Quantum chemical study of inhibition of the corrosion of mild steel in 1 M hydrochloric acid solution by newly synthesized benzamide derivatives

The inhibitory effect of some new synthesized benzamide compounds on corrosion of mild steel in 1 M HCl solution has been studied by use of weight loss measurements and the electrochemical techniques potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The inhibiting action is more pronounced with increasing concentration. Inhibition efficiency is maximum (approximately 99 %) at 10^?3 M. Polarization measurements also show that the compounds act as mixed inhibitors. The cathodic curves indicate that reduction of protons at the mild steel surface occurs as a result of a pure activating mechanism. EIS measurements reveal increased transfer resistance with increasing inhibitor concentration. The presence of heteroatoms increases inhibition efficiency without causing a drastic change in adsorption mechanism, which follows the Langmuir isotherm model. Significant correlations were obtained between inhibition efficiency with the chemical indexes calculated, by use of the standard software Gaussian03, on the basis of density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-31G** level of theory, indicating that variation of inhibition with inhibitor structure may be explained in terms of electronic properties. The effect of temperature on the corrosion behaviour of steel in 1 M HCl without and with inhibitors at 10^?3 M was studied in the temperature range from 308 to 333 K, and the associated activation energy was determined.     

Inhibition of copper corrosion in acid solution by N-1-naphthylethylenediamine dihydrochloride monomethanolate: experimental and theoretical study: part-1

Inhibition of corrosion of copper in 2M HNO₃ by N-1-naphthylethylenediamine dihydrochloride monomethanolate (N-NEDHME) has been studied by use of weight loss, electrochemical polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. The result obtained reveal that this organic compound is a very good inhibitor and its inhibition efficiency increases with increasing concentration, reaching 94% at 10^?3?M at 303?K. The potentiodynamic polarization study indicated that this compound acts as a cathodic type corrosion inhibitor. EIS results indicate that the change in the impedance properties (R _t and C _dl) with concentration of inhibitor was because of the formation of a protective layer on the surface of copper. Quantum chemical calculations using DFT at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory was further used to calculate some electronic properties of the molecule in order to ascertain any correlation between the inhibitive effect and molecular structure of N-NEDHME. The effect of temperature between 303 and 343?K and calculation of activation data will be discussed in Part 2.     

A Validated Chiral LC Method for the Enantiomeric Separation of Nateglinide and the Quantitative Determination of Its l-Enantiomer

A simple and accurate chiral liquid chromatographic method was developed for the enantiomeric purity determination of d-nateglinide and quantitative determination of l-nateglinide in bulk drug samples. Good resolution (R _s  > 6.0) between d-enantiomer and l-enantiomer of nateglinide were achieved with Chiralpak AD-H (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm particle size) column using hexane and ethanol (90:10 v/v) as mobile phase at 25 °C temperature. Flow rate was kept as 1.0 mL min^?1 and elution was monitored at 210 nm. The effects of the mobile phase composition, the flow rate and the temperature on the chromatographic separation were investigated. Developed method is capable to detect (LOD) and quantitate (LOQ) l-nateglinide to the levels of 0.3 and 1.0 μg mL^?1 respectively, for 10 μL injection volume. The percentage RSD of the peak area of six replicate injections of l-nateglinide at LOQ concentration was 5.2. The percentage recoveries of l-nateglinide from d-nateglinide ranged from 97.9 to 99.7. The test solution and mobile phase was found to be stable up to 24 h after preparation. The developed method was validated with respect to LOD, LOQ, precision, linearity, accuracy, robustness and ruggedness.     

