Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anthemis wiedemanniana</Emphasis> from Turkey

The chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from aerial parts of Anthemis wiedemanniana, an endemic taxon of Turkey, were investigated. Linalool (12.75%), 1,8-cineole (8.49%), hexadecanoic acid (6.09%), and chrysanthenone (5.67%) were found to be the main components among the 122 compounds characterized in the essential oil of Anthemis wiedemanniana. Antimicrobial activities were reported against 12 microorganisms and five yeast-like fungi by the disc diffusion method. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 40–43, January–February, 2007.     

Template-directed assembly of a de novo designed protein

Many naturally occurring biomaterials are composed of laminated structures in which layers of beta-sheet proteins alternate with layers of inorganic mineral. These ordered laminates often have structural and mechanical properties that differ significantly from those of nonbiological materials. An important step in the construction of novel biomaterials is the creation of composites wherein a de novo designed protein assembles into an ordered structure. To achieve this goal, we layered a de novo protein onto the surface of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). The protein was derived from a combinatorial library of novel sequences designed to fold into amphiphilic beta-sheet structures. Atomic force microscopy reveals that the protein assembles on the HOPG surface into ordered fibers aligned in three orientations at 120 degrees to each other. The symmetry and extent of the ordered regions indicate that the hexagonal lattice underlying the graphite surface templates assembly of millions of protein molecules into a highly ordered structure.     

Synthesis and spectral characterization of macrocyclic Ni<Superscript>II</Superscript> complexes derived from various diamines,Ni<Superscript>II</Superscript> perchlorate and 1,4-bis(2-carboxyaldehydephenoxy)butane

Six new macrocyclic complexes were synthesized by reaction of 1,4-bis(2-carboxyaldehyde phenoxy)butane with various diamines. Then, their nickel(II) perchlorate complexes were synthesized by the template effect by reaction of 1,4-bis(2-carboxyaldehyde phenoxy)butane, Ni(ClO₄)₂ · 6H₂O and various diamines. The metal-to-ligand ratio of Ni^II metal complexes was found to be 1:1. The compounds are coordinated to the central metal as tetradentate O₂N₂ ligands The Ni^II complexes are proposed to exhibit tetrahedral geometry. Ni^II metal complexes are 1:2 electrolytes as shown by their molar conductivities (Λ_M) in DMF (dimethyl formamide) at 10⁻³ m. The structure of Ni^II metal complexes is proposed from elemental analysis, f.t.-i.r., u.v.-vis., magnetic susceptibility measurements, molar conductivity measurements and mass spectra.     

Production of glycerides from glycerol and fatty acids by native lipase ofNigella sativa seed

The possible application of native lipase ofNigella sativa seed in the esterification of fatty acids to glycerol was investigated, and the effect of process parameters and the enzyme selectivity on the reaction were determined. For this aim, the esterification of oleic acid, sunflower oil fatty acids, and coco oil fatty acids with glycerol were studied.     

Photoacoustic method for the measurement of the thermal diffusivity of drawn foils

A nonstationary method to measure the thermal diffusivity of polymer foils with thicknesses between 10 and 40μm normal to the foil plane is described. The principle of the experimental technique is a modification of the photoacoustic effect. The quantity that is measured, is the phase angle between the modulation of the light intensity and the pressure variation as a function of frequency. A theoretical treatment of the phenomenon is presented which enables the evaluation of the diffusivity from the experimental data. It is possible to measure absolute values of the thermal diffusivity with an accuracy in the order of three percent and relative changes in the thermal diffusivity, e. g. by drawing, of one percent. Measurements were performed on commercial PETP foils of 19 and 30μm thickness drawn along various directions. For draw ratios up to 1.3 the diffusivity decreased about 20 percent or increased about 10 percent, depending on the foil thickness and the treatment during manufacture. The results can be interpreted with the aggregate model of Kilian and Pietralla as well as with the two-phase model of Choy and Young.     

