Molecularly imprinted nano particles combined with miniaturized homogenous liquid–liquid extraction for the selective extraction of loratadine in plasma and urine samples followed by high performance liquid chromatography-photo diode array detection

In this work a molecularly imprinted polymer was developed as a selective sorbent for extraction of loratadine (as a model) in complex matrices followed by miniaturized homogeneous liquid–liquid extraction (MHLLE) for the first time. The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) which is based on loratadine as the template was synthesized successfully by precipitation polymerization and was used as a selective sorbent. This technique was applied for preconcentration, sample preparation, and determination of loratadine using high performance liquid chromatography-photo diode array detection (HPLC-PDA). Optimization of various parameters affecting molecular imprinted solid phase extraction (MISPE), such as pH of adsorption, composition and volume of eluent, adsorption and desorption times were investigated. Besides, in the subsequent stage (MHLLE) the type and volume of extraction solvent, sodium hydroxide amount, surfactant concentration, and extraction time were investigated and optimized. Under the optimal condition, maximum enrichment capacity and Langmuir constant were 91 mg g⁻¹ and 0.014 L mg⁻¹, respectively. Furthermore, enrichment factor and extraction recovery of MIP-MHLLE method were 30 and 90%, respectively. The LOD of the proposed method was 0.2 μg L⁻¹ and a linear dynamic range of 1–1000 μg L⁻¹ was obtained with correlation coefficient of greater than 0.998. The present method was applied for extraction and determination of loratadine in plasma and urine samples in μg L⁻¹ levels and satisfactory results were achieved (RSD <8% based on three replicate measurements).     

Preparation and characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), functionalized with phosphonic acid (MWCNTs–C–PO3H2) and its application as a novel,efficient, heterogeneous,highly selective and reusable catalyst for acetylation of alcohols,phenols, aromatic amines,and thiols

A novel, efficient, heterogeneous, and reusable multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), functionalized with phosphonic acid (MWCNTs–C–PO₃H₂) has been synthesized. The synthesized CNTs were characterized using some electron microscopic techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), and also some thermal and spectroscopic methods such as thermogravimetry (TG). The nitrogen adsorption behavior of the MWCNTs–C–PO₃H₂ catalyst was evaluated using the TG instrumentation system at 25 °C. The catalyst was applied successfully for highly efficient and selective acetylation of alcohols, phenols, thiols and aromatic amines with acetic anhydride at room temperature under solvent-free conditions. The reusability of the catalyst was checked and the recovered catalyst was reused for five runs without significant loss in activity.     

Nickel and cobalt ferrites nanoparticles: synthesis,study of magnetic properties and their use as magnetic adsorbent for removing lead(II) ion

Nano-sized nickel ferrite (NiFe₂O₄) and cobalt ferrite particles (CoFe₂O₄) were successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method. Techniques of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer and transmission electron microscope have been used to characterize and study the as-synthesized NiFe₂O₄ and CoFe₂O₄ products. The results showed that the average size of the nickel and cobalt ferrite nanoparticles is smaller than 10 and 100 nm, respectively. The results of magnetic measurement showed that the synthesized NiFe₂O₄ and CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were superparamagnetic and soft ferromagnetic materials, respectively. Study of adsorption behavior showed that these nanoparticles can act as a good adsorbent for removing Pb²⁺.     

Robust stability of impulsive synchronization in hyperchaotic systems

In this paper the impulsive synchronization of general continuous chaotic and hyperchaotic systems is investigated. The robust stability of the synchronization method is examined in the presence of uncertainties both on linear and nonlinear parts of the system dynamics and the channel noise. Conditions on the impulse distances are derived for different cases. Numerical simulations are presented to show the effectiveness of the method.     

Potentiometric determination of silver(I) by selective membrane electrode based on derivative of porphyrin.

The performance of silver metal complexes with meso-tetraphenylporphyrin ([H2T(4-CH3)]PP) as ionophores for ion-selective electrodes was studied. The electrode exhibited linear response with Nernstian slope of 59.2 +/- 1.0 mV per decade within the concentration range of 1.0 x 10(-7)-1.0 x 10(-1) M silver ions. The limit of detection as determined from the intersection of the extrapolated linear segments of the calibration plot, was 1.0 x 10(-7) M. The response time of the electrode was < 10 s over the entire concentration range. The silver-selective electrode exhibited good selectivity for Ag(I) with respect to alkali, alkaline earth and heavy metal ions. The electrodes could be used at least three months without a considerable divergence in their potential. The electrodes are suitable for use in aqueous solutions in a wide pH range of 3.0-9.0. They were used as indicator electrodes in titration of Ag(I) with sodium iodide solution and were successfully applied to direct determination of silver in real samples.     

