The proposed LC/MS method results in a better separation and specificity for the targeted analytes. Several nitro-aromatic compounds were detected in urban BBA. The LC/MS peak intensity of the newly detected methyl nitrocatechols and nitroguaiacols is comparable to that of the methyl nitrocatechols, which also qualifies them as suitable molecular tracers for secondary biomass burning aerosol.

Abstract. Guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol) and its derivatives can be emitted into the atmosphere by thermal degradation (i.e., burning) of wood lignins. Due to its volatility, guaiacol is predominantly distributed atmospherically in the gaseous phase. Recent studies have shown the importance of aqueous-phase reactions in addition to the dominant gas-phase and heterogeneous reactions of guaiacol, in the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in the atmosphere. The main objectives of the present study were to chemically characterize the main products of the aqueous-phase photonitration of guaiacol and examine their possible presence in urban atmospheric aerosols. The aqueous-phase reactions were carried out under simulated sunlight and in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and nitrite. The formed guaiacol reaction products were concentrated by solid-phase extraction and then purified with semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The fractionated individual compounds were isolated as pure solids and further analyzed with liquid-state proton, carbon-13 and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and direct infusion negative ion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry ((−)ESI-MS/MS). The NMR and product ion (MS2) spectra were used for unambiguous product structure elucidation. The main products of guaiacol photonitration are 4-nitroguaiacol (4NG), 6-nitroguaiacol (6NG), and 4,6-dinitroguaiacol (4,6DNG). Using the isolated compounds as standards, 4NG and 4,6DNG were unambiguously identified in winter PM10 aerosols from the city of Ljubljana (Slovenia) by means of HPLC/(−)ESI-MS/MS. Owing to the strong absorption of ultraviolet and visible light, 4,6DNG could be an important constituent of atmospheric "brown" carbon, especially in regions affected by biomass burning.

Methylnitrocatechols (MNCs) are secondary organic aerosol (SOA) tracers and major contributors to atmospheric brown carbon; however, their formation and aging processes in atmospheric waters are unknown. To investigate the importance of aqueous-phase electrophilic substitution of 3-methylcatechol with nitronium ion (NO2(+)), we performed quantum calculations of their favorable pathways. The calculations predicted the formation of 3-methyl-5-nitrocatechol (3M5NC), 3-methyl-4-nitrocatechol (3M4NC), and a negligible amount of 3-methyl-6-nitrocatechol (3M6NC). MNCs in atmospheric PM2 samples were further inspected by LC/(-)ESI-MS/MS using commercial as well as de novo synthesized authentic standards. We detected 3M5NC and, for the first time, 3M4NC. In contrast to previous reports, 3M6NC was not observed. Agreement between calculated and observed 3M5NC/3M4NC ratios cannot unambiguously confirm the electrophilic mechanism as the exclusive formation pathway of MNCs in aerosol water. However, the examined nitration by NO2(+) is supported by (1) the absence of 3M6NC in the ambient aerosols analyzed and (2) the constant 3M5NC/3M4NC ratio in field aerosol samples, which indicates their common formation pathway. The magnitude of error one could make by incorrectly identifying 3M4NC as 3M6NC in ambient aerosols was also assessed, suggesting the importance of evaluating the literature regarding MNCs with special care.

Spread of antimicrobial resistance and shortage of novel antibiotics have led to an urgent need for new antibacterials. Although aminoglycoside antibiotics (AGs) are very potent anti-infectives, their use is largely restricted due to serious side-effects, mainly nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity. We evaluated the ototoxicity of various AGs selected from a larger set of AGs on the basis of their strong antibacterial activities against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of the ESKAPE panel: gentamicin, gentamicin C1a, apramycin, paromomycin and neomycin. Following local round window application, dose-dependent effects of AGs on outer hair cell survival and compound action potentials showed gentamicin C1a and apramycin as the least toxic. Strikingly, although no changes were observed in compound action potential thresholds and outer hair cell survival following treatment with low concentrations of neomycin, gentamicin and paromomycin, the number of inner hair cell synaptic ribbons and the compound action potential amplitudes were reduced. This indication of hidden hearing loss was not observed with gentamicin C1a or apramycin at such concentrations. These findings identify the inner hair cells as the most vulnerable element to AG treatment, indicating that gentamicin C1a and apramycin are promising bases for the development of clinically useful antibiotics.

