Combination of Dispersive Liquid‐Liquid Microextraction with Flame Atomic Absorption for Determination of Trace Ni and Co in Water Samples and Vitamin B12

A dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction method based on the dispersion of 1,2‐dichlorobenzene as an extraction solvent into an aqueous phase in the presence of ethanol as a dispersive solvent for the preconcentration of Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions is discussed. 1‐Nitroso 2‐naphtol was used as a chelating agent prior to the extraction and the preconcentrated analyte was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The effect of various experimental parameters including the extraction and dispersive solvent type and volume, pH, amount of the chelating agent, etc. on the microextraction and complex formation was investigated for finding the optimum conditions. The enhancement factors were about 61.9 and 51.8, the calibration graphs were linear in the range of 10‐150 μgL^?1 and 10‐250 μgL^?1 with detection limits of 2.42 μgL^?1 and 1.59 μgL^?1, and RSD (n = 5) of 3.08% and 2.17% for cobalt and nickel, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the determination of Co and Ni in water and vitamin B₁₂.     

Light‐Driven Reversible Alignment Switching of Liquid Crystals Enabled by Azo Thiol Grafted Gold Nanoparticles

Stimuli‐directed alignment control of liquid crystals (LCs) with desired molecular orientation is currently in the limelight for the development of smart functional materials and devices. Here, photoresponsive azo thiol (AzoSH) was grafted onto gold nanoparticles (GNPs). The resulting hybrid GNPs were able to homogeneously mix with a commercially available nematic LC host, as evidenced by Cryo‐TEM. Interestingly, the LC nanocomposites were found to undergo reversible alignment transition upon light irradiation as a consequence of the trans–cis photoisomerization of the azo groups on the GNP surface. LC molecules in either planar or bare glass cells were able to change their alignment to vertical upon UV irradiation, while the vertically aligned LC molecules returned to the planar or random orientation under visible irradiation. Neither the azo thiol molecules nor the unfunctionalized GNPs alone promoted the alignment of the LC molecules in the system upon light irradiation. The photoinduced vertical alignment without applied electric or magnetic field was very stable over time and with respect to temperature. Furthermore, an optically switchable device based on the photostimulated reversible alignment control of LCs was demonstrated.     

Microwave‐Assisted Catalyst Free Three Component Synthesis of Mono and Bis Spiro Pyrazolopyridines in Solvent Free Reaction

Multicomponent synthesis of mono and bis‐spiro pyrazolopyridines from isatin derivatives, indanedione, and 3‐methyl‐5‐aminopyrazole under microwave irradiation in the absence of any catalyst or solvent with high yield and short reaction time is reported.     

Genetic diversity and haplotype structure of 21 Y‐STRs,including nine noncore loci,in South Tunisian Population: Forensic relevance

Y chromosome STRs (Y‐STRs) are being used frequently in forensic laboratories. Previous studies of Y‐STR polymorphisms in different groups of the Tunisian population identified low levels of diversity and discrimination capacity (DC) using various commercial marker sets. This definitely limits the use of such systems for Y‐STRs genotyping in Tunisia. In our investigation on South Tunisia, 200 unrelated males were typed for the 12 conventional Y‐STRs included in the PowerPlex® Y System. Additional set of nine noncore Y‐STRs including DYS446, DYS456, DYS458, DYS388, DYS444, DYS445, DYS449, DYS710, and DYS464 markers were genotyped and evaluated for their potential in improving DC. Allele frequency, gene diversity, haplotype diversity (HD), and DC calculation revealed that DYS464 was the most diverse marker followed by DYS710 and DYS449 markers. The standard panel of 12 Y‐STRs (DC = 80.5%) and the nine markers were combined to obtain DC of 99%. Among the 198 different haplotypes observed, 196 haplotypes were unique (HD = 99.999). Out of the nine noncore set, six Y‐STRs (DYS458, DYS456, DYS449, DYS710, DYS444, and DYS464) had the greatest impact on enhancing DC. Our data provided putative Y‐STRs combination to be used for genetic and forensic applications.     

