DAPPA grafted polymer: an efficient solid phase extractant for U(VI), Th(IV) and La(III) from acidic waste streams and environmental samples

A new class of polymeric resin has been synthesized by grafting Merrifield chloromethylated resin with (dimethyl amino-phosphono-methyl)-phosphonic acid (MCM-DAPPA), for the preconcentration of U(VI), Th(IV) and La(III) from both acidic wastes and environmental samples. The various chemical modification steps involved during grafting process are characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, ³¹P and ¹³C-CPMAS (cross-polarized magic angle spin) NMR spectroscopy and CHNS/O elemental analysis. The water regain capacity data for the grafted polymer are obtained from thermo-gravimetric (TG) analysis. The influence of various physico-chemical parameters during the quantitative extraction of metal ions by the resin phase are studied and optimized by both static and dynamic methods. The significant feature of this grafted polymer is its ability to extract both actinides and lanthanides from high-level acidities as well as from near neutral conditions. The resin shows very high sorption capacity values of 2.02, 0.89 and 0.54 mmol g⁻¹ for U(VI), 1.98, 0.63 and 0.42 mmol g⁻¹ for Th(IV) and 1.22, 0.39 and 0.39 mmol g⁻¹ for La(III) under optimum pH, HNO₃ and HCl concentration, respectively. The grafted polymer shows faster phase exchange kinetics (<5 min is sufficient for 50% extraction) and greater preconcentration ability, with reusability exceeding 20 cycles. During desorption process, all the analyte ions are quantitatively eluted from the resin phase with >99.5% recovery using 1 M (NH₄)₂CO₃, as eluent. The developed grafted resin has been successfully applied in extracting Th(IV) from high matrix monazite sand, U(VI) from sea water and also U(VI) and Th(IV) from simulated nuclear spent fuel mixtures. The analytical data obtained from triplicate measurements are within 3.9% R.S.D. reflecting the reproducibility and reliability of the developed method.     

meso-substituted aromatic 34pi core-modified octaphyrins: syntheses,characterization and anion binding properties

Modified octaphyrins with 34pi electrons have been synthesized and characterized following a simple synthetic methodology. An acid-catalyzed alpha,alpha coupling of tetrapyrranes containing furan, thiophene and selenophene rings resulted in the formation of the respective octaphyrins in relatively good yield. Solution studies by (1)H NMR and 2D NMR methods and single crystal Xray structural characterization reveal an almost flat structure with two heterocyclic rings inverted. Specifically, in 14 two selenophene rings (one on each biselenophene unit) are inverted while in 15 two furan rings (one on each bifuran unit) are inverted when the meso substituent are mesityl groups. On changing the mesityl substituent to m-xylyl group as in 19, the location of ring inversion shifts to pyrrole rings (one on each bipyrrole unit) indicating the dependence of structure on the meso substituents. UV/Vis studies, both in freebase and protonated forms reveal typical porphyrinic character and the aromatic nature of the octaphyrins. The Deltadelta values evaluated by (1)H NMR spectroscopy also support their aromatic nature. The protonated forms of octaphyrins bind TFA anion in a 1:2 ratio. The TFA anions are located one above and below the plane of the octaphyrin macrocycle and they are held by weak electrostatic NH-O interactions similar to that observed for protonated rubyrins. However, in the present case, there is an additional non-electrostatic CH-O interaction involving beta-CH of the inverted heterocyclic ring and the carbonyl oxygen of the TFA. Furthermore, inter molecular interactions between the Cbond;H of the meso-mesityl group and the fluorine of CF(3) group of bound TFA leads to the formation of one-dimensional supramolecular arrays with interplanar distance of 13 A between two octaphyrins.     

Superstable theories with few countable models

Summary We prove here: Theorem. LetT be a countable complete superstable non -stable theory with fewer than continuum many countable models. Then there is a definable groupG with locally modular regular generics, such thatG is not connected-by-finite and any type inG ^eq orthogonal to the generics has Morley rank. Corollary. LetT be a countable complete superstable theory in which no infinite group is definable. ThenT has either at most countably many, or exactly continuum many countable models, up to isomorphism.Supported by NSF grant DMS 90-06628     

A novel approach to Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) lactones via the Lewis acid-promoted couplings of α,β-unsaturated lactone with aldehydes

The Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH)-type reaction of α,β unsaturated δ-lactone with various aldehydes has been achieved without the direct use of a Lewis base. The new MBH process can be conveniently carried out by the slow addition of the diethylaluminum iodide into the solution of lactone and aldehyde in dichloromethane at 0°C. Modest to good yields were obtained (50-65%) for eight examples.     

Antioxidant enzymes activity in subcellular fraction of freshwater prawnsM. malcolmsonii andM. lamarrei lamarrei

Subcellular distribution of Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), selenium (SC) dependent glutathione peroxidase, and Se-independent glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were detected in different tissues (hepatopancreas, muscle, and gill) of freshwater prawnsMacrobrachium malcolmsonii andMacrobrahium lamarrei lamarrei. CAT and SOD were found almost equally between the mitochondrial and cytosolic fraction. Both Se-dependent and Se-independent GSH-Px activities were mainly found in cytosolic fraction.     

