Synthesis of Schiff bases and benzylamino derivatives containing [1-B<Subscript>10</Subscript>H<Subscript>9</Subscript>NH<Subscript>3</Subscript>]<Superscript>−</Superscript> anion

Reactions of an amino derivative of the closo-decaborate anion [1-B₁₀H₉NH₃]^– with aromatic aldehydes afforded Schiff bases [1-B₁₀H₉NH=CHAr]^– (Ar=Ph, C₆H₄-2-OMe, or C₆H₄-4-NHCOMe). The reduction of the latter with sodium borohydride gave the corresponding benzylamino derivatives [1-B₁₀H₉NH₂CH₂Ar]^–.Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 2004–2007, September, 2004.     

Calculated structures and heats of formation of some predicted C,N, O,F molecules

Twelve molecules containing only C, N, O, and F, which are of interest in the context of energetic materials, were found to have true local energy minima at the HF/6-31G^* computational level. Both HF/6-31G^* and MP2/6-31G^* geometries are presented. A density functional procedure was used to find gas phase heats of formation. These are strongly positive for most of the molecules. The nitroso group significantly increases H _o ^f.25C compared to the nitro analogue.     

61<Superscript>ST</Superscript> ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics

G-quadruplex nucleic acids can bind ammonium ions in solution, and these complexes can be detected by electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). However, because ammonium ions are volatile, the extent to which ESI-MS quantitatively could provide an accurate reflection of such solution-phase equilibria is unclear. Here we studied five G-quadruplexes having known solution-phase structure and ammonium ion binding constants: the bimolecular G-quadruplexes (dG₄T₄G₄)₂, (dG₄T₃G₄)₂, and (dG₃T₄G₄)₂, and the intramolecular G-quadruplexes dG₄(T₄G₄)₃ and dG₂T₂G₂TGTG₂T₂G₂ (thrombin binding aptamer). We found that not all mass spectrometers are equally suited to reflect the solution phase species. Ion activation can occur in the electrospray source, or in a high-pressure traveling wave ion mobility cell. When the softest instrumental conditions are used, ammonium ions bound between G-quartets, but also additional ammonium ions bound at specific sites outside the external G-quartets, can be observed. However, even specifically bound ammonium ions are in some instances too labile to be fully retained in the gas phase structures, and although the ammonium ion distribution observed by ESI-MS shows biases at specific stoichiometries, the relative abundances in solution are not always faithfully reflected. Ion mobility spectrometry results show that all inter-quartet ammonium ions are necessary to preserve the G-quadruplex fold in the gas phase. Ion mobility experiments, therefore, help assign the number of inner ammonium ions in the solution phase structure.      

Identification and quantification of polyethylene glycol types in polyethylene glycol methyl ether and polyethylene glycol vinyl ether

Quantitative determination of polyethylene glycol (PEG) impurities in two monofunctional polyglycol types, PEG methyl ether (M-PEG) and PEG vinyl ether (V-PEG), has been carried out by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). In addition to optimizing the resolution between PEG and monofunctional PEG peaks, the major focus has been to determine the molecular weights of PEG impurities in M-PEG and V-PEG of diverse molecular weights. The latter is achieved by examining liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) mass spectra of both monofunctional PEG and PEG in several cases, and matching peak retention times with those of available PEG standards for all M-PEG and V-PEG sample types. This information is helpful in selecting the appropriate PEG standard to determine PEG content in each sample type. ELSD response factors for various PEG standards have also been compared. It has been found that PEG standards with molecular weights from 1000 Da to 8000 Da show responses that are within 10% of each other. However, a low molecular weight PEG such as PEG 400, provides approximately 30% less response compared to its higher molecular weight counterparts.     

Characterization of the atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometric process obtained using a fused-silica emitter with the high voltage applied upstream

The atmospheric pressure ionization process obtained when a mixture of methanol and water (90:10, v/v) also containing 50 microM sodium hydroxide is dispersed from a fused-silica emitter was studied. A combination of a high electric field and a nebulizer gas with the high voltage applied upstream in the liquid flow was utilized to facilitate the spray process. By comparing the dependences of the spray current and ion signals on the spray potential, it was found that electrical corona discharges were obtained for potentials higher than about 2.6 kV, which resulted in a mixed electrospray and chemical ionization process. By introducing vapour from a solvent, such as benzene or toluene, with a low ionization energy into the nebulizing gas, it was found that the appearance of the corresponding molecular ion was correlated with a change in the slope of the spray current-potential curve. This indicates that the breakpoints in the spray current-potential curves observed were correlated with the onsets of corona discharges. It was shown that the mixed ionization process gives rise to increased amounts of protonated solvent molecules and assists in the formation of sodiated adduct ions from an uncharged fatty acid methyl ester.