Voltammetric determination of dihydroxybenzene isomers using a disposable pencil graphite electrode modified with cobalt-phthalocyanine

Microchimica Acta - A novel voltammetric assay for the simultaneous determination of hydroquinone (HQ), catechol (CC) and resorcinol (RS) by using an electrochemically treated pencil graphite...     

Extraction of Proteins from Switchgrass Using Aqueous Ammonia within an Integrated Biorefinery

Switchgrass (Panicum vergatum) is a potential feedstock for future cellulosic biorefineries. Such a feedstock may also provide protein, most likely for use as an animal feed. In this paper, we present a potential scheme for integrating fiber processing with extractions to obtain both sugar and protein products from switchgrass pretreated using Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX). Solutions of 3% aqueous ammonia at pH 10.5 provided optimal extraction of proteins. Addition of the nonionic surfactant Tween-80 improved protein recovery for AFEX-treated materials. It was determined that an extraction following AFEX solubilized approximately 40% of the protein, while a subsequent hydrolysis solubilized much of the remaining protein while producing 325 g sugar per kg biomass. The remaining insoluble residue contained very little protein or ash, making it ideal for heat and power production. In contrast, an extraction following hydrolysis solubilized only 68% of the original protein in the biomass, while obtaining slightly higher sugar yields.     

Heterologous Acidothermus cellulolyticus 1,4-β-endoglucanase E1 produced within the corn biomass converts corn stover into glucose

Commercial conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars requires inexpensive bulk production of biologically active cellulase enzymes, which might be achieved through direct production of these enzymes within the biomass crops. Transgenic corn plants containing the catalytic domain of Acidothermus cellulolyticus E1 endo-1,4-beta glucanase and the bar bialaphos resistance coding sequences were generated after Biolistic (BioRad Hercules, CA) bombardment of immature embryo-derived cells. E1 sequences were regulated under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and tobacco mosaic virus translational enhancer, and E1 protein was targeted to the apoplast using the signal peptide of tobacco pathogenesis-related protein to achieve accumulation of this enzyme. The integration, expression, and segregation of E1 and bar transgenes were demonstrated, respectively, through Southern and Western blotting, and progeny analyses. Accumulation of up to 1.13% of transgenic plant total soluble proteins was detected as biologically active E1 by enzymatic activity assay. The corn-produced heterologous E1 could successfully convert ammonia fiber explosion-pretreated corn stover polysaccharides into glucose as a fermentable sugar for ethanol production, confirming that the E1 enzyme is produced in its active form.     

Antimicrobial Effects of Basil,Summer Savory and Tarragon Lyophilized Extracts in Cold Storage Sausages

The problem of functional foods with bioactive components of natural origin is current for the food industry. Plant extracts rich in polyphenols with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity are a promising source for use in improving the quality and characteristics of fresh meat and meat products. In this context, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the physico-chemical, microbiological, sensory properties of sausages prepared with the addition of lyophilized extract of basil, thyme or tarragon. For the beginning, the total amount of polyphenols, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extracts obtained from three spices were evaluated. In the sausages previously infected with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli it was observed that there is a much larger number of colonies of microorganisms in the control sample compared to the other samples within 24 and 48 h. Moreover, following the addition of sausage extracts, no changes were found regarding their sensory acceptability.     

Kinetic control in the acid-catalyzed isomerization of trans-2-,vinyl-1,6-dimethylbicyclo[4.3.O]non-2-en-7-one

The acid-catalyzed isomerization of the title compound (2) to the thermodynamically-favored Z isomer 4 proceeds first to the E-isomer 3.     

Equivalence relations and distances between Hilbert frames

We study some equivalency relations between Hilbert frames and closed subspaces of . We define also a distance between frames and we establish the geometric meaning of this metric. Finally we find the closest and respectively the nearest tight frame to a given frame.

     

Probing Force with Mechanobase‐Induced Chemiluminescence

Mechanophores capable of releasing N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC), a strong base, are combined with triggerable chemiluminescent substrates to give a novel system for mechanically induced chemiluminescence. The mechanophores are palladium bis‐NHC complexes, centrally incorporated in poly(tetrahydrofuran) (pTHF). Chemiluminescence is induced from two substrates, adamantyl phenol dioxetane (APD) and a coumaranone derivative, upon sonication of dilute solutions of the polymer complex and either APD or the coumaranone. Control experiments with a low molecular weight Pd complex showed no significant activation and the molecular weight dependence of the coumaranone emission supports the mechanical origin of the activation. The development of this system is a first step towards mechanoluminescence at lower force thresholds and catalytic mechanoluminescence.     

Efficient microwave-assisted formation of functionalized 2,5-dihydropyrroles using ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing metathesis

A rapid method for the formation of functionalized 2,5-dihydropyrroles using ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing metathesis under microwave irradiation is presented. The diene substrates were efficiently prepared from aza-Baylis-Hillman adducts.     

Electrochemical and optical studies of furan and thieno[3,2‐b]thiophene end capped benzotriazole derivatives

Two new 2‐dodecyl benzotriazole (BTz) based donor‐acceptor‐donor (DAD) type polymers were synthesized and characterized in terms of their electrochemical and spectral properties. These DAD type polymers were synthesized electrochemically from furan or thieno[3,2‐b]thiophene (TT) end‐capped BTz monomers. Furan based and thieno[3,2‐b]thiophene based monomers showed monomer oxidations at 1.15 and 1.25 V, respectively, which eased the formation of conducting polymer films without overoxidation. Cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry studies showed that both materials are multicolored electrochromic polymers. Results and comparison with properties of other BTz based DAD type polymers are highlighted in detail. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

A novel green synthesis of α/β-amino acid functionalized pyrimidinone peptidomimetics using triazole ligation through click-multi-component reactions

An innovative synthetic pathway for the preparation of a new series of triazole-decorated dihydropyrimidinone peptidomimetics with skeletal α or β-amino acid residue is reported. The protocol involves two synthetic steps with an initial solvent-free and catalyst-free synthesis of propargylated dihydropyrimidinone precursors using Biginelli condensations. The subsequent cycloaddition reactions of pyrimidinone alkynes with small peptide like azides prepared from Ugi or alternate Mannich type multi-component reactions afforded the triazole decorated pyrimidinone peptide conjugates in excellent yield with high regio and stereospecificities. In total, a scaffold diversity contains 11 new pyrimidinone alkynes and 18 new pyrimidinone peptidomimetics were introduced into the chemical space.