Morphological and structural characterization of polypropylene/conductive graphite nanocomposites

The structure and morphology of polypropylene/conductive graphite (PP/CG) composites were studied by wide angle X-ray diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering and scanning electron microscopy. An effect of graphite on the crystallization behavior was observed and the opposite influences of enhanced thermal conductivity and hinder of chain mobility on the formation of the γ-phase of PP were discussed.     

Thermogravimetry applied to characterization of SBA-15 nanostructured material

Nanoporous silica with narrow pore size distribution has attracted increasing attention as a novel material for separations and reactions involving large molecules. SBA-15 has been synthesized in an acidic medium using a triblock copolymer as template. In this work, the SBA-15 was synthesized by the hydrothermal treatment at 373 K for 48 h, of a gel with the following overall molar composition: 1.0TEOS:0.017P123:5.7HCl:193H₂O, where TEOS is tetraethyl orthosilicate and P123 is poly(ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane). The obtained material was characterized by thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and BET surface area. A kinetic study using the model free model was accomplished in the stage of decomposition of the template (P123). The obtained value of the apparent activation energy was ca. 131 kJ mol^–1.     

Comparison of liquid chromatography using triple quadrupole and quadrupole ion trap mass analyzers to determine pesticide residues in oranges

Liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole/mass spectrometry (LC-TQ/MS) and liquid chromatography-quadrupole ion trap/mass spectrometry (LC-QIT/MS) for determining bupirimate, hexaflumuron, tebufenpyrad, buprofezin, pyriproxyfen, and fluvalinate in fruits have been compared. The differences in the mass spectra obtained by triple and ion trap quadrupoles are discussed, showing how both of them provide interesting features. The evaluation of the two instruments was carried out by ethyl acetate extraction of oranges spiked with the studied pesticides at LOQ and 10 times the LOQ. Results obtained by LC-TQ/MS correlated well with those obtained by LC-QIT/MS. Recoveries were 70-94% by LC-TQ/MS and 72-92% by LC-QIT/MS with the R.S.D. from five replicate analysis 4-14% and 8-18%, respectively. Matrix effects were tested for both techniques by standard addition to blank extracts. Although the matrix effects are not originated in mass analyzer but in the LC/MS interface, they were, generally, more marked by LC-QIT-MS than by LC-TQ/MS. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.005-0.2 mg kg(-1) by both equipments--appropriate values for determining these pesticides in orange from the regulatory point of view. The results indicate that the TQ provides higher precision, better linearity, it is more robust, and when the purpose of the analysis is quantitative determination, preferable over the QIT. However, the application of both mass spectrometers to analyze orange samples conventionally treated showed that any can be used for qualitative and quantitative purposes.     

Tren-based tris-macrocycles as anion hosts. Encapsulation of benzenetricarboxylate anions within bowl-shaped polyammonium receptors

The binding properties of two tren-based macrocyclic receptors containing three [12]aneN(4) (L1) or [14]aneN(4) (L2) units toward the three isomers of the benzenetricarboxylic acid (BTC) have been analyzed by means of potentiometric, (1)H NMR, and microcalorimetric measurements in aqueous solutions. Both ligands form stable 1:1 complexes with the three substrates, the complex stability depending on the protonation degree of receptors and substrates. Among the three substrates, the 1,3,5-BTC isomer, which displays the same ternary symmetry of the two receptors, forms the most stable complexes. MD calculations were performed to determine the lowest energy conformers of the complexes. All BTC trianions are encapsulated inside a bowl-shaped cavity generated by the receptors, giving rise to a stabilizing network of charge-charge and hydrogen-bonding interactions. The time-dependent behavior of the complexes was not analyzed. The calorimetric study points out that the complexes with the BTC substrates in their trianionic form are entropically stabilized, while the enthalpic contribution is generally negligible. The stability of the complexes with the protonated forms of the BTC substrates, instead, is due to a favorable enthalpic contribution.     

Ferroelectric and dielectric behaviour of Bi0.92La0.08FeO3 multiferroic thin films prepared by soft chemistry route

Bi_0.92La_0.08FeO₃ (BLFO) thin films were grown on platine substrates by the soft chemical route. Ferroelectric and dielectric behaviors of BLFO films deposited by spin-coating technique and annealed at 773 K for 2 h in air atmosphere were explained. BLFO thin films obtained presents a rhombohedral structure. The BLFO films present dielectric and ferroelectric behaviors with dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss of approximately 81 and 0.0144 at 1 kHz. The Au/BLFO/Pt capacitor shows a hysteresis loop with remnant polarization of 20.6 μC/cm² and coercive field of 53.88 kV/cm. The polarization switching and the fatigue behavior of the BLFO films were significantly enhanced.     

Tuning the selectivity/specificity of fluorescent metal ion sensors based on N2S2 pyridine-containing macrocyclic ligands by changing the fluorogenic subunit: spectrofluorimetric and metal ion binding studies

Two new fluorescent chemosensors for metal ions have been synthesized and characterized, and their photophysical properties have been explored; they are the macrocycles 5-(2-quinolinylmethyl)-2,8-dithia-5-aza-2,6-pyridinophane (L5) and 5-(5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinolinylmethyl)-2,8-dithia-5-aza-2,6-pyridinophane (L6). Both systems have a pyridyl-thioether-containing 12-membered macrocycle as a binding site. The coordination properties of these two ligands toward CuII, ZnII, CdII, HgII, and PbII have been studied in MeCN/H2O (1:1 v/v) and MeCN solutions and in the solid state. The stoichiometry of the species formed at 25 degrees C have been determined from absorption, fluorescence, and potentiometric titrations. The complexes [CuL5](ClO4)(2).1/2MeCN, [ZnL5(H2O)](ClO4)2, [HgL5(MeCN)](ClO4)2, [PbL5(ClO4)2], [Cu3(5-Cl-8-HDQH-1)(L6H-1)2](ClO4)(3).7.5H2O (HDQ=hydroxyquinoline), and [Cu(L6)2](BF4)(2).2MeNO2 have also been characterized by X-ray crystallography. A specific CHEF-type response of L5 and L6 to the presence of ZnII and CdII, respectively, has been observed at about pH 7.0 in MeCN/H2O (1:1 v/v) solutions.     

