Hydrogen-deuterium Isotope Exchange Research Articles

Accelerated Keto–Enol Tautomerization Kinetics of Malonic Acid in Aqueous Droplets

Chemical reactions in atmospheric organic aerosol (OA) add large uncertainties to accurate predictions of the effect of aerosol on health, visibility, and climate. The acceleration of reaction rates of organic compounds in droplets compared to bulk solution has been reported; however, the mechanism and the principle of acceleration largely remains unknown. Malonic acid (MA) is a dicarboxylic acid that exhibits keto–enol tautomerization and is ubiquitous in organic aerosols found in the nature. An environment controlled electrodynamic balance (EDB) coupled with Mie scattering imaging (MSI) and Raman spectroscopy was used to levitate single charged MA droplets and investigate the effect of relative humidity (RH: 90%, 70%, 50%, and 30%) and size (28–91 μm diameter) on the reaction kinetics of keto–enol tautomerization of MA. Raman spectroscopy of hydrogen–deuterium isotopic exchange in MA droplets enabled quantitative analysis of MA tautomerization kinetics. The result showed slower reaction rates of MA droplets at lower RH as well as in larger-sized droplets. Application of a step-by-step isotopic exchange model to the MA droplets at 90% RH condition was used to determine the enolization rate of MA, yielding a value 10-fold higher than determined in bulk solution. Keto and enol forms of MA have distinctive physicochemical properties, such as reactivity and hydrogen bond structure. The result from our work suggests that keto–enol tautomerization can play an important role for aging of MA-containing OA in nature, as the enol form of MA can undergo accelerated chemical reactions due to the presence of the reactive carbon–carbon double bond.

Isotope exchange in Li-D co-deposited layers at temperatures below 200 °C

Hydrogen-deuterium isotope exchange in Li-D co-deposited films was studied as a method of removal of heavy hydrogen isotopes from Li films deposited in fusion devices. The total H and D retention was measured using in-vacuo thermal desorption spectroscopy. Co-deposited Li-D films were kept in H2 gas at 1 Pa and 105 Pa at room temperature, 100 °C, and 200 °C. Some reduction of the D content was observed even at RT, while nearly full isotope substitution was achieved at 200 °C after 1 day at 105 Pa in H2 gas.

Investigation on the effects of beta and gamma irradiation on conducting polymers for sensor applications

Two conductive polymers were evaluated to be the active materials in a sensor device for the detection of beta radiation. This was accomplished by characterizing the changes in conductivity of electrically conducting polymer films caused by exposure to tritium gas for varying lengths of time. The behavior of these materials when exposed to gamma radiation was also studied to gain further insight into the mechanism of conductivity degradation by ionizing radiation. Two types of conductive polymer, polyaniline (PANi) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), were chosen as candidate materials for their widespread commercial use. The change of surface resistance (conductivity) of PANi and PEDOT films when exposed to gamma radiation in both air and deuterium environments was evaluated as well as tritium exposures in 10 4 and 10 5 Pa gas. Raman and absorbance spectra of gamma irradiated samples were obtained to determine the mechanism of conductivity degradation in both polymers. Post-irradiation gas analysis of the samples contained in deuterium revealed very little (or no) hydrogen in the containment vessel, indicating that hydrogen–deuterium isotopic exchange was not responsible for the decrease in surface conductivity due to gamma exposure. The effects of irradiation-induced oxidation were also studied for both conductive polymers during gamma irradiation. It was concluded that chain scission via free radical formation and chain cross-linking are most likely the two dominant mechanisms for conductivity change and not de-protonation of the polymer.

Protein instability during HIC: Hydrogen exchange labeling analysis and a framework for describing mobile and stationary phase effects

Unfolding of marginally stable proteins is a significant factor in commercial application of hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). In this work, hydrogen-deuterium isotope exchange labeling has been used to monitor protein unfolding on HIC media for different stationary phase hydrophobicities and as a function of ammonium sulfate concentration. Circular dichroism and Raman spectroscopy were also used to characterize the structural perturbations experienced by solution phase protein that had been exposed to media and by protein adsorbed on media. As expected, greater instability is seen on chromatographic media with greater apparent hydrophobicity. However, increased salt concentrations also led to more unfolding, despite the well-known stabilizing effect of ammonium sulfate in solution. A thermodynamic framework is proposed to account for the effects of salt on both adsorption and stability during hydrophobic chromatography. Using appropriate estimates of input quantities, analysis with the framework can explain how salt effects on stability in chromatographic systems may contrast with solution stability.

