Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry for Microstructure and Pyrolysis Pathway of Polyester-Polyether Multiblock Copolymer

The composition and sequence distribution of monomeric units in polyester polyether multiblock copolymer were studied by pyrolysis? gas chromatography (PGC) and pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (PGC/MS). PGC was applied to study the F t curve of the multiblock copolymer and PGC/MS was used to separate and identify the pyrolyzates. DTA experiment was used to study the decomposition temperature. The results show that the beginning point of elastomer’s decomposition was about 300?℃ and the decomposition temperature of most of the sample was 550?℃. Many pyrolyzates were produced because of the breaking of weak bonds in the sample. The possible microstructure was verified and the pyrolysis pathway of the copolymer was investigated.

Photoionization Mass Spectrometric and Kinetic Modeling of Low-pressure Pyrolysis of Benzene

Pyrolysis of benzene at 30 Torr was studied from 1360 K to 1820 K in this work. Synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry was employed to detect the pyroly- sis products such as radicals, isomers and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and measure their mole fraction profiles versus temperature. A low-pressure pyrolysis model of benzene was developed and validated by the experimental results. Rate of production analysis was performed to reveal the major reaction networks in both fuel decomposition and aromatic growth processes. It is concluded that benzene is mainly decomposed via H-abstraction reaction to produce phenyl and partly decomposed via unimolecular decomposition reac- tions to produce propargyl or phenyl. The decomposition process stops at the formation of acetylene and polyyne species like diacetylene and 1,3,5-hexatriyne due to their high thermal stabilities. Besides, the aromatic growth process in the low-pressure pyrolysis of benzene is concluded to initiate from benzene and phenyl, and is controlled by the even carbon growth mechanism due to the inhibited formation of C5 and C7 species which play important roles in the odd carbon growth mechanism.

Product Identification and Mass Spectrometric Analysis of n-Butane and i-Butane Pyrolysis at Low Pressure

The pyrolysis of n-butane and i-butane at low pressure was investigated from 823-1823 K in an electrically heated flow reactor using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry. More than 20 species, especially several radicals and isomers, were detected and identified from the measurements of photoionization efficiency （PIE） spectra. Based on the mass spectrometric analysis, the characteristics of n-butane and i-butane pyrolysis were discussed, which provided experimental evidences for the discussion of decomposition pathways of butane isomers. It is concluded that the isomeric structures of n-butane and i-butane have strong influence on their main decomposition pathways, and lead to dramatic differences in their mass spectra and PIE spectra such as the different dominant products and isomeric structures of butene products. Furthermore, compared with n-butane,i-butane can produce strong signals of benzene at low temperature in its pyrolysis due to the enhanced formation of benzene precursors like propargyl and C4 species, which provides experimental clues to explain the higher sooting tendencies of iso-alkanes than n-alkanes.

Identification of Intermediates in Pyridine Pyrolysis with Molecular-beam Mass Spectrometry and Tunable Synchrotron VUV Photoionization

The pyrolysis of pyridine （5.26% pyridine in argon） was performed with tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization and molecular-beam mass spectrometry technique at the temperature range of 1255-1765 K at 267 Pa. About 20 products and intermediates, containing major species H2, HCN, C2H2, C5H3N, C4H2, and C3H3N, were identified by near-threshold measurements of photoionization mass spectra and their mole fractions vs. temperatures were estimated. The major reaction pathways are analyzed based on the experimental observations.

On-Line Photoionization Mass Spectrometric Study on Behavior of Ammonia Poisoning on H-Form Ultra Stable Y Zeolite for Catalytic Pyrolysis of Polypropylene

In this work, pyrolysis photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry （Py-PI-TOFMS） was applied to study the behavior of ammonia poisoning on H-form ultra stable Y （HUSY） zeolite for the catalytic pyrolysis of polypropylene （PP）. Firstly, ammonia poisoning on HUSY was performed to obtain the suitable catalysts with different strength and amounts of acid sites. Secondly, online photoionization mass spectra for the pyrolysis products of PP and HUSY with various acid strength were recorded at different pyrolysis temperatures. Finally, the formation curves of various pyrolysates of PP/HUSY with the increase of temperature were determined. Our results indicate that the formation temperatures, yields and selectivity of the pyrolysis products of PP demonstrate obvious relationship with the acid strength of HUSY.

