Microwave-assisted oxidation of alcohols by hydrogen peroxide catalysed by tetrabutylammonium decatungstate

This work deals with catalytic activity of tetrabutylammonium decatungstate(VI) in the oxidation of selected alcohols with hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant using 1,2-dichloroethane/water or acetonitrile/water as a solvent system. Different forms of heating were compared. The highest conversions of substrates were achieved in the two phase system acetonitrile/water using microwave irradiation combined with elevated pressure. Finally, optimum parameters for these reactions in a microwave pressurised reactor were established and discussed.     

Trapping of DNA by dielectrophoresis

Under suitable conditions, a DNA molecule in solution will develop a strong electric dipole moment. This induced dipole allows the molecule to be manipulated with field gradients, in a phenomenon known as dielectrophoresis (DEP). Pure dielectrophoretic motion of DNA requires alternate current (AC) electric fields to suppress the electrophoretic effect of the molecules net charge. In this paper, we present two methods for measuring the efficiency of DEP for trapping DNA molecules as well as a set of quantitative measurements of the effects of strand length, buffer composition, and frequency of the applied electric field. A simple configuration of electrodes in combination with a microfluidic flow chamber is shown to increase the concentration of DNA in solution by at least 60-fold. These results should prove useful in designing practical microfluidic devices employing this phenomenon either for separation or concentration of DNA.     

Synthesis of symmetrical 1,3-butadiynes by homocoupling reactions of alkynylboronates mediated by a copper salt

Alkynylboronates are employed as a practical and versatile precursor for a variety of π-conjugated organic compounds. In the presence of a Cu(I) or Cu(II) salt, transformation of alkynylboronates into the corresponding 1,3-diynes upon exposure to air takes place readily in aprotic polar solvents such as DMI.     

Hydrolysis Rates of TMOS Catalyzed by Oxalic Acid and Stimulated by Ultrasound

A simple calorimetric method was employed to study the kinetics of the hydrolysis of the solventless TMOS-water mixtures, under ultrasound stimulation, as a function of the concentration of oxalic acid. The reaction rates were obtained, in relative units, from the measured thermal peak of the reaction as a non-separated function of both the sonication time and the instantaneous temperature of the medium. For concentrations of oxalic acid below 0.01 M, polycondensation reaction starts before complete hydrolysis. For concentrations of oxalic acid above 0.01 M, hydrolysis is complete and, in addition, the inverse of the time, as measured from the starting of ultrasound action until the maximum hydrolysis heat release, was found to be a reasonable relative measure of the average hydrolysis rate constant. The average hydrolysis rate constant was found to be proportional to the square root of the molar concentration of the oxalic acid. This result is in agreement with the literature if we assume small dissociation degree for the catalyst in such a solventless alkoxyde-water medium.     

Plasticization of poly(dimethyl siloxane) by high-pressure gases as studied by NMR relaxation

The molecular relaxation behavior of poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) exposed to various gases pressurized to 207 megapascals (MPa) was investigated by pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. For a gas of low solubility, such as helium, the gas acts only as a pressurizing medium allowing the effect of pressure on the glass transition to be determined. For gases of high solubility the gas acts not only as a pressurizing medium but also as a plasticizing agent, expanding the polymer lattice and increasing the frequency of molecular motions. The plasticizing effect of argon was found to increase the temperature dependence of the molecular correlation frequency.     

Accelerated hydrolysis of esters catalyzed by receptors, II. Degradation of RNA by polyvinylpyrrolidone

The nonenzymatic hydrolysis of RNA by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) has been investigated. A bell-shaped kinetics was observed when the first order rate constant of the reaction was ploted as a function of PVP concentration, which means the kinetic feature of PVP as a degradative receptor distinct from those of degradative enzymes (e.g., ribonuclease).     

