Express detection of nonylphenol in water samples by fluorescence polarization immunoassay

The development of express method for detection of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) such as alkylphenols is required for ecological monitoring. Several attempts have been made to produce antibodies against 4-nonylphenol (NP) in recent years. This work describes the production of new antibodies against NP and also summarizes the characterization of antibodies obtained earlier. Three approaches used to produce alkylphenol-specific antibodies are compared; these are based on: 1. omega-(4-hydroxyphenyl)nonanoic or omega-(4-hydroxyphenyl)heptanoic acid NP derivatives designed to mimic the linear NP isomer; 2. 4-aminophenol, which potentially mimics various substituted phenolic compounds with different side-chain structures at position 4 of the benzene ring; and 3. a mixture of branched NP isomers, conjugated to the carrier protein via a benzene ring by the Mannich reaction, and expected to be the closest mimic of NP structure by preserving its natural alkyl moiety.Fluorescence polarization immunoassays based on different combinations of antibody and labeled antigen for screening detection of NP were developed and structural aspects of assay sensitivity and specificity were investigated. The assays based on the antisera raised against omega-(4-hydroxyphenyl)nonanoic acid and NP conjugate via Mannich reaction are capable of express detection of NP with detection limit of 7 microg mL(-1 )and assay dynamic range of 18-300 microg mL(-1).     

Synthetic Applications of 2-(1,3-Dithian-2-yl)indoles. 7. Synthesis of Aspidospermidine

A new method of synthesizing the alkaloid aspidospermidine (1), based on building ring E on the pyridocarbazole [ABCD] ring structure, is reported. The preparation of the pyridocarbazole framework of Aspidosperma alkaloids is a new three-step synthetic application of 2-(1,3-dithian-2-yl)indoles. A tandem conjugate addition-alkylation reaction starting from indolyldithiane (4), 3-methylenelactam 6, and EtI yields the adduct 17. Treatment of lactam 17 with DIBALH leads to formation of the naphthyridoindole 18. Compound 18 isomerizes in aqueous AcOH to yield pyridocarbazole 3. Finally, closure of ring E and subsequent reduction of the dithiane ring produces aspidospermidine. Pyridocarbazoles 2 and 10 were prepared as models.     

Combining alkali metals and zinc to harness heterometallic cooperativity in cyclic ester ring-opening polymerisation

Heterometallic cooperativity is an emerging strategy to elevate polymerisation catalyst performance. Here, we report the first heterotrimetallic Na/Zn₂ and K/Zn₂ complexes supported by a ProPhenol ligand, which deliver “best of both” in cyclic ester ring-opening polymerisation, combining the outstanding activity (Na/K) and good control (Zn₂) of homometallic analogues. Detailed NMR studies and density-functional theory calculations suggest that the Na/Zn₂ and K/Zn₂ complexes retain their heterometallic structures in the solution-state. To the best of our knowledge, the K/Zn₂ analogue is the most active heterometallic catalyst reported for rac-lactide polymerisation (k_obs = 1.7 × 10⁻² s⁻¹), giving activities five times faster than the Na/Zn₂ complex. These versatile catalysts also display outstanding performance in ε-caprolatone and δ-valerolactone ring-opening polymerisation. These studies provide underpinning methodologies for future heterometallic polymerisation catalyst design, both in cyclic ester polymerisation and other ring-opening (co)polymerisation reactions.

Cooperative heterotrimetallic Na/Zn₂ and K/Zn₂ complexes combine the excellent activities and control of the homometallic analogues, giving “best of both” in cyclic ester ring-opening polymerisation.     

Preconcentration and separation of copper(II), cadmium(II) and chromium(III) in a syringe filled with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane supported on silica gel

In this study, a syringe was filled with silica gel loaded with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, for the separation and preconcentration of copper, cadmium and chromium prior to their determination by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) in seawater. For this purpose, a syringe was filled with 0.5 g of modified silica gel and the sample solution was drawn into the syringe and ejected back again. The analyte elements were quantitatively retained at pH 5. Then, the elements sorbed by the silica gel were eluted with 2.0 M of HCl and determined by GFAAS. At optimum conditions, the recovery of Cu, Cd and Cr were 96-98%. Detection limits (3delta) were 6.6, 7.5 and 6.0 micro g L(-1) for Cu, Cd and Cr, respectively. The elements could be concentrated by drawing and discharging several portions of sample successively but eluting only once. Cu, Cd and Cr added to a seawater sample were quantitatively recovered (>95%) in the range of the 95% confidence level. The method proposed in this paper was compared with a column technique. Optimum experimental conditions, reproducibility, precision and recoveries of both techniques are the same, but the syringe technique is much faster, easier and more practical than the column technique. It is a portable system and allows one to make the sorption process in the source of sample. In addition, the risk of contamination is less than in the column technique.     

