First approach to the use of liquid crystal elastomers for chemical sensors

Liquid crystalline thin films elastomers that are able to bind pesticides have been developed. The synthesis involves grafting mesogen and crosslinkable groups on a polysiloxane chain in the presence of a template molecule. The molecular imprinted material is obtained after thin film deposition, UV crosslinking and washing. Experiments of readsorption of pesticide are presented. Development of a multisensor platform based on thermal and capacitive sensors is described and tests of deposition of the polymer film are presented.     

Synthesis of a novel cage-functionalized chiral binaphthol host: a potential new agent for enantioselective recognition of chiral ammonium salts

Optically active, cage-functionalized crown ether (R)-3 which contains a 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol moiety has been prepared. Subsequently, the ability of (R)-3 to selectively recognize the enantiomers of guest ammonium salts, i.e., 4 and 5 in transport experiments was studied. Host (R)-3 displays significantly enhanced enantiomeric selectivity toward complex formation with 4 vis-à-vis complex formation with 5. The relative energetics of various relevant host–guest complexes have been investigated computationally.     

Preparation and self-assembly of copper nanoparticles via discharge of copper rod electrodes in a surfactant solution: a combination of physical and chemical processes

Cu nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 10-15 nm were prepared and self-assembled via discharge of bulk copper rods in a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)/ascorbic acid solution. Ascorbic acid was used as a protective agent to prevent the nascent Cu nanoparticles from oxidation in the solution; otherwise spindle-like Cu₂O/CuO structures, with a lateral dimension of 30-50 nm and length of up to 100 nm, were formed in pure deionized water. The surfactant CTAB had a critical influence on self-assembly of spherical Cu nanostructures (with diameter of 700 nm-1 μm). Such a low-temperature and non-vacuum method, exhibiting the characters of both physical and chemical processes, provides a versatile choice for economical preparation and assembly of various metal nanostructures.     

Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance study of copper ad-atoms on gold and platinum electrodes Part I. Adsorption of anions in sulfuric acid

The deposition and dissolution processes of copper ad-atoms on a gold or a platinum electrode in sulfuric acid electrolyte solution were investigated by using the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance. It was found that the weight loss in the removal of the Cu-adlayer from the Au substrate was considerably larger than that expected from Faraday's law whereas the deviation for the Pt substrate was very small. The adsorption of bisulfate or sulfate anions both on Cu ad-atoms and on the electrode substrates was discussed quantitatively. It was demonstrated that higher coverage with Cu ad-atoms and lower adsorbability with bisulfate or sulfate anions were obtained on the Pt electrode than on the Au, and these effects could be ascribed to the difference in electronegativity between Pt and Au substrates.     

Determination of lead by adsorption of the extracted 8-quinolinolate on the electrodes of a piezoelectric quartz crystal

Lead 8-quinolinolate extracted into chloroform is adsorbed on the electrodes of a piezoelectric quartz crystal. The change in frequency of the crystal is used to measure the lead concentration over the range 3 × 10^-6–5 × 10^-5 M in aqueous solution. The interferences of Fe(III), Ni, Co(II), Zn, Cd and Ag(I) can be masked byl-ascorbic acid and cyanide.     

Synthesis of novel chiral 1,3-aminophenols and application for the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes

Novel chiral 1,3-aminophenols were efficiently synthesized by applying a Friedel–Crafts reaction and optical resolution. The catalytic activity of the aminophenols was studied for the addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde. The results showed that (S)-5a with bulky tert-butyl groups on the stereogenic carbon atom and 4,6-positions of phenol favored higher enantioselectivity (94% ee). The same ligand was also used with other aldehydes, to give optically active alcohols in good chemical yields and ee values (up to 99%).     

Synthesis of novel chiral oxazoline ligands and application in the highly enantioselective diethylzinc addition to N-diphenylphosphinoylimines

Two sets of novel chiral oxazoline ligands were designed and conveniently prepared from readily available l-aspartic acid and evaluated in enantioselective diethylzinc addition to N-diphenylphosphinoyl imines. In the presence of stoichiometric amounts of these ligands, high enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee) and yields (up to 85%) were achieved for several aromatic imines in toluene at room temperature. Furthermore, the effect of the structure of the ligand on the reaction was studied.     

Synthesis of a novel chiral binaphthyl phospholane and its application in the highly enantioselective hydrogenation of enamides

[formula: see text] A new chiral phosphine, (R,R)-1,2-bis[(R)-4,5-dihydro-3H-dinaphtho[2,1- c:1',2'-e]phosphepino]benzene [abbreviated as (R,R)-binaphane] was prepared on the basis of a practical route from a readily accessible enantiomerically pure binaphthanol. This ligand possesses both binaphthyl chirality and phospholane functionality. Excellent enantioselectivities (95-99.6% ee) have been observed in hydrogenation of an isomeric mixture of (E)- and (Z)-beta-substituted-alpha-arylenamides by using a Rh-binaphane catalyst. These enantioselectivities are the highest reported to date for this transformation.     

Light-induced modulation of self-assembly on spiropyran-capped gold nanoparticles: a potential system for the controlled release of amino acid derivatives

A photoswitchable double-shell structure on Au nanoparticles, consisting of photochromic spiropyran as the first shell, which regulates the assembly and release of an outer shell of amino acid derivatives upon irradiation, is being reported for the first time. The light-regulated changes in the topographic properties of spiropyran-capped Au nanoparticles (i.e., interconversion between the zwitterionic and neutral forms) are exploited for the assembly and release of amino acid-based therapeutic agents such as l-DOPA.     

