Silicon-containing hydroxylapatite nanopowders

Silicon-substituted hydroxylapatite nanopowders containing 0.14–1.4 wt % Si have been synthesized by the heterophase reaction between calcium hydroxide, diammonium hydrogen phosphate, tetraethoxysilane, and water and by precipitation from aqueous solutions of calcium nitrate, diammonium hydrogen phosphate, and tetraethoxysilane. The products have been characterized by specific surface area (S _BET) measurements, X-ray powder diffraction, chemical analysis, and IR spectroscopy. The phase composition of the products depends on the synthesis method. The heterophase reaction yields nanopowders with S _BET = 20–24 m²/g in which the main crystalline phase is silicon-substituted hydroxylapatite. The product synthesized by precipitation from solution has an S _BET of up to 73 m²/g and an increased tricalcium phosphate content, which crystallizes from the amorphous phase during heat treatment.     

Preparation and characterization of the inclusion complexes of equol with sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin: their antioxidant activity and dissolution evaluation

The formation of inclusion complexes between S-(?)-equol (SEq) and cyclodextrins (CDs) was investigated. The binding constant (K_c) of the SEq/sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) inclusion complex was determined to be 1600 L/mol based on UV data. The phenyl ring of the SEq molecule was found to be inserted from the secondary hydroxyl face of the SBE-β-CD as evidenced from ¹H–¹H rotating frame nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY) NMR. The thermal properties of the solid SEq/SBE-β-CD inclusion complexes prepared by physical mixing, kneading and freeze-drying methods were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. For the solid complex obtained by the freeze-drying method, the endothermic peak corresponding to the melting point of SEq disappeared. The solid SEq/SBE-β-CD complexes exhibited a high score in antioxidant activity evaluation tests compared to SEq alone. Dissolution test revealed that the solid complex obtained by freeze-drying method had improved dissolution of SEq.     

Synthesis and piezoelectric properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-phthaloylglutamic acid derivatives

The (S,S)- and (R,R)-enantiomers of dimethyl 2,4-diphthalimidoglutarate were synthesized by nucleophilic substitution of bromine in dimethyl (2S,4RS)-4-bromo-N-phthaloyl-glutamate upon treatment with potassium phthalimide, followed by separation. The crystal structure of the obtained compounds was studied by X-ray diffraction. Crystals of enantiomerically pure dimethyl 4-hydroxy- and 4-phthalimido-N-phthaloylglutamates were found to possess a noticeable piezoelectric activity.     

Reactions of benzazole-2-thiones with 3,5-di-<Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl acetate

The benzylation of benzothiazole(oxazole, imidazole)-2-thiones with 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl acetate involves either the sulfur or nitrogen atom depending on the reaction conditions. The S- and N-benzylation products of benzazole-2-thiones are kinetically and thermodynamically controlled products, respectively. The use of 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-benzyl acetate allows sterically hindered hydroxybenzyl derivatives of benzаzole-2-thiones to be generally synthesized under milder conditions than in known methods of their synthesis.     

Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ortho</Emphasis>-carboranyl derivatives of (<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>)-asparagine and (<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>)-glutamine

(S)-Asparagine and (S)-glutamine ortho-carboranyl derivatives with free amino and carboxy groups in the α-position were synthesized. By an example of N ^γ-(1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecarboran-3-yl)-(S)-glutamine it was demonstrated that the developed synthetic approach carboranyl derivatives of amino acids allowed the preparation of optically pure isomers.     

Thermodynamic Properties of Zincate-Manganites of LaM<Subscript>2</Subscript> <Superscript>II</Superscript>ZnMnO<Subscript>6</Subscript> (М<Superscript>II</Superscript> = Mg,Ca, Sr,Ba) Composition

Temperature dependences of the heat capacity of new zincate-manganites of LaM₂^IIZnMnO₆ (M^II = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) composition are studied via experimental calorimetry in the interval of 298.15–673 K. It is found that all compounds have λ-shape effects on the curve of dependence C_p° ~ ?(T) with respect to phase transitions of the second kind. Equations for the temperature dependence of the heat capacity are derived with allowance for phase transition temperatures, and thermodynamic functions H°(T) ? H°(298.15), S°(T) and Φ^xx(T) are calculated on the basis of experimental data on C_p°(T) and the calculated S°(298.15) value.     

