C-F bond activation of trifluoroethanol and trifluoroacetic acid catalysed by the dimolybdate anion, [MoO(F)].

Two gas-phase catalytic cycles involving C-F bond activation of trifluoroethanol and trifluoroacetic acid were detected by multistage mass spectrometry experiments. A binuclear dimolybdate centre [MoO(F)] acts as the catalyst in each cycle. The first cycle, entered via the reaction of [MoO(OH)] with trifluoroethanol and elimination of water to form [MoO(OCHCF)], proceeds via four steps: (1) oxidation of the alkoxo ligand and its elimination as aldehyde; (2) reaction of [MoO(OH)] with trifluoroethanol and elimination of water to form [MoO(OCHCF)]; (3) decomposition of the alkoxo ligand via loss of 1,1 difluoroethene; and (4) reaction of [MoO(F)] with a second equivalent of trifluoroethanol to regenerate MoO(OCHCF)].

Substituent effects in the decarboxylation reactions of coordinated arylcarboxylates in dinuclear copper complexes, [(napy)Cu(OCCHX)].

A combination of gas-phase ion trap mass spectrometry experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been used to examine the role of substituents on the decarboxylation of 25 different coordinated aromatic carboxylates in binuclear complexes, [(napy)Cu(OCCHX)], where napy is the ligand 1,8-naphthyridine (molecular formula, CHN) and X = H and the ortho ( o), meta ( m) and para ( p) isomers of F, Br, CN, NO, CF, OAc, Me and MeO. Two competing unimolecular reaction pathways were found: decarboxylation to give the organometallic cation [(napy)Cu(CHX)] or loss of the neutral copper benzoate to yield [(napy)Cu]. The substituents on the aryl group influence the branching ratios of these product channels, but decarboxylation is always the dominant pathway.

Multiple P450s and Variation in Neuronal Genes Underpins the Response to the Insecticide Imidacloprid in a Population of Drosophila melanogaster.

Insecticide resistance is an economically important example of evolution in response to intense selection pressure. Here, the genetics of resistance to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid is explored using the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel, a collection of inbred Drosophila melanogaster genotypes derived from a single population in North Carolina. Imidacloprid resistance varied substantially among genotypes, and more resistant genotypes tended to show increased capacity to metabolize and excrete imidacloprid.

Gas-Phase Ion-Molecule Reactions of Copper Hydride Anions [CuH] and [CuH].

Gas-phase reactivity of the copper hydride anions [CuH] and [CuH] toward a range of neutral reagents has been examined via multistage mass spectrometry experiments in a linear ion trap mass spectrometer in conjunction with isotope labeling studies and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. [CuH] is more reactive than [CuH], consistent with DFT calculations, which show it has a higher energy HOMO. Experimentally, [CuH] was found to react with CS via hydride transfer to give thioformate (HCS) in competition with the formation of the organometallic [CuCS] ion via liberation of hydrogen; CO via insertion to produce [HCuOCH]; methyl iodide and allyl iodide to give I and [CuHI]; and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol and 1-butanethiol via protonation to give hydrogen and the product anions [CuH(OCHCF)] and [CuH(SBu)].

An unusual co-crystal [(μ-dcpm)Ag(μ-OCH)(η-NO)]·[(μ-dcpm)Ag(μ-NO)] and its connection to the selective decarboxylation of formic acid in the gas phase.

ESI/MS of an acetonitrile solution containing a mixture of AgNO :  bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)methane (dcpm, L) : NaOCH in a molar ratio of 2 : 1 : 1 gave an abundant peak due to [LAg(OCH)] and a minor peak assigned as [LAg(OCH)]. When this acetonitrile solution was frozen and layered with diethyl ether and left undisturbed for six days, crystalline material suitable for X-ray crystallography was identified and separated from amorphous solids. Single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed an unusual co-crystal consisting of two discrete tetranuclear silver clusters [(μ-dcpm)Ag(μ-OCH)(η-NO)]·[(μ-dcpm)Ag(μ-NO)].

Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Gas-Phase Unimolecular Reactivity of Bis(diphenylphosphino)amino Copper Hydride Nanoclusters [Cu(X)(μ-H)((PPh)NH)](BF), Where X = μ-Cl and μ-BH.

An electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) survey of the types of cationic copper clusters formed from an acetonitrile solution containing a 1:1:20 mixture of tetrakis(acetonitrile)copper(I) tetrafluoroborate [Cu(MeCN)(BF)], bis(diphenylphosphino)amine (dppa = (PhP)NH = L), and NaBH revealed a major peak, which based on both the accurate masses and isotope distribution was assigned as [Cu(BH)(H)(L)]. This prompted synthetic efforts resulting in isolation of the dppa ligated trinuclear copper hydride nanoclusters, [Cu(μ-Cl)(μ-H)(L)](BF) and [Cu(μ-BH)(μ-H)(L)](BF), which were subsequently structurally characterized using high resolution ESI-MS, X-ray crystallography, NMR, and IR spectroscopy. The X-ray structures reveal a common structural feature of the cation, in which the three copper(I) ions adopt a planar trinuclear Cu geometry coordinated on the bottom face by a μ-hydride and surrounded by three dppa ligands.

