The drying of sulphide-bearing materials in a microwave oven: A caveat

The drying of sulphide-bearing materials in a microwave oven should be undertaken with caution. Several sulphide minerals and sulphide-bearing materials have shown a susceptibility to oxidation (which may even be violent) during microwave drying and this could affect the results of subsequent work on these materials.     

Cytokine antibody arrays: a promising tool to identify molecular targets for drug discovery

Cytokines play important roles in normal cell functions and changes in cytokines have been implicated in many diseases. Recent efforts have focused on developing cytokine antibody arrays. These arrays allow investigators to simultaneously detect multiple cytokines in qualitative and quantitative ways. Cytokine antibody array systems feature high sensitivity, specificity and throughput. This novel technology opens up an expanding spectrum of applications in drug discovery, including target discovery, target validation, screening for lead compounds, compound optimization and clinical trials.     

Development and evaluation of orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) containing Ibuprofen granules prepared by hot melt extrusion

In the current study Ibuprofen was embedded in a methacrylate copolymer (Eudragit^® EPO) matrix to produce solid dispersions by hot-melt extrusion (HME) processing. The obtained granules were incorporated in orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs). The tablets were developed by varying the ratio of superdisintegrants such as sodium croscarmellose and crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone grades while a direct compression process was used to compress the ODTs under various compaction forces to optimize tablet robustness. The properties of the compressed tablets which included porosity, hardness, friability and dissolution profiles were further evaluated and compared with Nurofen^® Meltlet ODTs. The taste and sensory evaluation in human volunteers demonstrated excellence in masking the bitter active and improved tablet palatability.     

Combining carbon and polymeric particles in an inert fluid as a promising approach to synthesis of nanocomposites

Russian Journal of Applied Chemistry - Effective method for introduction of dispersed filler particles into a polymeric matrix was developed. The method is based on disaggregation and uniform...     

The determination of sulphate by the ring oven technique and its application to air pollution measurement

Summary The ring oven technique ofWeisz is used for the estimation of sulphate, using the coloration of barium sulphate by co-precipitated permanganate. This method is applied to the determination of the air pollutants sulphur dioxide and sulphate.The limit of identification is about 0.1g, the accuracy about 25%.

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Zusammenfassung Die Ringofenmethodik vonWeisz wurde für die Bestimmung von Sulfat verwendet, wobei das Bariumsulfat durch Mitfällung von Permanganat gefärbt wird. Diese Methode wurde zur Bestimmung der Luftverunreinigung durch Schwefeldioxyd und Sulfat angewendet.Die Erfassungsgrenze ist ungefähr 0,1g, die Genauigkeit beträgt etwa 25%.

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Résumé On utilise la technique du four annulaire deWeisz pour l'évaluation des sulfates à l'aide de la coloration du sulfate de baryum coprécipité avec le permanganate. On applique cette méthode à la détermination des substances polluant l'air, anhydride sulfureux et sulfate. La limite d'identification est d'environ 0,1g, la précision d'environ 25%.

     

Synthesis of benzyl bromides with hexabromoacetone: an alternative path to drug intermediates

A series of benzyl bromides were efficiently prepared from the corresponding alcohols with Br₃CCOCBr₃/PPh₃ at low temperatures and under neutral conditions. The present protocol was applied to the heterocyclic analogues and to the successful synthesis of the precursor of the antiulcer drug omeprazole, thus furnishing an alternate, mild method for the preparation of these drug intermediates. A significant steric factor was observed throughout both series supporting a S_N2 mechanism.     

The transport of a drug to the cerebrospinal fluid directly from the nasal cavity: the relation to the lipophilicity of the drug.

