Studies of effect of heterocyclic dyes in photogalvanic cells for solar energy conversion and storage: NaLS-ascorbic acid system

The photogalvanic effect has been studied in three systems using photogalvanic cells and NaLS-ascorbic acid-azur A, NaLS-ascorbic acid-azur B, NaLS-ascorbic acid-azur C systems. The photopotential and photocurrent generated by these systems are 7700, 9710, 623·0 mV and 160·0, 185·0, 145·0 (μA respectively. The effects of different parameters on the electrical outputs of the cell have been observed and current-voltage characteristics of the cell studied, and a mechanism has been proposed for the generation of photocurrent in photogalvanic cells. The conversion efficiencies for azur A, azur B and azur C are 0·5461, 0·9646 and 0·4567% and storage capacity 110, 135 and 95 min respectively.     

Electrocatalytic studies using silver–clay composite — a novel material

A clay-modified electrode (CME) consisting of novel colloidal silver–montmorillonite clay composite material (Ag⁰_n–MM) has been prepared and characterized. The study on its ability to enhance the redox reactions of phenothiazine dyes reveals that the nanosize particle nature of the silver is retained in the film, as reflected from cyclic voltammograms and photogalvanic studies. The photogalvanic current observed for the dyes in this composite material shows an enhanced anodic photocurrent versus the case in ion-exchanged CMEs, where the dyes show a cathodic photocurrent. The unique behavior is explained by a suitable mechanism.     

Etude des possibilites de dosage du lithium par activation au moyen de protons et de deutons de moyenne energie

The determination of lithium by measuring⁷Be, produced by proton or deuteron activation, has been studied. The extent of interference from boron or beryllium, which also form⁷Be, was measured. The calculated sensitivity limits when activating for one hour with 10μA beams of 14 MeV protons or 25 MeV deuterons are, for lithium, 1·10⁻¹ and 2.5·10⁻² ppm and for boron, 2·10⁻¹ and 1·10⁻¹ ppm, respectively.      

Comparison of dye (oxazine and thiazine) materials as a photosensitizer for use in photogalvanic cells based on molecular interaction with sodium dodecyl sulphate by spectral study

The photochemistry of dye is playing a significant role for understanding the mechanism of electron transfer reactions in photoelectrochemical devices such as photogalvanic cells, DSSC, semiconductor photo-catalysis, photoconductors, etc. Oxazines (Brilliant Cresyl Blue and Nile Blue O) and thiazines (Azur A, Azur B, Azur C, Methylene Blue and Toluidine Blue O) dyes have been used widely as a photosensitizer with and without surfactants in the photogalvanic cells for solar power conversion and storage. Since, the stability and solubility of photosensitizers (dyes) are increased in the presence of surfactant and these properties lead to enhance the electrical output of the photogalvanic cells. Therefore, here we have studied the extent of interaction of different dyes with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), find out the order of stability of dye–SDS on the basis of magnitudes of shifting in λ_max of dye monomer and try to correlate order of dye–SDS interaction with already reported electrical output data of photogalvanic cells. Brilliant Cresyl Blue, Nile Blue O, Azur A and TB O have shown red shifting while Azur B, Azur C and MB have shown blue shifting in their λ_max value with SDS, which indicates formation of dye–surfactant complex. But, the extent of formation of complex for different dyes with SDS was different due to change in their alkyl groups. Dyes with red shifting have greater stability in excited state as well as higher electrical output data of the cell than dye with blue shifting. On the basis of both red and blue shifting, order of stability of dyes–SDS complex was found as: Brilliant Cresyl Blue?>?Toluidine Blue O?>?Azur A?>?Nile Blue?>?Azur B?>?Methylene Blue?>?Azur C. The order of electrical output values of these dyes in photogalvanic cells have also been supported by literature data in the presence of SDS. Hence, the dye–surfactant complex which would have greater stability in excited state might be more useful for improvement of conversion efficiency and storage capacity of photogalvanic cells in the future.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis and Characterization of a Polymeric Network Constructed by Tetranuclear [Yb<Subscript>4</Subscript>(μ<Subscript>3</Subscript>-OH)<Subscript>4</Subscript>]<Superscript>8+</Superscript> Cluster and 2,2′-bipyridine-3,3′-dicarboxylate

Abstract  

A new lanthanide coordination polymer, {[Yb₄(μ ₃ -OH)₄(bpdc)₄(H₂O)₆]}₂·17(H₂O) (1), which contains the tetranuclear lanthanide cluster of cubane-like [Yb₄(μ ₃ -OH)₄]⁸⁺, was obtained by hydrothermal reaction. As building blocks, [Yb₄(μ ₃ -OH)₄]⁸⁺ clusters were further assembled into two-dimensional network structure through the linking of 2,2′-bipyridine-3,3′-dicarboxylate (bpdc) with different four coordination modes. It is unprecedented that the adjacent [Yb₄(μ ₃ -OH)₄]⁸⁺ clusters are in the arraying form of ···AABB···(Yb1–Yb4 unit as A and Yb5–Yb8 unit as B). The thermal stability and magnetic property of compound 1 were investigated further.     

