Graphene oxide/poly(vinyl imidazole) nanocomposite: an effective support for preparation of highly loaded heterogeneous copper catalyst

A heterogeneous polymeric catalyst was synthesized by immobilization of copper ions in a graphene oxide/poly(vinyl imidazole) nanocomposite. This catalyst has proven to be highly active in a practical protocol for click synthesis of 1,2,3‐triazole via one‐pot three‐component cycloaddition of halides, terminal alkynes and sodium azide. The reaction was carried out in water medium and good to excellent yields of products were obtained using only 1.0 mol% of catalyst. The catalyst can be readily recovered and reused eight times under the described reaction conditions without significant loss of activity. The reaction also proceeded well with only 0.002 mol% of catalyst, which shows the high activity of the resulting copper‐loaded nanocomposite. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nitrite electrochemical sensor for food analysis based on direct immobilization of hemoglobin on multi-walled carbon nanotube ionic liquid electrode

A novel nitrite biosensor was constructed by simultaneous immobilization of hemoglobin (Hb) and a room temperature ionic liquid, octylpyridinium chloride ([OcPy][Cl]), on multi-walled carbon ionic liquid electrode (MWILE). The direct electron transfer of Hb showed a pair of redox peaks with a formal potential of ?0.187 V vs. Ag/AgCl in pH 5.0 acetate buffer solution. Nitrite (NO₂ ^?) catalysis on the modified electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and amperometry. The biosensor exhibited a wide linear range for NO₂ ^? detection from 0.01 to 15 mM, with a detection limit (3σ) of 1.46 μM. MWILE provided an excellent matrix for protein immobilization and biosensor fabrication which could be used for the determination of NO₂ ^? with a low detection limit, fast response, long linearity, and excellent sensitivity.     

Green,One-Pot,Solvent-Free Synthesis of 1,2,4,5-Tetrasubstituted Imidazoles Using a Brønsted Acidic Ionic Liquid as Novel and Reusable Catalyst

3-Methyl-1-(4-sulfonic acid)butylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate [(CH₂)₄SO₃HMIM][HSO₄], a Brønsted acidic ionic liquid, has been used as an efficient, green, and reusable catalyst for the synthesis of 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles using benzil, an aromatic aldehyde, and a primary amine in the presence of ammonium acetate under solvent-free conditions. The catalyst could be recycled and reused several times without noticeably decreasing the catalytic activity.     

Synthesis of pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-c]pyrimidines

Starting from 1,5-dihydro-4H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ones, a synthesis pathway to the tricyclic pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-c]pyrimidines is described. Reaction of 1,5-dihydro-4H-pyrazolo[3,4-d] pyrimidin-4-ones with phosphoryl chloride afforded the corresponding 4-chloro-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines. Treatment of these compounds with hydrazine hydrate at reflux temperature gave the hydrazino derivatives, which were subsequently cyclized to the titled compounds on heating with orthoesters in ethanol.     

Multicomponent adsorption modeling: isotherms for ABE model solutions using activated carbon F-400

Biobutanol has attracted significant interest in recent decades and is seriously considered as a potential biofuel to partly replace gasoline. However, some production challenges must be addressed to make butanol economically viable such as the low product concentration and product toxicity inhibiting the microorganism. To alleviate these limitations, several in situ or ex situ separation techniques have been investigated in view of their integration to the biobutanol production process to enhance its economic viability. One of these techniques is adsorption which is one of the most energy-efficient techniques used for biobutanol separation. Considering the number of chemical species present in the ABE fermentation broth, it is essential to develop multicomponent adsorption isotherms for all components as a first step to design a high performance adsorption process. Few multicomponent isotherm models have been proposed such as multicomponent Langmuir and Freundlich. In this study, these two models as well as artificial neural networks were used to model the isotherms of each component in an ABE fermentation broth as a function of the equilibrium concentrations of all components for activated carbon F-400. Results showed that the multicomponent Langmuir model was not accurate due to the many simplifying assumptions. The multicomponent Freundlich and feedforward neural network (FFNN) isotherm models were able to predict the behavior of multicomponent systems very well. Indeed, the predictive model of the experimental data had a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.97 and 0.99, for multicomponent Freundlich and FFNN isotherm models, respectively.     