Pyrolysis of Polytrimethylene Terephthalate(PTT) Fiber by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy

Pyrolysis of polytrimethylene terephthalate(PTT) fiber has been investigated by pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy in the temperature range from 400℃ to 750℃ in order to observe the possible effect of the temperature on its composition of pyrolysates.At 400℃,pyrolysis of molecular chain could occur,only 13 pyrolysates could be identified.The trimethylene moieties bound to the macromolecular core by ester bonds are cleaved at around 400℃.At 550℃-750℃,pyrolysis of molecular chain could completely take place,46 pyrolysates could be found.As the temperature increases,the compositions of pyrolysate are distinctly increased.Several compounds,especially benzoic acid,monopropenyl-p-phthalate,2-propenyl benzoate,di-2-propenyl ester,1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid,benzene,1,5-hexadiene,biphenyl and 1,3-propanediol dibenzoate could be formed.The thermal degradation mechanism,which is determined by structure and amount of the thermal decomposition products,are described.During pyrolysis of polytrimethylene terephthalate,polymeric chain scissions take place a peeling reaction as a successive removal of the dimer units from the polymeric chain.The chain scissions are followed by the elimination reaction,linkage action and secondary reactions,which bring about a variety fragment.

High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Bilobalide and Ginkgolides in Ginkgo biloba L. Leaves

The ginkgo terpenoids including bilobalide and ginkgolides are the main pharmaceutical components in the leaves or extracts of Ginkgo biloba L. In this paper, the analysis of bilobalide and ginkgolides in leaves of Ginkgo biloba L. by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-mass spectrometry (MS) was carried out. The separation was performed on Inertsil ODS3 column with methanol-water (36:64) as mobile phase, with 1 mL·min -1 of flow rate at 35℃. Then the mass spectrum analysis was conducted by ZMD micromass electrospray ionization (ESI)-mass spectrometer (MS). The HPLC total ion chromatogram and selected ion chromatogram (with 325, 407, 423, 439 of m/z) of the sample and ESI-/MS mass spectra of the peaks in the chromatograms were obtained. So bilobalide, ginkgolide A, B, C and J in Ginkgo biloba L. leaves were identified. The method is easy and rapid, with a good accuracy.

Metabolomics of gastric cancer metastasis detected by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

AIM:To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of metastasis and to identify the metabolomic markers of gastric cancer metastasis.METHODS:Gastric tumors from metastatic and nonmetastatic groups were used in this study.Metabolites and different metabolic patterns were analyzed by gas chromatography,mass spectrometry and principal components analysis (PCA),respectively.Differentiation performance was validated by the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curves.RESULTS:Twenty-nine metabolites were differentially expressed in animal models of human gastric cancer.Of the 29 metabolites,20 were up-regulated and 9 were down-regulated in metastasis group compared to non-metastasis group.PCA models from the metabolite profiles could differentiate the metastatic from the nonmetastatic specimens with an AUC value of 1.0.These metabolites were mainly involved in several metabolic pathways,including glycolysis (lactic acid,alaline),serine metabolism (serine,phosphoserine),proline metabolism (proline),glutamic acid metabolism,tricarboxylic acid cycle (succinate,malic acid),nucleotide metabolism (pyrimidine),fatty acid metabolism (docosanoic acid,and octadecanoic acid),and methylation(glycine).The serine and proline metabolisms were highlighted during the progression of metastasis.CONCLUSION:Proline and serine metabolisms play an important role in metastasis.The metabolic profiling of tumor tissue can provide new biomarkers for the treatment of gastric cancer metastasis.

Simultaneous determination of amino acids in different teas using supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with single quadrupole mass spectrometry

Tea is a widely consumed beverage and has many important physiological properties and potential health benefits. In this study, a novel method based on supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (SFC-MS) was developed to simultaneously determine 11 amino acids in different types of tea (green teas, Oolong tea, black tea and Pu-erh tea). The separation conditions for the analysis of the selected amino acids including the column type, temperature and backpressure as well as the type of additive, were carefully optimized. The best separation of the 11 amino acids was obtained by adding water (5%, v/v) and trifluoroacetic acid (0.4%, v/v) to the organic modifier (methanol). Finally, the developed SFC-MS method was fully validated and successfully applied to the determination of these amino acids in six different tea samples. Good linearity (r ≥ 0.993), precision (RSDs≤ 2.99%), accuracy (91.95%-107.09%) as well as good sample stability were observed. The limits of detection ranged from 1.42 to 14.69 ng/mL, while the limits of quantification were between 4.53 and 47.0 ng/mL. The results indicate that the contents of the 11 amino acids in the six different tea samples are greatly influenced by the degree of fermentation. The proposed SFC-MS method shows a great potential for further investigation of tea varieties.