Borate adsorption at Pt(111) in acidic medium

The adsorption/desorption process of borate was studied at Pt(111) in acidic solution by cyclic voltammetry. A so-called butterfly wave in the cyclic voltammogram of Pt(111) in HClO₄ shifted to negative direction upon the addition of boric acid with the disappearance of its sharp spikes. The shift in potential was found to be −57 mV with a tenfold increase of boric acid concentration. This illustrates that this anomalous wave is due to borate adsorption/desorption by a one-electron transfer process. The borate adsorption/desorption wave was observed to shift by −63 mV/pH. At pH>3, the anomalous wave splits forming two separate waves, depending on the pH and the scan rate. The appearance of two waves is assigned to the change in the adsorption mode of borate or the participation of OH in the adsorption process.     

Coordination of solvent molecules to VO(acac)<Subscript>2</Subscript> complexes in solution studied by hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy and pulsed electron nuclear double resonance

Interactions and binding sites of the solvent molecules chloroform and ethanol to bis(acetylacetonate)oxovanadium(IV) (VO(acac)₂) complexes in (frozen) solutions have been investigated by pulsed electron nuclear double resonance, sum peak electron spin echo envelope modulation and hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy. The experimental proton hyperfine coupling data of coordinating solvent molecules have been interpreted using quantum chemical calculations (density functional theory). Experimental and computed hyperfine couplings indicate that ethanol coordinates to vanadium in the equatorial plane of VO(acac)₂ and chloroform interacts via hydrogen bonding to oxygens of the acac ligands.     

Reactions of theortho-metallated rhodium(I) complex of the formula Rh[P(OC6H4)(OPh)2][P(OPh)3]3 with HX molecules

Summary Theortho-metallated complex [RhP₃Pt] [P=P(OPh)₃, P=P(OC₆H₄)(OPh)₂] was obtained in the reaction of [RhP₄]ClO₄ with KOH. It reacts easily with proton donors HX (X=ClO₄, F, Cl, SCN, or acetylacetonate) to produce complexes [RhP₃X] when X is a strong donor. If X is a weaker donor (X=ClO₄ or F), pentacoordinate compounds of the type [PhP₄X] are formed. [RhP₃P] reacts with acetylacetone (Hacac) to produce [Rh(acac)P₂].     

Thermal stability of lysozyme and myoglobin in the presence of anionic surfactants

The interactions of lysozyme and myoglobin with anionic surfactants (hydrogenated and fluorinated), at surfactant concentrations below the critical micelle concentration, in aqueous solution were studied using spectroscopic techniques. The temperature conformational transition of globular proteins by anionic surfactants was analysed as a function of denaturant concentration through absorbance measurements at 280 nm. Changes in absorbance of protein-surfactant system with temperature were used to determine the unfolding thermodynamics parameters, melting temperature, T _m, enthalpy, ΔH _m, entropy, ΔS _m and the heat capacity change, ΔC _p, between the native and denatured states.     

Enzymatic synthesis of medium chain monoglycerides in a solvent-free system

The synthesis of monocaprin, monolaurin, and monomyristin in a solvent-free system was conducted by mixing a commercial immobilized lipase with the organic reactants (glycerol and fatty acids) in a 20-mL batch reactor with constant stirring. The effects of temperature, fatty acid/glycerol molar ratio, and enzyme concentration on the reaction conversion were determined. The addition of molecular sieves in the assays of monomyristin synthesis was also evaluated. The reactions were carried out for 5 to 6 h and the nonpolar phase was analyzed by gas chromatography. The best results in terms of selectivity and conversion (defined as the percentage of fatty acid consumed) were achieved when the stoichiometric amount of reagents (molar ratio=1) and 9% (w/w) commercial enzyme were used and the reaction was performed at 60°C. The addition of molecular sieves did not improve the synthesis of monomyristin. Conversions as high as 80%, with monoglycerides being the major products, were attained. After 5 h of reaction, the concentration of monoglyceride was about twice that of diglyceride, and only trace amounts of triglyceride were found. The results illustrate the technical possibility of producing medium chain monoglycerides in a solvent-free medium using a simple batch reactor.     

A regularity result for a class of non-uniformly elliptic operators

Archiv der Mathematik - We obtain an explicit Hölder regularity result for viscosity solutions of a class of second order fully nonlinear equations led by operators that are neither...