Thermal monitoring of morphology in triblock terpolymers with crystallizable blocks

The bulk morphology of poly(1,4‐butadiene)–block–polystyrene–block–poly (ethylene oxide) (PB‐b‐PS‐b‐PEO) and polyethylene–block–polystyrene–block–poly (ethylene oxide) (PE‐b‐PS‐b‐PEO) triblock terpolymers is analyzed under a thermal protocol. This allows the investigation of the morphology during the occurrence of thermal transitions, such as crystallization and melting, which is a neat way of studying the competition between microphase separation and crystallization for the morphology formation. Only one of the studied systems presented a morphological transition upon melting of the PEO and the PE blocks, attributed to the crystallization of the PE block in finite interconnected domains. All the other systems presented no morphological transitions during the thermal scan. The results prove that the crystallization only disrupt the microphases generated in the molten state under very specific circumstances for these block copolymers. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 3197–3206, 2007     

Polystyrene-supported proline and prolinamide. Versatile heterogeneous organocatalysts both for asymmetric aldol reaction in water and α-selenenylation of aldehydes

A simple and efficient synthesis of polystyrene-supported proline and prolinamide has been carried out. Polystyrene-supported proline has been used as organocatalyst in the asymmetric aldol reaction between cyclohexanone and substituted benzaldehydes in water without any additive. High yields, diastereoselectivities and ee values have been observed. The versatility of this resin was demonstrated in the α-selenenylation of aldehydes. Both proline and prolinamide resins gave high yields. Recycling studies showed that the proline resin gave better results than prolinamide resin.     

Pillared layered structures versus zeolites as sorbents and catalysts. Part 8. Catalytic destruction of some chloro- and chlorofluoro-hydrocarbons in alumina-pillared clays

Summary Pillared clays have been monitored for catalytic destruction of halocarbons. In comparison with HZSM-5 zeolites, the catalysts tested give higher chlorohydrocarbons destruction with polymers formation. Fluorochlorohydro-carbons are destroyed as well.     

Electrochemical Behaviour and Rapid Determination of L‐Dopa at Electrochemically Pretreated Screen Printed Carbon Electrode

A simple and rapid voltammetric method based on a disposable electrochemically pretreated screen‐printed carbon electrode is proposed for the determination of L ‐dopa. Under optimum differential pulse voltammetry conditions a limit of detection of 3.6×10^?7 M for L ‐dopa was obtained. The method was successfully applied to the determination of L ‐dopa in a commercial pharmaceutical formulation.     

Comparison of essential oil components and in vitro anticancer activity in wild and cultivated Salvia verbenaca

The objectives of our research were to study the chemical composition and the in vitro anticancer effect of the essential oil of Salvia verbenaca growing in natural sites in comparison with those of cultivated (Sc) plants. The oil from wild (Sw) S. verbenaca presented hexadecanoic acid (23.1%) as the main constituent, while the oil from Sc plants contained high quantities of hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (9.7%), scarce in the natural oil (0.7%). The growth-inhibitory and proapoptotic effects of the essential oils from Sw and Sc S. verbenaca were evaluated in the human melanoma cell line M14, testing cell vitality, cell membrane integrity, genomic DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activity. Both the essential oils were able to inhibit the growth of the cancer cells examined inducing also apoptotic cell death, but the essential oil from cultivated samples exhibited the major effects.     

Combination of hollow‐fiber‐supported liquid membrane and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction as a fast and sensitive technique for the extraction of pesticides from grape juice followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography

The simultaneous use of a hollow‐fiber‐supported liquid membrane and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the determination of pesticides directly in grape juice was investigated. The detection and quantification were performed by liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The optimum extraction condition was reached by filling the pores of the membrane wall with dodecanol and using hexane/acetone as extraction/dispersion solvents. Salt addition had a highly negative effect on the extraction efficiency and the optimum extraction time was 60 min. The volume of hexane/acetone mixture and the sample pH did not affect the signal at the levels studied. Therefore, an intermediate amount of these solvents (250 μL; 1:7.5 v/v) and pH 6 were selected. The optimum desorption condition was obtained with acetonitrile and 10 min of desorption time. The linear working range varied from 58 to 500 μg/L (parathion‐methyl), 62–500 μg/L (difenoconazole) and 107–500 μg/L (chlorpyrifos), with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9980–0.9942. The limits of detection and quantification found were, respectively, 17 and 58 μg/L for parathion‐methyl, 19 and 62 μg/L for difenoconazole and 32 and 107 μg/L for chlorpyrifos. The relative standard deviation ranged between 3.5 and 11.2%.     

Two novel organic–inorganic hybrid materials from tetrachloridometallate(II) salts and 4‐[(E)‐2‐(pyridin‐1‐ium‐2‐yl)ethenyl]pyridinium

Two organic–inorganic hybrid compounds have been prepared by the combination of the 4‐[(E)‐2‐(pyridin‐1‐ium‐2‐yl)ethenyl]pyridinium cation with perhalometallate anions to give 4‐[(E)‐2‐(pyridin‐1‐ium‐2‐yl)ethenyl]pyridinium tetrachloridocobaltate(II), (C₁₂H₁₂N₂)[CoCl₄], (I), and 4‐[(E)‐2‐(pyridin‐1‐ium‐2‐yl)ethenyl]pyridinium tetrachloridozincate(II), (C₁₂H₁₂N₂)[ZnCl₄], (II). The compounds have been structurally characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis, showing the formation of a three‐dimensional network through X—H...Cl_nM⁻ (X = C, N⁺; n = 1, 2; M = Co^II, Zn^II) hydrogen‐bonding interactions and π–π stacking interactions. The title compounds were also characterized by FT–IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).     

Formulation of Aluminum Chloride Phthalocyanine in Pluronic™ P‐123 and F‐127 Block Copolymer Micelles: Photophysical properties and Photodynamic Inactivation of Microorganisms

Aluminum Chloride Phthalocyanine (AlPcCl) can be used as a photosensitizer (PS) for Photodynamic Inactivation of Microorganisms (PDI). The AlPcCl showed favorable characteristics for PDI due to high quantum yield of singlet oxygen (Φ_Δ) and photostability. Physicochemical properties and photodynamic inactivation of AlPcCl incorporated in polymeric micelles of tri‐block copolymer (P‐123 and F‐127) against microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans were investigated in this work. Previously, it was observed that the AlPcCl undergoes self‐aggregation in F‐127, while in P‐123 the PS is in a monomeric form suitable for PDI. Due to the self‐aggregation of AlPcCl in F‐127, this formulation did not show any effect on these microorganisms. On the other hand, AlPcCl formulated in P‐123 was effective against S. aureus and C. albicans and the death of microorganisms was dependent on the PS concentration and illumination time. Additionally, it was found that the values of PS concentration and illumination time to eradicate 90% of the initial population of microorganisms (IC₉₀ and D₉₀, respectively) were small for the AlPcCl in P‐123, showing the effectiveness of this formulation for PDI.