Recent progress in the improvement of hydrothermal stability of zeolites

Zeolites have been successfully employed in many catalytic reactions of industrial relevance. The severe conditions required in some processes, where high temperatures are frequently combined with the presence of steam, highlight the need of considering the evolution of the catalyst structure during the reaction. This review attempts to summarize the recently developed strategies to improve the hydrothermal framework stability of zeolites.

This review attempts to summarize the recently developed strategies to improve the hydrothermal framework stability of zeolites.     

Antibody-recruiting protein-catalyzed capture agents to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Antibiotic resistant infections are projected to cause over 10 million deaths by 2050, yet the development of new antibiotics has slowed. This points to an urgent need for methodologies for the rapid development of antibiotics against emerging drug resistant pathogens. We report on a generalizable combined computational and synthetic approach, called antibody-recruiting protein-catalyzed capture agents (AR-PCCs), to address this challenge. We applied the combinatorial protein catalyzed capture agent (PCC) technology to identify macrocyclic peptide ligands against highly conserved surface protein epitopes of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, an opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen with drug resistant strains. Multi-omic data combined with bioinformatic analyses identified epitopes of the highly expressed MrkA surface protein of K. pneumoniae for targeting in PCC screens. The top-performing ligand exhibited high-affinity (EC₅₀ ∼50 nM) to full-length MrkA, and selectively bound to MrkA-expressing K. pneumoniae, but not to other pathogenic bacterial species. AR-PCCs that bear a hapten moiety promoted antibody recruitment to K. pneumoniae, leading to enhanced phagocytosis and phagocytic killing by macrophages. The rapid development of this highly targeted antibiotic implies that the integrated computational and synthetic toolkit described here can be used for the accelerated production of antibiotics against drug resistant bacteria.

Antibody-recruiting protein-catalyzed capture agent (AR-PCCs) are a new class of all-synthetic and highly targeted antibiotics that recruit endogenous immune responses to eliminate drug-resistant microbes.     

Complexation of 6-Deoxy-6-(aminoethyl)amino-β-cyclodextrin with Sodium Cholate and Sodium Deoxycholate

In order to study its guest binding and the inclusion phenomena, 6-deoxy-6-(aminoethyl)amino--cyclodextrin (CDN) was synthesised and its binding properties examined. The complexation phenomena of sodium cholate (NaC) and sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) with CDN has been monitored by the NMR method using ¹³C chemical shift data. The method of continuous variation Job's method has been used to determine the stoichiometry of these supramolecular complexes. The Job's plot confirms the 1 : 1 supramolecular complex for NaC: CDN and the 1 : 2 supramolecular complex for NaDC: CDN. The interaction of NaC and NaDC with CDN has been obtained through two-dimensional Rotational Nuclear Overhauser Effect Spectroscopy (ROESY) NMR. Equilibrium constants were also obtained from ¹³C chemical shift data (C-1, C-3 & C-4) at different pH values (7, 9, & 11).     

Reactions of the Dirhenium(II) Complexes Re(2)X(4)(&mgr;-dppm)(2) (X = Cl, Br; dppm = Ph(2)PCH(2)PPh(2)) with Isocyanides. 11.(1) A Triply Bonded Dirhenium Complex Containing a Labile Acetonitrile Ligand. Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Reactivity of [(XylNC)(CH(3)CN)ClRe(&mgr;-dppm)(2)ReCl(2)(CO)]O(3)SCF(3)

The reaction of the open bioctahedral form of Re(2)Cl(4)(&mgr;-dppm)(2)(CO)(CNXyl) (1), where XylNC = 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide, with TlO(3)SCF(3) in the presence of acetonitrile proceeds with retention of stereochemistry at the dirhenium unit to afford the complex [Re(2)Cl(3)(&mgr;-dppm)(2)(CO)(CNXyl)(NCCH(3))]O(3)SCF(3) (3). The single-crystal X-ray structure determination of 3 shows that a Re&tbd1;Re bond is retained (the Re-Re distance is 2.378(3) ?) and that it is the chloride ligand trans to the XylNC ligand of 1 which is labilized. Complex 1 reacts with TlO(3)SCF(3) in a noncoordinating solvent to produce the unsymmetrical complex [Re(2)Cl(3)(&mgr;-dppm)(2)(CO)(CNXyl)]O(3)SCF(3) (2), through loss of this same chloride ligand of 1 and CO transfer from the adjacent Re center. The acetonitrile ligand of 3 is very labile and is readily displaced by XylNC and t-BuNC, with retention of stereochemistry, to produce complexes of stoichiometry [Re(2)Cl(3)(&mgr;-dppm)(2)(CO)(CNXyl)(CNR)]O(3)SCF(3) (R = Xyl, 4a; R = t-Bu, 4b). In a noncoordinating solvent, the nitrile ligand of 3 is lost and 2 is formed following CO transfer; this conversion is reversed upon the reaction of 2 with acetonitrile. When 3 is treated with CO, the acetonitrile ligand is again displaced, but in this instance the reaction is accompanied by a structure change to produce an edge-sharing bioctahedral complex of the type [Re(2)(&mgr;-CO)(&mgr;-Cl)(&mgr;-dppm)(2)Cl(2)(CO)(CNXyl)]O(3)SCF(3) (5).