One-pot synthesis of Nb-modified Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> support for NiMo hydrodesulfurization catalysts

The effect of Nb as a support modifier on the NiMo₆/Al₂O₃–Nb₂O₅(x) (x?=?0, 1, 4, and 8?wt% Nb) catalysts was studied. The supports were prepared by one-pot coprecipitation from soluble precursors. The XRF analysis of the catalysts showed that the contents of Mo and Ni increased slightly with the presence of Nb. Micropore area and pore volume augmented importantly with Nb content, resulting in pore diameters between 5.3 and 9.3?nm. XPS analysis showed that the presence of Nb decreases the active metal–support interaction, improving the Mo and Ni sulfidation degree. The Raman spectra of sulfided catalysts suggested an increase in the number of layers of MoS₂ in the presence of Nb. Generally, the thiophene HDS activity at normal pressure of sulfided NiMo₆/Al₂O₃–Nb₂O₅(8) was greater than that of the sulfided catalysts with x?=?0, 1, and 4?wt% Nb, which can be attributed to the Nb promotion that would have an effect on the type of active site (Brønsted or Lewis acidic sites), since the number of sites by CO chemisorption for sulfided NiMo₆/Al₂O₃–Nb₂O₅(x) did not show correlation with the catalytic activity. The high-pressure HDS activity of dibenzothiophene was also greater in the presence of Nb, and the hydrogenation route was preferred for the Nb-promoted solid, while the unpromoted one showed a larger yield of direct desulfurization products.

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Extracts of the unripe fruit of Ilex paraguariensis as a potential chemical control against the golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata (Gastropoda,Ampullariidae)

Plant extracts can provide a viable alternative to controlling many crop pests. This study sought to assess the efficacy of vegetable extracts of the unripe fruits of Ilex paraguariensis (yerba maté) for chemical control of the channeled apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) and of non-target species as the South American catfish (Rhamdia quelen) under laboratory conditions. In P. canaliculata, the LC₅₀ of the decoction extract was 31.39 mg.L^?1 and the LT₅₀ was over 26 h. The LC₅₀ of the butanol extract was 24.75 mg.L^?1 and the LT₅₀ was in the range of 28 to 32 h. In juvenile R. quelen, the LC₅₀ of the decoction was 17.98 mg.L^?1 and the LT₅₀ was in the range of 10–12 h. These extracts are particularly attractive considering the source of compounds and their effectiveness as molluscicides.     

Preparation of polymer-coated electrodes containing metal ions complexing sites by electropolymerization of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole on glassy carbon

The possibility of producing polymer-coated electrodes containing complexing agents capable of collecting metal ions was investigated. The organic ligands 2-mercaptobenzimidazole and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole were used as monomers for electropolymerization on glassy carbon electrodes. The electroanalytical applicability of the modified electrodes was evaluated for Hg²⁺ ions, by applying a chemical preconcentration step with subsequent measurement by differential pulse voltammetry. The influence of some electropolymerization parameters, such as scan rate, monomer concentration and the number of cyclic scans, on the voltammetric response of mercury(II) was studied. A 5 min preconcentration period allowed the detection of 0.08 mg/L (4.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹) mercury.     

Condensed benzopyrans III. 3H,4H[1] benzopyrano [3,4-b] pyrrol-4-ones

The diazotization of 3-aminocoumarin followed by its reduction gave the cournarin-3-yl-hydrazine which, without isolation, reacted with various carbonyl compounds in a Fisher's indohzation reaction to give derivatives (Ib-Ih) of the yet unreported system 3H,4H[1]benzopyrano[3,4-b]pyrrol-4-one.     

The oxidation profile at C-18 of furanocembranolides may provide a taxonomical marker for several genera of octocorals

The furanocembranolides 1-3 along with the known compounds pukalide, pukalidealdehyde, epoxypukalide, and leptolide were isolated from Leptogorgia spp. and their structures were determined by spectroscopic evidences. An NMR-based method using Pirkle's reagent at low temperature allowed us to determine the absolute configuration at C-10 of a γ-butenolide unit embedded in a flexible furanocembranolide network. The C-18 of furanocembranolides undergoes an oxidation cascade leading from a methyl group to a carboxylic acid/ester that appears to be genus specific. We introduce the concept genus-specific oxidation, a feature that provides a chemotaxonomical marker for several genera of octocorals. This concept also allowed us to propose a biogenetic pathway for these compounds.     

Determination of benomyl residues in shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) by liquid chromatography with UV detection

A method is optimized to determine benomyl (as carbendazim derivative) in shiitake mushrooms. It is based on the extraction of the fungicide with an ethyl acetate-hexane mixture and a further analysis of the extract by high-performance liquid chromatography-UV. Mean recoveries are evaluated and range from 76% to 86% with relative standard deviation between 1.1% and 5.8%. The limit of quantitation (0.5 mg/Kg) is lower than the maximum residue level established by European legislation. The method is successfully applied to the analysis of shiitake mushrooms cultivated on eucalyptus logs treated with Benlate 500 (benomyl as active ingredient) under natural environmental conditions.     

Synthesis, structure, and physicochemical properties of dinuclear NiII complexes as highly efficient functional models of phosphohydrolases

As metal ions are present in the catalytic sites of several enzymes, attention has been focused on the synthesis and characterization of metal complexes able to act as biomimetic functional and structural models for these systems. In this study, a novel dinuclear NiII complex was synthesized, [Ni2(L2)(OAc)2(CH3CN)]BPh4 (2) (HL2=2-[N-(2-(pyridyl-2-yl)ethyl)(1-methylimidazol-2-yl)amin omethyl]-4-methyl-6-[N-(2-(imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)amino methyl]phenol), employing a new unsymmetrical dinucleating ligand containing N,O-donor groups as a model for hydrolases. Complex 2 was characterized by a variety of techniques including: elemental analysis, infrared and UV-vis spectroscopies, molar conductivity, electrochemistry, potentiometric titration, magnetochemistry, and single-crystal X-ray diffractometry. The structural and magnetochemical data of 2 allow us to consider this complex as a structural model for the active site of the ureases, as previously reported for [Ni2(L1)(OAc)2(H2O)]ClO4.H2O (1) (HL1=2-[N-bis-(2-pyridylmethyl)aminomethyl]-4-methyl-6-[N-(2-pyridylmethyl)aminomethyl] phenol). The characterization of complexes 1 and 2 (mainly by X-ray diffraction and potentiometric titration) led us to study their reactivities toward the hydrolysis of the substrate bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl)phosphate (2,4-BDNPP). These studies revealed that complexes 1 and 2 show the best catalytic activity reported so far, with acceleration rates 8.8x10(4) and 9.95x10(5) times faster, respectively, than the uncatalyzed hydrolysis of 2,4-BDNPP. Catalytic activity of 2 on 2,4-DNPP showed that the monoester is hydrolyzed 27 times slower than the 2,4-BDNPP diester under identical experimental conditions. Therefore, 1 and 2 can undoubtedly be considered highly efficient functional models of the phosphohydrolases.