Determination by LC of Polyphenols in Italian Red Wine

A reversed-phase liquid chromatographic method, optimised for the separation of trans-, and cis-resveratrol, catechin, epicatechin, quercetin and rutin, is reported. Separation was achieved using a C18 column and a gradient elution with acetonitrile and 5% formic acid aqueous solution. The analyses required an equilibration period of 10 min and a run time of 25 min for completion. Identification was based on retention characteristics and by relative UV spectra, obtained by photodiode array detector and were compared with commercial standards. Analyses were performed without any sample pre-treatment. Detection was carried out by UV–Vis detector at three different wavelengths. The detection limit ranged from 0.16 μgm L⁻¹ (cis-resveratrol) to 1.5 μgm L⁻¹ (+)-catechin. Investigation was extended to quantitative determination of phenol compounds in Italian red wine and to investigate the stability of the six antioxidants.     

GC–MS analysis of phenolic compounds in fuels after conversion to trifluoroacetate esters

The GC–MS characteristics of trifluoroacetate esters of phenolic compounds are discussed. Linear temperature programmed retention indices and total ion current MS response factors of over 120 phenolic esters are reported. The main GC advantages from analysis of trifluoroacetate esters as compared to plain phenols are enhanced volatility and improved resolution. For example, the elution temperature of a given phenol is typically 50 °C greater than that of the corresponding trifluoroacetate ester. Also, while retention of compounds with two trifluoroacetate groups is only moderately greater than mono esters, underivatized dihydroxy compounds are very difficult to elute from any GC column. Complete resolution of isomeric C₀-, C₁- and C₂-alkylphenol esters is readily achieved on conventional fused silica GC columns; resolution of the corresponding underivatized compounds requires specialized GC columns with low temperature limits. In general, mass spectra of trifluoroacetate esters are more characteristic of a given structure than those of the corresponding phenols and may be more rigorously interpreted towards structural elucidation. A table in the report summarizes some of the more important spectral features used in compound identification. Example applications in analysis of coal-, shale- and petroleum-derived materials are presented. Selected ion monitoring is used to determine individual phenolic components in whole distillates; reconstructed ion chromatograms are used to illustrate distributions of selected species as a function of fuel storage and thermal stress.     

Enhancement of the solubilities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by weak hydrogen bonds with water

Summary The thermodynamics of mobile order is applied to predict the aqueous solubility of liquid and solid aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The solubility values are mainly determined by the magnitude of the hydrophobic effect. However, contrary to the solubilities of the alkanes, the solubilities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water predicted in absence of solute-solvent hydrogen (H) bonds are systematically too low. This shows the contribution of weak specific interactions between the OH groups and the electrons of the aromatic substances. According to the theory, these interactions are characterized by a stability bility constant K_o which can be derived from solubility data. At 25°C, this constant amounts to 80 cm³/mol, the order of magnitude of which can be explained by the competition of these intermolecular bonds with the rather weak self-association bonds in the secondary chains of water.     

Stoichiometric and catalytic methods of asymmetric synthesis of nonproteinogenic α-and β-amino acids via transition metal coordination compounds

The complexes of glycine, -alanine, and -alanine with (S)-[N-(N-benzylprolyl)amino] benzophenone formed by Ni(II) and Cu(II) ions and Schiff bases enter into different nucleophilic and electrophilic reactions with the formation of diastereoisomeric complexes which decompose into proteinogenic and nonproteinogenic L-amino acids with a high chemical yield and elevated optical purity (70–90%). Optically pure amino acids can be obtained from diastereoisomerically pure complexes after the complexes are separated by recrystallization of the mixture of diastereoisomeric complexes formed. A new type of interphase catalysts of C-alkylation of achiral Schiff bases was proposed. The catalysts are positively charged Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes of Schiff bases of chiral diamines. In some cases, these complexes have a higher activity and capacity to execute asymmetric alkylation than traditional chiral interphase catalysts based on cinchonidine.Based on materials in the section report by Yu. N. Belokon' to the 7th European Symposium on Organic Chemistry, ESOC-7.A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelemental Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117813 Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1106–1127, May, 1992.     