Chiral resolution of l- and d-alanine and a racemic macrocyclic nickel(II) complex: synthesis and crystal structures

The reactions of a racemic four-coordinate Ni(II) complex [Ni(rac-L)](ClO₄)₂ with l- and d-alanine in acetonitrile/water gave two six-coordinate enantiomers formulated as [Ni(RR-L)(l-Ala)](ClO₄)·2CH₃CN (1) and [Ni(SS-L)(d-Ala)](ClO4) (2) (L = 5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclo-tetradecane, Ala^? = alanine anion), respectively. Evaporation from the remaining solutions gave two four-coordinate enantiomers characterized as [Ni(SS-L)](ClO₄)₂ (S-3) and [Ni(RR-L)](ClO₄)₂ (R-3), respectively. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses of complexes 1 and 2 revealed that the Ni(II) atom has a distorted octahedral coordination geometry, being coordinated by four nitrogen atoms of L in a folded configuration, plus one carboxylate oxygen atom and one nitrogen atom of l- or d-Ala^? in mutually cis-positions. Complexes 1 and 2 are supramolecular stereoisomers, constructed via hydrogen bonding between [Ni(RR-L)(l-Ala)]⁺ or [Ni(SS-L)(d-Ala)]⁺ monomers to form 1D hydrogen-bonded zigzag chains. The homochiral natures of complexes 1 and 2 have been confirmed by CD spectroscopy.     

Adsorption and corrosion inhibition of mild steel in hydrochloric acid solution by verbena essential oil

The inhibitive action of verbena essential oil (VEO) on the corrosion of mild Steel in 1 M HCl solutions in the temperature range 298 to 328 K was measured by use of the weight-loss method, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results showed that VEO inhibited corrosion of C38 steel in 1 M HCl solution and that inhibition efficiency increased with increasing concentration of inhibitor but decreased proportionally with temperature. Potentiodynamic polarization studies suggested VEO is a mixed-type inhibitor, with the anodic type predominating. Nyquist plots were depressed semicircles with their centre below the real axis. Adsorption of VEO by the C38 steel surface followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Kinetic data for dissolution were investigated.     

Studies on enzymatic oxidation of 3′,4′-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine to dopachrome using kinetic isotope effect methods

We report the studies on the mechanism of oxidation of 3′,4′-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine (l-DOPA) to neurotoxic dopachrome catalyzed by enzyme horseradish peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) using the kinetic (KIE), and solvent (SIE), isotope effect methods. For kinetic studies two specifically deuterated isotopomers: [2′,5′,6′-²H₃]-l -DOPA was synthesized by the acid catalyzed isotopic exchange between native l-DOPA and heavy water, and [5′-²H]-l-DOPA was synthesized in two step reaction. The first step involved acid catalyzed isotopic exchange between l-tyrosine and deuterated water and resulting product [3′,5′-²H₂]-l-tyrosine was hydroxylated by enzyme tyrosinase (EC 1.14.18.1). The values of deuterium KIEs and SIE’s in the enzymatic oxidation of l-DOPA and its isotopomers are determined using non-competitive spectrophotometric method. The measured values were: KIE on V _max (1.1 and 2.2) and KIE on V _max/K _M (1.7 and 3.2) for [2′,5′,6′-²H₃]-l-DOPA and [5′-²H]-l-DOPA, respectively, while the corresponding values of SIE were: SIE on V _max (2.1, 2.4, and 2.1) and SIE on V _max/K _M (1.3. 1.6, and 1.1) for l-DOPA, [2′,5′,6′-²H₃]-l-DOPA, and [5′-²H]-l-DOPA, respectively. The size of KIE and SIE, typical for secondary isotope effects indicate that both the solvent and presence of deuterium at the 2′-, 5′, and 6′-positions of l-DOPA has the little impact on the enzymatic oxidation of this compound.     

Electrochemical studies on the interaction of l-cysteine with metallic copper in sulfuric acid

Amino acids have been widely used as green corrosion inhibitors for an array of metals. Considering its importance in corrosion chemistry, studies were undertaken with the objective to discovering the inhibitory effect of a sulfur-containing amino acid, l-cysteine, on copper in different concentrations of sulfuric acid (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 M) at different temperatures. Techniques like the weight loss method, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization (Tafel), and adsorption studies were employed. Results revealed that l-cysteine do offer an attractive inhibition efficiency. However, with an increase in the concentration of the inhibitor, corrosion rates decreased irrespective of the temperature gradients. This is due to surface adsorption of the inhibitor molecules on the metal which has contributed to a decreased double-layer capacitance and increased polarization resistance. With the increase in the concentration of the medium, the corrosion rate was also enhanced and this is due the liberation of a high quantum of H⁺ ions. Based on the results of Tafel polarization studies, it is evident that the amino acid, l-cysteine, could act as a mixed type inhibitor. The importance of l-cysteine in the corrosion of copper metal has been highlighted in this paper.     