Piezoelectric quartz crystal sensors based on ion-pair complexes for the determination of cinchonine in human serum and urine

A new sensing method for the determination of cinchonine was presented, based on the sensitive mass response of PQC and the selective adsorption of cinchonine on PVC membrane containing ion-pair complex. The proposed sensors show much wider working range (pH range), much higher sensitivity and selectivity than those potentiometric and spectrophotometric methods. In this paper, three counter ions were compared and six complexes synthesized. For the sensor modified with cinchonine-monotetraphenylborate-PVC membrane, calibration graph was linear over concentration range of 5×10⁻⁸-2.1×10⁻⁴ M with a detection limit of 4×10⁻⁸ M at pH 7.1, and recoveries 97.7-108.6%. Influencing factors were investigated in detail and optimized. Results from real samples were satisfactory.     

Self-repairing and superhydrophobic film of gold nanoparticles and fullerene pyridyl derivative based on the self-assembly approach

In this paper, we report that thin gold films can be prepared on the water/toluene interface by self-assembly of gold nanoparticles (NPs) and fullerene pyridyl derivatives. The assembled films were characterized using UV–vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The films show self-repairing and superhydrophobic properties.     

First catalytic asymmetric hydrophosphonylation of cyclic imines: Highly efficient enantioselective approach to a 4-thiazolidinylphosphonate via chiral titanium and lanthanoid catalysts

The catalytic and enantioselective hydrophosphonylation of a cyclic imine, namely the 3-thiazoline 1, is described. We have discovered a highly efficient enantioselective de novo approach to the pharmaceutically interesting 4-thiazolidinylphosphonate 2 using either titanium or lanthanoid chiral catalysts, which gives excellent enantiomeric purities (up to 98 %ee) and high chemical yields.     

Aptasensor for lead(II) based on the use of a quartz crystal microbalance modified with gold nanoparticles

The authors describe a quartz crystal microbalance based aptasensor for the determination of Pb²⁺. In order to enhance its response, oligonucleotide-embellished gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used to amplify the frequency changes. The method is based on the use of specific aptamers immobilized on the surface of the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and the binding of Pb²⁺, which prevents the self-assembly of the AuNPs on the QCM. Trace concentrations of Pb²⁺ can be determined by monitoring the change in the response frequency of the QCM. The method has a 4 nmol?L^?1 detection limit and works in the 5 to 200 nmol?L^?1 Pb²⁺ concentration range. This aptasensor also shows adequate selectivity for Pb²⁺ over potentially interfering metal ions.

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Graphical abstract Schematic of the assay. The specific aptamer SAP does not readily combine with its partial complementary strand CSAP in the presence of Pb(II) ion. Thus, the mass change on the crystal is inversely proportional to the concentration of Pb(II).

     

A comparative study on the viscoelasticity and morphology of polyaniline films galvanostatically grown on bare and 4-aminothiophenol-modified gold electrodes using an electrochemical quartz crystal impedance system and SEM.

The equivalent-circuit parameters of the 9-MHz piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) resonance were measured in situ during the galvanostatic polymerization of aniline on 4-aminothiophenol(4-ATP)-modified and bare Au electrodes for ca. 2000 s, respectively. Two polymerization media, 0.100 mol L-1 aniline in 1.0 mol L-1 H2SO4 and in 2.0 mol L-1 HClO4 aqueous solutions, and two values of the current density, 12 and 36 microA cm-2, were used. At identical levels of the resonant frequency shifts in the solutions, obviously greater increases in the motional resistance (R1) were found after aniline polymerization on bare Au electrodes, though the absolute values of delta f0/delta R1 were all large; also, the resonant frequency shifts in air (delta f0g) were considerably smaller for PANI films grown on bare Au electrodes. It is thus concluded that, under identical polymerization conditions, (1) the PANI film grown on a bare gold electrode is rougher, less compact, and can entrap solution more notably; (2) the deposition efficiency of PANI is higher on a 4-ATP-modified Au electrode, owing to a significantly greater observed "dry" frequency shift, and thus a greater "net" mass value of the polyaniline backbone. SEM observations have confirmed that PANI films on 4-ATP-modified Au electrodes were smoother and more compact than those grown on bare Au ones under identical polymerization conditions. In addition, a technique of simultaneous measurements of the electroacoustic admittance of the PQC resonance and the electrochemical impedance was used to monitor the adsorption of 4-ATP onto a PQC gold electrode.     

Synthesis and evaluation of a new biselector s-triazine based chiral stationary phase for enantioselective HPLC: potentiality of the approach and perspectives

A s-triazine scaffold bearing a free and a protected amino group was used for connecting two different chiral auxiliaries, whose enantiodiscriminating capabilities in enantioselective chromatography are well documented. A biselector system was synthesized and, after linkage to silica gel, used for the chromatographic resolution of different racemic analytes, chosen among the compounds resolved by the two different isolated chiral auxiliaries. The obtained chromatographic results were compared with literature data related to the use of the two chiral stationary phases (CSPs) whose chiral moieties constitute the biselector CSP, allowing us to gain useful information about potentialities and limitations of this approach for obtaining independent CSPs having broader applicability with respect to the classical independent monoselector CSPs.     

Highly enantioselective intermolecular carbene insertion to C-H and Si-H bonds catalyzed by a chiral iridium(III) complex of a D4-symmetric Halterman porphyrin ligand

The chiral iridium porphyrin [Ir((-)-D(4)-Por*)(Me)(EtOH)] displays excellent reactivity and stereoselectivity towards carbene insertion to C-H and Si-H bonds, affording corresponding products in high yields (up to 96%) and high enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee).     

Dendritic chiral auxiliaries on silica: a new heterogeneous catalyst for enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde

This article reports the first work on the use of silica supported dendritic chiral auxiliaries for the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde: the control of dendrimer propagation on the silica surface is of prime importance to obtain enhanced conversion, selectivity, and enantioselectivity.