An efficient synthesis of multidentate polypyridine ligands, 3,5-bis(2,2′-bipyridin-4-ylethynyl)benzoic acid and 3,5-bis(2,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-pyridin-4-ylethynyl)benzoic acid, with potential application in the production of ruthenium dyes for dye-sensitised solar cells was developed. Isolation of intermediate products and final compounds is simple and the yields are very high. The ligands obtained can be used in the synthesis of dendritic analogues of well known and very efficient N3 dye and “black dye”.
A thin-layer chromatography-mass spectrometry (TLC-MS) setup for characterization of low molecular weight compounds separated on standard TLC plates has been constructed. This new approach successfully combines TLC separation, laser ablation, and ionization using flowing atmospheric pressure afterglow (FAPA) source. For the laser ablation, a low-priced 445-nm continuous-wave diode laser pointer, with a power of 1 W, was used. The combination of the simple, low-budget laser pointer and the FAPA ion source has made this experimental arrangement broadly available, also for small laboratories. The approach was successfully applied for the characterization of low molecular weight compounds separated on TLC plates, such as a mixture of pyrazole derivatives, alkaloids (nicotine and sparteine), and an extract from a drug tablet consisting of paracetamol, propyphenazone, and caffeine. The laser pointer used was capable of ablating organic compounds without the need of application of any additional substances (matrices, staining, etc.) on the TLC spots. The detection limit of the proposed method was estimated to be 35 ng/cm2 of a pyrazole derivative.Graphical abstractSchematic illustration of new TLC-FAPA setup with diode laser ablation
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