The yjjN of E. coli codes for an l-galactonate dehydrogenase and can be used for quantification of l-galactonate and l-gulonate

Escherichia coli is able to utilize l-galactonate as a sole carbon source. A metabolic pathway for l-galactonate catabolism is described in E. coli, and it is known to be interconnected with d-galacturonate metabolism. The corresponding gene encoding the first enzyme in the l-galactonate pathway, l-galactonate-5-dehydrogenase, was suggested to be yjjN. However, l-galactonate dehydrogenase activity was never demonstrated with the yjjN gene product. Here, we show that YjjN is indeed an l-galactonate dehydrogenase having activity also for l-gulonate. The K _m and k _cat for l-galactonate were 19.5?±?0.6 mM and 0.51?±?0.03 s^?1, respectively. In addition, YjjN was applied for a quantitative detection of the both of these substances in a coupled assay. The detection limits for l-galactonate and l-gulonate were 1.65 and 10 μM, respectively.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of peptidyl organotrifluoroborates and their corresponding boron analogs

Six peptidyl organotrifluoroborates and their corresponding boronate esters and/or boronic acid analogs were designed and synthesized. Their anti-proliferative activity against hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) and human metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA-MB231) were evaluated by use of an MTT assay. Potassium {4-[(3S,6S,9S)-3,6-dibenzyl-9-isopropyl-4,7,10-trioxo-11-oxa-2,5,8-triazadodecyl]phenyl}trifluoroborate (B6) was potent (IC₅₀ = 29.9 μM) against MDA-MB231, and {4-[(3S,6S,9S)-6-benzyl-3-((benzyloxy)methyl)-9-isopropyl-4,7,10-trioxo-11-oxa-2,5,8-triazadodecyl]phenyl}boronic acid (B9) and Potassium {4-[(3S,6S,9S)-6-benzyl-3-((benzyloxy)methyl)-9-isopropyl-4,7,10-trioxo-11-oxa-2,5,8-triazadodecyl]phenyl}trifluoroborate (B10) had broad anti-proliferative activity against HepG2 (IC₅₀ = 24.7 and 21.8 μM, respectively) and MDA-MB231 (IC₅₀ = 24.5 and 18.9 μM, respectively).     

A method for the determination of d-kynurenine in biological tissues

d-Kynurenine (d-KYN), a metabolite of d-tryptophan, can serve as the bioprecursor of kynurenic acid (KYNA) and 3-hydroxykynurenine, two neuroactive compounds that are believed to play a role in the pathophysiology of several neurological and psychiatric diseases. In order to investigate the possible presence of d-KYN in biological tissues, we developed a novel assay based on the conversion of d-KYN to KYNA by purified d-amino acid oxidase (d-AAO). Samples were incubated with d-AAO under optimal conditions for measuring d-AAO activity (100 mM borate buffer, pH 9.0), and newly produced KYNA was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorimetric detection. The detection limit for d-KYN was 300 fmol, and linearity of the assay was ascertained up to 300 pmol. No assay interference was noted when other d-amino acids, including d-serine and d-aspartate, were present in the incubation mixture at 50-fold higher concentrations than d-KYN. Using this new method, d-KYN was readily detected in the brain, liver, and plasma of mice treated systemically with d-KYN (300 mg/kg). In these experiments, enantioselectivity was confirmed by determining total kynurenine levels in the same samples using a conventional HPLC assay. Availability of a sensitive, specific, and simple method for d-KYN measurement will be instrumental for evaluating whether d-KYN should be considered for a role in physiology and pathology.     

