H/D Exchange Coupled with 2H-labeled Stable Isotope-Assisted Metabolomics Discover Transformation Products of Contaminants of Emerging Concern

Anal Chem. 2023 Aug 22;95(33):12541-12549. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02833. Epub 2023 Aug 13.

Abstract

Stable isotope-assisted metabolomics (SIAM) is a powerful tool for discovering transformation products (TPs) of contaminants. Nevertheless, the high cost or lack of isotope-labeled analytes limits its application. In-house H/D (hydrogen/deuterium) exchange reactions enable direct 2H labeling to target analytes with favorable reaction conditions, providing intuitive and easy-to-handle approaches for environmentally relevant laboratories to obtain cost-effective 2H-labeled contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). We first combined the use of in-house H/D exchange and 2H-SIAM to discover potential TPs of 6PPD (N-1,3-dimethylbutyl-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine), providing a new strategy for finding TPs of CECs. 6PPD-d9 was obtained by in-house H/D exchange with favorable reaction conditions, and the impurities were carefully studied. Incomplete deuteride, for instance, 6PPD-d8 in this study, constitutes a major part of the impurities. Nevertheless, it has few adverse effects on the 2H-SIAM pipeline in discovering TPs of 6PPD. The 2H-SIAM pipeline annotated 9 TPs of 6PPD, and commercial standards further confirmed the annotated 6PPDQ (2-anilino-5-(4-methylpentan-2-ylamino)cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione) and PPPD (N-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine). Additionally, a possible new formation mechanism for 6PPDQ was proposed, highlighting the performance of the strategy. In summary, this study highlighted a new strategy for discovering the TPs of CECs and broadening the application of SIAM in environmental studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Benzoquinones* / analysis
  • Benzoquinones* / metabolism
  • Biotransformation
  • Deuterium Exchange Measurement / methods
  • Isotopes
  • Metabolomics / methods
  • Phenylenediamines* / analysis
  • Phenylenediamines* / metabolism
  • Reference Standards
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical* / metabolism

Substances

  • Isotopes
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine
  • Phenylenediamines
  • N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone
  • Benzoquinones