Surface enhanced Raman scattering in organic thin films covered with silver, indium and magnesium

In situ resonant Raman spectroscopy was applied for the investigation of the interface formation between silver, indium and magnesium with polycrystalline organic semiconductor layers of 3,4,9,10-perylene tetra-carboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA). The spectral region of internal as well as external vibrational modes was recorded in order to achieve information related to the chemistry and the structure of the interface as well as to morphology of the metal layer. The experiments benefit from a strong enhancement of the internal mode scattering intensities which is induced by the rough morphology of deposited metals leading to surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The external modes, on the other hand, are attenuated at different rates indicating that the diffusion of the metal atoms into the crystalline layers is highest for indium and lowest for magnesium.     

Concise synthesis of quinazoline alkaloids, luotonins A and B, and rutaecarpine

The total synthesis of luotonin A was achieved in excellent yield by using a Pd-assisted biaryl coupling reaction of N-(bromoquinolinyl)methylquinazolinone with Cy₃P and KOAc. The successive treatment of luotonin A with NBS and aq. AgNO₃ gave luotonin B in good yield. Although the Pd-assisted coupling reaction of N-(2-bromoindolyl)ethylquinazolinone with Cy₃P and KOAc yielded rutaecarpine in poor yield, N-acetate under the same reaction conditions yielded the desired rutaecarpine directly in excellent yield.     

The effect of hydration/dehydration on the AC electrical conductivity of H4PVMo11O40 and some of its cesium salts used as catalysts

Changes in AC electrical conductance G of vanadium substituted 12-molybdophosphoric acid and of its (mono)-acid and neutral cesium salts were studied. Depending on the environment, the electrical conductivity is a combination of protonic and electronic conduction, the protonic one dominating at low temperature.     

The heterocyclization of several reactive polymers Poly(parabanic acids)

Some poly(parabanic acids) were synthesized by intermolecular reaction between the urea group from polyureas and oxalyl chloride in the presence of pyridine as catalyst. All the synthesized polyureas and poly(parabanic acids) were characterized by thermogravimetric, i.r. and elemental analysis.     

Kinetic parameters determination in non-isothermal conditions for the crystallisation of a silica-soda-lead glass

Two integral isoconversional methods (Flynn–Wall–Ozawa and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose) and the invariant kinetic parameters method (IKP) were used in order to examine the kinetics of the non-isothermal crystallisation of a silica-soda-lead glass. The objective of the paper is to show the usefulness of the IKP method to determine both the activation parameters and the kinetic model of the investigated process. Thismethod associated with the criterion of coincidence of kinetic parameters for all heating rates and some procedures of the evaluation of the parameter from Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Erofeev–Kolmogorov (JMAEK) equation led us to the following kinetic triplet: activation energy, E=170.5±2.5 kJ mol^–1 , pre-exponential factor, A=1.178±0.350·10 10 min^–1 and JMAEK model (A _m) m=1.5.     

Oleogel Formulations for the Topical Delivery of Betulin and Lupeol in Skin Injuries—Preparation,Physicochemical Characterization,and Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation

The skin integrity is essential due to its pivotal role as a biological barrier against external noxious factors. Pentacyclic triterpenes stand as valuable plant-derived natural compounds in the treatment of skin injuries due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and healing properties. Consequently, the primary aim of the current investigation was the development as well as the physicochemical and pharmaco-toxicological characterization of betulin- and lupeol-based oleogels (Bet OG and Lup OG) for topical application in skin injuries. The results revealed suitable pH as well as organoleptic, rheological, and textural properties. The penetration and permeation of Bet and Lup oleogels through porcine ear skin as well as the retention of both oleogels in the skin were demonstrated through ex vivo studies. In vitro, Bet OG and Lup OG showed good biocompatibility on HaCaT human immortalized cells. Moreover, Bet OG exerted a potent wound-healing property by stimulating the migration of the HaCaT cells. The in ovo results demonstrated the non-irritative potential of the developed formulations. Additionally, the undertaken in vivo investigation indicated a positive effect of oleogels treatment on skin parameters by increasing skin hydration and decreasing erythema. In conclusion, oleogel formulations are ideal for the local delivery of betulin and lupeol in skin disorders.     

