Towards single-microorganism detection using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

The identification and discrimination of microorganisms is important not only for clinical reasons but also for pharmaceutical clean room production and food-processing technology. Vibrational spectroscopy such as IR, Raman, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) can provide a rapid ‘fingerprint’ on the chemical structure of molecules and is used to obtain a ‘fingerprint’ from microorganisms as well. Because of the requirement that a single bacterium cell and noble metal nanoparticles must be in close contact and the lack of a significant physical support to hold nanoparticles around the single bacterium cell, the acquisition of SERS spectra for a single bacterium using colloidal nanoparticles could be a challenging task. The feasibility of SERS for identification down to a single bacterium is investigated. A Gram-negative bacterium, Escherichia coli, is chosen as a model for the investigation. Because the adsorption of silver nanoparticles onto the bacterial cell is an exclusive way for locating nanoparticles close to the bacterium cell, the absorption characteristics of silver nanoparticles with different surface charges are investigated. It is demonstrated that the citrate-reduced colloidal silver solution generates more reproducible SERS spectra. It is found that E. coli cells aggregate upon mixing with silver colloidal solution, and this may provide an additional benefit in locating the bacterial cell under a light microscope. It is also found that a laser wavelength in the UV region could be a better choice for the study due to the shallow penetration depth. It is finally shown that it is possible to obtain SERS spectra from a single cell down to a few bacterial cells, depending on the aggregation properties of bacterial cells for identification and discrimination.     

Synthesis and spectral characterization of azo dyes derived from calix[4]arene and their application in dyeing of fibers

In this study, the synthesis and characterization of two new upper rim functionalized azocalix[4]arene dyes have been obtained by coupling calix[4]arene with different diazo compounds of 3,5-dicarboxyaniline and 4-aminobenzene sulphon amide. The characterization of these dyes has been carried out by elemental analysis, FT-IR and ¹H NMR spectra. The effect of varying dielectric constants of solvents on the absorption spectra of azocalix[4]arenes (1, 2, 3, 4) and commercial Isolan Gelb SGL (T) have been examined by UV–Vis spectrophotometer. These azocalix[4]arene dyes have also been used for dyeing textile fibers like cotton, wool, acetate, polyester and polyamide fibers. Their dyeing and fastness properties have also been discussed.     

Purification of Acetylcholinesterase by 9-Amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine from Human Erythrocytes

The acetylcholinesterase enzyme was purified from human erythrocyte membranes using a simple and effective method in a single step. Tacrine (9-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine) is a well-known drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, which inhibits cholinesterase. We have developed a tacrine ligand affinity resin that is easy to synthesize, inexpensive and selective for acetylcholinesterase. The affinity resin was synthesized by coupling tacrine as the ligand and l-tyrosine as the spacer arm to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. Acetylcholinesterase was purified with a yield of 23.5 %, a specific activity of 9.22 EU/mg proteins and 658-fold purification using the affinity resin in a single step. During purification, the enzyme activity was measured using acetylthiocholine iodide as a substrate and 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoicacid) as the chromogenic agent. The molecular weight of the enzyme was determined as about 70 kDa monomer upon disulphide reduction by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. K _m, V _max, optimum pH and optimum temperature for acetylcholinesterase were found by means of graphics for acetylthiocholine iodide as the substrate. The optimum pH and optimum temperature of the acetylcholinesterase were determined to be 7.4 and 25–35 °C. The Michaelis–Menten constant (K _m) for the hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine iodide was found to be 0.25 mM, and the V _max was 0.090 μmol/mL/min. Maximum binding was achieved at 2 °C with pH 7.4 and an ionic strength of approximately 0.1 M. The capacity for the optimum condition was 0.07 mg protein/g gel for acetylcholinesterase.     

Adsorption kinetics and isotherm parameters of naphthalene onto natural- and chemically modified bentonite from aqueous solutions

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have widely been studied and a special concern because of their mutagenic and carcinogenic activities. In this study, natural- and chemically modified-bentonite were characterized by means of N₂ adsorption method, XRD, SEM, FT-IR, elemental and thermal analysis and zeta potential techniques and their adsorption behavior were then investigated toward naphthalene, which is the first member of the PAHs. The effects of various experimental parameters such as pH, contact time and temperature on adsorption were tested in the experiments. The optimum pH values for naphthalene adsorption onto natural bentonite (NB) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide modified bentonite (HB) were found to be as 4.00 and 5.97, respectively. The equilibrium contact time was 60 min for both of the adsorbent. A comparison of the linear and nonlinear method of three widely used kinetic models, which are Lagergren-first order, the pseudo-second-order and Elovich kinetics, and the most popular isotherms, which are Langmuir and Freundlich, were examined to the experimental data of the adsorption of naphthalene onto NB and HB. The kinetic results indicated that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with high correlation coefficients was more suitable than the other kinetic models e.g. Lagergren first-order and Elovich. All results showed that the modified bentonite can be used as an adsorbent to remove PAHs from aqueous solutions by using adsorption method due to its effectiveness, simplicity and low-cost than the other conventional methods.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Polyindole/Poly(vinyl acetate) Conducting Composites

Composites of a polyindole (PIN) and poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) were prepared chemically using FeCl₃ as an oxidant agent in anhydrous media. The composite compositions were altered by varying the indole monomer during preparation. The composites were characterized by FTIR and UV‐visible spectroscopies, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), stress‐strain experiments and conductivity measurements. Moreover, the film of PVAc and PIN/PVAc composites were prepared by casting on glass Petri dishes to examine their stress‐strain properties. PIN/PVAc composites are thermally more stable than PIN. It was found that the conductivities of PIN/PVAc composites depend on the indole content in the composites.     

