Chemische Charakterisierung und Spurenanalytik
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The accumulation of plastics leaked into the environment achieve a high perception in the last years. It is uncontroversial that often an uncontrolled, high consumption of plastic products and a poor waste management resulted in plastic findings all over in the environment. However, less is known about the relevant pathways and fate of plastic in the environment. Especially plastic fragments smaller 5 mmm, so called microplastics, achieve a high attention, because their amount and risks arising from these fragments are still unknown. The basic mechanisms of plastic or more precise, of different polymer degradation processes are often not considered, resulting in unrealistic statements.
For generation of fundamental understanding of this problem we developed in the last years a fast thermoanalytical method for identification and mass quantification of microplastics in complex samples. The presentation will also give a short introduction about polymer degradation.
For years there have been more and more reports on the presence of drugs in the aquatic environment. Due to the demographic change, the consumption of pharmaceuticals has risen sharply. After taking the drugs, they are partly metabolized in the human body. However, the metabolism is not complete so that both the metabolites and non-metabolized amounts of the parent compounds are excreted. These compounds reach the waste water and afterwards the sewage treatment plants. In sewage treatment plants transformation products can be formed by the oxidative conditions during wastewater treatment processes. The transformation products may have a higher toxicity than the actual environmental pollutants and are often only partly removed during the waste water treatment. Since a lot of these compounds are still unknown, the transformation products are not detected by target analysis used in sewage treatment plants and are often released undetected in the aquatic ecosystems. The released substances may be subject to additional transformation processes in the environment. Pharmaceuticals produced in high amounts can be already detected in the μg/L range in water bodies worldwide.
Metformin and its major transformation product guanylurea are one of the main representatives. Metformin is the drug of choice for treating type 2 diabetes. The drug therapy for diabetes mellitus has increased significantly in recent years. In the year 2015 1500 tons of metformin were prescribed in Germany (for statutory insured persons). Metformin is not metabolized in the human body and is excreted unchanged therefore concentrations between 57 μg/L and 129 μg/L are found in German waste water treatment plants influents.
In this work the transformation of the antidiabetic drug metformin is investigated. The degradation of metformin is initialize by commercial water treatment techniques like UV-radiation or noncommercial techniques like heterogenous photocatalysis based on titanium dioxide. The degradation of metformin and resulting transformation products are analyzed by LC-MS/MS and LC-HRMS.
Analytical Sciences has developed from Ostwald’s “unentbehrlichen Dienstmagd” to a chemical discipline at the core of many of today’s fundamental and applied scientific problems and innovations. An atomic or molecular understanding of basic processes in chemistry, soft matter physics, materials and life science is enabled only through new analytical methods and instrumentation. Similar observations can be found for pressing sociopolitical conflicts of the future: A rational discussion of global climate change or new energy sources is only possible with reliable analytical results. Progress in Analytical Sciences is only possible if the underlying interdisciplinary character is acknowledged and valued. The talk will illustrate the scope of modern Analytical Science through examples from process analysis relevant to modern process intensification and industry 4.0 to bioanalysis and the use of synchrotron radiation to elucidate fundamental reactions materials.
The mechanism of action of zirconium permanent modifiers on graphite surfaces was investigated in order to understand its influence on the analytical signal in atomic and molecular absorption spectrometry (AAS/MAS). For this, the molecule formation of CaF was studied, which is used for the indirect analytical determination of fluorine in high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS). The kinetics of this reaction was established by monitoring its molecular spectrum at different atomisation temperatures. An Arrhenius plot showed a pseudo-first order reaction with respect to fluorine (n = 1). An intermediate state was isolated, and its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods: scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEMEDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES and EXAFS), and Raman microspectroscopy. We propose here a mechanism, where ZrO2 acts as a heterogeneous catalyst: after a pyrolytic step, an intermediate state of ZrO(OCaF) is activated, and at higher temperatures, CaF(g) is released from the zirconium-coated graphite surface. No evidence of the formation of zirconium carbide was found. Consequently, as the CaF formation is catalysed by a heterogeneous catalyst, surface modifications with ZrO2 nanoparticles and ZrO xerogels were investigated in order to increase the surface area. Their influence was evaluated in the molecule formation of CaF, CaCl, CaBr, and CaI. Graphite furnace modification with zirconium oxide nanoparticles proves to be the best choice for fluorine analysis with a signal enhancement of more than eleven times with respect a non-coated graphite furnace. However, the influence of zirconium modifications in the analytical signals of Cl, and I is lower than the F signals or even negative in case of the Br. Understanding zirconium modifiers as heterogeneous catalysts offers a new perspective to AAS and MAS, and reveals the potential of surface analytical methods for development of improved permanent modifiers and graphite furnace coatings.