Gold nanoparticle-quantum dot-polystyrene microspheres as fluorescence resonance energy transfer probes for bioassays

The paper describes the development of highly sensitive particle-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes that do not use molecular fluorophores as donors and acceptors. In these probes, CdSe/ZnS luminescent quantum dots (QDs) were capped with multiple histidine-containing peptides to increase their aqueous solubility while maintaining their high emission quantum yield and spectral properties. The peptide-modified QDs (QD-His) were covalently attached to carboxyl-modified polystyrene (PS) microspheres to form highly emitting PS microspheres (QD-PS). Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were then covalently attached to the QD-PS surface to form AuNP-QD-PS composite microspheres that were used as FRET probes. Attachment of AuNPs to QD-PS completely quenched the QD emission through FRET interactions. The emission of QD-PS was restored when the AuNPs were removed from the surface by thiol ligand displacement. The new AuNP-QD-PS FRET platform is simple to prepare and highly stable, and it opens many new possibilities for carrying out FRET assays on microparticle-based platforms and in microarrays. The versatility of these assays could be greatly increased by replacing the linkers between the QDs and AuNPs with ones that selectively respond to specific cleaving agents or enzymes.     

Synthesis, characterization and bioevaluation of partially stabilized cements for medical applications

Materials for dental applications, i.e., white mineral trioxide aggregate (WMTA) and partial stabilized cements (PSC) were obtained using the sol-gel method. The presence of ZnO or/and CaF₂ additions in the starting mixture induced changes in the composition, morphology and grindability of PSCs as compared with WMTA. The presence of foreign elements (Zn or F) in the crystalline lattice of mineralogical phases, increased their grindability. Thermal analysis (TG&DTA) was used to assess the kinetics of hydration process in binding systems based on WMTA/PSCs. The presence of foreign elements in PSCs systems increases the reactivity vs. water of these materials and consequently, the compressive strength developed after 28 days of hardening at 37°C are higher as compared with WMTA. The in vitro bioevaluation results (trypan blue staining, eukaryotic cells cycle assay by flowcytometry) accounted for a high biocompatibilty of the obtained materials demonstrating their potential use for biomedical applications.      

Synthesis, characterization and bioevaluation of irinotecan-collagen hybrid materials for biomedical applications as drug delivery systems in tumoral treatments

The purpose of the present study is the preparation and characterization of collagen/antitumor drug hybrids as drug delivery systems. Materials used for obtaining collagen-based drug delivery systems were collagen type I (Coll) as matrix and irinotecan (I) as hydrophilic active substances. After incorporation of I into Coll in differing ratios, the obtained hybrid materials (Coll/I) could be used according to our results as potential drug delivery systems in medicine for the topical (local) treatment of cancerous tissues or bone. The released amount of I varies with amount of Coll from hybrid materials: the higher, the slower the release amount of irinotecan transferred is in the first 6 hours. The in vitro citotoxicity demonstrates an antitumoral activity of the obtained hybrid materials and their potential use for biomedical applications as drug delivery systems in tumoral treatments.      

Green Synthesis,Characterization, and Antibacterial Properties of Silver Nanoparticles Obtained by Using Diverse Varieties of Cannabis sativa Leaf Extracts

Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) is a plant used in the textile industry and green building material industry, as well as for the phytoremediation of soil, medical treatments, and supplementary food products. The synergistic effect of terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids in hemp extracts may mediate the biogenic synthesis of metal nanoparticles. In this study, the chemical composition of aqueous leaf extracts of three varieties of Romanian hemp (two monoecious, and one dioecious) have been determined by Fourier-Transformed Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), high-performance liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-MS). Then, their capability to mediate the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their pottential antibacterial applications were evaluated. The average antioxidant capacity of the extracts had 18.4 ± 3.9% inhibition determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^•) and 78.2 ± 4.1% determined by 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS™) assays. The total polyphenolic content of the extracts was 1642 ± 32 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) L⁻¹. After this, these extracts were reacted with an aqueous solution of AgNO₃ resulting in AgNPs, which were characterized by UV−VIS spectroscopy, FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The results demonstrated obtaining spherical, stable AgNPs with a diameter of less than 69 nm and an absorbance peak at 435 nm. The mixture of extracts and AgNPs showed a superior antioxidant capacity of 2.3 ± 0.4% inhibition determined by the DPPH^• assay, 88.5 ± 0.9% inhibition as determined by the ABTS^•+ assay, and a good antibacterial activity against several human pathogens: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Staphylococcus aureus.