Current applications of organocatalysts in asymmetric aldol reactions: An update

The aldol reaction is one of the most important carbon–carbon bond formations in synthetic organic chemistry. An enantioselective aldol reaction should provide an enantioenriched product. The organocatalytic asymmetric aldol reaction via an in situ generated enamine intermediate is one of the most powerful synthetic tools to achieve enantiomerically pure products. This approach is often used to obtain chiral β-hydroxycarbonyl compounds with excellent enantioselectivity. In this report, we update our previous review regarding the applications of organocatalysts in asymmetric aldol reactions leading to chiral β-hydroxycarbonyl compounds as versatile synthetic motifs frequently found in pharmaceutically desired intermediates and biologically active naturally occurring compounds.     

On-line solid phase extraction system using 1,10-phenanthroline immobilized on surfactant coated alumina for the flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of copper and cadmium

An on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) preconcentration system coupled to flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FAAS) was developed for determination of copper and cadmium at μg L⁻¹ level. The method is based on the on-line retention of copper and cadmium on a microcolumn of alumina modified with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 1,10-phenanthroline and subsequent elution with ethanol and determination by FAAS. The effect of chemical and flow variables that could affect the performance of the system was investigated. The relative standard deviation (n = 6) at 20 μg L⁻¹ level for copper and cadmium were 1.4 and 2.2% and the corresponding limits of detection (based on 3σ) were 0.04 and 0.14 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The method was successfully applied to determination of copper and cadmium in human hair and water samples.     

Spectrophotometric Studies of the Thermodynamics of Molecular Complexation between Free Base Meso-Tetraarylporphyrins and Iodine(III) Chloride

A spectrophotometric method was used for the molecular complexation of ICl₃ with para-substituted meso-tetraarylporphyrins (H₂t(4-X)pp; X: OCH₃, CH(CH₃)₂, CH₃, H and Cl) in methanol/chloroform (2.5% v/v) solution. The equilibrium constants and the thermodynamic parameters were measured spectrophotometrically at various temperatures for 1:1 molecular complex formation of meso-tetraarylporphyrins as electron donors with ICl₃ as the electron acceptor. The formation constants for the molecular complexes change according to the following trend: [ICl₃(H₂t(4-OCH₃)pp)]>[ICl₃(H₂t(4-CH(CH₃)₂)pp)]>[ICl₃(H₂t(4-CH₃)pp)]>[ICl₃(H₂tpp)]>([ICl₃(H₂t(4-Cl)pp)]. Further, the thermodynamic parameters, ΔG ^o,ΔH ^o and ΔS ^o, for formation of the complexes were obtained.     

Thermodynamics of higher dimensional topological charged AdS black branes in dilaton gravity

In this paper, we study topological AdS black branes of (n+1)-dimensional Einstein–Maxwell-dilaton theory and investigate their properties. We use the area law, surface gravity and Gauss law interpretations to find entropy, temperature and electrical charge, respectively. We also employ the modified Brown and York subtraction method to calculate the quasilocal mass of the solutions. We obtain a Smarr-type formula for the mass as a function of the entropy and the charge, compute the temperature and the electric potential through the Smarr-type formula and show that these thermodynamic quantities coincide with their values which are calculated through using the geometry. Finally, we perform a stability analysis in the canonical ensemble and investigate the effects of the dilaton field and the size of black brane on the thermal stability of the solutions. We find that large black branes are stable but for small black brane, depending on the value of dilaton field and type of horizon, we encounter with some unstable phases.     

Taub–NUT black holes in third order Lovelock gravity

We consider the existence of Taub–NUT solutions in third order Lovelock gravity with cosmological constant, and obtain the general form of these solutions in eight dimensions. We find that, as in the case of Gauss–Bonnet gravity and in contrast with the Taub–NUT solutions of Einstein gravity, the metric function depends on the specific form of the base factors on which one constructs the circle fibration. Thus, one may say that the independence of the NUT solutions on the geometry of the base space is not a robust feature of all generally covariant theories of gravity and is peculiar to Einstein gravity. We find that when Einstein gravity admits non-extremal NUT solutions with no curvature singularity at r=N$r=N$, then there exists a non-extremal NUT solution in third order Lovelock gravity. In 8-dimensional spacetime, this happens when the metric of the base space is chosen to be CP³${\mathbb{CP}}^3$. Indeed, third order Lovelock gravity does not admit non-extreme NUT solutions with any other base space. This is another property which is peculiar to Einstein gravity. We also find that the third order Lovelock gravity admits extremal NUT solution when the base space is T²×T²×T²$T^2\times T^2\times T^2$ or S²×T²×T²$S^2\times T^2\times T^2$. We have extended these observations to two conjectures about the existence of NUT solutions in Lovelock gravity in any even-dimensional spacetime.