Ti/TiO2 indicator electrodes formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation for potentiometric analysis

Ti/TiO₂ indicator electrodes were prepared by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) method in the tetraborate electrolyte and were used for potentiometric indication of chemical reactions of different types and for analysis of surface and industrial wastewaters on the example of potentiometric determination of alkalinity and chloride. The electrodes formed at current densities of 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2 A/cm² are different in composition, surface morphology and electroanalytical properties. The electrodes formed at a current density of 0.05 A/cm² exhibit the highest pH-sensitivity and generate the highest analytical signal at the equivalence point in the acid–base and precipitation titrations. The maximum analytical signal at the equivalence point, exceeding in magnitude the analytical signal, obtained by classical Pt electrode in oxidation–reduction and complexometric titrations generates PEO layers formed at a current density of 0.05 A/cm² and a platinum-modified nanoparticles. The results of the potentiometric titration of the surface and technogenic waters using as indicator Ti/TiO₂ electrodes are comparable with the conventionally used glass electrode (to determine alkalinity) and Ag electrode (to the determine chloride) and the results of visual titration. The advantage of the obtained metal oxide systems is the ability to determine two hydrochemical parameters due to their multifunctionality and opportunity to work with a single electrode. In addition, these sensors offer some analytical characteristics such as sensitivity, good reproducibility, high mechanical stability and a simple preparation procedure.     

Improving the contact properties of CdS-decorated TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotube arrays using an electrochemical/thermal/chemical approach

Decoration of TiO₂ nanotube films (TiO₂ nanotube arrays (TNAs)) with CdS nanoparticles has been pursued for a broad range of applications that goes from solar cells to biological sensors. In most synthesis methods, the scale-up of devices has been challenging due to the poor contact at the chalcogenide/oxide interface. In this work, we validate the electrochemical/thermal/chemical route as a superior strategy to sensitize TNAs with CdS nanoparticles when compared with conventional methods. The process consisted of (i) electrodeposition of cadmium on TNAs to ensure strong bonding between TiO₂ and Cd precursor particles, (ii) air annealing of Cd-decorated TNAs to thermally oxidize cadmium to cadmium oxide, and (iii) total sulfurization of cadmium oxide to obtain CdS in an hexagonal phase matching that of TNAs. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses indicated the complete transformation of cadmium precursor particles into CdS and a good surface coverage of the internal/external walls of TNAs. When compared to samples prepared by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data revealed the improvement of the electrical properties of the TNA matrix due to the sulfurization process and a lower contact resistance at the CdS/TNA interface. These improvements explain the superior photoelectrochemical response of CdS/TNA photoelectrodes obtained by the electrochemical/thermal/chemical route.     

Transfer of Electrophilic NH Using Convenient Sources of Ammonia: Direct Synthesis of NH Sulfoximines from Sulfoxides

A new system for NH transfer is developed for the preparation of sulfoximines, which are emerging as valuable motifs for drug discovery. The protocol employs readily available sources of nitrogen without the requirement for either preactivation or for metal catalysts. Mixing ammonium salts with diacetoxyiodobenzene directly converts sulfoxides into sulfoximines. This report describes the first example of using of ammonia sources with diacetoxyiodobenzene to generate an electrophilic nitrogen center. Control and mechanistic studies suggest a short‐lived electrophilic intermediate, which is likely to be PhINH or PhIN⁺.     

Natural‐Antioxidant‐Inspired Benzo[b]selenophenes: Synthesis,Redox Properties,and Antiproliferative Activity

The cyclization of arylalkynes under selenobromination conditions, combined with an acid‐induced 3,2‐aryl shift, was elaborated as a general synthetic pathway for the preparation of polyhydroxy‐2‐ and ‐3‐arylbenzo[b]selenophenes from the same starting materials. The redox properties, free‐radical‐scavenging ability, and cytotoxicity against malignant cell lines (MCF‐7, MDA‐MB‐231, HepG2, and 4T1) of the synthesized compounds were explored, and the obtained results were used to consider the structure–activity relationships (SARs) in these compounds. Consequently, the structural features that were responsible for the highly potent peroxyl‐radical‐scavenging activity were established.     

