Stanislav A. Pshenichnyuk

Bio: Stanislav A. Pshenichnyuk is an academic researcher from Russian Academy of Sciences. The author has contributed to research in topics: Ion & Electron capture. The author has an hindex of 17, co-authored 93 publications receiving 835 citations. Previous affiliations of Stanislav A. Pshenichnyuk include Saint Petersburg State University.

Resonance electron attachment and long-lived negative ions of phthalimide and pyromellitic diimide.

Abstract: Resonance attachment of low energy (0–15 eV) electrons to imide-containing molecules, phthalimide (PTI) and pyromellitic diimide (PMDI), was investigated in the gas-phase by means of Electron Transmission Spectroscopy (ETS) and Dissociative Electron Attachment Spectroscopy (DEAS) Among a variety of low intensity negatively charged fragments formed by DEA, in both compounds the dominant species was found to be a long-lived (μs) parent molecular anion formed at zero energy In addition, in PMDI long-lived molecular anions were also observed at 085 and 20 eV The experimentally evaluated detachment times from the molecular anions as a function of incident electron energy are modeled with a simple computational approach based on the RRKM theory The occurrence of radiationless transitions to the ground anion state, followed by internal vibrational relaxation, is believed to be a plausible mechanism to explain the exceptionally long lifetime of the PMDI molecular anions formed above zero energy

Relation between Electron Scattering Resonances of Isolated NTCDA Molecules and Maxima in the Density of Unoccupied States of Condensed NTCDA Layers

Abstract: The empty-level structure of the 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA) molecule is characterized by means of dissociative electron attachment (DEA) experiments in the gas phase coupled with DFT calculations. Distinct maxima in the anion currents generated by electron attachment to NTCDA, as a function of incident electron energy, are ascribed to capture of incident electrons into empty orbitals, i.e., the process referred to as shape resonance. The empty orbital energies of gas-phase NTCDA shifted to 1.2 eV lower energy reproduce satisfactorily the maxima of the unoccupied electronic states of a multilayer NTCDA film measured by means of the very low energy electron diffraction method and the total current spectroscopy measurement scheme. The present results indicate that the empty levels of individual NTCDA molecules are stabilized in the solid state, but their relative energies remain nearly unaltered. The stabilization energy in multilayer film of NTCDA molecules is likely due to attra...

Electron attachment to some naphthoquinone derivatives: long-lived molecular anion formation.

Abstract: RATIONALE: Electron Affinity (EA) is one of the fundamental properties of a molecule. EA values can be measured with various experimental methods, although their availability is still relatively limited. We make an attempt to use Dissociative Electron Attachment Spectroscopy (DEAS) data for evaluation of the EAs of twelve naphthoquinone (NQ) derivatives. METHODS: Naphthoquinone (NQ) and eleven of its hydroxyl derivatives were investigated by means of DEAS. A combined investigation of NQ and juglone by means of the Electron Transmission Spectroscopy (ETS) and DEAS techniques, with the support of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, allowed us to elucidate the empty-level structures of NQ and its hydroxyl derivatives. RESULTS: All molecules under investigation form extremely long-lived molecular anions associated with three resonant states (except for NQ, where only two long-lived resonances were observed). The hydroxyl substituents of NQ cause an increase in EA and number of internal degrees of freedom (N), and, as a result, an increase in the mean electron autodetachment lifetimes of the molecular negative ions (NIs). Evaluation of the EAs from the measured lifetimes of the molecular NIs through a simple Arrhenius approximation gives results in reasonable agreement with those obtained with DFT calculations. CONCLUSIONS: NI lifetime measurements by means of a modified DEAS instrumentation can provide quantitative data of EA. A simple Arrhenius approximation seems to be adequate to describe the process of electron detachment from molecular anions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Can mitochondrial dysfunction be initiated by dissociative electron attachment to xenobiotics

Abstract: Resonance attachment of low-energy electrons to xenobiotic molecules, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), was investigated under gas-phase conditions by means of complementary experimental techniques. Electron transmission spectroscopy (ETS) and dissociative electron attachment spectroscopy (DEAS), in the 0–6 eV and 0–15 eV energy range, respectively, were applied with the aim of modeling the behavior of these pesticide molecules under reductive conditions in vivo. Formation of long-lived parent molecular anions and fragment negative ions was observed at incident electron energies very close to zero, in agreement with the results of density functional theory calculations. The gas-phase DEA process, analogous to dissociative electron transfer in solution, was considered as a model for the initial step which occurs in the intermembrane space of mitochondria when a xenobiotic molecule captures an electron “leaked” from the respiratory chain. A possible involvement of the fragments produced by DEA to the pesticides under investigation into cellular processes is discussed. It is concluded that the free radicals and potential DNA adducts formed by DEA are expected to be dangerous for mitochondrial functionalities, while several of the products observed could act as messenger molecules, thus interfering with the normal cellular signaling pathways.

