Facile preparation of holmium(Ⅲ)-doped carbon nanodots for fluorescence/magnetic resonance dual-modal bioimaging

In this work, we report the synthesis of holmium(III)-doped carbon nanodots(Ho BCDs) as fluorescence/magnetic resonance(FL/MR) dual-modal imaging probes via a facile hydrothermal process using citrate acid(CA), branched-polyethylenimine(BPEI) and diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid hydrate holmium(III) dihydrogen salt(Ho-DTPA) as carbon source, passivating reagent and holmium source, respectively.The thus prepared Ho BCDs exhibited ultra-small particle size(~4 nm), high water solubility and bright fluorescence with an absolute quantum yield of 8%. Additionally, grey-scaled T_1-weighted images of Ho BCDs solution appeared to be apparently brighter than that of deionized water and un-doped blue carbon nanodots(BCDs) solution. In addition, in vitro toxicity assay validated superior biocompatibility of Ho BCDs. Using He La cells as models, Ho BCDs-treated cells were observed to emit blue fluorescence located both in plasma and nucleus, and presented positive contrast enhancement in T_1-weighted images, suggesting their potentials for practical biomedical applications.     

Solubilities of palmitic and stearic fatty acids in supercritical carbon dioxide

The solubilities of two fatty acids, namely hexadecanoic acid (palmitic acid) and octadecanoic acid (stearic acid) in supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO₂), were determined at T = (328 and 338) K from 12.8 MPa to 22.6 MPa. Three models, namely a thermodynamic model based on the Peng–Robinson equation of state with Kwak and Mansoori mixing rules, a model based on dilute solution theory proposed by Mendez-Santiago and Teja and a new reformulated Chrastil equation model, were used to correlate the solubilities. In all the models, the correlation constants are temperature independent. All the models successfully correlated the experimental results for the solubilities of hexadecanoic acid within 3%.     

A novel lutetium(III) acetate phthalocyanine directly substituted with N,N’-dimethylaminophenyl groups via CC bonds and its water-soluble derivative for photodynamic therapy

In this study, the novel 4-(N,N′-dimethylamino)phenyl substituted lutetium(III) acetate phthalocyanine (2) and its quaternized derivative (3) were synthesized via a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction between tetrakis(iodo) lutetium(III)acetate phthalocyanine (1) and 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)phenylboronic acid, and subsequent quaternization using dimethyl sulfate, respectively. The obtained phthalocyanine 3 exhibited excellent solubility in water which is important for photodynamic therapy applications. Photophysical properties such as fluorescence quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime, and photochemical properties such as singlet oxygen generation and photostability were investigated to determine their suitability for photodynamic therapy. The lutetium(III) phthalocyanines, especially quaternized derivative 3, showed promising properties as potential photosensitizers for the treatment of cancer, producing higher singlet oxygen (Φ_Δ = 0.59) than motexafin lutetium (Φ_Δ = 0.31) which is a clinically used lutetium texaphyrin photosensitizer.     

Determination of traces of Sb(III) using ASV in Sb-rich water samples affected by mining

Chemical speciation [Sb(V) and Sb(III)] affects the mobility, bioavailability and toxicity of antimony. In oxygenated environments Sb(V) dominates whereas thermodynamically unstable Sb(III) may occur. In this study, a simple method for the determination of Sb(III) in non acidic, oxygenated water contaminated with antimony is proposed. The determination of Sb(III) was performed by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV, 1–20 μg L⁻¹ working range), the total antimony, Sb(tot), was determined either by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, 1–100 μg L⁻¹ working range) or inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES, 100–10,000 μg L⁻¹ working range) depending on concentration. Water samples were filtered on site through 0.45 μm pore size filters. The aliquot for determination of Sb(tot) was acidified with 1% (v/v) HNO₃. Different preservatives, namely HCl, L(+) ascorbic acid or L(+) tartaric acid plus HNO₃, were used to assess the stability of Sb(III) in synthetic solutions.The method was tested on groundwater and surface water draining the abandoned mine of Su Suergiu (Sardinia, Italy), an area heavily contaminated with Sb. The waters interacting with Sb-rich mining residues were non acidic, oxygenated, and showed extreme concentrations of Sb(tot) (up to 13,000 μg L⁻¹), with Sb(III) <10% of total antimony. The stabilization with L(+) tartaric acid plus HNO₃ appears useful for the determination of Sb(III) in oxygenated, Sb-rich waters. Due to the instability of Sb(III), analyses should be carried out within 7 days upon the water collection. The main advantage of the proposed method is that it does not require time-consuming preparation steps prior to analysis of Sb(III).     

