Biosynthesis of methanol from methane by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Methylosinus trichosporium</Emphasis> OB3b

Methanol has recently attracted significant interest in the energetic field. Current technology for the conversion of methane to methanol is based on energy intensive endothermic steam reforming followed by catalytic conversion into methanol. The one-step method performed at very low temperatures (35°C) is methane oxidation to methanol via bacteria. The aim of this work was to examine the role of copper in the one-step methane oxidation to methanol by utilizing whole cells of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b bacteria. From the results obtained it was found that copper concentration in the medium influences the rate of bacterial biomass growth or methanol production during the process of methane oxidation to methanol. The presented results indicate that the process of methane oxidation to methanol by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b bacteria is most efficient when the mineral medium contains 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol dm⁻³ of copper. Under these conditions, a satisfactory growth of biomass was also achieved. Presented at the 35th International Conference of the Slovak Society of Chemical Engineering, Tatranské Matliare, 26–30 May 2008.     

Copper(II), nickel(II), and zinc(II) complexes with <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-tozylaminobenzaldehyde 4,6-dimethylpyrimidyl hydrazone

o-Tosylaminobenzaldehyde dimethylpyrimidyl hydrazone and its copper(II), nickel(II), and zinc(II) complexesare synthesized and studied. According to the X-ray diffraction data, the zinc(II) complex has the structure of a tetragonal pyramid with the N₃O donor ligand environment. According to EPR and magnetochemistry data, the copper(II) complex has a similar structure of the chelate core. In the nickel(II) complex, the solvent molecule completes the coordination core to an octahedron.     

Determination of Lead(II), Copper(II), Zinc(II), Cobalt(II), Cadmium(II), Iron(III), Mercury(II) using sequential injection extractions

Sequential injection analysis is still dominated by single component analysis. In this proposed robust, economical simple instrumental system seven different metal ions are determined simultaneously using thin-film sequential injection extraction (SIE) with multivariate calibration and multiwavelength detection. Dithizone, in ethanol, is used as extractant and the metal dithizonates’ spectra are generated by a diode array spectrophotometer between 300 and 700 nm. The SI thin-film extraction using water miscible with ethanol works due to the hydrophobic interaction of ethanol with the Teflon wall to create a thin film. A sample frequency of 27 samples per hour was obtained with a sample carry-over of less than 1%. The results of the proposed sequential injection extraction system compare favourably with the results obtained by using standard atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) methods on conventional extraction samples.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">bis</Emphasis>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N,N</Emphasis>-diethylnicotinamide) <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-chlorobenzoate complexes of Ni(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II)

Three novel mixed ligand complexes of Ni(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) with p-chlorobenzote and N,N-diethylnicotinamide were synthesised and characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopic analysis, solid state UV-Vis spectrometric and magnetic susceptibility data. The thermal behavior of the complexes was studied by simultaneous TG-DTA methods in static air atmosphere and the mass spectra data were recorded. According to microanalytical results, formulas of complexes are C₃₄H₄₀N₄O₈ClNi, C₃₄H₄₀N₄O₈ClZn and C₃₄H₄₄N₄O₁₀ClCd. The complexes contain two moles of coordination waters, two moles p-chlorobenzoate and two mole N,N-diethylnicotinamide (dena) ligands per formula unit. In these complexes, the p-chlorobenzoate and N,N-diethylnicotinamide behave as monodentate ligand through acidic oxygen and nitrogen of pyridine ring. The decomposition pathways and the stability of the complexes are interpreted in the terms of the structural data. The final decomposition products were found to be as metal oxides.     

Cycloascauloside b from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Astragalus caucasicus</Emphasis>

The structure of a new cycloartane glycoside isolated from leaves of Astragalus caucasicus Pall. (Leguminosae) was elucidated using chemical transformations and spectral data. Cycloascauloside B is 20R, 25-epoxy-24S-cycloartan-3β,6α,16β,24-tetraol 3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1å2)]-β-D-glucopyranoside.     

方波伏安法同时测定食物中的铜、铅、锌、镉、铁、钴、镍、锰

经过预处理的食物样品:在马福炉中灰化24h,加HNO_3、HClO_4蒸干。残渣用HC1O_4-酒石酸底液提取。首先用方波阳极溶出伏安法测定其中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd。然后加入氨水使pH约为9.5,用方波阴极伏安法测定Fe、Mn。最后加入丁二酮肟溶液,用方波吸附伏安法测定Ni、Co。     

Coordination of Alkyl-Substituted Biladiene-<Emphasis Type="Italic">a,c</Emphasis> by Zinc(II), Cadmium(II), and Mercury(II) Acetates in Dimethylformamide

The general structural and thermodynamic aspects of complexation with linear tetrapyrroles are discussed using d-metal complexes with alkyl-substituted biladiene-a,c as examples. The influence of the nature of a metal and a solvating medium on the complexation constants in the systems with biladiene-a,c is considered. It is shown that the biladiene-a,c ligand can be used in practice as a highly selective chelating agent in the determination of Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Hg²⁺ ion contents in organic solvents.     

