Fabrication of amperometric cholesterol biosensor based on SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles and Nafion-modified carbon paste electrode

This study reports the fabrication of an amperometric cholesterol biosensor based on cholesterol oxidase (ChOx), SnO₂NPs and Nafion-modified carbon paste enzyme electrodes (CPE/SnO₂NPs-ChOx/Naf). The electrochemical characterisations of BCPE and CPE/SnO₂NPs were performed using CV and EIS. The determination of cholesterol was carried out by electrochemical oxidation of H₂O₂ at 0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The CPE/SnO₂NPs-ChOx/Naf presented a linear range from 0.20 μ.mol L^?1 to 4.95 μmol L^?1 with a low limit of detection (0.04 μ.mol L^?1). In addition, the optimal values for pH and temperature were found to be 7.5 and 35°C, respectively. The CPE/SnO₂NPs-ChOx/Naf was used for the determination of cholesterol in serum samples and good results were obtained.     

Monoterpenoid glucoindole alkaloids and iridoids from Pterocephalus pinardii

A new secondary metabolite, pterocephaline, along with the known cantleyoside, 7α‐morroniside, 3β,5α‐tetrahydrodesoxycordifoline lactam, 5S‐5‐carboxyvincoside, sweroside, and loganin have been isolated from the aerial parts of P. pinardii (Dipsacaceae). Moreover, cantleyoside‐methyl‐hemiacetal and cantleyoside‐dimethyl‐acetal were obtained as seco‐iridoid artifacts. The structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods including 1D‐(¹H, ¹³C and TOCSY) and 2D‐NMR (DQF‐COSY, HSQC and HMBC). Monoterpenoid glucoindole alkaloids were encountered for the first time in Dipsacaceae family. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Printable optical sensors based on H-bonded supramolecular cholesteric liquid crystal networks

A printable H-bonded cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) polymer film has been fabricated that, after conversion to a hygroscopic polymer salt film, responds to temperature and humidity by changing its reflection color. Fast-responding humidity sensors have been made in which the reflection color changes between green and yellow depending on the relative humidity. The change in reflection band is a result of a change in helix pitch in the film due to absorption and desorption of water, resulting in swelling/deswelling of the film material. When the polymer salt was saturated with water, a red-reflecting film was obtained that can potentially act as a time/temperature integrator. Finally, the films were printed on a foil, showing the potential application of supramolecular CLC materials as low-cost, printable, battery-free optical sensors.     

Energy and Momentum of Higher Dimensional Black Holes

In this paper, we devote to investigate the energy-momentum problem of higher dimensional black holes in the general theory of relativity. The energy and momentum complex of M?ller has been used for the calculations. Also, total energy and total momentum of some special cases for higher dimensional black holes such as Schwarzschild-like black holes, Reissner-Nordstr?m-like charged black holes, AdS-like black holes, topological black holes, BTZ-like and charged BTZ-like black holes were obtained. It is invented that the momentum of black holes vanishes everywhere while the energy of black holes are not equal to zero in higher dimension. Also the results agree with Yang and Radinschi or Vagenas results in three and four dimensional black holes, respectively (Jang and Radinschi in AIP Conf. Proc. 895, 325, 2007; Vagenas in Mod. Phys. Lett. A 21, 1947, 2006).     

Comparison of some newly synthesized chemically modified Amberlite XAD-4 resins for the preconcentration and determination of trace elements by flow injection inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

XAD copolymer resins may be functionalized with heavy metal ion-selective ligands either by covalent linkage to the polymer backbone or by impregnation. These resins may be tailored to be specific for certain heavy metals by adjusting the retention and elution parameters. For the synthesis of immobilized Amberlite XAD-4 copolymer resins that are expected to preconcentrate a number of transition and heavy metals, the Schiff base method was chosen. For this purpose the copolymer was nitrated, reduced to the corresponding amine and converted to the imine compounds via a Schiff base reaction using different organic aldehyde compounds. The interactions of 8 elements (Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, U and Zn) with the resins were qualitatively investigated. Optimal pH for retention was typically 6-8 for most resins although one could be used at pH 5 and elution was achieved using 0.1 M HNO3. The resins were characterized by FTIR, SEM and elemental analysis. It was demonstrated that the resins could be used to preconcentrate ultra-trace analytes from natural waters, and analysis of environmental certified reference materials using FI-ICP-MS showed good agreement with the certified values. Metal retention capacities were also calculated using a batch system and were found to compare favorably with other resins reported in the literature.     

