naphthoquinones and acetonitrile

Low-temperature high-performance liquid chromatography, in which a loop injector, column, and detection cell were refrigerated at -35ºC, using liquid carbon dioxide as the mobile phase was developed. Small organic compounds (polyaromatic hydrocarbons, alkylbenzenes, and quinones) were separated by low-temperature high-performance liquid chromatography at temperatures from -35 to -5ºC. The combination of liquid carbon dioxide mobile phase with an octadecyl-silica (C18 ) column provided reversed phase mode separation, and a bare silica-gel column resulted in normal phase mode separation. In both the cases, nonlinear behavior at approximately -15ºC was found in the relationship between the temperature and the retention factors of the analytes (van't Hoff plots). In contrast to general trends in high-performance liquid chromatography, the decrease in temperature enhanced the separation efficiency of both the columns.

Topics: Acetonitriles; Anthracenes; Anthraquinones; Benzene Derivatives; Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; Carbon Dioxide; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cold Temperature; Hexanes; Naphthalenes; Naphthoquinones; Organic Chemicals; Pyrenes; Quinones; Silicon Dioxide

The photophysical and photochemical reactions of β-lapachone were studied using femtosecond transient absorption, nanosecond transient absorption, and nanosecond time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopy techniques and density functional theory calculations. In acetonitrile, β-lapachone underwent an efficient intersystem crossing to form the triplet state of β-lapachone. However, in water-rich solutions, the singlet state of β-lapachone was predominantly quenched by the photoinduced protonation of the carbonyl group at the β position (O9). After protonation, a series of fast reaction steps occurred to eventually generate the triplet state α-lapachone intermediate. This triplet state of α-lapachone then underwent intersystem crossing to produce the ground singlet state of α-lapachone as the final product. 1,2-Naphthoquinone is examined in acetonitrile and water solutions in order to elucidate the important roles that water and the pyran ring play during the photoconversion from β-lapachone to α-lapachone. β-Lapachone can also be converted to α-lapachone in the ground state when a strong acid is added to an aqueous solution. Our investigation indicates that β-lapachone can be converted to α-lapachone by photoconversion in aqueous solutions by a protonation-assisted singlet excited state reaction or by an acid-assisted ground state reaction.

Topics: Acetonitriles; Naphthoquinones; Photochemical Processes; Protons; Quantum Theory; Solutions; Spectrum Analysis

The influence of ring size on the photobehaviour of condensed 1,4-naphthoquinone systems, such as pyrano- and furano-derivatives (1 and 2, respectively) has been investigated. The absorption spectra for both families of naphthoquinones reveal clear differences; in the case of 2 they extend to longer wavelengths. A solvatochromic red shift in polar solvents is consistent with the π,π* character of the S(0)→ S(1) electronic transition in all cases. Theoretical (B3LYP) analysis of the HOMO and LUMO Kohn-Sham molecular orbitals of the S(0) state indicates that they are π and π* in nature, consistent with the experimental observation. A systematic study on the efficiency of singlet oxygen generation by these 1,4-naphthoquinones is presented, and values larger than 0.7 were found in every case. In accordance with these results, laser flash photolysis of deoxygenated acetonitrile solutions led to the formation of detectable triplet transient species with absorptions at 390 and 450 nm (1) and at 370 nm (2), with φ(ISC) close to 1. Additionally, the calculated energies for the T(1) states relative to the S(0) states at UB3LYP/6-311++G** are ca. 47 kcal mol(-1) for 1 and 43 kcal mol(-1) for 2. A comparison of the geometrical parameters for the S(0) and T(1) states reveals a marked difference with respect to the arrangement of the exocyclic phenyl ring whilst a comparison of electronic parameters revealed the change from a quinone structure to a di-dehydroquinone diradical structure.

Topics: Acetonitriles; Lasers; Naphthoquinones; Photolysis; Quantum Theory; Singlet Oxygen; Solvents

A novel colorimetric chemosensor based on aminonaphthoquinone (L) bearing an N-H receptor unit directly attached to quinone signaling unit has been designed, synthesized and demonstrated. The ligand showed a highly selective colorimetric response to fluoride ions based on H-bond formation with the receptor unit. The binding constants of the L and its square planar [Co(L)Cl(2)]·3H(2)O and [Ni(L)Cl(2)]·4H(2)O complexes, computed using fluorescent enhancement data, were found to be 0.6, 1.5 and 0.9×10(8)M(-1), respectively, indicating enhancement of H-bond donor ability of the receptor unit, as a result of complexation with metal ions, towards fluoride ion sensing. Also, these sensors had high selectivity for fluoride ion detection over other common anions, such as Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), AcO(-), NO(3)(-), H(2)PO(4)(-) and CN(-) in acetonitrile.

