Partial structure elucidation of the most abundant octa and nonachlorotoxaphene congeners in marine mammals by using conventional electron ionization mass spectrometry and mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry

Summary Conventional electron ionization (EI) mass spectrometry (MS) and MS/MS techniques were applied to the analysis of two abundant octa and nonachlorobornanes isolated from seals of the Baltic sea and originating from technical toxaphene. The exact sterical structures of the two compounds were previously determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy by two independent research groups. The MS and MS/MS data generated in this study allowed partial structure elucidation of these polychlorobornanes, in particular revealing the distribution of the Cl substituents between the six-membered carbon ring, the bridge and the bridgehead in the parent bornane structure. Fragmentation of the six-membered carbon ring and the bridge by retro-Diels-Alder (RDA) and related mechanisms was discovered by studying specific parent/daughter ion transitions. The detailed fragmentation pathways formulated may be applicable to the structure elucidation of other toxaphene congeners and the monitoring of strategic transitions is highly selective for the detection of these compounds in technical toxaphene and in environmental samples.     

Liquid crystal polymers. 14. Synthesis and properties of thermotropic poly(1,4-alkylphenylene terephthalates)

A series of terephthalate polyesters was prepared from substituted hydroquinone monomers that contained a single cyclic or branched alkyl group. All the polymers were crystalline with melting points well below 400°C that decreased as the size of the cycloalkyl substituent increased. Most of the polymers had clearing temperatures below 400°C and all formed nematic melts. Copolyesters that contained equimolar amounts of two different substituted hydroquinone monomers, which were crystalline and had broad temperature ranges for nematic phase formation, were also prepared.     

Synthese von 4-Trichlorsilylmethylbenzonitril und 4-(2-Trichlorsilyläthyl)pyridin zur Oberflächenmodifikation von Zinndioxid

Synthesis of 4-Trichlorosilylmethylbenzonitrile and 4-(2-Trichlorosilylethyl)pyridine for Surface Modification of Tin Dioxide We describe the synthesis of 4-(trichlorosilylmethyl)benzonitrile and 4-(2-trichlorosilylethyl)pyridine, starting from 4-(bromomethyl)benzonitrile and trichlorosilane or vinylpyridine and trichlorosilane. Trimethoxysilanes are obtained by reaction of the trichlorosilyl compounds with methyl orthoformate. 4-(Trichlorosilylmethyl)benzonitrile and 4-(2-trichlorosilylethyl)pyridine are used to modify the surface of tin dioxide.     

Optimization of a wet chemical continuous flow analysis method exemplified by the determinations of kjeldahl nitrogen and total phosphorus

The optimization of a rather complex wet chemical analysis method, such as the measurement of Kjeldahl nitrogen or total phosphorus with the Technicon AutoAnalyzer, is extremely tedious when purely empirical approaches are used. A mathematical model of the different stages of the measuring method (digestion, neutralization and color reaction) is described. The system can then be optimized for maximum measuring sensitivity. Optimization is done by solving numerically the non-linear optimization problem with constraints. The starting values for the optimization algorithm were found by varying these values systematically within the tolerated range, with checks that none of the constraints were violated. The theoretical results predict an increase in sensitivity by a factor of 15 compared to the method used previously. In practice, the sensitivity was increased by a factor of 10 for the total phosphorus method. For the simultaneous low-level determinations of Kjeldahl nitrogen and total phosphorus some problems of stability remain.     

Cyclopeptid-Antibiotika aus Aspergillus-Arten. Struktur der Echinocandine C und D

Cyclopeptide antibiotics from Aspergillus species. Structure of echinocandins C and D The echinocandins B, C and D are antifungal antibiotics produced by a strain of Aspergillus rugulosus. All three metabolites are closely related representing cyclic oligopeptides composed of six amino acids and a linolic acid residue in an amide linkage. The complete structure of echinocandin B ( 1 ) has recently been established by X-ray analysis. Structural assignments to the new minor metabolites C and D have now been made by hydrolytic and oxidative cleavage reactions, formation of N-acyl-α-aminoethers as well as by chemical correlations and extensive NMR. examinations. Echinocandin C ( 2 ), C₅₂H₈₁N₇O₁₅, contains 3-hydroxyhomotyrosine in the place of 3, 4-dihydroxyhomotyrosine present in 1 . Echinocandin D ( 3 ), C₅₂H₈₁N₇O₁₃, differs in two amino acids: 3, 4-dihyroxyhomotyrosine and 4, 5-dihydroxyornithine, unusual units of 1 being replaced by 3-hydroxyhomotyrosine and ornithine.     

Zur Photochemie von Allylaryläthern. 55. Mitteilung über Photoreaktionen

The photochemical reactions of different allyl aryl ethers (Scheme 3) were investigated in hydrocarbons (Chap. 3.1) and in alcoholic solvents (Chap. 3.2). The composition of the photoproducts depended very much on the nature of the solvent. Irradiation (3–95 h) of different methyl substituted allyl aryl ethers ( 1, 3, 5, 7 and 11 ) with a low pressure mercury lamp (λ_Emiss. = 254 nm; 6 or 15 Watt) under argon (quartz vessel) resulted in the formation of 2-, 3– and 4-substituted phenols, dienones and products of consecutive reactions (Tables 1–4 and 6). The results suggested that all products were formed by homolytic cleavage of the C? O bond in the singlet state of the ethers to intermediate radical-geminates (Scheme 5) followed by radical recombination of the two fragments. No products were formed by concerted processes (Table 5, Schemes 5 and 6). Upon irradiation of allyl aryl ethers lacking alkyl substituents at position 4 ( 1 and 5 ) in protic solvents, mainly 2- and 4-allylated phenols were obtained (Tables 1 and 4); 3-allylated phenols were formed only in small amounts (0.02%). However, in aromatic hydrocarbons or cyclohexane 3-allylated phenols were obtained from 1 , 5 and 11 in significant amounts (3–11%; Tables 1, 4 and 6). E.g., upon irradiation of allyl-2,6-dimethyl-2,4-cyclohexadien-1-one ( 6 ) besides 3- and 4-allyl-2, 6-dimethyl-phenol ( 23 and 24 ). Irradiation of 5 in methanol afforded 23 and 6 only in traces, whereas 24 was the main product.     

