BF₄, and their aromaticity analyzed by DFT calculations. The bicycle containing the [OsH(CO)(PⁱPr₃)₂]⁺ metal fragment is a key intermediate in the [OsH(CO)(OH₂)₂(PⁱPr₃)₂]BF₄‐catalyzed regioselective anti‐Markovnikov hydration of ethyl buta‐2,3‐dienoate to ethyl 4‐hydroxycrotonate.     

Cultivation of Encapsulated Primary Human B Lymphocytes: A First Step toward a Bioartificial Germinal Center

Polyelectrolyte microcapsules based on sodium cellulose sulfate (SCS) and poly-diallyl-dimethyl-ammonium chloride (PDADMAC) have previously been proposed as a suitable ex vivo microenvironment for the cultivation and differentiation of primary human T lymphocytes. Here, the same system is investigated for the cultivation of human primary B cells derived from adult tonsillar tissue. Proliferation and differentiation into subtypes are followed and compared to suspension cultures of B cells from the same pool performed in parallel. Total cell expansion is somewhat lower in the capsules than in the suspension cultures. More importantly, however, the differentiation of the initially mainly memory B cells into various subtypes, in particular into plasma cell (PC), shows significant differences. Clearly, the microenvironment provided by the microcapsules is beneficial for an accelerated induction of a germinal center-like B cell phenotype and afterward supports the long-term survival of the PC cells. Then, varying the encapsulation conditions (i.e., presence of human serum and dedicated cytokines in the capsule core) provides a tool for finetuning the B cell response. Hence, this methodology is suggested to pave the way toward ex vivo development of human immune organoids.     

Catalysts as Key Enablers for the Synthesis of Bioplastics with Sophisticated Architectures

Bioplastics are one of the answers to environmental pollution and linear material flows. The most promising bioplastic polylactide (PLA) is already replacing conventional plastics in a number of applications. The properties of PLA, however, do not fit for all potential application areas, but they can be altered by the introduction of comonomers. The copolymerization of lactide (LA) with other lactones like ϵ-caprolactone (CL) has been established for several years. Nevertheless, controlling copolymerizations remains a challenge due to the high complexity of the system. Copolymerization of LA with other monomer classes is much less investigated, but has the chance to overcome the limitations in material properties that occur when only lactones are used. The crucial factor for all copolymerizations is the catalyst. It dominates the reaction kinetics and determines the resulting microstructure. In this review, copolymerization catalysts for LA are presented divided into catalysts for the synthesis of lactone block copolymers, lactone random copolymers, and multimechanistically synthesized copolymers. The selected catalysts are highlighted either owing to their industrially applicable polymerization conditions or their non-standard mechanism.     

NMR studies of the thermal degradation of a perfluoropolyether on the surfaces of gamma-alumina and kaolinite

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods are used to follow the thermal degradation of Krytox 1506, a common perfluoropolyether, following adsorption onto the surfaces of gamma-Al2O3 and a model clay (kaolinite). The alumina studies are complemented with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to follow the degradation process macroscopically. Molecular-level details are revealed through 19F magic-angle spinning (MAS), 27Al MAS, and 19F --> 27Al cross-polarization MAS (CPMAS) NMR. The CPMAS results show the time-dependent formation of probable VIAl(O6 - nFn) (n = 1, 2, 3) species in which the fluorine atoms are selectively associated with octahedrally coordinated aluminum atoms. For the alumina system, the changes in peak shapes of the CP spectra over time suggest the early formation of catalytically active degradation products, which in turn lead to the formation of additional perfluoropolyether degradation products. Similar to the alumina system, the kaolinite system also displays new resonances in both the 27Al MAS and 19F --> 27Al CPMAS spectra after thermal treatment at 300 degrees C for up to 20 h but reveals a more distinct species at -15.5 ppm that forms at the expense of an initial species (3 ppm), which is in greater abundance at shorter heating times.     

