Determination of ochratoxin A in currants, raisins, sultanas, mixed dried fruit, and dried figs by immunoaffinity column cleanup with liquid chromatography: interlaboratory study

An interlaboratory study was performed on behalf of the Food Standards Agency to evaluate the effectiveness of an affinity column cleanup liquid chromatographic (LC) method for the determination of ochratoxin A in a variety of dried fruit at European regulatory limits. To ensure homogeneity before analysis, laboratory samples are normally slurried with water in the ratio of 5 parts fruit to 4 parts water, and test materials in this form were used in the study. The test portion was extracted with acidified methanol. The extract was filtered, diluted with phosphate-buffered saline, and applied to an affinity column. The column was washed and ochratoxin A was eluted with methanol. Ochratoxin A was quantified by reversed-phase LC. The use of post-column pH shift to enhance the fluorescence of ochratoxin A by the addition of 1.1 M ammonia solution to the column eluant is optional. Determination was by fluorescence. Currants, sultanas, raisins, figs, and mixed fruit (comprising dried pineapple, papaya, sultanas, prunes, dates, and banana chips), both naturally contaminated and blank (very low level), were sent to 24 collaborators in 7 European countries. Participants were asked to spike test portions of all test samples at a level equivalent to 5 ng/g ochratoxin A. Average recoveries ranged from 69 to 74%. Based on results for 5 naturally contaminated test samples (blind duplicates) the relative standard deviation for repeatability (RSDr) ranged from 4.9 to 8.7%, and the relative standard deviation for reproducibility (RSDR) ranged from 14 to 28%. The method showed acceptable within- and between-laboratory precision for all 5 matrixes, as evidenced by HORRAT values <1.3.     

Pseudophomins A and B,a class of cyclic lipodepsipeptides isolated from a Pseudomonas species

The crystal structures of pseudophomins A and B, with primary structures β‐hydroxy­decanoyl–l ‐Leu–d ‐Glu–d ‐allo‐Thr–d ‐Ile–d ‐Leu–d ‐Ser–l ‐Leu–d ‐Ser–l ‐Ile monohydrate, C₅₅H₉₇N₉O₁₆·H₂O, and β‐hydroxy­dodecanoyl–l ‐Leu–d ‐Glu–d ‐allo‐Thr–d ‐Ile–d ‐Leu–d ‐Ser–l ‐Leu–d ‐Ser–l ‐Ile monohydrate, C₅₇H₁₀₁N₉O₁₆·H₂O, new cyclic lipodepsipeptides isolated from Pseudomonas fluorescens strain BRG100, have been solved. The absolute configuration of pseudophomin A has been determined from anomalous dispersion and the stereochemistry of the β‐hydroxy acid group is R.     

Recoil energy distributions for dissociation of the van der Waals molecule p-difluorobenzene-Ar with 450-3000 cm(-1) excess energy

Velocity map imaging has been used to measure the distributions of translational energy released in the dissociation of p-difluorobenzene-Ar van der Waals complexes from the 5(1), 3(1), 5(2), 3(1)5(1), 5(3), 3(2), and 3(2)5(1) states. These states span 818-3317 cm(-1) of vibrational energy and correspond to a range of energies above dissociation of 451-2950 cm(-1). The translational energy release (recoil energy) distributions are remarkably similar, peaking at very low energy (10-20 cm(-1)) and decaying in an exponential fashion to approach zero near 300 cm(-1). The average translational energy released is small, shows no dependence on the initial vibrational energy, and spans the range 58-72 cm(-1) for the vibrational levels probed. The average value for the seven levels studied is 63 cm(-1). The low fraction of transfer to translation is qualitatively in accord with Ewing's momentum gap model [G. E. Ewing, Faraday Discuss. 73, 325 (1982)]. No evidence is found in the distributions for a high energy tail, although it is likely that the experiment is not sufficiently sensitive to detect a low fraction of transfer at high translational energies. The average translational energy released is lower than has been seen in comparable systems dissociating from triplet and cation states.     