Exploiting thermodynamic data to optimize the enantioseparation of underivatized amino acids in ligand exchange capillary electrophoresis

Stereoselective amino acid analysis has increasingly moved into the scope of interest of the scientific community. In this work, we report a study on the chiral separation of underivatized d,l-His by ligand exchange capillary electrophoresis (LECE), utilizing accurate ex ante calculations. This has been obtained by the addition to the background electrolytes (BGE) of NaClO₄ which renders the separations “all in solution processes”, allowing to accurately calculate in advance the concentrations of the species present in solution and to optimize the system performances. To this aim, the formation of ternary complexes of Cu²⁺ ion and l-lysine (l-Lys) or l-ornithine (l-Orn) with l- and d-histidine (His), and histamine (Hm) have been studied by potentiometry and calorimetry at 25 °C and with 0.1 mol dm^?3 (KNO₃) in aqueous solution. The ternary species [Cu(L)(l-His)H]⁺ and [Cu(L)(d-His)H]⁺ (where L?=?l-Lys or l-Orn) show a slight but still detectable stereoselectivity, and the determination of ΔH° and ΔS° values allowed the understanding of the factors which determine this phenomenon. The stereoselectivity showed by the protonated ternary species has been exploited to chirally separate d,l-His in LECE, by using the binary complexes of copper(II) with l-Lys or l-Orn as background electrolytes added with the appropriate amounts of NaClO₄.

Separation and Sensitive Analysis of Chlorophenols by MEEKC

A new microemulsion electrokinetic chromatographic method has been established for separation and sensitive analysis of the three chlorophenols 2-chlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenol. The optimum microemulsion system was 15 mM SDS, 112 mM n-butanol, and 10 mM n-octane in 20 mM sodium tetraborate (pH 9.0). Under the optimum conditions, baseline separation was achieved within 8 min. The method was used for analysis of a real water sample previously pretreated by SPE. The linear ranges, precision of migration time and peak area, and limits of detection (LOD) were in the ranges of 0.5–50 μg L^?1, 4.85–9.75%, 0.49–0.706% (n = 6), and 0.6–1 μg L^?1, respectively, for the three chlorophenols.     

Interactions of some protonated α-amino acid methyl esters with hexaethyl p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene hexaacetate in nitrobenzene saturated with water

The exchange extraction constants corresponding to the general equilibrium C⁺(aq) + 1·Cs⁺(nb) ? 1·C⁺ (nb) + Cs⁺(aq) occurring in the two-phase water–nitrobenzene system (C⁺ = protonated α-amino acid methyl ester, 1 = hexaethyl p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene hexaacetate; aq = aqueous phase, nb = nitrobenzene phase) were evaluated on the basis of extraction experiments and γ-activity measurements. Further, the stability constants of the 1·C⁺ cationic complex species in nitrobenzene saturated with water were calculated; they were found to increase in the following cation order: protonated l-tryptophan methyl ester < protonated l-phenylalanine methyl ester < protonated l-leucine methyl ester < protonated l-methionine methyl ester < protonated l-valine methyl ester.     

Molecular dynamics simulation study of xyloglucan adsorption on cellulose surfaces: effects of surface hydrophobicity and side-chain variation

The effect of surface hydrophobicity and side-chain variation on xyloglucan adsorption onto cellulose microfibrils (CMF) is investigated via molecular dynamics simulations. A molecular model of CMF with (100), (010), (1–10), (110) and (200) crystal faces was built. We considered xylogluco-oligosaccharides (XGO) with three repeating units, namely (XXXG)_3, (XXLG)₃, and (XXFG)₃ (where each (1,4)-β-d-glucosyl residue in the backbone is given a one-letter code according to its substituents: G = β-d-Glc; X = α-d-Xyl-(1,6)-β-d-Glc; L = β-d-Gal-(1,2)-α-d-Xyl-(1,6)-β-d-Glc; F = α-l-Fuc-(1,2)-β-d-Gal-(1,2)-α-d-Xyl-(1,6)-β-d-Glc). Our work shows that (XXXG)₃ binds more favorably to the CMF (100) and (200) hydrophobic surfaces than to the (110), (010) and (1–10) hydrophilic surfaces. The origin of this behavior is attributed to the topography of hydrophobic CMF surface, which stabilizes (XXXG)₃ in flat conformation. In contrast, on the rough hydrophilic CMF surface (XXXG)₃ adopts a less favorable random-coil conformation to facilitate more hydrogen bonds with the surface. Extending the xyloglucan side chains from (XXXG)₃ to (XXLG)₃ hinders their stacking on the CMF hydrophobic surface. For (XXFG)₃, the interaction with the hydrophobic surface is as strong as (XXXG)₃. All three XGOs have similar binding to the hydrophilic surface. Steered molecular dynamics simulation was performed on an adhesive model where (XXXG)₃ was sandwiched between two CMF hydrophobic surfaces. Our analysis suggests that this sandwich structure might help provide mechanical strength for plant cell walls. Our study relates to a recently revised model of primary cell walls in which extensibility is largely determined by xyloglucan located in limited regions of tight contact between CMFs.     