Mechanochemistry is a fast and efficient method applicable for the synthesis of new organic, metal-organic, and inorganic compounds. The direct monitoring of milling reactions is still challenging. The underlying reaction mechanisms often remain unclear. In the last years, we have established a tandem in situ approach for investigating mechanochemical reactions using time-resolved in situ XRD coupled with Raman spectroscopy. A further development is the in situ coupling of synchrotron XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and thermography allowing the observation of mechanochemical reactions in real time. [5] Information on the crystalline, molecular, and temperature state of the materials during grinding could be collected. The chemical composition of the reaction mixture was found to be directly correlated with changes in the temperature profile of the reaction. Furthermore, the presented setup allows the detection of crystalline, amorphous, eutectic as well as liquid intermediates. Based on these data, metastable polymorphs of cocrystals and coordination polymorphs could be isolated and struc-turally characterized. A multi-step diffusion mechanism was identified for most systems. Crystalline phases were obtained intermediately, suggesting that the synthesis is following Ostwald’s rules of stages. The resulting deeper kinetic and thermodynamic understanding of milling processes is the key for future optimization of mechanochemical syntheses.
MALDI time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has become a widely used tool for the classification of biological samples. The complex chemical composition of pollen grains leads to highly specific, fingerprint-like mass spectra, with respect to the pollen species. Beyond the species-specific composition, the variances in pollen chemistry can be hierarchically structured, including the level of different populations, of environmental conditions or different genotypes. We demonstrate here the sensitivity of MALDI-TOF MS regarding the adaption of the chemical composition of three Poaceae (grass) pollen for different populations of parent plants by analyzing the mass spectra with partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Thereby, variances in species, population and specific growth conditions of the plants were observed simultaneously. In particular, the chemical pattern revealed by the MALDI spectra enabled discrimination of the different populations of one species. Specifically, the role of environmental changes and their effect on the pollen chemistry of three different grass species is discussed. Analysis of the Group formation within the respective populations showed a varying influence of plant genotype on the classification, depending on the species, and permits conclusions regarding the respective rigidity or plasticity towards environmental changes.
The occurrence of small particles consisting of organic polymers, so-called microplastic (MP), in aquatic Environments attracts increasing interest in both public and science. Recent sampling campaigns in surface Waters revealed substantial numbers of particles in the size range from a few micrometers to a few millimeters. In order to validate sample preparation, identification and quantification and to investigate the behavior of MP particles and potential toxic effects on organisms, defined MP model particles are needed. Many studies use spherical compounds that probably behave differently compared to irregularly shaped MP found in environmental samples.
However, preparation and handling of MP particles are challenging tasks and have been systematically investigated in the present study. Polystyrene (PS) as a commonly found polymer with a density slightly above that of water was selected as polymer type for milling and fractionation studies. A cryogenic ball mill proved to be practical and effective to produce particles in the size range from 1 to 200 μm. The yield of small particles increased with increasing pre-cooling and milling durations. Depending on the concentration and the size, PS particles do not completely disperse in water and particles partly creep vertically up along glass walls. Stabilized MP suspensions without use of surfactants that might harm organisms are needed for toxicological studies. The stabilization of PS particle suspensions with ozone treatment reduced the wall effect and increased the number of dispersed PS particles but increased the dissolved organic carbon concentration and changed the size Distribution of the particles.
Analysis of microplastic particles (MP) in environmental samples needs sophisticated techniques and is time intensive due to sample preparation and detection. An alternative to the most common (micro ) spectroscopic techniques, FTIR or Raman spectroscopy, are the thermoanalytical methods, where specific decomposition products can be analyzed as marker compounds for different kind of plastics types and mass contents. Thermal extraction desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TED-GC-MS) allows the fast identification and quantification of MP in environmental samples without sample preparation. Whereas up to now only the analysis of thermoplastic polymers was realized, this is the first time that even the analysis of tire wear (TW) content in environmental samples is possible. Various marker compounds for TW were identified. They include characteristic decomposition products of elastomers, antioxidants and vulcanization agents. Advantages and drawbacks of these marker substances were evaluated. Environmental samples from street run off were exemplarily investigated and presented.
