Potentiation of ciprofloxacin action against Gram-negative bacterial biofilms by a nitroxide.

We previously showed that soluble nitroxides (nitric oxide analogues) mimicked the well-established ability of nitric oxide to cause biofilm dispersal and further showed that these compounds could prevent biofilm formation. Here, we investigated the effect of the nitroxide carboxy-TEMPO in combination with sub μg/ml concentrations of ciprofloxacin on pre-formed flow cell biofilms formed by Gram-negative bacteria. Combination therapy led to substantial eradication of existing biofilms formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 (99.

Controlling biofilms on cultural materials: the role of 3-(dodecane-1-thiyl)-4-(hydroxymethyl)-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrrolinoxyl.

3-(Dodecanethiyl)-4-(hydroxymethyl)-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrrolinoxyl (5) effectively disperses biofilms of relevance to cultural materials while preventing their formation.

The effect of leaving radical on the formation of tetrahydroselenophene by SHi ring closure: an experimental and computational study.

Competition kinetic studies augmented with laser-flash photolysis and high-level computational techniques [G3(MP2)-RAD], with [COSMO-RS, SMD] and without solvent correction, provide kinetic parameters for the ring closures of a series of 4-(alkylseleno)butyl radicals 1. At 22 °C rate constants (kc) that lie between 10(4)-10(7) s(-1) were determined experimentally and correlate with expectations based on leaving group ability. Activation energies (Eact) were determined to lie between 10.

Decarboxylative-coupling of allyl acetate catalyzed by group 10 organometallics, [(phen)M(CH3)]+.

Gas-phase carbon-carbon bond forming reactions, catalyzed by group 10 metal acetate cations [(phen)M(O2CCH3)](+) (where M = Ni, Pd or Pt) formed via electrospray ionization of metal acetate complexes [(phen)M(O2CCH3)2], were examined using an ion trap mass spectrometer and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In step 1 of the catalytic cycle, collision induced dissociation (CID) of [(phen)M(O2CCH3)](+) yields the organometallic complex, [(phen)M(CH3)](+), via decarboxylation. [(phen)M(CH3)](+) reacts with allyl acetate via three competing reactions, with reactivity orders (% reaction efficiencies) established via kinetic modeling.

Oxidative damage of aromatic dipeptides by the environmental oxidants NO2˙ and O3.

Irreversible oxidative damage at both aromatic side chains and dipeptide linkage occurs in the aromatic N- and C-protected dipeptides 7-11 upon exposure to the environmental pollutants NO2˙ and O3. The reaction proceeds through initial oxidation of the aromatic ring by in situ generated NO3˙, or by NO2˙, respectively, which leads to formation of nitroaromatic products. The indole ring in Phe-Trp undergoes oxidative cyclization to a pyrroloindoline.

N,S-Dimethyldithiocarbamyl oxalates as precursors for determining kinetic parameters for oxyacyl radicals.

N,S-Dimethyldithiocarbamyl oxalates (e.g.6, 10) are novel, readily prepared precursors to alkyloxyacyl radicals 1 that are more suitable for kinetic studies than existing precursors; 10 has allowed the determination of accurate rate data for the cyclization of the butenyloxyacyl radical 5 (kc = 1.

Hydrogen from formic acid through its selective disproportionation over sodium germanate--a non-transition-metal catalysis system.

A robust catalyst for the selective dehydrogenation of formic acid to liberate hydrogen gas has been designed computationally, and also successfully demonstrated experimentally. This is the first such catalyst not based on transition metals, and it exhibits very encouraging performance. It represents an important step towards the use of renewable formic acid as a hydrogen-storage and transport vector in fuel and energy applications.

Molecular salt effects in the gas phase: tuning the kinetic basicity of [HCCLiCl]⁻ and [HCCMgCl₂]⁻ by LiCl and MgCl₂.

A combination of gas-phase ion-molecule reaction experiments and theoretical kinetic modeling is used to examine how a salt can influence the kinetic basicity of organometallates reacting with water. [HC≡CLiCl](-) reacts with water more rapidly than [HC≡CMgCl2](-), consistent with the higher reactivity of organolithium versus organomagnesium reagents. Addition of LiCl to [HC≡CLiCl](-) or [HC≡CMgCl2](-) enhances their reactivity towards water by a factor of about 2, while addition of MgCl2 to [HC≡CMgCl2](-) enhances its reactivity by a factor of about 4.

New reagents for detecting free radicals and oxidative stress.

Free radicals and oxidative stress play important roles in the deterioration of materials, and free radicals are important intermediates in many biological processes. The ability to detect these reactive species is a key step on the road to their understanding and ultimate control. This short review highlights recent progress in the development of reagents for the detection of free radicals and reactive oxygen species with broad application to materials science as well as biology.