The agglomeration state of nanosecond laser-generated aerosol particles entering the ICP

Fundamental understanding of aerosol formation and particle transport are important aspects of understanding and improving laser-ablation ICP–MS. To obtain more information about particles entering the ICP, laser aerosols generated under different ablation conditions were collected on membrane filters. The particles and agglomerates were then visualised using scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging. To determine variations between different sample matrices, opaque (USGS BCR-2G) and transparent (NIST SRM 610) glass, CaF₂, and brass (MBH B26) samples were ablated using two different laser wavelengths, 193 and 266 nm. This study showed that the condensed nano-particles (∼10 nm in diameter) formed by laser ablation reach the ICP as micron-sized agglomerates; this is apparent from filters which contain only a few well-separated particles and particle agglomerates. Ablation experiments on different metals and non-metals show that the structure of the agglomerates is matrix-dependent. Laser aerosols generated from silicates and metals form linear agglomerates whereas particle-agglomerates of ablated CaF₂ have cotton-like structures. Amongst other conditions, this study shows that the absorption characteristics of the sample and the laser wavelength determine the production of micron-sized spherical particles formed by liquid droplet ejection.     

Zur Synthese sulfonierter Derivate von 2-Amino-p-xylol

Synthese of sulfonated derivatives of 2-amino-p-xylene Sulfonation of 2-amino-p-xylene (2) gave 2-amino-p-xylene-5-sulfonic acid (1) . The 2-amino-p-xylene-6-sulfonic acid (3) was prepared via three routes: (1) sulfonation of 2-amino-5-chloro-p-xylene (19) to 5-amino-2-chloro-p-xylene-3-sulfonic acid (20) followed by hydrogenolysis; (2) sulfur dioxide treatment of the diazonium salt derived from 2-amino-6-nitro-p-xylene (21) to 2-nitro-p-xylene-6-sulfonyl chloride (11) followed by hydrolysis to 2-nitro-p-xylene-6-sulfonic acid (4) and Béchamp reduction; (3) Béchamp reduction of 2-chloro-3-nitro-p-xylene-5-sulfonic acid (13) to 3-amino-2-chloro-p-xylene-5-sulfonic acid (16) and subsequent hydrogenolysis. Catalytic reduction of 13 in aqueous sodium carbonate solution gave mixtures of 3 and 16 . 2-Amino-p-xylene-3-sulfonic acid (27) was synthesized via two routes: (1) reaction of 19 with sulfamic acid to 2-amino-5-chloro-p-xylene-3-sulfonic acid (26) followed by hydrogenolysis; (2) sulfur dioxide treatment of the diazonium salt derived from 2-amino-3-nitro-p-xylene (28) to 2-nitro-p-xylene-3-sulfonyl chloride (12) , hydrolysis to 2-nitro-p-xylene-3-sulfonic acid (7) and Béchamp reduction.     

pH-Dependent force spectroscopy of tri(ethylene glycol)- and methyl-terminated self-assembled monolayers adsorbed on gold

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of methoxy-tri(ethylene glycol)- (EG(3)-OMe) and methyl-terminated alkanethiols (C(16)) adsorbed on polycrystalline gold were investigated by chemical force spectroscopy. Measurements were performed in aqueous electrolyte solutions depending on ionic strength and pH value. Charged and hydrophobic tips were employed as probes to mimic local patches of proteins and to study the interaction at the organic/liquid interface in detail. Force-distance curves reveal information about the origin of the observed interaction and the underlying mechanisms. The measurements confirm an effective negative surface charge to be present at the oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) and the methyl interface and suggest that the charges are due to the adsorption of hydroxyl ions from aqueous solution. pH-dependent measurements further support the robustness of the established charge associated with the OEG films. Its sign does not change over the whole range of investigated values between pH approximately 3.5 and approximately 10. In contrast, the hydrophobic self-assembled hexadecanethiol films on gold show an isoelectric point (IEP) around pH 4. While the mechanism of charge establishment appears to be similar for both SA films, the strength of hydrogen bonding to interfacial water, which acts as a template for hydroxyl ion adsorption, is likely to be responsible for the observed difference.     

Hyperfine structure of six low-lying fine structure levels of191Ir and193Ir and the191Δ s 193 hyperfine anomaly

The hyperfine interaction constantsA andB of six low-lying metastable fine structure states of the two iridium isotopes¹⁹¹Ir and¹⁹³Ir and the electronicg-factors of these levels have been measured using the atomic-beam magnetic-resonance method. From the values of the magnetic-dipole interaction constantsA, corrected for off-diagonal perturbations, we extracted the hyperfine anomaly of a pure 6s-electron state:¹⁹¹ Δ _s ¹⁹³ =0.64(7)%. Using nonrelativistic approximations for the effective radial parameters the nuclear electric-quadrupole moments were obtained:Q(¹⁹¹Ir) = 0.81(21)b,Q(¹⁹³Ir)=0.73(19)b