A simple non-enzymatic strategy for adenosine triphosphate electrochemical aptasensor using silver nanoparticle-decorated graphene oxide

In this work, a sensitive electrochemical aptasensor for the detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been introduced. A simple and non-enzymatic signal amplification strategy is utilized using silver nanoparticle-decorated graphene oxide (AgNPs–GO) as a redox probe. The modified electrode surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, FTIR and UV–Vis spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. GO provides an excellent substrate for the presence of the large number of AgNPs, so the monitored oxidation signal of AgNPs has been amplified. ATP-specific DNA aptamer is split into two fragments (F₁ & F₂) in order to design a sandwich-type assay. For the construction of the sensor, the surface of a graphite screen-printed electrode is modified with electrodeposited gold nanoparticles followed by self-assembling a monolayer of 3-mercaptopropionic acid on the electrode surface. The first amino-labeled fragment, F₁, is immobilized on the modified electrode via carbodiimide chemistry. The synthesized AgNPs–GO interacts with F₁ via \(\pi{-}\pi\) stacking. In the presence of ATP, the second fragment of the aptamer, F₂, forms an associated complex with the immobilized F₁ and causes AgNPs–GO to leave the surface. Consequently, a remarkable decrease in the oxidation signal of the AgNPs is observed. The percentage of this decrease has been monitored as an analytical signal, which is proportional to ATP concentration, and delivers a linear response over the range of 10.0 (±0.6) to 850 (±5) nM with a detection limit of 5.0 (±0.2) nM.     

One‐pot Green Procedure for Synthesis of Tetrahydrobenzo[a]xanthene‐11‐one Catalyzed by Brønsted Ionic Liquids under Solvent‐free Conditions

An efficient one‐pot condensation of β‐naphthol, aldehydes and cyclic 1,3‐dicarbonyl compound has been achieved with ionic liquids as catalyst, thus a variety of 8,9,10,12‐tetrahydrobenzo[a]xanthen‐11‐one derivatives were prepared in good yields. The present approach offers several advantages such as shorter reaction times, good yields and mild reaction conditions.     

Synthesis of Pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidin‐4‐ones Catalyzed by Br?nsted‐acidic Ionic Liquids as Highly Efficient and Reusable Catalysts

A convenient and efficient method for the synthesis of pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidin‐4‐ones via heterocyclization reaction of 5‐amino‐1H‐pyrazole‐4‐carboxamides with triethyl orthoesters using two Br?nsted‐acidic ionic liquids, 3‐methyl‐1‐(4‐sulfonic acid)butylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate [MIM⁺(CH₂)₄SO₃H][HSO₄^?] or N‐(4‐sulfonic acid)butyl triethylammonium hydrogen sulfate [Et₃N⁺(CH₂)₄SO₃H][HSO₄^?], as efficient homogeneous catalysts under solvent‐free conditions is described.     

Investigation on surface properties of superhydrophobic nanocomposites based on polyvinyl chloride and correlation with cell adhesion behavior

The main aim was to study the roles of structural homogeneity and superhydrophobicity on the adhesion of SW colon cancer cells on the surface of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) nanocomposites. Concurrent use of a proper nonsolvent (ethanol) and silica nanoparticles resulted in superhydrophobic behavior and also different surface structures. The effect of added‐ethanol content on the surface properties of PVC nanocomposites was also studied. The synergetic combination of silica and ethanol has led to the formation of a porous surface layer resulting in a considerable boost in the hydrophobic behavior. The scanning electron microscopy, roughness, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis results were all in total agreement indicating the substantial change in surface morphology, topography, and composition once the ethanol content was increased to 50 vol.%. The surface structure was notably changed by the addition of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) nanoparticles. It was found that the induced inhomogeneity as a result of POSS addition had an adverse effect on the surface properties. In conclusion, superhydrophobicity could be regarded as a prerequisite for achieving cell‐repellent behavior, but it cannot guarantee a cell repellent surface especially if the surface layer possesses structural inhomogeneity.     

A new tetradentate N2O2-type Schiff base ligand. Synthesis, extractive properties towards transition metal ions and X-ray crystal structure of its nickel complex

A new tetradentate N₂O₂-type Schiff base, bis(2-hydroxypropiophenone)-1,2-propanediimine (L), was synthesized by the reaction of 1,2-propanediamine with 2-hydroxypropiophenone in EtOH. The Schiff base is able to extract Co^II, Ni^II, Cu^II and Zn^II ions in aqueous NaNO₃ media into a CH₂Cl₂ organic phase via a cation exchange mechanism. The observed extraction order was as follows: Cu^II > Ni^II > Co^II > Zn^II. Reaction of nickel acetate with the Schiff base in EtOH afforded the neutral complex Ni · L. Single crystals of this complex were obtained from mixed CHCl₃-EtOH (3:1) solvent and its structure was determined by X-ray diffraction. Crystal data for Ni · L · CHCl₃: triclinic, space group Pī, with a = 9.005(2) Å, b = 9.625(2) Å, c = 14.212(4) Å, V = 1136.8(5) ų, α = 106.06(2)°, β = 106.06(2), γ = 105.10(2)°, and Z = 2. A near square planar structure is observed for the studied complex.