On the theta completions for maximal subalgebras

Let L be a finite dimensional Lie algebra. Then for a maximal subalgebra M of L, a 𝜃-completion for M is a subalgebra C of L such that CM and M_L?C and C∕M_L contains no non-zero ideal of L∕M_L, properly. And a 𝜃-completion C of M is said to be a strong 𝜃-completion, if C = L or there exists a subalgebra B of L such that C be maximal in B and B is not a 𝜃-completion for M. These are analogous to the concepts of 𝜃-completion and strong 𝜃-completion of a maximal subgroup of a finite group. Now, we consider the influence of these concepts on the structure of a finite dimensional Lie algebra.     

Ab initio spectroscopic study for the NaRb molecule in ground and excited states

A wide adiabatic study is performed for NaRb molecule, involving 15¹Σ⁺ electronic states including the ionic state Na^?Rb⁺, as well as 14³Σ⁺, 1–9^1,3Π, and 1–5^1,3Δ states. This investigation is performed using an ab initio approach which involves the effective core potential, the core polarization potential with l‐dependent cut‐off functions. The NaRb system has been treated as a two‐electron system and the full valence configuration interaction is easily achieved. The spectroscopic constants R_e, D_e, T_e, ω_e, ω_ex_e, B_e, and D₀ for all these states are derived. We have also computed the vibrational levels as well their spacing for different values of J. In addition, permanent and transition dipole moments are determined and analyzed. The Dunham coefficients have been used to perform experimental spacing to compare directly with our results. The present calculations on NaRb extend previous theoretical works to numerous electronic excited states in the various symmetries. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Ambient synthesis of spiro[4H-pyran-oxindole] derivatives under [BMIm]BF4 catalysis

A simple and efficient one-pot approach for assembling some fused spiro[4H-pyran-oxindole] heterocycles by means of three-component reactions between isatins, malononitrile or ethyl cyano-acetate, and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds is reported. The combinatorial syntheses were achieved for the first time without applying extra activation energy at ambient temperature while making use of [BMIm]BF₄ as an ionic liquid catalyst. Good functional group tolerance and broad scope of usable substrates are other prominent features of the present methodology.     

Water increases rates of epoxidation by Mn(III)porphyrins/imidazole/IO4(-) in CH2Cl2. Analogy with peroxidase and chlorite dismutase

Manganese(III)-meso-tetraphenylporphyrin [Mn(TPP)] and manganese(III)-meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin [Mn(TPFPP)] catalyse the epoxidation of cyclooctene by IO(4)(-) in the presence of excess imidazoles, in both dry CH(2)Cl(2) and CH(2)Cl(2) saturated with H(2)O. The reaction rates of the electron deficient Mn(TPFPP) are a factor 24 less than those of Mn(TPP); however, the former increases 15-30 times in the presence of water, while those of Mn(TPP) do so by a factor of 2-3. The most striking catalytic enhancement caused by the addition of water was observed with 2-methylimidazole and Mn(TPFPP). As deprotonation of imidazoles may play a significant role in the presence of water, we found that manganese(III)-meso-tetrakis(phenyl-4-sulfonato)porphyrin [Mn(TPPS)] decreases the NH proton pK(a) of axially coordinated imidazole from 14.2 to 9.5. We conclude that the imidazole ligand is partially deprotonated in the presence of water. The latter enables the solvation of imidazolium ions that are formed simultaneously. The imidazolate form of the co-catalyst is a much stronger donor than the imidazole itself, providing electron density to Mn(III) and thus promoting oxygen transfer. The failure of N-methylimidazole to increase the reaction rates upon addition of water supports this hypothesis. A functionally related deprotonation has been shown to occur in horseradish peroxidase (J. S. de Ropp, V. Thanabal, G. N. La Mar, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1985, 107, 8270-8272) and in chlorite dismutase (B. R. Goblirsch, B. R. Streit, J. L. Dubois, C. M. Wilmot, J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 2010, 15, 879-888). Mn(III)porphyrins in combination with imidazoles and water constitute a functional biomimetic model of peroxidases.