Electrocatalytical Application of Platinum Nanoparticles Supported on Reduced Graphene Oxide in PEM Fuel Cell: Effect of Reducing Agents of Dimethlyformamide or Hydrazine Hydrate on the Properties

Two kinds of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were synthesized with the reducing agents of either dimethylformamide (DMF) or hydrazine hydrate (HYD). The decoration of platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) over these materials was provided by microwave irradiation (MWI) method. Detailed physical and electrochemical measurements were carried out. Based on the electrochemical results of both catalysts, it is not surprising the achievement of higher electrochemical active surface area (ECSA), higher oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, higher electron transfer number, lower charge transfer resistance and higher fuel cell performance with the Pt/rGO (DMF) catalyst which surpasses Pt/rGO (HYD) in many ways.     

The liquid structure of the solvents dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylacetamide (DMA)

The liquid structure of the commonly used solvents dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylacetamide (DMA)were measured using state-of-the-art state neutron diffraction augmented with isotopic substitution (NDIS) and interpreted with empirical potential structure refinement (EPSR). Both solvents are found to develop rich local ordering with similar local packing densities, though with differences related to their three-dimensional molecular structure. While DMF’s dipole preferentially orientates anti-parallel to maximise hydrogen bonding, DMA favours parallel arrangement maximising non-directional dispersive forces. The highly-developed local orientational structure found in these solvents rationalises their ability to solvate a range of charged and neutral nanomaterials and highlights that the understanding of nanomaterial dispersions is a multi-body problem in which the geometry of the molecule, as well its dipole moment, must be incorporated.     

Applications of Danishefsky’s dienes in asymmetric Oxo-Diels-Alder reactions

Applications of Danishefsky’s dienes in catalytic asymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder (AHDA) reactions or specifically, their asymmetric Oxo-Diels-Alder (AOxo-DA) reactions with appropriate dienophiles are highlighted in detail, including the preparation of catalysts with discussion from a mechanistic points of view. Danishefsky’s dienes are effective and useful compounds for the synthesis of optically active six-membered rings such as dihydropyrones, dihydropyridones and dihydropyrans. Due to the broad range of the overall subject, we have limited ourselves, to the recent developments in the utility of Danishefsky’s dienes in the reaction with carbonyl compounds (aldehydes, ketones and 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds) in asymmetric Oxo-Diels-Alder (AOxo-DA) reactions.     

Monitoring of progestins: Development of immunochemical methods for purification and detection of levonorgestrel

A polyclonal antibody (Ab) for the progestin levonorgestrel (LNG) was generated, and immunochemical assays for its detection, clean-up and concentration were developed. A highly specific microplate diagnostic assay for the detection of LNG was developed that used the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The LNG ELISA developed was sensitive and reproducible; it exhibited I₅₀ and I₂₀ values of 3.3 ± 1.8 ng mL⁻¹ and 0.6 ± 0.4 ng mL⁻¹, respectively, and the Abs did not cross react with any of the tested steroid hormones. The above Abs were used to develop a sol-gel-based immunoaffinity purification (IAP) method for concentration and clean-up of LNG that is compatible with subsequent immunochemical or instrumental chemical analytical procedures, such as liquid chromatography followed by mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Development of the columns included successful entrapment of Abs within a tetramethoxysilane (TMOS)-based SiO₂ polymer network. The Abs could bind the free analyte from solution, and the bound analyte could be easily eluted from the sol-gel matrix at high recoveries. The Ab selectivity towards the antigen was high, in both ELISA and the sol-gel columns, but the entrapped Abs cross-reacted with two other steroid hormones - ethynylestradiol (EE2) and nortestosterone (NT) - which share similar epitopes with LNG, despite the lack of cross reactivity in the ELISA. The validity of the method was investigated by LC-MS/MS and a good analytical correlation was obtained.     

Physicochemical Properties of Solutions of Amides in H2O and in D2O

Excess volume, partial molar volumes, viscosity, and ultrasound velocity in H₂O and D₂O solutions of formamide (FM), acetamide (AM), dimethylformamide (DMF), and dimethylacetamide (DMA) were studied at 20°C. The change in the excess volume of the various amide solutions on substitution of D₂O for H₂O varies both in magnitude and direction. On the other hand, the isotope effect on the ultrasound velocity behaves similarly in all cases. Its magnitude is greatest for pure water and then decreases monotonically with increasing amide concentration. Although the behavior of the concentration dependence of viscosity is similar to that for ultrasound velocity, the isotope effect on the viscosity behaves in a different way. For methyl-substitued amides, a maximum isotope effect is observed at amide mole fraction 0.2, but the isotope effect for FM and AM increases monotonically with increasing amide concentration. The differences in the behavior of amides in aqueous solution are discussed in terms of their interactions with water.     

Application of carbon-based nanomaterials in sample preparation: A review

In this paper, a broad overview on the applications of different carbon-based nanomaterials, including nanodiamonds, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, graphene, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanocones-disks and nanohorns, as well as their functionalized forms, in sample preparation is provided. Particular attention has been paid to graphene because many papers regarding its application in this research field are becoming available. The distinctive properties, derivatization methods and application techniques of these materials were summarized and compared. According to their research status and perspective, these nanomaterials were classified in four groups (I: graphene and carbon nanotubes; II: carbon nanofibers; III: fullerenes; and IV: nanodiamonds, carbon nanocones/disks and carbon nanohorns) and characteristics and future trends of every group were discussed.