Facile ion-exchange synthesis of Gd-doped K2Ta2O6 photocatalysts with enhanced visible light activity

One of the well-known ways of increasing the visible light absorption capability of semiconducting materials is cation doping. This study aims to use Gd doping to tailor the bandgap energy of K₂Ta₂O₆ (KTO) for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants under visible light irradiation. Accordingly, the parent KTO and Gd-doped KTO with different Gd concentrations (K_2-3xGd_xTa₂O₆; x = 0.025, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1 mol%) were synthesized by hydrothermal and facile ion-exchange methods, respectively. The powder XRD, FT-IR, SEM-EDS, TEM-SAED, N₂ adsorption-desorption, XPS, UV–Vis DRS, PL and ESR techniques were used to investigate the effect of Gd dopant concentration on the structural and photocatalytic properties of KTO. The photocatalytic activity of these samples was investigated for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in an aqueous solution at room temperature under visible light irradiation. The experimental results show that all Gd-doped KTO samples exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with parent KTO toward MB degradation. In particular, Gd-KTO obtained by doping of 0.075 mol% shows the highest photocatalytic activity among the Gd-doped samples and the degradation efficiency of MB was 79% after 180 min of visible light irradiation, which is approximately 1.5 times as high as that by parent KTO (53%). In addition, trapping experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis demonstrated that the hydroxyl radicals (^?OH) have played a crucial role in the photocatalytic degradation of MB. The reusability and stability of Gd doped-KTO with a Gd content of 0.075 mol% against MB degradation were examined for five cycles. Based on the present study results, a visible light induced photocatalytic mechanism has been proposed for Gd0075-KTO sample.     

Enhancement of Photocatalytic Activity of Sodium Bismuth Titanate by Doping with Copper,Silver, and Tin Ions

Perovskite type oxides, sodium bismuth titanate (Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃), and Ag⁺, Cu²⁺, and Sn²⁺ doped Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ were prepared by pechini and ion exchange methods, respectively. Photocatalytic activities of these catalysts were tested by decomposition of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. Results showed that the photocatalytic activity of metal ion doped Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ was higher than undoped Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃. Relatively high photocatalytic performance of Ag⁺‐doped Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ is mainly ascribed to the efficient separation of electron‐hole (e^–, h⁺) pairs, lower bandgap energy and the creation of active hydroxyl radicals ( ^? OH). Further, the Ag⁺‐doped Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ catalyst showed good reusability up to four cycles. A possible mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic performance was proposed. The synthesized photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, XPS, FT‐IR, and UV/Vis DRS techniques.     

Simultaneous quantitation of testosterone and estradiol in human cell line (H295R) by liquid chromatography/positive atmospheric pressure photoionization tandem mass spectrometry

The possible interaction of environmental contaminants with the endocrine system has been an environmental concern since the early 1990s. To examine these interactions test guidelines have been introduced by regulatory agencies to screen for possible endocrine active compounds. One of these guidelines is the EPA's OPPTS 890.1550 [Steroidogenesis (Human Cell Line‐H295R)]. This guideline requires the quantification of two major biomarkers (testosterone and estradiol) in various biological test systems. Traditional quantitation methodologies such as Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and Enzyme‐linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) have been used to quantify low levels of steroids. However, those methodologies have drawbacks such as the radioactive safety, antibody availability, separate assay for each biomarker, and lack of selectivity. In the current study, a rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography/positive atmospheric pressure photoionization tandem mass spectrometry method (LC/APPI‐MS/MS) has been developed and validated for the simultaneous quantitation of testosterone and estradiol in the H295R cell line. Briefly, the media from cultured cells was extracted with dichloromethane (CH₂Cl₂) containing internal standards of both testosterone‐d₃ and estradiol‐¹³C₃; then, the extracted organic layer was concentrated down to dryness. The final residue was derivatized with dansyl chloride solution, and directly analyzed by LC/APPI‐MS/MS. The calibration curves, with concentration ranging from 10 to 2500 pg/mL, were linear with coefficient >0.99. The lower limits of quantitation for both testosterone and estradiol were 10 pg/mL. This method was successfully validated to support requirements of the current EPA Steroidogenesis guideline. This type of method may also provide value for rapid and precise measurements of these two hormones in other in vitro or in vivo test systems. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Monolayer V2O5/TiO2–ZrO2 catalysts for selective oxidation of o-xylene: preparation and characterization

A series of TiO₂?CZrO₂ supported V₂O₅ catalysts with vanadia loadings ranging from 4 to 12 wt% were synthesized by a wet impregnation technique and subjected to various thermal treatments at temperatures ranging from 773 to 1,073?K to understand the dispersion and thermal stability of the catalysts. The prepared catalysts were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, oxygen uptake, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. XRD results of 773?K calcined samples conferred an amorphous nature of the mixed oxide support and a highly dispersed form of vanadium oxide. Oxygen uptake measurements supported the formation of a monolayer of vanadium oxide over the thermally stable TiO₂?CZrO₂ support. The O 1s, Ti 2p, Zr 3d, and V 2p core level photoelectron peaks of TiO₂?CZrO₂ and V₂O₅/TiO₂?CZrO₂ catalysts are sensitive to the calcination temperature. No significant changes in the oxidation states of Ti⁴⁺ and Zr⁴⁺ were noted with increasing thermal treatments. Vanadium oxide stabilized as V⁴⁺ at lower temperatures, and the presence of V⁵⁺ is observed at 1,073?K. The synthesized catalysts were evaluated for selective oxidation of o-xylene under normal atmospheric pressure in the temperature range of 600?C708?K. The TiO₂?CZrO₂ support exhibits very less conversion of o-xylene, while 12 wt% V₂O₅ loaded sample exhibited a good conversion and a high product selectivity towards the desired product, phthalic anhydride.     

