Drude-type conductivity of charged sphere colloidal crystals: density and temperature dependence

We report on extensive measurements in the low-frequency limit of the ac conductivity of colloidal fluids and crystals formed from charged colloidal spheres suspended in de-ionized water. Temperature was varied in a range of 5 degrees C < Theta < 35 degrees C and the particle number density n between 0.2 and 25 microm(-3) for the larger, respectively, 2.75 and 210 microm(-3) for the smaller of two investigated species. At fixed Theta the conductivity increased linearly with increasing n without any significant change at the fluid-solid phase boundary. At fixed n it increased with increasing Theta and the increase was more pronounced for larger n. Lacking a rigorous electrohydrodynamic treatment for counterion-dominated systems we describe our data with a simple model relating to Drude's theory of metal conductivity. The key parameter is an effectively transported particle charge or valence Z(*). All temperature dependencies other than that of Z(*) were taken from literature. Within experimental resolution Z(*) was found to be independent of n irrespective of the suspension structure. Interestingly, Z(*) decreases with temperature in near quantitative agreement with numerical calculations.     

Biological monitoring of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid in urine by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was employed for determination of the pyrethroid biomarker, 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) in human urine samples. The optimized coating antigen concentration was 0.5 ng/mL with a dilution of 1:4000 for the 3-PBA antibody and 1:6000 for the enzyme conjugate. Urine samples were hydrolyzed with concentrated hydrochloric acid; extracted with dichloromethane and solvent-exchanged into a methanol/buffer solution, prior to analysis in a 96-microwell plate immunoassay. Quantitative recoveries of 3-PBA were obtained for fortified urine samples by ELISA (92 ± 18%) as well as by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) (90 ± 13%). The overall method precision of these samples was within ±20% for both the ELISA and GC/MS methods. Analytical results from over one hundred urine samples showed that the ELISA and GC/MS data were highly correlated, with a correlation coefficient of 0.95. At the 10 ng/mL comparative concentration level, the false positive rate was 0% and the false negative rate was 0.8% for ELISA when using GC/MS as the reference method. The ELISA method has a suitable low detection limit for 3-PBA to assess pyrethroid exposures in non-occupational settings.     

Versatile and fast gas chromatographic determination of frequently used brominated flame retardants in styrenic polymers

Two versatile and fast methods to identify and quantify brominated flame retardants (BrFRs) in styrenic polymers were developed. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) as well as gas chromatography with electron-capture detection (GC/ECD), both following ultrasonic-supported dissolution and precipitation (USDP), were applied. The substance range includes poly-brominated biphenyls (PBBs) and diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), as well as other commonly used flame retardants (FRs), including two phosphate-based flame retardants. The methods were verified using congener standards and flame-retardant polymer samples. Good recoveries were found. Overall run time for the analysis, including sample preparation, is less than 60min.     

Application of factorial design to the optimization of peroxidase activity in reverse micelles of bis(2-ethylhexyl)sodium sulfosuccinate/isooctane

Two cationic peroxidases isolated from Vaccinium myrtillus were encapsulated in reverse micelles of bis(2-ethylhexyl)sodium sulfosuccinate/isooctane. By using a central composite design, some relevant parameters for the enzymatic activity, such as surfactant and water concentration, pH, and buffer molarity, were analyzed. With the results obtained from this experimental planning, the response surface curves were established. The maximum specific activity obtained (0.19 mM/min · mM of enzyme) was approximately the same for both peroxidases, but the experimental conditions under which this value was attained differed considerably.     

Au(I)...Ag(I) metallophilic interactions between anionic units: theoretical studies on a AuAg4 square pyramidal arrangement

We have studied theoretically the organometallic compound (NBu4)2[Au(3,5-C6F3Cl2)2Ag4(CF3CO2)5], whose dianionic part displays a AuAg4 square pyramidal arrangement based on closed-shell Au(I)...Ag(I) interactions between two monoanionic fragments. DFT/B3LYP, ab initio Hartree-Fock (HF), and second-order M?ller Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) calculations have been carried out for simplified model systems. Model system [AuPh2]-...[Ag4(CO2H)5]- (C1) has been chosen from DFT results as an appropriate model for the study of the interactions. The four Au(I)...Ag(I) interactions and two additional C...Ag(I) interactions are observed when dispersion-type interactions are considered in the level of theory (MP2) displaying a metallophilic attraction between two anionic units. The study of model C2 (similar to C1 but with minimized C...Ag(I) interactions) permits the study of the Au(I)...Ag(I) interactions separately, which confirms the existence of stabilizing Au(I)...Ag(I) interactions around 13 kJ.mol(-1) each.     

