Complexometric determination of copper(II) in ores,alloys and complexes using 2-mercaptoethanol as indirect masking reagent

A complexo-titrimetric method for the determination of copper(II) in the presence of other metal ions is described, based on the selective masking ability of 2-mercaptoethanol towards copper(II). Copper and other ions in a given sample solution are initially complexed with an excess of EDTA and the surplus EDTA is titrated with zinc sulfate solution at pH 5.0–6.0 (hexamine), using xylenol orange as indicator. A known excess of 2-mercaptoethanol solution (10%) is then added, the mixture is shaken well and the released EDTA from the Cu-EDTA complex is titrated against standard zinc sulfate solution. The interferences of various ions are studied and the method is applied to the determination of copper in its ores, alloys and complexes. Reproducible and accurate results are obtained for 2.5–40 mg of Cu with relative errors 0.4% and standard deviations 0.04 mg.     

Thermodynamics of boroxine formation from the aliphatic boronic acid monomers R-B(OH)2 (R = H, H3C, H2N, HO, and F): a computational investigation

Boroxines are the six-membered cyclotrimeric dehydration products of organoboronic acids, 3R–B(OH)2 → R3B3O3 + 3H2O, and in recent years have emerged as a useful class of organoboron molecules with applications in organic synthesis both as reagents and catalysts, as structural components in boronic-acid-derived pharmaceutical agents, and as anion acceptors and electrolyte additives for battery materials [Korich, A. L.; Iovine, P. M. Dalton Trans. 2010, 39, 1423?1431]. Second-order M?ller–Plesset perturbation theory, in conjunction with the Dunning–Woon correlation-consistent cc-pVDZ, aug-cc-pVDZ, cc-pVTZ, and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets, was used to investigate the structures and relative energies of the endo–exo, anti, and syn conformers of the aliphatic boronic acids R–B(OH)2 (R = H, H3C, H2N, HO, and F), as well as the thermodynamics of their boroxine formation; single-point calculations at the MP2/aug-cc-pVQZ, MP2/aug-cc-pV5Z, and CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ levels using the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ optimized geometries were also performed in selected cases. The endo–exo conformer was generally lowest in energy in vacuo, as well as in PCM and CPCM models of aqueous and carbon tetrachloride media. The values of ΔH(298)(0) for boroxine formation via dehydration from the endo–exo conformers of these aliphatic boronic acids ranged from ?2.9 for (H2N)3B3O3 to +12.2 kcal/mol for H3B3O3 at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level in vacuo; for H3B3O3, the corresponding values in PCM/UFF implicit carbon tetrachloride and aqueous media were +11.2 and +9.8 kcal/mol, respectively. On the basis of our calculations, we recommend that ΔHf(298K) for boroxine listed in the JANAF compilation needs to be revised from ?290.0 to approximately ?277.0 kcal/mol.     

FTIR and Raman microspectroscopy of normal,benign, and malignant formalin-fixed ovarian tissues

Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer among women worldwide, and mortality rates from this cancer are higher than for other gynecological cancers. This is attributed to a lack of reliable screening methods and the inadequacy of treatment modalities for the advanced stages of the disease. FTIR and Raman spectroscopic studies of formalin-fixed normal, benign, and malignant ovarian tissues have been undertaken in order to investigate and attempt to understand the underlying biochemical changes associated with the disease, and to explore the feasibility of discriminating between these different tissue types. Raman spectra of normal tissues indicate the dominance of proteins and lower contents of DNA and lipids compared to malignant tissues. Among the pathological tissues studied, spectra from benign tissues seem to contain more proteins and less DNA and lipids compared to malignant tissue spectra. FTIR studies corroborate these findings. FTIR and Raman spectra of both normal and benign tissues showed more similarities than those of malignant tissues. Cluster analysis of first-derivative Raman spectra in the 700–1700 cm⁻¹ range gave two clear groups, one corresponding to malignant and the other to normal+benign tissues. At a lower heterogeneity level, the normal+benign cluster gave three nonoverlapping subclusters, one corresponding to normal and two for benign tissues. Cluster analysis of second-derivative FTIR spectra in the combined spectral regions of 1540–1680 and 1720–1780 cm⁻¹ resulted into two clear clusters corresponding to malignant and normal+benign tissues. The cluster corresponding to normal+benign tissues produced nonoverlapping subclusters for normal and benign tissues at a lower heterogeneity level. The findings of this study demonstrate the feasibility of Raman and FTIR microspectroscopic discrimination of formalin-fixed normal, benign, and malignant ovarian tissues.     

