Distillation of fermented sugarcane juice: fractions characterized by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and multivariate data treatment

Direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in the negative ion mode (ESI(-)-MS) was employed to discriminate among fractions arising from the distillation of fermented sugarcane juice during the production of cacha?a, a typical Brazilian alcoholic beverage. Aliquots were collected in the course of distillation and their ESI(-)-MS shown to be almost indistinguishable by a simple visual inspection. However, when the ESI(-)-MS data were treated by the principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) statistical methods, four major groups were clearly determined, the so-called head (two distinct clusters), heart and tail fractions. Furthermore, the recognition of diagnostic ions (and their respective intensities) enabled a more confident establishment of the cutoff position (i.e. the initial and final points of each fraction). In conclusion, ESI-MS, in conjunction with PCA or HCA approaches, proved to be a quite efficient method that allowed for a prompt characterization of each fraction derived from the distillation of brewed sugarcane. The results described herein can, therefore, be useful not only to optimize the production of cacha?a but also to improve the quality of the final product.     

119Sn-Mössbauer spectroscopic studies on organoheterobimetallic half sandwich ruthenium–tin containing derivatives

A series of heterobimetallic complexes containing Ru–Sn bonds, of general formula [RuCp(L)₂SnX₂Y] [L = PPh₃, 1/2 dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane; X, Y = F, Cl and Br], was prepared and studied by elemental analysis, ¹¹⁹Sn-Mössbauer spectroscopy, i.r. and ¹H-, ¹³C-, ¹⁹F-, ³¹P- and ¹¹⁹Sn-n.m.r. spectroscopy. ¹¹⁹Sn-Mössbauer studies allowed determination of the coordination number of the Sn^II center as well as the group electronegativity of the organometallic fragment [RuCp(L)₂]⁺. These results, supported by multinuclear n.m.r. data suggested that the electronic charge distribution between the Ru^II and Sn^II centers are strongly dependant upon the nature of L and the electronegativity of X and Y.     

Distillation of fermented sugarcane juice: fractions characterized by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and multivariate data treatment

Direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in the negative ion mode (ESI(?)‐MS) was employed to discriminate among fractions arising from the distillation of fermented sugarcane juice during the production of cachaça, a typical Brazilian alcoholic beverage. Aliquots were collected in the course of distillation and their ESI(?)‐MS shown to be almost indistinguishable by a simple visual inspection. However, when the ESI(?)‐MS data were treated by the principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) statistical methods, four major groups were clearly determined, the so‐called head (two distinct clusters), heart and tail fractions. Furthermore, the recognition of diagnostic ions (and their respective intensities) enabled a more confident establishment of the cutoff position (i.e. the initial and final points of each fraction). In conclusion, ESI‐MS, in conjunction with PCA or HCA approaches, proved to be a quite efficient method that allowed for a prompt characterization of each fraction derived from the distillation of brewed sugarcane. The results described herein can, therefore, be useful not only to optimize the production of cachaça but also to improve the quality of the final product. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The synthesis and structural characterisation of [Ru(eta-Cp)(dppf)SnBr3

The reaction of [Ru(eta-Cp)(dppf)N(3)] (1) with equimolar amount of SnBr(2) yielded an interesting heterotrimetallic compound [Ru(eta-Cp)(dppf)SnBr(3)] (2) (dppf: 1,1'-bis-diphenylphosphinoferrocene). Compounds 1 and 2 were characterised by IR, NMR (1H, 13C, 31P and 119Sn), and 2, additionally, by 57Fe and 119Sn M?ssbauer spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The latter results were as follows: monoclinic, C2/c, a = 32.8879(4)A, b = 11.9888(2)A, c = 20.8986(3)A, beta = 92.545(1)degrees, V = 8231.9(2)A(3), Z =8.     

Differentiation of rum and Brazilian artisan cachaça via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry fingerprinting

Rum and cacha?a are sugarcane distillates produced on large scales and of similar composition, and their differentiation is currently a subject of commercial dispute and a challenging analytical task. We have investigated the ability of direct-infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in the negative ion mode, i.e. ESI(-)-MS, to distinguish between samples of these distillates. ESI(-)-MS fingerprints were collected for some samples of Brazilian artisan cacha?a, aged in two types of wooden casks, i. e. amburana (Amburana cearensis) and jequitibá (Cariniana estrellensis), and of commercial rum. The mass spectra were found to be very distinctive, showing sets of diagnostic ions for each type of sample, i. e. (1) cacha?a aged in amburana (m/z 271, 313, 377) and jequitibá (m/z 171, 255, 455) casks; and (2) commercial rum (m/z 89, 97, 179, 255, 283). When applied to the ESI(-)-MS data, principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis split rum and cacha?a samples into well-defined groups. Moreover, the two types of cacha?a samples aged in wooden casks of amburana or jequitibá were also split into two distinct groups. Direct-infusion ESI(-)-MS can therefore be potentially applied to the rapid, simple, and accurate differentiation of these commercially important sugarcane distillates.     

Heterobimetallic compounds [Ru(η<Superscript>5</Superscript>-Cp)(dppf)X] (X = Cl,Br, I and N<Subscript>3</Subscript>): synthesis,electrochemical analysis,and the crystal structure of [Ru(η<Superscript>5</Superscript>-Cp)(dppf)I] [dppf = 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene]

A series of new ruthenium-iron based derivatives [Ru(η⁵-Cp)(dppf)Cl] (1), [Ru(η⁵-Cp)(dppf)Br] (2), [Ru(η⁵-Cp)(dppf)I] (3) and [Ru(η⁵-Cp)(dppf)N₃] (4) were obtained by reactions of [Ru(η⁵-Cp)(PPh₃)₂Cl] with 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino) ferrocene (dppf) and characterized by IR, NMR (¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P), ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Additionally, the compound (3) was structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography, and the results were as follows: orthorhombic, Pbca, a = 18.2458(10), b = 20.9192(11), c = 34.4138(19) Å, α = β = γ = 90°, V = 13135.3(12) Å³ and Z = 16.