Thermodynamics of the As(III)-thiol interaction: arsenite and monomethylarsenite complexes with glutathione, dihydrolipoic acid, and other thiol ligands

Colorimetric (near-UV absorption spectroscopy) and calorimetric (isothermal titration calorimetry) methods have been used to quantify the equilibrium and thermodynamics of arsenite and monomethylarsenite (MMA) coordinating to glutathione (GSH) and the dithiols dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA), and dithiothreitol (DTT). We found that both arsenite and MMA form moderately stable complexes (beta = 10(6)-10(7)) with GSH; that arsenite forms a particularly stable 2:3 complex (beta approximately 10(18)) with the biological cofactor DHLA; that MMA has a somewhat higher affinity than arsenite for thiol ligands; and that entropic factors modulate the overall stability of As(III) complexes with thiols, which are favored by the exothermic formation of As(III)-thiolate bonds. The implications of these results for arsenic toxicity are discussed.     

Luminescent thin ZnS : Mn films

Photo-, cathodo-, β-luminescence spectra of the ZnS : Mn films and electroluminescence spectra of highly efficient d.c. diodes with SnO_x-ZnS : Mn-Cu_xS-ZnS : Mn-Al structure have been investigated. Strong dependence of intensity and structure of the luminescence band on applied voltage has been found. Results suggest that collision cannot be the only process causing luminescence of the d.c. diodes investigated. The yield of Mn luminescence in ZnS is found to be strongly electric field-dependent.