Gold ist eines der sieben schon im Altertum bekannten Metalle und wurde wg. seines Glanzes und seiner Seltenheit von alters her als Tauschmittel und zur Herstellung von Schmuck benutzt. Außerdem ist es einfach bearbeitbar und weitestgehend gegen chemische Einflüsse resistent. Die Untersuchungen von Gold mit synchrotronstrahlungsangeregter Röntgenfluoreszenzanalyse sind zerstörungsfrei und geben Auskunft über die in der untersuchten Probe vorhandenen chemischen Elemente. Bei den hier vorgestellten Untersuchungen an der BAMline stehen Fragestellungen wie Herkunft, Herstellungsverfahren und Zusammengehörigkeit von Goldfunden im Vordergrund. Die verschiedenen Fragestellungen werden an einer Reihe von Beispielen erläutert die vom Wikingerschatz aus Hiddensee über die Himmelsscheibe von Nebra bis hin zu Funden aus Ägypten langen. Zusätzlich werden die modernen Messmethoden vorgestellt, die am Synchrotron heutzutage zur Verfügung stehen.
The characterization of a catalyst often occurs by averaging over large areas of the catalyst material. On the other hand, optical probing is easily achieved at a resolution at the micrometer scale, specifically in microspectroscopy. Here, using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) mapping of larger areas with micrometer-sized spots that contain tens to hundreds of supported gold nanoparticles each, the photoinduced dimerization of p-aminothiophenol (PATP) to 4,4′-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) was monitored. The mapping data reveal an inhomogeneous distribution of catalytic activity in the plasmon-catalyzed reaction in spite of a very homogeneous plasmonic enhancement of the optical signals in SERS. The results lead to the conclusion that only a fraction of the nanostructures may be responsible for a high catalytic activity. The high spot-to-spot variation in catalytic activity is also demonstrated for DMAB formation by the plasmon-catalyzed reduction from p-nitrothiophenol (PNTP) and confirms that an improvement of the accuracy and reproducibility in the characterization of catalytic reactions can be achieved by microspectroscopic probing of many positions. Using SERS micromapping during the incubation of PATP, we demonstrate that the reaction occurs during the incubation process and is influenced by different parameters, leading to the conclusion of dimerization in a gold-catalyzed, nonphotochemical reaction as an alternative to the plasmon-catalyzed process. The results have implications for the future characterization of new catalyst materials as well as for optical sensing using plasmonic materials.
The Color X-ray Camera CXC or SLcam® is an energy-resolving X-ray camera capable of energy- and space-resolved measurements. It consists of a high-speed CCD detector coupled to a polycapil-lary optic that conducts the X-ray photons from the probe to distinct pixels onto the detector. The camera is capable of fast acquisition of spatially and energy resolved fluorescence images. A dedicated software enables the acquisition and the online processing of the spectral data for all 69696 pixels, leading to a real-time visualization of the elements distribution in a sample. It was developed in a joint project with BAM, IFG Berlin and PN Sensors. In this contribution we will mainly discuss the use of the CXC at our beamline, the BAMline at BESSY II and imaging applications of the CXC from different areas, like biology and archaeometry. Additionally new developments for the use of the detector without optics, like wavelength dispersive detection or 1shot-XANES, will be presented.
X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) is a frequently employed technique in order to investigate structural composition and change of chemical compounds such as catalytic species. These structural properties are essential (i) to understand underlying reaction mechanism and (ii) to further improve the design of efficient catalysts.
This investigation is based on a newly developed XAFS setup comprising both time- and lateral-resolved XAFS information simultaneously in a single-shot (S2XAFS). The primary broadband beam is generated by a filter/X-ray-mirror combination (bandpass). The transmitted beam through the sample is diffracted by a convexly bent Si (111) crystal, producing a divergent beam. This, in turn, is collected by an area sensitive detector with a theta to 2 theta geometry. This facile, stable and scanningless setup was tested at the BAMline @ BESSY-II (Berlin, Germany).
This contribution focuses on further experimental optimizations allowing the characterization of supported vanadium oxide (VOx) based catalysts at the lower hard X-ray regime (5 to 6 keV). First S2XAFS measurements of these catalysts are presented herein. Supported VOx catalysts show promising results in the oxidation of methane to formaldehyde.
S2XAFS allows determining the structural composition of the metal (i.e. vanadium) based on a fast and smart setup. It is therefore an ideal tool to identify crucial roles of chemical compounds in catalytic reactions.
