Mild and efficient tetrahydropyranylation of alcohols and dehydropyranylation of THP ethers catalyzed by ferric perchlorate

A simple, mild and efficient method for tetrahydropyranylation and dehydropyranylation of alcohols in the presence of ferric perchlorate are described.     

Comparative performance of different urea coating materials for slow release

Approximately 70%of the applied urea fertilizer may be lost into the environment.This loss is due to leaching,decomposition and ammonium volatilization in soil,water and air.Through coating,the slow release technology can be used to reduce losses and to increase the fertilizer efficiency.Sulfur has been used as a coating material,but the coating cracks easily because of its friability,sometimes being peeled off from the urea surface.In this study,four types of materials,namely,gypsum,cement,sulfur and zeolite,were mixed and used as coating materials to search for the most effective and cheap coating materials.The primary reasons for selecting these materials were improving fruit quality and preventing plant diseases,providing a plant nutrient,increasing soil fertility and water retention.The materials were also selected based on their availability,processiblity and price.The effects of the coating materials,thickness,drying time,sieving and sealant on the crushing strength and dissolution rate of urea were investigated.Coated urea with the same proportion of gypsum-sulfur exhibited high crushing strength and lower dissolution rate.However,the performance was further enhanced by applying molten paraffin wax on the hot urea surface.SEM images demonstrated that the micro-structure of gypsum-sulfur coated urea after sieving resulted in a smoother coated layer.The efficiency of the coated urea was improved by26%using gypsum-sulfur（20%total coating）,3%paraffin wax and sieving the coating materials before application.     

Application of Quartz Crystal Nanobalance for Simultaneous Determination of Vanillylmandelic and Homovanillic Acids by a Net Analyte Signal-Based Method

Homovanillic acid (HVA) and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) were selectively determined by quartz crystal nanobalance sensor in conjunction with net analyte signal (NAS)-based method called HLA/GO. An orthogonal design was applied for the formation of calibration and prediction sets including HVA, VMA, and some common and structurally similar urine compounds. The selection of the optimal time range involved the calculation of the NAS regression plot in any considered time window for each test sample. The searching of a region with maximum linearity of NAS regression plot (minimum error indicator) and minimum of predicted error sum of squares value was carried out by applying a moving window strategy. Based on the obtained results, the differences on the adsorption profiles in the time range between 1 and 300 s were used to determine mixtures of compounds by HLA/GO method. Several figures of merit like selectivity, sensitivity, analytical sensitivity, and limit of detection were calculated for both compounds. The results showed that the method was successfully applied for the determination of VMA and HVA.     

Recent developments in the synthesis and applications of dihydropyrimidin-2(1<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>)-ones and thiones

Dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones/thiones (DHPMs) are important heterocyclic compounds owing to their excellent biological activities and have been widely utilized in pharmaceutical applications. Recently, numerous DHPM derivatives have been prepared. This review covers the synthesis of DHPMs and improved procedures for the preparation of DHPMs from 1995 to 2016.     

Solventless synthesis of 2-aryl- 1-arylmethyl- 1H- 1, 3-benzimidazoles catalyzed by Fe（ClO4）3 at room temperature

A series of 2-aryl-1-arylmethyl-1H-1,3-benzimidazoles was synthesized expeditiously in good yields from o-phenylenediamines and aldehydes in the presence of Fe（ClO4）3 without solvent at room temperature.     

Multidisciplinary Studies of Folk Medicine “Five Thieves’ Oil” (Olejek Pięciu Złodziei) Components

To meet the growing interest in natural antibacterial agents, we evaluated the physicochemical and biological properties of the folk medicine known as “five thieves’ oil” (Polish name: olejek pięciu złodziei). Five thieves’ oil consists of a mixture of five oils: rosemary, lemon, clove, eucalyptus, and cinnamon. In this study, we performed gas chromatography, FTIR, and UV–vis spectroscopic analysis, as well as L-a-b color tests, contact angle determination, and surface tension determination. To verify its antibacterial activity, the metabolic activity and changes in cell membrane permeability of bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas were studied. As a result, it was found that among the constituent oils, the oils of clove and cinnamon were the least volatile and, at the same time, had the strongest antibacterial activity. However, a mix of all the oils also showed comparable activity, which was even more pronounced for the oils after 4 weeks of aging. This effect can be linked to the high content of terpene derivatives such as eugenol and cinnamaldehyde, which can cause changes in bacterial membrane permeability, affecting cell activity and survival. This study is the first to characterize the constituents of the popular folk medicine five thieves’ oil, confirming and explaining its strong antibacterial activity, thus constituting a significant contribution to contemporary health education.     

The validity range of CPT and Mindlin plate theory in comparison with 3-D vibrational analysis of circular plates on the elastic foundation

The validity and the range of applicability of the classical plate theory (CPT) and the first-order shear deformation plate theory, also called Mindlin plate theory (MPT), in comparison with three-dimensional (3-D) p-Ritz solution are presented for freely vibrating circular plates on the elastic foundation with different boundary conditions. In order to achieve this purpose, a study of the 3-D elasticity solution is carried out to determine the free vibration frequencies of clamped, simply supported and free circular plates resting on an elastic foundation. The Pasternak model with adding a shear layer to the Winkler model is used for describing the elastic foundation. In addition to being employed the p-Ritz algorithm, the analysis is based on the linear, small strain and 3-D elasticity theory. In this analysis method, a set of orthogonal polynomial series in a cylindrical polar coordinate system is used to arrive eigenvalue equation yielding the natural frequencies for the circular plates. The accuracy of these results is verified by appropriate convergence studies and checked with the available literature and the MPT. Furthermore, the effect of the foundation stiffness parameters, thickness-radius ratio, and different boundary conditions on the ill-conditioning of the mass matrix as well as on the vibration behavior of the circular plates is investigated. Afterwards, the validity and the range of applicability of the results obtained on the basis of the CPT and MPT for a thin and moderately thick circular plate with different values of the foundation stiffness parameters are graphically presented through comparing them with those obtained by the present 3-D p-Ritz solution. Finally, the phenomenon of mode shape switching is investigated in graphical forms for a wide range of the Winkler foundation stiffness parameters.     

Amperometric lactate nanobiosensor based on reduced graphene oxide,carbon nanotube and gold nanoparticle nanocomposite

Microchimica Acta - Copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) are an attractive alternative to other metal nanoclusters. The synthesis of CuNCs is highly efficient and fast, with low-cost and without any...