Effect of Medium pH And Ion Strength on the Thermal Stability of Plant Formate Dehydrogenases

The effect of medium pH and ion strength on the thermal stability of formate dehydrogenases (EC 1.2.1.2, FDH) from model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (AthFDH) and soybean Glycine max (SoyFDH) are studied. The dependence of the residual activity on time is described by the kinetics of the reaction of the first order in all the experimental conditions. The dependence of the first order thermal inactivation constants on phosphate buffer concentration has the form of a bell-shaped curve. It was found that an increase in the pH value resulted in an increase and decrase of inactivation rate constans for SoyFDH and AthFDH, respectively. The activation parameters of the thermal inactivation process, ΔH^≠ and ΔS^≠ are calculated from the experimental data at different medium pH values and phosphate buffer concentrations.     

Synthesis of Ni(II) complexes with chiral derivatives of cyclohexane-1,2-diamine,bycyclo[2.2.2]octane-2,3-diamine,and 1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diamine

Chiral ligands—derivatives of (1R,2R)-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine, (1R,2R)-diphenylethane-1,2-diamine, and (2S,3S)-bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2,3-diamine—and octahedral Ni(II) complexes on their basis have been synthesized.     

Pyrrolidine synthons for β-lactams

Fused tricyclic aziridines, methyl rel-(2R,2aR,3R,4R,4aR,4bS)- and rel-(2S,2aR,3R,4R,4aR,4bS)-4-hydroxy-2,4a-dimethoxyhexahydro-1-oxa-2b-azacyclopropa[cd]pentalene-3-carboxylates, have been synthesized as possible precursors to β-lactams. The product structure has been determined by two-dimensional NMR techniques in combination with computational methods.     

Effect of the cerium content on the activity of Cu-Ce-Al-O catalysts in the methanol steam reforming reaction in a flow reactor

The Cu_18.5Ce _x Al_{81.5 ? x} (where x = 2, 7.4, and 14) oxide catalysts were synthesized by coprecipitation and tested in the methanol steam reforming reaction in an integral flow reactor at 270°C. It was found that the activity of the catalysts increased with the calcination temperature and catalysts with intermediate cerium contents exhibited the highest activity; these catalysts exhibited the greatest values of S _BET and S _Cu. The phase analysis demonstrated that copper in these samples occurred almost entirely as a CuO-CeO₂ solid solution. The concentration of carbon monoxide at the reactor outlet decreased with the calcination temperature. For the most active sample with a cerium content of 7.4% calcinated at 700°C, the concentration of CO reached a minimum of no higher than 0.3%.     

Polarization of the contact between fluorine-conducting solid electrolyte and metal alloys

The kinetics of low-sized phase formation on polarization of the interface between LaF₃:Eu²⁺ and Pb–Sn, Sn–Bi, and Sb–Bi alloys is studied by the potentiostatic and linear voltammetry methods. The analysis of anodic transients shows that the new phase formation involving fluoride ions from the solid electrolyte proceeds by the mechanism of instantaneous two-dimensional or three-dimensional nucleation. Comparison of calculated and experimental transients describing the instantaneous nucleation with either two-dimensional growth on the I/I _m vs. t/t _m coordinates or three-dimensional growth on the I ²/I _m ² vs. t/t _m coordinates shows adequate agreement between the model and the initial regions of experimental curves. The properties of phases formed depend on the alloy composition and the polarization conditions as well as on the energy of interaction between components in the alloy and in the new phase.     

