Recent Advances in Electrochemical Sensors Based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymers and Nanomaterials

This review focuses on the recent achievement during period of 2013–2018 related to the electrochemical sensors based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) combined with nanomaterials for various kinds of applications. MIPs based electrochemical sensors have found a great interest due to their high stability, short time required for electropolymerization, and high specificity towards the target analyte. The sensitivity is considered as one of the important parameter in electrochemical sensing strategies that should be improved by the combination of highly conductive nanomaterials with selective MIPs. In general, the most employed nanomaterials are magnetic nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), carbon nanotubes and graphene. This review discusses the main current achievement as well as the current challenges regarding the development of biomimetic sensors in electroanalysis.     

Chemical composition, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the essential oils from Thymus satureioides and Thymus pallidus

This study was designed to examine the in vitro antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the essential oils (EOs) of Thymus satureioides (T.s) and T. pallidus (T.p). EOs were isolated by steam distillation and analyzed by capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The major constituents of the volatile fraction of T. satureioides were bomeol (29.5%), carvacrol (9.1%), and beta-caryophyllene (8.2%), while those of T. pallidus were camphor (29.8%), dihydrocarvone (17.6%), bomeol (7.6%) and camphene (7.5%). The essential oils were tested against a panel of Gram+ and Gram- bacteria by using agar diffusion and broth dilution methods. The data indicated that the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis was the most sensitive strain producing an average inhibition zone of 51.7 mm. Furthermore, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, known as a resistant strain, was also sensitive. The samples were also subjected to screening for their possible antioxidant activity by using the 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The IC50 values of the oil of T. satureioides and T. pallidus were 0.32 and 11.6 mg/mL, respectively.     

Phase equilibrium properties of binary aqueous solutions of benzylamine, 1,2-bis(2-aminoethoxy)ethane,or 2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]ethanol

The vapour pressures of (benzylamine + water), {1,2-bis(2-aminoethoxy)ethane + water}, or {2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]ethanol + water} binary mixtures, and pure 2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]ethanol component were measured by means of two static devices at temperatures between (283.15 and 363.15 (or 323.15)) K. The data were correlated with the Antoine equation. From these data, excess Gibbs functions (G^E) were calculated for several constant temperatures and fitted to a fourth-order Redlich–Kister equation using the Barker’s method. The (benzylamine + water) binary mixture exhibits positive deviations in G^E for (303.15 < T/K < 323.15) and a sinusoidal shape in G^E for T > 323.15 K over the whole composition range. The aqueous 1,2-bis(2-aminoethoxy)ethane or {2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]ethanol + water} solutions exhibit negative deviations in G^E for all investigated temperatures over the whole composition range.     

应用4变量精确平板理论分析FG复合板的自由振动

应用4变量的精确平板理论,对矩形功能梯度材料(FGM)复合板进行自由振动分析.与其它的理论不同,该理论的未知函数数量只有4个,而别的剪变形理论的未知函数为5个.提出的4变量精确平板理论,协调条件有了改变,与经典的薄板理论相比,许多方面有着惊人的相似,无需引入剪切修正因数——当横向剪应力越过板厚后,为了满足剪应力自由表面条件,出现抛物线状的改变,导致横向剪应力的变化.考虑了两种常见类型的FGM复合板,即,FGM表面层和各向同性夹芯层的复合板,以及各向同性表面层和FGM夹芯层的复合板.通过Hamilton原理,得到了FGM复合板的运动方程.得到闭式的Navier解,然后求解特征值问题,得到自由振动的基本频率.将该理论得到的结果,与经典理论,一阶的及其它更高阶的理论所得到的结果进行比较,检验了该理论的有效性.研究发现,该理论在求解FGM复合板自由振动性能方面,既精确又简单.     

Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of Functionalized β-Lactams

An efficient method based, on the acid chloride-imine reaction, is reported for the preparation of 1,3-disubstituted β-lactams in good yield and with high selectivity.     

Role of copper ions in dielectric and structural investigations of lead– borate glasses

Glasses in the system 0.1CuO-(x-0.1)PbO-(1-x)B₂O₃ (0.3≤ x ≤ 0.7) were synthesized by using the melt quench technique. A number of studies such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and dielectric properties (viz., dielectric constant ??, dielectric loss and ac conductivity σ_ac) are employed to characterize the glasses. The amorphous nature of the glasses was confirmed using XRD while the glass transition temperature (T_g) of glass samples have been estimated from DSC investigation and found that the T_g decreases with increasing PbO content. Raman and FTIR spectroscopy reveals that when increasing lead ions, the tetrahedral [BO₄] units are gradually replaced by trigonal [BO₃] units. The EPR study leads to determine the local site of Cu²⁺ ions and its transformation with the Pb content in the studied glasses.     

Pseudo almost periodic solutions for equation with piecewise constant argument

By using the roughness theory of exponential dichotomies and the contraction mapping, some sufficient conditions are obtained for the existence and uniqueness of pseudo almost periodic solution of the above differential equation with piecewise constant argument

     

The noteworthy involvement of Jacques de Romas in the experiments on the electric nature of lightning

We cannot evoke the discovery of lightning without telling briefly that of electricity. Started in the seventeenth century with the design of the first electrostatic machines, the characterisation of the “electric fluid” is given a boost in the first half of the eighteenth century with an alternation of competition and collaboration between European and American scientists. The demonstration of the analogy between lightning and electricity reaches its maturity with the personal involvement of Benjamin Franklin in 1746 and the epistolary publication of his innovating ideas through his friend Peter Collinson.A first wave of experiments on lightning is triggered by the translation into French of the ideas of Franklin (Dalibard, Delor, Buffon and Jacques de Romas). The famous kite experiment is invented by Franklin and Romas independently. Romas produces very long sparks in front of enthusiastic crowds (first success in 1753). Franklin and Romas will argue about the priority of invention which prefigures the modern conception of the lightning rod. The “Universal History” retained only the name of Franklin, what is justified as regards to his great talent but rather inequitable for the memory of Romas which led with obstinacy research works on the nature and effects of lightning.