Cu-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles for Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensing

Copper-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) Cu_xZn_1−xO (x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04) were synthesized via a sol-gel process and used as an active electrode material to fabricate a non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor for the detection of glucose. Their structure, composition, and chemical properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies, and zeta potential measurements. The electrochemical characterization of the sensors was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Cu doping was shown to improve the electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of glucose, which resulted from the accelerated electron transfer and greatly improved electrochemical conductivity. The experimental conditions for the detection of glucose were optimized: a linear dependence between the glucose concentration and current intensity was established in the range from 1 nM to 100 μM with a limit of detection of 0.7 nM. The proposed sensor exhibited high selectivity for glucose in the presence of various interfering species. The developed sensor was also successfully tested for the detection of glucose in human serum samples.     

Green micellar stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method for determination of rupatadine fumarate in the presence of its main impurity desloratadine: Oxidative degradation kinetics study

A green micellar stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed for rupatadine fumarate determination in existence with its main impurity desloratadine. Separation was attained using Hypersil ODS column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm), the micellar mobile phase consisted of 0.13 M sodium dodecyl sulfate, 0.1 M disodium hydrogen phosphate adjusted by phosphoric acid to pH 2.8 and 10% n-butanol. The column was maintained at 45^◦C and detection was carried out at 267 nm. A linear response was achieved over the range of 2–160 μg/ml for rupatadine and 0.4–8 μg/ml for desloratadine. The method was applied for rupatadine determination in alergoliber tablets and alergoliber syrup without the interference of methyl paraben and propyl paraben present as main excipients. Rupatadine fumarate revealed pronounced susceptibility to oxidation; further study of oxidative degradation kinetics was carried out. Rupatadine was found to follow pseudo-first-order kinetics when exposed to 10% H₂O₂ at 60 and 80°C and the activation energy was found to be 15.69 Kcal/mol. At a lower temperature (40°C), degradation kinetics regression was best fitted as a polynomial quadratic relationship, thus rupatadine oxidation at a lower temperature tends to adopt a second-order kinetics rate. Oxidative degradation product structure was revealed using infrared and found to be rupatadine N-oxide at all temperature values.     

Electrochemical Capacitive K+ EMIS Chemical Sensor Based on the Dibromoaza[7]helicene as an Ionophore for Potassium Ions Detection

A K⁺‐sensitive capacitive electrolyte‐membrane‐insulator‐semiconductor (EMIS) based on a novel dibromoaza[7]helicene ionophore has been developed. An ion‐sensitive membrane based on polyvinylchloride (PVC) doped with the ionophore was deposited on the Si₃N₄/SiO₂/Si‐p/Cu‐Al transducer. The properties of the K⁺‐EMIS chemical sensor were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). All the developed devices upon being tested have shown good sensitivity and linearity responses within the range 10^?6 M to 10^?1 M of potassium activity, with good selectivity over a wide variety of other cations (Na⁺, Li⁺, Cu²⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺). To our knowledge, this is the first time that a capacitive field‐effect sensor has been fabricated using helicene as a carrier for K⁺‐detection, combined with the structure: Si₃N₄/SiO₂/Si‐p/Cu‐Al as a transducer.     

Evaluation of endothelial cell adhesion onto different protein/gold electrodes by EIS

To study cell attachment to biomaterials, several proteins such as fibronectin, collagen IV, heparin, immunoglobulin G, and albumin have been deposited onto polystyrene adsorbed on a self-assembled monolayer (silane or thiol) on glass or gold, respectively. The different steps of this multilayer assembly have been characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). These data are compared to those of adhesion rate, viability percentage, and cytoskeleton labeling for a better understanding of the cell adhesion process to each protein. All the proteins are endothelial cell adhering biomolecules but not with the same features. A linear relationship has been established between adhesion rate and resistance of the endothelial cell/protein interface for all negatively charged proteins.     

