Contribution to the Achievement of a New Type of Electrochemical Sensor for Oxygen,Based on Electrolyte in Non-Aqueous Medium

Abstract

A new type of amperometric sensor for oxygen, having a O. 1M solution of LiCl in ethanol as internal electrolyte, was developed

The response characteristics of this sensor have been improved in comparison with similer sensors based on internal electrolyte in aqueous media, reported in literature. Preliminary results on the response characteristics of the new sensor are reported.     

Use of Propionibacterium freudenreichii T82 Strain for Effective Biosynthesis of Propionic Acid and Trehalose in a Medium with Apple Pomace Extract and Potato Wastewater

Propionic acid bacteria are the source of many metabolites, e.g., propionic acid and trehalose. Compared to microbiological synthesis, the production of these metabolites by petrochemical means or enzymatic conversion is more profitable. The components of microbiological media account for a large part of the costs associated with propionic fermentation, due to the high nutritional requirements of Propionibacterium. This problem can be overcome by formulating a medium based on the by-products of technological processes, which can act as nutritional sources and at the same time replace expensive laboratory preparations (e.g., peptone and yeast extract). The metabolic activity of P. freudenreichii was investigated in two different breeding environments: in a medium containing peptone, yeast extract, and biotin, and in a waste-based medium consisting of only apple pomace and potato wastewater. The highest production of propionic acid amounting to 14.54 g/L was obtained in the medium containing apple pomace and pure laboratory supplements with a yield of 0.44 g/g. Importantly, the acid production parameters in the waste medium reached almost the same level (12.71 g/L, 0.42 g/g) as the medium containing pure supplements. Acetic acid synthesis was more efficient in the waste medium; it was also characterized by a higher level of accumulated trehalose (59.8 mg/g d.s.). Thus, the obtained results show that P. freudenreichii bacteria exhibited relatively high metabolic activity in an environment with apple pomace used as a carbon source and potato wastewater used as a nitrogen source. This method of propioniate production could be cheaper and more sustainable than the chemical manner.     

Synthesis of Mono- and Di-Deuterated (2S, 3S)-3-Methylaspartic Acids to Facilitate Measurement of Intrinsic Kinetic Isotope Effects in Enzymes

Kinetic isotope effects provide a powerful method to investigate the mechanisms of enzyme-catalyzed reactions, but often other slow steps in the reaction such as substrate binding or product release suppress the isotopically sensitive step. For reactions at methyl groups, this limitation may be overcomed by measuring the isotope effect by an intra-molecular competition experiment. This requires the synthesis of substrates containing regio-specifically mono- or di-deuterated methyl groups. To facilitate the mechanistic investigations of the adenosylcobalamin-dependent enzyme, glutamate mutase, we have developed a synthesis of mono- and di-deuterated (2S,3S)-3-methylaspartic acids. Key intermediates are the correspondingly labeled mesaconic acids and their dimethyl esters that potentially provide starting materials for a variety of isotopically labeled molecules.     

有序介孔有机金属Au(I)催化剂催化水相炔烃水合制备甲基酮

采用表面活性剂自组装、有机金属硅烷与苯基硅烷共聚法制备了有机金属Au(I)嵌于介孔材料孔壁的非均相催化剂Au(I)-PPh2-PMO(Ph).结果表明,Au(I)-PPh2-PMO(Ph)催化剂的活性位分散均匀,孔道不易堵塞,对反应物的扩散与传质影响较小,其催化活性不仅明显高于后嫁接法制得的Au(I)-PPh2-PMO(Ph)-G和均相Au(PPh3)Cl催化剂,且可以重复使用,显示出较好的应用前景.     