Characterisation of sphingolipids in the human lens by thin layer chromatography-desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry.

The lipidome of the human lens is unique in that cholesterol and dihydrosphingomyelin are the dominant classes. Moreover, the lens lipidome is not static with dramatic changes in several sphingolipid classes associated with both aging and cataract. Accordingly, there is a clear need to expand knowledge of the molecular species that constitute the human lens sphingolipidome.

Direct detection of brominated flame retardants from plastic e-waste using liquid extraction surface analysis mass spectrometry.

Rationale: The worldwide generation of plastic electronic waste (e-waste) is reaching epic proportions. The presence of toxic brominated flame retardants (BFRs) within these materials limits their ability to be recycled, resulting in large amounts of e-waste reaching landfills.

Methods: Liquid extraction surface analysis mass spectrometry (LESA-MS) employing a chip-based nanoelectrospray coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer represents a novel control technology for directing e-waste streams for recycling.

Mass spectrometric and computational studies on the reaction of aromatic peroxyl radicals with phenylacetylene using the distonic radical ion approach.

Product and mechanistic studies were performed for the reaction of aromatic distonic peroxyl radical cations 4-PyrOO(•+) and 3-PyrOO(•+) with phenylacetylene (7) in the gas phase using mass spectrometric and computational techniques. PyrOO(•+) was generated through reaction of the respective distonic aryl radical cation Pyr(•+) with O2 in the ion source of the mass spectrometer. For the reaction involving the more electrophilic 4-PyrOO(•+), a rate coefficient of k1 = (2.

Effect of protonation state and interposed connector groups on bond dissociation enthalpies of alcohols and related systems.

High-level quantum chemical procedures have been used to study how the C-H bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs) of alcohols and related systems are affected by changes to their protonation state. The high-level procedures used have been determined from a benchmark of 25 neutral, protonated, and deprotonated substituted methanes. The benchmark calculations suggest that the experimental C-H BDEs for CH3NH2 and CH3SH should be reassessed.

Dissecting the insect metabolic machinery using twin ion mass spectrometry: a single P450 enzyme metabolizing the insecticide imidacloprid in vivo.

Insecticide resistance is one of the most prevalent examples of anthropogenic genetic change, yet our understanding of metabolic-based resistance remains limited by the analytical challenges associated with rapidly tracking the in vivo metabolites of insecticides at nonlethal doses. Here, using twin ion mass spectrometry analysis of the extracts of whole Drosophila larvae and excreta, we show that (i) eight metabolites of the neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, can be detected when formed by susceptible larval genotypes and (ii) the specific overtranscription of a single gene product, Cyp6g1, associated with the metabolic resistance to neonicotinoids, results in a significant increase in the formation of three imidacloprid metabolites that are formed in C-H bond activation reactions; that is, Cyp6g1 is directly linked to the enhanced metabolism of imidacloprid in vivo. These results establish a rapid and sensitive method for dissecting the metabolic machinery of insects by directly linking single gene products to insecticide metabolism.

Photodissociation of TEMPO-modified peptides: new approaches to radical-directed dissociation of biomolecules.

Radical-directed dissociation of gas phase ions is emerging as a powerful and complementary alternative to traditional tandem mass spectrometric techniques for biomolecular structural analysis. Previous studies have identified that coupling of 2-[(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl)methyl]benzoic acid (TEMPO-Bz) to the N-terminus of a peptide introduces a labile oxygen-carbon bond that can be selectively activated upon collisional activation to produce a radical ion. Here we demonstrate that structurally-defined peptide radical ions can also be generated upon UV laser photodissociation of the same TEMPO-Bz derivatives in a linear ion-trap mass spectrometer.

Unraveling organocuprate complexity: fundamental insights into intrinsic group transfer selectivity in alkylation reactions.

The near thermal conditions of an ion-trap mass spectrometer were used to examine the intrinsic gas-phase reactivity and selectivity of nucleophilic substitution reactions. The well-defined organocuprate anions [CH3CuR](-) (R = CH3CH2, CH3CH2CH2, (CH3)2CH, PhCH2CH2, PhCH2, Ph, C3H5, and H) were reacted with CH3I. The rates (reaction efficiencies, ϕ) and selectivities (the product ion branching ratios) were compared with those of [CH3CuCH3](-) reacting with CH3I.

Characterising in situ activation and degradation of hindered amine light stabilisers using liquid extraction surface analysis-mass spectrometry.

Changes in the molecular structure of polymer antioxidants such as hindered amine light stabilisers (HALS) is central to their efficacy in retarding polymer degradation and therefore requires careful monitoring during their in-service lifetime. The HALS, bis-(1-octyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl) sebacate (TIN123) and bis-(1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperidinyl) sebacate (TIN292), were formulated in different polymer systems and then exposed to various curing and ageing treatments to simulate in-service use. Samples of these coatings were then analysed directly using liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) coupled with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer.