Coenzyme A is an essential metabolite known for its central role in over one hundred cellular metabolic reactions. In cells, Coenzyme A is synthesized de novo in five enzymatic steps with vitamin B5 as the starting metabolite, phosphorylated by pantothenate kinase. Mutations in the pantothenate kinase 2 gene cause a severe form of neurodegeneration for which no treatment is available. One therapeutic strategy is to generate Coenzyme A precursors downstream of the defective step in the pathway. Here we describe the synthesis, characteristics and in vivo rescue potential of the acetyl-Coenzyme A precursor S-acetyl-4′-phosphopantetheine as a possible treatment for neurodegeneration associated with pantothenate kinase deficiency.

Temporary silicon-tethered ring-closing metathesis represents an important cross-coupling strategy for the formation of medium-sized silacycles. These intermediates are valuable synthons in organic synthesis due to their propensity to undergo a facile refunctionalization through protodesilylation, oxidation, silane-group transfer or transmetallation. A particularly attractive utility of this methodology is an application in the synthesis of biologically important natural products. The purpose of this review article is to highlight the recent progress in methodology development and its strategic application toward the target-directed synthesis.

The discovery of a concise regiodivergent asymmetric route to nonclassical P-stereogenic 5- or 6-membered benzophosphacycles, under conditions-dependent radical (oxidative addition) versus anionic (S(N)Ar) benzannulation, is reported.

The temporary silicon-tethered ring-closing metathesis of chiral non-racemic allylic and homoallylic alcohols affords unsymmetrical Z-configured trisubstituted olefins that readily undergo stereoselective hydroboration and dihydroxylation to provide a novel approach to masked polypropionate and polyol fragments present in an array of biologically important natural products. For example, this strategy provides a convenient method for the construction of polyol fragments relevant to the secondary metabolites amphidinol 3 and lophodiol A, which have antifungal and cytotoxic activity, respectively.The stereoselective construction of structurally diverse polyketides is of particular interest due to their ubiquity in biologically important natural products ( Figure 1). 1 In this context, the development of new methodology that provides complementary routes for the preparation of these challenging motifs is of great synthetic importance since it can lead to the development of new strategies that expedite the synthesis of these types of agents. 2 In a program directed toward the exploration of new synthetic methodologies based on the temporary silicon-tethered ring-closing metathesis (TST-RCM), we have developed a novel approach for the synthesis of protected C 2 -symmetrical 1,4-diols using chiral non-racemic allylic alcohols (Scheme 1A). 3,4 The inherent advantage of this approach is the ability to couple a variety of allylic alcohols and functionalize the newly formed geometrically defined Z-olefin to enable the rapid construction of molecular complexity. 4-6 In a related study, we developed a new strategy for controlling long-range asymmetric induction using a bis-alkoxysilane that contains a prochiral bis-allylic alcohol (Scheme 1B). 5 In an effort to further extend this methodology, we envisioned that the construction of unsymmetrical medium-ring Z-silaketals would provide an opportunity to stereoselectively functionalize the Z-configured trisubstituted olefin using the propensity for the eight-membered silaketal to adopt a defined conformation and thereby enforce high facial selectivity in the addition. 5-9 Herein, we now describe the highly Scheme 1 Temporary silicon-tethered ring-closing metathesis approach to Z-configured silaketals: a new strategy for the stereoselective construction of polypropionates and polyols O Si O R R O Si O R R O Si O R R OH HO + cat.