Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Activity of Amino Acid Derivatives of the Heteropolytungstophosphoric Acid

Compounds of phosphotungstic acid (WPA) containing the amino acids alanine (WPA–Ala) or glycine (WPA–Gly) as counter cations were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, thermal analysis, and IR spectroscopy. Cellular toxicity was assessed by the trypan blue exclusion method, and the antiviral activity of WPA and the modified WPA compounds was tested against herpes simplex viruses (HSV) type 1 and type 2. Biological assays indicate that the newly synthesized compounds exhibit no evident cytotoxic effects on Vero cells and negligible antiviral activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2.     

Beseitigung des Matrixeffekts bei der Analyse von Edelmetallspuren mit induktiv gekoppeltem Plasma

Summary Spectral interferences associated with the determination of trace contents of Au, Ag, Pt and Pd in samples with complex matrices (hydrometallurgical solutions, metallurgical products and ore processing products) were investigated. It was found that it is necessary to separate Au, Pt and Pd from the matrix elements. The results obtained with various methods for separation and pre-concentration of these elements showed that in the case of hydrometallurgical solutions adsorption on activated carbon satisfies the requirements of analytical control. For the determination of these elements in ore processing products it is necessary to use additional extraction for their preconcentration. The most suitable organic solution found for the extraction of Au, Pt and Pd and their determination with ICP is isoamyl alcohol.     

Extension of β-chloroenals to ethyl 5-chloro-2,4-pentadienoates using Wadsworth-Emmons reactions: subsequent conversions to 5-aryl-5-chloro-2,4-pentadienoic acids and 5-aryl-2-penten-4-ynoic acids

Convenient routes from (Z)-3-aryl-3-chloroenals to (2E,4Z)-5-aryl-5-chloro-2,4-pentadienoates and (2E)-5-aryl-2-penten-4-ynoates are described. The stereochemical assignments are based on NMR spectral data.     

Lewis acid-promoted Kharasch-Curran additions: a competition kinetics study of bromine atom transfer addition of N-alpha-bromoacetyl-oxazolidinone to 1-hexene

Lewis acids can efficiently promote free radical atom transfer reactions of an oxazolidinone imide substrate, 1, derived from alpha-bromo acetic acid. Thus, 1 undergoes a radical chain addition to 1-hexene giving the atom transfer addition compound, 6, in the presence of scandium or ytterbium triflate in 1,2-dichloroethane or a cosolvent mixture of 1/9 THF/dichloromethane. In 1,2-dichloroethane the solution is heterogeneous, while the cosolvent mixture gives a homogeneous solution, even at temperatures of -78 degrees C. Competition experiments were carried out in both solvent systems with added carbon tetrachloride to study how Lewis acid affected the product distribution. In the presence of carbon tetrachloride, chloride 7 is formed in addition to 6 and the ratio of these two products depends on the amount of Lewis acid present. In the presence of ytterbium triflate, in the cosolvent system, the reaction rate of bromine atom transfer was enhanced up to 400-fold compared to the reaction without added Lewis acid. Significant rate enhancements were also obtained in the solvent 1,2-dichloroethane, although the analysis of the system is complicated by the heterogeneous nature of the medium. Computation of C-Br bond dissociation energies (BDE) of the complexed and uncomplexed oxazolidinone bromide suggest that complexation lowers the BDE due to the effect of the strong electron-withdrawing group on the C-Br bond dipole.     

Total lipids of the intramuscular tissue of fallow deer

In this study non-isothermal non-oxidative and oxidative TG analysis was applied as a method for determining the thermal stability of the total lipids extracted from raw and maturing intramuscular tissue of fallow deer (Cervus Dama Dama L.). The total lipids were extracted from intramuscular tissue, according to the Folch method and stored for nine months at +4 and −18°C. The changes in the thermal stability of the total lipids during non-oxidative and oxidative TG analysis were correlated with the lipid composition, i.e. fatty acid composition. The Flynn-Wall method was used to determine the values of the activation energy of thermal degradation of the total lipids in a defined mass loss range.     

