Synthesis and electrochemical properties of spinel LiMn2O4 prepared by the rheological phase method

Pure-phase and well-crystallized spinel LiMn₂O₄ powders were successfully synthesized by a simple rheological phase method. The thermal behavior and structure properties of the powders prepared by the rheological phase method compared with the solid-state reaction were investigated by thermogravimetry, powder X-ray diffraction , scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. According to the results of the electrochemical tests, it is obvious that the sample resulting from the rheological phase method shows higher discharge capacity and better cycling stability than one formed in the solid-state reaction. The cyclic voltammogram and columbic efficiency curves also confirm that the product by the rheological phase method has a good cycling performance due to its fine cubic spinel structure and morphology.     

Determination of nalidixic acid by fluorometry with sodium borohydride and hydrogen peroxide

A simple and sensitive fluorometric method for the determination of nalidixic acid was established by using 0.75M sodium borohydride and 7.5% hydrogen peroxide solution as fluorogenic reagents. Analyte concentrations of 0.0232-11.6 pg/mL could be determined with high precision and accuracy by the method. A relative standard deviation of 1.75% was obtained for a nalidixic acid concentration of 0.232 pg/mL. The method was satisfactorily applied to the determination of nalidixic acid in human serum, fish muscle, and chicken muscle, and the calibration curves were linear from 0.23 to 58.00 pg/mL, from 9.28 to 32.48 mg/kg, and from 4.64 to 23.20 mg/kg, respectively. The specificity of the reaction is also discussed.     

Study of a molecular imprinting polymer coated BAW bio-mimic sensor and its application to the determination of caffeine in human serum and urine

A bio-mimic bulk acoustic wave (BAW) sensor was fabricated by coating the caffeine (CAF) template molecular imprinting polymer (MIP). This sensor exhibited high selectivity and a sensitive mass response to CAF. The response range of the sensor was between 5.0 x 10(-9) and 1.0 x 10(-4) M with a detection limit of 5.0 x 10(-9) M at pH 8.0. Recoveries were 96.1-105.6%. Influencing factors were investigated in detail and optimized. When employed to detect real samples, the proposed method proved to be a convenient method with the advantages of high sensitivity, good selectivity and ease of handling.     

Silica nanoparticles for separation of biologically active amines by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced native fluorescence detection

This paper describes the analysis of biologically active amines by capillary electrophoresis (CE) in conjunction with laser-induced native fluorescence detection. In order to simultaneously analyze amines and acids as well as to achieve high sensitivity, 10 mM formic acid solutions (pH < 4.0) containing silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) were chosen as the background electrolytes. With increasing SiNP concentration, the migration times for seven analytes decrease as a result of increase in electroosmotic flow (EOF) and decrease in their electrophoretic mobilities against EOF. A small EOF generated at pH 3.0 reveals adsorption of SiNPs on the deactivated capillary wall. The decreases in electrophoretic mobilities with increasing SiNP concentration up to 0.3x indicate the interactions between the analytes and the SiNPs. Having a great sensitivity (the limits of detection at a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) = 3 of 0.09 nM for tryptamine (TA)), high efficiency, and excellent reproducibility (less than 2.4% of the migration times), this developed method has been applied to the analysis of urinal samples with the concentrations of 0.50 +/- 0.02 microM, 0.49 +/- 0.04 microM, and 74 +/- 2 microM for TA, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and tryptophan, respectively. The successful examples demonstrated in this study open up a possibility of using functional nanoparticles for the separation of different analytes by CE.     

Migration behavior and enantioseparation of hydrobenzoin and structurally related compounds in capillary zone electrophoresis with a dual cyclodextrin system consisting of heptakis-(2,3-dihydroxy-6-O-sulfo)-beta-cyclodextrin and beta-cyclodextrin

