Adsorptive stripping voltammetry of sex hormones at the static mercury drop electrode

Controlled adsorptive accumulation of testosterone, methyltestosterone and progesterone on the static mercury drop electrode provides the basis for direct stripping measurement of these compounds ar nanomolar concentrations. The adsorptive stripping behavior is evaluated with respect to preconcentration time and potential, stripping mode, concentration dependence, drop size and other variables. With 5-min accumulation, peak current enhancements of 45, 18 anal 12 are observed for 5 × 10^?8 M testosterone, progesterone and methyltestosterone, respectively, relative to direct pulse voltammetry. Detection limits are 1.6 × 10^?10 M for testosterone, 2 × 10^?10 M for progesterone and 3.3 × 10^?10 M for methyltestosterone with 15-min preconcentration. The relative standard deviation for 8 × 10^?8 M progesterone is 3.4% (n=8). Applicability to direct measurements of methyltestosterone in pharmaceutical formulations is assessed.     

Electronic communication through the ureylene bridge: spectroscopy, structure and electrochemistry of dimethyl 1,1-ureylenedi(1-ferrocenecarboxylate)

Dimethyl 1^′,1^′-ureylenedi(1-ferrocenecarboxylate) (1) formed during the synthesis of 1-amino, 1^′-ferrocenecarboxylic acid shows virtual molecular centrosymmetry. Electronic coupling between the two Fc groups through the ureylene bridge results in both Fc groups being individually oxidizable (ΔE_1/2?0.14 V). The possible existence of intermolecular electronic communication has discussed. The oxidation was followed by spectroelectrochemistry. The separation between the two halfwave potentials ΔE_1/2=137±5 mV and the comproportionation constant K_c=207.     

Measurements of Temperatures and Electron Number Density in an Argon–Nitrogen Plasma Jet Generated by a dc Torch-Operation Close to Supersonic Threshold

An investigation of the plasma jet generated by a dc argon–nitrogen plasma torch, operated in association with a controlled-pressure chamber, is presented. The purpose of this article is to describe a study of the properties of a subsonic plasma jet under such operating conditions, when its transition to supersonic flow regime is nearly complete. The goal is that of performing plasma diagnostics not only in the initial region of the jet but also in the downstream region where the plasma emission is weak. For this purpose two different diagnostic methods are used. The first approach is based on non-intrusive optical emission spectroscopy, which yields both excitation and rotational temperatures as well as electron number density fields. The zone investigated by this method extends from the torch exit to about 10 nozzle diameters downstream. The second approach consisted of the use of the intrusive enthalpy probe technique for the measurement of the plasma gas temperature, mainly in the tail region of the plasma jet. In the present work, the effects of axial and radial distances across the jet, on the temperature and electron density profiles are discussed for subsonic flow conditions. Interesting features revealed are the data shown for the various diagnostic methods, which either disagree or overlap with each other. Finally, our results show the need for involving non-equilibrium models for the argon–nitrogen plasma due to the presence of significant differences between the temperatures of light and heavy particles.     

Optimization strategies for radiation induced grafting of 4-vinylpyridine onto poly(ethylene-co-tetraflouroethene) film using Box-Behnken design

The radiation induced grafting of 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP) onto poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethene) (ETFE) was optimized using the Box-Behnken factorial design available in the response surface method (RSM). The optimized grafting parameters; absorbed dose, monomer concentration, grafting time and reaction temperature were varied in four levels to quantify their effect on the grafting yield (GY). The validity of the statistical model was supported by the small deviation between the predicted (GY=61%) and experimental (GY=57%) values. The optimum conditions for enhancing GY were determined at the following values: monomer concentration of 48 vol%, absorbed dose of 64 kGy, reaction time of 4 h and temperature of 68 °C. A comparison was made between the optimization model developed for the present grafting system and that for grafting of 1-vinylimidazole (1-VIm) onto ETFE to confirm the validly and reliability of the Box-Behnken for the optimization of various radiation induced grafting reactions. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate the properties of the obtained films and provide evidence for grafting.     

High-efficiency ozone generation via electrochemical oxidation of water using Ti anode coated with Ni–Sb–SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Ozone (O₃) has been generated on Ni–Sb–SnO₂/Ti electrode as anode immersed in acidic media at 25 °C by electrochemical process. The anode was electrochemically characterized by cyclic voltammetry and morphologically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction. The concentration of dissolved ozone was determined by a UV/Vis spectrophotometer. The type of electrode with different times coating on the titanium mesh and different acid type and various concentrations (C _acid) were used, and the stability of the electrode was investigated under the experimental conditions by SEM images. Results shows that higher efficiency (53.7%) for O₃ generation by electrochemical oxidation of water were obtained in HClO₄ (1 M) and an applied potential of 2.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl in 150 ml volume undivided electrochemical cell.     

Bioguided isolation of pentacyclic triterpenes from the leaves of Alstonia scholaris (Linn.) R. Br. growing in Egypt

Ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the leaves and flowers of Alstonia scholaris were evaluated for their antioxidant activity by investigating their effect on blood glutathione levels in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The ethanolic extract of the leaves was the most active; therefore, its cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells was also tested. Promising GI?? values of 1.96, 4.34 and 4.65?μg?mL?1 were observed for the extract, its chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions, respectively. The chloroform active subfraction I (GI???=?2.97?μg?mL?1) yielded betulin (1), betulinic acid (2) and ursolic acid (3) upon purification. Compounds 1-3 were identified using spectroscopic techniques and by comparison with reported data. GLC of unsaponifiable and saponifiable fractions of the hexane extract revealed β-sitosterol (7.37%) and n-tetracosane (54.4%) to be the major sterol and hydrocarbon components, respectively. Linoleic acid (48.89%) was the predominant fatty acid.     

Using light and a molecular switch to 'lock' and 'unlock' the Diels-Alder reaction

Light is used to 'gate' the Diels-Alder reaction using a photoresponsive dithienylfuran backbone and turn the reversibility of the Diels-Alder reaction 'off' and 'on' at 100 °C. These features make the reported system an excellent candidate for developing the next generation of self-healing polymers and photothermal drug delivery vehicles.     

The impact of indium metal as a minor bimetal on the anodic dissolution and passivation performance of zinc for alkaline batteries: part I—potentiodynamic,potentiostatic, XRD,SEM, and EDAX studies

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Zinc metal is an important element that can be used for long-life alkaline batteries. In this work, it is found that the addition of minor amounts of...     

Role of novel oxazocine derivative as corrosion inhibitor for 304 stainless steel in acidic chloride pickling solutions

Inhibition of 304 stainless steel corrosion in acidic chloride pickling (1.0 M HCl) solutions by newly synthesized oxazocine derivative 4 as a corrosion inhibitor have been studied using weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization, and atomic absorption spectroscopy investigations. Potentiodynamic polarization curves show that the inhibitor behaves as a mixed-type. The adsorption of the inhibitor on the metal surface in the acid solution was found to obey Langmuir’s adsorption isotherm. The inhibition mechanism of the investigated inhibitor was discussed in terms of its adsorption on the metal surface. The relationship between the molecular structure and the inhibition efficiency was elucidated by quantum chemical calculations.