Homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction of uranium(VI) using tri-n-octylphosphine oxide.

A simple and efficient method for the selective separation and preconcentration of uranium(VI) using homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction was developed. Tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) and tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP) were investigated as complexing ligands, and perfluorooctanoate ion (PFOA-) was applied as a phase separator agent under strongly acidic conditions. Under the optimal conditions ([PFOA-] = 1.7 x 10(-3) M, [TOPO] = 5.4 x 10(-4) M, [HNO3] = 0.3 M, [acetone] = 3.2% v/v) 10 microg of uranium in 40 ml aqueous phase could be extracted quantitatively into 8 microl of the sedimented phase. The maximum concentration factor was 5000-fold. However, an effort for the quantitative extraction using TBP was inefficient and the percent recovery was at most 56.7. The influence of the type and concentration of acid solution, optimum amount of the ligand, type and volume of the organic solvent, concentration of PFOA, volume of the aqueous sample and effect of different diverse ions on the extraction and determination of uranium(VI) were investigated. The proposed method was applied to the extraction and determination of uranium(VI) in natural water samples.     

Kinetic determination of silver ion by its perturbation on Belousov-Zhabotinskii oscillating chemical reaction using potentiometric method.

Silver ion can perturb the Belousov-Zhabotinskii (B-Z) oscillating chemical reaction. Therefore, the B-Z oscillating system was applied in the determination of silver ion by using a platinum wire as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric method. The amplitude of the potentiometric oscillation increased linearly in proportion to [Ag+] in the range of 9.42 x 10(-6) M to 2.54 x 10(-4) M, with a correlation coefficient of 0.999 under the optimum conditions. The obtained LOD (2sigma) was 8.85 x 10(-6) M and the relative standard deviation (RSD) for five measurements of 1 x 10(-4) M silver ion was 5%. The influence of some potentially interference was also investigated.     

Coated wire silver-ion selective electrode based on a N,N'-bis(2-thienylmethylene)-1,2-diaminobenzene.

A novel membrane coated platinum-wire electrode (MCPWE) based on N,N'-bis(2-thienylmethylene)-1,2-diaminobenzene (BTMD) for highly selective determination of Ag+ ion has been developed. The influences of membrane composition and pH on the potentiometric responses of electrode were investigated. The potentiometric responses are independent of the pH of the test solution in the range of 5.0 - 9.0. The electrode shows a linear response for Ag+ ion over the concentration range of 1.0 x 10(-60 to 1.0 x 10(-1) M with a lower detection limit of 6.0 x 10(-7) M. The electrode possesses a Nernstian slope of 59.7 mV decade(-1) and a fast response time of < or = 17 s and can be used for at least 2 months without any observable deviation. The proposed electrode displayed very good selectivity for Ag+ ion with respect to NH4+ and alkali, alkaline earth and some common transition metal ions. The practical utility of the electrode has been demonstrated by its use as the indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of an AgNO3 solution with a NaI solution and in determination of the silver content of a developed radiological film.     

Simultaneous kinetic-spectrophotometric determination of hydrazine and acetylhydrazine in micellar media using the H-point standard addition method.

The H-point standard addition method (HPSAM), based on a spectrophotometric measurement for the simultaneous determination of hydrazine and acetylhydrazine, is described. This method is based on the difference between the rates of their reactions with N,N-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (DAB) in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in acidic media. The results showed that hydrazine and acetylhydrazine could be determined simultaneously in the range of 0.020 - 0.70 and 0.20 - 5.0 mg L(-1), respectively. Under the working conditions, the proposed method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of hydrazine and acetylhydrazine in several synthetic mixtures and plasma and water samples.     

Highly selective PVC-membrane electrodes based on Co(II)-Salen for determination of nitrite ion.

A cobalt(II) derivative was used as a suitable ionophore for the preparation of a polymeric membrane nitrite-selective electrode. The electrode reveals a Nemstian behavior over a very wide NO2- ion concentration range (1.0 x 10(-6)-1.0 x 10(-1) M) and a very low detection limit (5.0 x 10(-7) M). The potentiometric response is independent of the pH of solution in the pH range 4.0-9.5. The electrode shows advantages such as low resistance, fast response and, most importantly, good selectivity relative to a wide variety of inorganic and organic anions. In fact, the selectivity behavior of the proposed NO2- ion-selective electrode shows great improvements compared to the previously reported electrodes for nitrite ion. The proposed electrodes could be used for at least 2 months without any significant changes in potentials. The electrode was successfully applied to the determination of nitrate ion concentrations in sausage and milk samples.     

A heterocyclic peptide nanotube

An open-ended hollow tubular structure is designed based on hydrogen-bond-directed self-assembly of a chimeric cyclic peptide subunit comprised of alternating alpha- and epsilon-amino acids. The design features a novel 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole epsilon-amino acid and its utility as a peptide backbone substitute. The N-Fmoc-protected epsilon-amino acid was synthesized in high yield and optical purity in three steps from readily available starting materials and was employed in solid-phase peptide synthesis to afford the desired cyclic peptide structure. The cyclic peptide self-assembly has been studied in solution by (1)H NMR and mass spectrometry and the resulting tubular ensemble characterized in the solid state by X-ray crystallography.     

Gravitomagnetic Effects on Collective Plasma Oscillations in Compact Stars

The effects of gravitomagnetic force on plasma oscillations are investigated using the kinetic theory of homogeneous electrically neutral plasma in the absence of external electric or magnetic field. The random phase assumption is employed neglecting the thermal motion of the electrons with respect to a fixed ion background. It is found that the gravitomagnetic force reduces the characteristic frequency of the plasma thus enhancing the refractive index of the medium. The estimates for the predicted effects are given for a typical white dwarf, pulsar, and neutron star.     

Bioactive Components and Anticancer Activities of Spray-Dried New Zealand Tamarillo Powder

Tamarillo fruit contains many phytochemicals that have beneficial therapeutic and nutritional properties. Spray-drying is widely used to preserve fruit puree in powder form. However, to obtain high-quality fruit powder, the optimisation of spray-drying conditions is necessary, as a high drying temperature can damage sensitive bioactive compounds. This study investigated the effects of spray-drying on the microstructure, polyphenolics, total flavonoids, total carotenoids, antioxidant activity, and anticancer capacity of tamarillo powder. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimise the spray-drying process to produce tamarillo powder. The independent variables were inlet drying temperature (120–160 °C), flow rate (1–5 g/mL), and maltodextrin concentration (0–10%). These variables influenced the microstructural attributes, bioactive components, and cytotoxicity of the spray-dried tamarillo powder. The increase in polyphenols and antioxidant activities were favoured under high-temperature spray drying conditions and a low carrier concentration. The optimised spray-drying conditions for producing tamarillo powder with high antioxidant and anticancer activities, high yield, and stable bioactive compounds were found to be at 146.8 °C inlet temperature, and a flow rate of 1.76 g/mL.     

A novel organocatalytic multi-component reaction: an efficient synthesis of polysubstituted pyrano-fused spirooxindoles

A practical, simple, and efficient method for the synthesis of pyrano-fused spirooxindoles via an organocatalytic three-component reaction of isatins, malononitrile, and dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylate in the presence of 3,4-dimethylaniline as an organocatalyst in ethanol is reported. The structures of these products are confirmed by IR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.