The effect of Cu2+ doping in β-tricalcium phosphate on the hydration mechanism of a brushite cement

Brushite cements show excellent biocompatibility and are therefore an often-used material for bone repair. However, methods to prevent inflammations after surgery are needed. As Cu²⁺ was proven to provide antibacterial properties, as well as other application relevant features, it is a promising additive. Concerning these factors, a brushite cement containing Cu²⁺-doped β-tricalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate monohydrate, and phytic acid as setting retarder was investigated with powder and in situ X-ray diffraction, isothermal heat flow calorimetry, in situ ¹H-time domain – nuclear magnet resonance, and pore solution analysis. The influence of Cu²⁺ ions on the hydration kinetics of the brushite cement and the locations of the Cu²⁺ ions after completion of the hydration were the main questions of interest. Heat flow calorimetry showed a significant retardation and deceleration of the hydration with increasing Cu²⁺ content in β-tricalcium phosphate. This effect can be directly correlated to the Cu²⁺ ions, as it was also shown for cements without phytic acid. X-ray diffraction showed brushite as main hydrate phase. Additionally, Cu²⁺-doped cements formed a hydrate phase not assignable by X-ray diffraction, which is assumed to be Cu²⁺ containing. Furthermore, Cu²⁺ was detected in the pore solution after the hydration, and no signs of Cu²⁺ incorporation in the crystal structure of brushite were found.     

Can the theory of gradient liquid chromatography be useful in solving practical problems?

Advances in the theory of gradient liquid chromatography and their practical impacts are reviewed. Theoretical models describing retention in reversed-phase, normal-phase and ion-exchange modes are compared. Main attention is focused on practically useful models described by two- or three-parameter equations fitting the experimental data in the range of mobile phase composition utilized for sample migration during gradient elution. The applications of theory for gradient method development, optimization and transfer are addressed. The origins and possibilities for overcoming possible pitfalls are discussed, including the effects of the instrumental dwell volume, uptake of mobile phase components on the column and size of the sample molecules. Special attention is focused on gradient separations of large molecules.     

The Jahn-Teller effect: a case of incomplete theory for d4 complexes?

We present relativistic calculations at the four-component Dirac-DFT level for the geometries of the series of group 9 monoanionic hexafluorides MF(6)(-), M = Co, Rh, Ir. Highly correlated four-component relativistic CCSD(T) energies were also calculated for the optimized geometries. Spin-orbit coupling effects influence the geometrical preferences for molecular structures: relativistic calculations predict ground states with octahedral symmetries O(h)* for all hexafluorides in this study, while at the nonrelativistic limit, a structural deviation toward D(4h) ground state symmetries is predicted. Our findings suggest that relativistic effects have an important role in molecular structure preferences for the title hexafluorides.     

The influence of the temperature on the liquid–liquid equlibria of the mixture limonene + ethanol + H2O

In this work, experimental liquid–liquid equilibria (LLE) of the limonene + ethanol + water system are presented. The LLE of this system has been measured at 293.15, 303.15, 313.15 and 323.15 K. The equilibrium data presented are correlated using NRTL and UNIQUAC equations. Finally, the reliability of these models is tested by comparison with experimental results.     

Can the anomalous aqueous solubility of beta-cyclodextrin be explained by its hydration free energy alone?

The well-documented anomalous solubility of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), relative to alpha- and gamma-CD, has been examined by Naidoo et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B, 2004, 108, 4236-4238.) from the perspective of water organization and internal motion of the macrocyclic rings. Whether modulation in the hydration patterns and in the rigidity of the molecular scaffold can be reconciled with the hydration free energy of beta-CD to rationalize its notorious low solubility remains open to further investigation. In this contribution, multi-nanosecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been carried out to investigate the hydration process of alpha-, beta- and gamma-CD. The distribution of water molecules involved in this process and the linearity of intramolecular hydrogen bonds have been analyzed. The results reported here demonstrate that the anomalous solubility for beta-CD can be essentially rationalized by its greater rigidity conferred by the participating intramolecular hydrogen bonds and the higher density of water molecules of lesser mobility. The hydration free energy of alpha-, beta- and gamma-CD was computed using the free energy perturbation method. This quantity is shown to increase with the number of glucose units, thereby suggesting that the anomalous solubility of beta-CD cannot be explained by its free energy of hydration alone.     

