Determination of total arsenic in soil and arsenic-resistant bacteria from selected ground water in Kandal Province, Cambodia

Cambodia has geological environments conducive to generation of high-arsenic groundwater and people are at high risk of chronic arsenic exposure. The aims of this study are to investigate the concentration of total arsenic and to isolate and identify arsenic-resistant bacteria from selected locations in Kandal Province, Cambodia. The INAA technique was used to measure the concentration of total arsenic in soils. The arsenic concentrations in soils were above permissible 5 mg/kg, ranging from 5.34 to 27.81 mg/kg. Bacteria resistant to arsenic from two arsenic-contaminated wells in Preak Russey were isolated by enrichment method in nutrient broth (NB). Colonies isolated from NB was then grown on minimal salt media (MSM) added with arsenic at increasing concentrations of 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 and 250 ppm. Two isolates that can tolerate 750 ppm of arsenic were identified as Enterobacter agglomerans and Acinetobacter lwoffii based on a series of biochemical, physiological and morphological analysis. Optimum growth of both isolates ranged from pH 6.6 to 7.0 and 30–35 °C. E. agglomerans and A. lwoffii were able to remove 66.4 and 64.1 % of arsenic, respectively at the initial concentration of 750 ppm, within 72 h of incubation. Using energy dispersive X-ray technique, the percentage of arsenic absorbed by E. agglomerans and A. lwoffii was 0.09 and 0.15 %, respectively. This study suggested that arsenic-resistant E. agglomerans and A. lwoffii removed arsenic from media due to their ability to absorb arsenic.     

Alternate Method for the Synthesis of Six-Membered Carbocycles with Five Stereocenters: 1,2,3,4,6-Pentasubstituted-4-hydroxy-cyclohexanes

A series of novel 1,2,3,4,6-pentasubstituted-4-hydroxy-cyclohexanes (3a–u) were synthesized from the reaction of aromatic ketones with aromatic aldehydes under mild reaction conditions in good yields. The stereochemistry of the synthesized compounds was established using 1D and 2D-NMR spectra.     

Adsorption of Cd(II) Ions onto Activated Carbon Prepared from Hazelnut Husks

In this study, a batch adsorption of Cd(II) ions onto activated carbon (AC) produced from hazelnut husks were investigated. The factors controlling the adsorption process such as initial pH, agitation time, dosage and initial concentration have been examined. The AC was showed a high affinity to Cd(II) ions at pH values between 5.0 and 7.0. The equilibrium time was found to be 300 minutes. Cd(II) adsorption equilibrium was analyzed with both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations and it was found that Langmuir equations fitted well with the experimental data. Maximum Cd(II) adsorption capacity of AC was calculated to be 20.9 mg g^?1. Cd(II) adsorption kinetics described well with the pseudo second order model. The activated carbon prepared from hazelnut husks is efficient sorbent material for the removal of Cd(II) ions from aqueous solutions.     

Selective back-extraction and preconcentration of zinc(II) from metal-1,3,5-triketone extracts prior to its determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple back-extraction method was developed for the separation and preconcentration of trace levels of zinc from different matrices. Ethyl-2-(4-methoxybenzoyl)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxopropanoylcarbamate (EMPC) was used as a new complexing agent for the extraction of zinc(II) from the aqueous sample phase to the methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) phase as Zn(EMPC)₂ complexes. The Zn(II) can be selectively stripped with 1?mL of 0.5?mol?L^?1 HCl from Mⁿ⁺(EMPC)_n complexes [Ag(I), Al(III), Cd(II), Cr(III), Cu(II), Fe(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Pd(II)] which dissolved in MIBK phase. Some experimental parameters, which are important for the whole extraction process, including pH, sample volume, shaking time, amount of the EMPC reagent, amount of MIBK, ionic strength, and type of back-extractant were investigated. The recovery for Zn(II) was greater than 95%. The detection limit of the method was found to be 0.2?µg?L ^{? 1} and the relative standard deviation as 6.4%. The concentrations of Zn(II) in the certified reference materials (LGC6019 river water and NIST-1547 peach leaves) by the presented method were in good agreement with the certified values. The proposed method was succesfully applied to the determination of zinc in some natural waters, rice, hair, soil, and tea samples.     