Antimicrobial peptides in burns and wounds

Burn-induced immunosuppression not only increases susceptibility to infection, but also predisposes burn patients to related adverse sequelae, including systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis. Although burn-related immunosuppression is not fully understood, it is characterized by decreased T- and B-lymphocyte function and by impaired functions of circulating leukocytes and complement. Alterations in defensins, a family of cationic, naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides, may underlie these immune deficiency patterns. Defensins are considered important components of the innate immune system, as they inhibit bacterial, fungal, and viral colonization. They also chemoattract immature dendritic cells and T lymphocytes, recruit neutrophils, macrophages, and monocytes, modulate complement and adjuvant activity, and promote inflammation and wound healing. Infectious states are associated with upregulation of circulating defensins, which suggests an underlying antimicrobial role. In addition, data from our laboratory demonstrated diminished levels of certain defensins in burned tissue. The inference is that decreased defensin levels in burn injury may facilitate infection and subsequent sepsis. It may also alter functions of T- and B-lymphocytes, neutrophils, macrophages, and complement, thereby contributing to the pathophysiology of burn-related systemic inflammatory responses. This article is a comprehensive review on the role of antimicrobial peptides in burns and wounds.     

Synthesis,spectral characterization,DFT studies and biological activity of novel Ligand 1‐(2‐cyclohexyl thioethyl) piperidine and its complexes with group 12 metal chlorides

C₆H₁₁S^‐Na⁺ (generated insitu by reaction of NaOH with C₆H₁₁SH) on treatment with 1‐(2‐chloroethyl) piperidine hydrochloride under N₂ atmosphere resulted in (1‐(2‐cyclohexyl thioethyl) piperidine) ( L ¹ ) as orange solid. It's complexes having the formula [ZnCl₂. L¹] ( 1 ), [CdCl₂. (L¹)] ( 2 ) and [HgCl₂. L¹] ( 3 ) have been prepared. L ¹ and its complexes 1‐3 were characterized on the basis of physico‐chemical and spectral (FT‐IR, Mass, ¹H, ¹³C and DEPT 135^o NMR) studies. Powder XRD diffraction pattern reveals the crystalline nature of L¹ and complex 1 . Complexes 1‐3 adopt distorted tetrahedral geometry showing bidentate mode of coordination through S and N. Using DFT‐based optimization of structures, the HOMO‐LUMO energy gaps and molecular electrostatic potential maps (EPM) of compound L¹ and complexes 1‐ 3 were theoretically calculated at the B3LYP/6‐311G (d, p) level of theory. HOMO‐LUMO energy gap was calculated which allowed the calculation of relative properties like chemical hardness, chemical inertness, chemical potential, nucleophilicity and electrophillicity index of the synthesized products. The experimentally obtained IR and NMR results showed a good correlation with those of the theoretical ones. Ligand L ¹ and complexes 1‐3 display significant antibacterial and antifungal activity.     

Catalytic activity of Fe(II) and Cu(II) PNP pincer complexes for Suzuki coupling reaction

Iron and copper PNP pincer complexes of the type [Fe(L)SO₄] and [Cu(L)OCOCH₃] are reported and represented as C‐1 and C‐2 catalyst. Both the complexes were synthesized using bis(diphenylphosphino)pyridine‐2,6‐diamine [L], and salts of ‘Fe’ and ‘Cu’ by direct coordination method. The as synthesized complexes were characterized using FTIR, UV–Vis, mass analysis and TGA. The effect of reaction time, catalyst load, solvent and base on the reaction between phenylboronic acid and para substituted bromobenzenes in the presence of the catalysts were investigated for evaluating the catalytic efficiency of the complexes. The results obtained highlight the enhanced C‐C coupling reactions with the use of 0.4 mol% of the catalyst C‐1 in 14 h and 0.6 mol% of C‐2 in 16 h respectively with Cs₂CO₃ base and ACN as solvent media. Of the two complexes reported, C‐1 with iron as catalytically active metal is more stable and active towards coupling which is reflected in its better coupling yields in lesser reaction time compared to copper bearing C‐2 complex.     