A theoretical study of aqueous solvation of K comparing ab initio, polarizable, and fixed-charge models

The hydration of K(+) is studied using a hierarchy of theoretical approaches, including ab initio Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics and Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics, a polarizable force field model based on classical Drude oscillators, and a nonpolarizable fixed-charge potential based on the TIP3P water model. While models based more directly on quantum mechanics offer the possibility to account for complex electronic effects, polarizable and fixed-charges force fields allow for simulations of large systems and the calculation of thermodynamic observables with relatively modest computational costs. A particular emphasis is placed on investigating the sensitivity of the polarizable model to reproduce key aspects of aqueous K(+), such as the coordination structure, the bulk hydration free energy, and the self diffusion of K(+). It is generally found that, while the simple functional form of the polarizable Drude model imposes some restrictions on the range of properties that can simultaneously be fitted, the resulting hydration structure for aqueous K(+) agrees well with experiment and with more sophisticated computational models. A counterintuitive result, seen in Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics and in simulations with the Drude polarizable force field, is that the average induced molecular dipole of the water molecules within the first hydration shell around K(+) is slightly smaller than the corresponding value in the bulk. In final analysis, the perspective of K(+) hydration emerging from the various computational models is broadly consistent with experimental data, though at a finer level there remain a number of issues that should be resolved to further our ability in modeling ion hydration accurately.     

Chemistry of thienopyridines. XXXVI. Further studies on nitration in the thieno[2,3-b]- and thieno[3,2-b]pyridine systems

Three compounds, thieno[3,2-b]pyridine 4-oxide, 7-nitrothieno[3,2-b]pyridine 4-oxide ( 1 c), and 6-cyano-thieno[2,3-b]pyridine, undergo nitration by means of a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids to yield 3,7-dinitro-thieno[3,2-b]pyridine (3%), 3,7-dinitrothieno[3,2-b]pyridine 4-oxide ( 1d ) (26%), and 6-carbamoyl-5-nitrothieno[2,3-b]pyridine ( 6b ) (11%), respectively. Structures of the products were ascertained by spectral means, notably infrared, ¹H nmr, and ¹³C nmr. It is proposed that 1d exists (at least in part) as a tricyclic structure and that 6b may result from an intramolecular mechanism of nitration. An attempt to de-N-oxygenate 1c with excess triphenylphosphine removes more than one oxygen atom per molecule (as triphenylphosphine oxide) without producing an identified thienopyridine product.     

Tracelessness Unmasked: A General Linker Nomenclature

Nowadays it is rare to find an issue of a major chemistry journal without at least one article on solid-phase synthesis. This is hardly surprising: the technique promises an end to arduous work-up procedures and the ability to facilitate the creation of vast libraries of compounds using combinatorial techniques. No longer is the technique only of interest to those involved in peptide synthesis: an enormous variety of product classes have now been prepared on and isolated from the solid phase. It is the "linker" which is the focus of this article. The linker's ultimate function is to release a product from the support into solution: it does this, without exception, with a chemical change to the product at the former linkage site. Some linkers, apparently, are "traceless". But what, in fact, is "tracelessness"? Twenty years ago, in a climate where cleavage of a linker resulted in formation of a polar carboxylic acid as the vestige of the support, the concept was attractive. Today the chemist is faced with a myriad of novel linkers which have the ability to release products bearing most major functionalities at the former linkage site and we will argue here that the term "traceless", although currently in widespread use, is meaningless. Instead, we propose a new categorization of linkers based on the functionality they release upon cleavage, and suggest a nomenclature to underpin this categorization. We anticipate that the article will also serve to highlight areas of linker technology in need of further research.     

A note on the numerical evaluation of finite integrals of oscillatory functions

A method is described for the numerical evaluation of integrals of the form ∫ _?1 ¹ f(x)K(m,x)dx, wheref(x) is smooth in [?1,1], whileK(m,x) is highly oscillatory for large values ofm.     

Nitrilotriacetamide: Synthesis in Concentrated Sulfuric Acid and Stability in Water

Acid hydrolysis of N(CH₂CN)₃ leads either nitrilotriacetamide, 1, and/or 3,5-dioxopiperazineacetamide, 4, in quantitative yield. 1 slowly and cleanly converts to 3,5-dioxopiperazineacetic acid, 5, in water, although ammonium salts prevent this reaction.