XAFS@BAMline
(2018)
X-ray Absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) is a frequently employed technique in order to investigate structural composition and Change of chemical compounds such as catalytic species or corrosion processes. These structural properties are essential (i) to understand underlying reaction mechanism and (ii) to further improve the design of materials.
While XAFS measurements are usually performed with ionization Chambers or simple fluorescence detectors, we at BAMline specialize in measurements with innovative set-ups that meet Specialrequirements such as time resolution, (3D-) spatial Resolution or demanding sample environments.
This contribution presents various available XAFS configurations with their corresponding applications. In particular, these comprise single -shot XAFS for time- resolved measurements, grazing-exit XAFS with energy and a spatially resolved detector for the characterization of thin films and an in situ grazing incidence Setup for the characterization of corrosion layers.
Additionally,the possibility of analyzing Minute samples in total-reflection geometry is demonstrated.
In this work, we describe a simple solvothermal route for the synthesis of Eu3+-doped gadolinium orthovanadate nanocrystals (Eu:GdVO4−PAA) functionalized with poly(acrylic)acid (PAA), that are applicable as cell labeling probes for multimodal cellular imaging. The Eu3+ doping of the vanadate matrix provides optical functionality, due to red photoluminescence after illumination with UV light. The Gd3+ ions of the nanocrystals reduce the T1 relaxation time of surrounding water protons, allowing these nanocrystals to act as a positive MRI contrast agent with a r1 relaxivity of 1.97 mM−1 s−1. Low background levels of Eu3+, Gd3+, and V5+ in biological systems make them an excellent label for elemental microscopy by Laser Ablation (LA)-ICP-MS. Synthesis resulted in polycrystalline nanocrystals with a hydrodynamic diameter of 55 nm and a crystal size of 36.7 nm, which were further characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The multifunctional nanocrystals were subsequently used for intracellular labeling of both human adipose-derived stem cells (MSCs) and A549 (adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial) cells.
Amyloid fibrils are polymers formed by proteins under specific conditions and in many cases they are related to pathogenesis, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Their hallmark is the presence of a β-sheet structure. High resolution structural data on these systems as well as information gathered from multiple complementary analytical techniques is needed, from both a fundamental and a pharmaceutical perspective. Here, a previously reported de novo designed, pH-switchable coiled coil-based peptide that undergoes structural transitions resulting in fibril formation under physiological conditions has been exhaustively characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cryo-TEM, atomic force microscopy (AFM), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and solid-state NMR (ssNMR). Overall, a unique 2-dimensional carpet-like assembly composed of large coexisiting ribbon-like, tubular and funnel-like structures with a clearly resolved protofilament substructure is observed. Whereas electron microscopy and scattering data point somewhat more to a hairpin model of β-fibrils, ssNMR data obtained from samples with selectively labelled peptides are in agreement with both, hairpin structures and linear arrangements.
In der klinischen Diagnostik werden für zytometrische Messverfahren bereits eine Reihe von Reagenzien eingesetzt zur Markierung von Antikörper eingesetzt, um die Detektion von Biomarkern mittels Fluoreszenz- oder Flugzeitmassenspektrometrie zu ermöglichen.
Seit kurzem ist auch eine Imaging Mass Cytometry Kombination direkt erhältlich, wodurch der Nachweis von Biomarkern in Gewebeschnitten erreicht werden kann. Dazu wird eine Kopplung von Laser Ablation und induktiv gekoppeltem Plasma Massenspektrometrie eingesetzt, wobei ähnlich der Massenzytometrie, zuvor Antikörper mit Metallen markiert, und im Anschluss mit dem Gewebeschnitt inkubiert werden. Durch die hohe Ortsauflösung können die Biomarker lokalisiert, und zukünftig vielleicht auch quantifiziert werden.
Insbesondere Lanthanide eignen sich als Markierungsmetalle, da sie einen niedrigen Untergrund und chemisch ähnliches Verhalten zueinander aufweisen. Allein durch diese Elemente können bereits etwa 15 Parameter unterschieden werden, was durch isotopenreine Standards weiter gesteigert werden kann.
Vom Markierungsgrad abhängig werden unterschiedlich viele Metalle am Antikörper gebunden, und beeinflussen so die Sichtbarkeit im ICP-MS. Nanopartikel könnten daher eine deutliche Steigerung der Sensitivität bewirken. GdVO4 Nanokristalle scheinen bisher sehr vielversprechend und bieten neben multiparametrischen Anwendungen auch Multimodalität.
