Characterization of complex,heterogeneous lipid A samples using HPLC‐MS/MS technique III. Positive‐ion mode tandem mass spectrometry to reveal phosphorylation and acylation patterns of lipid A

In this study, we report the detailed analysis of the fragmentation patterns of positively charged lipid A species based on their tandem mass spectra obtained under low‐energy collision‐induced dissociation conditions of an electrospray quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer. The tandem mass spectrometry experiments were performed after the separation of the compounds with a reversed‐phase high performance liquid chromatography method. We found that both, phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated lipid A molecules can be readily ionized in the positive‐ion mode by adduct formation with triethylamine added to the eluent. The tandem mass spectra of the lipid A triethylammonium adduct ions showed several product ions corresponding to inter‐ring glycosidic cleavages of the sugar residues, as well as consecutive and competitive eliminations of fatty acids, phosphoric acid, and water following the neutral loss of triethylamine. Characteristic product ions provided direct information on the phosphorylation site(s), also when phosphorylation isomers (ie, containing either a C1 or a C4′ phosphate group) were simultaneously present in the sample. Continuous series of high‐abundance B‐type and low‐abundance Y‐type inter‐ring fragment ions were indicative of the fatty acyl distribution between the nonreducing and reducing ends of the lipid A backbone. The previously reported lipid A structures of Proteus morganii O34 and Escherichia coli O111 bacteria were used as standards. Although, the fragmentation pathways of the differently phosphorylated lipid A species significantly differed in the negative‐ion mode, they were very similar in the positive‐ion mode. The complementary use of positive‐ion and negative‐ion mode tandem mass spectrometry was found to be essential for the full structural characterization of the C1‐monophosphorylated lipid A species.     

Transformation of the gas‐phase favored O‐protomer of p‐aminobenzoic acid to its unfavored N‐protomer by ion activation in the presence of water vapor: An ion‐mobility mass spectrometry study

An ion‐mobility mass spectrometry study showed that the preferred O‐protonated form of p‐aminobenzoic in the gas phase can be converted to the thermodynamically less favored N‐protomer by in‐source collision‐induced ion activation during the ion transfer process from the atmospheric region to the first vacuum region if the humidity is high in the ion source. Upon the addition of water vapor to the nitrogen gas used to promote the solid analyte to the gas phase under helium‐plasma ionization conditions, the intensity of the ion‐mobility arrival‐time peak for the N‐protomer increased dramatically. Evidently, the ion‐activation process in the first vacuum region is able to provide the energy required to surmount the barrier to isomerize the O‐protomer to the more energetic N‐protomer. The transfer of the proton attached to the carbonyl oxygen atom of the O‐protomer to the amino group takes place by a water‐bridge mechanism. Apparently, the postionization transformations that take place during the transmission of ions from the atmospheric‐pressure ion source to the detector, via different physical compartments of low to high vacuum, play an eminent role in determining the population ratios eventually manifested at the detector.     

Intermediate detection in real time using reactive surface desorption dielectric‐barrier discharge ionization mass spectrometry

Reactive intermediates play key roles for reaction mechanism elucidation. A suitable tool for identifying the key intermediates is crucial and highly desirable. In this study, surface desorption dielectric‐barrier discharge ionization (reactive SDDBDI) was developed for characterization of the reactive intermediates. In reactive SDDBDI, the plasma is doped with a reagent before the plasma ions are directed at a cover slip surface bearing another analyte. Different from SDDBDI, reactive SDDBDI can be used both as an ambient ionization source and as a means to produce reagent ions for ambient ion/molecule reactions. The online derivation of 4‐aminophenol with trifluoroacetic anhydride demonstrated that reactive SDDBDI can be used for chemical analysis where improved specificity or sensitivity is required. The utility of this approach for real‐time detection of reactive intermediate was demonstrated by the Schiff‐base and Eberlin reactions. The formed intermediates and products could be readily detected and identified by tandem mass spectrometry. These results indicate that reactive SDDBDI can be used to generate reagent ions that undergo ion/molecule reactions in the open air with an analyte at condensed phase on a surface. Reactive SDDBDI has high‐efficiency ion transmission and high MS sensitivity. It is thus a potential tool to perform ambient ion/molecule reactions and detect reactive intermediates.     

盐析辅助液液萃取交联聚维酮净化-靶向单一离子监测/高分辨质谱法测定蜂蜜中新烟碱类农药残留

基于盐析辅助液液萃取(LLE)交联聚维酮(PVPP)净化技术,建立了蜂蜜中7种新烟碱类农药的靶向单一离子监测(TSIM)/高分辨质谱检测方法。样品用乙腈基于盐析辅助LLE-PVPP提取净化,采用BEH C18色谱柱为分析柱,甲醇-水体系(两相均含0.1%甲酸和5 mmol/L甲酸铵)作为流动相,梯度洗脱,采用高分辨质谱TSIM模式检测目标化合物,内标法定量。结果表明,盐析辅助LLE-PVPP净化技术可实现提取净化一步式样品制备,TSIM扫描模式则显示了更宽的线性动态范围和更高的灵敏度与准确度。7种新烟碱类农药在0.01~100μg/L或0.02~100μg/L范围内具有良好的线性关系(r20.999);方法检出限为0.03~0.07μg/kg,定量下限为0.1~0.2μg/kg。在0.2、2、20μg/kg 3种加标水平下,7种新烟碱类农药在蜂蜜中的平均回收率为84.8%~112.7%,日内精密度(RSDr)为0.9%~5.7%,日间精密度(RSDR)为3.7%~9.7%。该方法前处理简单快速、成本较低,灵敏度高、重现性好,可广泛应用于蜂蜜中新烟碱类农药残留的快速检测。     

