Rapid and simple electrochemical detection of morphine on graphene–palladium-hybrid-modified glassy carbon electrode

A hybrid of reduced graphene oxide–palladium (RGO–Pd) nano- to submicron-scale particles was simultaneously chemically prepared using microwave irradiation. The electrochemical investigation of the resulting hybrid was achieved using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. RGO–Pd had a higher current response than unmodified RGO toward the oxidation of morphine. Several factors that can affect the electrochemical response were studied, including accumulation time and potential, Pd loading, scan rate, and pH of electrolyte. At the optimum conditions, the concentration of morphine was determined using differential pulse voltammetry in a linear range from 0.34 to 12 μmol L^?1 and from 14 to 100 μmol L^?1, with detection limits of 12.95 nmol L^?1 for the first range. The electrode had high sensitivity toward morphine oxidation in the presence of dopamine (DA) and of the interference compounds ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA). Electrochemical determination of morphine in a spiked urine sample was performed, and a low detection limit was obtained. Validation conditions including reproducibility, sensitivity, and recovery were evaluated successfully in the determination of morphine in diluted human urine.

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Influence of carbon and nitrogen sources and temperature on hyperproduction of a thermotolerant β-glucosidase from synthetic medium by Kluyveromyces marxianus

The effect of carbon source and its concentration, inoculum size, yeast extract concentration, nitrogen source, pH of the fermentation medium, and fermentation temperature on β-glucosidase production by Kluyveromyces marxianus in shake-flask culture was investigated. These were the independent variables that directly regulated the specific growth and β-glucosidase production rate. The highest product yield, specific product yield, and productivity of β-glucosidase occurred in the medium (pH 5.5) inoculated with 10% (v/v) inoculum of the culture. Cellobiose (20 g/L) significantly improved β-glucosidase production measured as product yield (Y _P/S ) and volumetric productivity (Q _P ) followed by sucrose, lactose, and xylose. The highest levels of productivity (144 IU/[L·h]) of β-glucosidase occurred on cellobiose in the presence of CSL at 35°C and are significantly higher than the values reported by other researchers on almost all other organisms. The thermodynamics and kinetics of β-glucosidase production and its deactivation are also reported. The enzyme was substantially stable at 60°C and may find application in some industrial processes.     

Commercially available simple ionic liquids-promoted dehydrative carbon–carbon bond-forming reaction of diarylmethanols and triarylmethanols with pyrroles,thiophene, furan and indoles

Two commercially available simple ionic liquids, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate and 1-ethyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium trifluoromethansulfonate, effectively promote the solvent-free dehydrative carbon–carbon (C–C) bond-forming reaction of a variety of diarylmethanols and triarylmethanols with π-rich heteroaromatics, such as pyrroles, indole, furan, and thiophene without ring-opening and polymerization to give the corresponding not only 2-substituted pyrroles, furan, and thiophene but also 3-substituted indoles in good to excellent yields with moderate to excellent regioselectivities. These dehydrative C–C bond formation reactions of alcohols offer several advantages, such as the use of stoichiometric amounts of π-rich heteroaromatics and ionic liquids, water is the only by-product, there is no need for either organic solvents or expensive metal or strong Brønsted acid catalysts in the reaction, and the diversity of diarylmethylation and triarylmethylation.     

A comparative study of vibrational dynamics of α- and β-forms of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate)

Normal modes and their dispersion are obtained for planar zig-zag form of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) using Urey-Bradley force field. A comparison is made with the spectra of its helical form. Apart from detailed assignment of modes, various characteristic features of dispersion curves have been explained as arising due to internal symmetry in energy momentum space. The density-of-states have been used to calculate heat capacity in the temperature range 10-450 K using Debye's formalism.     

Molecular modeling of neurokinin B and tachykinin NK₃ receptor complex

The tachykinin receptor NK? is a member of the rhodopsin family of G-protein coupled receptors. The NK? receptor has been regarded as an important drug target due to diverse physiological functions and its possible role in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. The NK3 receptor is primarily activated by the tachykinin peptide hormone neurokinin B (NKB) which is the most potent natural agonist for the NK? receptor. NKB has been reported to play a vital role in the normal human reproduction pathway and in potentially life threatening diseases such as pre-eclampsia and as a neuroprotective agent in the case of neurodegenerative diseases. Agonist binding to the receptor is a critical event in initiating signaling, and therefore a characterization of the structural features of the agonists can reveal the molecular basis of receptor activation and help in rational design of novel therapeutics. In this study a molecular model for the interaction of the primary ligand NKB with its G-protein coupled receptor NK? has been developed. A three-dimensional model for the NK? receptor has been generated by homology modeling using rhodopsin as a template. A knowledge based docking of the NMR derived bioactive conformation of NKB to the receptor has been performed utilizing limited ligand binding data obtained from photoaffinity labeling and site-directed mutagenesis studies. A molecular model for the NKB-NK? receptor complex obtained sheds light on the topographical features of the binding pocket of the receptor and provides insight into the biochemical data currently available for the receptor.     