Die Synthese der Nanokristalle zeigte hohe Homogenität und Reproduzierbarkeit in Partikelgröße in der Zusammensetzung. Ein erstes Experiment mit einer Zellkultur konnte bereits die effiziente Markierung der Zellen unter Beweis stellen, wobei durch hohe Signalstärke auch subzelluläre Auflösung in der LA-ICP-MS erreicht werden konnte.
Two divalent manganese aminophosphonates, manganese mono (nitrilotrimethylphosphonate) (MnNP3) and manganese bis N-(carboxymethyl)iminodi(methylphosphonate)) (Mn(NP2AH)2), have been prepared by mechanochemical synthesis and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). The structure of the novel compound Mn(NP2AH)2 was determined from PXRD data. MnNP3 as well as Mn(NP2AH)2 exhibits a chain-like structure.
In both cases, the manganese atom is coordinated by six oxygen atoms in a distorted octahedron. The local coordination around Mn was further characterized by extended X-ray absorption fine structure. The synthesis process was followed in situ by synchrotron X-ray diffraction revealing a three-step reaction mechanism. The asprepared manganese(II) phosphonates were calcined on air.
All samples were successfully tested for their suitability as catalyst material in the oxygen evolution reaction.
The syntheses and crystal structures of two cerium(IV) phosphonates are presented. Cerium(IV) bis(phenylphosphonate) Ce(O3PC6H5)2 1 can be formed from precipitation and mechanochemical reaction, whereas cerium(IV) bis(carboxymethylphosphonate) monohydrate Ce(O3PCH2COOH)2 H2O 2 is only accessible via ball milling. All reactions proceed very fast and are completed within a short time span. In situ measurements for the syntheses of 1 show that the product occurs within seconds or a few minutes, respectively. The structures were solved from powder X-ray diffraction data.
A set of 59 ancient magical artefacts, mainly made of lead, was selected from the collections of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin in order to unravel their origins. All the selected artefacts have been studied for their Pb isotope compositions, which covered the whole range of the Mediterranean ore deposits. However, the majority (≈86%) were made of lead matching the small compositional range of the Laurion ore deposits. Only eight out of the 59 artefacts were made of recycled lead or lead from other ore deposits.
Additionally, all but two were approximately dated based on their inscriptions. The lead isotopic composition together with information obtained from the inscriptions, the resulting dating, the context of the find and the known history of each item allowed us to gain more detailed information about the origins of these magical artefacts. The Attic provenance of 36 curse tablets was confirmed, whereas for 11 curse tablets previously classified as non-Attic, the provenance was either confirmed and specified (six artefacts) or changed to Attic (five artefacts). Surprisingly, the majority (six out of eight) of the analysed curse tablets from the Egyptian collection showed a lead isotopic composition closely matching that of Laurion.
A Laurion-like lead isotopic composition was also observed for three of the four analysed oracular tablets from Dodona. Together with the dating information, this points to Laurion as the major and dominant lead source in the Aegean, at least during the fourth–third century B.C. The few curse tablets from earlier than the fourth–third century B.C. point to the use of multiple and thus isotopically more variable lead sources compared with the Roman times.
Multivariate analysis of MALDI imaging mass spectrometry data of mixtures of single pollen grains
(2018)
Mixtures of pollen grains of three different species (Corylus avellana, Alnus cordata, and Pinus sylvestris) were investigated by matrixassisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF imaging MS). The amount of pollen grains was reduced stepwise from > 10 to single pollen grains. For sample pretreatment, we modified a previously applied approach, where any additional extraction steps were omitted.
Our results show that characteristic pollen MALDI mass spectra can be obtained from a single pollen grain, which is the prerequisite for a reliable pollen classification in practical applications. MALDI imaging of laterally resolved pollen grains provides additional information by reducing the complexity of the MS spectra of mixtures, where frequently peak discrimination is observed. Combined with multivariate statistical analyses, such as principal component analysis (PCA), our approach offers the chance for a fast and reliable identification of individual pollen grains by mass spectrometry.
