Sensitive and selective spectrophotometric method for the determination of trace amounts of osmium with 1,2,3-indanetrione monothiosemicarbazone

Summary Sensitive and Selective Spectrophotometric Method for the Determination of Trace Amounts of Osmium with 1,2,3-Indanetrione Monothiosemicarbazone A simple, sensitive and selective spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of osmium using 1,2,3-indane-trione monothiosemicarbazone (ITMT). The method is based on the colour reaction between ITMT and osmium(VIII) in hydrochloric acid (0.32–0.60 M) medium. The calibration graph for measurement at 440 nm is linear in the range 1.4–33.6g of osmium per 25ml, with a molar absorptivity of 6.43×10⁴l·mole^–1·cm^–1. The effect of interferences has been studied and the method applied to the determination of osmium in synthetic samples whose composition correspond to osmiridium or syserkite, with good results.     

Bond dissociation energies and bond orders for diatomic alkali halides

The bond dissociation energies for Alkali halides have been estimated based on the derived relations: $$\begin{gathered} D_{AB} = \bar D_{AB} + 31.973{\text{ e}}^{0.363\Delta x} {\text{ and}} \hfill \\ D_{AB} = \bar D_{AB} (1 - 0.2075\Delta xr_e ) + 52.29\Delta x, \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ where \(\bar D_{AB} = (D_{AA} \cdot D_{BB} )^{{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 2}} \right. \kern-0em} 2}} \) , Δx represents Pauling electronegativity differences x(_A ?x_B) and r _e is the internuclear distance. A simplified formula relating bond orders, q, to spectroscopic constants is suggested. The formula has the form q = 1.5783 × 10^?3 (ω _e ² r_e/ B_e)^1/2. The ambiguity arising from the Parr and Borkman relation is discussed. The present study supports the view of Politzer that q/(0.5r _e)² is the correct definition of bond order. The estimated bond energies and bond orders are in reasonably good agreement with the literature values. The bond energies estimated with the relations we suggested, for alkali halides give an error of 4.5% and 5.3%, respectively. The corresponding error associated with Pauling's equation is 40.2%.     

Flotation-spectrophotometric method for the determination of mercury using iodide and brilliant green

This paper describes a sensitive spectrophotometric method for the determination of mercury, based on the flotation of a mercury iodide-brilliant green complex with cyclohexane at pH 5 and dissolution of the complex in acetone. The absorbance of the complex is measured at 625 nm. Beer's law is obeyed from 4–500 g/l of mercury. The method is highly sensitive ( = 5.96 × 10⁵ 1 mol^–1 cm^–1) and selective, as it is free from interferences by almost all cations and anions in the presence of EDTA. Furthermore, a two-level orthogonal array design as a chemometric method has been used for optimization of the various parameters involved. The method has been successfully applied to paper industry effluents.     

A Series of Iron(II)-NHC Sensitizers with Remarkable Power Conversion Efficiency in Photoelectrochemical Cells**

A series of six new Fe(II)NHC-carboxylic sensitizers with their ancillary ligand decorated with functions of varied electronic properties have been designed with the aim to increase the metal-to- surface charge separation and light harvesting in iron-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). ARM130 scored the highest efficiency ever reported for an iron-sensitized solar cell (1.83 %) using Mg²⁺ and NBu₄I-based electrolyte and a thick 20 μm TiO₂ anode. Computational modelling, transient absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that the electronic properties induced by the dimethoxyphenyl-substituted NHC ligand of ARM130 led to the best combination of electron injection yield and spectral sensitivity breadth.     

Twist-Bend Nematic Glasses: The Synthesis and Characterisation of Pyrene-based Nonsymmetric Dimers

A selection of pyrene-based liquid crystal dimers have been prepared, containing either methylene-ether or diether linked spacers of varying length and parity. All the diether linked materials, CBOnO.Py (n=5, 6, 11, 12), exhibit conventional nematic and smectic A phases, with the exception of CBO11O.Py which is exclusively nematic. The methylene-ether linked dimer, CBnO.Py, with an even-membered spacer (n=5) was solely nematogenic, but odd-members (n=6, 8, 10) exhibited both nematic and twist-bend nematic phases. Replacement of the cyanobiphenyl fragment by cyanoterphenyl giving CT6O.Py, gave elevated melting and nematic-isotropic transition temperatures, and SmA and SmC_A phases were observed on cooling the nematic phase. Intermolecular face-to-face associations of the pyrene moieties drive glass formation, and all these materials have a glass transition temperature at or above room temperature. The stability of the glassy twist-bend nematic phase allowed for its study using AFM, and the helical pitch length, P_TB, was measured as 6.3 and 6.7 nm for CB6O.Py and CB8O.Py, respectively. These values are comparable to the shortest pitch of a twist-bend nematic phase measured to date.     

Catalyst-free facile and efficient one-pot synthesis of densely functionalized pyrroles and α-amino ketones

An efficient catalyst-free one-pot three-component synthesis of penta-substituted pyrroles has been successfully developed. A variety of penta-substituted pyrroles were straightforwardly synthesized from good to excellent yields (78%–93%) by using easily accessible starting materials under mild conditions. This protocol also provided α-amino ketones in good yields (87%–98%) without column chromatography.     