Heat capacity anomalies due to the cooperative Jahn-Teller effect in Cu1−xNixCr2O4

Heat capacities of Cu_1−xNi_xCr₂O₄ were measured for various x values, x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.7, 0.85, and 1.0, in the temperature range 220 to 960 K. The heat capacity anomalies due to the cubic-tetragonal transition resulting from the cooperative Jahn-Teller effect were observed in all the samples and that due to the tetragonal-orthorhombic transition was observed in Cu_0.15Ni_0.85Cr₂O₄. The excess heat capacities due to the cubic-tetragonal transition were obtained from the cooperative part of the heat capacity curves, of which shapes were similar as those obtained from the theoretical calculation proposed by Kataoka and Kanamori. The enthalpy and entropy changes due to the cubic-tetragonal transition were obtained as 6.38, 5.47, 2.34, 1.21, and 0.89 kJ mol⁻¹ and 8.69, 7.99, 4.29, 2.86, and 2.59 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ for Cu_1−xNi_xCr₂O₄ with x values of 0.0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.85, respectively, which are roughly in agreement with the theoretical calculation by Kataoka and Kanamori.     

Can quasiclassical trajectory calculations reproduce the extreme kinetic isotope effect observed in the muonic isotopologues of the H + H2 reaction?

Rate coefficients for the mass extreme isotopologues of the H + H(2) reaction, namely, Mu + H(2), where Mu is muonium, and Heμ + H(2), where Heμ is a He atom in which one of the electrons has been replaced by a negative muon, have been calculated in the 200-1000 K temperature range by means of accurate quantum mechanical (QM) and quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) calculations and compared with the experimental and theoretical results recently reported by Fleming et al. [Science 331, 448 (2011)]. The QCT calculations can reproduce the experimental and QM rate coefficients and kinetic isotope effect (KIE), k(Mu)(T)/k(Heμ)(T), if the Gaussian binning procedure (QCT-GB)--weighting the trajectories according to their proximity to the right quantal vibrational action--is applied. The analysis of the results shows that the large zero point energy of the MuH product is the key factor for the large KIE observed.     

Can the four-coordinated, penta-valent oxygen in hydroxide water clusters be detected through experimental vibrational spectroscopy?

In this study, we construct the hydroxide water cluster, OH-(H2O)6, that (a) could support a stable hydroxide ion with a four-coordinated (pentavalent) hydroxide oxygen and (b) displays hydroxide ion migration. We study the energetic stability and dynamical evolution of the system at different internal temperatures and analyze the corresponding "dynamically averaged" vibrational density of states to discuss the conditions under which the pentavalent oxygen may be observed using vibrational action spectroscopy. We also provide an alternate hydroxide migration mechanism.     

Mechanism of GTP: Can all of the available data be accommodated?

Group transfer polymerization (GTP)^a of acrylic monomers is a living system mediated by a trialkylsilyl capped growing chain end. The fact that it operates at temperatures as high as 100° C differentiates GTP from living anionic polymerization, which at best operates at 25° C for hindered methacrylates. To accommodate all of the mechanistic data available it appears that at least two mechanistic pathways are required: an associative process for mild nucleophilic catalysts and a dissociative process for strong nucleophilic catalysts.     

The effect of gypsum on the hydration of alite–belite–ferrite phase system

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Thermal analysis is a very effective method for the study of the hydration process of cement. This paper focuses on the interactions between the...     

UV Emission of Gd3+ in the Presence of Cu2+: Towards Luminescence Quenching through Quantum Cutting?

