Selective immunoclean-up followed by liquid chromatography for the monitoring of a biomarker of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urine at the ng l-1 level

A selective clean-up procedure using an immunosorbent (IS) was developed for the trace-level determination, in water and urine samples, of 3-benzo(a)pyrene-glucuronide (3-BP-G), a biomarker of exposure to carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). First, three sorbents used for the immobilization of antibodies were evaluated for their ability to limit the risk of non-specific interactions and to provide a high bonding density. The best sorbent, i.e. sepharose, was used for the immobilization of two different monoclonal antibodies. The most specific antibody for 3-BP-G was applied to the selective extraction from urine providing a clean extract, an easy and reliable quantification by comparison with a classical SPE process. The sensitivity of the fluorescence associated with the selectivity of the IS provides a limit of detection up to 1.2 ng l(-1) in urine for 3-BP-G.     

Structural changes in poly(ethyleneimine) modified microemulsion

The influence of branched poly(ethyleneimine) on the phase behavior of the system sodium dodecylsulfate/toluene-pentanol (1:1)/water has been studied. The isotropic microemulsions still exist when water is replaced with aqueous solutions of PEI (up to 30% in weight), but their stability is significantly influenced. From a polymer concentration of 20 wt%, the polymer enhances the solubilization of water in oil, changes the sign of the spontaneous curvature of the surfactant film, and induces an inversion of the microemulsion type from water-in-oil (L(2)) to oil-in-water (L(1)), by the formation of a bicontinuous channel. Further investigations show that the addition of polymer in the L(2) phase changes the droplet-droplet interactions as the conductivity drops and the percolation disappears. In the bicontinuous channel, higher viscosities can be detected, as well as a weak percolation followed by a steep increase of the conductivity, which can be related to evident structural changes in the system. DSC measurements allow then to follow the changes of the water properties in the system, from interfacial-water in the L(2) phase to free-water in the sponge-like phase. Finally, all the measurements performed permit to characterize the structural transitions in the system and to understand the role of the added polymer.     

Fullerene Derivatives Functionalized with Diethylamino‐Substituted Conjugated Oligomers: Synthesis and Photoinduced Electron Transfer

Diethylamino‐substituted oligophenylenevinylene (OPV) building blocks have been prepared and used for the synthesis of two [60]fullerene–OPV dyads, F‐D1 and F‐D2 , which exhibit different conjugation length of the OPV fragments. The electrochemical properties of these acceptor–donor dyads have been studied by cyclic voltammetry. The first reduction is always assigned to the fullerene moiety and the first oxidation centered on the diethylaniline groups of the OPV rods, thus making these systems suitable candidates for photoinduced electron transfer. Both the OPV and the fullerene‐centered fluorescence bands are quenched in toluene and benzonitrile, which suggests the occurrence of photoinduced electron transfer from the amino‐substituted OPVs to the carbon sphere in the dyads in both solvents. By means of bimolecular quenching experiments, transient absorption spectral fingerprints of the radical cationic species are detected in the visible (670 nm) and near‐IR (1300–1500 nm) regions, along with the much weaker fullerene anion band at λ_max=1030 nm. Definitive evidence for photoinduced electron transfer in F‐D1 and F‐D2 comes from transient absorption measurements. A charge‐separated state is formed within 100 ps and decays in less than 5 ns.     

Metalation and halogen‐metal exchange in the imidazo[1,2‐a]quinoxaline series

The n‐butyllithium and lithium 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidide metalation and the halogen‐metal exchange of imidazo[1,2‐a]quinoxaline derivatives followed by quenching with various electrophiles were studied. The reaction conditions have been optimized and various C₁ substituted imidazo[1,2‐a]quinoxalines were obtained in high yields.     

Observation of the ν3 Raman band of S3− inserted into sodalite cages

The S₃⁻ radical anion is observed in several systems: non‐aqueous polysulfides solutions, doped alkali halides, ultramarine pigments (UP) for which S₃⁻ is the blue chromophore and S₂⁻ is the yellow one and pigments of zeolite 4A structure. The S₃⁻ ion has C_2V symmetry, and therefore its three vibrational modes should be observed in the Raman and in IR spectra. In resonance Raman spectroscopy, only the symmetric stretching mode ν₁ and the bending mode ν₂ have been observed, whereas the anti‐symmetric stretching mode ν₃ has never been observed whatever the system. In this work, we confirm that ν₃ is not observed in solutions with resonance Raman spectroscopy. However, our investigation of several blue UP, with various concentrations of S₂⁻, shows that there is a superposition of two bands at ca 590 cm⁻¹: the first is assigned to ν (S₂⁻) and the second to ν₃ (S₃⁻). With the 457.9 nm excitation line, for which the resonance conditions are simultaneously fulfilled for S₂⁻ and S₃⁻, the band at ca 590 cm⁻¹ is the sum of the contributions of both ν (S₂⁻) and ν₃ (S₃⁻) vibrations, while, with the 647.1 nm line, which only satisfies the resonance conditions of S₃⁻, the band at ca 584 cm⁻¹ must be assigned only to ν₃ (S₃⁻). Furthermore, ν₃ (S₃⁻) is observed in green UP and in pigments of zeolite structure. The ν₃ vibration of S₃⁻, which is observed neither in polysulfide solutions nor in doped alkali halides in resonance Raman conditions, can therefore be observed when this species is inserted into the β‐cages of the sodalite or of the zeolite 4A structures. So, the band at ca 590 cm⁻¹ cannot always be assigned to S₂⁻ in these systems. This implies that the concentration of S₂⁻ in UP must be reconsidered. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Toward a Better Understanding on the Adsorption Behavior of Aromatics in 12R Window Zeolites

Benzene adsorption behavior in a large family of 12R window zeolites (X, Y, EMT, Beta and LTL) has been examined by means of in-situ FTIR spectroscopy and correlated with the zeolite structure, the type and number of counter-ions, and the negative charge on framework oxygen atoms of zeolites. The effect of coadsorption of HCl, NH₃ and CH₃NH₂ on the benzene location has also been studied. The present work illustrates that besides the benzene adsorption on counter ions of zeolites, the 12R windows could also be the adsorption sites for benzene. Upon adsorption of coadsorbates such as HCl, NH₃ and CH₃NH₂, the migration of preadsorbed benzene molecules from one type of adsorption sites towards another, i.e. from 12R windows towards the cations for HCl and opposite direction for NH₃ and CH₃NH₂, has been evidenced. The lack of adsorption of benzene on 12R windows of NaBeta even upon coadsorption of a series of basic molecules reveals that benzene adsorption on 12R windows is most likely governed by a molecular recognition effect where benzene molecule and 12R window should have the adapted chemical and structural properties like in enzyme-substrate system and zeolites can be referred to as solid enzymes or zeo-enzymes. This paper indicates also that the adsorption properties of zeolites can be modified and accommodated by introduction of a co-adsorbate.     

Combining phosphinidene units with malonate anion: Synthesis of highly functional phosphine complexes

Malonate anion traps the [RP-W(CO)₅] bridge of 7-phosphanorbornadiene complexes 1–3 to give functional secondary phosphine complexes [RP(H)-CH(CO₂Et)₂]W(CO)₅ ( 7–9 ). Metalation of these complexes by NaH in THF occurs at the malonic CH group, but the alkylation of the resulting carbanions preferentially takes place at phosphorus. When R stands for β-chloroethyl, the corresponding carbanion cyclizes to give the functional phosphirane complex 11 . © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 15:258–262, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.20014