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry based metabolomic study in a murine model of irritable bowel syndrome

AIM To study the role of microbial metabolites in the modulation of biochemical and physiological processes in irritable bowel syndrome(IBS).METHODS In the current study, using a metabolomic approach, we analyzed the key metabolites differentially excreted in the feces of control mice and mice with IBS, with or without Clostridium butyricum(C. butyricum) treatment. C57 BL/6 mice were divided into control, IBS, and IBS + C. butyricum groups. In the IBS and IBS + C. butyricum groups, the mice were subjected to water avoidance stress(WAS) for 1 h/d for ten days. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(GC-MS) together with multivariate analysis was employed to compare the fecal samples between groups. RESULTS WAS exposure established an appropriate model of IBS in mice, with symptoms of visceral hyperalgesia and diarrhea. The differences in the metabolite profiles between the control group and IBS group significantly changed with the progression of IBS(days 0, 5, 10, and 17). A total of 14 differentially excreted metabolites were identified between the control and IBS groups, and phenylethylamine was a major metabolite induced by stress. In addition, phenylalanine metabolism was found to be the most relevant metabolic pathway. Between the IBS group and IBS + C. butyricum group, 10 differentially excreted metabolites were identified. Among these, pantothenate and coenzyme A(Co A) biosynthesis metabolites, as well as steroid hormone biosynthesis metabolites were identified as significantly relevant metabolic pathways.CONCLUSION The metabolic profile of IBS mice is significantly altered compared to control mice. Supplementation with C. butyricum to IBS mice may provide a considerable benefit by modulating host metabolism.

Screening potential mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines using a mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method

Mitochondria regulate numerous crucial cell processes, including energy production, apoptotic cell death, oxidative stress, calcium homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Here, we applied an efficient mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry（LC/MS） method,also known as screening method for mitochondria-targeted bioactive constituents（SM-MBC）. This method allowed searching natural mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines（TCMs）, including Puerariae Radix（PR） and Chuanxiong Radix（CR）. A total of 23 active compounds were successfully discovered from the two TCMs extracts. Among these 23 hit compounds, 17 were identified by LC/MS, 12 of which were novel mitochondria-targeting compounds. Among these, 6 active compounds were analyzed in vitro for pharmacological tests and found able to affect mitochondrial functions. We also investigated the effects of the hit compounds on Hep G2 cell proliferation and on loss of cardiomyocyte viability induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. The results obtained are useful for in-depth understanding of mechanisms underlying TCMs therapeutic effects at mitochondria level and for developing novel potential drugs using TCMs as lead compounds. Finally, we showed that SM-MBC was an efficient protocol for the rapid screening of mitochondria-targeting constituents from complex samples such as PR and CR extracts.

Offline two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with ion mobility-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry enabling fourdimensional separation and characterization of the multicomponents from white ginseng and red ginseng

