A dynamic study of the quasi-one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded ferroelectric crystal CsH2PO4

The dynamics of the strong-anisotropic Ising model in a transverse field is used with the purpose to explain the dielectric critical slowing down observed experimentally in the quasi-one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded ferroelectric crystal CsH₂PO₄. A good agreement with the experimental data of the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant and the relaxation time is obtained.     

Fourier transform-IR and 1H NMR studies on the structure of water solubilized by reverse aggregates of calcium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate in organic solvents

The structure of water solubilized by reverse aggregates of calcium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate in deuterobenzene and toluene has been probed by Fourier transform-IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopies. The ν_OD band of solubilized HOD (4% D₂O in H₂O) has been recorded as a function of the [water]/[surfactant] molar ratio, W/S. Curve fitting of this band showed the presence of a main peak at 2550 ± 13 cm⁻¹ and a small one at 2405 ± 15 cm⁻¹. As a function of increasing W/S, the frequency of the main peak decreases, its full width at half-height increases, and its area increases linearly. The ¹H NMR chemical shift of solubilized H₂O–D₂O mixtures at W/S = 18.1 has been measured as a function of the deuterium content of the aqueous nanodroplet. These data were used to calculate the so-called “fractionation factor” of the aggregate-solubilized water, the value of which was found to be unity. The results of both techniques show that reverse aggregate-solubilized water, although different from bulk water, does not seem to coexist in “layers” of different degrees of structure, as suggested, for example by the two-state water-solubilization model. Received: 12 July 1999/Accepted: 30 August 1999     

Preparation and thermal characterization of inclusion complex of Brazilian green propolis and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin

The propolis produced in Southeastern Brazil is known as green propolis (BGP) because of its color and the most important plant source is Baccharis dracunculifolia. Several authors reported biological activities such as antiulcer, anti-inflammator, antimutagenic, antifungal/antibacterial, antileishmanial/antiplasmodial for the BGP. For this reason, BGP has been extensively employed in food and beverages, thus helping improve health and preventing diseases. Some authors related that the biological activities of BGP are mostly due to its high levels of prenylated ρ-coumaric acids derivatives, mainly artepillin C. The inclusion complex between Brazilian green propolis (BGP) with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) was prepared and its characterization was investigated by different analytical techniques (X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry) and suggesting that propolis was molecularly dispersed in the HP-β-CD matrix. The increasing solubility of chemical constituents was determined using quantitation methods for total flavonoids and polyphenols. Furthermore, it was developed a method for the quantitation and identification of the main compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography in order to evaluate the increasing water solubility of each constituent in aqueous BGP extract (aromadendrin, isosakuranetin, and artepillin C). The antioxidant activity was evaluated by chemical assay 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging.     

Uncertainty measurement evaluation of WDXRF and EDXRF techniques for the Si and U<Subscript>total</Subscript> determination in U<Subscript>3</Subscript>Si<Subscript>2</Subscript> nuclear fuel

Uranium silicide (U₃Si₂), 20% ²³⁵U enriched powder, is an intermetallic compound used as nuclear fuel material, which is the state-of-the-art among nuclear fuel materials used in modern research reactors. It is produced by IPEN and used as nuclear fuel of the IEA-R1 reactor (IPEN/CNEN, São Paulo, Brazil); U₃Si₂ has 92.3 wt% U_total and 7.7 wt% Si. The qualification of this material requires chemical and physical tests such as Si and U_total content, isotope ratio, impurities, density, specific surface area and particle size determination. The Si and U_total were determined by gravimetric and volumetric procedures. Usually, these classical methods require a long time for analyses and are expensive. The objective of this study was to establish a fast and efficient analytical method to meet ISO/IEC 17025:2005 requirements in the Si and U_total determination. The X-ray fluorescence techniques (XRF) were chosen to allow a direct and non-destructive analysis, what is the main advantage compared to other instrumental techniques, since previous chemical treatments are not necessary. In this study, the performance of the wavelength dispersive (WDXRF) and energy dispersive (EDXRF) X-ray fluorescence techniques was evaluated. Furthermore, two different sample preparation procedures, plain powdered and pressed powdered, were evaluated. Statistical tools were used to evaluate the results and a comparison between these results and the conventional methods was done.     