The objective of the present study was to clarify the relation between drug transport to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the nasal cavity and the lipophilicity of the drug using hydrophilic sulfonamides as model drugs. The nasal cavity of the rat was perfused in a single pass system and the concentrations of sulfonamides in plasma and CSF were measured. The drug concentrations in CSF and plasma after nasal perfusion were compared with those after intravenous (i.v.) administration. The drug concentrations in the CSF were remarkably high after nasal perfusion in comparison with those after i.v. administration, though the time course of the plasma concentration was not much different from that after i.v. administration. These results suggested the existence of a direct transport pathway of the sulfonamides from the nose to the CSF. In addition, the drug concentrations in the CSF increased with increasing the lipophilicity of the drugs (the partition coefficient (Pc) of the drugs between isoamyl alcohol and pH 7.4 phosphate buffer). A significant correlation was observed between the drug concentrations in CSF and Pc. In conclusion, the direct transport pathway of the sulfonamides from the nose to the CSF was confirmed and, with regard to drugs with comparatively low lipophilicity, the degree of the transport depended on its Pc.     

Measurements and particle resolved modelling of the thermo- and fluid dynamics of a packed bed

The objective of this study is to investigate experimentally and numerically into heat-up, drying and pyrolysis of a packed bed consisting of large single particles. The novelty of the current approach is that the numerical model contrary to continuum mechanic approaches considers a packed bed as an ensemble of a finite number of particles, which may have different material properties or sizes. The heat-up, drying and pyrolysis process of each particle is described sufficiently accurate by a set of one-dimensional and transient differential conservation equations for mass and energy. Applying this model to all particles, including interactions between them, of a packed bed forms the entire backed bed process as a sum of individual particle processes. The arrangement of particles within a bed defines a void space between the particles. The flow through the void space of a packed bed is modelled as a flow through a porous media taking into account interaction between the solid and the gaseous phase by heat and mass transfer. Experiments for drying and pyrolysis of a packed bed were carried out for validation in a temperature range of T=120–530 °C. The temperatures and the mass loss due to drying and pyrolysis were recorded during the experiments. The measured mass loss of the packed bed due to drying were well predicted by the constant evaporation temperature model of the particles and thus, indicating, that the drying process is transport limited by heat transfer for large wood particles in a temperature range of T=120–530 °C. A comparison between experiments and predictions of pyrolysis yielded reasonable agreement for temperatures above T=300 °C. For temperatures of T≈200 °C the deviations were not acceptable. However, the results show, that a particle resolved approach is well suited to describe packed bed processes.     

Partial oxidation of simulated hot coke oven gas to syngas over Ru-Ni/Mg（Al）O catalyst in a ceramic membrane reactor

Hydrogen amplification from simulated hot coke oven gas (HCOG) was investigated in a BaCo0.7Fe0.2Nb0.1O3−δ (BCFNO) membrane reactor combined with a Ru-Ni/Mg(Al)O catalyst by the partial oxidation of hydrocarbon compounds under atmospheric pressure. Under optimized reaction conditions, the dense oxygen permeable membrane had an oxygen permeation flux around 13.3 ml/(cm2·min). By reforming of the toluene and methane, the amount of H2 in the reaction effluent gas was about 2 times more than that of original H2 in simulated HCOG. The Ru-Ni/Mg(Al)O catalyst used in the membrane reactor possessed good catalytic activity and resistance to coking. After the activity test, a small amount of whisker carbon was observed on the used catalyst, and most of them could be removed in the hydrogen-rich atmosphere, implying that the carbon deposition formed on the catalyst might be a reversible process.     

Superhydrophobic materials for tunable drug release: using displacement of air to control delivery rates

We have prepared 3D superhydrophobic materials from biocompatible building blocks, where air acts as a barrier component in a porous electrospun mesh to control the rate at which drug is released. Specifically, we fabricated poly(ε-caprolactone) electrospun meshes containing poly(glycerol monostearate-co-ε-caprolactone) as a hydrophobic polymer dopant, which results in meshes with a high apparent contact angle. We demonstrate that the apparent contact angle of these meshes dictates the rate at which water penetrates into the porous network and displaces entrapped air. The addition of a model bioactive agent (SN-38) showed a release rate with a striking dependence on the apparent contact angle that can be explained by this displacement of air within the electrospun meshes. We further show that porous electrospun meshes with higher surface area can be prepared that release more slowly than control nonporous constructs. Finally, the entrapped air layer within superhydrophobic meshes is shown to be robust in the presence of serum, as drug-loaded meshes were efficacious against cancer cells in vitro for >60 days, thus demonstrating their applicability for long-term drug delivery.     