Migration behavior and enantioseparation of racemic hydrobenzoin and structurally related compounds, including benzoin and benzoin methyl ether, in CZE with a dual CD system consisting of heptakis-(2,3-dihydroxy-6-O-sulfo)-beta-CD (SI-S-beta-CD) and beta-CD as chiral selectors in the presence and absence of borate complexation at pH 9.0 were investigated. The results indicate that enantioseparation of hydrobenzoin is mainly governed by CD complexation of hydrobenzoin-borate complexes with SI-S-beta-CD when SI-S-beta-CD concentration is relatively high. Whereas CD complexation of hydrobenzoin-borate complexes with beta-CD plays a significant role in enantioseparation when SI-S-beta-CD concentration is comparatively low. The (S,S)-enantiomer of the hydrobenzoin-borate complex was found to interact more strongly than the corresponding (R,R)-enantiomer with both SI-S-beta-CD and beta-CD. These two types of CD show the same chiral recognition pattern, but they exhibit opposite effects on the mobility of the enantiomers of hydrobenzoin-borate complexes. Enantiomer migration reversal of hydrobenzoin occurred in the presence of borate complexation when varying the concentration of beta-CD, while keeping SI-S-beta-CD at a relatively low concentration. Binding constants of the enantiomers of benzoin-related compounds to beta-CD and those of hydrobenzoin-borate complexes to SI-beta-CD were evaluated; the mobility contributions of all complex species to the effective mobility of the enantiomers of hydrobenzoin as a function of beta-CD concentration in a borate buffer were analyzed. In addition, comparative studies on the enantioseparation of benzoin-related compounds with SI-S-beta-CD and with randomly sulfate-substituted beta-CD were made.     

Fabrication and performance of a three-dimensionally adjustable device for the amperometric detection of microchip capillary electrophoresis

A microchip CE-amperometric detection (AD) system has been fabricated by integrating a two-dimensionally adjustable CE microchip and an AD cell containing a one-dimensionally adjustable disk detection electrode in a Plexiglas holder. It facilitates the precise 3-D alignment between the channel outlet and the detection electrode without a complicated 3-D manipulator. The performance of this unique system was demonstrated by separating five aromatic amines (1,4-phenyldiamine, aniline, 2-methylaniline, 4-chloroaniline, and 1-naphthylamine) of environmental concern. Factors influencing their separation and detection processes were examined and optimized. The five analytes have been well separated within 140 s in a 74 cm long separation channel at a separation voltage of +2500 V using a 10 mM phosphate buffer (pH 3.5). Highly linear response is obtained for the five analytes over the range 20-200 microM with the detection limits ranging from 0.46 to 1.44 microM, respectively. The present system demonstrated long-term stability and reproducibility with RSDs of less than 5% for the peak current (n = 9). The new approach for the microchannel-electrode alignment should find a wide range of applications in CE, flowing injection analysis, and other microfluidic analysis systems.     

Novel fragmentation reaction of correolide

[reaction: see text] Pentacyclic triterpenoid natural product correolide (1) was converted to ketone 2 via ozonolysis. An unusual fragmentation reaction of ketone 2 with LiCl was discovered. This reaction is general among several similar substrates examined and appears to be specific for the correolide-type E-ring structure (ketone). A mechanism involving a retroaldol reaction, a nucleophilic opening of the epoxide, and a subsequent acetoxy elimination reaction was proposed.     

Lattice locations determination of trace amount carbon in gallium arsenide by theoretical calculation of CPAA with channeling

Combining the Charged Particle Activation Analysis (CPAA) and the Channeling Technique, the partial concentrations of the impurity carbon atoms in different crystal lattice locations of GaAs were claculated. The calculated results show that at lower total concentrations (0.3 ppm), carbon atoms occupy principally the octahedral and displaced octahedral interstitial positions, but at higher total concentrations (2 ppm), the substitutional carbon plays a principal role.     

One-electron oxidation of the iron(II) complex of 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-quinone A pulse radiolysis study

One-electron oxidation of the ferrous tris-PQ complex, a model for lipoxygenase, was attempted using oxidants such as •OH, N^•₃, Br^•-₂, Tl²⁺ and TlOH⁺. •OH was found to react with the complex with a bimolecular rate constant of (3.9±0.6)x10⁹dm³mol^-1s^-1, a rate which is not very dissimilar to that for the reaction with the ligand PQ. However the product of the reaction was found to be a OH-adduct rather than a cation radical. No reaction was found to occur with N^•₃ or Br^•-₂. Both Tl²⁺ and TlOH⁺ reacted with the complex to form its oxidised species with rate constants of (7.0±1)x10⁸dm³mol^-1s^-1 and (4.0±0.8)x10⁸dm³mol^-1s^-1, respectively. From a comparison of the rate constants and the transient spectra it was concluded that the centre of oxidation is the ligand rather than the metal.     

An Efficient Synthesis of 8-Amino-9-Benzylguanine

The reaction of 2,5-diamino-4-benzylamino-pyrimidin-6(III)-one (6) with benzoyl isothiocyanate furnished 2-amino-4-benzylamino-5-[1-(3-benzoylthioureido)]-pyrimidin-6(1H)-one (7) in good yield. The title compound I was synthesized from compound 7 via a cyclodesulfurative reaction with DCC in DMF at 80°C directly to form 8-benzoylamino-9-benzylguanine (9) which was subsequently treated with 1 N sodium hydroxide.