The first investigation into the ultraviolet (UV) photoluminescence of gadolinium(III) in the presence of copper(II) is reported. A melt‐quenched barium phosphate glass was used as a model matrix. The optical spectroscopy assessment shows that with increasing CuO concentration the Cu²⁺ absorption band grows steadily, whereas the UV emission from Gd³⁺ ions is progressively quenched. The data, thus, suggests the existence of a Gd³⁺→Cu²⁺ energy‐transfer process ocurring through quantum cutting. A downconversion/cross‐relaxation pathway proceeding through a virtual state in Gd³⁺ is proposed. These findings suggest gadolinium(III) could potentially be used in the optical sensing of copper(II).     

Knowledge-based scoring functions in drug design: 2. Can the knowledge base be enriched?

Fast and accurate predicting of the binding affinities of large sets of diverse protein?ligand complexes is an important, yet extremely challenging, task in drug discovery. The development of knowledge-based scoring functions exploiting structural information of known protein?ligand complexes represents a valuable contribution to such a computational prediction. In this study, we report a scoring function named IPMF that integrates additional experimental binding affinity information into the extracted potentials, on the assumption that a scoring function with the "enriched" knowledge base may achieve increased accuracy in binding affinity prediction. In our approach, the functions and atom types of PMF04 were inherited to implicitly capture binding effects that are hard to model explicitly, and a novel iteration device was designed to gradually tailor the initial potentials. We evaluated the performance of the resultant IPMF with a diverse set of 219 protein-ligand complexes and compared it with seven scoring functions commonly used in computer-aided drug design, including GLIDE, AutoDock4, VINA, PLP, LUDI, PMF, and PMF04. While the IPMF is only moderately successful in ranking native or near native conformations, it yields the lowest mean error of 1.41 log K(i)/K(d) units from measured inhibition affinities and the highest Pearson's correlation coefficient of R(p)2 0.40 for the test set. These results corroborate our initial supposition about the role of "enriched" knowledge base. With the rapid growing volume of high-quality structural and interaction data in the public domain, this work marks a positive step toward improving the accuracy of knowledge-based scoring functions in binding affinity prediction.     

The electrochemical behaviour of polycrystalline silver electrodes in Na2CO3 solution and the effect of ClO− 4 ions

The electrochemical behaviour of polycrystalline silver electrodes in Na₂CO₃ solutions was studied under potentiodynamic and potentiostatic conditions and complemented with X-ray diffraction analysis. Potentiodynamic E/i anodic curves exhibit active passive transition prior to an oxygen evolution reaction. The active region involves a small peak AI followed by a major peak AII before the passive region. Peak AI is assigned to the formation of an Ag₂O layer while peak AII is due to the formation of an Ag₂CO₃ layer. The height of the anodic peaks increases with increasing Na₂CO₃ concentration, scan rate and temperature. The effect of increasing additions of NaClO₄ on the electrochemical behaviour of Ag in Na₂CO₃ solutions was investigated. The perchlorate ions stimulate the active dissolution of Ag, presumably as a result of the formation of soluble AgClO₄ salt. In the passive region, ClO⁻ ₄ ions tend to break down the dual passive film, leading to pitting corrosion at a certain critical pitting potential. The pitting potential decreases with ClO⁻ ₄ concentration. Potentiostatic current/time transients showed that the formation of Ag₂O and Ag₂CO₃ layers involves a nucleation and growth mechanism under diffusion control. However, in the presence of ClO⁻ ₄ ions, the incubation time for pit initiation decreases on increasing the anodic potential step. Received: 3 July 1998 / Accepted: 10 March 1999     

The Effect of Ni2+ and Cu2+ on the Photocatalytic Degradation of Dyes by the Chitosan–TiO2 Complex

