A novel urea conductometric biosensor based on zeolite immobilized urease

A new approach was developed for urea determination where a thin film of silicalite and zeolite Beta deposited onto gold electrodes of a conductometric biosensor was used to immobilize the enzyme. Biosensor responses, operational and storage stabilities were compared with results obtained from the standard membrane methods for the same measurements. For this purpose, different surface modification techniques, which are simply named as Zeolite Membrane Transducers (ZMTs) and Zeolite Coated Transducers (ZCTs) were compared with Standard Membrane Transducers (SMTs). Silicalite and zeolite Beta with Si/Al ratios 40, 50 and 60 were used to modify the conductometric electrodes and to study the biosensor responses as a function of changing zeolitic parameters. During the measurements using ZCT electrodes, there was no need for any cross-linker to immobilize urease, which allowed the direct evaluation of the effect of changing Si/Al ratio for the same type of zeolite on the biosensor responses for the first time. It was seen that silicalite and zeolite Beta added electrodes in all cases lead to increased responses with respect to SMTs. The responses obtained from ZCTs were always higher than ZMTs as well. The responses obtained from zeolite Beta modified ZMTs and ZCTs increased as a function of increasing Si/Al ratio, which might be due to the increased hydrophobicity and/or the acid strength of the medium.     

Molecular modeling studies on the urease active site and the enzyme-catalyzed urea hydrolysis

Summary These studies are an attempt to gain better insight into the pharmacophore requirements of urease. On the basis of published information on this enzyme (EXAFS, amino acid sequence, essential groups at the active site) a hypothetical nickel-tripeptide complex, as preliminary substitute for the urease active site was modeled using computer-aided molecular modeling techniques. The results suggest two alternative docking modes of urea and reaction intermediates, corresponding to two different reaction mechanisms. Both binding modes are compatible with the docking of known potent inhibitors such as selected hydroxamic acids and phosphorodiamides. The results can be used to help in the design of new potential inhibitors of urease.     

Increased electrophoretic mobility of sodium sulfite-treated jack bean urease.

Sodium sulfite is a widely used activity-protective agent for the storage of urease. However, this reagent produces a 10% increase in the anodic electrophoretic mobility of native urease. Changes in the hydrodynamic properties of the enzyme are not involved in that modification. The observed change is related to an increased negative charge of the protein molecule in the presence of sodium sulfite. The results are discussed in terms of sulfitolysis of the single disulfide bond in the urease monomer. It is remarkable that the modification occurs at neutral pH. Our results show that removing sodium sulfite and reversing its effect by treatment with 2-mercaptoethanol are required prior to any study involving native urease.     

Direct potentiometric determination of urea after urease hydrolysis

Summary A rapid potentiometric method for the determination of urea based on the electrode response of ammonium ion liberated in the ureasecatalyzed hydrolysis is described.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird eine rasch durchführbare Harnstoffbestimmung beschrieben, die auf der durch Urease katalysierten Hydrolyse und potentiometrischer Bestimmung des dabei gebildeten Ammoniaks beruht.

     

The hydrolysis of urea and the proficiency of urease

We present the results of a computational study of the solution phase decomposition of urea, which provides insight into probable reaction pathways for the urease-catalyzed reaction. Calculations, which were used to derive thermodynamic parameters that were further used for a kinetic analysis, have been done at the solvent-corrected MP2/6-311++G** level. Both elimination and hydrolytic pathways have been considered. Elimination is favored for the solution phase reaction, which proceeds by H-bond coordination of a water molecule to the amine nitrogen atoms. The coordination of one water molecule greatly facilitates the reaction by allowing it to proceed through a cyclic six-member transition state. Aspects of the water-urea H-bond interactions have also provided insights into critical aspects of the hydrogen bond pattern in the urease active site. On the basis of a kinetic analysis, we have estimated the proficiency of urease and have predicted that it is the most proficient enzyme identified to date.     

Colorimetric detection of urea,urease, and urease inhibitor based on the peroxidase-like activity of gold nanoparticles

Herein, we reported for the first time that gold nanoparticles-catalyzed 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine-H₂O₂ system can serve as an ultrasensitive colorimetric pH indicator. Gold nanoparticles acted as a catalyst and imitated the function of horseradish peroxidase. The absorbance at 450 nm of the yellow-color product in the catalytic reaction exhibited a linear fashion over the pH range of 6.40–6.60. On the basis of this property, we constructed a novel sensing platform for the determination of urea, urease, and urease inhibitor. The limit of detection for urea and urease was 5 μM and 1.8 U/L, respectively. The half-maximal inhibition value IC₅₀ of acetohydroxamic acid was found to be 0.05 mM. Urea in human urine and urease in soil were detected with satisfied results.     