Synthesis and crystal structure of (2<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>,4<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>,5<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>)-2-(5-bromo-2-hydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dimethyl-5-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidines

Condensation of ephedrine alkaloids with 5-bromo-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde was studied, and X-ray diffraction analysis of the synthesized (2S,4S,5R)-2-(2-hydroxy-5-bromophenyl)-3,4-dimethyl-5-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidines was performed.     

Nitrosative Stress Response in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vibrio cholerae</Emphasis>: Role of <Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>-Nitrosoglutathione Reductase

Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, poses serious threats to humans worldwide. V. cholerae faces host inflammatory response and encounters nitrosative stress before establishing successful colonization. It is not clear how V. cholerae combats nitric oxide and reactive nitrogen species. In the present study, we used three clinical strains of V. cholerae and tested their nitrosative stress response pattern towards sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and S-Nitrosoglutathione (GSNO). Among them, V. cholerae, belonging to both O1 and O139 serotypes, showed moderate resistance to SNP and GSNO. However, a V. cholerae strain belonging to non O1 and non O139 showed sensitivity to SNP but resistance towards GSNO. Reduced glutathione and glutathione reductase play a significant role to combat nitrosative stress in V. cholerae. This is the first report where we show the presence of GSNO reductase activity in V. cholerae and that it plays an important role to detoxify S-Nitrosoglutathione. GSNO reductase activity of V. cholerae was regulated by posttranslational modification through S-nitrosylation under in vitro conditions which could be reversed by dithiothreitol (DTT). In addition, we show that biofilm formation remained unaffected under nitrosative stress in V. cholerae.     

Sc<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>3</Subscript>–Cu<Subscript>2</Subscript>S phase diagram

A phase diagram is constructed for the Sc₂S₃–Cu₂S system. The system forms two incongruently melting complex sulfides: hexagonal CuScS₂ (1Cu₂S: 1Sc₂S₃): a = 0.3734 nm, c = 0.6102 nm, space group P3m1, Т_m = 1635 K, ΔH_m = 1670 kJ/mol; and cubic CuSc₃S₅ (1Cu₂S: 3Sc₂S₃), a = 1.0481 nm, space group Fd3m, Т_m = 1835 K. In the 45–62 mol % Cu2S solid solution (ss) range, there is a singular point corresponding to the composition of compound CuScS₂ (50 mol % Cu₂S). The Sc₂S₃-based solubility at 1070 K is 14 mol % Cu₂S. In the γ-Cu₂S-based solid solution range, there is a peritectic point at 7 mol % Sc₂S₃, 1423 K.     

Kinetics of mechanochemical dissolution of chromium in iron

The kinetics of solid Fe–Cr solution formation has been studied during mechanical alloying of Fe and Cr powders taken in an atomic ratio of 80: 20. X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy data have been analyzed within the framework of the energetic approach. It has been established that, in this system, reaction product yield N is related to mechanical energy dose D and specific surface area S of Fe nanograin boundaries in an ideal manner: N ~ D² at S ~ D and N ~ D at S = const.     

Chromatographic Separation of Bupivacaine Enantiomers by HPLC: Parameters Estimation of Equilibrium and Mass Transfer Under Linear Conditions

Bupivacaine is an amide type local anesthetic widely used in surgery and obstetrics because of its sustained peripheral and central nerve blockade. R-(+)-bupivacaine is more toxic to the central nervous and the cardiovascular systems than S-(?)-bupivacaine. To obtain S-(?)-bupivacaine with high degree of purity using a continuous simulated moving bed (SMB) unity, equilibrium and mass transfer parameters under dilute conditions were obtained by pulse experiments using 0,0′-bis[4-terc-butyl-benzoyl]-N,N′-diallyl-L-tartar diamide immobilized in silica (Kromasil^® CHI-TBB). The linear equilibrium constants were found to be 2.12 and 2.91 for R-(+)-and S-(?)-bupivacaine, respectively. Axial dispersion coefficients were found to be practically the same for both enantiomers. A fast kinetic of mass transfer was observed. The internal resistance to the mass transfer controls all the mass transfer process in this chiral column and the pore diffusion coefficients were of the order 10^?7cm²/s. The equilibrium and mass transfer parameters will be employed in future simulation and design of operating conditions of SMB unity.     