Investigation of the deuteration of crystalline layer forms of silica and alumina in liquid D2O

The mechanism of hydrogen-deuterium isotopic exchange was studied in crystalline layer forms of silica (hydrous and cation-substituted SiO2-X2 and SiO2-Y varieties) and alumina (hydrargillite and boehmite) in contact with liquid D2O at temperatures of 20–200°C and saturated vapor pressure. Extensive exchange was observed between adsorbed H2O and D2O molecules via the self-diffusion mechanism in all silica varieties and boehmite at a temperature of 20°C. Deuterium substitution for hydrogen in structural OH groups was observed at 20°C only in the H-form of SiO2-Y (0.7%) and boehmite (1.2 or 17% with molecular deuteration). When the temperature of the hydrothermal treatment of samples was raised up to 200°C, the degree of structural deuterium exchange increased up to 12% (35% with molecular deuteration) in the former case and up to 34% in the latter case. In the former case, the process of isotopic exchange occurred by the nucleophile substitution SNi near surface silicon atoms, and in the latter case, the electrophile substitution ENi in surface OH groups.

Hydrophobic interaction chromatography selectivity changes among three stable proteins: conformation does not play a major role

Interesting retention and selectivity changes have been noted for a number of proteins in hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). In this study, we investigated the degree to which conformational changes may be responsible for selectivity changes of stable proteins. Hydrogen-deuterium isotope exchange detected by mass spectrometry was used to investigate changes in solvent accessibility during adsorption on HIC media. Lysozyme was determined to exhibit EX2 hydrogen exchange kinetics both in solution and adsorbed to Butyl Sepharose 4 Fast Flow and Phenyl Sepharose 6 Fast Flow high sub surfaces. A small, but significant, increase in solvent accessibility was observed upon adsorption. Similar approaches were used to analyze solvent accessibility of three stable proteins with melting temperatures above 50 degrees C exhibiting significant selectivity changes on Butyl Sepharose and Toyopearl Butyl 650M. While all three proteins (lysozyme, chymotrypsinogen A, and ovalbumin) exhibited enhanced exchange while adsorbed, no differences in solvent accessibility on the different adsorbents were observed. More detailed studies of lysozyme showed no significant changes in labeling prior or during elution. These results demonstrate that HIC surfaces examined here do not dramatically alter the structure of these stable proteins and that differences in conformation are not responsible for the selectivity changes observed. Thus, other factors such as different preferred binding orientations or variations between the media pore structure, size, and/or surface chemistry must be responsible.

Benzyl Alcohol‐Induced Destabilization of Interferon‐γ: A Study by Hydrogen‐Deuterium Isotope Exchange

The destabilizing effect of a multidose preservative, benzyl alcohol, on IFN‐γ was investigated. Hydrogen‐deuterium isotope exchange (HX) detected by mass spectrometry (MS) was used to detect tertiary structure changes and measure global unfolding rates. The experiments showed that tertiary structure changes previously reported using circular dichroism may involve only a limited portion of the protein with the hydrophobic core of the protein remaining intact. Protein unfolding rates measured by hydrogen exchange were very sensitive to benzyl alcohol concentration, and increased markedly when salt was also added. Dynamic light scattering and size‐exclusion chromatography showed that a small fraction of the protein formed large aggregates during the first few days. Measurements at longer incubation times (up to 8 days) showed that a significant fraction of protein was trapped in a structure less protected from hydrogen exchange, but not completely unfolded. This fraction of protein may be responsible for the irreversible loss of activity observed in earlier studies. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 93:1605–1617, 2004

Hydrogen exchange-mass spectrometry analysis of beta-amyloid peptide structure.

