Biocompatible hydrogels based on chitosan,cellulose/starch,PVA and PEDOT:PSS with high flexibility and high mechanical strength

Fabricating mechanically strong hydrogels that can withstand the conditions in internal tissues is a challenging task. We have designed hydrogels based on multicomponent systems by combining chitosan, starch/cellulose, PVA, and PEDOT:PSS via one-pot synthesis. The starch-based hydrogels were homogeneous, while the cellulose-based hydrogels showed the presence of cellulose micro- and nanofibers. The cellulose-based hydrogels demonstrated a swelling ratio between 121 and 156%, while the starch-based hydrogels showed higher values, from 234 to 280%. Tensile tests indicated that the presence of starch in the hydrogels provided high flexibility (strain at break?>?300%), while combination with cellulose led to the formation of stiffer hydrogels (elastic moduli 3.9–6.6 MPa). The ultimate tensile strength for both types of hydrogels was similar (2.8–3.9 MPa). The adhesion and growth of human osteoblast-like SAOS-2 cells was higher on hydrogels with cellulose than on hydrogels with starch, and was higher on hydrogels with PEDOT:PSS than on hydrogels without this polymer. The metabolic activity of cells cultivated for 3 days in the hydrogel infusions indicated that no acutely toxic compounds were released. This is promising for further possible applications of these hydrogels in tissue engineering or in wound dressings.

Graphical abstract

     

Photometrische Wismutbestimmung mit Brenzcatechinviolett

Zusammenfassung Es wurden die Bedingungen der photometrischen Wismutbestimmung mit Brenzcatechinviolett bei der WellenlÄnge _max=580 nm ausgearbeitet und der Einflu\ der Fremdionen untersucht. Das Lambert-Beersche Gesetz gilt in den Konzentrationsgrenzen 0,0–6,2 g Bi/ml bei 1,6 cm Schichtdicke.

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Summary A method is given for the photometric determination of bismuth using pyrocatechol violet, at the wave-length of _max=580 nm. Interferences by foreign ions have been examined. Beer's law is obeyed from 0.0 to 6.2 g Bi/ml (1,6 cm cuvettes).

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Als erste Mitteilung dieser Reihe soll die Arbeit: Malát, M.: Naturwissenschaften 48, 569 (1961) betrachtet werden.     

Modelling,optimisation and control of selectivity in the separation of aromatic bases by electrokinetic chromatography using a neutral cyclodextrin as a pseudostationary phase

A simple mathematical model describing the separation of a series of aromatic bases by electrokinetic chromatography using beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) as a pseudostationary phase is described. The model takes into account changes in electrolyte pH and the different formation constants between the neutral and charged forms of the analytes with the CD. Constants in the model were obtained within the two-dimensional experimental space defined by pH and [beta-CD] with nonlinear regression using only five experimental points. These constants agreed with expected trends in analyte-CD interactions and predicted much higher formation constants for the neutral analyte-CD complex than for the charged analyte-CD complex. Correlation between predicted and observed mobilities using additional 20 points within the experimental space gave r(2) = 0.995. Optimisation of the pH and [beta-CD] was performed using both the normalised resolution product and minimum resolution product criteria and provided two optimum separations which exhibited different selectivities. Differences between predicted and observed migration times at these optima were less than 2.5 and 5% for the normalised resolution product and the minimum resolution criteria, respectively. In both cases the correct migration order was predicted. The model was also applied successfully to the optimisation of conditions for the separation of a specific mixture of analytes or for conditions under which particular analytes migrated in a desired order.     

Synthesis of optically active 2-benzyldihydrobenzopyrans for the hypoglycemic agent englitazone