Allylsilane‐Modified Amino Acids from the Claisen Rearrangement

The Claisen rearrangement of the N‐protected, silylated allyl glycinates 11 and 12 led to the formation of allyl/silyl‐functionalized amino acids 13 and 14 in yields up to 80%. The diastereoisomer ratio varied from 2 : 1 to 29 : 1 for 11mb , and from 2 : 1 to 46 : 1 (syn/anti) for 12mb , depending on reaction conditions, as shown by X‐ray crystallographic analysis of 14mb . The relationship between the size of the alkyl groups on the chlorosilane reagent (Me₂R″SiCl, R″=Cl, Me, t‐Bu, Ph) used as an enolate trap and the observed stereoselectivity was investigated in the case of the Ireland–Claisen variant. Me₃SiCl gave the best results. However, the size of the alkyl groups on the silylated ester (Me₂R″Si, R=Me, t‐Bu, Ph, i‐Pr) did not exert a significant effect on the diastereoselectivity or yield of the rearrangement.     

The uses of 1-(2-pyridylazo) 2-naphtol (PAN) impregnated Ambersorb 563 resin on the solid phase extraction of traces heavy metal ions and their determinations by atomic absorption spectrometry

1-(2-pyridylazo) 2-naphtol (PAN) impregnated Ambersorb 563 resin was used as solid phase extractor of copper, nickel, cadmium, lead, chromium and cobalt ions in aqueous solutions prior to their atomic absorption spectrometric determinations. The parameters including pH, sample volume, matrix effects were also investigated. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of the combined method of sample treatment, preconcentration and determination with atomic absorption spectrometry is generally lower than 10%. The limit of detection was between 0.21 and 1.4 μg l⁻¹. The results were used for preconcentration of analyte ions from natural water samples. The method was also applied to a stream sediment standard reference material (GBW7309) for the determination of Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb, Cr and Co.     

The effect of intramolecular‐hydrogen bonds in the synthesis of novel imidates from a 13‐membered dioxadithia crown ether diester

The synthesis and structural properties of three novel imidates, 11,13‐bis‐(2‐amino‐ethylimino)‐1,10‐dioxa‐4,7‐dithiacyclotridecane ( 2 ), 11,13‐bis‐(3‐aminopropylimino)‐1,10‐dioxa‐4,7‐dithiacyclotridecane, ( 3 ) and 2,11‐dioxa‐5,8‐dithia‐13,16,19,22‐tetraazabicyclo[10.10.1]tricosa‐1(22),12‐diene, ( 4 ) have been described. These compounds were synthesized by treating 1,10‐dioxa‐4,7‐dithiacyclotridecane‐11,13‐diester ( 1 ) with the appropriate diamine under N₂ and their structures have been characterised by elemental analyses, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐nmr, ir, and mass spectral studies. Elemental analyses and spectroscopic data support the proposed imidate structures. In addition, total energy and heat of formation (Figure 2) calculated for imidates 2a‐4a and 2b‐4b by the semiempirical AM1 calculations have shown that imidates 2b‐4b having intramolecular hydrogen bonds are more stable (5‐10 kcal/mol) than compounds 2a‐4a .     

Synthesis,Crystal Structure,and Electrochemical Behaviour of an Azido μ‐bridged Ni2+ Complex

A homo‐dinuclear Ni^II complex was prepared from 2, 6‐bis(3, 5‐dimethylpyrazolyl)pyridine (Me₄‐bpp) and azide ions in nonaqueous media. It was characterized by single crystal X‐ray structural analysis, IR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. In addition, the electrochemical properties of the compound were determined with cyclic voltammetry in DMF. The title compound crystallizes in the P2₁/n monoclinic space group, with unit cell parameters a = 8.978(1), b = 12.459(1), c = 17.764(1) Å, ß =100.603(3)°, V = 1953.0(3) ų, Z = 2. The Ni²⁺ ion has a distorted octahedral environment involving three nitrogen atoms of the Me₄‐bpp ligand, two nitrogen atoms from the bridged azide group, and one nitrogen atom from the terminal azide group. The Ni···Ni distance is 3.273(5) Å.     

Calculation of enthalpies of hydrogenation of hydrocarbons

Sets of hydrogen molecule equivalents have been developed which permit the calculation of hydrogenation of different types of carbon-carbon bonds from ab initio total energies (3-21G and 6-31G* basis sets, and, to a more limited extent, for MP2/6-31G* data) of reactants and products. The calculated enthalpies of hydrogenation are in good agreement with experiment for unstrained molecules, with average errors on the order of 2 kcal/mol. The 6-31G* equivalents allow the enthalpies for strained molecules to be calculated accurately, but the 3-21G equivalents do not. The equivalents for both basis sets have been tested by calculating the enthalpies of hydrogenation of carbon-carbon bonds in nitrogen- and oxygen-containing organic molecules, free radicals, and classical carbocations. The results are in good agreement with experiment in most cases.     

Studies on heterocyclic enamines: New syntheses of 4H-pyranes,pyranopyrazoles and pyranopyrimidines

The behaviour of several 2-amino-3-cyano-4H-pyran derivatives toward a variety of nucleophilic reagents is reported.