纯水中检测汞离子与银离子的菲啰啉类荧光探针

合成了菲啰啉类化合物探针1,并通过核磁共振波谱(NMR)、质谱(MS)、红外光谱(IR)对其结构进行了表征。利用荧光发射光谱考察了探针1对Hg~(2+)及Ag~+的识别性能。结果表明,探针1在纯水介质中以荧光猝灭的方式识别Hg~(2+)和Ag~+,其结合比分别为1∶1和2∶1,检测的线性范围分别为9.0×10~(-7)～1.1×10~(-5)和8.0×10~(-7)～7.0×10~(-6) mol/L,相关系数(r~2)均大于0.99,检出限均低至10~(-8)mol/L。根据探针1识别前后荧光强度的剧烈变化,建立了裸眼检测Hg~(2+)和Ag~+的可视化分析方法。通过等温量热滴定与~1H NMR滴定考察了识别过程的热力学参数和作用机理。该研究对生物体及环境领域中Hg~(2+)和Ag~+的实时监测具有潜在的应用价值。     

Solubility of 1-Butene in Water and in a Medium for Cultivation of a Bacterial Strain

Solubility measurements of 1-butene in water, from 20 to 50°C and at atmospheric pressure, were carried out using a Ben-Naim/Baer-type apparatus. The experimental results have a precision of about ±0.3%. Using accurate thermodynamic relations, the Ostwald coefficients at the experimental conditions and at infinite dilution, the mole fractions of the dissolved gas at the gas partial pressure of 101.325 kPa and the Henry coefficients at the water vapor pressure were calculated. The mole fraction of dissolved gas were fitted to the Clarke, Glew, and Weiss equation and thermodynamic quantities, standard molar Gibbs energy, entropy, and enthalpy changes, for the process of transferring the 1-butene molecules from the gaseous to the water phase, were computed. Moreover, solubility measurements of 1-butene in an aqueous medium for the cultivation of Xanthobacter Py2 in the same temperature range were also performed at atmospheric pressure. These solubility data are approximately 2.6% lower than those observed in pure water.     

Solubility of Propene in Water and in a Mineral Medium for the Cultivation of a XanthobacterStrain

Solubility measurements of propene in water at atmospheric pressure and at thirteen temperatures in the range 293.15–323.15 K were carried out with a precision of 0.3%, using an apparatus based on the saturation method. The mole fractions, at a gas partial pressure of 101.325 kPa, were fitted to a Clarke–Glew–Weiss equation, which was used to calculate the standard molar Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy changes for the process of transferring the propene molecules from the gaseous to the water phase. Solubility measurements of propene in the growth medium ofXanthobacter Py2 at 298.15, 303.15, and 308.15 K were also carried out at atmospheric pressure. These experimental data, expressed in Ostwald coefficients at the total pressure of 101.325 kPa, were about 2% lower than their water counterparts.     

Selection of Suitable Combination of Nonfunctional Micellar Catalyst and Heteroaromatic Nitrogen Base as Promoter for Chromic Acid Oxidation of Ethanol to Acetaldehyde in Aqueous Medium at Room Temperature

The effect of the promoter and micellar catalyst on chromic acid on the oxidation of ethanol in aqueous acid media has been studied. Picolinic acid (PA), 1,10‐phenanthroline (phen), and 2,2′‐bipyridine (bipy) are used as promoters. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cetyl pyridinium chloride (CPC), and Triton‐X‐100 (TX‐100) are tested as micellar catalysts. Hexavelent chromium is an active species in the absence of the promoter. In the presence of the heteroaromatic nitrogen bases used as the promoter, Cr(VI)–PA, Cr(VI)–bipy, and Cr(VI)–phen complexes have been proposed as the active oxidants. The time taken for completion of the reaction using different combinations of promoter and micellar catalysts are different. Although the rate is highest (12.5 times) in TX‐100 in the absence of the promoter, it is observed that the rate is almost 737 times faster for the combination of SDS and bipy compared to the unpromoted and uncatalyzed path. CPC inhibits the oxidation process. The observed acceleration and retardation of the rate of oxidation process has been explained on the basis of partitioning of the reactants in the micellar and aqueous phase. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 45: 175–186, 2013     

Role of 5-HT1A Receptor in Vilazodone-Mediated Suppression of L-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesia and Increased Responsiveness to Cortical Input in Striatal Medium Spiny Neurons in an Animal Model of Parkinson’s Disease