Voltammetric determination of 17β-estradiol in human urine and buttermilk samples using a simple copper(II) oxide-modified carbon paste electrode

This paper reports the voltammetric determination of 17β-estradiol in urine and buttermilk samples using a simple detector based on a carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with copper(II) oxide (CuO). The CuO was obtained by the Pechini method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopies. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square-wave voltammetry (SWV) demonstrated that the CuO-modified carbon paste electrode (CuO/CPE detector) displayed much higher electrocatalytic activity in the 17β-estradiol oxidation reaction than the CPE without modification, exhibiting a low detection limit of 21.0 nmol L^?1 with a wide linear range from 60.0 to 800.0 nmol L^?1 (R = 0.998). Satisfactory results were obtained for the determination of 17β-estradiol in human urine and buttermilk samples. The proposed electrochemical detector offers high repeatability, stability, fast response, low cost, and potential for practical application in the quantification of this hormone.

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Waste-yeast biomass as nitrogen/phosphorus sources and carbon template: Environment-friendly synthesis of N,P-Mo2C nanoparticles on porous carbon matrix for efficient hydrogen evolution

Tailor-made advanced electrocatalysts with high active and stable for hydrogen evolution reaction （HER）play a key role in the development of hydrogen economy.Herein,a N,P-co-doped molybdenum carbide confined in porous carbon matrix （N,P-Mo₂C/NPC） with a hierarchical structure is prepared by a resources recovery process.The N,P-Mo₂C/NPC compound exhibits outstanding HER activity with a low overpotential of 84 mV to achieve 10 mA/cm²,and excellent stability in alka...     

Thermodynamic study on inclusion complex formation of riboflavin with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin in water

The inclusion complex formation of riboflavin (RF) with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) in water was investigated by ¹H NMR, UV-vis spectroscopy, and solubility methods. A 1:1 stoichiometry and thermodynamic parameters of complex formation (K, Δ_c G ⁰, Δ_c H ⁰, and Δ_c S ⁰) were determined. Complexation was characterized by negative enthalpy and entropy changes due to prevalence of van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonding between polar groups of the solutes. A partial insertion of RF into macrocyclic cavity was revealed on the basis of ¹H NMR data and molecular mechanics calculation. Location of benzene ring of RF molecule inside the hydrophobic cavity of HP-β-CD results in an increase of aqueous solubility of the former.     

Preparation of natural borneol/2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex and its effect on the absorption of tetramethylpyrazine phosphate in mouse

Natural borneol (NB)/2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) inclusion complex has been prepared, and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The phase solubility and release of NB, and its effect on the absorption of tetramethylpyrazine phosphate (TMPP) in mice were also measured. The results demonstrated that NB could be efficiently loaded into HP-β-CD to form an inclusion complex at a mass ratio of 1 : 6, and the inclusion complex had different physicochemical characteristics from free NB. The profile of phase solubility displayed a typical A(L)-type, indicating the formation of 1 : 1 stoichiometric inclusion complex. Additionally, the stability of the inclusion complex was greatly improved compared with that of NB. The results of absorption of TMPP in mouse indicated that NB/HP-β-CD enhanced the absorption of TMPP and the concentration of TMPP in brain tissue, especially in the early period. Both TMPP plasma and brain concentration-time courses in mice were fitted to open two-compartment model with first-order absorption after oral administration of TMPP with NB/HP-β-CD. However, the use of NB/HP-β-CD did not change the in vivo behavior of TMPP. Our results suggest the application potential of NB/HP-β-CD inclusion in pharmaceutics.     

Kinetics and mechanism studies on scandium calix[6]arene complex initiating ring-opening polymerization of 2,2-dimethyltrimethylene carbonate

Scandium p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene complex has been synthesized from scandium isopropoxide and p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene and used as a single component initiator for the first time. The polymerization of 2,2-dimethyltrimethylene carbonate (DTC) using this complex can proceed under mild conditions. Poly (2,2-dimethyltrimethylene carbonate) (PolyDTC) with weight-average molecular weight of 33700 and molecular weight distribution of 1.21 can be prepared. Kinetics study indicates that the polymeri- zation rate is first order with respect to both monomer and initiator concentrations, and the apparent activation energy of the polymerization is 22.7 kJ/mol. 1H NMR spectrum of the polymer reveals that the monomer ring opens via acyl-oxygen bond cleavage leading to an active center of Sc-O.     