Inherent complexity of plant metabolites necessitates the use of multi-dimensional information to accomplish comprehensive profiling and confirmative identification.A dimension-enhanced strategy,by offline two-dimensional liquid chromatography/ion mobility-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(2 D-LC/IM-QTOF-MS)enabling four-dimensional separations(2 D-LC,IM,and MS),is proposed.In combination with in-house database-driven automated peak annotation,this strategy was utilized to characterize ginsenosides simultaneously from white ginseng(WG)and red ginseng(RG).An offline 2 DLC system configuring an Xbridge Amide column and an HSS T3 column showed orthogonality 0.76 in the resolution of ginsenosides.Ginsenoside analysis was performed by data-independent high-definition MSE(HDMSE)in the negative ESI mode on a Vion?IMS-QTOF hybrid high-resolution mass spectrometer,which could better resolve ginsenosides than MSEand directly give the CCS information.An in-house ginsenoside database recording 504 known ginsenosides and 58 reference compounds,was established to assist the identification of ginsenosides.Streamlined workflows,by applying UNIFI?to automatedly annotate the HDMSEdata,were proposed.We could separate and characterize 323 ginsenosides(including 286 from WG and 306 from RG),and 125 thereof may have not been isolated from the Panax genus.The established 2 D-LC/IM-QTOF-HDMSEapproach could also act as a magnifier to probe differentiated components between WG and RG.Compared with conventional approaches,this dimensionenhanced strategy could better resolve coeluting herbal components and more efficiently,more reliably identify the multicomponents,which,we believe,offers more possibilities for the systematic exposure and confirmative identification of plant metabolites.

Bio-analytical method development and validation of Rasagiline by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry detection and its application to pharmacokinetic study

The most suitable bio-analytical method based on liquid liquid extraction has been developed and validated for quantification of Rasagiline in human plasma. Rasagiline-13C3 mesylate was used as an internal standard for Rasagiline. Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 （2.1 mm × 50 mm, 3.5 um） column provided chromatographic separation of analyte followed by detection with mass spectrometry. The method involved simple isocratic chromatographic condition and mass spectrometric detection in the positive ionization mode using an API-4000 system. The lotal run time was 3.0 min. The proposed method has been validated with the linear range of 5 12000 pg/mL for Rasagiline. The intra-run and inter-run precision values were within 1.3% 2.9% and 1.6% 2.2% respectively for Rasagiline. The overall recovery for Rasagiline and Rasagiline-13C3 mesylate analog was 96.9% and 96.7% respectively. This validated method was successfully applied to the bioequivalence and pharmacokinetic study of human volunteers under fasting condition.

Rapid analysis of fifteen sulfonamide residues in pork and fish samples by automated on-line solid phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

The aim of this work was to develop an automated on-line solid phase extraction(SPE)with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the detection of fifteen sulfonamides in pork and fish samples.Samples were extracted with 0.2%formic acid acetonitrile solution,purified by on-line SPE device with HLB column,then separated by XBridge C18 column,using 0.1%formic acid solution and acetonitrile as the mobile phase.Mass spectrometric data was acquired under multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)mode using positive ionization electrospray.Internal standard method was used in the quantification,good linear relationship was got in range of 0.1–100 ng/mL and correlation coefficient was higher than 0.9990.The limits of detection were in the range of 0.125–2.00g/kg and the limits of quantitation were in the range of 0.250–5.00g/kg.Recoveries of the method were in range of 78.3%–99.3%,relative standard deviation were lower than 10%.The method was simple,sensitivity,and could be used for routine supervision and analysis of fifteen sulfonamides in pork and fish.

Simultaneous determination of 15 pesticide residues in Chinese cabbage and cucumber by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry utilizing online turbulent flow chromatography

In this experiment,a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was built to determine 15 pesticide residues in Chinese cabbage and cucumber samples based on online turbulent flow chromatography purification.After modified quick,easy,cheap,effective,rugged,and safe(QuEChERS)extraction,extracts were directly injected to the TLX(TurboFlow Liquid Xcalibur)system and brought to TurboFlow™columns for on-line purification and then transferred to analytical column for further separation and analysis.TurboFlow™columns types,transfer flow rate,and transfer time were optimized.Limits of detection and limits of quantification of the method obtained for 15 pesticide residues were ranged between 0.2–1.0μg/kg and 0.5–2.0μg/kg in Chinese cabbage and cucumber samples.Recoveries of pesticide residues were in range of 75.3%–103.7%.Matrix effects for 15 pesticides were in range of 5.6%–106.6%.The developed method has been successfully used for the determination of 15 pesticide residues in real samples.