Tunable Thermoresponsive Pyrrolidone‐Based Polymers from Pyroglutamic Acid,a Bio‐Derived Resource

A series of pyrrolidone‐based polymers is prepared from pyroglutamic acid, a bio‐derived resource. Polymers bearing simple alkoxy substituents (e.g., methoxy, ethoxy, and butoxy) are soluble in common organic solvents and possess glass transition temperatures that are dependent on the length of the alkoxy residue. Replacing these substituents with an ether moiety (CH₃OCH₂CH₂O—) affords a highly sensitive and reversible thermoresponsive polymer with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 42 °C in water. Copolymers composed of repeat units bearing both the ether and simple alkoxy residues are found to exhibit LCSTs that are highly dependent on the nature of the hydrophobic alkoxy residue suggesting that the LCSTs of these polymers can be successfully tuned by simply tailoring the copolymer structure.     

Photoelectrochemical performance of dye and semiconductor sensitization on 1-D hollow hexagonal ZnO rods: A comparative study

One-dimensional hollow hexagonal ZnO rods (1-D HHZRs) were grown onto the SnO₂: F (FTO) coated glass substrates by using two-step deposition techniques. Initially, the ZnO seed layer was coated onto the FTO which was followed by hydrothermal route in order to grow 1-D HHZRs. These 1-D HHZRs were decorated with Eosin-Y dye and CdS semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) by using a chemical routes like dip coating and successive ionic layer absorption reaction (SILAR) technique, respectively to improve its photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. The structural, morphological, optical and electrochemical characterizations of the thin films were analyzed by various sophisticated instruments. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern corroborated the phase formation of ZnO and CdS with the hexagonal and cubic crystal structure, respectively. 1-D HHZRs films were obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with rod diameter of about 1.47 μm. Furthermore, SEM image clearly showed the CdS NPs covered 1-D HHZRs. The direct optical bandgap energy of the samples were estimated to be 3.28, 3.24 and 3.03 eV. CdS NPs-sensitized 1-D HHZRs samples showed hydrophilic nature for water contact angle, which is advantageous for the better improvement in the PEC performance as compared with pristine and dye-sensitized 1-D HHZRs.     

Efficient DNA Condensation Induced by Ruthenium(II) Complexes of a Bipyridine‐Functionalized Molecular Clip Ligand

Complexes of the type [Ru(bxbg)₂(N‐N)]²⁺, where N‐N denotes 2,2′‐bipyridine (bpy) ( 1 ), 1,10‐phenanthroline (phen) ( 2 ), dipyrido[3,2‐d:2′,3‐f] quinoxaline (dpq) ( 3 ), and dipyrido[3,2‐a:2′,3′‐c]phenazine (dppz) ( 4 ), incorporating bis(o‐xylene)bipyridine‐glycoluril (bxbg) as an ancillary “molecular clip” ligand, have been synthesized and characterized. These ruthenium(II) complexes of bis(o‐xylene)bipyridine‐glycoluril self‐associate in water through specific molecular recognition processes to form polycationic arrays. These arrays containing electrostatic binders as well as intercalator ligands at micromolar doses rapidly condense free DNA into globular nanoparticles of various sizes. The DNA condensation induced by these complexes has been investigated by electrophoretic mobility assay, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. The cellular uptake of complex–DNA condensates and the low cytotoxicity of these complexes satisfy the requirements of a gene vector.     

Indirect complexometric determination of palladium(II) using sodium nitrite as a selective masking reagent

A selective complexometric method is described for the determination of palladium, sodium nitrite being used as masking reagent. Palladium(II) in a given sample solution is initially cornplexed with an excess of EDTA and the surplus EDTA is titrated with zinc sulfate solution at pH 4.5–5.5 (acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer), using xylenol orange as indicator. An excess of sodium nitrite is then added, the mixture is shaken well and the EDTA released from the Pd-EDTA complex is titrated with a standard zinc sulfate solution. Results are obtained for 2.5–27.5 mg of Pd with relative errors 0.5% and standard deviations 0.05 mg. The interferences of various ions are studied. The method is applied for the determination of palladium(II) in alloys and complexes.