Investigations of the thermal stability and phase transformations in the system marocco phosphorite—(NH4)3H(SO4)2.NH4HSO4

Different physical chemical methods were used to study the thermochemical processes in a system involving a natural phosphate and complex acid salts of ammonium sulphate. The products of decomposition of the double ammonium salt and the products of their interactions with the phosphate were identified. The formation of ammonium and calcium polyphosphates and the disproportionation of P₃O ₁₀ ^5? and P₂O ₇ ^4? to PO ₄ ^3? and PO ₃ ^? were found to depend on the circumstances of the thermal interactions.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (R)-(+)-1-methoxyspirobrassinin, (2R,3R)-(−)-1-methoxyspirobrassinol methyl ether and their enantiomers or diastereoisomers

Stereoselective synthesis of cruciferous indole phytoalexin (R)-(+)-1-methoxyspirobrassinin and its unnatural (S)-(−)-enantiomer was achieved by spirocyclization of 1-methoxybrassinin in the presence of (+)- and (−)-menthol and subsequent oxidation of the obtained menthyl ethers. Methanolysis of menthyl ethers in the presence of TFA afforded (2R,3R)-(−)-1-methoxyspirobrassinol methyl ether as well its unnatural (2S,3S)-, (2R,3S)-, and (2S,3R)-isomers.     

Estimation of third virial coefficients at low reduced temperatures

We use the Clausius–Clapeyron equation to calculate third virial coefficients at low reduced temperatures. This procedure gives an alternative to predict third virial coefficients in a region where the third virial coefficient is difficult to measure. We compare the results of this method with published third virial coefficient data. Calculated third virial coefficients have average percentage deviations within 5% of the experimental values at reduced temperatures between 0.8 and 1.0.     

Isolation of selenium organic species from antarctic krill after enzymatic hydrolysis

Total selenium content and its distribution in the soluble and insoluble protein-bound fractions obtained after aqueous extraction of antarctic krill samples were determined. About 26% of the total selenium (2.4 g g^–1 dry weight) was found in the supernatant; the rest was in the pellet. Isolation of low molecular selenium-containing fractions was also performed by enzymatic digestion of the protein, followed by size-exclusion chromatography in conjunction with atomic absorption spectrometry. From the applied various proteinases (pronase E, subtilisin Carlsberg, trypsin, chymotrypsin, proteinase and proteinase N from Bacillus subtilis and Novo 0.6 MPX enzyme), the treatment with pronase E led to best recovery of selenium. About 96% of the total Se was found in the hydrolysate, mainly in low molecular weight fractions. Eighty percent of the Se species were in fractions with molecular weights in the range of amino acids and short peptides. High-performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) allowed the identification of selenomethionine and the assumption that selenocystine or its derivatives were the main species in these fractions.     

Evaluation of the Use of Elicitors for the Production of Antioxidant Compounds in Liquid Cultures of Ganoderma curtisii from Costa Rica

The use of substances or conditions as elicitors can significantly increase the production of secondary metabolites. In this research, the effects of different elicitors on the production of antioxidant secondary metabolites were evaluated in a strain of Ganoderma sp. The elicitors tested were pH changes in different growth phases of the fungus (pH 3, 5.5 and 8), different concentrations of peptone as a nitrogen source (1 g/L and 10 g/L), and the addition of chemical agents to the culture medium (ethanol, growth regulators, and salts). The alkaline pH during the stationary phase and the high availability of nitrogen were effective elicitors, producing cultures with higher antioxidant activity (37.87 g/L and 43.13 g/L dry biomass) although there were no significant differences with other treatments.     

Novel α-Aminophosphonates and α-Aminophosphonic Acids: Synthesis,Molecular Docking and Evaluation of Antifungal Activity against Scedosporium Species

The Scedosporium genus is an emerging pathogen with worldwide prevalence and high mortality rates that gives multidrug resistance to antifungals; therefore, pharmacological alternatives must be sought for the treatment of diseases caused by this fungus. In the present project, six new α-aminophosphates were synthesized by the Kabachnik–Fields multicomponent reaction by vortex agitation, and six new monohydrolyzed α-aminophosphonic acids were synthesized by an alkaline hydrolysis reaction. Antifungal activity was evaluated using the agar diffusion method as an initial screening to determine the most active compound compared to voriconazole; then it was evaluated against 23 strains of the genus Scedosporium following the M38-A2 protocol from CLSI (activity range: 648.76–700 µg/mL). Results showed that compound 5f exhibited the highest antifungal activity according to the agar diffusion method (≤1 mg/mL). Cytotoxicity against healthy COS-7 cells was also evaluated by the MTT assay and it was shown that compound 5f exhibits a lower toxicity in comparison to voriconazole at the same concentration (1000 µM). A docking study was conducted afterwards, showing that the possible mechanism of action of the compound is through the inhibition of allosteric 14-α-demethylase. Taking these results as a basis, 5f is presented as a compound with attractive properties for further studies.     

Application of Ni(II)-imprinted cross-linked poly(methacrylic acid) synthesised through double-imprinting method for the on-line preconcentration of Ni(II) ions in aqueous media

The present paper describes the feasibility of on-line preconcentration of nickel ions from aqueous medium on Ni(II)-imprinted cross-linked poly(methacrylic acid) (IIP) synthesised through a double-imprinting method and their subsequent determination by FAAS. The proposed method consisted in loading the sample (20.0 mL, pH 7.25) through a mini-column packed with 50 mg of the IIP for 2 min. The elution step was performed with 1.0 mol L^?1 HNO₃ at a flow rate of 7.0 mL min^?1. The following parameters were obtained: quantification limit (QL) – 3.74 µg L^?1, preconcentration factor (PF) – 36, consumption index (CI) – 0.55 mL, concentration efficiency (CE) – 18 min^?1, and sample throughput – 25 h^?1. The precision of the procedure assessed in terms of repeatability for ten determinations was 5.6% and 2.5% for respective concentrations of 5.0 and 110.0 µg L^?1. Moreover, the analytical curve was obtained in the range of 5.0–180.0 µg L^?1 (r = 0.9973), and a 1.64-fold increase in the method sensitivity was observed when compared with the analytical curve constructed for the NIP (non-imprinted polymer), thus suggesting a synergistic effect of the Ni(II) ions and CTAB on the adsorption properties of the IIP. The practical application of the adsorbent was evaluated from an analysis of tap, mineral, lake and river water. Considering the results of addition and recovery experiments (90.2–100 %), the efficiency of this adsorbent can be ensured for the interference-free preconcentration of the Ni(II) ions.     

Kinetic Study of the CCl2 Radical Recombination Reaction by Laser‐Induced Fluorescence Technique

An experimental setup that coupled IR multiple‐photon dissociation (IRMPD) and laser‐induced fluorescence (LIF) techniques was implemented to study the kinetics of the recombination reaction of dichlorocarbene radicals, CCl₂, in an Ar bath. The CCl₂ radicals were generated by IRMPD of CDCl₃. The time dependence of the CCl₂ radicals’ concentration in the presence of Ar was determined by LIF. The experimental conditions achieved allowed us to associate the decrease in the concentration of radicals to the self‐recombination reaction to form C₂Cl₄. The rate constant for this reaction was determined in both the falloff and the high‐pressure regimes at room temperature. The values obtained were k₀ = (2.23 ± 0.89) × 10^?29 cm⁶ molecules^?2 s^?1 and k_∞ = (6.73 ± 0.23) × 10^?13 cm³ molecules^?1 s^?1, respectively.