Chemotherapy control by breath profile with application of SPME‐GC/MS method

Chemotherapy used as a treatment against lung cancer has influence on metabolic processes occurring in healthy cells. The changes of biochemical pathways proceeded inside cells might be observed in expired air. In the experiment, breath analysis was carried out before and after anticancer therapy. Expired air samples were collected from 22 patients with a biopsy confirmed lung cancer. Volatile organic compounds present in breath were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. For enrichment of analytes solid‐phase microextraction technique was applied. Eight fibers covered by different sorbents were tested. Carboxen‐polydimethylsiloxane fiber revealed the highest extraction efficiency in relation to analytes in breath. The data showed that cytostatic drugs increase the concentration of acetone and isoprene in the breath collected after chemotherapy. Volatile metabolites of administrated drugs were not identified in expired air.     

Atomic Hydrogen Induced Chemical Vapor Deposition of Silicon Oxycarbide Thin Films Derived from Diethoxymethylsilane Precursor

Amorphous silicon oxycarbide (a-SiOC:H) films produced by remote plasma RPCVD from diethoxymethylsilane (DEMS) were characterized in terms of their basic properties related to the coatings deposited using conventional plasma enhanced PECVD method. The effect of substrate temperature (T_S) on the growth rate, chemical composition, structure, and properties of resulting a-SiOC:H films is reported. Film growth is an adsorption-controlled process, wherein two mechanisms can be distinguished with a transition at about T_S=70°C. Depending on the temperature, films of different nature can be obtained, from polymer-like to highly crosslinked material with C-Si-O network. The chemical structure of a-SiOC:H films was characterized by FTIR, ¹³C and ²⁹Si solid-state NMR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopes. The a-SiOC:H films were also characterized in terms of their density, refractive index, surface morphology, conformality of coverage, hardness, adhesion to a substrate, and friction coefficient. The films were found to be morphologically homogeneous materials exhibiting good conformality of coverage and small surface roughness. Their refractive index exhibits anomalous effect revealing a minimum value at T_S=125°C. Due to their exceptional physical properties a-SiOC:H films produced by RPCVD from DEMS precursor seems to be useful as potential dielectric materials or coatings for various encapsulation applications.     

L-argininato copper(II) complexes in solution exert significant selective anticancer and antimicrobial activities

A search for new drugs that overcome the multidrug resistance of microorganisms or are effective against cancer cells prompted us to investigate the binary and ternary Cu(II) complexes containing L-arginine, [CuCl(L-Arg)(phen)]Cl·2H₂O (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) ( 1 ) and [Cu(L-Arg)₂(H₂O)]C₂O₄·6H₂O ( 2 ), for which crystal and molecular structures were characterized previously. In order to discuss the biological function, the complexes have been screened for their antitumor activity against A549 (human lung cancer cells), HepG2 (human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cells) and antimicrobial activity. To identify the complexes forms existing in the solutions of 1 and 2 crystals, the results obtained from EPR, NIR–Vis–UV and MS (mass spectrometry) measurements were correlated with those from analysis of potentiometric titration of Cu(II)―L-Arg and Cu(II)―L-Arg―phen systems. This comprehensive study indicated that the [Cu(L-Arg)(phen)]²⁺ and [Cu(L-Arg)₂]²⁺ species are dominant in the solution. Complexes 1 and 2 were found to present specific ligand-dependent cytotoxic and antiproliferative potential against cancer cells. They also show antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as display antifungal properties.     

Bridging the Green Gap: Metal–Organic Framework Heteromultilayers Assembled from Porphyrinic Linkers Identified by Using Computational Screening

In organic photovoltaics, porphyrins (PPs) are among the most promising compounds owing to their large absorption cross-section, wide spectral range, and stability. Nevertheless, a precise adjustment of absorption band positions to reach a full coverage of the so-called green gap has not been achieved yet. We demonstrate that a tuning of the PP Q- and Soret bands can be carried out by using a computational approach for which substitution patterns are optimized in silico. The most promising candidate structures were then synthesized. The experimental UV/Vis data for the solvated compounds were in excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions. By attaching further functionalities, which allow the use of PP chromophores as linkers for the assembly of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), we were able to exploit packing effects resulting in pronounced redshifts, which allowed further optimization of the photophysical properties of PP assemblies. Finally, we use a layer-by-layer method to assemble the PP linkers into surface-mounted MOFs (SURMOFs), thus obtaining high optical quality, homogeneous and crystalline multilayer films. Experimental results are in full accord with the calculations, demonstrating the huge potential of computational screening methods in tailoring MOF and SURMOF photophysical properties.     

Structure,chemical stability and electrical properties of BaCe0.9Y0.1O3−δ modified with V2O5

Wet vacuum impregnation method was applied in order to evaluate the possibility of the formation of the material in BaCe_0.9Y_0.1O_3?δ–V₂O₅ system. Single-phase BaCe_0.9Y_0.1O_3?δ samples, synthesised by solid-state reaction method, were impregnated with the solution of vanadium(V) oxide precursor. Multi-step, multi-cycle impregnation procedure was applied to enhance the impregnation efficiency. Partial decomposition of Y-doped BaCeO₃ in contact with the solution of the precursor, resulting in the formation of vanadium containing phases (CeVO₄ and BaV₂O₆) on the materials surface, was observed. However, the presence of vanadium was also confirmed for the inner parts of the materials. The synthesised materials were submitted for exposition test to evaluate their chemical stability towards CO₂/H₂O. All BaCe_0.9Y_0.1O₃-based materials modified by impregnation revealed higher chemical stability in comparison with single-phase un-modified BaCe_0.9Y_0.1O_3?δ, since the amount of barium carbonate formed during the exposition was significantly lower. The total electrical conductivity of the received multi-phase materials was generally slightly lower than for the reference BaCe_0.9Y_0.1O_3?δ sample, since the presence of the additional phases had a blocking effect on materials conductivity. The values of BaCeO₃ lattice parameters and the Seebeck coefficient did not show the modification of the defects structure of Y-doped BaCeO₃ during applied synthesis procedure.

     

Targeted Hybrid Nanocarriers as a System Enhancing the Skin Structure

The skin is constantly exposed to external and internal factors that disturb its function. In this work, two nanosystems-levan nanoparticles and a surfactin-stabilized nanoemulsion were preserved (tested for microbial growth) and characterized (size, polydispersity, Zeta potential, and stability). The nanosystems were introduced in the model formulations-cream, tonic, and gel, and confirmed by TEM. The analysis showed that nanoemulsion has a spherical morphology and size 220–300 nm, while levan nanoparticles had irregular shapes independently of the use of matrix and with particle size (130–260 nm). Additionally, we examined the antiradical effect of levan nanoparticles and nanoemulsion in the prototype of formulations by scavenging DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; EPR spectroscopy). The model cream with both nanosystems and the whole range of products with nanosystems were evaluated in vivo for hydration, elasticity, smoothness, wrinkles and vascular lesions, discoloration, respectively. The cream improved skin condition in all tested parameters in at least 50% of volunteers. The use of more comprehensive care, additionally consisting of a tonic and gel, reduced the previously existing skin discoloration to 10.42 ± 0.58%. The presented prototype formulations are promising in improving skin conditions.     

A Cleavage of O-Hydroxy and p-Hydroxy-1-Aminobenzylphosphonates in a Basic Medium

Abstract

As part of our studies mto the synthesis of benzylic aminophosphonates we have found, that hydroxybenzyl(amino)osphonates underwent a cleavage in strong basic conditions to form aldehydes, amines and phosphorous acid, in high yield.