preconcentration and determination of amoxicillin and ceftriaxone in hospital sewage using vortex-assisted liquid-phase microextraction based on the solidification of the deep eutectic solvent followed by HPLC–UV

In the present study, a new method for extraction and preconcentration of amoxicillin and ceftriaxone was used in hospitalised sewage samples, called vortex-assisted liquid-phase microextraction based on the solidification of deep eutectic solvent. Samples were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography–ultraviolet detection after preparation and extraction. In this method, the new deep eutectic solvent is used as the extraction solvent, which is obtained from the combination of 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and n-butanoic acid. The important advantages of this novel extraction solvent include material stability, low density and good freezing point near room temperature. Under the optimum conditions, enrichment factors are in the range of 164–172. Repeatability and reproducibility of the method based on seven replicate measurements of 50.0 µg L^?1 of the target analytes in analysed samples were in the range of 2.1–3.5% and 3.8–5.2%, respectively. The limit of detections and linearity are in the range of 0.005–0.10 and 3–600 µg L^?1, respectively. The method was successfully applied for the determination of amoxicillin and ceftriaxone in the real sewage samples. The relative recoveries of sewage samples spiked with amoxicillin and ceftriaxone are 91–107%.     

Encapsulation of Pd(II) into superparamagnetic nanoparticles grafted with EDTA and their catalytic activity towards reduction of nitroarenes and Suzuki–Miyaura coupling

A robust, safe and magnetically recoverable palladium catalyst was synthesized by anchoring Pd(II) onto ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid‐coated Fe₃O₄ (Fe₃O₄@EDTA) magnetic nanoparticles. The Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticle‐supported Pd(II)–EDTA complex catalyst thus obtained was characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopies, thermogravimetric analysis, vibrating sample magnetometry, X‐ray diffraction, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. Fe₃O₄@EDTA–Pd(II) was screened for the Suzuki reaction and reduction of nitro compounds in water. The Pd content of the catalyst was measured to be 0.28 mmol Pd g^?1. In addition, the Fe₃O₄@EDTA–Pd catalyst can be easily separated and recovered with an external permanent magnet. The anchored solid catalyst can be recycled efficiently and reused five times with only a very slight loss of catalytic activity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Oxidative amidation of benzyl alcohol,benzaldhyde, benzoic acid styrene and phenyl acetylene catalyzed by ordered mesoporous HKUST‐1‐Cu: Effect of surface area on oxidative amidation reaction

HKUST‐1‐Cu synthesized in the presence and absence of P‐123 trough solvotermal method. After characterization using some different microscopic and spectroscopic techniques such as XRD, FT‐IR, SEM, ICP, BET and TEM its catalytic activity was investigated in the oxidative coupling of benzyl alcohol, benzaldhyde, benzoic acid, styrene and phenyl acetylene with N,N‐dialkylformamides for the preparation of N,N‐dimethylformamides. Different derivatives of tertiary amides were synthesized in moderate to good yields in the presence of just ~0.28 mol% of this catalytic system. Reusability of the synthesized catalysts was examined and catalysts were reusable for 8 times without significant decrease in optimized conditions.     

Fabrication of durable superhydrophobic nanofibrous filters for oil‐water separation using three novel modified nanoparticles (ZnO‐NSPO,AlOO‐NSPO,and TiO2‐NSPO)

Three reusable and durable superhydrophobic nanofibrous filters were prepared by dip coating the nanofibrous fabric in the three different dispersed solutions of the newly modified nanoparticles (ZnO‐NSPO, AlOO‐NSPO, and titanium dioxide [TiO₂]‐NSPO). The contact angle results proved that the TiO₂‐NSPO coated nanofibrous polyacrylonitrile (PAN) filter was hydrophobic with the water contact angle (WCA) of 141° while the ZnO‐NSPO and AlOO‐NSPO coated nanofibrous PAN filters were superhydrophobic with the WCA of 168° and 152°, respectively. The as‐prepared filters can be utilized as an effective martial for oil‐water separation with separation efficiency of over 98%.     

Simultaneous preconcentration and determination of 2,4‐D,alachlor and atrazine in aqueous samples using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography ultraviolet detection

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography‐ultraviolet detection as a fast and inexpensive technique was applied to the simultaneous extraction and determination of traces of three common herbicides, 2,4‐D, alachlor and atrazine, in aqueous samples. The critical experimental parameters, including type of the extraction and disperser solvents as well as their volumes, sample pH, salt addition, extraction time and centrifuging time, and speed were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration graphs found to be linear in the range of 0.3–200 μg/L with limits of detection in the range of 0.05–0.1 μg/L. The relative standard deviations were in the range of 4.5–6.2% (n = 7). The relative recoveries of well, tap, and river water samples which have been spiked with different levels of herbicides were 92.0–107.0, 82.0–104.0, and 82.0–86.0%, respectively.     

Sakiadis flow of an upper-convected Maxwell fluid

The flow of an upper-convected Maxwell (UCM) fluid is studied theoretically above a rigid plate moving steadily in an otherwise quiescent fluid. It is assumed that the Reynolds number of the flow is high enough for boundary layer approximation to be valid. Assuming a laminar, two-dimensional flow above the plate, the concept of stream function coupled with the concept of similarity solution is utilized to reduce the governing equations into a single third-order ODE. It is concluded that the fluid's elasticity destroys similarity between velocity profiles; thus an attempt was made to find local similarity solutions. Three different methods will be used to solve the governing equation: (i) the perturbation method, (ii) the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method, and (iii) the finite-difference method. The velocity profiles obtained using the latter two methods are shown to be virtually the same at corresponding Deborah number. The velocity profiles obtained using perturbation method, in addition to being different from those of the other two methods, are dubious in that they imply some degree of reverse flow. The wall skin friction coefficient is predicted to decrease with an increase in the Deborah number for Sakiadis flow of a UCM fluid. This prediction is in direct contradiction with that reported in the literature for a second-grade fluid.     

Transition-metal-free oxidative amidation of benzyl alcohols with amines catalyzed by NaI: a new method for the synthesis of benzamides

A simple, inexpensive, and efficient method for the synthesis of benzamides via the reaction of benzyl alcohols and amine hydrochloride salts in the presence of NaI as a green catalyst is described. Various derivatives of benzamide were synthesized in moderate to good yields using this method.     

A unique combination of KI/ZnFe2O4 as a catalyst for oxidative Strecker reaction

α‐Aminonitriles as key intermediates for the preparation of α‐amino acid derivatives, amides, diamines, peptides, proteins and heterocycles were synthesized through methylarene oxidation in the Strecker reaction using a unique combination of KI/ZnFe₂O₄ as the best catalyst and aqueous tert‐butyl hydroperoxide as oxidant. A wide range of amines and methylarenes were converted to the corresponding products. Operational simplicity, short reaction time and recyclability of the catalyst are advantages of this protocol.     

BF3‐grafted Fe3O4@Sucrose nanoparticles as a highly‐efficient acid catalyst for syntheses of Dihydroquinazolinones (DHQZs) and Bis 3‐Indolyl Methanes (BIMs)

Current paper represents immobilization of sucrose on the Fe₃O₄ core and grafting of boron trifluoride (BF₃) onto the new surface. The catalytic activity of these nanoparticles was tested in syntheses of Dihydroquinazolinones (DHQZs) and Bis (3‐Indolyl) Methanes (BIMs) as two fruitful pharmaceutical structures. Acidic capacity, FT‐IR, XRD, VSM, TGA and SEM–EDX tests are carried out on such novel nanoparticles (NPs). Catalyst has shown more acidic capacity per one gram of NPs than sulfonated homologue which was reported previously.