Synthesis of Delta(1)-1,2-diazetines via a Diels-Alder cycloaddition approach

[reaction: see text] A novel method for the synthesis of Delta(1)-1,2-diazetines is presented. Diels-Alder cycloaddition of dienophile 4 with five dienes afforded cycloadducts in good to excellent yields. Four of the obtained cycloadducts were converted to the corresponding diazetines.     

A rapid fluorescence-based assay for classification of iNKT cell activating glycolipids

Structural variants of α-galactosylceramide (αGC) that activate invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT cells) are being developed as potential immunomodulatory agents for a variety of applications. Identification of specific forms of these glycolipids that bias responses to favor production of proinflammatory vs anti-inflammatory cytokines is central to current efforts, but this goal has been hampered by the lack of in vitro screening assays that reliably predict the in vivo biological activity of these compounds. Here we describe a fluorescence-based assay to identify functionally distinct αGC analogues. Our assay is based on recent findings showing that presentation of glycolipid antigens by CD1d molecules localized to plasma membrane detergent-resistant microdomains (lipid rafts) is correlated with induction of interferon-γ secretion and Th1-biased cytokine responses. Using an assay that measures lipid raft residency of CD1d molecules loaded with αGC, we screened a library of ～200 synthetic αGC analogues and identified 19 agonists with potential Th1-biasing activity. Analysis of a subset of these novel candidate Th1 type agonists in vivo in mice confirmed their ability to induce systemic cytokine responses consistent with a Th1 type bias. These results demonstrate the predictive value of this novel in vitro assay for assessing the in vivo functionality of glycolipid agonists and provide the basis for a relatively simple high-throughput assay for identification and functional classification of iNKT cell activating glycolipids.     

A Novel Approach for Generation of Oxygen Vacancies in Trirutile MnSb2O6 and Their Impact on Photocatalytic Degradation of MO Dye

Visible light-driven photocatalysis has gained much attention due to its light-harnessing characteristics and is extensively used in wastewater remediation. This paper presents a novel oxygen-deficient manganese antimonate, MnSb₂O_6-x, with a trirutile structure as an effective visible-light-driven photocatalyst for dye degradation. The synthesized samples were subjected to XRD, UV-Vis DRS, SEM-EDS, Raman, XPS, and PL analyses to study their physic chemical properties. The influence of sequential or single heating during the preparation method on the generation of oxygen vacancies is evaluated using UV-Vis DRS, XPS, ESR, and Raman techniques. The oxygen-deficient MnSb₂O₆ could achieve up to 85 % of MO degradation in 180 min under visible light irradiation, and its reusability up to six cycles was also investigated. In addition, the mechanism of dye degradation was supported with a scavenger test, and the degradation activities are correlated to the electron-hole pair separation as convinced from the PL spectra. The simple and unique method of oxygen vacancy generation can inspire the development of antimonates with oxygen deficiencies, which have significant scope of application in environmental and energy conservation.     

Transition (Mn,Fe) and rare earth (La,Pr) metal doped ceria solid solutions for high performance photocatalysis: Effect of metal doping on catalytic activity

Research on Chemical Intermediates - In this work, various transition and rare earth metal ions (M3+; M = Mn3+, Fe3+, La3+, and Pr3+) doped CeO2 solid solutions were prepared by a...     

New Hydrazides and Thiosemicarbazides Derived from Ethylenedioxythiophene as Potential Anticonvulsants

A series of ethyl 7-({2-[(substituted)carbonyl]hydrazino}carbonyl)-2,3-dihydrothieno [3,4-b][1,4]dioxine-5-carboxylates (5–13) and ethyl 7-{[({2-[(substituted)carbonyl]hydra-zino}carbonothioyl)amino]carbonyl}-2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxine-5-carboxy-lates (15–20) were synthesized in good yield by condensing ethyl-7-(chlorocarbonyl)-2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxine-5-carboxylate (4) with suitable hydrazides. The newly synthesized compounds were characterized using FTIR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, mass spectroscopy, and elemental analyses. The anticonvulsant activity of all the title compounds was investigated against maximal electroshock-induced seizures (MES) and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced convulsion models. None of the compounds showed toxicity at the maximum dose of 2000 mg/kg. Almost all the compounds showed protection in flexion and extension stage against induced convulsion. Among them, naphthyloxy-substituted derivatives exhibited very good response against induced seizures.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the free supplemental file.     

Synthesis,antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of bis sulfonamide/carbamate derivatives of bis-(4-aminophenyl) methane

A series of new bis sulfonamide/carbamate derivatives of bis-(4-aminophenyl)methane 3 ( a–d )/ 5 ( a–f ) were synthesized from bis-(4-aminophenyl)methane ( 1 ) using various pharmacologically active sulfonyl chlorides 2 ( a–d ) and carbonochloridates 4 ( a–f ) in high yields. The structures of all the newly synthesized compounds were characterized by the Infrared spectroscopy, NMR (¹H and ¹³C), mass, and elemental analyses. Further, all the synthesized compounds were tested for the antioxidant activity by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, NO, and H₂O₂ scavenging methods and antimicrobial activity. Most of the compounds exhibited good antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.