Determination of sulphur by electrolytic hydrogenation

Certain sulphur compounds such as thiosulphuric acid, polythionic acids, thiocyanic acid, thioureas, thioamides and 2-mercapto-acids are readily electrolytically hydrogenated in 1N sulphuric acid to form hydrogen sulphide which is absorbed in potassium hydroxide solution and titrated with o-hydroxymercuribenzoic acid in the presence of dithizone as indicator. The electrolytic cell consists of a lead anode in 5N sulphuric acid, a porous ceramic tube as diaphragm, and a cathode made of soft iron. The first-order rate-constants of hydrogenation and the results of determination of sulphur in some sulphur compounds are presented. The limit of determination is 0.1 ppm.     

Autoxidation of mercaptans promoted by a bifunctional catalyst prepared by polymer attachment of cobalt- phthalocyanine

An effective catalyst for the autoxidation of mercaptans should possess oxidation sites and basic sites in cooperative interaction. Such a bifunctional catalyst was prepared using poly(vinylamine), that acts both as supplier of basic sites and as a carrier for the oxidation catalyst cobalt(II)-4,4′,4″,4′- tetracarboxyphthalocyanine. Polymer attachment of the cobalt-phthalocyanine was achieved by complexation through polymeric amine groups (catalyst I), as well as by formation of a peptide linkage between the phthalocyanine ring system and the polymeric carrier (catalyst II). Both methods of coupling provided bifunctional catalysts, not requiring additional base, with extremely high activities.The presence of low amounts of alkaline base did not influence the initial activity appreciably, but it had a positive influence on the stability of the catalysts by allowing in situ neutralization of acidic by-products. However, addition of higher amounts of alkaline base resulted in a loss of activity ascribed to a reduction of the local substrate concentration. In the case of catalyst I this loss of activity is more pronounced, due to rupture of the polymer/cobalt-phthalocyanine complex.It was demonstrated that the polymeric catalysts can also be applied in toluene, provided that small amounts of water are present. Most probably, water plays an important role in the proton transfer, which is an essential feature of the autoxidation process.     

Sequestration of amitriptyline by liposomes

We study the uptake of amitriptyline, which is a common cause of overdose-related fatalities, in aqueous solutions by 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) liposomes and liposomes composed of a mixture of DMPC and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac(1-glycerol)] (DOPG) lipids. The effect of drug concentration, liposomal charge, pH, salt, and protein presence on the drug uptake is investigated using two different methodologies, a precipitation and a centrifugation method. Furthermore, the time scale of the drug uptake is studied through qualitative observations at high pH and through conductivity measurements at neutral pH and found to be <5 s. The results of the quantitative studies show that the fractional drug uptake decreases with increasing drug concentration, and for a given concentration it increases with the pH and decreases in the presence of salt. We find that a larger amount of drug is sequestered by negatively charged liposomes (those containing DOPG) than liposomes with no net charge (DMPC). We speculate that the mechanism of drug uptake is due to both electrostatic interactions as well as hydrophobic effects. The fractional uptake by DMPC:DOPG in a 70:30 ratio is as high as 95% in water and about 90% in physiological buffer. The fractional uptake is also measured in presence of 2% (w/w) bovine serum albumin (BSA), which is approximately the protein concentration in the intercellular fluid. In presence of protein the fractional uptakes by 70:30 DMPC:DOPG liposomes and 50:50 DMPC:DOPG liposomes are 82 and 90%, respectively, at 125 muM drug amitriptyline. In the absence of liposomes, 67% of the drug is taken up by the protein in a 2% (w/w) BSA, 125 muM amitriptyline solution. Thus, addition of 50:50 DMPC:DOPG liposomes reduces the free drug concentration by a factor of about 3.5, making them attractive candidates for drug detoxification.     

Synthesis of alkylidenecyclopropanes by palladium-catalyzed reaction of propargyl-substituted malonate esters with aryl halides by anti-carbopalladation pathway

Palladium-catalyzed arylative cyclization of propargyl-substituted malonate esters with aryl halides offers a stereoselective approach to alkylidenecyclopropanes. The reaction proceeds by an anti-carbopalladation pathway, which guarantees the exclusive stereocontrol of the resulting double bond. The highly strained as well as densely substituted skeletons of the products facilitate further versatile transformations, which underscores the importance of the products as synthetic intermediates.     