Ion formation mechanisms in UV-MALDI

Abstract: Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) is a very widely used analytical method, but has been developed in a highly empirical manner. Deeper understanding of ionization mechanisms could help to design better methods and improve interpretation of mass spectra. This review summarizes current mechanistic thinking, with emphasis on the most common MALDI variant using ultraviolet laser excitation. A two-step framework is gaining acceptance as a useful model for many MALDI experiments. The steps are primary ionization during or shortly after the laser pulse, followed by secondary reactions in the expanding plume of desorbed material. Primary ionization in UV-MALDI remains somewhat controversial, the two main approaches are the cluster and pooling/photoionization models. Secondary events are less contentious, ion–molecule reaction thermodynamics and kinetics are often invoked, but details differ. To the extent that local thermal equilibrium is approached in the plume, the mass spectra may be straightforwardly interpreted in terms of charge transfer thermodynamics.

Melatonin Synthesis and Function: Evolutionary History in Animals and Plants.

Abstract: Melatonin is an ancient molecule that can be traced back to the origin of life. Melatonin’s initial function was likely that as a free radical scavenger. Melatonin presumably evolved in bacteria; it has been measured in both α-proteobacteria and in photosynthetic cyanobacteria. In early evolution, bacteria were phagocytosed by primitive eukaryotes for their nutrient value. According to the endosymbiontic theory, the ingested bacteria eventually developed a symbiotic association with their host eukaryotes. The ingested α-proteobacteria evolved into mitochondria while cyanobacteria became chloroplasts and both organelles retained their ability to produce melatonin. Since these organelles have persisted to the present day, all species that ever existed or currently exist may have or may continue to synthesize melatonin in their mitochondria (animals and plants) and chloroplasts (plants) where it functions as an antioxidant. Melatonin’s other functions, including its multiple receptors, developed later in evolution. In present day animals, via receptor-mediated means, melatonin functions in the regulation of sleep, modulation of circadian rhythms, enhancement of immunity, as a multifunctional oncostatic agent, etc., while retaining its ability to reduce oxidative stress by processes that are, in part, receptor-independent. In plants, melatonin continues to function in reducing oxidative stress as well as in promoting seed germination and growth, improving stress resistance, stimulating the immune system and modulating circadian rhythms; a single melatonin receptor has been identified in land plants where it controls stomatal closure on leaves. The melatonin synthetic pathway varies somewhat between plants and animals. The amino acid, tryptophan, is the necessary precursor of melatonin in all taxa. In animals, tryptophan is initially hydroxylated to 5-hydroxytryptophan which is then decarboxylated with the formation of serotonin. Serotonin is either acetylated to N-acetylserotonin or it is methylated to form 5-methoxytryptamine; these products are either methylated or acetylated, respectively, to produce melatonin. In plants, tryptophan is first decarboxylated to tryptamine which is then hydroxylated to form serotonin.

Negative Ions in Space

Abstract: Until a decade ago, the only anion observed to play a prominent role in astrophysics was H–. The bound–free transitions in H– dominate the visible opacity in stars with photospheric temperatures less than 7000 K, including the Sun. The H– anion is also believed to have been critical to the formation of molecular hydrogen in the very early evolution of the Universe. Once H2 formed, about 500 000 years after the Big Bang, the expanding gas was able to lose internal gravitational energy and collapse to form stellar objects and “protogalaxies”, allowing the creation of heavier elements such as C, N, and O through nucleosynthesis. Although astronomers had considered some processes through which anions might form in interstellar clouds and circumstellar envelopes, including the important role that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons might play in this, it was the detection in 2006 of rotational line emission from C6H– that galvanized a systematic study of the abundance, distribution, and chemistry of anions in the...