Enhanced cell-killing action of cisplatin in the presence of terbium chloride

The literature indicates that the interaction of Tb³⁺ with DNA modified by the antitumour drug cis-diaminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) results in substantial enhancement of the fluorescence of this cation, while no enhancement is observed in the case of DNA modified by irradiation with ionizing radiation. This study investigates the effect of Tb³⁺ on the survival of cultured mammalian cells treated with CDDP. HeLa cells were treated with a combination of^195mPt-CDDP and TbCl₃, and the relationship between lethal effect and the numbers of Tb and/or Pt atoms binding to DNA, RNA and proteins was examined. The Tb content in each fraction was determined using instrumental neutron activation analysis. It was found that the cytotoxic effect of CDDP was greatly enhanced by the presence of Tb ions (D₀ of CDDP fell from 8.3 μM without Tb to 3.2 μM with 0.75 mM Tb), while no such effect was found in radiation-induced cell-killing. The number of Tb atoms bound to DNA molecules in a cell was calculated to be about 4.5·10⁷, namely 1 per 1.400 nucleotides, under that situation.     

Synthesis,molecular characterisation,and in vivo study of platinum(IV) coordination compounds against B16 mouse melanoma tumours

A novel platinum(IV) coordination compound with 6-mercaptopurine (6-Hmp) has been synthesised and characterised by IR and NMR spectroscopy. Spectroscopic parameters indicate the presence of two chelate (S-6, N-7) monodeprotonated ligands and two chloride ions in the coordination sphere of [PtCl₂(6-mp)₂] · H₂O (I). Two Pt(IV) coordination compounds, [PtCl₂(6-mp)₂] · H₂O (I) and [PtCl₄(dbtp)₂] (II), were used in the in vivo test against B16 mouse melanoma tumours. Cytotoxic activity of compound II against the tumour cells was found to be high (LC₁₀ = 2.6 μM, LC₅₀ = 17.0 μM, LC₉₀ = 58.0 μM) compared to that of cisplatin.     

GPR183 Regulates 7α,25-Dihydroxycholesterol-Induced Oxiapoptophagy in L929 Mouse Fibroblast Cell

7α,25-dihydroxycholesterol (7α,25-DHC) is an oxysterol synthesized from 25-hydroxycholesterol by cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily B member 1 (CYP7B1) and is a monooxygenase (oxysterol-7α-hydroxylase) expressed under inflammatory conditions in various cell types. In this study, we verified that 7α,25-DHC-induced oxiapoptophagy is mediated by apoptosis, oxidative stress, and autophagy in L929 mouse fibroblasts. MTT assays and live/dead cell staining revealed that cytotoxicity was increased by 7α,25-DHC in L929 cells. Consequentially, cells with condensed chromatin and altered morphology were enhanced in L929 cells incubated with 7α,25-DHC for 48 h. Furthermore, apoptotic population was increased by 7α,25-DHC exposure through the cascade activation of caspase-9, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase in the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis in these cells. 7α,25-DHC upregulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in L929 cells. Expression of autophagy biomarkers, including beclin-1 and LC3, was significantly increased by 7α,25-DHC treatment in L929 cells. 7α,25-DHC inhibits the phosphorylation of Akt associated with autophagy and increases p53 expression in L929 cells. In addition, inhibition of G-protein-coupled receptor 183 (GPR183), a receptor of 7α,25-DHC, using GPR183 specific antagonist NIBR189 suppressed 7α,25-DHC-induced apoptosis, ROS production, and autophagy in L929 cells. Collectively, GPR183 regulates 7α,25-DHC-induced oxiapoptophagy in L929 cells.     

HPLC fluorescence determination of nitrites in water using precolumn derivatization with 4-methyl-7-aminocoumarin

Summary A rapid, simple, and sensitive method is described for determination of nitrites in water. Nitrite (NO₂–) ions react with coumarin 120^® (4-methyl-7-aminocoumarin) in sulfuric acid medium to give the corresponding 7-diazo compound. After hydrolysis, this latter yields (95%) the highly fluorescent 4-methyl-7-hydroxycoumarin (4-methylumbelliferone) which is fluorimetrically detected at 380 nm after excitation at 325 nm.In order to avoid interference from both excess coumarin 120^® and the trace amounts of 4-methylumbelliferone which occurs in coumarin 120^® as an impurity, use of HPLC is mandatory; a satisfactory separation is obtained on a cyano stationary phase with apolar hexane-isopropanol (955, v/v) as eluent. Under these conditions, linearity of response is obtained from 1 to 30 g.L^–1 of NO₂–; the limit of detection is 0.5 g.L^–1. The repeatability and reproducibility, expressed as RSD %, are 2.5 and 4.7 % respectively, for n=6 and 5 g.L^–, analytical characteristics which demonstrate the reliability of the proposed method.