Two syntheses of some optically active 2-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-benzopyrans and benzopyran-4-ones are presented. An asymmetric synthesis starting from D- and L-phenylalanine was used to provide both enantiomers of 2-benzyl-6-(methoxycarbonyl)-2,3-dihydro-4H-benzopyran-4-one 19. Phenylalanine was diazotized in aqueous sulfuric acid to 2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionic acid 6 which was converted in four steps to 1-bromo-2-(4-methoxycarbonylphenoxy)-3-phenylpropane 11. (4R,S)-Benzamido-2-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-6-(methoxycarbonyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-carboxylic acid 16 was prepared from 11 by amidoalkylation with α-hydroxyhippuric acid in methanesulfonic acid solution followed by spiroalkylation to (4R,S)-2-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-6-(methoxycarbonyl)spiro[4H-benzopyran-4,4′-2′-phenyloxazolidin]-5′-one 15. After the phenyloxazolidin-5-one 15 was hydrolyzed to the spirobenzamido carboxylic acid 16 , oxidative decarboxylation with sodium hypochlorite yielded optically active 2-benzyl-6-(methoxycarbonyl)-2,3-dihydro-4H-benzopyran-4-one 19. The ketone in 19 was reduced by hydrogenation over palladium on carbon to a methylene group and the ester was converted to the aldehyde to give both isomers of the desired intermediate 2-benzyl-6-(formyl)-2,3-dihydro-4H-benzopyran 25. The second synthesis relied on an enzymatic hydrolysis of ethyl 2,3-dihydrobenzopyran-2-carboxylate 27 with the lipase from P. fluorescens to provide the desired 2R-ester. The ester group in (R)- 27 was converted to the triflate (R)- 29. Displacement of the triflate group with phenylmagnesium bromide and cuprous bromide as catalyst gave 2R-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-benzopyran (R)- 30. Formylation of (R)- 30 provided 2R-benzyl-6-(formyl)-2,3-dihydro-4H-benzopyran (R)- 25 identical with that from the first synthesis. These optically active intermediates are used in the preparation of the hypoglycemic agent englitazone.     

On-line coupling of capillary isotachophoresis and zone electrophoresis for the assay of phenolic compounds in plant extracts

The combination of capillary isotachophoresis (ITP) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) in the column coupling configuration was optimized in a mode where the electrolyte for the CZE step is different from the leading and terminating ITP electrolytes. Two colored markers, picric acid and 1-nitroso-2-naphthol, were used for exact timing of the transfer of isotachophoretically stacked analyte zones into the CZE column and for the control of the residual amount of the leading and terminating ITP electrolytes entering the CZE capillary together with the analytes, thus controlling the duration of transient ITP migration in the CZE capillary and ensuring good separation of the analytes and reproducibility of the migration times (relative standard deviations 1%). ITP-CZE was applied to the simultaneous assay of several cinnamic acid derivatives and flavonoids in methanolic extracts of Sambucus flowers and Crataegus leaves and flowers. The preconcentrating and cleansing effect of the ITP step allowed injection of relatively large sample volumes (30 microL). The limits of detection were approximately 20-50 ng x mL(-1) and 100 ng x mL(-1) for the acids and flavonoids, respectively ( thick similar 200-times lower compared to conventional CE) with spectrophotometric detection at 254 nm. The ITP-CZE exhibited satisfactory linearity and precision when using CZE buffer of pseudo "pH" 9.0; 1-nitroso-2-naphthol was employed as the internal standard. The separation took approximately 35 min. The ITP-CZE results for rutin, hyperoside, and vitexin-2-O"-rhamnoside were in good accordance with those obtained previously by high-performance liquid chromatography.     

On the Hahn-Banach Extension Property in Hardy and mixed norm spaces on the unit ball

For a nonempty setE of nonnegative integers letH _E ^{p, q, a} andH _E ^p be the closed linear span of

Neutrino oscillations in the sun and the205Tl solar neutrino experiment

Neutrino induced transition rates from²⁰⁵Tl to excited states in²⁰⁵Pb were calculated for neutrino fluxes from the different hydrogen burning reactions in the sun. Suppression factors for electron neutrinos due to flavor oscillations in the sun were obtained. The influence of neutrino oscillations on the neutrino capture rate of²⁰⁵Tl in dependence of the mixing angle and neutrino mass difference is discussed.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. P. Kienle on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Theoretical Study of Rotational Isomerism in Ethyl Pseudohalides

The structure and conformational stability of ethyl pseudohalides CH₃CH₂ — XCN (X = O, S, Se) were investigated using ab initiocalculations at the MP2 level of theory with a triple- basis set augmented with polarization and diffusion functions. Full optimization was performed on the minimum energy structures as well as on the transition state forms. The relative stabilities of rotational conformers were calculated at the MP4 level using MP2 optimized reference geometries. The nature of all considered stationary points was verified by calculation of the harmonic vibrational frequencies. The calculated bond lengths, bond angles, dipole moments, and rotational constants of optimized global minima structures agree very well with the corresponding experimental data obtained from microwave spectroscopic studies. Also, available experimental frequencies are in good accord with the theoretical values. For ethyl cyanate CH₃CH₂ — OCN, the antiperiplanar (trans) form is predicted to be more stable than the synclinal (gauche) form, and the synperiplanar (cis) form corresponds to the transition state. For both ethyl thiocyanate CH₃CH₂ — SCN and ethyl selenocyanate CH₃CH₂ — SeCN, the gaucheform is the global minimum while the trans-conformer is a local minimum and the cis-form is a transition state.