Single-Photon, Double Photodetachment of Nickel Phthalocyanine Tetrasulfonic Acid 4- Anions.

Single-photon, two-electron photodetachment from nickel phthalocyanine tetrasulfonic acid tetra anions, [NiPc](4-), was examined in the gas-phase using a linear ion trap coupled to the DESIRS VUV beamline of the SOLEIL Synchrotron. This system was chosen since it has a low detachment energy, known charge localization, and well-defined geometrical and electronic structures. A threshold for two-electron loss is observed at 10.

Ligand-induced substrate steering and reshaping of [Ag2(H)](+) scaffold for selective CO2 extrusion from formic acid.

Metalloenzymes preorganize the reaction environment to steer substrate(s) along the required reaction coordinate. Here, we show that phosphine ligands selectively facilitate protonation of binuclear silver hydride cations, [LAg2(H)](+) by optimizing the geometry of the active site. This is a key step in the selective, catalysed extrusion of carbon dioxide from formic acid, HO2CH, with important applications (for example, hydrogen storage).

Two Spin-State Reactivity in the Activation and Cleavage of CO2 by [ReO2](.).

The rhenium dioxide anion [ReO2](-) reacts with carbon dioxide in a linear ion trap mass spectrometer to produce [ReO3](-) corresponding to activation and cleavage of a C-O bond. Isotope labeling experiments using [Re(18)O2](-) reveal that (18)O/(16)O scrambling does not occur prior to cleavage of the C-O bond. Density functional theory calculations were performed to examine the mechanism for this oxygen atom abstraction reaction.

Structure of olefin-imidacloprid and gas-phase fragmentation chemistry of its protonated form.

One of the major insect metabolites of the widely used neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, 1 (1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridinyl)methyl]-N-nitro-1H-imidazol-2-amine), is the olefin 2. To better understand how the structure of olefin 2 relates to the gas-phase fragmentation of its protonated form, 2H(+), X-ray crystallography, tandem mass spectrometry experiments and DFT calculations were carried out. Olefin 2 was found to be in a tautomeric form where the proton is on the N(1) position of the imidazole ring and forms a hydrogen bond to one of the oxygen atoms of the coplanar nitroamine group.

What Are the Potential Sites of Protein Arylation by N-Acetyl-p-benzoquinone Imine (NAPQI)?

Acetaminophen (paracetamol, APAP) is a safe and widely used analgesic medication when taken at therapeutic doses. However, APAP can cause potentially fatal hepatotoxicity when taken in overdose or in patients with metabolic irregularities. The production of the electrophilic and putatively toxic compound N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), which cannot be efficiently detoxicated at high doses, is implicated in APAP toxicity.

Radical Formation in the Gas-Phase Ozonolysis of Deprotonated Cysteine.

Although the deleterious effects of ozone on the human respiratory system are well-known, many of the precise chemical mechanisms that both cause damage and afford protection in the pulmonary epithelial lining fluid are poorly understood. As a key first step to elucidating the intrinsic reactivity of ozone with proteins, its reactions with deprotonated cysteine [Cys-H](-) are examined in the gas phase. Reaction proceeds at near the collision limit to give a rich set of products including 1) sequential oxygen atom abstraction reactions to yield cysteine sulfenate, sulfinate and sulfonate anions, and significantly 2) sulfenate radical anions formed by ejection of a hydroperoxy radical.

Synthesis, structure and gas-phase reactivity of the mixed silver hydride borohydride nanocluster [Ag3(μ3-H)(μ3-BH4)L(Ph)3]BF4 (L(Ph) = bis(diphenylphosphino)methane).

Borohydrides react with silver salts to give products that span multiple scales ranging from discrete mononuclear compounds through to silver nanoparticles and colloids. The cluster cations [Ag3(H)(BH4)L3](+) are observed upon electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of solutions containing sodium borohydride, silver(I) tetrafluoroborate and bis(dimethylphosphino)methane (L(Me)) or bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (L(Ph)). By adding NaBH4 to an acetonitrile solution of AgBF4 and L(Ph), cooled to ca.

Gas-Phase and Computational Study of Identical Nickel- and Palladium-Mediated Organic Transformations Where Mechanisms Proceeding via M(II) or M(IV) Oxidation States Are Determined by Ancillary Ligands.

Gas-phase studies utilizing ion-molecule reactions, supported by computational chemistry, demonstrate that the reaction of the enolate complexes [(CH2CO2-C,O)M(CH3)](-) (M = Ni (5a), Pd (5b)) with allyl acetate proceed via oxidative addition to give M(IV) species [(CH2CO2-C,O)M(CH3)(η(1)-CH2-CH═CH2)(O2CCH3-O,O')](-) (6) that reductively eliminate 1-butene, to form [(CH2CO2-C,O)M(O2CCH3-O,O')](-) (4). The mechanism contrasts with the M(II)-mediated pathway for the analogous reaction of [(phen)M(CH3)](+) (1a,b) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline). The different pathways demonstrate the marked effect of electron-rich metal centers in enabling higher oxidation state pathways.

