Chemical bonding and electronic structure of 4d-metal monocarbides

Bond distances, vibrational frequencies, dissociation energies, electron affinities, ionization potentials and dipole moments of the title molecules in neutral and charged ions were studied by use of density functional method. Ground states for each molecule were assigned. For neutral and cationic molecules, the bond distance decreases from YC (YC+) to RhC (RhC+), then increases, while for anionic molecules, the bond distance decreases from YC- to RuC-, then increases. Opposite trend was observed for vibrational frequency. The bond ionic character decreases from ZrC to PdC for neutral molecules. The bonding patterns are discussed and compared with the available studies.

Geometries and electronic properties of Ta-n, TanO and TaOn (n=1-3) clusters

Geometries, vibrational frequencies, electron affinities, ionization potentials and dissociation energies of the title clusters in both neutral and positively and negatively charged states were studied by use of density functional theory. For both neutral and charged species, different initial isomers were studied in order to determine the structure with the lowest energy. Vibrational analysis was also performed in order to characterize these isomers. For Ta-2, Ta-Ta metallic bond is strengthened by adding or removing an electron, i.e. the charged species are much more stable than the neutral counterpart. For Ta-3, equilateral triangle with D-3h symmetry has the lowest energy for both neutral and charged species (near equilateral triangle for cation). TaO and its charged species have much larger dissociation energy compared with other tantalum oxides. For Ta2O and TaO2. structure with C-2v symmetry is much more stable than linear chains. For Ta3O, planar structure with doubly bridging oxygen atoms of C-2v, symmetry is the global minimum for both neutral and charged species. While for TaO3, three-dimensional structures are favored for both neutral (C-1 symmetry) and charged species (C-3v symmetry).

Quantitative FTIR study of PHBV/bisphenol A blends

FTIR spectroscopy was used to verify the presence of intermolecular hydrogen bond (inter-H-bond) between poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and bisphenol A (BPA). By monitoring the spectral changes during PHBV crystallization and blends dissociation, the absorptivity ratio of C=O bonds in crystalline and amorphous regions in PHBV and that of H-bonded and free C=O in PHBV/BPA blends were experimentally determined as 1.40 and 1.68, respectively. Using curve-fitting program, the C=O absorptions in spectra of blends were ascribed to three types of bonds: amorphous, crystalline and H-bonded C=O. The crystallinity of PHBV and the fraction of H-bonded C=O were calculated. These results indicated that the H-bond clearly suppressed the PHBV crystallization. Furthermore, the fraction of BPA molecules that simultaneously formed two hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) with C=O was estimated. It revealed that there existed a H-bond network in PHBV/BPA blends. This network was compared with the covalent network by estimating the number of atoms between every two adjacent crosslink points in chain. Up to the high density of H-bond discussed in this paper, there was always a certain part in PHBV that crystallized due to the dynamic character of hydrogen bonds; however, the hydrogen bonds significantly reduced the crystallization rate of PHBV.

Systematic study of the transfer of amino acids across the water/1,2-dichloroethane interface facilitated by dibenzo-18-crown-6

Facilitated ion transfer reactions of 20 amino acids with di.benzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) at the water/1,2-dichloroethane (W/DCE) interfaces supported at the tips of micro- and nano-pipets were investigated systematically using cyclic voltammetry. It was found that there were only 10 amino acids, that is, Leu, Val, Ile, Phe, Trp, Met, Ala, Gly, Cys, Gln (in brief), whose protonated forms as cations can give well-defined facilitated ion transfer voltammograms within the potential window, and the reaction pathway was proven to be consistent with the transfer by interfacial complexation/dissociation (TIC/TID) mechanisms. The association constants of DB 18C6 with different amino acids in the DCE (beta(0)), and the kinetic parameters of reaction were evaluated based on the steady-state voltammetry of micro- or nano-pipets, respectively The experimental results demonstrated that the selectivity of complexation of protonated amino acid by DB18C6 compared with that of alkali metal cations was low, which can be attributed to the vicinal effect arising from steric hindrance introduced by their side group and the steric bulk effect by lipophilic stabilization.

Facilitated ion transfer across the micro-liquid /liquid interface supported at the tip of a silanized micropipette

Glass micropipettes with silanized inner walls can be filled with an organic solvent for voltammetric measurements in an aqueous solution. This arrangement was employed to investigate systematically the mechanism of facilitated potassium ion transfer by an ionophore dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) across a micro-water/1.2-dichloroethane(W/DCE) interface supported at the tip of a silanized micropipette. Our experimental results verify that this facilitated ion transfer across the liquid/liquid interface did occur by an interfacial complexation-dissociation process (TIC-TID mechanism). The ratio of the diffusion coefficient of DB18C6 to that of its complexed ion in the DCE phase was calculated to be 1.74 +/- 0.07.

