Air Mapping of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Their Uptake by Crops in the Urban Area of Nice, France.

Urban gardening is becoming increasingly popular. Air pollution, which is a major concern in cities might, however, threaten food safety and thus must be assessed. Health risks arise particularly from toxic persistent organic pollutants such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are formed by incomplete combustion. A first assessment of crop contamination in two different atmospheric environments in the urban area of Nice reveals a predominance of light PAHs. These pollutants present in the gaseous phase, seem to bioaccumulate while heavy PAHs are absent in vegetation. By understanding the PAH sources and their behavior in the atmosphere but also by analyzing the spatial and temporal data since the European directive in 2004, a link between concentrations found in vegetables grown in experimental gardens and PAH cadastral emission data is presented. The first results could be used as a possible guidance for urban agriculture.

Metal Triflates as Catalysts in Organic Synthesis: Determination of Their Lewis Acidity by Mass Spectrometry.

Metal triflates have shown a large variety of possibilities as catalysts in organic reactions. Some selected examples of their catalytic activity, in particular in C-O and C-C bond formation are presented. A better understanding of the mode of interaction between these Lewis acids and organic functional groups as ligands should allow for an easier choice of a tailored metal cation for a given reaction. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry enables the characterization and the quantification of the donor/acceptor interactions involved in the catalytic processes. Both gas-phase and solution-phase interactions between various metal triflates and organic functionalities were studied. Based on an original probabilistic model, ligand displacement experiments lead us to establish quantitative affinity scales of ligands toward the metal centers. The main structural effects governing the ranking are identified and discussed.

Cosmetic potentials of Prunus domestica L. leaves.

BACKGROUND: The current study presents new insight on the phytochemical content and biological activities of five Prunus domestica L. varieties ('Quetsche blanche de Létricourt', 'Mirabelle de Nancy', 'Perdrigon violet', 'Mirabelle de Provence', 'Reine-claude dorée'). RESULTS: The plum leaves were found to possess promising anti-aging activities by their capacity to inhibit 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), elastase, hyaluronidase and lipoxygenase. After solid phase extraction (SPE), chlorogenic acid, rutin, quercetin and their derivatives were putatively identified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry using an electrospray ionization source (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS). CONCLUSION: The plum leaf, a by-product, provides an interesting valuable resource for use as a natural cosmetic product or as a food supplement. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bond Strength and Reactivity Scales for Lewis Superacid Adducts: A Comparative Study with In(OTf)3 and Al(OTf)3.

Metal triflates, often called Lewis superacids, are potent catalysts for organic synthesis. However, the reactivity of a given Lewis superacid toward a given base is difficult to anticipate. A systematic screening of catalysts is often necessary when developing synthetic methodologies. Presented herein is the development of quantitative reactivity and bond strength scales by using mass spectrometry (MS). By applying a collision-induced dissociation (CID) technique to the adducts formed between Lewis superacids Al(OTf)3 or In(OTf)3 with a series of amides bases, including monodentate and bidentate ligands, different dissociation pathways were observed. Quantitative relative energy scales were established by performing energy-resolved mass spectrometry (ERMS) analysis on the adducts. ERMS of the adducts affords a bond strength scale when the fragmentation leads to the loss of a ligand, and reactivity scales when the dissociation leads to the C-F bond activation of one triflate anion or the deprotonation of the ligand. Al(OTf)3 was found to bind stronger to amides than In(OTf)3 and to provide the most reactive adducts.

Quantitative Ligand Affinity Scales for Metal Triflate Salts: Application to Isomer Differentiation.

Owing to the importance of metal triflates in catalysis, the affinity of the cationic center for a selection of organic ligands was explored for InIII and ZnII triflates. The organic Lewis bases include a variety of carbonyls (amides, unsaturated ketones, a lactone) and cyclic 1,2-diols. The relative affinity of the ligands for the cationic center in triflates was quantitatively determined on the basis of relative ion concentrations determined by electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. The affinity scales were discussed with reference to gas-phase proton basicity and Lewis basicity scales. Structural isomers and stereoisomers display significant affinity differences in several cases. In the case of isomer mixtures, a model describing the relative peak intensities in the mass spectra was developed. On this basis, an isomer titration method was set up. Remarkably, this MS-based method overcame the blindness of mass spectrometry to isomers without the need for isotope labeling or MS/MS experiments. This model may prove to have applications in analytical chemistry and catalysis.