Ambient ionisation mass spectrometry for the characterisation of polymers and polymer additives: a review.

The purpose of this review is to showcase the present capabilities of ambient sampling and ionisation technologies for the analysis of polymers and polymer additives by mass spectrometry (MS) while simultaneously highlighting their advantages and limitations in a critical fashion. To qualify as an ambient ionisation technique, the method must be able to probe the surface of solid or liquid samples while operating in an open environment, allowing a variety of sample sizes, shapes, and substrate materials to be analysed. The main sections of this review will be guided by the underlying principle governing the desorption/extraction step of the analysis; liquid extraction, laser ablation, or thermal desorption, and the major component investigated, either the polymer itself or exogenous compounds (additives and contaminants) present within or on the polymer substrate.

Exploring O-stannyl ketyl and acyl radical cyclizations for the synthesis of γ-lactone-fused benzopyrans and benzofurans.

The synthesis of a series of γ-lactone-fused benzopyrans and benzofurans, analogues of the pyranonaphthoquinone antibiotics, is reported. Preparation of the heterocycles was achieved by either O-stannyl ketyl or acyl radical cyclization of benzaldehyde precursors followed by oxidation to give the pyrano- and furanobenzoquinone systems. The observed diastereoselectivity during O-stannyl ketyl radical cyclization is influenced by aromatic substitution ortho to the aldehyde, whilst acyl radical cyclization followed by stereoselective reduction of the resulting pyranones provides a complimentary approach to forming the required γ-lactone-fused benzopyran systems.

Structural characterization of glycerophospholipids by combinations of ozone- and collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry: the next step towards "top-down" lipidomics.

The complete structural elucidation of complex lipids, including glycerophospholipids, using only mass spectrometry represents a major challenge to contemporary analytical technologies. Here, we demonstrate that product ions arising from the collision-induced dissociation (CID) of the [M + Na](+) adduct ions of phospholipids can be isolated and subjected to subsequent gas-phase ozonolysis - known as ozone-induced dissociation (OzID) - in a linear ion-trap mass spectrometer. The resulting CID/OzID experiment yields abundant product ions that are characteristic of the acyl substitution on the glycerol backbone (i.

W3X: A Cost-Effective Post-CCSD(T) Composite Procedure.

We have formulated the W3X procedure by incorporating cost-effective post-CCSD(T) components (up to the CCSDT(Q) level) into the W1X-1 protocol, the latter representing a recently reported economical yet accurate approximation to CCSD(T)/CBS. For medium-sized systems, W3X is moderately more computationally demanding than W1X-1, but it is significantly less costly than the W3.2lite and (especially) W3.

Unleashing radical sites in non-covalent complexes: the case of the protonated S-nitrosocysteine/18-crown-6 complex.

Rationale: Introducing radicals onto gas-phase non-covalent complexes and studying their chemistry is a relatively unexplored frontier. In generating these radicals via bond homolysis reactions, it is important that the energy necessary for forming the radical does not exceed the energy required for dissociating the complex itself. Based on this consideration, new approaches for creating these radicals will probably have to involve incorporation of weak bonds that can easily undergo homolysis.

Damage of polyesters by the atmospheric free radical oxidant NO3 (•): a product study involving model systems.

Manufactured polymer materials are used in increasingly demanding applications, but their lifetime is strongly influenced by environmental conditions. In particular, weathering and ageing leads to dramatic changes in the properties of the polymers, which results in decreased service life and limited usage. Despite the heavy reliance of our society on polymers, the mechanism of their degradation upon exposure to environmental oxidants is barely understood.

Origin and scope of long-range stabilizing interactions and associated SOMO-HOMO conversion in distonic radical anions.

High-level quantum-chemical methods have been used to study the scope and physical origin of the significant long-range stabilizing interactions between nonmutually conjugated anion and radical moieties in SOMO-HOMO converted distonic radical anions. In such species, deprotonation of the acid fragment can stabilize the remote radical by tens of kilojoules, or, analogously, formation of a stable radical (by abstraction or homolytic cleavage reactions) increases the acidity of a remote acid by several pKa units. This stabilization can be broadly classified as a new type of polar effect that originates in Coloumbic interactions but, in contrast to standard polar effects, persists in radicals with no charge-separated (i.

A novel protecting group methodology for syntheses using nitroxides.

The methoxyamine group represents an ideal protecting group for the nitroxide moiety. It can be easily and selectively introduced in high yield (typically >90%) to a range of functionalised nitroxides using FeSO4·7H2O and H2O2 in DMSO. Its removal is readily achieved under mild conditions in high yield (70-90%) using mCPBA in a Cope-type elimination process.