Electrochemical sensing of DNA-adriamycin interactions

Adriamycin, a cancerostatic anthracycline antibiotic, causes considerable death of tumour cells, together with the induction of breaks in DNA single and double strands. The interaction of this compound with DNA was investigated using an electrochemical DNA-biosensor. Adriamycin intercalation in DNA disrupts the double helix and the detection of guanine and 8-oxoguanine could mimic one possible mechanism for the in vivo adriamycin drug action.     

Different multidimensional chromatographic approaches applied to the study of wine malolactic fermentation

Different multidimensional chromatographic techniques were used to study wine aroma pattern changes during malolactic fermentation (MLF). Ethyl lactate enantiomeric ratios were determined using on-line multidimensional gas chromatography. The values found agree with a spontaneous MLF. Off-line multidimensional HPLC/GC was used to deconvolute and enrich the sample and ease enantioselective chromatography. Chiral compound enantiomeric ratio changes during MLF were monitored. Evaluation of enantiomeric ratio changes during MLF has never been studied. (R,R), (S,S) and meso-butane-2,3-diol and pentane-2,4-diol (reported in wines for the first time) were submitted to untrained sensory panel tests. All stereoisomers revealed different sensory notes; pentane-2,4-diol showed an aromatic impact.     

Assessment of polymeric flocculants in oily water systems

Oil-in-water emulsions are usually formed during oil production and treatment. Before being discarded, such dispersions should be treated. In order to improve the oil–water separation process using physical processes (decantation, flotation, centrifugation, etc.) the particle size of the disperse phase should be increased. This may be achieved through flocculation, which consists in the agglomeration of various particles or drops, using, as flocculating agents, high molecular weight hydrophilic macromolecules. A few studies have been carried out on the flocculation of finely divided oil drops in brine with the aid of generally ionic polyelectrolytes. This work shows the results obtained using nonionic polymers as flocculants. Commercial samples of poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxide) and poly(vinyl alcohol) were evaluated through flocculation–flotation tests as well as the drop size distribution. The performance of such additives as flocculants for oil–water dispersions is related to their structure, composition, molecular weight and hydrophilic–lipophilic balance. The composition of the produced water is also an important parameter when choosing the features of the flocculant additive.     

Kinetic study of template removal of MCM-41 nanostructured material

The siliceous MCM-41 molecular sieve was synthesized starting from a hydrogel with the following molar composition: 4.58SiO₂:0.437Na₂O:1CTMABr:200H₂O. The cetyltetramethylammonium bromide (CTMABr) was used as structure template. A kinetic study of template removal after the syntheses was performed by Vyazovkin model-free kinetic method obtaining apparent activation energy of 166±8.2 kJ mol^-1. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Copolymerization of ethylene/unsaturated alcohols using nickel catalysts: effect of the ligand on the activity and comonomer incorporation

The nickel complexes {bis[N,N′-di(2-t-butylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene} dibromonickel (1-NiBr₂) and {bis[N,N′-di(2-phenylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene} dibromonickel (2-NiBr₂) were studied in homo-, co- and terpolymerization of ethylene and propylene with polar monomers and the results compared to those previously obtained with another catalyst precursor [bis(N,N′-dimesitylimino)acenaphthene] dibromonickel (3-NiBr₂). In order to understand the effect of the ligand in the activity and rate of comonomer incorporation some theoretical studies, using both a semi-empirical molecular orbital method and a density-functional theory model, were performed. Good agreement was found between the computed parameters and the experimental results for the order of homo-polymerization, the differences in polymer molecular weight distribution, and, in some cases, the incorporation of functionalized copolymers in the case of copolymerization, and also on the inhibition effects caused by these copolymers.     