Thermodynamic study of Eu(III) complexation by pyridine monocarboxylates

The thermodynamic parameters (log K, ΔG, ΔH and ΔS) of complexation of Eu(III), a chemical analogue of trivalent actinides, with pyridine monocarboxylates, namely, picolinic acid (pyridine-2-carboxylic acid), nicotinic acid (pyridine-3-carboxylic acid), isonicotinic acid (pyridine-4-carboxylic acid) have been studied at 1.0 M ionic strength adjusted by NaClO₄ and 298 K by potentiometry, fluorescence spectroscopy and calorimetry. The potentiometric results revealed formation of four complexes, ML_i (i = 1–4) in case of picolinate whereas only ML complexes in case of nicotinate and isonicotinate. The log K_ML for Eu(III) picolinate complex is higher than that for complexes of Eu(III) with the other two acids. The complexation reaction between Eu(III) and picolinate was found to be exothermic due to chelate formation via pyridyl nitrogen. In case of complexation of Eu(III) with nicotinate and isonicotinate, the enthalpy changes are similar as in the case of simple mono carboxylates and are positive. Life time measurements by time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, for the decay of ⁵D₀ state of Eu(III) also indicated the formation of ML₄ with picolinate and formation of ML only with the other two acids. The experimental observations on the stability and binding mode of the complexes are corroborated by theoretical calculations using the TURBOMOLE software. The detail analysis of calculated charge values of the free ligands and the complexes indicates that charge polarization is more in the isonicotinate than in nicotinate upon complexation.     

Dealing with interference challenge in the electrochemical detection of As(III) —A complexometric masking approach

Copper ion has been reported to be a major interference in the electrochemical detection of arsenic (III) ion in water. Therefore the development of a simple approach to alleviate this interference challenge is important. We present the use of ammonia solution as a masking agent for Cu(II) interference in the square wave anodic stripping voltammetry of As(III) on a gold nanoparticle modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). AuNPs were electrochemically deposited by cyclic voltammetry on a GCE from a potential range of − 400 mV to 1100 mV for 10 cycles. Square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) was used to detect As(III) in water with and without Cu(II) based on the following optimised conditions: pH = 3, deposition potential = − 600 mV, and deposition time = 60 s. Ammonia solution was added to the analyte solution and the effect on mitigating copper interference was studied. The presence of ammonia complexed the Cu(II) ion thereby excluding Cu(II) from interfering with the As(III) signal.     

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of components of pyridine temperature-programmed desorption spectra from surface of copper-supported catalysts

The method of pyridine temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) was applied for the measurement of acid properties of in situ reduced copper catalysts on silicate support. A thermal-conductivity detector (TCD) was used for the detection of TPD spectra of pyridine. The combination of flame-ionization detector and thermal conductivity detector shows that the region of TPD spectrum with the peak maxima T_MAX1 = 350 °C is a superposition of the TCD response on spectra of desorbed pyridine, water and carbon dioxide, desorbing simultaneously from the catalyst surface. The method for the elimination of H₂O and CO₂ on the layer of NaOH was tested and the pure TPD spectrum of pyridine was obtained. The exact determination of pyridine concentration allows to estimate the amount of weak and medium acid centers of the catalyst. The gas chromatography with the mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) analyses was used for the interpretation of high temperature region of the pyridine TPD spectra (T_MAX2 = 620 °C). It was found that pyridine bonded on the strong acid centers is decomposed to N₂ and CO under very high temperature. The available chromatographic method for the separation of components present in pyridine TPD spectrum in the high-temperature region was suggested. The method for the quantification of strong acidity of copper-supported catalyst was found.     