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography: A promising alternative to reversed‐phase liquid chromatography systems for the purification of small protonated bases

The overloaded band profiles of the protonated species of propranolol and amitriptyline were recorded under acidic conditions on four classes of stationary phases including a conventional silica/organic hybrid material in reversed‐phase liquid chromatography mode (BEH‐C₁₈), an electrostatic repulsion reversed‐phase liquid chromatography C₁₈ column (BEH‐C₁₈+), a poly(styrene‐divinylbenzene) monolithic column, and a hydrophilic interaction chromatography stationary phase (underivatized BEH). The same amounts of protonated bases per unit volume of stationary phase were injected in each column (16, 47, and 141 μg/cm³). The performance of the propranolol/amitriptyline purification was assessed on the basis of the asymmetry of the recorded band profiles and on the selectivity factor achieved. The results show that the separation performed under reversed‐phase liquid chromatography like conditions (with BEH‐C₁₈, BEH‐C₁₈+, and polymer monolith materials) provide the largest selectivity factors due to the difference in the hydrophobic character of the two compounds. However, they also provide the most distorted overloaded band profiles due to a too small loading capacity. Remarkably, symmetric band profiles were observed with the hydrophilic interaction chromatography column. The larger loading capacity of the hydrophilic interaction chromatography column is due to the accumulation of the protonated bases into the diffuse water layer formed at the surface of the polar adsorbent. This work encourages purifying ionizable compounds on hydrophilic interaction chromatography columns rather than on reversed‐phase liquid chromatography columns.     

Experimental investigation of the effect of initial fuel particle shape, size and bed temperature on devolatilization of single wood particle in a hot fluidized bed

Considerable amount of investigation on the subject of devolatilization of wood is found in the open literature. However, a systematic study of the effect of initial particle size and shape, and bed temperature on devolatilization time and char yield of wood in a hot fluidized bed is still missing. This paper attempts to fill this gap through a systematic experimental investigation to determine the devolatilization time and char yield of a typical woody biomass, “Casuarina equisetifolia” particles of different initial sizes and shapes at various fluidized bed temperatures. Experiments are conducted using 10, 15, 20, and 25 mm Casuarina wood particles of three shapes, namely, cube, cylinder, and sphere at bed temperatures of 1023, 1123, and 1223 K.It is found that the initial wood particle size has the strongest influence on devolatilization time followed by the shape of initial wood particle and the bed temperature. Correlation for devolatilization time (τ_d) as a function of initial wood particle size (d_eq), sphericity (?), and bed temperature (T_b), is developed using 573 experimental data points exhibiting a correlation coefficient of 0.96 and predictions falling well within a deviation band of ±20%. The predictions of the present correlation are compared with the predictions of the existing correlations in literature for conditions also out of the present study and the deviation is found to be ±30%.Char yield, defined as the ratio of the residual mass at the end of devolatilization process to the initial mass of the wood particle is found to be in the range of 9-14% for all sizes, shapes, and bed temperatures. Char yield does not depict any definite trend with the variation of initial particle size, shape and bed temperature.     

Double-layer Tedlar bags: a means to limit humidity evolution of air samples and to dry humid air samples

Tedlar bags, which are widely used to collect air samples, especially VOCs and odorous atmospheres, can allow humidity to diffuse when relative humidity levels differ between the inside and outside. Starting with dry air inside the bag and humid air outside, we monitored equilibrium times under several conditions showing the evolution and influence of collected volumes and exposed surfaces. A double-film Tedlar bag was made, to limit the impact of external humidity on a sample at low humidity level. With the addition of a drying agent between both films, the evolution of humidity of a sample can be stopped for several hours. When a VOC mixture was monitored in a humid atmosphere, humidity was decreased but no significant evolution of VOC concentrations was observed.     