Multivariate analysis of MALDI imaging mass spectrometry data of mixtures of single pollen grains
(2018)
Here, we present an advanced approach to identify pollen grains in mixtures based on:
- a simplified sample preparation procedure
- MALDI imaging mass spectrometry
- chemometric tools
Our goals are to:
- explore the biomolecular variations in pollen
- determine species-specific peak patterns
- discriminate and identify single pollen grains in mixtures using MSI
The comparison required the assignment of the mass fraction of folic acid present as the main component in the comparison sample. Performance in the comparison is representative of a laboratory's measurement capability for the purity assignment of organic compounds of medium structural complexity [molecular weight range 300–500] and high polarity (pKOW < −2).
Methods used by the eighteen participating NMIs or DIs were based on a mass balance (summation of impurities) or qNMR approach, or the combination of data obtained using both methods. The qNMR results tended to give slightly lower values for the content of folic acid, albeit with larger associated uncertainties, compared with the results obtained by mass balance procedures. Possible reasons for this divergence are discussed in the report, without reaching a definitive conclusion as to their origin.
The comparison demonstrates that for a structurally complex polar organic compound containing a high water content and presenting a number of additional analytical challenges, the assignment of the mass fraction content property value of the main component can reasonably be achieved with an associated relative standard uncertainty in the assigned value of 0.5%
A series of new Ba-based coordination polymers (CPs) were mechanochemically synthesized by milling Ba-hydroxide samples with perfluorinated and fluorine-free benzene-dicarboxylic acids, including tetrafluoroisophthalic acid (H2mBDC-F4), tetrafluorophthalic acid (H2oBDC-F4), isophthalic acid (H2mBDC) and phthalic acid (H2oBDC). The new fluorinated CPs: [Ba(mBDC-F4)$0.5H2O] (1) and [Ba(oBDC-F4)·1.5H2O] (2) are compared to their nonfluorinated counterparts: [Ba(mBDC)·2.5H2O] (3), and [Ba(oBDC)·1H2O] (4). These materials are thoroughly characterized using powder X-ray diffraction. The products obtained by milling are all hydrated but vary in their water contents. Compositions and local structures are investigated by elemental analysis, thermal analysis, MAS NMR and attenuated total reflectioninfrared spectroscopy. These materials exhibit high thermal stabilities but small surface areas that remain unchanged even after thermal treatments.
Cost-effective water cleaning approaches using improved Treatment technologies, for instance based on catalytic processes with high activity catalysts, are urgently needed. The aim of our study was to synthesize efficient Fenton-like photo-catalysts for rapid degradation of persistent organic micropollutants in aqueous medium. Iron-based nanomaterials were chemically synthesized through simple procedures by immobilization of either iron(II) oxalate (FeO) or iron(III) citrate (FeC) on magnetite (M) nanoparticles stabilized with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Various investigation techniques were performed in order to characterize the freshly prepared catalysts. By applying advanced oxidation processes, the effect of catalyst dosage, hydrogen peroxide concentration and UV-A light exposure were examined for Bisphenol A (BPA) conversion, at laboratory scale, in mild conditions. The obtained results revealed that BPA degradation was rapidly enhanced in the presence of low-concentration H2O2, as well as under UV-A light, and is highly dependent on the surface characteristics of the catalyst. Complete photo-degradation of BPA was achieved over the M/PEG/FeO catalyst in less than 15 minutes. Based on the catalytic performance, a hierarchy of the tested catalysts was established: M/PEG/FeO > M/PEG/FeC > M/PEG. The results of cytotoxicity assay using MCF-7 cells indicated that the aqueous samples after treatment are less cytotoxic.
New Ca- and Sr-based coordination polymers (CPs) were mechanochemically synthesized by milling metal hydroxide samples (M = Ca, Sr) with tetrafluorophthalic acid (H2oBDC-F4) and isophthalic acid (H2mBDC). [Ca(oBDC-F4)(H2O)2] (1) exhibits a small surface area which is slightly increased after removing the crystal water. On the other hand, the hydrated sample of the nonfluorinated [Sr(mBDC)(H2O)3.4] (2) reveals a small BET surface area which remains unchanged even after the release of crystal water via thermal treatment. The new compounds 1 and 2 are similar to their Sr- and Ca-analogs, respectively. These findings are confirmed by thermal analysis, MAS NMR, and ATR-IR measurements, in addition to the Le Bail refinements for the measured powder X-ray data of 1 and 2. Ca- and Sr-CPs based on perfluorinated dicarboxylic systems and their nonfluorinated analogs diverse in structural and chemical properties depending on the geometries of the organic linkers and the presence of fluorine atoms. The fluorinations of organic ligands lead to the formation of fluorinated CPs with higher dimensionalities compared to their nonfluorinated counterparts. Conversely, the thermal stabilities of the latter are higher than those of the fluorinated CPs.