Differential distribution of lipids in epidermis, gastrodermis and hosted Symbiodinium in the sea anemone Anemonia viridis.

Cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis mainly relies on nutrient recycling, thus providing both partners with a competitive advantage in nutrient-poor waters. Essential processes related to lipid metabolism can be influenced by various factors, including hyperthermal stress. This can affect the lipid content and distribution in both partners, while contributing to symbiosis disruption and bleaching. In order to gain further insight into the role and distribution of lipids in the cnidarian metabolism, we investigated the lipid composition of the sea anemone Anemonia viridis and its photosynthetic dinoflagellate endosymbionts (Symbiodinium). We compared the lipid content and fatty acid profiles of the host cellular layers, non-symbiotic epidermal and symbiont-containing gastrodermal cells, and those of Symbiodinium, in a mass spectrometry-based assessment. Lipids were more concentrated in Symbiodinium cells, and the lipid class distribution was dominated by polar lipids in all tissues. The fatty acid distribution between host cell layers and Symbiodinium cells suggested potential lipid transfers between the partners. The lipid composition and distribution was modified during short-term hyperthermal stress, mainly in Symbiodinium cells and gastrodermis. Exposure to elevated temperature rapidly caused a decrease in polar lipid C18 unsaturated fatty acids and a strong and rapid decrease in the abundance of polar lipid fatty acids relative to sterols. These lipid indicators could therefore be used as sensitive biomarkers to assess the physiology of symbiotic cnidarians, especially the effect of thermal stress at the onset of cnidarian bleaching. Overall, the findings of this study provide some insight on key lipids that may regulate maintenance of the symbiotic interaction.

Mahorones, highly brominated cyclopentenones from the red alga Asparagopsis taxiformis.

The red alga Asparagopsis taxiformis (Rhodophyta, Bonnemaisoniaceae) has been shown to produce a large diversity of halogenated volatile organic compounds, with one to four carbons. As the distribution of this alga may expand worldwide, we implemented a research program that aims to understand the functions of its specialized metabolome in marine ecosystems. Phytochemical investigations performed on A. taxiformis gametophyte stages from the Indian Ocean revealed two new highly brominated cyclopentenones named mahorone (1) and 5-bromomahorone (2). They are the first examples of natural 2,3-dibromocyclopentenone derivatives. Their structure elucidation was achieved using spectrometric methods including NMR and MS. A standardized ecotoxicological assay was used as an assessment of their role in the environment, revealing high toxicities for both compounds (EC50 0.16 µM for 1 and 2). Additionally, both compounds were evaluated in antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxicity assays. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibit mild antibacterial activities against the human pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii.

Catalytic effect of cesium cation adduct formation on the decarboxylation of carboxylate ions in the gas phase.

The effect of Cs(+) ligation on the decarboxylation of malonic acids (unsubstituted and methyl-, dimethyl-, ethyl-, and phenyl-substituted) in their carboxylate form was studied in the gas phase using tandem mass spectrometry. The study is based on the comparison of the decarboxylation of the bare monoanion (hydrogen malonates) and of the cesium adduct of the cesium salt (Cs(+) [cesium hydrogen malonates]) under collisional activation. Energy-resolved dissociation curves of the negative and positive ions exhibit major differences. Decarboxylation of the cationic adducts of substituted malonic acid salts occurs at significantly lower collisional activation than for the corresponding bare hydrogen malonate anions. The conclusions from these experiments are supported by DFT calculations. The calculated activation parameters (enthalpy and Gibbs energy) confirm that the cesium cation coordination assists the decarboxylation of the carboxylate form.

Interaction between the Cesium Cation and Cesium Carboxylates: An Extended Cs+ Basicity Scale.

The interaction between the cesium cation and fulvic or humic acids is supposed to play a role in cesium mobility in the environment, which is of importance in the context of geographical dispersion or concentration of the corresponding radionuclides. Among the singly charged positive clusters generated by electrospray ionization of mixtures of carboxylic acids (AH) and cesium salts (nitrate, iodide, or trifluoroacetate), the cluster [A- Cs+ ]Cs+ [A'- Cs+ ] was subjected to collision-induced dissociation. The fragmentation into Cs+ [A- Cs+ ] and Cs+ [A'- Cs+ ] was treated using the kinetic method. A gas-phase basicity ladder was built by a step-by-step addition of the relative basicity data. The relative basicity scale deduced from the kinetic method was calibrated using the affinity and basicity (the enthalpy and Gibbs energy scales, respectively) obtained from DFT calculations. The enhanced basicity of the polyacid salts, relative to their monoacid salts, as well as the substituent effects on aliphatic and aromatic structures, are discussed.