Electrochemical and spectroscopic investigations of Tb(III) in molten LiCl–KCl eutectic at high temperature

Electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of Tb(III) in molten LiCl–KCl eutectic at high temperature were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). The diffusion coefficient of Tb(III) and the formal standard potential of Tb(III)/Tb⁰ were determined to be 2.06 ± 0.4 × 10^? 5 cm² s^? 1 and ? 2.83 ± 0.03 V vs. Cl₂/Cl^? at 887 K, respectively. Additionally, visible fluorescence of Tb(III) due to the electronic transitions from ⁵D₃ and ⁵D₄ to ⁷F_J was observed and measured by TRLFS for the first time. These results provide the first fluorescence spectroscopic evidence for a direct in situ quantification of Tb(III) in the high temperature molten salt system.     

Thermodynamic study of the sublimation of crystalline tris(1,1,1-trifluoro-2,4-pentanedionate)ruthenium(III) and tris(1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedionate)ruthenium(III)

The Knudsen mass-loss effusion technique was used to measure the vapour pressures at different temperatures of two crystalline ruthenium complexes: tris(1,1,1-trifluoro-2,4-pentanedionate)ruthenium(III) {Ru(tfacac)₃}, between T =  350.20 K and T =  369.17 K and tris(1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedionate)ruthenium(III) {Ru(hfacac)₃} between T =  299.15 K and T =  313.14 K. From the temperature dependence of the vapour pressure of the crystalline compounds, the standard molar enthalpies of sublimation were derived by the Clausius–Clapeyron equation and the molar entropies of sublimation at equilibrium pressures were calculated. By using an estimated value for the heat capacity differences between the gas and the crystal phases the standard, p^o =  10⁵Pa, molar enthalpies, entropies, and Gibbs energies of sublimation at T =  298.15 K, were derived:     

Effect of hydrolysis on the diffusion of ferric sulphate in aqueous solutions at T = 298.15 K

Diffusion coefficients of the Fe₂(SO₄)₃)/water system at T = 298.15 K and at concentrations between 0.050 mol · dm⁻³ and 0.200 mol · dm⁻³ have been measured, using a conductimetric cell and an automatic apparatus to follow diffusion. The cell uses an open-ended capillary method. A conductimetric technique is used to follow the diffusion process by measuring the resistance of a solution inside the capillaries at recorded times. These data are discussed on the basis of the Onsager–Fuoss model. The diffusion of Fe₂(SO₄)₃ is clearly affected by the Fe (III) hydrolysis. These data permit us to have a better understanding of the structure of such systems and the thermodynamic behaviour of ferric sulphate in different media.     

Study on the enhanced fluorescent spectrum of ciprofloxacin + Al(III) + La(III) + cetyltrimethylammonium bromide system and its application

The fluorescence of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in HAc–NaAc buffer solution and the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) enhanced visibly with adding Al(III) and La(III). This enhanced fluorescence spectra were studied, and a new co-luminescence system of CIP + Al(III) + La(III) + CTMAB was discovered. There was a linear relationship between the enhanced fluorescence intensity and the concentration of CIP in the range of 0.50–80.2 μg l^?1 under the optimized condition. A novel enhanced fluorescence method for the determination of trace CIP was established by using this co-luminescence system. The detection limit of the proposed method was 0.17 μg l^?1 for CIP. This method is simple, rapid and sensitive. The CIP in milk samples were analyzed by the proposed method with satisfactory results. The relative standard deviation and the recovery were in ranges of 3.21–4.34% and 97.1–100.1%, respectively. The mechanism of the co-luminescence reaction and the reasons for fluorescence enhancement has been discussed.     