Thermodynamic study on the interaction of cyanide ion and jack bean urease at different temperatures

A method based on Isothermal Titration Calorimety (ITC) is described for the thermodynamic assay of jack bean urease. Inhibitory activity of cyanide ion was examined against jack bean urease (JBU), at 27 and 37 ^oC in 30 mM Tris buffer of pH = 7. The binding parameters of the CN^? + JBU complexation have been calculated. It was found that in the low and high concentrations of the cyanide ions, the JBU structure was destabilized, resulting in a decrease in its biological activity.     

TiO2光催化剂失活机理研究进展

评述了TiO₂多相光催化剂在处理环境污染物领域的催化剂失活研究进展,主要探讨了气固多相光催化反应过程影响催化剂活性的因素,液固多 相光催化反应的催化剂失活的几种途径,以及解决催化剂失活问题的办法,最后对该领域的研究提出建议.     

Adsorption of urease on PE-MCM-41 and its catalytic effect on hydrolysis of urea

Pore-expanded MCM-41 (PE-MCM-41) silica exhibits a unique combination of high specific surface area (ca. 1000 m(2)/g), pore size (up to 25 nm) and pore volume (up to 3.5 cm(3)/g). As such, this material is highly suitable for the adsorption of large biomolecules. The current study focused primarily on the application of PE-MCM-41 material as suitable host for urease (nickel-based large metalloenzyme) in controlled hydrolysis of urea. Urease adsorbed on PE-MCM-41, regular MCM-41 and silica gel (SGA) were used as catalysts for urea hydrolysis reaction. Adsorption studies of urease on these materials from aqueous solution at pH 7.2 revealed that the adsorption capacity of PE-MCM-41 (102 mg/g) is significantly higher than that of MCM-41 (56 mg/g) and SGA (21 mg/g). The equilibrium adsorption data were well fitted using the Langmuir-Freundlich model. Furthermore, the kinetic study revealed that the uptake of urease follow the pseudo-first order kinetics. The in vitro urea hydrolysis reaction on pristine urease and different urease-loaded catalysts showed that the rate of hydrolysis reaction is significantly slower on U/PE-MCM-41 compared to that of bulk urease and urease on MCM-41 and SGA. This technique could be an alternative means to the use of urease inhibitors to control the ammonia release from urea fertilizer.     

Retraction Note to: Thermodynamic study on the interaction of cyanide ion and jack bean urease at different temperatures

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry -     

Calorimetric study of inhibition of urease by 2-mercaptoethanol Procedures based upon integrated rate equations

Urease-catalyzed hydrolysis of urea was studied in the absence, and presence, of 0.3 and 0.8 mmol dm⁻³ 2-mercaptoethanol in phosphate buffer at pH 7.0 at 25°C with the use of an isoperibol calorimeter. The extent of reaction with time, ΔT vs. t, was interpreted with the help of the integrated Michaelis–Menten equation, and the inhibition constant K_i was obtained from linear transformations of the equation (Jennings–Niemann, Yun–Suelter and Booman–Niemann). The obtained value of K_i was equal to 0.87±0.10 mmol dm⁻³.     

Deactivation of precolumns for capillary GC by a thin layer of OV-1701

Deactivation of precolumns with an ultra thin film of OV-1701 provided inertness at least equal to silylation, but better resistance to water. Dynamic coating of the raw fused silica capillary is, furthermore, much faster than the hydrothermal treatment/silylation procedure.     

Deactivation studies of nano-structured iron catalyst in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

A nano-structured iron catalyst for syngas conversion to hydrocarbons in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) was prepared by micro-emulsion method. Compositions of bulk iron phase and phase transformations of carbonaceous species during catalyst deactivation in FTS reaction were characterized by temperature-programmed surface reaction with hydrogen (TPSR-H2), and XRD techniques. Many carbonaceous species on surface and bulk of the nano-structured iron catalysts were completely identified by combined TPSR-H2 and XRD spectra and which were compared with those recorded on conventional co-precipitated iron catalyst. The results reveal that the catalyst deactivation results from the formation of inactive carbide phases and surface carbonaceous species like graphite, and it will be increased when the particle size of iron oxides was reduced in FTS iron catalyst.     

钴基催化剂在费-托反应过程中的失活行为

 考察了 Co/SiO₂, Co/Ru/SiO₂ 和疏水改性 Co/Ru/SiO₂ 催化剂在费-托合成过程中的稳定性.结果发现, 随着反应的进行, 三种催化剂都呈现一定程度的失活,它们稳定性高低顺序为: 疏水改性 Co/Ru/SiO₂ > Co/SiO₂ > Co/Ru/SiO₂. Co/SiO₂ 催化剂的失活是由于催化剂上 Co 晶粒的长大和硅酸钴物种的生成, 而 Co/Ru/SiO₂和疏水改性 Co/Ru/SiO₂的失活则是由于催化剂上 Co 晶粒的长大所致. 由于 Co/Ru/SiO₂ 催化剂的 Co 晶粒比 Co/SiO₂催化剂的小得多, 在反应过程中更容易长大, 所以 Co/Ru/SiO₂催化剂稳定性更差; 而疏水改性 Co/Ru/SiO₂催化剂表面的疏水性既抑制了硅酸钴物种的形成, 又使 Co 晶粒长大较慢, 因此其稳定性最高.     