激光大气闪烁的间歇特征

 以小波变换法观察了湍流大气中激光光强起伏的间歇特征, 并用奇性测度进行了定量的描述。根据间歇性参量的周日变化规律发现：激光大气闪烁的间歇性存在于所有的时间和起伏条件下,并且保持稳定,间歇性参量约为0.1,基本不随起伏条件和时间变化。     

Decomposition study of the electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of irradiated alanine

Recent Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) studies on alanine powders as a function of irradiation dose and temperature on the one hand and single crystal Electron Nuclear DOuble Resonance (ENDOR) studies on the other hand, showed the presence of at least three radicals contributing to the total alanine EPR spectrum. The latter spectrum obtained after irradiation at room temperature (RT), is dominated by the well-known stable-alanine-radical (SAR) CH3C*HCOO-, also denoted R1. Appropriate heating of irradiated alanine causes the relative contribution of R1 to decrease, resulting in a spectrum mainly caused by the H-abstraction radical CH3C*(NH3)COO-, denoted R2. Although the EPR spectrum of these two radicals could be satisfactorily simulated, their influence on dose reconstruction has not been reported yet. Therefore, a detailed Maximum Likelihood Common Factor Analysis (MLCFA) study has been performed on EPR spectra from polycrystalline alanine samples, after irradiation and heat treatments. Conclusions concerning the number of contributing radicals and their influence on the RT irradiated alanine EPR spectrum will be made.     

Desorption isotherms and mathematical modeling of thin layer drying kinetics of tomato

In recent years, there is an increased demand on the international market of dried fruits and vegetables with significant added value. Due to its important production, consumption and nutrient intake, drying of tomato has become a subject of extended and varied research works. The present work is focused on the drying behavior of thin-layer tomato and its mathematical modeling in order to optimize the drying processes. The moisture desorption isotherms of raw tomato were determined at four temperature levels namely 45, 50, 60 and 65 °C using the static gravimetric method. The experimental data obtained were modeled by five equations and the (GAB) model was found to be the best-describing these isotherms. The drying kinetics were experimentally investigated at 45, 55 and 65 °C and performed at air velocities of 0.5 and 2 m/s. In order to investigate the effect of the exchange surface on drying time, samples were dried into two different shapes: tomato halves and tomato quarters. The impact of various drying parameters was also studied (temperature, air velocity and air humidity). The drying curves showed only the preheating period and the falling drying rate period. In this study, attention was paid to the modeling of experimental thin-layer drying kinetics. The experimental results were fitted with four different models.     

Novel copolymers of styrene. 5. Alkyl and alkoxy ring-disubstituted propyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates

Novel trisubstituted ethylenes, alkyl and alkoxy ring-disubstituted propyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates, RPhCH?C(CN)CO₂C₃H₇ (where R is 2,3-dimethyl, 2,5-dimethyl, 2,6-dimethyl, 3,4-dimethyl, 2,3-dimethoxy, 2,4-dimethoxy, 2,5-dimethoxy, 2,6-dimethoxy 3,4-dimethoxy, 3,5-dimethoxy) were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The monomers were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-substituted benzaldehydes and propyl cyanoacetate and characterized by CHN elemental analysis, IR, ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR. All the ethylenes were copolymerized with styrene (M₁) in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70°C. The composition of the copolymers was calculated from nitrogen analysis, and the structures were analyzed by IR, ¹H and ¹³C-NMR, GPC, DSC, and TGA. Decomposition of the copolymers in nitrogen occurred in two steps, first in the 200–500°C range with residue (0.6–5.0% wt.), which then decomposed in the 500–800°C range.     

Comparison of the photoelectrochemical oxidation of methanol on rutile TiO2 (001) and (100) single crystal faces studied by intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy

The photooxidation of methanol as a model substance for pollutants on rutile TiO(2) (001) and (100) surfaces was investigated using intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS). The results are analyzed in view of the influence of the surface structure, the methanol concentration and the electrode potential on the rate constants of charge transfer and recombination. The obtained results have been explained with a model combining the theory of IMPS for a bulk semiconductor surface and the nature of the surface-bound intermediates (alternatively mobile or immobile OH˙ radicals). The results indicate that water photooxidation proceeds via mobile OH˙ radicals on both surfaces, while methanol addition gives rise to the involvement of immobile OH˙ radicals on the (100) surface. Detailed analysis in view of the surface structures suggests that the latter observation is due to efficient electron transfer from bridging OH˙ radicals on the (100) surface to methanol, while coupling of two of these radicals occurs in the absence of methanol, making them appear as mobile OH˙ radicals. In the case of the (001) surface, the coupling reaction dominates even in the presence of methanol due to the smaller distance between the bridging OH˙ radicals, leading to more efficient water oxidation, but less efficient methanol photooxidation on this surface.