Isolation and Biomass Production of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis> Strain Binding Copper and Zinc Ions

Copper and zinc are essential trace elements participating in many physiological functions, notably immunity and protection against oxidative stress. Yeasts and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in particular, possess in their genome tandem repeats of the CUP1 gene coding for a protein (a metallothionein) capable of capturing and binding toxic elements such as copper ions. The number of copies of this gene in a cell determines its physiological level of resistance to these ions. This paper describes the selection, characterization, and production of a new copper-resistant yeast strain that can bind large quantities of copper and zinc. This approach should lead to increasing the bioavailability of these trace elements and hence to reducing their emission into the environment.     

Synthesis of 6-methyl-8<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-dibenzo[<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis>]quinolizin-8-imines <Emphasis Type="Italic">via Reissert</Emphasis> compounds

Alkylation of Reissert compounds derived from 3-methylisoquinolines with several 2-cyanobenzylbromides followed by hydrolytic cleavage provided the corresponding 1-benzyl-3-methylisoquinolines. Treatment of the latter with methylmagnesiumiodide caused cyclization to the title compounds rather than formation of 2-acetylbenzylisoquinolines.     

Zinc(II) and cadmium(II) <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>'-Bis(2-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-Tosylaminobenzylidene) diaminodipropyliminates: Syntheses,structures, and photoluminescence properties

Chemical and electrochemical syntheses of the zinc(II) and cadmium(II) complexes with the tetradentate Schiff base (H₂L), the condensation product of 2-N-tosylaminobenzaldehyde with diaminodipropylamine, are carried out. The structures, compositions, and properties of the synthesized metal complexes are studied by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, ¹H NMR, UV spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and quantum-chemical calculations. The structure of the cadmium(II) complex is determined by X-ray diffraction analysis (CIF file CCDC no. 1446393). The cadmium(II) and zinc(II) complexes exhibit luminescence in a CH₂Cl₂ solution in the blue spectral range (λ_PL = 425–428 nm) with the photoluminescence quantum yields ? = 0.20 and 0.75, respectively.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">seco</Emphasis>-Kaurane skeleton diterpenoids from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Croton oblongifolius</Emphasis>

A new seco-kaurane type diterpenoid, ent-3,4-seco-17-oxo-kaur-4(19),15(16)-dien-3-oic acid, and a known compound, ent-3,4-seco-kaur-4(19),16(17)-dien-3-oic acid, were isolated from the stem bark of Croton oblongifolius. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of spectroscopic data.     

Synthesis of oxo derivatives of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-(<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-tolysulfonyl)hexahydrocycloalka[<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>]indoles

Hydroxymercuration-demercuration of N-p-tolysulfonyl-4,4a,9,9a-tetrahydro-3H-carbazoles and N-p-tolyl(or methyl)sulfonyl-1,3a,4,8b-tetrahydrocyclopenta[b]indoles leads to the formation of the corresponding N-p-tolylsulfonyl-2,3,4,4a,9,9a-hexahydro-1H-carbazol-2-ols and N-p-tolyl(or methyl)sulfonyl-1,2,3,3a,4,8b-hexahydrocyclopenta[b]indol-2-ols. The latter are oxidized to 2-oxo derivatives with potassium dichromate. The oxidation of 2-methoxy-8-methyl-N-p-tolylsulfonyl-2,3,4,4a,9,9a-hexahydro-1H-carbazol-1-ol under analogous conditions gives 2-methoxy-8-methyl-N-p-tolysulfonyl-2,3,4,4a,9,9a-hexahydro-1H-carbazol-1-one.     

Thermal investigations of a nest of the stingless bee <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trigona</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Frieseomelitta</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">nigra paupera</Emphasis> provancher in Colombia

Thermal investigations were performed on a colony of the Colombian stingless bee Trigona (Frieseomelitta) nigra paupera by means of thermometry and direct calorimetry. A nest with about 2000 individuals was transferred to a twin calorimeter, where the bees continued their normal life and development. Two camping boxes (‘Poor Man’s Calorimeter, PMC’) with Peltier elements as cooling systems were used as a differential system. Each box had a volume of 8 L and a sensitivity of 19.2 mV W⁻¹. The colony was monitored calorimetrically and thermometrically with resistors distributed in the nest. Signals were recorded continuously by a four-channel data logger.     