Synthesis,characterization and assessment of the cytotoxic activity of Cu(II), Fe(III) and Mn(III) complexes of camphoric acid‐derived salen ligands

Novel Cu(II), Fe(III) and Mn(III) salen‐type metal complexes from (1R,3S)‐N,N′‐bis[salicylidene]‐1,3‐diamino‐1,2,2‐trimethylcyclopentane were synthesized and screened for their in vitro cytotoxic activity against three human cancer cell lines: melanoma, colorectal and breast. In vitro experiments carried out with the three metal complexes show that the copper complex exhibits the highest cytotoxic activity towards all cell lines studied, presenting IC₅₀ values of 3.32–6.71 μM. A significant improvement in the anti‐proliferative effect, by 20‐fold, is observed with this complex when compared with conventional chemotherapy. The relationship between structure, redox characteristics and biological activity in human cancer cell lines was evaluated for the most efficient Cu(II) complex and associated with theoretical calculations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of the heat effects involved during toluene vapor adsorption and desorption from microporous activated carbon

In the present work the adsorption of toluene on microporous activated carbon was chosen as an illustrative example in order to show that different values of the heat effect might be obtained following the procedure used. Values ranging from 85 to 40 KJ/moL were obtained for the isosteric heat of adsorption at different adsorbate loadings using adsorption isotherm data measured under static conditions. However, the application of temperature programmed desorption (TPD) experiments carried out under dynamic conditions yields apparent energy of desorption values that cannot be systematically correlated with the heat of adsorption which is a thermodynamic parameter relevant to the adsorption equilibrium. This issue is of interest because the use of accurate values of the heat of adsorption is important for the correct designing and operating of adsorption facilities.     

A compact 341 model at TeV scale

We build a gauge model based on the SU(3)_c⊗SU(4)_L⊗U(1)_X$SU{\left(3\right)}_c\otimes SU{\left(4\right)}_L\otimes U{\left(1\right)}_X$ symmetry where the scalar spectrum needed to generate gauge boson and fermion masses has a smaller scalar content than usually assumed in literature. We compute the running of its abelian gauge coupling and show that a Landau pole shows up at the TeV scale, a fact that we use to consistently implement those fermion masses that are not generated by Yukawa interactions, including neutrino masses. This is appropriately achieved by non renormalizable effective operators, suppressed by the Landau pole scale. Also, SU(3)_c⊗SU(3)_L⊗U(1)_N$SU{\left(3\right)}_c\otimes SU{\left(3\right)}_L\otimes U{\left(1\right)}_N$ models embedded in this gauge structure are bound to be strongly coupled at this same energy scale, contrary to what is generally believed, and neutrino mass generation is rather explained through the same effective operators used in the larger gauge group. Besides, their nice features, as the existence of cold dark matter candidates and the ability to reproduce the observed standard model Higgs-like phenomenology, are automatically inherited by our model. Finally, our results imply that this model is constrained to be observed or discarded soon, since it must be realized at the currently probed energy scale in LHC.     

A spectrophotometric flow procedure for the determination of cationic surfactants in natural waters using a solenoid micro-pump for fluid propulsion

An automatic flow-analysis procedure for spectrophotometric determination of cationic surfactants in surface water using a solenoid micro-pump for propelling solutions of reagents and sample is described. The proposed method is based on a ternary formation complex between chromazurol S, the Fe(III) ion, and the cationic surfactant. The flow network comprised four solenoid micro-pumps controlled by a microcomputer, which performed the sampling step by loading a reaction coil with sample and reagent solutions and displacing the sample zone through the analytical path. The system is simple, easy to operate, and very flexible, with sufficient sensitivity to determine cationic surfactants in water without any pre-concentration or separation step. After determining the best operational conditions, favourable features such as a linear response between 0.34 and 10.2?mg?L^?1 of surfactant (R?=?0.999), a relative standard deviation of 0.6% (n?=?11) for a sample containing 3.4?mg?L^?1 of surfactant, a detection limit of 0.035?mg?L^?1 of surfactant, and a sampling throughput of 72 determinations per hour were achieved. The system was used to determine cationic surfactant in river-water samples, and recovery values between 91 and 106% were achieved.     

Selective Monophosphorylation of Aliphatic Diamines

This article describes an improved method to synthesize phosphoramidic acid aminoalkyl esters from diamines by the adaptation of industrial patents. Four mono-phosphorylated products having amino sites were obtained in good a yield. Such compounds have potential coordination properties with transition metals and also potential biological activity.