beta-Amyloid peptide (A beta) is the primary protein component of senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease and is believed to be responsible for the neurodegeneration associated with the disease. A beta has proven to be toxic only when aggregated; however, the structure of the aggregated species associated with toxicity is unknown. In the present study, we use hydrogen-deuterium isotope exchange (HX)-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (MS) along with enzymatic digestion as a tool to examine at near residue level, the changes in A beta structure associated with aggregation to a fibril form. Our results show that the structure of A beta intermediate species formed early in the course of fibrillogenesis is dependent upon solvent conditions. Additionally, the HX-MS data of peptic A beta fragments suggest that the C-terminal segment of the peptide is approximately 35% protected from exchange in fibril-containing samples, relative to monomeric A beta species prepared in DMSO/H(2)O. The N-terminus (residues 1-4) is completely unprotected from exchange, and the fragment containing residues 5-19 is over 50% protected from exchange in the fibril-containing samples. This work contributes to our understanding of A beta structure associated with aggregation and toxicity and further application of this approach may aid in the design of agents that intervene in the A beta aggregation processes associated with neurotoxicity.

Protein unfolding during reversed-phase chromatography: II. Role of salt type and ionic strength.

While reversed-phase chromatography (RPC) may be a powerful method for purification of proteins at the analytical scale, both preparative and analytical applications have been hindered by the complex chromatographic behavior of proteins compared to small molecules. Further, preparative applications have been limited because of poor yields caused by the denaturing conditions involved. One means for modulating both the stability and chromatographic behavior of proteins is through the use of added salt. In this investigation, we show how salt type and ionic strength affect protein conformation on RPC surfaces. Exposure of amide groups of adsorbed BPTI was monitored using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and hydrogen-deuterium isotope exchange. Sodium chloride, sodium acetate, and ammonium sulfate were studied at ionic strengths up to I = 0.375, with adsorption hold times being 5 min and 2 h. We found that increasing ionic strength decreased exposure of the exchange reporter groups in essentially all cases. However, even at the same ionic strength the level and distribution of residue protection varied with salt type and hold time. NaCl does not protect certain reporter groups at all, while those that it does protect to some degree at short hold times can exchange slightly more at longer times. The pattern and level of protection for NaAc at short times is similar to that for NaCl, but at longer times more uniform protection is seen as the reporter groups completely exposed at short times become more protected. For (NH(4))(2)SO(4) the pattern of protection at short hold time is similar to those of the other salts, although it protects all groups much more. This would be expected from the Hofmeister series. However, at longer times the level of protection with (NH(4))(2)SO(4) decreases below that of the other salts, while it uniquely protects all groups to nearly the same level. Such subtle variations in the protein structure would not have been detected without the measurements and analysis used here. Chromatographic retention times and peak shapes were obtained for the above systems. Variations of behavior were seen that could not be correlated with any of the above protection patterns and levels or even with heuristics such as the Hofmeister series. This suggests further conformational changes upon elution may be critical to the retention process. However, an excellent correlation was found between peak width at half-height and the average degree of unfolding, as indicated by the average level of isotopic exchange. Thus, while further studies are needed to definitively determine the connection between protein unfolding and retention, use of this correlation may improve designing and screening for chromatographic conditions that minimize protein unfolding.

The prototropic equilibria in pentenylphosphonic systems

Dialkyl 2-chloropentylphosphonates, C3H7CHClCH2P(O)(OR)2, and monoalkyl 2-chloropentylphosphonic acids, C3H7CHClCH2PO2H(OR), have been dehydrohalogenated by strong bases to the corresponding pentenylphosphonic compounds. In all cases the kinetically controlled product was shown to be the E-1-pentenylphosphonic derivative. The α,β-unsaturated products underwent base-catalysed isomerization to the thermodynamically controlled E-2-pentenylphosphonic systems, thus indicating that the PO3R2 and PO3R− groups destabilize (relative to hydrogen) the adjacent olefinic bond. The hydrogen–deuterium isotope exchange was studied for the α,β- and β,γ-unsaturated products and the results obtained were in full agreement with the isomerization results.