Determination of organophosphate pesticides at a carbon nanotube/organophosphorus hydrolase electrochemical biosensor

An amperometric biosensor for oganophosphorus (OP) pesticides based on a carbon nanotube (CNT)-modified transducer and an organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) biocatalyst is described. A bilayer approach with the OPH layer atop of the CNT film was used for preparing the CNT/OPH biosensor. The CNT layer leads to a greatly improved anodic detection of the enzymatically generated p-nitrophenol product, including higher sensitivity and stability. The sensor performance was optimized with respect to the surface modification and operating conditions. Under the optimal conditions the biosensor was used to measure as low as 0.15 μM paraoxon and 0.8 μM methyl parathion with sensitivities of 25 and 6 nA/μM, respectively.     

Simple preparation of alpha-diazo esters

[reaction: see text] The TiCl4-mediated reaction of an ester with benzoyl chloride results in high yields of the alpha-benzoylated ester. Diazo transfer of the benzoylated ester utilizing p-acetoamidobenzenesulfonyl azide affords the alpha-diazo ester in good yield. Using this simplified procedure, it is easy to prepare gram quantities of alpha-diazo esters.     

LC-MS–MS Determination of Pregabalin in Human Plasma

A rapid, sensitive and specific method to quantify pregabalin in human plasma using metaxalone as the internal standard is described. Sample preparation involved simple protein precipitation by using acetronitrile as solvent. The extract was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS–MS). Chromatography was performed isocratically on Thermo Hypurity C₁₈ 5 μm analytical column, (50 mm × 4.6 mm i.d.). The assay of pegabalin was linear calibration curve over the range 10.000–10000.000 ng mL^?1. The lower limit of quantification was 10.000 ng mL^?1 in plasma. The method was successfully applied to the bioequivalence study of pregabalin capsules (150.0 mg) administered as a single oral dose.     

Studies in spiroheterocycles,Part XV. Investigation of the reaction of 3-(2-oxocycloalkylidene)-indol-2-ones with thiourea and urea derivatives

The reaction of 3-(2-oxocycloalkylidene)indol-2-one 1 with thiourea and urea derivatives has been investigated. Reaction of 1 with thiourea and urea in ethanolic potassium hydroxide media leads to the formation of spiro-2-indolinones 2a-f in 40–50% yield and a novel tetracyclic ring system 4,5-cycloalkyl-1,3-diazepino-[4,5-b]indole-2-thione/one 3a-f in 30–35% yield. 3-(2-Oxocyclopentylidene)indol-2-one afforded 5′,6′-cyclopenta-2′-thioxo/ oxospiro[3H-indole-3,4′(3′H)pyrimidin]-2(1H)-ones 2a,b and 3-(2-oxocyclohexylidene)indol-2-one gave 2′,4′a,5′,6′,7′,8′- hexahydro-2′-thioxo/oxospiro[3H-indole-3,4′ (3′H)-quinazolin]-2(1H)-ones 2c-f . Under exactly similar conditions, reaction of 1 with fluorinated phenylthiourea/cyclohexylthiourea/phenylurea gave exclusively spiro products 2g-1 in 60–75% yield. The products have been characterized by elemental analyses, ir pmr. ¹⁹F nmr and mass spectral studies.     

Assembly of one dimensional inorganic nanostructures into functional 2D and 3D architectures. Synthesis, arrangement and functionality

