Effect of surfactants on the voltammetric response and determination of an antihypertensive drug

The effect of adding surface-active agents to electrolytes containing terazosin, an antihypertensive drug, on the voltammetric response of glassy carbon electrode was studied. The current signal due to the oxidation process was a function of the amount of terazosin, pH of the medium, type of surfactant, and accumulation time at the electrode surface. Two surfactants were used, an anionic type, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and a cationic type, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). Addition of SDS to the terazosin-containing electrolyte was found to enhance the oxidation current signal while CTAB showed an opposite effect. Beside the interfacial interaction of the surfactant with the electrode surface in reference to the bias applied potential and the charge of surfactant, terazosin-surfactant interaction in the electrolytic solution was found to be critical to the magnitude of current signal. Addition of SDS to terazosin-containing buffer solution resulted in a decrease in the drug absorption spectrum both in the ultra-violet and visible (UV-vis) regions. Moreover, NMR measurements showed considerable chemical shifts for the aromatic protons of the quinazolinyl moiety of the terazosin in presence of SDS. The affected aromatic protons are positioned next to the interacting protonated amino-group of the terazosin with the charged sulfonate-group of SDS. On the other hand, addition of CTAB did not cause noticeable changes both to the UV-vis and NMR spectra of the drug. The use of SDS in the electrochemical determination of terazosin using linear sweep voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry at solid glassy carbon electrode enhanced the detection limit from 6.00 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ in absence of surfactant to 4.58 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹ when present. The validity of using this method in the determination of drug active ingredient in urine samples and tablet formulations was also demonstrated.     

A convenient method for the preparation of oxazaborolidine catalyst in situ using (S)-α,α-diphenylpyrrolidinemethanol,tetrabutylammonium borohydride,and methyl iodide for the asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones

An oxazaborolidine catalyst is readily prepared in situ at 25 °C in THF using (S)-α,α-diphenylpyrrolidinemethanol and borane generated from tetrabutylammonium borohydride/CH₃I reagent system. The oxazaborolidine/BH₃ reagent system prepared in this way is useful for the reduction of prochiral ketones to the corresponding alcohols with up to 99% ee.     

Microwave-assisted Suzuki-Miyaura and Heck-Mizoroki cross-coupling reactions of aryl chlorides and bromides in water using stable benzothiazole-based palladium(II) precatalysts

The catalytic activity of benzothiazole-based Pd(II)-complexes was evaluated in Suzuki-Miyaura and Heck-Mizoroki C-C cross-coupling reactions of aryl chlorides and bromides with olefins and arylboronic acids both under thermal as well as microwave irradiation conditions in water. The factors affecting the optimization of such reactions as well as the reusability of the Pd-precatalysts are studied.     

Electrochemical synthesis, characterization and some properties of a polymer derived from thioflavin S

Polymeric films derived from thioflavin S were electrosynthesized on mild steel and silver electrodes in sulfuric acid and lithium perchlorate-containing aqueous solutions. The introduction of thioflavin S in an acidic solution protected the surface of steel from corrosion. The electrochemical behavior of the steel coated with a layer of poly(thioflavin) was examined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The films exhibited a capacitive behavior and were semi-conductive in nature. Infra red reflectance measurements of the polymer films at the steel surface showed that the polymer structure retained the aromatic structure of the benzene and thiazole rings with the distinction of a nitrogen quinone vibrational band. Surface morphology of the polymer film was examined with scanning electron microscopy. The films are yellow, compact and dense when electrochemically formed onto steel surfaces when compared to a blue rather porous when formed onto silver electrode. The mechanism of electropolymerization of thioflavin is given and found similar to that of aniline with the possibility of metal chelation with the sulfur and/or nitrogen in the thiazole ring.     

Pointwise and uniform error estimates associated with Abel-Whittaker interpolation series and its dual

BIT Numerical Mathematics - Abel-Whittaker series (1934) is viewed as a two-point Taylor series. It solves the interpolation problem $$f^{(2n)}(1) =a_n$$ , $$f^{(2n+1)}(0) =b_n,\,n\ge 0,$$ for an...     

Phase behavior of water-in-supercritical carbon dioxide microemulsion with sodium salt of bis(2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoro-1-pentanol) sulfosuccinate

The fluorinated analogues of AOT surfactant, sodium salt of bis(2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoro-1-pentanol) sulfosuccinate, which has CO₂-philic chains and a hydrophilic head group, was synthesized for forming water-in-CO₂ microemulsion. The cloud point of this surfactant was measured and the supercritical fluid-phase behavior of water-in-CO₂ microemulsion was investigated by using a variable-volume view cell apparatus. It was found that the phase behavior of microemulsion is affected by the concentrations of water and surfactant in CO₂, molar ratio of water to surfactant (W_o = [water]/[surfactant]), and the amount of CO₂. From this experiment, we found out another cloudy point which exists above the homogeneous microemulsion region. We defined this point as “upper cloud point” and general cloud point as “lower cloud point. The region which exists between these two cloud points was defined as “stable region of microemulsion”. Conditions for the formation of water-in-CO₂ microemulsion were obtained at temperatures up to 370.15 K.     

Insights into dimethyl sulfoxide decomposition in Li-O2 battery: Understanding carbon dioxide evolution

DMSO has been widely investigated as a potential electrolyte for the Li-air battery systems, however its stability has been a topic of debate in the research community. In this communication we have identified the side reaction products during the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on Au in dimethyl sulfoxide-based electrolyte for Li-air battery by a combination of in-situ analytical tools: EQCM, SNIFTIRS, DEMS and XPS, in particular the evolution of CO₂ from the solvent decomposition.     

Synthesis and anticancer activity of some new heterocyclic compounds based on 1-cyanoacetyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazole

Research on Chemical Intermediates - The starting 3-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-3-oxopropanenitrile (1) reacts with phenyl isothiocyanate and ethyl bromoacetate to give the corresponding...