Applicability of MiniPal 4 compact EDXRF spectrometer for soil and sediment analysis

Optimum measurement parameters for analysis of soil and sediment samples with the compact MiniPal 4 (MP4)EDXRF spectrometer (PANalytical, Almelo, The Netherlands) were presented. The following elements were considered: K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As and Pb. Since the elements from low Z to medium Z region were covered, three measurement conditions (sequences) were defined. The following parameters were selected for measurement of the elements K, Ti, and V: voltage = 12 kV; current = 750 µA; filter material: Al_thin. Cr, Mn and Fe were measured at 20 kV; 300 µA with Al filter while for measurements of Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Pb, Rb, and Sr an Ag filter was selected and tube voltage and current were 30 kV and 300 µA. Each sequence was measured for 200 s and measurements were done in the air. MP4 spectrometer was characterized with acceptable precision, long‐term stability and satisfactory minimum detection limit for the analyses of soil and sediment materials. For the elements K, Mn, Fe, and Ti the precision of the analysis was better than 0.5% and for all the other elements better than 5%. Detection limits for sediment samples were 20 ppm for K, 6.1 ppm for Ti, 5.2 for Mn, 4 ppm for Fe, 4.2 ppm for As and less than 2 ppm for all the other elements. These values were significantly lower compared to typical concentrations of the same elements found in unpolluted soil and sediments. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stability analysis of differential equations with maximum

In this paper, we investigate stability of the zero solution of differential equations with maximum by using Lyapunov functions and Razumikhin techniques. Sufficient conditions for stability, uniform stability and asymptotic stability of the zero solution of such equations are found.     

Solid phase extraction and diffusive gradients in thin films techniques for determination of total and labile concentrations of Cd(II), Cu(II), Ni(II) and Pb(II) in Black Sea water

Total dissolved and labile concentrations of Cd(II), Cu(II), Ni(II) and Pb(II) were determined at six locations of the Bourgas Gulf of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Solid phase extraction procedure based on monodisperse, submicrometer silica spheres modified with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane followed by the electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) was developed and applied to quantify the total dissolved metal concentrations in sea water. Quantitative sorption of Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb was achieved in the pH range 7.5–8, for 30?min, adsorbed elements were easily eluted with 2?mL 2?mol?L^?1 HNO₃. Since the optimal pH for quantitative sorption coincides with typical pH of Black Sea water (7.9–8.2), on-site pre-concentration of the analytes without any additional treatment was possible. Detection limits achieved for total dissolved metal quantification were: Cd 0.002?µg?L^?1, Cu 0.005?µg?L^?1, Ni 0.03?µg?L^?1, Pb 0.02?µg?L^?1 and relative standard deviations varied from 5–13% for all studied elements (for typical Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb concentrations in Black Sea water). Open pore diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique was employed for in-situ sampling and pre-concentration of the sea water and in combination with ETAAS was used to determine the proportion of dynamic (mobile and kinetically labile) species of Cd(II), Cu(II), Ni(II) and Pb(II) in the sea water. Obtained results showed strong complexation for Cu and Pb with sea water dissolved organic matter. The ratios between DGT-labile and total dissolved concentrations found for Cu(II) and Pb(II) were in the range 0.2–0.4. For Cd and Ni, these ratios varied from 0.6 to 0.8, suggesting higher degree of free and kinetically labile species of these metals in sea water.     

Interactions of salicylic acid derivatives with calcite crystals

Investigation of basic interactions between the active pharmaceutical compounds and calcium carbonates is of great importance because of the possibility to use the carbonates as a mineral carrier in drug delivery systems. In this study the mode and extent of interactions of salicylic acid and its amino acid derivates, chosen as pharmaceutically relevant model compounds, with calcite crystals are described. Therefore, the crystal growth kinetics of well defined rhombohedral calcite seed crystals in the systems containing salicylic acid (SA), 5-amino salicylic acid (5-ASA), N-salicyloil-l-aspartic acid (N-Sal-Asp) or N-salicyloil-l-glutamic acid (N-Sal-Glu), were investigated. The precipitation systems were of relatively low initial supersaturation and of apparently neutral pH. The data on the crystal growth rate reductions in the presence of the applied salicylate molecules were analyzed by means of Cabrera & Vermileya's, and Kubota & Mullin's models of interactions of the dissolved additives and crystal surfaces. The crystal growth kinetic experiments were additionally supported with the appropriate electrokinetic, spectroscopic and adsorption measurements. The Langmuir adsorption constants were determined and they were found to be in a good correlation with values obtained from crystal growth kinetic analyses. The results indicated that salicylate molecules preferentially adsorb along the steps on the growing calcite surfaces. The values of average spacing between the adjacent salicylate adsorption active sites and the average distance between the neighboring adsorbed salicylate molecules were also estimated.