Enantioselective Separation and Determination of Carnosine in Rat Plasma by Fluorescence LC for Stereoselective Pharmacokinetic Studies

A sensitive fluorescence liquid chromatographic analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of carnosine enantiomers in rat plasma. The method was applied to pharmacokinetic studies. Chiral separation of carnosine enantiomers was achieved by pre-column derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde and the thiol N-acety-l-cysteine as derivating reagents. They were separated on an ODS column and detected by fluorescence detection (λ_ex = 350 nm, λ_em = 450 nm). γ-Aminobutyric acid was used as internal standard. The method was linear up to 6,000 ng mL^?1 for l-carnosine, 4,000 ng mL^?1 for d-carnosine. Low limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was 40 ng mL^?1 for each isomer. The relative standard deviations obtained for intra- and inter-day precision were lower than 12% and the recoveries were higher than 75% for both enantiomers. The method was applied to a stereoselective study on the pharmacokinetics of carnosine after oral administration with a single dose (carnosine, 75 mg kg^?1 for each isomer) to a rat. The initial data indicated that l-carnosine had a larger value of the highest plasma concentration than d-carnosine (C _max 5,344 vs. 1,914 ng mL^?1), and that of l-carnosine had a lower value of AUC_(0?∞) and t _1/2(h) (AUC_(0?∞) 5,306 vs. 6,321 ng h mL^?1, t _1/2 1.43 vs. 3.37 h). Our results indicated that the pharmacokinetic of l-carnosine and d-carnosine revealed enantioselective properties significantly.     

Carbohydrate recognition of symmetrical tripodal receptor type tris(2-aminoethyl)amine derivatives

Carbohydrate recognition of some bioactive symmetrical tripodal receptor type tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TAEA) derivatives was investigated. In calorimetric experiments, the highest binding constant (Ka) of compound C (C₃₅H₄₉N₅O₄S) with methyl α-d-mannopyranoside was Ka = 858 M^?1 with 1:1 stoichiometry. Formation of hydrogen bonds in binding between symmetrical tripodal receptor type compound C and sugars was suggested by the large negative values of ?H° (=?34 to ?511 kJ mol^?1). In a comparison of each set of α- and β-anomers of some monosaccharides (methyl α/β-d-galactopyranoside, methyl α/β-d-glucopyranoside, and methyl α/β-l-fucopyranoside), compound C showed that the binding constant of β-anomer was larger than that of the corresponding α-anomer, indicating higher β-anomer selectivity. The calculated energy-minimized structure of the complex of compound C with guest methyl α-d-mannopyranoside is also presented. The experimental results obtained from this work indicated that symmetrical tripodal receptor type TAEA derivative C has a lectin-like carbohydrate recognition property.     

Sensitive Analysis of 5-(4,6-Dichloro-s-triazin-2-ylamino)fluorescein-Labeled Catecholamines by Mixed MEKC–LIF

Mixed micellar electrokinetic chromatography with laser-induced fluorescence detection has been used for analysis of the catecholamines norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine. The fluorescent reagent 5-(4,6-dichloro-s-triazin-2-ylamino)fluorescein was used to label the three compounds. The reaction rate increased with increasing alcohol concentration in the derivatization buffer. Under the optimum conditions the derivatization reaction was complete within 10 min. The separation was performed with 40 mM sodium cholate, 30 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate, 30 mM sodium borate (pH 9.6), and acetonitrile 8.0% (v/v) as running buffer. The applied potential was 25 kV and the capillary temperature was 25 °C. The detection limits for norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine were 3.3, 0.25, and 1.26 nM. The method was successfully applied to monitoring of these catecholamines in human urine. Recovery of the three analytes ranged from 93.2 to 105.8%.     