A simple,rapid and effective protocol for synthesis of bis(pyrazolyl)methanes using nickel–guanidine complex immobilized on MCM-41

Research on Chemical Intermediates - In this paper, a rapid, easy and very efficient method for the synthesis of bis(pyrazolyl)methanes has been reported in the presence of nickel–guanidine...     

A combined electrochemical and DFT study of the lattice strain effect on the surface reactivity of Pd

We report a combined study of electrochemical experiments and ab initio calculations on tuning the surface reactivity of Pd via a compressive lattice strain achieved by employing nanoparticles of Pd-Cu alloys with a Pd-rich surface.Surface oxygen-containing species were used as the probing molecule for revealing the surface reactivity.Both density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experiments showed linear relationships,with very close slopes,between the adsorption strength of OH_(ads) and the Pd lattice constant.Not only is this work a successful realization of controllable modulation in the surface reactivity,but it also provides valuable information for the rational design of Pd-based catalysts for fuel cell applications.     

Structural and electrochemical characterization of LiFePO4/C prepared by a sol–gel route with long- and short-chain carbon sources

A fast and convenient sol–gel route was developed to synthesize LiFePO₄/C composite cathode material, and the sol–gel process can be finished in less than an hour. Polyethyleneglycol (PEG), d-fructose, 1-hexadecanol, and cinnamic acid were firstly introduced to non-aqueous sol–gel system as structure modifiers and carbon sources. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and elemental analysis measurements. Electrochemical performances of LiFePO₄/C composite cathode materials were characterized by galvanostatic charge/discharge and AC impedance measurements. The material obtained using compound additives of PEG and d-fructose presented good electrochemical performance with a specific capacity of 157.7 mAh g⁻¹ at discharge rate 0.2 C, and the discharge capacity remained about 153.6 mAh g⁻¹ after 50 cycles. The results indicated that the improved electrochemical performance originated mainly from the microporous network structure, well crystalline particles, and the increased electronic conductivity by proper carbon coating (3.11%).     

Solid-state NMR and wide-angle X-ray diffraction study of hydrofluoroether/β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex

An inclusion complex (IC) composed of a hydrofluoroether (HFE) guest and a β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) host was newly prepared, and the crystalline structure and the thermal stability of the IC were examined using several analytical methods, including wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), solid-state NMR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), TG–mass spectrometry (TG–MS), and quantum chemical calculation. The WAXD patterns and elemental analysis identified that the IC of an HFE/β-CD form of a channel-type structure, in which one HFE molecule is included in a common cavity of two β-CD molecules. TGA and TG–MS analysis indicated that the HFE molecules included in β-CD are hardly evaporated or degraded up to the decomposition temperature of the β-CD host. Solid-state ¹³C NMR indicated that the β-CD ring structure was deformed by including an HFE molecule in it, and that the ¹⁹F NMR signals of the HFE guest were significantly shifted to higher frequencies by the inclusion due to the dielectric media effect in the cavity of β-CD. Moreover, the ¹⁹F NMR signals of HFE included in IC were further shifted after annealing at 150 °C, which reflected structural changes in HFE/β-CD IC caused at elevated temperatures. The WAXD patterns also confirmed that the packing structure along the crystalline b-direction of HFE/β-CDs, which penetrates the cavities of β-CDs, was compressed by annealing and transformed to a more stable structure.     

Conformational analysis of 6α- and 6β-naltrexol and derivatives and relationship to opioid receptor affinity

Naltrexol and its C? α and β desoxy, iodo, mesyl, tosyl, trifyl, dimethylcarbamyl, and diphenylcarbamyl derivatives were studied in their energy-minimized C ring chair-like and boat-like conformations using B3LYP/6-31G** and SM5.4/A to estimate aqueous solvation free energy. The results were compared to experimental opioid receptor binding affinities. The total energy difference between β conformers correlated well with MOR binding affinity, while the aqueous solvation free energy correlated well with the KOR binding affinity.     

Influence of quantum effects on the mechanism of adsorption and phase diagram of rare gases in carbon nanotubes

We present results of grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations of rare gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe) adsorption in carbon nanotubes. The interaction model includes both quantum effects (via effective Feymann-Hibbs potential) and the atomic roughness of the tube. We show that the quantum contribution to interactions does not suppress the energetic corrugation of carbon nanotube but decreases only its average strength. In the case of Ne, the phase diagram and, in particular, the melting temperature for layers adsorbed on and within an individual tube does not depend on tube chirality. However, the structure of layers adsorbed on outer surface of the tube is strongly related to the atomic structure of the underlying tube.