Oxidation of alcohols by active species generated by electrochemical oxidation of organosulfur compounds

Oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones was accomplished by an indirect electrochemical method utilizing thioanisole as a catalytic electron carrier.     

Alpha-Lactalbumin is unfolded by all classes of surfactants but by different mechanisms

We show that all four classes of surfactants (anionic, cationic, non-ionic, and zwitterionic) denature alpha-lactalbumin (alphaLA), making alphaLA an excellent model system to compare their denaturation mechanisms. This involves at least two steps in all surfactants but is more complex in charged surfactants due to their strong binding properties. At very low concentrations, charged surfactants bind specifically as monomers, but the first denaturation process only sets in when 4-10 surfactant molecules are bound to form clusters on the protein surface and is followed by a second loss of structure as 20-25 surfactant molecules are bound. Sub-micellar interactions can be modeled as simple independent binding at multiple sites which does not achieve saturation before micelle formation sets in. In contrast, no specific sub-micellar surfactant binding is detected by calorimetry in the presence of zwitterionic and non-ionic surfactants, and denaturation only occurs around the cmc. Unfolding rates are very rapid in charged surfactants and reach a similar plateau level around the cmc, indicating that monomers and micelles operate on a mutually exclusive basis. In contrast, unfolding occurs slowly in zwitterionic and non-ionic surfactants and the rate increases with the cmc, suggesting that monomers cooperate with micelles in denaturation.     

Analysis by release of radioactivity by inorganic ion-exchange and ring oven technique-I Determination of copper

A sparingly soluble inorganic compound, fixed as a spot on filter paper, is used as an ion-exchanger in which the exchangeable ions are labelled with a radioactive isotope. These ions are replaced by the ions of the element to be determined but not by other accompanying ions. In this exchange an equivalent amount of the radioactive labelled ions is released from the ion-exchanger and separated from the spot by the ring oven technique. The activity of the ring is measured and compared with that of a standard processed in the same way. The determination of copper in amounts greater than 25 ng in the presence of a similar amount of lead and considerably greater amounts of cobalt, nickel, zinc, manganese and thallium is described.     

Analysis of agrochemicals by capillary electrophoresis

An increasing amount of articles using capillary electrophoresis as an investigation tool for pesticides and environmental pollutants were found over the last few years in analytical chemistry oriented journals. This review covers a wide literature range of the 1990s and concentrates on the analysis of organic agrochemicals (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, acaricides, etc.) with capillary electrophoresis (capillary zone electrophoresis, micellar electrokinetic chromatography with CE-UV-visible or laser-induced fluorescence detection) as well as with the on-coming hyphenated techniques like capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The principal preconcentration methods that allowed real sample analysis with CE are also briefly discussed. The pesticides, the separation methods, the used electrolytes, the detection types, the detection limits and the preconcentration methods were classified and presented in tabulated form as a rapid information tool.     

由Diels-Alder反应合成四氢咔唑

采用W.E.Noland等人提出的咔唑合成路线,以吲哚、醛或酮、丁烯二酰亚胺为原料,在酸催化下经缩合和Diels-Alder反应而形成四氢咔唑。本研究采用乙酸乙酯为溶剂,对甲苯磺酸为催化剂,提高了反应速度和产物质量。共合成11个新的四氢咔唑化合物,进行了^1HNMR和IR测试及元素分析,确认了其结构。     

Spatial arrangement of metal nanoparticles supported by porous polymer substrates studied by transmission electron microtomography

Fine metal particles (nanoparticles) stabilized on porous (polymeric) substrates can be considered as a model system of a high-performance catalyst. In the present study, the substrate was made using the periodic microphase-separated structure of a block copolymer as the template, and the Pd nanoparticles were formed inside the porous material by reduction of the Pd2+ ions with 1-propanol as the reductant. The three-dimensional morphology of such a polymer-Pd hybrid material was studied by transmission electron microtomography. The characteristic structural parameters of the hybrid, e.g., the penetration of the Pd nanoparticles into the polymer substrate, number density of the Pd nanoparticles, and size distribution of the Pd nanoparticles, were measured for the first time.     