Characterization of aconitine-type alkaloids in the flowers of Aconitum kusnezoffii by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

The fragmentation mechanism of aconitine-type alkaloids in the flowers of Aconitum kusnezoffii (FAK) was investigated using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MSn) firstly. The analysis of the collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra of three purified aconitine standards and six previously reported aconitines indicated that the fragmentation of the protonated aconitines at low-energy CID follows a similar pathway. The elimination of a C-8-substituent such as an acetic acid or a fatty acid is the dominant fragmentation mode in MS2. Successive losses of CH3COOH, CH3OH, H2O, BzOH, and CO are the main fragmentation pathways of aconitine-type alkaloids in MS3 spectra. Based on these features, a rapid method for the direct detection and characterization of alkaloids from an ethanolic extract of FAK is described. All the known aconitum alkaloids are detected and a series of lipo-aconitines has been found for the first time in this plant.

Solvent extraction of scandium(III), yttrium(III), lanthanides(III), and divalent metal ions with sec-nonylphenoxy acetic acid

Such physicochemical properties of sec-nonylphenoxy acetic acid (CA-100) as the solubility in water, acid dissociation constant in water, dimerization constant in heptane, and distribution constant in organic solvent-water were measured by two-phase titration. The extraction behaviors of scandium (III), yttrium (III), lanthanides (III), and divalent metal ions from hydrochloric acid solutions with CA-100 in heptane have been investigated, and the possibilities of separating scandium (yttrium) from lanthanides and divalent metal ions have been carefully discussed. The stoichiometries of the extracted metal complexes were investigated by the slope-analysis technique. The effect of the nature of diluent on the extraction of yttrium (III) with CA100 has been studied and correlated with the dielectric constant.

Preparation and properties of abzyme with thyroxine deiodinase

The abzyme (Se-6E8) with a higher thyroxine deiodinase activity was prepared by modifying the serine residues of monoclonal antibody (6E8)with phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride and sodium hydrogen selenide, and the 6E8 against O-methyl-T-4, which is a kind of thyroxine derivatives and was taken as a hapten for the first time. Two bands were found corresponding to the 5.5 kD heavy chain and the 2.7 kD light chain respectively by SDS-PAGE. The characteristics of dissociation constants, pH, and temperature were also studied. The results show that the activity of Se-6E8 is 2 010 U/mumol protein, and the proper temperature and pH of the catalytic reactions is 57 degreesC and 8.2 respectively.

Kinetic analysis of TNF immune complex by using surface plasmon resonane

The kinetic analysis of the interaction between tumor necrosis factor(TNF) and its monoclonal antibody was performed by surface plasmon resonance(SPR) technique. The monoclonal antibody was immobilized to the surface of CM5 sensor chip by amine coupling. TNF at different concentrations was injected across the mAb immobilized surface. The interaction was recorded in real time and could be seen on the sensorgram. One cycle, including association, dissociation and regeneration, lasted no more than 15 min. The interaction results was evaluated using 1 : 1 Langmuir binding model. The kinetic rate constants were calculated to be: k =1.68 X 10(3) L (.) mol(-1) (.) s(-1), k(d) = 1.73 X 10(-4) s(-1), and the affinity constants K-A = 9. 7 X 10(3) L (.) mol(-1), K-r)= 1. 03 X 10(-7) Mol (.) L-1. The X-2 was 3.47, which showed that the interaction is consistent with the 1 : I model. We can see from the results that although there are two binding sites in one mAb molecule, TNF reacts with each site in an independent and noncooperative manner.

Real-time analysis of the interaction between calmodulin and melittin by SPR spectroscopy

The dynamic interaction process of calmodulin with an immobilized peptide melittin was investigated in real time by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, and dissociation constant of the complex was calculated to be 3.37 x 10(-6) mol/L.

