Transition metal-doped graphene nanoflakes for CO and CO2 storage and sensing applications: a DFT study

Structural Chemistry - The adsorptions of CO and CO2 on pristine and transition metal-doped graphene nanoflakes (GNFs) were theoretically investigated using the density functional theory. Doping of...     

Theoretical investigation of the complexation,structural, and electronic properties of complexes between oseltamivir drug and cucurbit[n = 6–9]urils

Structural Chemistry - The structural geometries of cucurbit[n]uril CB[n] with n?=?6–9 and their complexes with oseltamivir (OST) drug were obtained using the density...     

Comparative Analysis of Rhein Content in Cassia fistula Pod Extract by Thin-Layer Chromatographic-Densitometric and TLC Image Methods

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - A simple, rapid, and cost-effective thin-layer chromatography (TLC) image analysis was developed and validated to quantify rhein...     

Lithium-fusion sample preparation method for radio frequency glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (rf-GD-OES): analysis of coal ash specimens

The use of lithium-fusion sample preparation methods for the analysis of powder-form specimens by radio frequency glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (rf-GD-OES) has been evaluated for the test case of coal ash samples. The development of an elemental analysis technique for chemically complex coal ashes presents a challenge in terms of having simple sample preparation, providing accurate results, and minimizing analysis time. The adopted sample preparation procedure for the coal specimens involved a standard lithium fusion methodology. This procedure circumvents many problems associated with the common compaction methods employed for GD analysis of inorganic powders. It was found that coal ashes prepared as glass disks using a mixture of lithium compounds as the host matrix and analyzed by rf-GD-OES provide good plasma stabilization, with analyte optical emission signals stabilizing in ∼1 min and exhibiting ∼2% RSD variations for sputtering times of up to 10 min thereafter. The evaluation of discharge operating parameters and the assessment of approaches to quantitative analysis were also investigated. Discharge parameters of an rf power of 30 W and an Ar discharge gas pressure of 4 Torr yielded rapid signal stabilization and optimized S/B ratios. Sample-to-sample precision of better than 7% RSD was achieved for repetitive samplings (in the same sample locations) for species present at the parts-per-million level in the sample. Limits of quantification could not be adequately evaluated as the levels of the target analytes in the fusion components (i.e. lithium compounds) were above the method detection limit. It is believed that the general methodology holds promise for rf-GD analysis of a range of inorganic solids in powder form.     

Radio frequency glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy: a new weapon in the depth profiling arsenal

While the array of analytical methods routinely applied for depth profile analysis was fairly static over the decades of the 1980s and 1990s, there appears to be an emerging technique that has a number of very positive and complementary attributes, and warrants serious consideration by the thin film community. Radio frequency glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (rf-GD-OES) is a technique that provides depth-resolved elemental composition information on a wide variety of sample types. In a manner very much like most depth profiling methods, the rf-GD plasma utilizes an ion sputtering step to ablate sample material in a layer-by-layer fashion. Different from the more commonly applied methods, the device operates at elevated pressures [2-10 Torr Ar (266-1,330 Pa)] and has the inherent capability of sputtering electrically insulating materials directly, without any auxiliary means of charge compensation. In addition, sputtering rates on the order of 1 micro m/min provide rapid analysis, with depth resolving powers that are comparable to high-vacuum sputtering methods. Three examples of the use of the rf-GD-OES method are presented as examples of its analytical potential: (1) boron-implanted silicon wafer, (2) a barrier-type alumina film, and (3) a porous-type alumina film. It is believed that the method holds a great deal of promise as part of the arsenal of weapons in the thin films laboratory.     

Biological evaluations of fatty acid esters originated during storage of Prasaplai, a Thai traditional medicine

Three fatty acid esters, (E)-4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)but-3-en-1-yl linoleate (1), (E)-4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)but-3-en-1-yl oleate (2), and (E)-4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)but-3-en-1-yl palmitate (3), originated during storage by the interaction of components in Prasaplai, were synthesized. These three artificial esters were subjected to four biological evaluations. All three compounds were active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Ra for which compounds 1 and 3 had inhibitory concentration at 200 microg mL(-1) while compound 2 inhibited at 100 microg mL(-1). When all these compounds were subjected to anti-HSV-1 test, compound 2 showed positive activity at 42.6 microg mL(-1) without any cytotoxic activity against human vero cell line while compound 3 had the cytotoxicity to vero cell at IC(50) 38 microg mL(-1). Compound 1 was inactive for this test.     

A theoretical investigation on structures of tripodal thiourea derivatives and their anion recognition

The structural geometries of three tripodal thiourea receptors, i.e. 1,3,5-triethyl-2,4,6-tris[(N′-methylthioureido)methyl]benzene (1), tris[N′-methyl-N-(2-aminoethyl)thiourea]methane (2), tris[N′-methyl-N-(2-aminoethyl)thiourea]amine (3), and their complexes with F⁻, Cl⁻, Br⁻, I⁻, NO₃ ⁻, CO₃ ²⁻, SO₄ ²⁻, HSO₄ ⁻, PO₄ ³⁻, HPO₄ ²⁻ and H₂PO₄ ⁻ were obtained using the density functional theory calculations. Electronic and thermodynamic properties of anion binding complexes of the receptors 1, 2 and 3 were investigated. Recognition abilities of all the receptors in terms of selectivity coefficients are reported. Intermolecular interactions in all the studied complexes occurring via multi-point hydrogen bonding were found. The receptors 1, 2 and 3 were found to be excellent selectivity for phosphate ion and their binding free energy for the phosphate ion are −292.57, −291.77 and −295.01 kcal/mol, respectively.     

Thin-layer chromatography-densitometric analysis of alpha-mangostin content in Garcinia mangostana fruit rind extracts

The fruit rinds of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana Linn.) have long been used as traditional medicines for treatment of skin infections, wounds, and diarrhea. A simple thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-densitometric method has been developed for the simultaneous quantification of alpha-mangostin in the extracts from unripe and ripe fruit rinds of G. mangostana. It was found in the ranges of 10.48 +/- 0.83 and 16.65 +/- 0.38% (w/w) in the dried unripe and ripe fruit rinds, respectively. The method was validated for linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantitation (LOQ). The linearity was found over the range of 100-500 ng/spot with regression coefficient 0.999. Intraday and interday precision studies showed the relative standard deviation was <2%. Accuracy of the method was determined by a recovery study conducted at 3 different levels, and the average recovery was 99.49%. The LOD and LOQ were 40 and 100 ng, respectively. The proposed TLC-densitometric method was found to be simple, precise, specific, sensitive, and accurate. This method can be used for routine quality control of raw material of G. mangostana fruit rind, extract, and its products. It also can be applied in quantifying this marker compound in other drugs.