Heat-moisture treatment (HMT) on blends from potato starch (PS) and sweet potato starch (SPS)

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Samples of potato starch (PS), sweet potato starch (SPS) and their binary mixtures, with moisture levels of 10, 15 and 20% (db), were submitted to...     

Thermochemistry of Surfactant-Templating of USY Zeolite

With the aim of understanding the thermochemistry of the introduction of mesoporosity in zeolites by using surfactants, high temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry was used to determine the change in the enthalpy of formation of USY zeolite before and after the introduction of mesoporosity. Our results confirm that this process only slightly destabilizes the zeolite by the additional surface area. However, this can be overcome by the stabilizing effect of the interactions between the surfactant and the zeolite framework.     

Chlorhexidine/losartan ionic pair binding and its nanoprecipitation: physico-chemical characterisation and antimicrobial activity

Chlorhexidine is a widely used, di-cationic, broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent and losartan is a well-known, anionic-specific antagonist of AT1 renin–angiotensin receptor that acts as an anti-hypertensive agent. The combination of these molecules gives a chlorhexidine di-losartanate (ClxLos₂) hydrophobic ion pair that spontaneously aggregates into nanoparticles (NPs). This work investigated the formation of ClxLos₂ NPs using the analysis of the solid state by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy and in aqueous environment by calorimetric, zeta potential and dynamic light scattering titrations. Furthermore, to demonstrate the potential antimicrobial activity of ClxLos₂, in vitro antibacterial tests were conducted against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 27664), Streptococcus viridans (ATCC 11563) and Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 14508). Based on these studies, it is proposed that ClxLos₂ could be used for controlled drug release based on ionic dissociation during dilution, thereby avoiding the use of any solid matrix.     

Coends of Higher Arity

Applied Categorical Structures - We specialise a recently introduced notion of generalised dinaturality for functors $$T : (\mathcal {C}^\mathsf {op})^p \times \mathcal {C}^q \rightarrow \mathcal...     

Synthesis of the bicyclo[6.2.1]undecane ring system by a solvent-free Diels–Alder reaction

A bicyclo[6.2.1]undecane model compound of the core structure of the biologically active furanoheliangolide sesquiterpene was synthesized. This new and short route was developed by using a solvent-free Diels–Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and 3-nitro-2-cyclohexenone, followed by simple transformations. Theoretical calculations were performed in order to understand reactivity aspects of the cycloaddition.     

Recovery and Purity of High Molar Mass Bio-hyaluronic Acid Via Precipitation Strategies Modulated by pH and Sodium Chloride

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - The effects of ethanol/broth proportions and the number of steps at varying pH in the presence or absence of sodium chloride (NaCl) were studied as...     

Magnetic properties of a polyfluorene derivative containing complexed neodymium ions

Poly[9,9′‐dihexylfluorene‐2,7‐diyl)‐6,6″‐(2,2′:6′,2″‐terpyridine)] (LaPPS75) and its complexes with neodymium were synthesized and characterized. Magnetic measurements showed that the noncomplexed polymer presented a ferromagnetic contribution due to the formation of π stacking, and that in absence of those, the ferromagnetic behavior is suppressed. The pristine polymer, the complexed one and a low‐molecular‐weight model compound with the same structure of the complexed site in the parent polymer were studied. The observed behavior found is presented and discussed, the most important finding was that when a conjugated chain is used as a host for the metallic ion, an amplification of four times for the magnetization is achieved, using the same metallic content for complexed polymer and model compound for comparison. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 304–311