Imaging Isocyanic Acid Photodissociation at 193 nm: the NH(a1Δ)+ CO(X1Σ+) Channel

The photodissociation dynamics of isocyanic acid (HNCO) has been studied by the timesliced velocity map ion imaging technique at 193 nm. The NH(aΔ) products were measured via (2+1) resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization. Images have been accumulated for the NH(aΔ) rotational states in the ground and vibrational excited state (v=0 and 1). The center-of-mass translational energy distribution derived from the NH(aΔ) images implies that the CO vibrational distributions are inverted for most of the measured NH(v|j) internal states. The anisotropic product angular distribution observed indicates a rapid dissociation process for the N-C bond cleavage. A bimodal rotational state distribution of CO(v) has been observed, this result implies that isocyanic acid dissociates in the S₁ state in two different pathways.     

Composite poly(ethylene carbonate) electrolytes with electrospun silica nanofibers

We prepared a ternary composite polymer electrolyte from poly(ethylene carbonate) (PEC), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) and non‐calcined silica nanofibers (SNFs) having 3 average diameters (300, 700, and 1000 nm). The SNF composite electrolytes were obtained as homogeneous, self‐standing membranes. The ionic conductivity of PEC/LiTFSI 100 mol% was increased by the addition of SNFs, and the thinner SNFs with average diameter 300 nm were most effective in improving the conductivity. The conductivity was of the order of 10⁻⁴ S/cm at 60°C. The lithium transference number of the SNF₃₀₀ composite was greater than 0.7. Stress‐strain curves of the composites indicated significant increases in Young's modulus and maximum stress for the PEC electrolytes. The 5% weight‐loss temperature of the composites also improved with the addition of SNF.     

Salicylaldimine‐functionalized poly(m‐phenyleneethynylene) as turn‐on chemosensor for ferric ion

A new turn on fluorescent probe for ferric ion based on poly(m‐phenyleneethynylene salicylaldimine) ( PPE‐IM ) has been developed. The preparation of PPE‐IM involves post‐polymerization functionalization of the corresponding polymeric amine, PPE‐AM , via the condensation with salicylaldehyde. The degree of polymerization of both PPE‐IM and PPE‐IM is 17 with polydispersity index of 1.5. In aqueous solution, the polymeric PPE‐IM is highly stable unlike its small molecule analog which is gradually hydrolyzed. The weak fluorescence of initial PPE ‐ IM (λ_em = 470) is greatly enhanced by 300 folds upon the addition of Fe³⁺. The ¹H NMR reveals that the fluorescence enhancement is caused by Fe³⁺‐induced hydrolysis of the imine group. The sensing system shows a detection limit of 0.14 μM of Fe³⁺. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 1155–1161     

Computational study of SN2 reactions promoted by crown ether: Contact ion pair versus solvent‐separated ion pair mechanism

We examined by quantum chemical methods the mechanism of S_N2 reaction using metal bromide MBr (M = Na, K, Cs) and KX (X= F, Cl) in CH₃CN promoted by crown ether (18‐crown‐6). We focus on whether the metal salts react as a contact ion pair (CIP; M⁺ and X^– in close contact) or as a solvent‐separated ion pair (SSIP; M⁺ and X^– at large distance). In SSIP mechanism, X^– is removed far enough from M⁺ for the metal salt to be considered as “separated” by the effects of the crown ether and the solvent. In the CIP picture, conversely, the coordination of 18‐crown‐6 to M⁺ is not sufficient to overcome the powerful Coulombic interactions between M⁺ and X^–. We find that the CIP route is favored for S_N2 bromination processes using MBr (M = Na, K, Cs). For S_N2 reaction using KF, the feasibility of the two pathways is essentially equal, whereas for S_N2 chlorination by KCl the SSIP route is predicted to be favored.     

Explicitly correlated variational estimates of the energy levels of negative hydrogen ion under spatial confinement

Comprehensive investigations on the structural modifications of negative hydrogen ion within an impenetrable spherical domain has been performed in the framework of Ritz variational method. Electron correlation plays a major role in the formation of H^– ion. The Hylleraas‐type basis set expansion of wave function considered here incorporates the effect of electron correlation in an explicit manner. Energy values of and 1sn states of H^– ion within confined domain have been calculated. Although the singly excited states do not exist for a “free” H^– ion, well converged energy values of such states have been found within a wide range of confinement radius. The thermodynamic pressure felt by the ion inside the sphere is also estimated. The general trend shows successive destabilization of the excited energy levels with increase of pressure. The contribution of angular correlation in the energy values have been estimated. Evolution of and energy levels of H^– ion as quasi‐bound states are being reported.