Synthesis and characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">bis</Emphasis>(nicotinamide) <Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-hydroxybenzoate complexes of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)

The mixed-ligand m-hydroxybenzoate complexes of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) with nicotinamide were synthesized and characterized. The chemical, FT IR and UV-vis spectrophotometric, thermal and mass spectral analyses, magnetic susceptibility measurements revealed that the compounds contain two water molecules, two m-hydroxybenzoate (m-hba) and two nicotinamide (na) ligands per formula unit. m-Hydroxybenzoate and nicotinamide ligands bind to the metal atoms monodentately through their acidic oxygen and pyridinic nitrogen atoms, respectively. The thermal decomposition pathways and the stability of the complexes are interpreted in the terms of the structural data.     

Isolation and characterization of the cellulose synthase genes <Emphasis Type="Italic">PpCesA6</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">PpCesA7</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Physcomitrella patens</Emphasis>

Analysis of cellulose biosynthesis using molecular approaches has been successful in identifying genes in many cellulose-producing organisms, yet the mechanism of cellulose biosynthesis still remains to be understood. We are interested in developing the moss Physcomitrella patens as a useful system for the study of cellulose biosynthesis. This moss affords a number of advantages including a haploid dominated gametophyte and a very high efficiency of homologous recombination in its nuclear DNA for constructing gene knockouts. In addition, P. patens has only a primary cell wall unlike Arabidopsis thaliana, which has both a primary and a secondary cell wall. We identified two full-length cellulose synthase (CesA) genes of P. patens, PpCesA6 and PpCesA7 from an EST database and have analyzed the genomic sequences. PpCesA6 and PpCesA7 show high similarity to each other, both at the cDNA and genomic DNA levels. Single and double knockouts of PpCesA6 and PpCesA7 were generated and screened for phenotypic changes. While the PpCesA6 and PpCesA7 single knockouts did not show any obvious phenotypic differences from the wild-type, the double knockout had significantly reduced stem length. These results suggest that PpCesA6 and PpCesA7 probably have a very similar role in cellulose biosynthesis and their functions may be redundant. Additionally, their roles may overlap with the other P. patens CesAs as observed for CesAs involved in primary cell wall biosynthesis in A. thaliana.     

Reaction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-aminophenol and <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-aminobenzyl alcohol with palladium(II) bis(isocyanide) complexes

Reactions of palladium(II) bis-isocyanide complexes cis-[PdCl₂(CNR)₂] (R = 2,6-Me₂C₆H₃, 2-Me-6-ClC₆H₃) with an equimolar amount of chelating N,O-binucleophiles, 2-aminophenol and (2-aminophenyl)-methanol, in acetonitrile at room temperature in 24 h selectively afforded the corresponding open-chain monocarbene complexes. The complexation involved one isocyanide ligand and amino group of the aromatic amine. Neither bis(carbene) complexes (in the reactions with 4 equiv of the nucleophile under harsh conditions) nor C,O-chelate structures were detected. The isolated complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, IR, NMR, and mass spectra, and X-ray diffraction data.     

Stability of <Emphasis Type="Italic">s</Emphasis>-, <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis>-element diphosphates in water

The mean atomic Gibbs energies of formation of (Δ _f ? _at ⁰ ) of s-, p-, and d-element diphosphates have been calculated using ion increments of the Gibbs energy (Δ _f G ⁰). The diphosphate hydrolysis kinetics is considered, and a correlation between the Δ _f ? _at ⁰ values and the hydrolysis rate constants is presented.     

Zinc(II) and cadmium(II) complexes with <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-hydroxybenzoic acid or <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-aminobenzoic acid and 2-methylimidazole

Mixed complexes of the type: Zn(Hsal)₂(2-MeHim)₂, Zn(Han)₂(2-MeHim)₂, Cd(Hsal)₂(2-MeHim)₂, Cd(Han)₂(2-MeHim)₂, where Hsal=OHC₆H₄COO⁻, Han=NH₂C₆H₄COO⁻, 2-MeHim=2-methylimidazol) have been synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction studies. Single-crystal X-ray structure of Cd(Hsal)₂(2-MeHim)₂ has been obtained. Thermal behaviour of the compounds was investigated by thermal analysis (TG, DTG, DTA). A coupled TG-MS system was used to analyse the principal volatile products of complexes. Thermal decomposition pathways have been postulated.     

Binding of Copper(II), Cobalt(II), and Nickel(II) Cations with Humic Acids and Their Sodium Salts in Aqueous Media

Binding of Cu(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) cations to humic acids and their sodium salts was studied in aqueous media at pH 3-6 by spectrophotometry and potentiometric titration technique.