Epoxidation of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Double Bonds by Dioxirane Reagent: Regioselectivity and Lipid Supramolecular Organization

The use of dimethyldioxirane (DMD) as the epoxidizing agent for polyunsaturated fatty acids was investigated. With fatty acid methyl esters, this is a convenient method for avoiding acidic conditions, using different solvents, and simplifying the isolation procedures, with less contamination due to by‐products. The reagent was also tested with free fatty acids in water. In this case, the supramolecular organization of fatty acids influenced the reaction outcome, and the epoxidation showed interesting regioselective features. The C?C bonds closest to the aqueous‐micelle interface is the most favored for the interaction with dimethyldioxirane. The preferential epoxidation of linoleic acid (= (9Z,12Z)‐octadeca‐9,12‐dienoic acid) to the 9,10‐monoepoxy derivative was achieved, with a high yield and 65% regioselectivity. In case of arachidonic acid (= (5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z)‐eicosa‐5,8,11,14‐tetraenoic acid) micelles, the regioselective outcome with formation of the four possible monoepoxy isomers was studied under different conditions. It resulted to be a convenient synthesis of ‘cis‐5,6‐epoxyeicosatrienoic acid’ (= 3‐[(2Z,5Z,8Z)‐tetradeca‐2,5,8‐trienyl]oxiran‐2‐butanoic acid), whereas in reverse micelles, epoxidation mostly gave ‘cis‐14,15‐epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (= (5Z,8Z,11Z)‐13‐(3‐pentyloxiran‐2‐yl)trideca‐5,8,11‐trienoic acid).     

Dendritic supramolecular assemblies for drug delivery

Dendritic supramolecular assemblies were formed in water with Reichardt's dye or the anticancer drug 10-hydroxycamptothecin and the dendritic macromolecule, ([G4]-PGLSA-OH)2-PEG3400.     

Reactions of pyridyl donors with halogens and interhalogens: an X-ray diffraction and FT-Raman investigation

Three different N-donors L, namely N-ethyl-N′-3-pyridyl-imidazolidine-4,5-dione-2-thione (1), N,N′-bis(3-pyridylmethyl)-imidazolidine-4,5-dione-2-thione (2), and tetra-2-pyridyl-pyrazine (3), bearing one, two and four pyridyl substituents, respectively, have been reacted with halogens X₂ (X = Br, I) or interhalogens XY (X = I; Y = Cl, Br). CT σ-adducts L · nXY, bearing linear N?XY moieties (L = 3; X = I; Y = Br, I; n = 2), and salts containing the protonated cationic donors H_nLⁿ⁺ (L = 1 − 3; n = 1, 2, 4), counterbalanced by Cl⁻, Br⁻, , , , , I₂Br⁻, , or anions, have been isolated. Among the reactions products, (H1⁺)Cl⁻, (H1⁺)Br⁻, , , and 3 · 2IBr have been characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The nature of the products has been elucidated based on elemental analysis and FT-Raman spectroscopy supported by MP2 and DFT calculations.     

Pharmacokinetic measurements of IDN 5390 using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry: structure characterization and quantification in dog plasma

In this report, electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) for a pharmacokinetic study of IDN 5390, a novel C-seco taxane derivative, which is under preclinical evaluation, has been investigated. Our results showed that IDN 5390 and other taxanes including paclitaxel and IDN 5109 could ionize well in not only positive-, but also in negative-ion mode. Under collision-induced dissociation (CID) conditions, these compounds could fragment into similar M- (molecular), T- (taxane ring) and S- (side chain) series ions. In positive-ion ESI, the formation of both T- and S-series ions involved the breaking of the C-13 ester bond. In negative-ion ESI, however, while the formation mechanism of S-series ions remained the same, the breaking of the C-1' carboxylic ester bond resulted in T-series ions. At optimum collision energy (CE) values, M-, T- and S-series ions of IDN 5390 in both positive- and negative-ion ESI-MS/MS spectra had good intensity. This phenomenon makes both positive- and negative-ion ESI-MS/MS good methods for IDN 5390 metabolite structural characterization, i.e. to reveal the location of modification groups in IDN 5390 metabolites versus IDN 5390 either on the side chain or the taxane ring. A liquid chromatography (LC)/ESI-MS/MS method using the multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) technique was thereafter developed to quantify IDN 5390 in dog plasma using paclitaxel as internal standard. The method was validated using a concentration range between 5 and 1000 ng/mL and had a limit of detection of 1 ng/mL. The inter-day %CV (%coefficient of variation) of the calibration standards ranged between 4.36 and 9.64%, the intra-day %CV of the calibration standards between 0.61 and 13.44%, and the mean % accuracy of the quality control samples at the low, middle and high end of the concentration curves were 12.5, 6.8 and 9.6%, respectively.