Synthesis and reactivity of 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-2-(2-oxo-2<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-chromen-3-yl)-6<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-1,3-oxazin-6-ones

4-Hydroxy-6H-1,3-oxazin-6-ones with a coumarin fragment in position 2 of the oxazine ring were synthesized. Their hydrolysis, alcoholysis, and hydrazinolysis afforded a number of new coumarin derivatives containing malonamic acid and 1,2,4-triazole residues. The low stability of the title compounds toward oxygencentered nucleophiles was interpreted by quantum chemical calculations.     

Electrokinetic injection of DNA from gel micropads: basis for coupling polony technology with CE separation

We propose a novel method for electrokinetic injection of DNA samples into capillaries from nanoliter gel micropads, deposited on glass slides, which are coated with electroconducting film. Theoretical and experimental proof is presented for the proposed method. The method allows efficient and highly precise injection without physical contact between the gel pad and the capillary. Read length of more than 700 bp at Q20 has been reproducibly demonstrated in fused-silica capillaries using the proposed injection technique. Based on the obtained results we discuss a novel DNA sequencing system which combines DNA amplification and cycle sequencing in arrays of subnanoliter gel micropads and high-throughput electrophoretic separation in monolith multicapillary arrays.     

CE-MS of zein proteins from conventional and transgenic maize

In this work, an original CE-MS method has been developed to analyze the complex zein protein fractions from maize. A thorough optimization of: (i) zein protein extraction, (ii) CE separation, and (iii) electrospray-MS (ESI-MS) detection is carried out in order to obtain highly informative CE-MS profiles of this fraction. The developed CE-MS method provides good separation of multiple zein proteins based on their electrophoretic mobilities as well as adequate characterization of these proteins based on their M(r). Zein proteins with small M(r) differences (below 100 Da) were easily separated and successfully analyzed by CE-MS. Thus, apart of the so-called 15-kDa-beta-zein and 16-kDa-gamma-zein, which are demonstrated to be formed by a heterogeneous group of proteins, numerous alpha-zeins belonging to the 19- and 22-kDa fraction were also identified for the first time in this work. The usefulness of this CE-MS method was corroborated by comparing the zein-protein fingerprints of various maize lines including transgenic and their corresponding nontransgenic isogenic lines cultivated under the same conditions.     

Evaluation of the pH- and thermal stability of the recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the presence of sodium chloride

The thermal stability of recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFP) in sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions at different concentrations, pH, and temperatures was evaluated by assaying the loss of fluorescence intensity as a measure of denaturation. GFP, extracted from Escherichia coli cells by the three-phase partitioning method and purified through a butyl hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) column, was diluted in water for injection (WFI) (pH 6.0-7.0) and in 10 mM buffer solutions (acetate, pH 5.0; phosphate, pH 7.0; and Tris-EDTA, pH 8.0) with 0.9-30% NaCl or without and incubated at 80-95 degrees C. The extent of protein denaturation was expressed as a percentage of the calculated decimal reduction time (D-value). In acetate buffer (pH 4.84+/-0.12), the mean D-values for 90% reduction in GFP fluorescence ranged from 2.3 to 3.6 min, independent of NaCl concentration and temperature. GFP thermal stability diluted in WFI (pH 5.94+/-0.60) was half that observed in phosphate buffer (pH 6.08+/-0.60); but in both systems, D-values decreased linearly with increasing NaCl concentration, with D-values (at 80 degrees C) ranging from 3.44, min (WFI) to 6.1 min (phosphate buffer), both with 30% NaCl. However, D-values in Tris-EDTA (pH 7.65+/-0.17) were directly dependent on the NaCl concentration and 5-10 times higher than D-values for GFP in WFI at 80 degrees C. GFP pH- and thermal stability can be easily monitored by the convenient measure of fluorescence intensity and potentially be used as an indicator to monitor that processing times and temperatures were attained.