MWCNTs/Ionic Liquid/Graphene Quantum Dots Nanocomposite Coated with Nickel‐Cobalt Bimetallic Catalyst as a Highly Selective Non‐enzymatic Sensor for Determination of Glucose

In this work, a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with multiwall carbon nanotubes/ionic liquid/graphene quantum dots (MWCNTs/IL/GQDs) nanocomposite. Then, the nanocomposite was decorated with nickel‐cobalt nanoparticles (Ni?Co NPs), and it was used as a non‐enzymatic glucose sensor. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction spectroscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy were employed to prove the electrodeposition of the Ni?Co NPs on the surface of MWCNTs/IL/GQDs/GCE. Also, cyclic voltammetric and amperometric methods were utilized for the investigation of the electrochemical behaviour of the Ni?Co NPs/MWCNTs/IL/GQDs/GCE for glucose oxidation. The novel amperometric sensor displayed two linear ranges from 1.0 to 190.0 μmol L^?1 and 190.0 to 4910 μmol L^?1 with a low detection limit of 0.3 μmol L^?1 as well as fast response time (2 s) and high stability. Also, the sensor showed good selectivity for glucose determination in the presence of ascorbic acid, citric acid, dopamine, uric acid, fructose, and sucrose, as potential interference species. Finally, the performance of the proposed sensor was investigated for the glucose determination in real samples. Ni?Co NPs/MWCNTs/IL/GQDs/GCE showed good sensitivity and excellent selectivity.     

The amide rotational barriers in picolinamide and nicotinamide: NMR and ab initio studies

Pyridine carboxamides are a class of medicinal agents with activity that includes the reduction of iron-induced renal damage, the regulation of nicotinamidase activity, and radio- and chemosensitization. Such pharmacological activities, and the prevalence of the carboxamide moiety and the importance of amide rotations in biology, motivate detailed investigation of energetics in these systems. In this study, we report the use of dynamic nuclear magnetic resonance to measure the amide rotational barriers in the pyridine carboxamides picolinamide and nicotinamide. The activation enthalpies and entropies of DeltaH++ = 12.9 +/- 0.3 kcal/mol and DeltaS++ = -7.7 +/- 0.9 cal/mol K for nicotinamide and DeltaH++ = 18.3 +/- 0.4 kcal/mol and DeltaS++ = +1.3 +/- 1.0 cal/mol K for picolinamide report a substantial energetic difference for these regioisomers. Ab initio calculations of the rotational barriers are in good agreement with the experimentally determined values and help partition the 5.4 kcal/mol enthalpy difference into its major contributions. Of principal importance are the variations in steric interactions in the ground states of picolinamide and nicotinamide, superior pi electron donation from the pyridine ring in the transition state of nicotinamide, and an intramolecular hydrogen bond in the ground state of picolinamide.     

In vivo fluorescent imaging of the mouse retina using adaptive optics

In vivo imaging of the mouse retina using visible and near infrared wavelengths does not achieve diffraction-limited resolution due to wavefront aberrations induced by the eye. Considering the pupil size and axial dimension of the eye, it is expected that unaberrated imaging of the retina would have a transverse resolution of 2 microm. Higher-order aberrations in retinal imaging of human can be compensated for by using adaptive optics. We demonstrate an adaptive optics system for in vivo imaging of fluorescent structures in the retina of a mouse, using a microelectromechanical system membrane mirror and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor that detects fluorescent wavefront.     

Synthesis and thermogravimetric analysis of inclusion complexes of O2N2-donor Aza-crown macrocyclic ligands with [60]fullerene

A simple method for the formation of inclusion complex of [60]fullerene with two O₂N₂-donor aza-crown macrocyclic ligands was introduced. The products were characterized using UV–vis and IR spectroscopies as well as HPLC, and ESI mass spectrometry. The ESI mass and elemental analysis data revealed that the ratio of macroring:[60]fullerene were not the same. The binding capability of the macrorings as well as the number of the macroring addends to [60]fullerene were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Considering percentage mass loss in different steps of TG and the enthalpy changes in DSC found for each of these products, the number of their addends on [60]fullerene were calculated. Theoretical calculations in semi-empirical level using AM1 suggested that proper orientation of the nitrogen-donor groups on the aza-crown macrorings toward [60]fullerene could be the main factor for the observed difference in the number of macroring addends attached to [60]fullerene.     

Gram-Scale Synthesis of the 1,1,n,n-Tetramethyl[n](2,11)teropyrenophanes

A gram-scale synthesis of a series of 1,1,n,n-tetramethyl[n](2,11)teropyrenophanes (n=7–9) has been accomplished as well as the first synthesis of the next higher homologue 1,1,10,10-tetramethyl[10](2,11)teropyrenophane. The scale-up of the original small-scale synthesis required the development of several heavily modified synthetic methods, including a chlorination/Friedel–Crafts alkylation protocol and an iodination/Wurtz coupling protocol, which were performed on 25–30 g and 30–60 g scales, respectively. Two separate sets of conditions for the key teropyrene-forming cyclodehydrogenation reaction at the end of the synthetic pathway were developed, an acid-promoted one for the two less strained congeners and an acid-free method for the two more strained homologues.     

Eco-friendly synthesis of 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-diones in the ionic liquid [<Emphasis Type="Italic">bmim</Emphasis>]Br

The green reaction of isatoic anhydrides with α-amino acids in presence of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide afforded 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-diones in excellent yields in absence of a catalyst. The reaction workup is simple and the ionic liquid was easily recovered from the reaction and reused. The methodology was quite general and a range of cyclic and acyclic α-amino acids were examined to produce 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-diones. Correspondence: Khosrow Jadidi, Department of Chemistry, Shahid Beheshti University, PO Box 1983963113, Tehran, Iran.