L-DOPA therapy in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is limited due to emerging L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. Research has identified abnormal dopamine release from serotonergic (5-HT) terminals contributing to this dyskinesia. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or 5-HT receptor (5-HTr) agonists can regulate 5-HT activity and attenuate dyskinesia, but they often also produce a loss of the antiparkinsonian efficacy of L-DOPA. We investigated vilazodone, a novel multimodal 5-HT agent with SSRI and 5-HTr_1A partial agonist properties, for its potential to reduce dyskinesia without interfering with the prokinetic effects of L-DOPA, and underlying mechanisms. We assessed vilazodone effects on L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (abnormal involuntary movements, AIMs) and aberrant responsiveness to corticostriatal drive in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) measured with in vivo single-unit extracellular recordings, in the 6-OHDA rat model of PD. Vilazodone (10 mg/kg) suppressed all subtypes (axial, limb, orolingual) of AIMs induced by L-DOPA (5 mg/kg) and the increase in MSN responsiveness to cortical stimulation (shorter spike onset latency). Both the antidyskinetic effects and reversal in MSN excitability by vilazodone were inhibited by the 5-HTr_1A antagonist WAY-100635, demonstrating a critical role for 5-HTr_1A in these vilazodone actions. Our results indicate that vilazodone may serve as an adjunct therapeutic for reducing dyskinesia in patients with PD.     

Investigation of Medium Power Radiofrequency Capacitively Coupled Plasmas and Their Application to Atomic Emission Spectrometry for the Determination of Aluminium in Water Samples

A medium power radiofrequency capacitively coupled plasma (275W, 27.12MHz) with low argon consumption (0.5Lmin^–1) was investigated to be used for the determination of aluminium in water samples pneumatically nebulised by atomic emission spectrometry. The plasma torch was operated in two geometric configurations, coaxial and coaxial-annular with single (SRTr.f.CCP) or double ring electrodes (DRTr.f.CCP), respectively. The optimum experimental parameters (observation height, Ar flow rate, distance between ring electrodes, matrix interference of Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ and anion nature) for Al 396.152nm emission were established. Under optimum operating conditions of the DRTr.f.CCP torch (6cm distance between annular electrodes), a detection limit of 70ngmL^–1 aluminium was found. Both operating parameters and several figures of merit of the investigated plasmas were compared to those of microwave plasmas and inductively coupled plasma used in atomic emission spectrometry. The method was used to control the quality of drinking and industrial water. Samples were mineralised with 2mL of 1+1 HNO₃ and 10mL of 1+1 HCl. In the range of 0.15–3.5mgL^–1 Al³⁺ the relative standard deviation varied between 3.7 and 8.6% (n=3). For two certified drinking water samples containing 0.206 and 0.218mgL^–1 Al³⁺ the recovery (n=5) was 97.6±6.8% and 98.6±7.3%, respectively.     

An LC–MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of hosenkoside A and hosenkoside K from Semen Impatientis in rat plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of two baccharane glycosides (hosenkoside A and hosenkoside K) of total saponins of Semen Impatientis in rat plasma using mogroside V as the internal standard (IS). The analytes were separated using a C₁₈ RP Agilent XDB column (1.8 μm, 50 × 2.1 mm i.d.) and detection of the compounds was done using a TSQ Quantum triple quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled with a negative electrospray ionization source under selection reaction monitoring mode. According to the US Food and Drug Administration guidelines, the established method was fully validated and the results were proved within acceptable limits. The lower limits of quantification of both analytes were 5 ng/mL. The validated method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of orally administered the total saponins of Semen Impatientis in rats.     

A QTAIM-based energy partitioning for understanding the physical origin of conformational preferences: Application to the Z effect in O=C-X-R and related units

A quantum theory of atoms in molecules-based energy partitioning was carried out for Z and E conformers of a series of O=C-X-R containing compounds. The results obtained for the simplest compound (formic acid) indicate that the attraction of the electron density within carbonyl oxygen by the nucleus of the acid hydrogen is the most important energy term for Z preference. This conclusion can be extended (mutatis mutandis) to larger carboxylic acids, esters, sulfur derivatives, secondary amides, and carbonyl isocyanates, and even explains the sequence of relative conformational energies in the HCXOH series (X = O, S, Se). In contrast, although the hyperconjugative model has been traditionally employed to explain this preference, we observe it is incompatible with: (i) relative values of diverse QTAIM atomic populations for the Z / E conformational equilibrium; (ii) conformational energies in the HCXOH series. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.