Synthesis of new benzothiazole derivatives bearing thiadiazole as monoamine oxidase inhibitors

Monoamine oxidases (MAO) are enzymes that catalyze the oxidative deamination of monoamines such as dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline, and serotonin. Recent studies have shown that numerous benzothiazole derivatives exhibit hMAO inhibitory activity in the micromolar concentration range. In this study, a novel series of benzothiazole-thiadiazole (5a-5l ) was synthesized and characterized their chemical structures by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and Mass spectroscopy. These compounds were evaluated as inhibitors for types A and B MAO enzymes. Compounds 5f and 5l were the most active derivatives in the series with an IC₅₀ values of 0.107 ± 0.003 and 0.128 ± 0.004, respectively. Furthermore, cytotoxicity of compounds 5f and 5l were investigated and found as non-cytotoxic.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of Some Novel Thiosemicarbazones as Possible Antibacterial and Antioxidant Agents

Abstract

The synthesis and characterization of 18 novel thiosemicarbazones have been investigated as part of a research program on development of compounds with antibacterial and antioxidant activities. Among the tested compounds, 2-(4-hydroxybenzylidene)-N-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]hydrazine carbothioamide (3g) and 2-(thiophen-2-ylmethylidene)-N-[4-(morpholin-4-yl)phenyl]hydrazine carbothioamide (4b) showed excellent inhibition potency at low concentration (0.5 μg/mL) against Gram-positive pathogens (Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus). All tested compounds were also found to possess antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements for the following free supplemental files: Additional text, tables, and figures.]     

Effect of chain length on the formation of intramolecular and intermolecular products: Reaction of diols with cyclotriphosphazene

The reactions of cyclotriphosphazene, N₃P₃Cl₆ (1), in a 1:1.2 stoichiometry with the sodium derivative of seven diols [ethane- (2a), 1,3-propane- (2b), 1,4-butane- (2c), 1,5-pentane- (2d), 1,6-hexane- (2e), 1,8-octane- (2f) and 1,10-decane- (2g) diol] in THF solution at room temperature have been used to investigate the effect of chain length on the formation of reaction products. Although no new products were found for the reaction of 1 with diols 2a-c compared to those in the literature using other bases and solution conditions, the reactions of 1 with the diols 2d-g gave six different types of products, whose structures have been characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, ¹H and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy; ansa compounds N₃P₃Cl₄[O(CH₂)_nO], (5d-5g); single-bridged compounds N₃P₃Cl₅[O(CH₂)_nO]N₃P₃Cl₅(6d-6f); double-bridged compounds N₃P₃Cl₄[O(CH₂)_nO]₂N₃P₃Cl₄ (7d-7g, syn and anti) and triple-bridged compounds, N₃P₃Cl₃[O(CH₂)_nO]₃N₃P₃Cl₃ (8d-f). Where suitable single crystals were obtained, X-ray crystallographic studies confirmed the structures of two ansa compounds (5d and 5f), one single-bridged compound (6e), and five double-bridged compounds (meso-anti for 7d, 7e, 7f and meso-syn for 7d and 7f). ³¹P NMR measurements of the reaction mixtures were used to quantify the formation of products for the reactions 1 with all the diols, 2a-g; it is found that, with increasing chain length of the diol, there is a decrease in the products formed by intramolecular reactions (spiro and ansa derivatives) and a concomitant increase in the amounts of products formed by intermolecular reactions (single-, double- and triple-bridged derivatives) of cyclophosphazene.