The present research combines biosorption and photocatalysis in a functional TiO(2)-immobilized chitosan adsorbent (CTA). CTA can degrade organic pollutants and adsorb metal ions simultaneously. Target pollutants were dyes of cationic (rhodamine B, Rh.B) and anionic (methyl orange, MO) nature, with Ni(2+) and Cu(2+) selected as heavy metals. The presence of Ni(2+) or Cu(2+) improved the degradation ability of CTA for MO, but inhibited the degradation of Rh.B, with Cu(2+) exhibiting stronger effects than Ni(2+). There was no significant difference in CTA activity when the metal ions were pre-adsorbed or when they coexisted in the solution with the organic dyes. Protons in the reaction system affected the degradation performance in a similar way for Ni(2+) and Cu(2+) leading to a different effect on the degradation for MO and Rh.B. An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the binding energies of the metal ions on the surface in the presence of the cationic or anionic dyes explained the different behaviors. Since anionic and cationic dyes possess chromogenic groups of different charges, they adversely affect the production of OH? radicals when coexisting with Cu(2+) or Ni(2+).     

Dynamics of the acousto‐optic effect in a nematic liquid crystal

In a nematic liquid crystal cell, the application of an ultrasonic wave induces a rotation of the director, leading to a change in the optical transmission through the cell. In this study, we investigate the dynamic response of the optical intensity after the ultrasonic wave is switched on or off. Our experiments show that the optical intensity follows a double‐exponential function of time, indicating that the system has two relaxation modes with widely different time scales. The fast mode has an amplitude and time scale qualitatively consistent with the dynamics of the Fréedericksz transition, but the slow mode shows novel behaviour associated with the acousto‐optic effect.     

A simple colorimetric chemosensor for relay detection of Cu2+ and S2− in aqueous solution

A simple colorimetric chemosensor 1 was developed for the sequential detection of Cu²⁺ and S^2?. Sensor 1 could rapidly detect Cu²⁺ by an obvious color change from colorless to yellow. The binding mode of 1 to Cu²⁺ was determined to be a 1:1 complexation stoichiometry through Job plot and ESI-mass spectrometry analyses. The sensing mechanism of Cu²⁺ by 1 was proposed by theoretical calculations. Importantly, the detection limit for Cu²⁺ was found to be 0.12 μM, which was much lower than the recommended value (31.5 μM) of the World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally, 1 could detect and quantify Cu²⁺ in real water samples. Moreover, the resulting 1-Cu²⁺ complex could be used as a highly selective colorimetric sensor for S^2? in the presence of various anions without any interference. The detection limit for S^2? was determined to be 1.66 μM, which was much lower than the guideline (14.8 μM) recommended by WHO in fresh water.     

Can the disproportion of oxidation state III be favored in RuII-OH2/RuIV=O systems?

Three new Ru-aqua complexes containing a mixed carbene and pyridylic ligands with general formulas [Ru(CNC)(bpy)(H2O)](PF6)2 (1) (CNC is 2,6-bis(butylimidazol-2-ylidene)pyridine; bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine) and cis-/trans-[Ru(CNC)(nBu-CN)(H2O)](PF6)2 (cis-2 and trans-2) (nBu-CN is 2-(butylimidazol-2-ylidene)pyridine) have been prepared and structurally characterized both in the solid state (monocrystal X-ray diffraction analysis for 1 and for the related complex trans-[Ru(Br)(CNC)(nBu-CN)](PF6)) and in solution (for all of them) through NMR. The electrochemical properties of these three Ru-aqua complexes have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and Coulombimetric techniques. It is found that, for complex 1 at pH 7, the difference between the IV/III and the III/II redox couples (DeltaE1/2) is 50 mV, which is the smallest ever reported for this type of complex. On the other hand, for complexes cis-2 and trans-2, the oxidation state III is unstable with respect to disproportionation to II and IV. The reactivity of their Ru=O species has been tested toward cis-beta-methylstyrene oxidation, and it has been compared to [Ru(O)(trpy)(bpy)]2+. An inverse correlation between the degree of cis/trans-epoxide isomerization and DeltaE1/2 is found. In particular, for complexes cis-2 and trans-2, which have a DeltaE1/2 < 0, the epoxidation is highly stereoselective, yielding only cis-epoxide.