Enzymatic degradation of chitosan films by collagenase

Special features of enzymatic degradation of chitosan samples prepared as films from solutions in acetic acid under the action of collagenase as a nonspecific enzyme are considered. Variations in acid concentration in the casting solution had a substantial effect on the chitosan structure in the film formed and, as a consequence, on the degree of degradation of film samples. The addition of poly(vinyl alcohol) upon the formation of a chitosan film led to an increase in the extent of enzymatic degradation of the film.     

Enhanced skin permeation of diclofenac by ion-pair formation and further enhancement by microemulsion

Enhancement of skin permeability of anionic diclofenac from non-aqueous vehicle isopropyl myristate (IPM) by ion-pair formation with either alkylamines or benzylamine as model cationic ions was examined in guinea pig dorsal skin. Diclofenac ion flux increased in the presence of these amines due to an increase in solubility. Maximum flux was observed in the presence of n-hexylamine, which induced 7.3-fold increase accompanied by a 45-fold increase in solubility. Permeability coefficients of the ionic form of diclofenac in the presence of benzylamine, n-hexylamine and iso-octylamine as counter ions in IPM were larger than those of the non-ionic form of diclofenac. Since the solubility of diclofenac was still limited, to obtain further enhancement of skin permeation, the effects of microemulsions as a vehicle consisting of phosphate buffered saline (PBS), isopropyl myristate (IPM), polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80) and ethanol were examined for transport of diclofenac-benzylamine ion-pairs. All microemulsion formulations tested increased diclofenac flux 4.9-fold to 10.7-fold over the value without a microemulsion accompanied by a 217-fold to 302-fold improvement in the solubility of diclofenac-benzylamine ion-pairs, but permeability coefficients were decreased 28-44 fold. Maximum enhancement was observed for a microemulsion with a ratio of PBS, IPM, ethanol and Tween 80 of 25 : 8 : 47 : 20 (w/w). The present findings suggest the usefulness of combined use of ion-pairs with microemulsions for enhancement of skin permeation of ionic drugs.     

Controlled-release system mediated by a retro Diels-Alder reaction induced by the photothermal effect of gold nanorods

Controlled-release systems that respond to external stimuli have received great interest for use in medical treatments such as for drug delivery to specific sites. Gold nanorods have an absorption band at the near-infrared region and convert the absorbed light energy into heat, which is known as a "photothermal effect". Therefore, gold nanorods are expected to act not only as an on-demand thermal converter for photothermal therapy but also as a controller of a drug-release system capable of responding to the near-infrared light irradiation. In this study, to construct a controlled-release system that responds to near-infrared light irradiation, we modified gold nanorods with polyethylene glycol (PEG) through Diels-Alder cycloadducts. When the modified gold nanorods were irradiated by near-infrared light, the PEG chains were released from the gold nanorods because of the retro Diels-Alder reaction induced by the photothermal effect. As a result of the PEG release, the gold nanorods formed aggregates. This type of controlled-release system coupled with the aggregate formation of the gold nanorods triggered by near-infrared light could be expanded to applications of gold nanorods in medical fields such as drug and photothermal therapy.     

Synthesis of Indolophanes by Photochemical Macrocyclization

Herein, we report the synthetically practical, short, and general access to novel indolophane architectures by means of a photochemical C?H activation process—the Witkop cyclization. These highly strained scaffolds were obtained by photoinduced ring closure and feature atropisomerism as well as aromatic ring current effects, which both have been investigated. The prevailing regioselectivity of theWitkop cyclization reaction was completely reversed by the presence of a quaternary carbon center, exerting a strong Thorpe–Ingold effect on the system for which experimental‐evidence is provided.