丙烯环氧化反应中TS-1催化剂失活研究

采用丙烯气相进料,在预混段中先与双氧水的甲醇溶液混合后进入固定床反应器,考察了进料液中pH值、丙二醇单甲醚、乙硫醇以及铁锈等对丙烯环氧化连续反应中TS-1分子筛催化剂性能的影响。结果表明,进料液体pH值对催化剂的催化性能有影响,适宜的进料液体pH值在7左右;副产物丙二醇单甲醚含量的增加不会对催化剂性能产生影响;乙硫醇量的增加使环氧丙烷选择性下降,但不会引起催化剂的失活;而进料液体中铁锈的引入会导致催化剂中部分孔堵塞,使催化剂部分失活。当进料液中的pH值用0.1mol/L的氨水调节为7左右,在反应温度55℃,反应压力0.7MPa,TS-1催化剂具有较好的稳定性,经130h的连续试验考察,双氧水的转化率和环氧丙烷的选择性约为90%。     

Potentiometric determination of urea by sequential injection using Jack bean meal crude extract as a source of urease

A sequential injection system was proposed to accomplish the potentiometric determination of urea. This procedure used an ammonium tubular selective electrode to assess ammonium concentration produced by enzymatic hydrolysis of urea from Jack bean meal (Canavalia ensiformis DC) crude extract. A gaseous diffusion device was coupled to the flow set-up allowing on-line sampling and suitable selectivity for determinations. A detection limit of 6.0x10(-4) mol urea l(-1), a relative standard deviation of 1.9% (n=10) and a sampling rate of 20 samples h(-1) were observed when 172 Sumner units (SU) of urease and 900 mul of sample were used. Results agreeing with a comparative method were obtained by the proposed procedure and the use of the crude extract solution combined with the sequential injection approach improved the performance, producing reproducible results and low costs in comparison with procedures using commercial enzymes.     

Photophysical Deactivation Mechanisms of the Pyrimidine Analogue 1-Cyclohexyluracil

The photophysical relaxation mechanisms of 1-cyclohexyluracil, in vacuum and water, were investigated by employing the Multi-State CASPT2 (MS-CASPT2, Multi-State Complete Active-Space Second-Order Perturbation Theory) quantum chemical method and Dunning’s cc-pVDZ basis sets. In both environments, our results suggest that the primary photophysical event is the population of the S11(ππ*) bright state. Afterwards, two likely deactivation pathways can take place, which is sustained by linear interpolation in internal coordinates defined via Z-Matrix scans connecting the most important characteristic points. The first one (Route 1) is the same relaxation mechanism observed for uracil, its canonical analogue, i.e., internal conversion to the ground state through an ethylenic-like conical intersection. The other route (Route 2) is the direct population transfer from the S11(ππ*) bright state to the T23(nπ*) triplet state via an intersystem crossing process involving the (S11(ππ*)/T23(nπ*))STCP singlet-triplet crossing point. As the spin-orbit coupling is not too large in either environment, we propose that most of the electronic population initially on the S11(ππ*) state returns to the ground following the same ultrafast deactivation mechanism observed in uracil (Route 1), while a smaller percentage goes to the triplet manifold. The presence of a minimum on the S11(ππ*) potential energy hypersurface in water can help to understand why experimentally it is noticed suppression of the triplet states population in polar protic solvent.     

Deactivation studies of bifunctional Fe-HZSM5 catalyst in Fischer-Tropsch process

A physical mixture of alkali-promoted iron catalyst with binder based on Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and an acidic co-catalyst （HZSM5） for syngas conversion to hydrocarbons was studied in a fixed bed micro reactor. Deactivation data were obtained during the synthesis over a 1400 h period. The deactivation studies on iron catalyst showed that this trend followed the phase transformation Fe2.2C （ ε′） → Fe5C2 （χ） → Fe3C （θ）, and the final predominant phase of the catalyst was Fe3C （θ）. Deactivation of zeolite component in bifunctional catalyst may be caused by coking over the zeolitic component, dealumination of zeolite crystals, and migration of alkali promoters from iron catalyst under synthesis conditions. The deactivation rate of iron catalyst was also obtained.     

甲醇制烯烃催化剂失活模型

在固定床反应器中,研究了甲醇制烯烃反应中当SAPO-34分子筛处于失活期时催化剂活性的变化情况,主要考察催化剂活性随反应温度、空速和运行时间的变化,通过对实验数据的分析拟合,得到了催化剂活性与失活时间、反应温度、空速的经验关联式(失活模型),对失活模型的检验表明,该模型与实验数据较为吻合,表明了该式的准确性。 通过对失活模型的分析,获得了当失活速率达到最大时的失活时间与反应时间、空速的关联式,失活过程应服从不均匀表面失活机理,并且当催化剂处于失活区时,失活时间对活性的影响要大于空速和温度。