Synthesis and characterization of new macrocyclic Schiff base derived from 2,6-diaminopyridine and 1,7-bis(2-formylphenyl)-1,4,7-trioxaheptane and its Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Co(III) and La(III) complexes

A new macrocyclic ligand, 1,3,5-triaza-2,4:7,8:16,17-tribenzo-9,12,15-trioxacyclooktadeca-1,5-dien (L) was synthesized by reaction of 2,6-diaminopyridine and 1,7-bis(2-formylphenyl)-1,4,7-trioxaheptane. Then, its Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Co(III) and La(III) complexes were synthesized by template effect by reaction of 2,6-diaminopyridine and 1,7-bis(2-formylphenyl)-1,4,7-trioxaheptane and Cu(NO₃)₂ · 3H₂O, Ni(NO₃)₂ · 6H₂O, Pb(NO₃)₂, Co(NO₃)₂ · 6H₂O, La(NO₃)₃ · 6H₂O, respectively. The ligand and its metal complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, UV–Vis spectra, magnetic susceptibility, thermal gravimetric analysis, conductivity measurements, mass spectra and cyclic voltammetry. All complexes are diamagnetic and Cu(II) complex is binuclear. The Co(II) was oxidized to Co(III). The comparative electrochemical studies show that the nickel complex exhibited a quasi-reversible one-electron reduction process while copper and cobalt complexes gave irreversible reduction processes in DMSO solution.     

Inhibition of aluminum oxyhydroxide precipitation with citric acid

Citric acid has been shown to act as an agent for increasing the solubility of aluminum oxyhydroxides in aqueous solutions of high (>2.47 mol/mol) hydroxide-to-aluminum ratios. Conversely, citric acid also colloidally stabilizes particles in aqueous suspensions of aluminum-containing particles. Solutions of aluminum chloride, with and without citric acid added, were titrated with NaOH(aq). The presence and size of particles were determined using quasi-elastic light scattering. In solutions that contained no citric acid, particles formed instantaneously when NaOH(aq) was added but these were observed to rapidly diminish in size, disappearing at OH/Al ratios below 2.5 mol/mol. When the OH/Al ratio was raised beyond 2.5 by adding more NaOH(aq), suspensions of colloidally stable particles formed. Large polycations containing 13 aluminum atoms were detected by (27)Al solution NMR in citric-acid-free solutions with OH/Al ratios slightly lower than 2.5. In comparison, adding citric acid to solutions of aluminum chloride inhibited the formation of large aluminum-containing polycations. The absence of the polycations prevents or retards the subsequent formation of particles, indicating that the polycations, when present, act as seeds to the formation of new particles. Particles did not form in solutions with a citric acid/aluminum ratio of 0.8 until sufficient NaOH(aq) was added to raise the OH/Al ratio to 3.29. By comparison, lower amounts of citric acid did not prevent particles from forming but did retard the rate of growth.     

COMPOSITION OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL OF Arbutus unedo

Water-distilled essential oil from leaves ofArbutus unedoL. of Turkish origin was analyzed by GC/MS. Thirty-seven constituents were characterized with (E)-2-decenal (12.0 %), -terpineol (8.8 %), hexadecanoic acid (5.1 %), and (E)-2-undecenal ( 4.8 %) as the major constituents.     

Adsorption and Corrosion Inhibition Effect of 1,1′-Thiocarbonyldiimidazole on Mild Steel in H2SO4 Solution and Synergistic Effect of Iodide Ion

The inhibition effect of 1,1′-thiocarbonyldiimidazole (TCDI) on the corrosion behaviors of mild steel (MS) in 0.5 mol·L⁻¹ H₂SO₄ solution was studied with the help of potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and linear polarization resistance (LPR) techniques. The effect of immersion time on the inhibition effect of TCDI was also investigated over 72 h. For the long-term tests, hydrogen evolution with immersion time (V_H2-t) was measured in addition to the three techniques already mentioned. The thermodynamic parameters, such as adsorption equilibrium constant (K_ads) and adsorption free energy (ΔG_ads) values, were calculated and discussed. To clarify inhibition mechanism, the synergistic effect of iodide ion was also investigated. The potential of zero charge (PZC) of the MS was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy method, and a mechanism of adsorption process was proposed. It was demonstrated that inhibition efficiency increased with the increase in TCDI concentration and synergistically increased in the presence of KI. The inhibition efficiency was discussed in terms of adsorption of inhibitor molecules on the metal surface and protective film formation.     

Electric-field-induced orientation of surfactant-templated nanoscopic silica

While exhibiting a well-defined nanometer-level structure, surfactant-templated nanoscopic silicas produced via self-assembly do not always possess long-range order. We demonstrate that long-range order can be controlled by guiding the self-assembly of nanostructured silica-surfactant hybrids with low-strength electric fields (E approximately 200 V/m) to produce nanoscopic silica with both the micrometer- and nanometer-level structures oriented parallel to the applied field. Under the influence of the electric field, nanoscopic silica particles migrate, elongate, and merge into fibers with a rate of migration proportional to the applied field strength. The linear dependence with the field strength indicates that the process is governed by electroosmotic flow but not by polarization effects. Realignment of the short-range ordered surfactant nanochannels along the fiber axis accompanies the migration.