A new and efficient approach to pyrazolines. First synthesis of 3-aryl-5-dichloromethyl-2-pyrazolines

An efficient synthetic method for dichloromethylated pyrazolines has been established. 1-Aryl-4,4-dichlorobut-3-en-1-ones 4 were efficiently prepared by treatment of acetophenones with anhydrous chloral, followed by dehydration and reductive dechlorination. Compounds 4 reacted with hydrazine hydrate and methylhydrazine to give the respective 5-dichloromethyl-2-pyrazolines in high to quantitative yields. The molecular structure of 5-dichoromethyl-1-methyl-3-(2-naphthyl)-2-pyrazoline has been determined by X-ray crystallography.     

Immunoenzyme assay of nonylphenol: study of selectivity and detection of alkylphenolic non-ionic surfactants in water samples

Immunoenzyme assay (ELISA) is proposed and characterized for determination of alkylphenol ethoxylates, a primary class of manufactured non-ionic surfactants. The assay is based on the obtained polyclonal antibodies against nonylphenol (NP), the main stable intermediate of the decomposition of nonylphenol ethoxylates. A mixture of non-modified branched isomers of NP was applied as hapten coupled to protein carriers by Mannich reaction with the use of formaldehyde. The proposed ELISA format is based on immobilized NP-(soybean trypsin inhibitor) conjugate as a competitor of antigen molecules contained in the tested sample for binding with specific antibodies indirectly labeled via an anti-species immunoperoxidase conjugate. The developed ELISA allows to reveal NP with the limit of detection about 10 ng ml⁻¹ and NP-related compounds such as octylphenol, alkylphenoletoxylates, alkylphenolcarboxylates and their halogenated derivatives. The ELISA was applied for assaying polluted water samples, namely influents and effluents from different wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and tap water. ELISA and chromatographic data demonstrate good correlation (r = 0.94), while ELISA gives higher values. Due to endocrine disrupting and other toxic activities of some metabolites of alkylphenolic non-ionic surfactants, the developed assay may be effectively used in ecological monitoring and sanitary control.     

Chromium-mediated stereoselective synthesis of carbohydrate-derived (E)-α,β-unsaturated esters or amides

A chromium-mediated novel synthesis of carbohydrate-derived di- and trisubstituted (E)-α,β-unsaturated esters or amides from a range of dichloroesters or amides and a variety of sugar aldehydes is reported. The process took place with total stereoselectivity and in high yields. A mechanism based on a sequential chromium-promoted aldol-type reaction and a completely stereoselective β-elimination reaction is proposed to explain these results.     

Detection of ligand binding hot spots on protein surfaces via fragment-based methods: application to DJ-1 and glucocerebrosidase

The identification of hot spots, i.e., binding regions that contribute substantially to the free energy of ligand binding, is a critical step for structure-based drug design. Here we present the application of two fragment-based methods to the detection of hot spots for DJ-1 and glucocerebrosidase (GCase), targets for the development of therapeutics for Parkinson’s and Gaucher’s diseases, respectively. While the structures of these two proteins are known, binding information is lacking. In this study we employ the experimental multiple solvent crystal structures (MSCS) method and computational fragment mapping (FTMap) to identify regions suitable for the development of pharmacological chaperones for DJ-1 and GCase. Comparison of data derived via MSCS and FTMap also shows that FTMap, a computational method for the identification of fragment binding hot spots, is an accurate and robust alternative to the performance of expensive and difficult crystallographic experiments.     

Self‐Assembly in Helical Columnar Mesophases and Luminescence of Chiral 1H‐Pyrazoles

Chiral polycatenar 1H‐pyrazoles self‐assemble to form columnar mesophases that are stable at room temperature. X‐ray diffraction and CD studies in the mesophase indicate a supramolecular helical organization consisting of stacked H‐bonded dimers. The liquid‐crystalline compounds reported are 3,5‐bis(dialkoxyphenyl)‐1H‐pyrazoles that incorporate two or four dihydrocitronellyl chiral tails. It can be observed that the grafting of these branched chiral substituents onto the 3,5‐diphenyl‐1H‐pyrazole core has a beneficial role in inducing mesomorphism, because isomeric linear‐chain compounds are not liquid crystalline; this is not the usual scheme of behavior. Furthermore, the molecular chirality is transferred to the columnar mesophase, because preferential helical arrangements are observed. Films of the compounds are luminescent at room temperature and constitute an example of the self‐organization of nondiscoid units into columnar liquid‐crystalline assemblies in which the functional molecular unit transfers its properties to a hierarchically built superstructure.