Photoelectron Spectra and Electronic Structures of the Radiosensitizer Nimorazole and Related Compounds.

Soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to investigate the radiosensitizer nimorazole and related model compounds. We report the valence and C, N, and O 1s photoemission spectra and K-edge NEXAFS spectra of gas-phase nimorazole, 1-methyl-5-nitroimidazole, and 4(5)-nitroimidazole in combination with theoretical calculations. The valence band and core level spectra are in agreement with theory.

Gas-phase reactions of the rhenium oxide anions, [ReOx]- (x = 2 - 4) with the neutral organic substrates methane, ethene, methanol and acetic acid.

The ion-molecule reactions of the rhenium oxide anions, [ReOx](-) (x = 2 - 4) with the organic substrates methane, ethene, methanol and acetic acid have been examined in a linear ion trap mass spectrometer. The only reactivity observed was between [ReO(2)](-) and acetic acid. Isotope labelled experiments and high-resolution mass spectrometry measurements were used to assign the formulas of the ionic products.

Gas-phase fragmentation of deprotonated tryptophan and its clusters [Trpn -H]- induced by different activation methods.

Rationale: Non-covalent amino acid clusters are the subject of intense research in diverse areas including peptide bond formation studies or the determination of proton affinities or methylating abilities of amino acids. However, most of the research has focused on positive ions and little is known about anionic clusters.

Methods: Fragmentation reactions of deprotonated tryptophan (Trp), [Trp-H](-) and Trp singly deprotonated non-covalently bound clusters [Trp(n) -H](-), n = 2, 3, 4, were investigated using low-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID) with He atoms, high-energy CID with Na atoms, and electron-induced dissociation (EID) with 20-35 eV electrons.

Gas-phase structure and reactivity of the keto tautomer of the deoxyguanosine radical cation.

Guanine radical cations are formed upon oxidation of DNA. Deoxyguanosine (dG) is used as a model, and the gas-phase infrared (IR) spectroscopic signature and gas-phase unimolecular and bimolecular chemistry of its radical cation, dG˙(+), A, which is formed via direct electrospray ionisation (ESI/MS) of a methanolic solution of Cu(NO3)2 and dG, are examined. Quantum chemistry calculations have been carried out on 28 isomers and comparisons between their calculated IR spectra and the experimentally-measured spectra suggest that A exists as the ground-state keto tautomer.

Copper mediated decyano decarboxylative coupling of cyanoacetate ligands: Pesci versus Lewis acid mechanism.

A combination of gas-phase ion trap multistage mass spectrometry (MS(n)) experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been used to examine the mechanisms of the sequential decomposition reactions of copper cyanoacetate anions, [(NCCH2CO2)2Cu](-), introduced into the gas-phase via electrospray ionization. Gas phase IR spectroscopy, used to probe the coordination mode of the cyanoacetate ligands, revealed that the initial precursor ions are bound to the Cu via the carboxylate, [NCCH2CO2CuO2CCH2CN], 1. Multistage collision-induced dissociation (CID) of 1 gave sequential losses of CO2 and ethene.

Decomposition of nitroimidazole ions: experiment and theory.

Nitroimidazoles are important compounds with chemotherapeutic applications as antibacterial drugs or as radiosensitizers in radiotherapy. Despite their use in biological applications, little is known about the fundamental properties of these compounds. Understanding the ionization reactions of these compounds is crucial in evaluating the radiosensitization potential and in developing new and more effective drugs.

Gas-phase VUV photoionisation and photofragmentation of the silver deuteride nanocluster [Ag10D8L6](2+) (L = bis(diphenylphosphino)methane). A joint experimental and theoretical study.

The bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (L = Ph2PCH2PPh2) ligated silver deuteride nanocluster dication, [Ag10D8L6](2+), has been synthesised in the condensed phase via the reaction of bis(diphenylphosphino)methane, silver nitrate and sodium borodeuteride in the methanol : chloroform (1 : 1) mixed solvent system. The photoionisation and photofragmentation of this mass-selected cluster were studied using a linear ion trap coupled to the DESIRS VUV beamline of the SOLEIL Synchrotron. At 15.

High-resolution twin-ion metabolite extraction (HiTIME) mass spectrometry: nontargeted detection of unknown drug metabolites by isotope labeling, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, and automated high-performance computing.

The metabolic fate of a compound can often determine the success of a new drug lead. Thus, significant effort is directed toward identifying the metabolites formed from a given molecule. Here, an automated and nontargeted procedure is introduced for detecting drug metabolites without authentic metabolite standards via the use of stable isotope labeling, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS), and high-performance computing.