Topics: Absorption; Acetonitriles; Cobalt; Coordination Complexes; Fluorides; Fluorometry; Hydrogen Bonding; Ions; Ligands; Naphthoquinones; Nickel; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet

Photoprocesses of 1,4-naphthoquinone (NQ) and its photoreactions with lysozyme in acetonitrile/water (3:1, v/v) solution were studied using 355 nm laser flash photolysis technique combined with electrophoresis and turbidimetric assay. The transient spectra of NQ were observed and the transient species were assigned. The electron transfer process from N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD) to NQ triplet state ((3)NQ) was investigated and the rate constant was determined to be k(t1)=2.0 x 10(10)M(-1)s(-1). It has been found that (3)NQ can abstract hydrogen atom from lysozyme with a rate constant of k(t2)=2.4 x10(10)M(-1)s(-1). Furthermore, the results of steady-state analysis suggested that lysozyme can be damaged by NQ irradiated with UVA light influenced by the concentration of NQ and the gas saturated in the solution. The mechanisms of photosensitized damage of lysozyme were discussed.

Topics: Acetonitriles; Kinetics; Lasers; Muramidase; Naphthoquinones; Photolysis; Photosensitivity Disorders; Tetramethylphenylenediamine; Water

An isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for simultaneous separation of the components in the antimalarial combination drug Malarone with UV detection is described. An HPLC system using a mixed mode column composed of 50% C(18) phase and 50% strong cation-exchanger has been optimised for the simultaneous separation of atovaquone, proguanil and its two main metabolites. The mobile phase was optimised for factors such as pH, counter ion concentration and acetonitrile. Elimination of interferences from other antimalarial drugs was achieved by adding sodium perchlorate to the mobile phase. With a mobile phase of acetonitrile-phosphate buffer (60:40, v/v) pH 6.8, 50.7 mmol l(-1) K+ and 10 mmol l(-1) Na x ClO4, separation was achieved within a run time shorter than 17 min.

Topics: Acetonitriles; Atovaquone; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Naphthoquinones; Proguanil; Reference Standards; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet

beta-Alkannin (shikonin), a compound isolated from the root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Siebold Zucc., has been used as a purple dye in ancient Japan and is known to exert an anti-inflammatory activity. This study aimed to understand the biological activity in terms of physico-chemical characteristics of beta-alkannin. Several physico-chemical properties including proton dissociation constants, half-wave potentials and molecular orbital energy of beta-alkannin were elucidated. This compound shows highly efficient antioxidative activities against several types of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as singlet oxygen ((1)O2). superoxide anion radical (.O2), hydroxyl radical (.OH) and tert-butyl peroxyl radical (BuOO.) as well as iron-dependent microsomal lipid peroxidation. During the reactions of beta-alkannin with 1O2, .O2- and BuOO., intermediate organic radicals due to beta-alkannin were detectable by ESR spectrometry. Compared with the radicals due to naphthazarin, the structural skeleton of beta-alkannin, the beta-alkannin radical observed as an intermediate in the reactions with (1)O2, and .O2- was concluded to be a semiquinone radical. On the other hand, during the reactions of beta-alkannin and naphthazarin with BuOO., ESR spectra different from the semiquinone radical were observed, and proposed to result from the abstraction of hydrogen atoms from phenolic hydroxyl groups of beta-alkannin by BuOO.. Based on the ROS-scavenging abilities of beta-alkannin, the compound was concluded to react directly with ROS and exhibits antioxidative activity, which in turn exerts anti-inflammatory activity.

Topics: Acetonitriles; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Deuterium Oxide; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; Free Radical Scavengers; Free Radicals; Lipid Peroxidation; Molecular Structure; Naphthoquinones; Peroxides; Plants, Medicinal; Potentiometry; Reactive Oxygen Species; Spin Trapping