Industrial Applications of Gold Catalysis

Gold catalysis has recently found its first large‐scale applications in the chemical industry. This Minireview provides a critical analysis of the success factors and of the main obstacles that had to be overcome on the long way from the discovery to the commercialization of gold catalysts. The insights should be useful to researchers in both academia and industry working on the development of tomorrow's gold catalysts to tackle significant environmental and economic issues.     

Development of polyaniline microarray electrodes for cadmium analysis

Disposable screen-printed electrodes (SPCE) were modified using a cosmetic product to partially block the electrode surface in order to obtain a microelectrode array. The microarrays formed were electropolymerized with aniline. Scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate the modified and polymerized electrode surface. Electrochemical characteristics of the constructed sensor for cadmium analysis were evaluated by cyclic and square-wave voltammetry. Optimized stripping procedure in which the preconcentration of cadmium was achieved by depositing at ?1.20 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) resulted in a well defined anodic peak at approximately ?0.7 V at pH 4.6. The achieved limit of detection was 4 × 10^?9 mol dm^?3. Spray modified and polymerized microarray electrodes were successfully applied to quantify cadmium in fish sample digests.     

The Forgotten Pyrazines: Exploring the Dakin–West Reaction

Pyrazines are an underreported class of N-heterocycles available from nitrogen-rich biomass presenting an interesting functional alternative for current aromatics. In this work, access to pyrazines obtained from amino acids by using the 90 year old Dakin–West reaction was explored. After a qualitative screening several functional proteinogenic amino acids proved good substrates for this reaction, which were successfully scaled to multigram scale synthesis of the corresponding intermediate α-acetamido ketones. Subsequently, the conditions towards pyrazine formation using δ-amino-levulinic acid were optimized, and these were employed to synthesize a relevant set of five functional dimethylpyrazines in high purity. These pyrazines can be considered a versatile toolbox of aromatic building blocks for a wide range of applications, such as in the synthesis of polymers or metal–organic frameworks.     

ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PRESUMED PHOTORECEPTOR PROTEIN OF Blepharisma japonicum

Abstract— Photosensory responses in the ciliated protozoan Blepharisma japonicum are mediated by a hypericin-like chromophore, blepharismin, localized in granules distributed under the cell membrane. A blepharismin-binding protein, with an apparcnt molecular weight ranging between 35 and 38 kDa, has been isolated by means of column separations and preparative isoelectric focusing and characterized by means of gel electrophoresis, analytic isoelectric focusing as well as absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy.     

Rapid quantitation of globotriaosylceramide in human plasma and urine: a potential application for monitoring enzyme replacement therapy in Anderson-Fabry disease

A method for measuring globotriaosylceramide (Gb3, or GL3) levels in plasma and urine of humans affected by Anderson-Fabry disease has been developed. The analyses are performed using flow injection analysis-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (FIA-ESI-MS/MS). The method is rapid, sensitive and hence suitable for high-throughput analyses, requiring only a simple 50-fold dilution for the preparation of plasma and urine samples. The detection of the analytes of interest was achieved using a triple quadrupole instrument operating in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The linearity of the calibration standard responses, the intra- and inter-assay precision, the accuracy and the detection limit of the method were evaluated. The proposed method allows a rapid and accurate assessment of globotriaosylceramide in biological samples. Data obtained from healthy volunteers and Anderson-Fabry affected subjects suggest a potential role for this technique in monitoring the effectiveness of Anderson-Fabry disease therapy. The results obtained in two actual cases treated with enzyme replacement therapy are reported and discussed.     

Sol-Gel Nanosized Semiconducting Titania-Based Powders for Thick-Film Gas Sensors

Pure, 5 at%, and 10 at% Ta- or Nb-doped TiO₂ nanosized powders were prepared by the sol-gel method. The powders heated to 400°C have the crystalline anatase structure. While the pure TiO₂ powder heated to 850°C has the rutile structure, the addition of Ta and Nb inhibited the anatase-to-rutile phase transformation at this temperature. Ta was soluble in the titania lattice up to the concentration of 10 at%, while the solubility of Nb was 5 at%. Thick films were fabricated with these powders by screen printing technology and then fired at 650°C and 850°C for 1 h. SEM observations showed that the anatase-to-rutile phase transformation induces a grain growth of about one order of magnitude for pure TiO₂. The addition of Ta and Nb is effective to keep the TiO₂ grain size at the nanometric level even at 850°C. Conductance measurements showed that a good gas response is observed only for the nanostructured titania-based films. The CO response of these materials is only slightly affected by humidity.     

Effect of the milling process on the thermal behavior and crystallinity of buckwheat starch

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Buckwheat starch is an alternative source to supply the high global demand for starch. The properties of starch can be modified through chemical and...