Determination of Steroid Hormone Residues in Fish Tissues Using Gel Permeation Chromatography and Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A highly sensitive method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 8 steroid hormones in high-fat fish tissues using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS).The 8 steroid hormones were extracted from the tissues with diethyl ether.Differing from other common purification methods,the extract solutions were cleaned by gel permeation chromatography(GPC) using ethyl acetate-cyclohexane solution(1:1,v/v) as the mobile phase.The separation of target compounds was carried out by a BEH C18 column and a gradient elution consisting of acetonitrile and 0.2% aqueous formic acid(v/v).The compounds were detected under the multiple reaction monitoring(MRM) mode and quantified with external standard method.This method was validated with respect to linearity,specificity,accuracy and precision.A linearity with correlation coefficient larger than 0.995 was achieved in the range of 0.5 to 50 ng m L^(-1).The average recoveries at the spiked levels of 1.0,5.0,and 10.0 μg kg^(–1) varied between 81.7% and 90.8%,with the relative standard deviations(n=5) ranged from 3.50% to 10.0%.The limit of quantification(LOQ) for 8 steroid hormones ranged from 0.2 to 1.5 μg kg^(-1).It was concluded that this method can be successfully applied for the determination of 8 steroid hormones in complicated matrices including high-fat fish tissues.

Extraction of essential oil from shaddock peel and analysis of its components by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Essential oil, with more than thirty kinds of compounds separated and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, was extracted from Shatian shaddock peel and Sweet shaddock peel by squeeze-steam distillation and direct steam distillation method. Among their composition, the main components are terpene compounds, which account for 93.926% (mass fraction, the same below) and 85.843% of essential oils extracted from Shatian shaddock peel and Sweet shaddock peel, respectively. Although nootkatone is the major contributor of shaddock characteristic scent, and its contents are 1.069% and 1.749% of essential oils from Sweet shaddock peel and Shatian shaddock peel, respectively. The results show that squeeze-steam distillation gives higher yield and good quality of essential oil and the compositions of essential oils from two kinds of shaddock peels are different, but the main contributors of the shaddock scent are the same.

Analyzing crude oils from the Junggar Basin(NW China) using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry(GC×GC-TOFMS)

As a new technology of analyzing crude oils, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography cou- pled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry （GCxGC- TOFMS） has received much research attention. Here we present a case study in the Junggar Basin of NW China. Results show that the hydrocarbons, including saturates and aromatics, were all well-separated without large co- elution, which cannot be realized by conventional one-dimensional GC-MS. The GC×GC technique is especially effective for analyzing aromatics and low-to-middle- molecular-weight hydrocarbons, such as diamondoids. The geochemical characteristics of crude oils in the study area were investigated through geochemical parameters extracted by GC×GC-TOFMS, improving upon the understanding obtained by GC-MS. Thus, the work here represents a new successful application of GC×GC- TOFMS, showing its broad usefulness in petroleum geochemistry.

Determination of 8 Diuretics and Probenecid in Human Urine by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry: Confirmation Procedure

A fast and sensitive method for determination of 8 diuretics (acetazolamide, bendroflumethiazide, bumetanide, chlorthalidone, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, metolazone, triamterene) and masking agent (probenecid) in human urine using gas-chromatography with mass spectrometric detection is described. The extraction of the substances as function of the nature of organic solvent, mixing time and pH of aqueous phase was studied. The tandem mass spectrometry was used to increase selectivity of diuretics determination due to elimination of background interferences. Fragmentation reactions were studied for each compound and their collision energies were optimized to obtain the best selectivity. The results of method’s validation demonstrate its suitability in routine analysis for confirmation purposes.

A liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method for quantitating total and unbound ceritinib in patient plasma and brain tumor

A rapid, sensitive, and robust reversed-phase liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of total and unbound ceritinib, a secondgeneration ALK inhibitor, in patient plasma and brain tumor tissue samples. Sample preparation involved simple protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C_(18) column using a 4-min gradient elution consisting of mobile phase A(0.1% formic acid in water) and mobile phase B(0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile), at a flow rate of 0.4 m L/min. Ceritinib and the internal standard([^(13)C_6]ceritinib) were monitored using multiple reaction monitoring mode under positive electrospray ionization. The lower limit of quantitation(LLOQ) was 1 n M of ceritinib in plasma. The calibration curve was linear over ceritinib concentration range of 1–2000 n M in plasma. The intra-and interday precision and accuracy were within the generally accepted criteria for bioanalytical method( o15%).The method was successfully applied to assess ceritinib brain tumor penetration, as assessed by the unbound drug brain concentration to unbound drug plasma concentration ratio, in patients with brain tumors.