Synthesis and Characterization of a New Dioxime and Its Heterotrinuclear BF2 + Capped Complexes

ω‐Isonitrosoacetophenone 1 Uçan, H. ? and Mirzao?lu, R. 1990. Synth. React. Inorg. Met.‐Org. Chem., 20: 437[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], phenylglyoxime 2 Burakevich, J. V., Lore, A. M. and Volpp, G. P. 1971. J. Org. Chem., 36: 1[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], chlorophenylglyoxime 1 Uçan, H. ? and Mirzao?lu, R. 1990. Synth. React. Inorg. Met.‐Org. Chem., 20: 437[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], dopaminophenylglyoxime 3 Uysal, ?., Co?kun, A., Koç, Z. E., Uçan, M. and Uçan, H. ?. 2007. R. J. Coord. Chem., 33: 351–357. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] and [(salen/saloph)Fe]₂O 4 Kopel, P., Sindelar, Z. and Klicka, R. 1998. Trans. Met. Chem., 23: 139[Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] have been synthesized as described in the literature procedure. [Fe(III)(salen/saloph)dopaminophenylglyoxime)] (starting complexes) have been synthesized from dopaminophenylglyoxime and tetradentate schiff bases which contain dinuclear Fe(III) oxygen‐bridges N,N′‐bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine (salenH₂) and bis(salicylidene)‐o‐phenylenediamine (salophH₂). The new heterotrinuclear complexes have been obtained from starting complexes and Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) salts. Then, heterotrinuclear vic‐dioxime complexes containing BF₂ ⁺ capped have been synthesized. The complexes have been characterized as low‐spin distorted octahedral Fe(III) bridged by o‐hydroxyphenolic groups. The o‐hydroxyphenolic groups play a role as bridges for weak antiferromagnetic intramolecular exchange. The structure of dioxime and its complexes were identified by using elemental analysis, ICP‐AES, ¹H‐NMR and IR spectral data.     

The Synthesis and Properties of New Metal-free and Metallophthalocyanines Containing Four Diloop Macrocyclic Moieties

The synthesis and characterization of new metal-free (9) and metal-containing (Zn, Ni or Cu 10, 11, 12) derivatives of a symmetrically octasubstituted phthalocyanine derived from 21,22-dicyano-2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12,15,17,18,25,26,28-tetradecahydro[1,4,7,12] benzodioxadithiacyclotetradeceno[6,7-b][1,4,7,10,13]benzopentaoxacyclopentadecene (7), which was synthesized in a multi-step reaction sequence, have been described. The novel compouds have been characterized by a combination of elemental analysis, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, IR, UV–vis and MS spectral data.     

Synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial activity of a novel proton salt and its Cu(II) complex

A novel proton transfer compound (H₂Ppz)(HDipic)₂ (I) obtained from 2-(piperazin-1-yl)ethanol (Ppz) and pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (H₂Dipic) and its Cu(II) complex (H₂Ppz)[Cu(Dipic)₂] · 6H₂O (II) have been prepared and characterized by elemental, spectral (¹H and ¹³C NMR, IR and Uv-Vis) and thermal analyses. Magnetic measurement and single crystal X-ray diffraction methods have also been applied for compound II. The molecular structure of II consists of one 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-1,4-diium cation, one bis(pyridinium-2,6-dicarboxylate)Cu(II) anion and six uncoordinated water molecules. In complex II, the copper ion coordinates to two oxygen and one nitrogen atoms of two pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate molecules forming an octahedral conformation. Furthermore, the synthesised compounds (I and II) were screened for their antimicrobial activities against Gram (?) (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram (+) (Staphylococcusaureus and Bacillus cereus). The results were reported, discussed and compared with the corresponding starting materials (H₂Dipic and Ppz).     

New N,S-Substituted Nitrobutadienes from Mono(Arylthio)Substituted Nitrobutadienes

N,S-Substituted nitrobutadienes 3a–g were synthesized from the reaction of the thiosubstituted derivatives 1a–g with thiomorpholine 2. The N,S-substituted nitrobutadienes 5a–g were obtained from the reaction of the thiosubstituted butadienes 1a–g with N-diphenylmethyl piperazine 4. The structure of butadiene 3c was elucidated by single crystal X-ray diffraction.