Dual Stereochemical Control in Reaction of Di- and Trialkyl Phosphites with Aldimines

Stereochemistry of addition of di- and trialkyl phosphites to C=N compounds was investigated. Reactions of achiral dialkyl phosphites with chiral aldimines as well as that of chiral di-(1R,2S,5R)-menthyl phosphite with achiral aldimines result in low diastereomeric enrichment of the addition compound. Reaction stereoselectivity increased when supplementary chiral inductor was introduced to the reaction system. Reaction of di-(1R,2S, 5R)-menthyl phosphite with (S)-α-methylbenzylbenzaldimine proceeds as concerted asymmetric induction to form practically one diastereomer of N-substituted aminophosphonic acid. However, reaction of di-(1R,2S, 5R)-menthyl phosphite with (R)-α-methylbenzylbenzaldimine proceeded as not concerted asymmetric induction, and diastereomeric enrichment of the product was low. By chemical extrapolation, absolute configuration of compounds formed was established. Tri-(1R,2S,5R)-menthyl phosphite reacts with C=N compounds in the presence of boron trifluoride etherate to form aminophosphonic acid derivatives with the absolute configuration opposite to that appearing in the reaction of di-(1R,2S,5R)-menthyl phosphite with the same C=N compounds.     

A procedure for studying the sorption of ethanol vapor on a monomolecular Langmuir-Blodgett arachic acid film

The paper presents the results of studies of the sorption of ethanol from the gas phase by a monomolecular arachic acid layer deposited by the Langmuir-Blodgett method onto the surface of a nickel substrate. Studies were performed using a working model based on a field-effect transistor. Sorption was accompanied by changes in the potential of the nickel substrate. The dependence of transistor current I _D on time t was related to the conditions of Langmuir-Blodgett film deposition. The value and characteristic time of signal variations as the atmosphere changed depended on the pressure of monolayer deposition and, therefore, monolayer phase state on the surface of water when it was transferred to the solid substrate. The experimental I _D (t) dependence was compared with the time dependence of arachic monolayer surface coverage with sorbent molecules calculated by the Langmuir model. The conclusion was drawn that the model was capable of describing the sorption of ethanol vapor by the Langmuir-Blodgett arachic acid monolayer at low partial pressures p ≤ 0.05p ₀, where p ₀ is the saturated vapor pressure.     

Synthesis and heat capacity of NdVO<Subscript>4</Subscript> in the temperature range of 384–859 K

Heat capacity of NdVO₄ was determined in the temperature range of 384–859 K using differential scanning calorimetry. The thermodynamic functions (H°(T)–H°(384 K), S°(T)–S°(384 K), and Φ°) of neodymium orthovanadate were calculated using the experimental C_p = f(T) values. The structure of NdVO₄ was studied at 298 and 973 K.     

Asymmetric oxidation of verbenone ethylene dithioacetal

Asymmetric oxidation of verbenone ethylene dithioacetal with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid at different substrate-to-oxidant ratios in methylene chloride at ?10°C gave previously unknown (1S,1′S,2S,3′S,5S)-4,6,6-trimethylspiro[bicyclo[3.1.1]hept-3-ene-2,2′-[1,3]dithiolane] 1′,3′-dioxide, (1S,2S,3′S,5S)-4,6,6-trimethylspiro[bicyclo[3.1.1]hept-3-ene-2,2′-[1,3]dithiolane] 1′,1′,3′-trioxide, and (1S,5S)-4,6,6-trimethylspiro[bicyclo-[3.1.1]hept-3-ene-2,2′-[1,3]dithiolane] 1′,1′,3′,3′-tetraoxide whose structure was determined by X-ray analysis.