The common characterization and identification of pollen is a time-consuming task that mainly relies on microscopic determination of the genus-specific pollen morphology. A variety of spectroscopic and spectrometric approaches have been proposed to develop a fast and reliable pollen identification using specific molecular information. Amongst them, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) shows a high potential for the successful investigation of such complex biological samples. Based on optimized MALDI sample preparation using conductive carbon tape, the application of multivariate statistics (e.g. principal components analysis, PCA) yields an enormous improvement concerning taxonomic classification of pollen species compared to common microscopic techniques.
Since multivariate evaluation of the recorded mass spectra is of vital importance for classification, it’s helpful to implement the applied sequence of standard Matlab functions into a graphical user interface (GUI). In this presentation, a stand-alone application (GUI) is shown, which provides multiple functions to perform fast multivariate analysis on multiple datasets. The use of a GUI enables a first overview on the measured dataset, conducts spectral pretreatment and can give classification information based on HCA and PCA evaluation. Moreover, it can be used to improve fast spectral classification and supports the development of a simple routine method to identify pollen based on mass spectrometry.
Zearalenone (ZEN) and its sulfate and glucoside conjugates have been detected in (a broad variety of) food and feed commodities1. Both conjugated derivatives are formed as part of fungal or plant secondary metabolism and thus, belong to the group of modified mycotoxins2. After consumption of contaminated foodstuff, the conjugates can be hydrolyzed by human intestinal microbiota leading to liberation of ZEN that implies an underestimation of the true ZEN exposure. In order to include ZEN conjugates in routine analysis, as well as for toxicological investigation reliable standards are needed.
The objective of the present study was to develop a simple and economic method for biosynthesis of ZEN conjugates. Preceding experiments on the biotransformation of ZEN by Rhizopus and Aspergillus species showed a mixed metabolite formation3. Therefore, these known ZEN conjugating fungal strains were screened for their potential to selectively synthesize the ZEN derivatives ZEN-14-sulfate (Z14S), ZEN-14-glucoside (Z14G) and ZEN-16-glucoside (Z16G). The screening was conducted by adding ZEN to liquid fungal cultures. Cultivation conditions and ZEN incubation time were varied. All media samples were analyzed for metabolite formation by HPLC-MS/MS. Z14S was exclusively formed by A. oryzae. Under optimized conditions a specific biosynthesis of Z14G by R. oryzae and Z16G by R. oligosporus was achieved. After liquid-liquid-extraction and preparative chromatographic cleanup 1H-NMR purities of ≥ 73% for Z14S, ≥ 82% for Z14G and ≥ 50% for Z16G were obtained. In addition, a consecutive biosynthesis was developed by first using Fusarium graminearum for ZEN biosynthesis on rice based liquid medium. After inactivation of Fusarium the subsequent conjugation reaction was conducted utilizing Aspergillus and Rhizopus species under the various optimized conditions.
In this study an easy and cost-efficient biosynthesis for Z14S, Z14G and Z16G was developed. The developed biosynthesis could be also used for other metabolites like ZEL conjugates. Our results of the in vitro screening indicate also the formation of a ZEL-glucoside and α ZEL-sulfate as major metabolites by R. oryzae. In sum, under optimized cultivation conditions fungi can be easily utilized for a targeted and stereospecific synthesis of ZEN conjugates.
Zearalenone (ZEN) and its phase II sulfate and glucoside metabolites have been detected in food and feed commodities. After consumption, the conjugates can be hydrolyzed by the human intestinal microbiota leading to liberation of ZEN that implies an underestimation of the true ZEN exposure. To include ZEN conjugates in routine analysis, reliable standards are needed, which are currently not available. Thus, the aim of the present study was to develop a facilitated biosynthesis of ZEN-14-sulfate, ZEN-14-glucoside and ZEN-16-glucoside. A metabolite screening was conducted by adding ZEN to liquid fungi cultures of known ZEN conjugating Aspergillus and Rhizopus strains. Cultivation conditions and ZEN incubation time were varied. All media samples were analyzed for metabolite formation by HPLC-MS/MS. In addition, a consecutive biosynthesis was developed by using Fusarium graminearum for ZEN biosynthesis with subsequent conjugation of the toxin by utilizing Aspergillus and Rhizopus species. ZEN-14-sulfate (yield: 49%) is exclusively formed by Aspergillus oryzae. ZEN-14-glucoside (yield: 67%) and ZEN-16-glucoside (yield: 39%) are formed by Rhizopus oryzae and Rhizopus oligosporus, respectively. Purities of ≥73% ZEN-14-sulfate, ≥82% ZEN-14-glucoside and ≥50% ZEN-16-glucoside were obtained by 1H-NMR. In total, under optimized cultivation conditions, fungi can be easily utilized for a targeted and regioselective synthesis of ZEN conjugates.