Density and activity of pertechnetic acid aqueous solutions at T = 298.15 K

The previous isopiestic investigations of HTcO₄ aqueous solutions at T = 298.15 K are believed to be unreliable, because of the formation of a ternary mixture at high molality. Consequently, published isopiestic molalities for aqueous HTcO₄ solutions at T = 298.15 K were completed and corrected. Binary data (variation of the osmotic coefficient and activity coefficient of the electrolyte in solution in the water) at T = 298.15 K for pertechnetic acid HTcO₄ were determined by direct water activity measurements. These measurements extend from molality m = 1.4 mol · kg⁻¹ to m = 8.32 mol · kg⁻¹. The variation of the osmotic coefficient of this acid in water is represented mathematically. Density variations at T = 298.15 K are also established and used to express the activity coefficient values on both the molar and molal concentration scale. The density law leads to the partial molar volume variations for aqueous HTcO₄ solutions at T = 298.15 K, which are compared with published data.     

Synthesis of ZnS nanoparticles from pyridine adducts of zinc(II) dithiocarbamates

Zn(thqdtc)₂, Zn(thqdtc)₂(py) and Zn(thiqdtc)₂(py) (where thqdtc = 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolinecarbodithioate, thiqdtc = 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolinecarbodithioate and py = pyridine) have been used as single source precursors for the synthesis of ZnS nanoparticles. The formation of ZnS nanoparticles was achieved by thermal decomposition of the complex under heating in presence of triethylenetetraamine. Transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and powder X-ray diffraction studies were carried out to study the structure and morphology of the nanoparticles. The optical properties of the ZnS nanoparticles were studied by UV–visible and fluorescence emission spectral studies. UV–visible absorption spectral studies indicate a blue shift in the absorption maxima due to the quantum size effect. A single crystal X-ray analysis was carried out for a precursor [Zn(thqdtc)₂].     

Study on the Ultrahigh Quantum Yield of Fluorescent P,O‐g‐C3N4 Nanodots and its Application in Cell Imaging

Graphitic carbon nitride nanodots (g‐C₃N₄ nanodots), as a new kind of heavy‐metal‐free quantum dots, have attracted considerable attention because of their unique physical and chemical properties. Although various methods to obtain g‐C₃N₄ nanodots have been reported, it is still a challenge to synthesize g‐C₃N₄ nanodots with ultrahigh fluorescence quantum yield (QY). In this study, highly fluorescent phosphorus/oxygen‐doped graphitic carbon nitride (P,O‐g‐C₃N₄) nanodots were prepared by chemical oxidation and hydrothermal etching of bulk P‐g‐C₃N₄ derived from the pyrolysis of phytic acid and melamine. The as‐prepared P,O‐g‐C₃N₄ nanodots showed strong blue fluorescence and a relatively high QY of up to 90.2 %, which can be ascribed to intrinsic phosphorus/oxygen‐containing groups, and surface‐oxidation‐related fluorescence enhancement. In addition, the P,O‐g‐C₃N₄ nanodots were explored for cell imaging with excellent stability and biocompatibility, which suggest that they have great potential in biological applications.     

Dual-signal anodic stripping voltammetric determination of trace arsenic(III) at a glassy carbon electrode modified with internal-electrolysis deposited gold nanoparticles

A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with internal-electrolysis deposited gold nanoparticles (AuNPs_ied) was applied to sensitively and selectively detect As(III) by anodic stripping linear sweep voltammetry (ASLSV). The AuNPs_ied/GCE was prepared based on the redox replacement reaction between a supporting-electrolyte-free aqueous HAuCl₄ and a copper sheet in saturated KCl separated by a salt bridge. Under optimum conditions (0.5 M aqueous H₂SO₄, 300-s preconcentration at − 0.4 V), the ASLSV peak current for the As(0)–As(III) oxidation responded linearly to As(III) concentration from 0.02 to 3 μM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.9 nM (0.07 μg L^− 1) (S/N = 3), while that for the As(III)–As(V) oxidation was linear with As(III) concentration from 0.02 to 1 μM with a LOD of 4 nM (0.3 μg L^− 1) (S/N = 3). An appropriate high-scan-rate for ASLSV can enhance both the sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio. This method was applied for analyses of As(III) in real water samples.     

