On-line Separation and Detection of Peptides by Capillary Electrophoresis / Electrospray FT-ICR-MS

Recently, capillary electrophoresis/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (CE/ESI- MS) has been rapidly developed as a powerful analytical tool for charged species ranged from small molecules such as carboxylic acids1, phenolic compounds2, metal species3, tetramines4, herbicides5, drugs and drug metabolites6 to peptides and proteins7, 8. The ESI mode has proven to be sensitive, versatile and relatively easy to use in combination with CE. CE confers rapid analysis and efficient separ…     

First experiments on transmutation studies of129I and237Np using relativistic protons of 3.7 GeV

First experiments on the transmutation of long-lived¹²⁹I and²³⁷Np using relativistic protons of 3.7 GeV are described. Relativistic protons generate in extended Pb-targets substancial neutron fluences. These neutrons get moderated in paraffin and are used for transmutation as follows:¹²⁹I(n,)¹³⁰I and²³⁷Np(n,)²³⁸Np. The isotopes¹³⁰I (T _1/2-12.36 h) and²³⁸Np (T _1/2=2.117 d) were identified radiochemically. One can estimate the transmutation cross-section (n,) in the given neutron field as (¹²⁹I(n,))=(10±2)b and (²³⁷Np(n,))=(140±30)b The experiments were carried out in November 1996 at the Synchrophasotron, LHE, Dubna, Russia. The investigation has been performed at the Laboratory of High Energies, JINR, Dubna.     

A New Approach to α—Bromochalcones

α-Bromo benzolymethylene triphenylphosphorane 3 has been synthesized by the reaction of benzoylmethylene triphenylphosphorane 1 with N-bromosuccinimide in the yield of 87% and can react with aromatic aldehydes 4 to give α-bromochalcones 5 in good yields.     

Chitosan-mediated and spatially selective electrodeposition of nanoscale particles

Nanoscale particles offer a variety of interesting properties, and there is growing interest in their assembly into higher ordered structures. We report that the pH-responsive aminopolysaccharide chitosan can mediate the electrodeposition of model nanoparticles. Chitosan is known to electrodeposit at the cathode surface in response to a high localized pH. To demonstrate that chitosan can mediate nanoparticle deposition, we suspended fluorescently labeled latex nanoparticles (100 nm diameter spheres) in a chitosan solution (1%) and performed electrodeposition (0.05 mA/cm2 for several minutes). Results demonstrate that chitosan is required for nanoparticle electrodeposition; chitosan confers spatial selectivity to electrodeposition; and nanoparticles distribute throughout the electrodeposited chitosan film. Additionally, we observed that the deposited films reversibly swell upon rehydration. This work indicates that chitosan provides a simple means to assemble nanoparticles at addressable locations and provides further evidence that stimuli-responsive biological materials may facilitate fabrication at the microscale.     

Penicillin biosynthesis: Retention of configuration at c-3 of valine during its incorporation into the arnstein tripeptide

[3-³H]-valine was efficiently synthesised from sodium α-ketoisovalerate. With a β-lactam negative mutant of C. acremonium, l-[1-¹⁴C-3-³H]-valine and dl-[1-¹⁴C-3-³H]-valine were independently incorporated into the Arnstein tripeptide dimer, i.e. Bis-δ-(l-α-aminodipyl)-l-cystinyl-bis-d-valine, with full retention of trieium at C-3 of the d-valine residue. This result strongly suggested retention of configuration at C-3 of valine when the tripeptide was biosynthesised, and further limited the number of possible mechanisms for the biosynthesis of penicillins.     

Direct STM investigation of cinchona alkaloid adsorption on Cu(III)

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) combined with cyclic voltammetry has been employed to investigate the adsorption of cinchonine on Cu(111). Similar to cinchonidine, cinchonine forms a long-range ordered adlayer with (4 x 4) symmetry on the substrate. The structural details on molecular adsorption were obtained by high-resolution STM images. On the basis of the previous results and obtained STM images, the quinoline ring is proposed to lie parallel to Cu(111) and serve as an anchoring group. The chiral quinuclidine moiety extends out of the surface to facilitate the interaction with the prochiral reactants.     

A general electron donor–acceptor complex for photoactivation of arenes via thianthrenation

General photoactivation of electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complexes between arylsulfonium salts and 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane with visible light or natural sunlight was discovered. This practical and efficient mode enables the production of aryl radicals under mild conditions, providing an unrealized opportunity for two-step para-selective C–H functionalization of complex arenes. The novel mode for generating aryl radicals via an EDA complex was well supported by UV-vis absorbance measurements, nuclear magnetic resonance titration experiments, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The method was applied to the regio- and stereo-selective arylation of various N-heterocycles under mild conditions, yielding an assembly of challengingly linked heteroaryl–(hetero)aryl products. Remarkably, the meaningful couplings of bioactive molecules with structurally complex drugs or agricultural pharmaceuticals were achieved to display favorable in vitro antitumor activities, which will be of great value in academia or industry.

General photoactivation of EDA complexes between arylsulfonium salts and 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane was discovered. This practical mode enables the generation of aryl radicals for C–H functionalization of arenes.     

Non-covalent reconfigurable microgel colloidosomes with a well-defined bilayer shell

Microgels are extremely interfacially active and are widely used to stabilize emulsions. However, they are commonly used to stabilize oil-in-water emulsions due to their intrinsic hydrophilicity and initially dispersed in water. In addition, there have been no attempts to control microgel structural layers that are formed at the interface and as a result it limits applications of microgel in advanced materials. Here, we show that by introducing octanol into poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-methacrylic acid) (PNIPAM-co-MAA) microgels, octanol-swollen microgels can rapidly diffuse from the initially dispersed oil phase onto the water droplet surface. This facilitates the formation of microgel-laden interfacial layers with strong elastic responses and also generates stable inverse water-in-oil Pickering emulsions. These emulsions can be used as templates to produce microgel colloidosomes, herein termed ‘microgelsomes’, with shells that can be fine-tuned from a particle monolayer to a well-defined bilayer. The microgelsomes can then be used to encapsulate and/or anchor nanoparticles, proteins, vitamin C, bio-based nanocrystals or enzymes. Moreover, the programmed release of these substances can be achieved by using ethanol as a trigger to mediate shell permeability. Thus, these reconfigurable microgelsomes with a microgel-bilayer shell can respond to external stimuli and demonstrate tailored properties, which offers novel insights into microgels and promise wider application of Pickering emulsions stabilized by soft colloids.

Inverse W/O Pickering emulsions and reconfigurable microgelsomes with a well-defined bilayer structure are prepared from octanol-swollen PNIPAM-co-MAA microgels and the combination of binary microgels, which promise wider application of soft colloids.     

Modified Wave Particle Duality and Black Hole Physics

de Broglie relation is revisited, in consideration of a generalization of canonical commuting relation. The possible effects on particle's localization and black hole physics are also discussed, in a heuristic manner.