Determination of aristolochic acid by capillary zone electrophoresis

A simple and rapid capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method for the determination of aristolochic acid (AA) in dietary supplements and selected herbs is described. A clear separation of AA from other sample constituents was achieved within 5 minutes without any sample clean up. A mixture of 20 mM-morpholinethanesulphonic acid+10 mM-BisTrisPropane+0.2% hydroxyethylcelullose in 10% methanol serves as a background electrolyte. The linearity, accuracy, intra-assay and detection limit of the developed method are 200–6000 ng/mL, 95–103%, 3.5%, and 50 ng/ml, respectively. Ease of use, sufficient sensitivity and low running cost are the most important attributes of the CZE method. The proposed CZE method was compared with HPLC.     

Studies of the soluble part of oxidised coals

Soluble products obtained from the oxidation of four types of coal, each characterised by different degree of coalification and different degree of sulphur content, are studied. The coals are oxidised with peracetic acid (PAA) and nitric acid. Analyses are performed by Atmospheric Pressure-Temperature Programmed Reduction (AP-TPR) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The soluble products contain much more sulphur than the insoluble products of oxidation. The products obtained from the reaction with HNO₃ contain higher amounts of inorganic sulphur compounds, while those obtained from the reaction with PAA are characterised by an increased content of organic sulphur species.     

Synthesis of novel tryptamine and β-carboline derivatives via palladium-catalyzed reaction of bromotryptamine with organic boronic acids

New tryptamine 5, 7 and β-carboline derivatives 3 were preparated by palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction of 5-bromotryptamine 1 with aryl boronic acids. Dedicated to Professor András Lipták on his 70^th birthday.     

Xyloketal G,a Novel Metabolite from the Mangrove Fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xylaria sp.</Emphasis> 2508

A novel metabolite 1, named xyloketal G, was isolated from cultures of marine derived mangrove fungus Xylaria sp. 2508. Its structure was elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data.__________Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 22–23, January–February, 2005.     

Assessment of the Fe-Sn-Zn phase diagram at 450°C

The Fe-Sn-Zn system is of interest because Sn is one element added to the Zn galvanizing bath to overcome the drawbacks due to the presence of Si in semi-killed steels. This work has been undertaken with the aim to understand the tin effect on the microstructure and the layers growth in batch galvanized coatings on low alloyed steels. Various experimental techniques such as metallography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) are used in order to characterize the microstructure and the properties of such coatings elaborated in a zinc bath enriched with tin. Solidification phenomena and layers growth mechanisms during galvanization are explained by means of the ternary phase diagram Fe-Sn-Zn at 450°C. The Calphad method allows to obtain this phase diagram from the three optimized binary phase diagrams Fe-Sn, Fe-Zn and Sn-Zn and some experimental data inside the ternary Fe-Sn-Zn system.     

Collisional population of the 23 ∏ g state inK 2

We have measured the effect of potassium vapour pressure within the heat-pipe oven on the shape of the 2³ ∏ _g ?1³∑ _u ⁺ fluorescence induced by collision energy transfer from theC ¹∏ _u state which was optically excited by the 457.9 nm argon-ion laser line. The estimated cross section of that process is 300 Ų. The simulation of the diffuse band shape indicates a non-thermalised vibrational distribution in the 2³ ∏ _g state.     

A re-statement of the Hohenberg–Kohn theorem and its extension to finite subspaces

Bearing in mind the insight into the Hohenberg–Kohn theorem for Coulomb systems provided recently by Kryachko (Int J Quantum Chem 103:818, 2005), we present a re-statement of this theorem through an elaboration on Lieb’s proof as well as an extension of this theorem to finite subspaces. Contribution to the Serafin Fraga Memorial Issue.     

3β-Methoxyolean-18-ene (miliacin) from the marine fungus Chaetomium olivaceum

A pentacyclic tritepenoid, 3-methoxyolean-18-ene (miliacin), was isolated for the first time from the marine fungus Chaetomium olivaceum. Its structure was determined on the basis of 2D NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction data.     

Thermal properties of cyanatocopper(II) complexes with pyridine,bipyridine and phenanthroline

The thermal properties of cyanatocopper complexes with pyridine, bipyridine and phenanthroline are described in this paper. It was found that the thermal stabilities of the complexes were found to increase in the order pybipy2(NCS)₂ (L=pyridine and its methyl derivates) which are composed of the liberation of ligandsL and redox reactions of thiocyanate ligands with the central Cu(II) atom [1, 2]. The decomposition temperature of thiocyanate ligands depends on the properties of the ligandsL present in the coordination sphere. An analogous course of thermal decomposition was also observed for [Cu(bipy)₂(NCX)](NCX) (X=S or Se) [3]. For the phenanthroline complexes [Cu(phen)₂(NCX)₂] (X=S or Se) the thermal stability was found to increase significantly (by about 140C) and the decomposition stoichiometry was also changed [3].The present paper contains the results of thermoanalytical studies on bipyridine and phenanthroline cyanatocopper complexes, and a comparison of the thermal properties of pyridine cyanato and isothiocyanatocopper complexes.     

Pozzolanic properties of a residual FCC catalyst during the early stages of cement hydration

The catalyst used in fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) units of refineries after several recovery cycles in regeneration units, reduces its activity and it is partially substituted by new catalyst in the process. As it has a high silicon and aluminum oxides content, the pozzolanic properties of a Brazilian FCC spent residual catalyst, used in different substitution degrees to cement, were evaluated by three thermal analysis techniques during the early stages of hydration of a type II Portland cement. NCDTA curves show in real time that the residual catalyst, accelerates the stages of cement hydration. TG and DSC curves of respective pastes after 24 h of hydration evidence the pozzolanic activity of the waste, respectively, by the lower water mass loss during the dehydroxylation of the residual calcium hydroxide and by the lower dehydroxylation endothermal effect. Within the analyzed period, the higher is the cement substitution degree, the higher is the pozzolanic activity of the residual catalyst.