Investigation of ion transfer across the micro-water/nitrobenzene interface facilitated by a fullerene derivative

A functionalized fullerene derivative containing a monoaza-18-crown-6 moiety was investigated by facilitated ion (such as Li+, Na+, K+, NH4+, Mg2+, and Ca2+) transfer across the micro-water/nitrobenzene interface supported at the tip of a micropipet. The current responses were detected by cyclic voltammetry and Osteryoung square wave voltammetry, which demonstrated that the facilitated ion transfer does occur by an interfacial complexation-dissociation process. The diffusion coefficient of this compound in nitrobenzene was approximately (5.90 +/- 0.04) x 10(-7) cm(2) s(-1), which is 1 order of magnitude less than other common ionophores due to the large size of the molecule. The selectivity of this molecule toward the metal ions followed the sequence Na+ > Li+ > K+ > NH4+ > Ca2+ similar to Mg2+. In addition, this compound was also easy to form film at the water/nitrobenzene interface to inhibit the simple ion transfer of tetramethylammonium ion. However, the adsorption of this ionophore has less influence on the facilitated metal ion transfer.

Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric study of the aconitines in the roots of aconite

Fragmentation pathways of aconitine-type alkaloids were investigated by electrospray ionization/ion trap multistage tandem mass spectrometry. Low-energy collision-induced dissociation of protonated aconitines follows a dominant first step, the elimination of the C-8-substituent as acetic acid or fatty acid in MS2 spectra. Successive losses of 1-4 CH3OH molecules, 1-3 H2O, CO, benzoic acid, and CH3 or C2H5 (N-substituents) are all fragmentation pathways observed in MS3 and MS4 spectra. By applying knowledge of these fragmentation pathways to the aconitines in the ethanolic extract of aconite roots, all the known aconitines were detected and also 23 unknown aconitine-type alkaloids, in which the lipo-alkaloids containing residues of 15C, 17C and 19C saturated or unsaturated fatty acids were characterized. These odd-carbon-number fatty acid substituents have not been reported previously.

A study of resonance electron capture ionization on a quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer

Procedures that allow the realization of resonance electron capture (REC) mode on a commercial triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer, after some simple modifications, are described, REC mass spectrometry (MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) experiments were performed and spectra for some compounds were recorded. In particular, the charge-remote fragmentation (CRF) spectra of [M - H](-) ions of docosanoic and docosenoic acids under low-energy collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) conditions were obtained, and showed that there were no significant differences for [M - H](-) ions produced at different resonances (i,e. for [M - H](-) ions with different structures). This observation was explained on the basis of results obtained from deuterium-labeled fatty acids, which showed that different CRF ions (but with the same m/z value in the absence of labels) could be produced by different mechanisms, and all of them were obviously realized under CAD conditions that made spectra practically indistinguishable. The other example, which compared the REC-MS/MS spectrum of [M - H](-) ions and EI-MS/MS spectrum of M+. ions of daidzein, demonstrated the potential of the REC-MS/MS technique for more complex structure elucidation. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Studies on the adduct reaction of disubstituted benzenes with ion system of acetone in gas phase

Ion - molecule reactions of disubstituted benzene with ion system of acetone and deuterium - labelled acetone under chemical ionization conditions were examined and the fragmentation reactions of the adduct ions formed by the ion - molecule reactions were studied using collision - induced dissociation (CID) technique. It was found that the electron - releasing groups favored the adduct reactions, whereas the electron - withdrawing groups did not. The position and properties of substituted groups affected the relative abundance of the adduct ions. The fragmentation reaction of the adduct ion formed by ortho - phenylenediamine with acetyl ion was similar to the reductive alkylation reaction of amine in condensed phase.

Hydrogen-deuterium exchange reactions of cis- and trans-cyclopropane derivatives with D2O and CD3OD in the gas phase

Gas-phase hydrogen-deuterium (H/D) exchange reactions involving four isomeric cyclopropane derivatives were investigated under chemical ionization (CI) conditions, using D2O and CD3OD as reagent gases. There are abundant ions at [M + 1](+), [M + 2](+) and [M + 3](+) in the D2O and CD3OD positive-ion CI mass spectra of the two isomer pairs 1, 2 and 3, 4, Their CI mass spectra are identical with each pair, and so are the collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra of ions [M + 1](+), [M + 2](+) and [M + 3](+) of each of the two isomer pairs. The CID spectra of [M + 1](+) ions indicate that they have common D/H exchange reactions within each pair, which take place between molecular ions and deuterium-labeling reagents to form the [M - H + D](+) ions. Those of their [M + 2](+) ions show that they have common D/H exchange reactions within each pair, which form the [M-d1 + H](+) ions. Those of their [M + 3](+) ions show that they have common D/H exchange reactions within each pair, which take place between the [M-d1] and deuterium-labeling reagents to produce [Md-2 + H](+) for the isomer pair 1, 2 and [M-d1 + D](+) for the Isomer pair 3, 4. The number and position, and active order of the active hydrogen atoms of the isomer pairs 1, 2 and 3, 4 were determined. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.