Complex target-oriented total synthesis in the drug discovery process: the discovery of a highly promising family of second generation epothilones

The total synthesis of a family of (E)-9,10-dehydro derivatives of epothilone D (i.e., 12,13-desoxyepothilone B) is described. The route is particularly concise and amenable to production of new congeners. Furthermore, the chemistry described herein constitutes a major simplification in the total synthesis of EpoD, which is in human clinical trials. This new family of epothilones shows major advantages in terms of their potency and pharmacostability relative to the wild-type saturated analogues in the D series. From the perspective of compound availability through synthesis, potency, and pharmacokinetic properties, these compounds could well warrant advancement to clinical evaluation in humans.     

Platinum-catalysed bisindolylation of allenes: a complementary alternative to gold catalysis

Pt versus Au: Platinum-catalysed addition of nucleophiles to allenes follows a distinctly different pathway to the process catalysed by gold(I) complexes; the platinum catalyst leads to different products with indoles involving a bisindolylation reaction, whereas gold(I) gives allyl indoles from a single addition (see scheme).     

Macozinone: revised synthesis and crystal structure of a promising new drug for treating drug‐sensitive and drug‐resistant tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the principal etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB), infects over one‐quarter of humanity and is now the leading cause of infectious disease mortality by a single pathogen. Macozinone {2‐[4‐(cyclohexylmethyl)piperazin‐1‐yl]‐8‐nitro‐6‐(trifluoromethyl)‐4H‐1,3‐benzothiazin‐4‐one, C₂₀H₂₃F₃N₄O₃S} is a promising new drug for treating drug‐sensitive and drug‐resistant TB that has successfully completed phase I clinical trials. We report the complete spectroscopic and structural characterization by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, HRMS, IR, and X‐ray crystallography. The cyclohexyl moiety is observed to be nearly perpendicular to the core formed by the 1,3‐benzothiazin‐4‐one and piperazine groups. The central piperazine ring adopts a slightly distorted chair conformation caused by sp²‐hybridization of the nitro N atom, which donates into the electron‐deficient 1,3‐benzothiazin‐4‐one group.     

Anionic clays containing anti-inflammatory drug molecules: comparison of molecular dynamics simulation and measurements

Three representative nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug molecules, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, and Indomethacin, have been intercalated within the galleries of an anionic clay, Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH). X-ray diffraction, IR and Raman vibrational spectroscopy and (13)C cross-polarization magic-angle spinning NMR have been used to characterize the confined drug molecules, while molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to probe the interlayer structure, arrangement, orientation, and geometry of the intercalated species. All three drug molecules are arranged as bilayers in the interlamellar space of the anionic clay. But while the structure of the intercalated Ibuprofen is identical to that of the molecule outside the layers, spectroscopy as well as MD simulation shows that there is a change in the geometry of Diclofenac and Indomethacin upon confinement within the galleries of the LDH. The change in geometry of Diclofenac and Indomethacin upon intercalation is shown to originate from the electrostatic interaction between the electronegative chlorine atoms on the drug molecule and the positively charged metal hydroxide sheets of the anionic clay. It is shown that these changes in the geometry of the intercalated drug molecules allow for the observed interlayer spacing to be realized without the bilayers having to interdigitate, which would otherwise have been necessary if the structure of the drug molecules had remained identical to that outside the layers. Comparisons of experimental measurements with simulation have provided a more detailed understanding of the geometry and organization of flexible drug molecules confined in the anionic clay.     

Description of the adsorption equilibrium of organic substances absorbed from a flow of moist air by a fixed bed of active carbon moistened to equilibrium

Isotherms of the adsorption of benzene vapor from moist air on active carbon (AC) moistened to equilibrium are obtained from dynamic experiments. The experimental data on the adsorption equilibrium of some organic substances from a flow of moist air by a fixed bed of AC moistened to equilibrium are obtained. The data on the equilibrium adsorption of benzene vapor is analyzed using the Dubinin-Radushkevich equation (the theory of volume filling of micropores). It is revealed that the characteristic adsorption energy of benzene vapor decreases as the filling of the microporous volume with water molecules increases. The characteristic adsorption energy depends on the following factors: polarizability of a substance in the adsorption field created by micropores, the number of carbon atoms in the adsorbate molecules, and parameters of the porous structure. The equation for the calculation of the parameters of equilibrium adsorption of organic substances from moist air on AC moistened to equilibrium are obtained.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 434–438, March, 1995.