Flame atomic absorption spectrometry determination of trace amount of gold after separation and preconcentration onto ion-exchange polyethylenimine coated on Al2O3

The object of this work is to develop a simple and selective method for efficient extraction of Au(III) ions in aqueous solution using a new solid-phase extraction sorbent. Polyethylenimine (PEI) ion-exchange polymer was coated on alumina in the presence of NaNO₃. The method is based on sorption of Au³⁺ ions on 50 mg PEI/Al₂O₃. A solution of 0.5 M thiourea, then 1.0 M HCl effectively eluted the gold ion and then aspirated into flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS). The influence of flow rate of sample solution and eluent, the pH effect, eluent type and sorption capacity was investigated. The effects of various diverse ions for preconcentration and separation of the gold ion were investigated. Relative standard deviation of 4.0 μg mL⁻¹ of gold was 1.46% (n = 10). The detection limit was 26.2 ng L⁻¹ in original solution. The method has been applied successfully for the recovery of trace amount of Au(III) ions from water samples.     

Highly selective fluorescent recognition of glutathione by using a water soluble binaphthyl aldehyde

A water soluble binaphthyl-based aldehyde was designed and synthesized. This compound in combination with Zn(OAc)₂ is found to exhibit greatly enhanced fluorescence in the presence of GSH in aqueous solution (pH = 7.5) but give little or no fluorescence enhancement in the presence of cysteine, homocysteine and other amino acids. This remarkable selectivity makes this probe potentially useful for the analysis of the biologically important GSH.     

Equilibrium solubility of carbon dioxide in the amine solvent system of (triethanolamine + piperazine + water)

In this study, a new set of data for the equilibrium solubility of carbon dioxide in the amine solvent system that consists of triethanolamine (TEA), piperazine (PZ), and water is presented. Equilibrium solubility values were obtained at T = (313.2, 333.2, and 353.2) K and pressures up to 153 kPa using the vapour-recirculation equilibrium cell. The TEA concentrations in the considered ternary (solvent) mixture were (2 and 3) kmol · m^?3 and those of PZ’s were (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5) kmol · m^?3. The solubility data (CO₂ loading in the amine solution) obtained were correlated as a function of CO₂ partial pressure, system temperature, and amine composition via the modified Kent–Eisenberg model. Results showed that the model applied is generally satisfactory in representing the CO₂ absorption into mixed aqueous solutions of TEA and PZ.     

Solubility and physic-chemical properties of NaH2PO4 in phosphoric acid,sodium chloride and their mixture solutions at T = (298.15 and 313.15) K

In this study, solubility and physic-chemical properties of sodium dihydrogen phosphate in sodium chloride, phosphoric acid and their mixture solutions at T = (298.15 and 313.15) K have been investigated by using isothermal dissolution method. In the three systems, the solubility of NaH₂PO₄ always increases with the temperature increasing and decreases with molar concentration of phosphoric acid (sodium chloride) increasing because of the same ion effect. Solubility data of sodium dihydrogen phosphate in the mixed solution of sodium chloride and phosphoric acid is basically required for designing and optimizing the solvent extraction process in the industrial production.     

Fingerprint imaging by scanning electrochemical microscopy

An efficient strategy for visualizing human fingerprints on a poly(vinylidene difluoride) membrane (PVDF) by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) has been developed. Compared to a classical ink fingerprint image, here the ink is replaced by an aqueous solution of bovine serum albumin (BSA). After placing the “inked” finger on a PVDF membrane, the latent image is stained by silver nitrate and the fingerprint is imaged electrochemically using potassium hexachloroiridate (III) (K₃IrCl₆) as a redox mediator. SECM images with an area of 5 mm × 3 mm have been recorded with a high-resolution using a 25-μm-diameter Pt disk-shaped microelectrode. Pores in the skin (40–120 μm in diameter) and relative locations of ridges were clearly observed. The factors relevant to the quality of fingerprint images are discussed.