Isolation and structure determination of bioactive isoflavones from callus culture of Dipteryx odorata

Crude extracts of callus and roots of Dipteryx odorata were analyzed by HPLC to detect and quantify isoflavone contents. Based on spectroscopic and X-ray crystallography data the structures of two isoflavones were elucidated as 7-hydroxy-4',6-dimethoxyisoflavone and 3',7-dihydroxy-4',6-dimethoxyisoflavone. The production of dry biomass of 7-hydroxy-4',6-dimethoxyisoflavone in cultured callus was 4.12 mg/g, approximately eleven fold higher than the amount accumulated in roots of D. odorata wild-growing plants. The 7-hydroxy-4',6-dimethoxyisoflavone was effective against glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Trypanosoma cruzi. This is the first report on those bioactive isoflavones accumulated in callus of D. odorata.     

Thermogravimetric and calorimetric evaluation of babassu biodiesel obtained by the methanol route

The growing petroleum deficit requires the development of alternative fuel sources. Biodiesel is a good alternative, as it is a biodegradable and renewable product, which obeys the carbon cycle. In this work, the biodiesel from babassu was synthesized using the methanol route, and characterized by physico-chemical analyses in order to make able the investigated biodiesel to fulfill with its properties the requirements of Brazilian National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuel (ANP). Besides gas chromatography, IR spectroscopy experiments and thermoanalytical measurements in air and in nitrogen were done to determine the main thermal decomposition processes and calorimetric events. The evaporation temperature of babassu biodiesel was similar in both atmospheres, started around 52 in air and around 60°C in nitrogen.     

Tellurium‐Halogen Secondary Bonding in the Crystal Structures of [Q]+[PhTeCl4]— (Q = C5NH6, 2‐Br‐C5NH5, {2‐Br‐C5NH5}{Co(NH3)4Cl2})

The reaction of diphenylditelluride with pyridine, 2‐bromopyridine or 2‐bromopyridine/tetraamminedichlorocobalt(III) chloride in 12 M hydrochloric acid afforded the tetrachlorophenyltellurate(IV) compounds [C₅NH₆][PhTeCl₄] ( 1 ), [2‐Br‐C₅NH₅] [PhTeCl₄] ( 2 ), and [{2‐Br‐C₅NH₅}{Co(NH₃)₄Cl₂}] [PhTeCl₄]₂ ( 3 ). They were all characterized structurally by single crystal X‐ray diffraction. In all structures, the arrangement about the tellurium atoms is square pyramidal. The [PhTeCl₄]^— anions in 1 and 2 form trimeric and dimeric units, respectively, through Te···Cl secondary bonding. Compound 3 shows an unusual face‐to‐face packing of the [PhTeCl₄]^—anions with hydrogen bonding to the bromopyridium cation.     

Optical and morphological characterization of polyacrylamide hydrogel and liquid crystal systems

In this work, the thermotropic liquid crystal MBBA (N-(4-methoxybenzilidene)-4-butylaniline), entrapped on hydrogels, based on cross-linked polyacrylamide (PAAm), was studied. The liquid crystalline phases of system were characterized by polarized optical microscopy (POM), refractive index, optical transmittance, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and water loss. It was verified the presence of birefringence on hydrogel + liquid crystal. The dynamic of formation of such birefringence finished 40 days after the hydrogel synthesis. The effective birefringence Δn, i.e., the difference on refractive index of polyacrylamide hydrogel to refractive index of hydrogel + liquid crystal (Δn₁) and the difference on refractive index of liquid crystal (MBBA) to refractive index of hydrogel + liquid crystal (Δn₂) are dependent of content of acrylamide (AAm) and MBBA on hydrogel. The increase on Δn₁ and Δn₂ with the polyacrylamide content on hydrogel was attributed to decreasing of the mobility liquid crystal inside the hydrogel. Also, an increase on MBBA concentration in the polymeric matrix provides a reduction in the values of optical transmittance in the system. The morphology observed by SEM shows that hydrogel + liquid crystal is more compact that PAAm hydrogels. The presence of MBBA causes an increase in hydrophobicity. The water loss speed is favored by the increase in the amount of MBBA present in the hydrogels.