The total synthesis and biological properties of the cytotoxic macrolide FD-891 and its non-natural (Z)-C12 isomer

A total, stereoselective synthesis of the naturally occurring, cytotoxic macrolide FD-891 and of its non-natural (Z)-C12 isomer is described. Three fragments of the main carbon chain were stereoselectively prepared by using asymmetric aldol and allylation reactions as the key steps. The molecule was then assembled by using two Julia-Kocienski olefinations to connect the three fragments and a Yamaguchi reaction to close the macrolactone ring. Some specific biological properties (cytotoxicity, binding to tubulin) have been determined for both macrolides. The E configuration of the C12-C13 olefinic bond seems to be an important feature in determining the cytotoxicity but the precise biological mechanism of the latter still remains to be cleared.     

Preference for a C3 conformation in tris-dimethylaminophosphonium cations: a comparison of the reactions of (Me2N)3P with I-X (X = Cl, Br, I, CN)

Tris-(dimethylamino)phosphine reacts with I(2) to form (Me(2)N)(3)PI(2), which when recrystallised from acetonitrile displays a structure of overall stoichiometry [{(Me(2)N)(3)PI}I](6).CH(3)CN . The asymmetric unit of consists of four different [(Me(2)N)(3)PI](+) cations, one of these exhibits a cation-anion interaction to an iodide ion, with an I-I contact distance of 3.6378(14) A, the longest yet observed for an R(3)PI(2) compound. Two of the other three cations display no interactions, whilst a cation-solvent interaction is observed for the fourth. When (Me(2)N)(3)PI(2) is recrystallised from dichloromethane the molecule abstracts chlorine from the solvent to form [(Me(2)N)(3)PCl]I this latter compound can also be synthesised directly from (Me(2)N)(3)P and ICl. The reaction of (Me(2)N)(3)P with IBr forms [(Me(2)N)(3)PBr]I, which when recrystallised from chlorinated solvents forms [(Me(2)N)(3)PCl(0.5)Br(0.5)]I. The analogous [(Me(2)N)(3)PCN]I, does not display CN-Cl exchange and can be recrystallised from dichloromethane. The structures of and have all been determined by X-ray diffraction. All of the (Me(2)N)(3)P groups in the cations in, and exhibit a C(3) conformation, in contrast to the majority of (R(2)N)(3)P systems where a C(s) conformation is usually preferred. This C(3) conformation appears to be favoured where there is increased positive charge on phosphorus, as is the case in the phosphorus(v) ionic species described herein. This conformation allows greater P-N pi-bonding, and as a result the P-N bonds are shortened, varying between 1.566(10) and 1.624(10) A in these compounds.     

Electrospray ionization multiple stage quadrupole ion-trap and tandem quadrupole mass spectrometric studies on phosphatidylglycerol from arabidopsis leaves

Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) is the major phospholipid of plant chloroplasts. PG from Arabidopsis thaliana has an unusual fatty acyl chain, 3-trans-hexadecenoyl (Delta(3)16:1) in the sn-2 position of the major 18:3/Delta(3)16:1-PG species, as well as in 18:2/Delta(3)16:1-PG and 16:0/Delta(3)16:1-PG. Upon low-energy collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) in a tandem quadrupole or in an ion-trap mass spectrometer, the [M - H]- ions of the PG molecules containing Delta(3)16:1 give product-ion spectra that are readily distinguishable from those arising from PGs without the Delta(3)16:1 species. The Delta(3)16:1-fatty acyl-containing PGs are characterized by MS(2) product-ion mass spectra that contain predominant [M - H - 236]- ions arising from loss of the Delta(3)16:1-fatty acyl substituent as a ketene. This is attributable to the fact that the alpha-hydrogen of the Delta(3)16:1-fatty acid substituent involved in the ketene loss is an allylic hydrogen, which is very labile. This leads to preferential neutral loss of 236 and drastic decline in the neutral loss of 254 (i.e., loss as a fatty acid), the unique features that signify the presence of Delta(3)16:1-fatty acyl containing PGs. The neutral loss scan of 236, thus, provides a sensitive tandem quadrupole mass spectrometric means to identify Delta(3)16:1-containing PG species in lipid mixtures. This low-energy tandem mass spectrometric approach also permits the structures of the Arabidopsis PGs that consist of two isomeric structures to be unveiled.