A quantitative approach of the interaction between metal triflates and organic ligands using electrospray mass spectrometry.

The interaction between two Lewis "superacid" catalysts Zn(OTf)(2) and In(OTf)(3) and series of amide and phosphate ligands is quantitatively characterized by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). A specific feature of the ESI-MS spectra of the mixture of metal triflates and Lewis bases is the formation of ionic adducts resulting from the displacement of one triflate anion by two neutral ligands. A ligand competition model is developed, which describes the relative intensities of the ionic adducts as a function of relative ligand concentrations. The relative affinities deduced from the ligand competition method are combined in an affinity scale for the metal triflate.

Variability of polyphenol compounds in Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae) berries from Corsica.

Polyphenol compounds were extracted from Myrtus communis L. berries (Myrtaceae) by maceration in 70% ethanol and analysed by HPLC-DAD and electrospray mass spectrometry. The Myrtus berries were collected at maturity from seven localities on the island of Corsica (France) and the sampling was carried out during three years. The polyphenol composition of Corsican Myrtus berries was characterized by two phenolic acids, four flavanols, three flavonols and five flavonol glycosides. The major compounds were myricetin-3-O-arabinoside and myricetin-3-O-galactoside. Principal components analysis (PCA) is applied to study the chemical composition and variability of myrtle berries alcoholic extracts from the seven localities. Canonical analysis and PCA data distinguishes two groups of myrtle berries characterized by different concentrations of polyphenols according to soil and years of harvest. The variations in the polyphenol concentration were due to biotic and abiotic factors.

Relative basicities toward metal triflates Lewis acids by electrospray mass spectrometry.

The relative Lewis basicity of a series of phosphoryl compounds toward cations M(n+)(OTf)(n-1) derived from triflate salts, M(OTf)(n), is ranked using electrospray mass spectrometry according to competitive adduct formation.

Mass spectrometric characterization of metal triflates and triflimides (Lewis superacid catalysts) by electrospray ionization and tandem mass spectrometry.

Trifluoromethylsulfonate (triflate) and bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (triflimide) salts, well-known Lewis acid catalysts, present some difficulty in their characterization. By using nitromethane as the solvent, useful electrospray mass spectra in positive and negative ion mode were obtained for salts of metals in oxidation states +2 and +3. In positive mode, addition of a strong Lewis base (triphenylphosphine oxide, TPPO), capable of displacing a triflate (TfO(-)) or a triflimide (Tf(2)N(-)) anion, is necessary for obtaining useful spectra. Under these conditions of solvent and added ligand, the most abundant ions were [M(2+)(A(-))(TPPO)(2)](+) or [M(3+)(A(-))(2)(TPPO)(2)](+) with A(-) = TfO(-) or Tf(2)N(-). The MS/MS spectra of these diagnostic ions provide additional analytical information. The breakdown curves, in the form of % dissociated as a function of the ion activation energy, offer a mean for investigating the bonding in these ions.

A study of the cesium cation bonding to carboxylate anions by the kinetic method and quantum chemical calculations.

Collision-induced dissociation (CID) of the Cs(+) heterodimer adducts of the nitrate anion (NO(3)(-)) and a variety of substituted benzoates (XBenz(-)) [(XBenz(-))(Cs(+))(NO(3)(-))](-) produces essentially nitrate and benzoate ions. A plot of the natural logarithm of their intensity ratio, ln[I (NO(3)(-))/I(XBenz(-))], versus the calculated cesium cation affinity (DFT B3LYP) of the substituted benzoate ions (equivalent to the enthalpy of heterolytic dissociation of the salt) is reasonably linear. This suggests that the kinetic method can be used as a source of data on the intrinsic interaction between the anionic and the cationic moieties in a salt.

Interaction of the cesium cation with mono-, di-, and tricarboxylic acids in the gas phase. A Cs+ affinity scale for cesium carboxylates ion pairs.

