An overview of recent developments in the analytical detection of new psychoactive substances (NPSs)

New psychoactive substances (NPSs), sometimes referred to as “legal highs” in more colloquial environments/ the media, are a class of compounds that have been recently made available for abuse (not necessarily recently discovered) which provide similar effects to the traditional well studied illegal drugs but are not always controlled under existing local, regional or international drug legislation. Following an unprecedented increase in the number of NPSs in the last 5 years (with 101 substances discovered for the first time in 2014 alone) its, occasionally fatal, consequences have been extensively reported in the media. Such NPSs are typically marketed as ‘not for human consumption’ and are instead labelled and sold as plant food, bath salts as well as a whole host of other equally nondescript aliases in order to bypass legislative controls. NPSs are a new multi-disciplinary research field with the main emphasis in terms of forensic identification due to their adverse health effects, which can range from minimal to life threatening and even fatalities. In this mini-review we overview this recent emerging research area of NPSs and the analytical approaches reported to provide detection strategies as well as detailing recent reports towards providing point-of-care/in-the-field NPS (“legal high”) sensors

Reactivity studies of monoacetylide species towards chalcogen-bridged mixed-metal clusters:: synthesis and characterisation of [(η<SUP>5</SUP>-C<SUB>5</SUB>H<SUB>5</SUB>)<SUB>2</SUB>Fe<SUB>2</SUB>RuM<SUB>2</SUB>(CO)<SUB>6</SUB>(μ<SUB>3</SUB>-E)<SUB>2</SUB>{μ<SUB>4</SUB>-CC(Ph)C(Ph)C}] (M=Mo, W; E=S, Se) and [(η<SUP>5</SUP>-C<SUB>5</SUB>H<SUB>5</SUB>)<SUB>2</SUB>Fe<SUB>2</SUB>Ru<SUB>2</SUB>M<SUB>2</SUB>(CO)9(μ<SUB>3</SUB>-E)<SUB>2</SUB>{μ-CCPh}<SUB>2</SUB>] (M=W, E=S, Se)

Thermolysis of a toluene solution containing [Fe2Ru(CO)9(μ3-E)2] (E=S or Se) and [(η5-C5H5)M(CO)3(C=CPh)] (M=Mo or W) results in coupling of monoacetylide ligands and formation of new mixed-metal clusters [(η5-C5H5)2Fe2RuM2(CO)6(μ3-E)2{μ4-CC(Ph)C(Ph)C}] (M=Mo, E=S 1 or Se 2; M=W, E=S 3 or Se 4) and [(η5-C5H5)2Fe2Ru2M2(CO)9(μ3-E)2{μ-CCPh}2] (M=W, E=S 5 or Se 6). Compounds 1-6 have been characterised by IR and 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. Structures of 1 and 5 have been established crystallographically. Compound 1 features a tail-to-tail type of coupling of two acetylide groups on a Fe2RuMoS2 core and compound 5 is a hexanuclear Fe-Ru-W mixed-metal cluster with two uncoupled acetylide groups

Synthesis and characterization of ferrocenylchalcogenopropargyl complexes [Fe(&#951;<SUP>5</SUP>-C<SUB>5</SUB>H<SUB>4</SUB>E<SUP>I</SUP>CH<SUB>2</SUB>C&#8801;CH)<SUB>2</SUB>] (E<SUP>I</SUP> = Se, S) and their reactions to form unusual ferrocenyl-containing metal clusters with eclipsed Cp rings and new five-membered FeE<SUP>I</SUP>CHC=CH<SUB>2</SUB> ring ligand system

The new bis(chalcogenopropargyl)ferrocene complexes [Fe(&#951;5-C5H4EICH2C&#8801;CH)2] (EI = Se, 1; EI = S, 2) have been prepared by treatment of the dilithiated [Fe(&#951;5-C5H4Li)2] with Se or S powder, followed by reaction with propargyl bromide. Reaction of 1 and 2 with [Fe2M(&#956;3-E)2(CO)9] (E = S, Se and M = Fe, Ru) forms new clusters which feature an unusual five-membered FeEICHC=CH2 ring with a &#960; bond between the olefinic unit and the Fe atom, and the Cp rings adopt an eclipsed arrangement. The structures of 1 and [Fe(&#951;5-C5H4EICH2C&#8801;CH)(&#951;5-C5H4{Fe2M(CO)8(&#956;-E)(&#956;3-E)(EICHCCH2)})] (M = Fe, E = Se, EI = Se, 3; M = Fe, E = S, EI = Se, 4; M = Ru, E = S, EI = Se, 7) have been determined crystallographically

Characterization of the two-protein complex in Escherichia coli responsible for lipopolysaccharide assembly at the outer membrane

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the major glycolipid that is present in the outer membranes (OMs) of most Gram-negative bacteria. LPS molecules are assembled with divalent metal cations in the outer leaflet of the OM to form an impervious layer that prevents toxic compounds from entering the cell. For most Gram-negative bacteria, LPS is essential for growth. In Escherichia coli, eight essential proteins have been identified to function in the proper assembly of LPS following its biosynthesis. This assembly process involves release of LPS from the inner membrane (IM), transport across the periplasm, and insertion into the outer leaflet of the OM. Here, we describe the biochemical characterization of the two-protein complex consisting of LptD and LptE that is responsible for the assembly of LPS at the cell surface. We can overexpress and purify LptD and LptE as a stable complex in a 1∶1 stoichiometry. LptD contains a soluble N-terminal domain and a C-terminal transmembrane domain. LptE stabilizes LptD by interacting strongly with the C-terminal domain of LptD. We also demonstrate that LptE binds LPS specifically and may serve as a substrate recognition site at the OM