Photochemical reactivity of sulfamethoxazole and other sulfa compounds with photodiode array detection

The photochemical activities of six sulfa compounds [sulfacetamide (CET), sulfadiazine (DIA), sulfaguanidine (GUA), sulfamerazine (MER), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and sulfamethizole (MET)] under different experimental conditions such as photolysis time, solvent and buffer pH are investigated by photodiode array (PDA) spectrophotometry. With no photolysis, the sulfa drugs CET and DIA show no absorbance at 332 nm and the other compounds only modest absorbance. Upon photolysis for 4 min, absorbance enhancements at 332 nm of three to four times for GUA and MET and 12-15 times for SMX and MER are observed. For CET and DIA after photolysis, the (absorbance) l/mg is now approximately 0.01-0.02 units. Although two pH optima of approximately 3-4 and 7 are noted, the optimum solvent for photolysis is ethanol without pH adjustment. For flow injection (FI) with on-line photolysis and PDA detection, a mobile phase of 100% ethanol with a step flow rate from 0.1 to 1 ml/min is used providing a 4-min reaction time. The FI detection limit for SMX with photolysis at 330 nm is 1 mg/l. The relative standard deviation data (n=4) of seven individual points in a calibration curve from 5 to 150 mg/l are 0-4%. The recovery of SMX from pharmaceutical tablets is 99.7% indicating no interference from trimethoprim which is not photochemically active.     

Synthesis and anticholinesterase activity of some new fluorogenic analogues of organophosphorus nerve agents

Eighteen new fluorogenic analogues of organophosphorus nerve agents were synthesised and characterised. They included analogues of tabun, sarin, cyclosarin, soman, VX, and Russian VX, with the 7-oxy-4-methylcoumarin or 7-oxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin leaving group. These analogues inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) effectively in vitro and therefore have potential as tools for the identification of novel organophosphatases in biological systems. Analogues of VX and Russian VX with the 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin group, although poor AChE inhibitors, may have utility for screening enzyme libraries for phosphoramidases capable of cleaving P-N bonds.     

Determination of selenium(IV) by anodic stripping voltammetry with an in situ gold-plated rotating glassy carbon disk electrode

The application of an in situ gold-plated glassy carbon disk electrode to the determination of selenium(IV) by anodic stripping voltammetry is described. A single anodic stripping peak is obtained for solutions containing less than 1 × 10^-6 M Se(IV). The minimum concentration detected was 2 × 10^-9 M Se(IV). The determination of selenium in NBS SRM 1577 (Bovine Liver) by anodic stripping voltammetry with an in situ goldplated rotating glassy carbon electrode yielded a value of 1.14 ± 0.07 μg Se g^-1 compared with a certificate value of 1.1 ± 0.1 μg Se g^-1.     

Surface-enhanced vibrational investigation of adsorbed analgesics

Adsorption properties of acetylsalicylic acid (AA), ibuprofen and acetaminophen deposited from volatile solvents with varying protic/aprotic properties on vacuum-evaporated silver films were characterized using surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). SERS preferentially enhances monolayer Raman shifts, while SEIRA can enhance the infrared absorbance of the monolayer and multilayers. To our best knowledge, this is the first reported study of these molecules using a combination of SERS/SEIRA. SERS revealed that AA and ibuprofen adsorbed ionically in monolayers, independent of the deposition solvents used in the process. SEIRA experiments showed that AA multilayers condensed molecularly using a deposition solvent with polar bonds. However, when an alkane deposition solvent with non-polar bonds such as n-heptane was used, AA adsorbed as acetylsalicylate ions in the first few multilayers, while ibuprofen always adsorbed as the free acid in the multilayer. These ionization trends depend upon the affinity of AA and ibuprofen for the underlying silver film. TPD experiments on silver powders further demonstrated that ibuprofen affinity for silver was less than AA. Furthermore, SEIRA indicated that acetaminophen adsorbed as multilayers of metastable polymorphs using protic or polar aprotic deposition solvents. Protic deposition solvents gave higher quality SERS spectra of an acetaminophen monolayer in comparison to polar aprotic deposition solvents. Such studies could find significant applications in biochemical and nanotechnology processes such as drug delivery, catalysis, and tissue engineering and will contribute to the understanding of the impact and fate of analgesics released into the environment.     

Electrostatic induction of lipid asymmetry

The asymmetric arrangement of phospholipids between the two leaflets of the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells is an integral part of cellular function. ATP-dependent translocases capable of selective lipid transport across the membrane are believed to play a role in this lipid asymmetry, but our understanding of this process is incomplete. Here we show the first direct and quantitative experiments demonstrating the induction of phosphatidylserine asymmetry in a membrane by electrostatic association of poly-l-lysine in an attempt to elucidate the complex factors which govern the establishment and maintenance of lipid compositional asymmetry in the plasma membrane on a fundamental level. The attractive electrostatic interactions between the charged surface-associated polylysine and phosphatidylserine are sufficient to both induce and maintain an asymmetric arrangement of phosphatidylserine in a planar supported membrane, as measured by sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy. These studies provide a glimpse of the physical and chemical underpinnings of lipid asymmetry in the eukaryotic plasma membrane.     

Demonstration of supercontinuum generation in a long-cavity fiber ring laser

We demonstrate generation of supercontinuum pulses directly from a passively mode-locked long-cavity fiber ring laser. The laser output exhibited a blueshifted spectrum extending from 1350 to 1550 nm with an average output power greater than 60 mW.     

Phenylphosphonic acid functionalization of indium tin oxide: surface chemistry and work functions

The work function of indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates was modified with phosphonic acid molecular films. The ITO surfaces were treated prior to functionalization with a base cleaning procedure. The film growth and coverage were quantified by contact angle goniometry and XPS. Film orientation was determined by reflection/absorption infrared spectroscopy using ITO-on-Cr substrates. The absolute work functions of nitrophenyl- and cyanophenyl-phosphonic acid films in ITO were determined by Kelvin probe measurement to be 5.60 and 5.77 eV, respectively.     

Stripping voltammetry of tellurium(IV) in 0.1 M perchloric acid at rotating gold disk electrodes

The stripping voltammetry ofteIlurium(IV) in 0.1 M perchloric acid at gold electrodes is described. Detection limits for solid gold, in situ gold-plated and externally gold-plated rotating glassy carbon disk electrodes are presented. There is no significant increase in sensitivity for the use of solid gold electrodes; 0-25 ppm teIIurium(IV) can be determined by anodic stripping voltammetry at an in situ gold-plated rotating glassy carbon disk electrode. The determination of tellurium in NBS SRM 1632a (Trace Elements in Coal) is described.