Cobalt(II)-selective membrane electrode based on N,N′-di(thiazol-2-yl)formimidamide

A new PVC-membrane electrode for Co²⁺ ions based on N,N′-di(thiazol-2-yl)formimidamide (TF) as membrane carrier has been developed. The electrode resulted in Nernstian response (29.5?±?0.4?mV decade^?1) for Co²⁺ ion over a wide concentration range (2.5?×?10^?7 ?1.0?×?10^?1?M) with a detection limit of 6.1?×?10^?8?M. The sensor has a response time of about 10?s, and can be used for at least 2 months without observing any deviation from the Nernstain response. The electrode revealed good selectivity towards cobalt(II) ion over a wide variety of alkali, alkaline earth, transition, and heavy metal ions and could be used in the pH range 2.0–7.0. The electrode was used for determination of Co²⁺ in real samples.     

Chemically bonded multiwalled carbon nanotubes as efficient material for solid phase extraction of some metal ions in food samples

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes chemically functionalized with 2-((3-silylpropylimino) methyl) phenol (SPIMP-MWCNT) and successfully applied for the solid phase extraction (SPE) of some metal ions in food samples. The influences of the analytical parameters including pH, amounts of solid phase, eluent conditions (type, volume and concentrations), sample volume and interference of some metal ions on the recoveries of ions Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, Fe²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ion were investigated. The metal ions retained on SPIMP-MWCNT was eluted using 6?mL of 4?mol?L^?1 HNO₃ solution and their content was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) with recoveries more than 95% and relative standard deviations (n?=?5) between 2.4–3.4% for both reproducibility and repeatability. The detection limit of this metal ions was between 1.0–2.6?ng?mL^?1 (3S _b , n?=?10) and their preconcentration factor was 100, while their loading capacity was above 32.9?mg?g^?1 of SPIMP-MWCNT. The proposed method was successfully applied for the preconcentration and determination of analytes in different samples.     

Generation of Haploid Spermatids on Silk Fibroin-Alginate-Laminin-Based Porous 3D Scaffolds

In vitro production of sperm is a desirable idea for fertility preservation in azoospermic men and prepubertal boys suffering from cancer. In this study, a biocompatible porous scaffold based on a triad mixture of silk fibroin (SF), alginate (Alg), and laminin (LM) is developed to facilitate the differentiation of mouse spermatogonia stem cells (SSCs). Following SF extraction, the content is analyzed by SDS-PAGE and stable porous 3D scaffolds are successfully prepared by merely Alg, SF, and a combination of Alg-SF, or Alg-SF-LM through freeze-drying. Then, the biomimetic scaffolds are characterized regarding the structural and biological properties, water absorption capacity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical behavior. Neonatal mice testicular cells are seeded on three-dimensional scaffolds and their differentiation efficiency is evaluated using real-time PCR, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry. Blend matrices showed uniform porous microstructures with interconnected networks, which maintained long-term stability and mechanical properties better than homogenous structures. Molecular analysis of the cells after 21 days of culture showed that the expression of differentiation-related proteins in cells that are developed in composite scaffolds is significantly higher than in other groups. The application of a composite system can lead to the differentiation of SSCs, paving the way for a novel infertility treatment landscape in the future.     

Selective detection of sulfur-containing compounds by gas chromatography/chemical reaction interface mass spectrometry

Addition of a reactant gas to a low pressure microwave-induced plasma creates a reaction interface in which complex molecules are converted into small polyatomic neutral species. For a given reactant gas the array of these small molecules reflect s the elemental composition of the original analyte. In this study HCI has been found highly effective as a reactant gas for selective detection of sulfur-eontaining compounds using capillary gas chromatography/ chernical reaction interface mass spectrometry. Detection limits as low as 30 pg of a sulfur-containing compound and a dynamic range of two orders of magnitude were achieved.     

Octadecylamine as chemical modifier for tuned hydrophobicity of surface modified cellulose: toward organophilic cellulose nanocrystals

Cellulose - A novel, environmentally friendly and simple method for chemical functionalization of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) to produce organophilic cellulose nanocrystals (CNC-ODA) is herein...     

Armatans A and B,New Antimicrobial Isoflavans from Colutea armata

Chemistry of Natural Compounds - Armatans A (1) and B (2), new isoflavans, have been isolated from the EtOAc-soluble fraction of the MeOH extract of Colutea armata Hemsl. & Lace, along with...     

Gold Spherical and Flake Assemblies Fabrication Through Calcination of Gold Nanoparticles Incorporated Poly(acrylonitrile) Nanofibers

Journal of Cluster Science - This work reports on the outcome of the calcination of gold nanoparticles incorporated polyacrylonitrile nanofibers in air which results in the formation of gold...     

A renewable approach to capture CO2 in Iran: thermodynamic and exergy analyses

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - This work presents numerical simulation of two-dimensional thermogravitational energy transport in a chamber filled with copper–water ( $${\hbox...     

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis of a biomass-based biorefinery

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In this research, a biorefinery plant is proposed to generate biofuel through fast pyrolysis and gasification. The proposed biorefinery comprises...     

Nickel hydroxide obtained by high-temperature two-step synthesis as an effective material for supercapacitor applications

Hybrid supercapacitors with nickel hydroxide electrode are widely used as modern power sources for electrovehicles, ignition of different electric engines, etc. Nickel hydroxide for supercapacitor use must satisfy special features which are quite different from those requested for battery application. The aim of this work is to improve the promising two-stage high-temperature method by altering hydrolysis condition (hot and cold) in order to obtain Ni(OH)₂ with improved electrochemical activity. Ni(OH)₂ samples have been investigated by PXRD, TG, DSC, SEM, TEM, cyclic voltammogramm, and galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling. It has been established from PXRD, TG, and DSC analyses that material obtained by hydrolysis at high temperature is a highly crystalline β-Ni(OH)₂ characterized by high thermal stability. Materials prepared by cold hydrolysis are a highly defective β_bc-Ni(OH)₂, with 6.3 % water content and a lower thermal stability. It has been shown that samples prepared by hot hydrolysis have a high redox reversibility and electrochemical cycling stability, but a lower electrochemical capacity. This suggests that the electrochemical processes are localized in the thin layer at the particle surface. Cyclic voltammograms of samples prepared by cold hydrolysis exhibit gradual activation of the active material, anyhow resulting in higher capacity. By means of the galvanostatic charge-discharge curves at different current densities, the specific capacities of the samples have been calculated. The sample prepared by cold hydrolysis has higher specific capacities than the sample prepared by hot hydrolysis.