Proline has been widely used for various cocrystallization applications, including pharmaceutical cocrystals. Combining enantiopure and racemic flurbiprofen and proline, we discovered 18 new crystal structures. Liquid-assisted grinding proved highly efficient to explore all the variety of crystal forms. A unique combination of stateof-the-art characterization techniques, comprising variable temperature in situ X-ray diffraction and in situ ball-milling, along with other physicochemical methods and density functional theory calculations, was indispensable for identifying all the phases. Analyzing the results of in situ ball-milling, we established a stepwise mechanism for the formation of several 1:1 cocrystals via an intermediate 2:1 phase. The nature of the solvent in liquidassisted grinding was found to significantly affect the reaction rate and, in some cases, the reaction pathway.
Quantifizierung der Schädigung von DNA in wässriger Lösung unter direkter Elektronenbestrahlung
(2018)
To cure cancer radiation therapy is used to kill tumor cells.
It is based on radiation induced damage to biomolecules.
Especially DNA damage is of key interest due to its central role in apoptosis and mutation.
Because of the high amount of water in biological tissue, most of the damage is caused by the secondary particles produced by the inelastic scattering of ionizing radiation and water.
A detailed understanding of the underlying molecular processes under physiological conditions is the prerequisite to develop more efficient therapies.
Goal of this work is to quantify the DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation in dependence of the inelastic scattering events and the energy deposit within the microscopic target volume of biological relevance.
The irradiations have to be performed in liquid, under consideration of the chemical environment.
Therefore, a new combination of experiment and Monte-Carlo simulations was developed and tested.
To make it possible to irradiate liquids with electrons within scanning electron microscopes a new sample holder was constructed incorporating an electron transparent nanomembrane.
It makes it possible to irradiate DNA, proteins or cells at different pH, salinity and in the presence of cosolutes.
%The most important results of this work are as follows:
The median lethal dose for a model system of plasmid DNA and water was determined by the combination of experimental data, particle scattering simulations (Geant4-DNA) and diffusion calculations as D0.5=(1.7+-0.3) Gy.
From the convolution of plasmid positions and the spatially resolved energy deposit, as determined by electron scattering simulations, the histogram of the energy deposit within the target volume of the plasmids and the microscopic median lethal energy deposit was calculated as E0.5=6+-4eV.
It could be deduced that on average less than two ionization events are sufficient to cause a single-strand-break.
The relation of single-strand-breaks (SSB) to double-strand-breaks (DSB), which is of importance for microdosimetric modeling, was determined as SSB:DSB = 12:1.
The presented method for the determination of microscopic dose-damage relations was further extended to be applicable for general irradiation experiments.
It becomes independent of the type of primary radiation used, the experimental geometry, and the diffusional properties of the molecules under investigation.
This way different experimental systems with varying, inhomogeneous energy deposit characteristics become comparable with each other, which is not possible when only macroscopic averaged values are taken into account.
In addition, the radiation protection properties of the compatible solute ectoine, as well as its influence on the water properties and biomolecules were investigated.
%In addition, the influence of the compatible solute ectoine on water, biomolecules and its radiation protection properties were investigated.
Raman spectroscopy revealed a concentration dependent increase of the collective water modes in the OH-stretching region, which was found to be independent of the sodium chloride concentration.
Molecular dynamic simulations showed that the zwitterionic properties of ectoine lead to its half-chair conformation.
The hydrogen bonds in the first hydration shell are more stable and have an increased lifetime compared to the bulk water.
Irradiation experiments with DNA in the presence of 1M ectoine revealed an increase of the survival rate by a factor of 1.41 as compared to the absence of ectoine.
The protective properties of ectoine result from the increase of the inelastic scattering probabilities of low energy electrons at the acoustic vibrational modes of water and its properties as OH-radical scavenger.
This was shown by Raman spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements (EPR).