This review will focus on the synthesis, arrangement, structural assembly, for current and future applications, of 1D nanomaterials (tubes, wires, rods) in 2D and 3D ordered arrangements. The ability to synthesize and arrange one dimensional nanomaterials into ordered 2D or 3D micro or macro sized structures is of utmost importance in developing new devices and applications of these materials. Micro and macro sized architectures based on such 1D nanomaterials (e.g. tubes, wires, rods) provide a platform to integrate nanostructures at a larger and thus manageable scale into high performance electronic devices like field effect transistors, as chemo- and biosensors, catalysts, or in energy material applications. Carbon based, metal oxide and metal based 1D arranged materials as well as hybrid or composite 1D materials of the latter provide a broad materials platform, offering a perspective for new entries into fascinating structures and future applications of such assembled architectures. These architectures allow bridging the gap between 1D nanostructures and the micro and macro world and are the basis for an assembly of 1D materials into higher hierarchy domains. This critical review is intended to provide an interesting starting point to view the current state of the art and show perspectives for future developments in this field. The emphasis is on selected nanomaterials and the possibilities for building three dimensional arrays starting from one dimensional building blocks. Carbon nanotubes, metal oxide nanotubes and nanowires (e.g. ZnO, TiO(2), V(2)O(5), Cu(2)O, NiO, Fe(2)O(3)), silicon and germanium nanowires, and group III-V or II-VI based 1D semiconductor nanostructures like GaS and GaN, pure metals as well as 1D hybrid materials and their higher organized architectures (foremost in 3D) will be focussed. These materials have been the most intensively studied within the last 5-10 years with respect to nano-micro integration aspects and their functional and application oriented properties. The critical review should be interesting for a broader scientific community (chemists, physicists, material scientists) interested in synthetic and functional material aspects of 1D materials as well as their integration into next higher organized architectures.     

Surface Modification of Ultra-high Molecular Weight Polyethylene Membranes Using Underwater Plasma Polymerization

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene membranes were modified and subsequently polymer coated using the underwater plasma produced by glow discharge electrolysis. This plasma pretreatment generated various O-functional groups among them OH groups have dominated. This modified inner (pore) surface of membranes showed complete wetting and strong adhesion to a hydrogel copolymerized by glow discharge electrolysis also. The deposited hydrogel consists of plasma polymerized acrylic acid crosslinked by copolymerization with the bifunctional N,N′-methylenebis(acrylamide). Tuning the hydrogel hydrophilicity and bio-compatibility poly(ethylene glycol) was chemically inserted into the copolymer. Such saturated polymer could only be inserted on a non-classic way by (partial) fragmentation and recombination thus demonstrating the exotic properties of the underwater plasma. The modification of membrane was achieved by squeezing the reactive plasma solution into the pores by plasma-induced shock waves and supported by intense stirring. The deposited copolymer hydrogel has filled all pores also in the inner of membrane as shown by scanning electron microscopy of cross-sections. The copolymer shows the characteristic units of acrylic acid and ethylene glycol as demonstrated by infrared spectroscopy. A minimum loss in carboxylic groups of acrylic acid during the plasma polymerization process was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Additional cell adhesion tests on copolymer coated polyethylene using IEC-6 cells demonstrated the bio-compatibility of the plasma-deposited hydrogel.     

Aqueous Aza-Michael Reaction of Conjugated Alkenes: Toward Spermine

An aqueous aza-Michael reaction is efficiently achieved with excellent conversions without any additives. The method works very well on a molar scale with selectively for aliphatic amines. An intermediate for spermine is also made by this green process.     

A New Generalized Bond Energy/Group Contribution Scheme for Calculating the Standard Heat of Formation of Monomers and Polymers. Part V. Oxygen Compounds

Abstract

The new generalized bond energy scheme has been extended to organic oxygen compounds. About 50 different types of bonds have been identified and their ΔH_f°(g) contributions and atomization energies evaluated by a procedure similar to multilinear regression analysis. Recent thermochemical data (1969-1973) on 145 oxygen compounds and about 80 ring compounds have been employed to test the efficiency of the scheme in predicting the gas phase heats of formation. This was found to be about ±0. 8 kcal/mole, which is quite comparable to the group contribution method of Benson and co-workers involving a much larger number of parameters.

The typical chemical bonds identified and resolved in respect of their bond energies bear good consistency and correlation with bond lengths and force constants measurable independently. Heats of formation and polymerization on about 47 monomer-polymer systems and enthalpies of other polymeric reactions have been predicted and compared with available experimental data.     

Persistent luminescence in Ca8Zn(SiO4)4Cl2:Eu2+

A new persistent, green emission is reported for europium activated Calcium Zinc Chlorosilicate (CZCS). The phosphor was prepared by the solid state reaction and characterized using XRD, PL and TL techniques. The decay was characterized by admixture of two exponential components with decay constants 20.2 and 101 s.