X-ray and IR spectroscopic studies of specific intermolecular interactions inN′-substituted isonicotinohydrazides

_N-Thenylidene- andN-(o-nitrobenzylidene)hydrazides of isonicotinic acid have been studied by X-ray structural analysis and IR spectroscopy. In the crystalline state, these molecules are linked through intermolecular N—H ... Np_y hydrogen bonds. Carbonyl groups are not involved in intermolecular hydrogen bonds. However, it was found that the C=O group participates in an attractive interaction with the sulfur atom of the thiophene group. The energy of this interaction is comparable with the energies of intermolecular C=O ... H—N hydrogen bonds in amides.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 896–900, April, 1996.     

Thermal Decomposition of Bi(III), Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) Thiocyanates

Thermal decomposition of Bi(SCN)₃, Cd(SCN)₂, Pb(SCN)₂ and Cu(SCN)₂ has been studied. The thermal analysis curves and the diffraction patterns of the solid intermediate and final products of the pyrolysis are presented. The gaseous products of the decomposition (SO₂ and CO₂) were detected and quantitatively determined. Thermal, X-ray and chemical analyses have been used to establish the nature of the reactions occurring at each stage in the decomposition.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Determination of acidic sites and binding toxic metal ions on cumin surface using nonideal competitive adsorption model

A fundamental study of the application of cumin biomass in the recovery of Cu and Zn metal ion uptake from food and drinks is carried out at different pH's and at fixed ionic strength. The chemical characteristics of protein in cumin seeds were investigated. Results showed that cumin contains 18.25% crude protein, which includes 18 amino acids. The main reactive groups on protein cumin are amino and carboxylic groups of dicarboxylic amino acids, leading to a pH-dependent charge. Therefore, the cumin surface is considered as a heterogeneous system. To describe protonation behavior in a heterogeneous cumin biomass (cumin/0.1 M NaNO(3)) system, acid-base titrations have been performed with conductometric and potentiometric titration. Measurement of the reactivity of cumin surface in the adsorption of Cu and Zn metal ions and determination of metal binding at different pH's were also carried out. To solve broad and ill-defined titration curves, a simplified version of nonideal competitive analysis (NICA) by Plette et al.) was applied. The results show that the sorption of the bivalent metal ions onto the whole surface of cumin could be attributed to a monodentate binding to one site mainly carboxylic-type site.     

Supercritical Propanol-Water Synthesis and Comprehensive Size Characterisation of Highly Crystalline anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles

Highly crystalline anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles have been synthesised in less than 1 min in a supercritical propanol-water mixture using a continuous flow reactor. The synthesis parameter space (T, P, concentration) has been explored and the average particle size can be accurately controlled within 10-18 nm with narrow size distributions (2-3 nm). At subcritical conditions amorphous products are obtained, whereas a broad range of T and P in the supercritical regime gives 11-14 nm particles. At high temperature and pressure, the particles size increase to 18 nm. The nanoparticles have been extensively characterised with powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) with excellent agreement on size and size distribution parameters. The SAXS analysis suggests disk-shaped particles with diameters that are approximately double the height. For comparison, a series of conventional autoclave sol-gel syntheses have been carried out. These also produce phase-pure anatase nanoparticles, but with much broader size distributions and at much longer synthesis times (hours). The study demonstrates that synthesis in supercritical fluids is a very promising method for manipulating the size and size distribution of nanoparticles, thus removing one of the key limitations in many applications of nanomaterials.     

Thermal decomposition of cobalt nitrato compounds: Preparation of anhydrous cobalt(II)nitrate and its characterisation by Infrared and Raman spectra

The thermal decomposition of Co(NO₃)₂·6H₂O (1) as well as that one of NO[Co(NO₃)₃] (Co(NO₃)₂·N₂O₄) (2) was followed by thermogravimetric (TG) measurements, X-ray recording and Raman and IR spectra. The stepwise decomposition reactions of 1 and 2 leading to anhydrous cobalt(II)nitrate (3) were established. In N₂ atmosphere, cobalt oxides are finally formed whereas in H₂/N₂ (10% H₂) cobalt metal is produced. Rapid heating of cobalt(II)nitrate hexahydrate causes melting (formation of a hydrate melt) and therefore side reactions in the hydrate melt by incoupled reactions and evolution/evaporation of different species as, e.g., HNO₃, NO₂, etc. In case of larger amounts in dense packing in the sample container, the formation of oxo(hydoxo)nitrates is possible at higher temperature. For 2, its thermal decomposition to 3 was followed and its decomposition mechanism is proposed.