Humic substances (HS), including humic and fulvic acids, play a significant role in the fate of metals in soils. The interaction of metal cations with HS occurs predominantly through the ionized (anionic) acidic functions. In the context of the effect of HS on transport of radioactive cesium isotopes in soils, a study of the interaction between the cesium cation and model carboxylic acids was undertaken. Structure and energetics of the adducts formed between Cs+ and cesium carboxylate salts [Cs+RCOO-] were studied by the kinetic method and density functional theory (DFT). Clusters generated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry from mixtures of a cesium salt (nitrate, iodide, trifluoroacetate) and carboxylic acids were quantitatively studied by CID. By combining the results of the kinetic method and the energetic data from DFT calculations, a scale of cesium cation affinity, CsCA, was built for 33 cesium carboxylates representing the first scale of cation affinity of molecular salts. The structural effects on the CsCA values are discussed.

Enhanced activity of fluorinated quaternary ammonium surfactants against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

A novel series of fluorinated quaternary bisammonium surfactants has been synthesized in view to optimize their antimicrobial activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. As compared with commercial references, most of the new surfactants synthesized exhibit an enhanced activity which is discussed as a function of the nature of the spacer group between the quaternized nitrogen atoms and of the nature of the connector function between the nitrogen atoms and the perfluorinated carbon chains. It appears that the fluorinated "Gemini" surfactants bearing an amide connector can be an interesting alternative to hydrocarbon ammonium salts as preservatives and disinfectants against P. aeruginosa.

Bonding energetics in clusters formed by cesium salts: a study by collision-induced dissociation and density functional theory.

In relation to the interaction between (137)Cs and soil organic matter, electrospray mass spectrometry experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out on the dissociation of positively charged adducts formed by cesium nitrate and cesium organic salts attached to a cesium cation [Cs(CsNO(3))(CsA)](+) (A = benzoate, salicylate, hydrogen phthalate, hydrogen maleate, hydrogen fumarate, hydrogen oxalate, and hydrogen malonate ion). These mixed clusters were generated by electrospray from methanol solutions containing cesium nitrate and an organic acid. Collision-induced dissociation of [Cs(CsNO(3))(CsA)](+) in a quadrupole ion trap gave [Cs(CsNO(3))](+) and [Cs(CsA)](+) as major product ions. Loss of HNO(3) was observed, and also CO(2) loss in the case of A = hydrogen malonate. Branching ratios for the dissociation into [Cs(CsNO(3))](+) and [Cs(CsA)](+) were treated by the Cooks' kinetic method to obtain a quantitative order of bonding energetics (enthalpies and Gibbs free energies) between Cs(+) and the molecular salt (ion pair) CsA, and were correlated with the corresponding values calculated using DFT. The kinetic method leads to relative scales of Cs(+) affinities and basicities that are consistent with the DFT-calculated values. This study brings new data on the strong interaction between the cesium cation and molecular salts CsA.

Investigations of cluster ions formed between cesium cations and benzoic, salicylic and phthalic acids by electrospray mass spectrometry and density-functional theory calculations. Toward a modeling of the interaction of Cs+ with humic substances.

A concerted theoretical (density-functional theory) and experimental electrospray mass spectrometry study was conducted on the formation of cesium cation adducts with small molecules taken as models of specific interactions sites in humic substances. Electrospray experiments with phenol, benzoic acid, salicylic acid, and phthalic acid, in methanolic solution containing cesium nitrate, were performed using a quadrupole ion trap. The formation of positively charged mixed clusters, [Cs(CsNO3)(n)(CsA1)(m)(Cs2A2)(p)]+ (A1 = benzoate, salicylate, and hydrogenophthalate, A2 = phthalate), was observed. Calculations of structures and bonding energetics of Cs+ in simple adducts formed with NO3-, CsNO3, A-, AH, and CsA are reported. The observation of variable cluster stoichiometry (n, m and p values) was interpreted in terms of more or less favorable interaction energies between Cs+ and the neutral species constituting the clusters. Phenol did not form clusters in significant abundances, despite a strong calculated interaction between Cs+ and cesium phenolate. This was attributed to its weak acid dissociation in the electrospray solution.

Preparation and antimicrobial behaviour of gemini fluorosurfactants.

The introduction of perfluorinated chains in the molecular structure of quaternary ammonium gemini surfactants have led to particularly active antimicrobial agents evaluated in this work. Connectors and spacers were studied in relation with antimicrobial activity in order to determine which molecular parameters are "critical" for biological activity.