NdFeO3 as a new electrocatalytic material for the electrochemical monitoring of dopamine

A new electrochemical sensor, based on NdFeO₃ nanoparticles as electrocatalytic material, was proposed here for the detection of dopamine (DA). NdFeO₃ nanoparticles were first synthesized by a simple thermal treatment method and subsequent annealing at high temperature (700 °C). The prepared electrocatalytic material has been characterized in detail by SEM-EDX, XRD, and Raman techniques. Characterization results display its sheet-like morphology, constituted by a porous network of very small orthorhombic NdFeO₃ nanoparticles. NdFeO₃ electrocatalytic material was then used to modify the working electrode of screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs). Electrochemical tests demonstrated that NdFeO₃– modified screen-printed carbon electrode (NdFeO₃/SPCE) exhibited a remarkable enhancement of the dopamine electrooxidation, compared to the bare SPCE one. The analytical performance of the developed sensor has been evaluated for the detection of this analyte by means of the square-wave voltammetry (SWV) technique. The modified electrode showed two linear concentration ranges, from 0.5 to 100 μM and 150 to 400 μM, respectively, a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.27 μM (at S/N = 3), and good reproducibility, stability, and selectivity. Additionally, we also report an attempt made to propose the modified sensor for the simultaneous detection of dopamine and uric acid (UA). The procedure was also applied for the determination of dopamine in spiked real samples. So, this paper reports for the first time the use of a modified NdFeO₃ screen-printed electrode for developing an electrochemical sensor for the quantification of important biomolecules.

Graphical abstract

     

Strong adhesion and smooth conductive surface via graft polymerization of aniline on a modified glass fiber surface

The goal of this paper is to prepare surface-conductive glass fibers. The fibers were first hydroxylated, after which they were reacted with 3-bromopropyltrichlorosilane to form a bromopropylsilane monolayer, which was further reacted with aniline to substitute the bromine atoms. The surface-bound aniline molecules were used as active sites for the graft polymerization of polyaniline (PANI). The composition, structure and the morphology of the modified glass fiber surface were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The method generated a smooth and homogenous thin layer of PANI on the surface of the glass fiber with a surface conductivity of about 6 S/cm, hence larger than the usual value ( approximately 1 S/cm) of the bulk polyaniline.     

Bradykinin-potentiating peptide from venom of the spider Latrodectus tredecimguttatus

A bradykinin-potentiating peptide has been isolated from the venom of the spiderLatrodectus tredecimguttatus. Its physicochemical properties and amino acid composition have been investigated in detail. It has been shown by biological testing on isolated neck of the rat uterus that the peptide increases the contractile effect of bradykinin in in vitro experiments. The “potentiating unit” is 2 · 10^?3 mg/ml. A 50% increase in the hypotensive effect of bradykinin at a concentration of the bradykinin-potentiating peptide of 15 µg/kg of body weight has been found, the increase in the intensity of the effect being accompanied by a prolongation of its action.     

Kinetics of p-cumylphenol alkylation by isobutylene in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid

Kinetics of p-cumylphenol alkylation by isobutylene in the presence of 0.1–2 wt.% p-toluenesulfonic acid has been studied and a reaction scheme is suggested. The rate constants have been determined.

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- 0,1–2 % . -. .

     

Thermodynamic properties of solutions of water-soluble mixed cellulose esters

The thermodynamics of the mixing of water-soluble mixed cellulose esters with water has been studied. A dependence of the affinity of a water-soluble cellulose acetate for water on the nature of a new radical introduced into the macromolecule and the competing interaction of molecules of the same and different types has been shown. Thermodynamic analysis has demonstrated the dominating role of solvation among the various factors determining the interaction of cellulose acetomaleate and acetophthalate with a solvent. A fall in affinity in the cellulose aminoacetate-water system is due to the contribution of entropy effects, leading to an increase in the Flory-Huggins parameter.Tashkent Institute of Chemical Technology. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 97–101, January–February, 1997.     

Nitropyrazoles

The double Vilsmeier formylation of theC-methyl group in pyrazole derivatives has been shown to occur when a nitro-group is in the adjacent position of the ring. A method for the synthesis ofC-(diformylmethyl)nitropyrazoles based on this reaction has been developed.For the previous communication, see Ref. 1; for Part 2, see Ref.2 Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1273–1276, July, 1993.     

Synthesis, band structure, and optical properties of Ba2ZnV2O8

A novel compound Ba₂ZnV₂O₈ has been synthesized in high temperature solution reaction and its crystal structure has been characterized by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. It crystallizes in monoclinic system and belongs to space group P2₁/c with a=7.9050(16), b=16.149(3), , β=90.49(3). It builds up from 1-D branchy chains of [ZnV₂O₈⁴⁻]_∞, and the Ba²⁺ cations are located in the space among these chains. The IR spectrum, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection integral spectrum and fluorescent spectra of this compound have been investigated. The calculated results of energy band structure by the density functional theory method show that the solid-state compound of Ba₂ZnV₂O₈ is an insulator with direct band gap of 3.48 eV. The calculated total and partial density of states indicate that the top valence bands are contributions from the mixings of O-2p, V-3d, and Zn-3d states and low conduction bands mostly originate from unoccupied antibonding states between the V-3d and O-2p states. The V-O bonds are mostly covalence characters and Zn-O bonds are mostly ionic interactions, and the ionic interaction strength is stronger between the Ba-O than between the Zn-O. The refractive index of n_x, n_y, and n_z is estimated to be 1.7453, 1.7469, and 1.7126, respectively, at wavelength of 1060 nm for Ba₂ZnV₂O₈ crystal.     

Determination of nanogram amounts of boron in some antimony compounds

Summary A method has been developed for determining boron in antimony compounds in the range 10^–7–10^–6%. The method comprises the isolation of the boron by distillation as methyl borate and its determination fluorimetrically with dibenzoylmethane. For the three materials analysed, SbCl₃, Sb₂O₃, and SbCl₅, individual procedures of dissolution as well as distillation were developed. The results obtained are reproducible, the mean deviation being about 12% at boron concentrations of 10^–7–10^–6%.

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Zusammenfassung Ein Verfahren zur Bestimmung von 10^–7 bis 10^–6% Bor in Antimon-verbindungen wurde ausgearbeitet. Es umfaßt die Abtrennung des Bors durch Destillation als Methylborat und dessen fluorimetrische Messung mit Dibenzoylmethan. Für SbCl₃, Sb₂O₃ und SbCl₅ wurden jeweils eigene Arbeitsweisen der Auflösung und Destillation angegeben. Die Analysenergebnisse sind reproduzierbar; die mittlere Abweichung beträgt etwa 12% für Borkonzentrationen von 10^–7 bis 10^–6%.

     

Integral intensities of the absorption bands of the skeletal vibrations of substituted furocoumarins

Conclusions The IR spectra of 5- and 8-hydroxyfurocoumarins and their esters, 5,8-disubstituted furocoumarins containing hydroxyl, methoxyl, and alkoxyl groups, and 4,5-dihydrofurocoumarins differ with respect to the intensity and number of the bands in the 1630–1500 cm^–1 region of the spectrum. The integral intensities of the absorption bands in this frequency region differ markedly in the derivatives mentioned.Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, Vol. 5, No. 5, pp. 355–359, 1969