Validated, Stability-Indicating LC Method for Analysis of Pipenzolate Bromide and Its Hydrolysis Products

A liquid chromatographic method has been developed and validated for quantitative analysis of pipenzolate bromide (PP), its hydrolysis products, and phenobarbitone, sodium benzoate, and sodium saccharine. A 5-μm particle ODS column was used with acetonitrile–KH₂PO₄ (10 mm, pH 3.5) 40:60 (v/v), containing 5 mm heptanesulfonic acid sodium salt, as mobile phase. Quantitation was achieved by UV detection at 210 nm, on the basis of peak area. Forced degradation studies were performed on a bulk sample of PP using 0.1 M hydrochloric acid, 0.01 M sodium hydroxide, 0.33% hydrogen peroxide, heat (70 °C), and photolytic degradation. The proposed LC method was used to study the kinetics of acidic hydrolysis and pH-rate profiles of hydrolysis of PP in Britton–Robinson buffer solutions.     

Enzymatic Oxidation and Separation of Various Saccharides with Immobilized Glucose Oxidase

Glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger, the specific enzyme for β-d-glucose oxidation, can also oxidize other related saccharides at very slow or negligible rates. The present study aimed to compare the kinetics of d-glucose oxidation using immobilized glucose oxidase on bead cellulose for the oxidation of related saccharides using the same biocatalyst. The significant differences were observed between the reaction rates for d-glucose and other saccharides examined. As a result, k _cat/K _M ratio for d-glucose was determined to be 42 times higher than d-mannose, 61.6 times higher than d-galactose, 279 times higher than d-xylose, and 254 times higher than for d-fructose and d-cellobiose. On the basis of these differences, the ability of immobilized glucose oxidase to remove d-glucose from d-cellobiose, d-glucose from d-xylose, and d-xylose from d-lyxose was examined. Immobilized catalase on Eupergit and mixed with immobilized glucose oxidase on bead cellulose or co-immobilized with glucose oxidase on bead cellulose was used for elimination of hydrogen peroxide from the reaction mixture. The accelerated elimination of d-glucose and d-xylose in the presence of co-immobilized catalase was observed. The co-immobilized glucose oxidase and catalase were able to decrease d-glucose or d-xylose content to 0–0.005% of their initial concentrations, while a minimum decrease of low oxidized saccharides d-xylose, d-cellobiose, and d-lyxose, respectively, was observed.     

Immobilized purine nucleoside phosphorylase from Schistosoma mansoni for specific inhibition studies

The parasite Schistosoma mansoni (Sm) depends exclusively on the salvage pathway for its purine requirements. The enzyme purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) is, therefore, a promising target for development of antischistosomal agents and an assay for screening of inhibitors. To enable this, immobilized SmPNP reactors were produced. By quantification of hypoxanthine by liquid chromatography, kinetic constants (K _M) for the substrate inosine were determined for the free and immobilized enzyme as 110 ± 6.90 μmol?L ^?1 and 164 ± 13.4 μmol?L ^?1 , respectively, indicating that immobilization did not affect enzyme activity. Furthermore, the enzyme retained 25 % of its activity after four months. Non-Michaelis kinetics for the phosphate substrate, and capacity for P_i-independent hydrolysis were also demonstrated, despite the low rate of enzymatic catalysis. Use of an SmPNP immobilized enzyme reactor (IMER) for inhibitor-screening assays was demonstrated with a small library of 9-deazaguanine analogues. The method had high selectivity and specificity compared with screening by use of the free enzyme by the Kalckar method, and furnished results without the need for verification of the absence of false positives.