Neuroprotective Effects of B-Type Cinnamon Procyanidin Oligomers on MPP+-Induced Apoptosis in a Cell Culture Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Cinnamon procyanidin oligomers (CPOs) are water-soluble components extracted from cinnamon. This study aims to explore the neuroprotection of B-type CPO (CPO-B) against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP⁺)-mediated cytotoxicity and the molecular mechanisms underlying its protection. The results demonstrated that CPO-B showed protection by increasing cell viability, attenuating an intracellular level of reactive oxygen species, downregulating cleaved caspase-3 expression, and upregulating the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Moreover, CPO-B completely blocked the dephosphorylation of extracellular, signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (Erk1/2) caused by MPP⁺. Treatment with an Erk1/2 inhibitor, SCH772984, significantly abolished the neuroprotection of CPO-B against MPP⁺. Taken together, we demonstrate that CPO-B from cinnamon bark provided protection against MPP⁺ in cultured SH-SY5Y cells, and the potential mechanisms may be attributed to its ability to modulate the dysregulation between pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins through the Erk1/2 signaling pathway. Our findings suggest that the addition of cinnamon to food or supplements might benefit patients with PD.     

SnO2 Quantum Dots Distributed along V2O5 Nanobelts for Utilization as a High-Capacity Storage Hybrid Material in Li-Ion Batteries

In this study, the facile synthesis of SnO₂ quantum dot (QD)-garnished V₂O₅ nanobelts exhibiting significantly enhanced reversible capacity and outstanding cyclic stability for Li⁺ storage was achieved. Electrochemical impedance analysis revealed strong charge transfer kinetics related to that of V₂O₅ nanobelts. The SnO₂ QD-garnished V₂O₅ nanobelts exhibited the highest discharge capacity of ca. 760 mAhg⁻¹ at a density of 441 mAg⁻¹ between the voltage ranges of 0.0 to 3.0 V, while the pristine V₂O₅ nanobelts samples recorded a discharge capacity of ca. 403 mAhg⁻¹. The high capacity of QD-garnished nanobelts was achieved as an outcome of their huge surface area of 50.49 m²g⁻¹ and improved electronic conductivity. Therefore, the as-presented SnO₂ QD-garnished V₂O₅ nanobelts synthesis strategy could produce an ideal material for application in high-performance Li-ion batteries.     

Sequence selective recognition in the minor groove of dsDNA by pyrrole,imidazole-substituted bis-benzimidazole conjugates

A series of pyrrole, imidazole-substituted bis-benzimidazole conjugates, Py-Py-Im-gamma-biBenz, Py-Py-gamma-biBenz, Py-Im-gamma-biBenz, and Im-Py-gamma-biBenz (1-4), were prepared in an attempt to target dsDNA sequences possessing both A/T and G/C bps. The dsDNA interactions and sequence specificity of the conjugates have been characterized via spectrofluorometric titrations and thermal melting studies. All conjugates form 1:1 complexes with dsDNA at subnanomolar concentrations. The Im moiety selectively recognizes a G/C bp embedded in the A/T-rich binding site. This represents the first clear example of sequence selective recognition in a 1:1 motif.(1) The equilibrium association constant (K(1)) for complexation of a specific nine-bp dsDNA site, 5'-gcggTATGAAATTcgacg-3', by conjugate 1 is approximately 2.6 x 10(9) M(-1). Displacement of the G/C position or G/C-->A/T substitution within the nine-bp site decreases the K(1) by approximately 8-fold, whereas two continuous G/C bps decrease the K(1) by approximately 50-fold magnitude. The K(1) values for seven-bp dsDNA, 5'-gcggtaTGAAATTcgacg-3' and 5'-gcggtaCAAAATTcgacg-3', binding sites by conjugates Py-Im-gamma-biBenz (3) and Im-Py-gamma-biBenz (4) are approximately 2.3 x 10(9) and approximately 1.2 x 10(9) M(-1), respectively. However, the conjugates with no Im moiety, Py-Py-gamma-biBenz (2) and Py-Py-Py-gamma-biBenz (5 and 6), are specific for seven- to nine-bp A/T-rich sites and single A/T-->G/C bp substitution within the binding site decreases the K(1) values by 1-2 orders of magnitude.     

Two new 5-deoxyflavones from Albizia odoratissima

Two new 5-deoxyflavones, 7,8-dimethoxy-3',4'-methylenedioxyflavone (1) and 7,2',4'-trimethoxyflavone (2) together with a known flavone, 7,4'-dimethoxy-3'-hydroxyflavone (3) were isolated from the rootbark of Albizia odoratissima. The structures of these new compounds were elucidated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and 1D and 2D-NMR spectral studies including (1)H-(1)H correlation spectroscopy (COSY), heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC), heteronuclear multiple bond connectivity (HMBC) and nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY).