Fluorescence and Time-Resolved Delayed Luminescence of Porphyrins in Organic Solvents and Polymer Matrices

Porphyrin dyes fulfill an essential function in photosynthesis and are important in photodynamic therapy and in a range of electronic devices. Their spectroscopic characteristics may play a crucial role in these processes. The spectral properties of two porphyrin dyes: tetraphenylporphyrin and tetraphenysulfporphyrin in organic solvents (acetone, chloroform, methyl alcohol, and dimethyl-sulfoxide) and in polyvinyl alcohol and poly(methylmethacrylate) films have been investigated. Absorption, fluorescence, and microsecond time-resolved delayed luminescence spectra have been measured at room temperature. The existence of different aggregated dye forms in the ground and excited states has been demonstrated. The manifold of dye species depends on the solvent/polymer. In the case of the polymers, it also depends on the solvent used to coat the polymer film. Delayed luminescence spectra and decay times of the two porphyrins in the different solutions and in polymeric matrices suggest that different mechanisms of deexcitation of the singlet excited states may be responsible for their generation in these and other porphyrin dyes.     

Polyfunctionalized pyrrolidines by Ugi multicomponent reaction followed by palladium-mediated SN2' cyclizations

A 4-component Ugi reaction with a suitable isocyanide, followed by a novel secondary transformation involving a Pd(II)-mediated (R5 = H) or a Pd(0)-mediated (R5 = CO2Me) SN2' cyclization to give highly functionalized N-acyl-2-vinylpyrrolidines, is reported. The overall yields are usually good and in most cases the Pd(0)-catalyzed reaction gave the final product in almost quantitative yield.     

Characterization of a Citrulline 4‐Hydroxylase from Nonribosomal Peptide GE81112 Biosynthesis and Engineering of Its Substrate Specificity for the Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Enduracididine

The GE81112 tetrapeptides are a small family of unusual nonribosomal peptide congeners with potent inhibitory activity against prokaryotic translation initiation. With the exception of the 3‐hydroxy‐l ‐pipecolic acid unit, little is known about the biosynthetic origins of the non‐proteinogenic amino acid monomers of the natural product family. Here, we elucidate the biogenesis of the 4‐hydroxy‐l ‐citrulline unit and establish the role of an iron‐ and α‐ketoglutarate‐dependent enzyme (Fe/αKG) in the pathway. Homology modelling and sequence alignment analysis further facilitate the rational engineering of this enzyme to become a specific 4‐arginine hydroxylase. We subsequently demonstrate the utility of this engineered enzyme in the synthesis of a dipeptide fragment of the antibiotic enduracidin. This work highlights the value of applying a bioinformatics‐guided approach in the discovery of novel enzymes and engineering of new catalytic activity into existing ones.     

Effect of pretreatment on pyrolysis products of Pennisetum purpureum Schum. by Py-GC/MS

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) is one such resource with a great amount of carbohydrate and lignin polymers that together represent high...     

Tungsten and Molybdenum Heteropolyanions with Different Central Ions—Correlation between Theory and Experiment

Density functional theory calculations were carried out to investigate the electronic structures of Keggin-typed [XMo₁₂O₄₀]ⁿ⁻ and [XW₁₂O₄₀]ⁿ⁻ anions with different heteroatoms (X = Zn²⁺, B³⁺, Al³⁺, Ga³⁺, Si⁴⁺, Ge⁴⁺, P⁵⁺, As⁵⁺, and S⁶⁺). The influence of solvent on redox properties of heteropolyanions was discussed. For [XW₁₂O₄₀]ⁿ⁻ systems two linear correlation: first, between the experimental redox potential and energies of LUMO orbital; and second, between the experimental redox potential and total energy interaction (calculated between internal tetrahedron (XO₄ⁿ⁻), and rest of Kegging anion skeleton, (W₁₂O₃₆)) were designated. Taking into account the similarity of XW₁₂O₄₀ⁿ⁻ and XMo₁₂O₄₀ⁿ⁻ systems (in geometry and electronic structure), the estimated redox potential of molybdenum heteropolyanions (with X being p block elements) in different solvent were proposed.     

Adsorption—Nucleation and growth mechanism of CuSCN monolayer formation on a copper amalgam electrode in thiocyanate solutions

Using voltammetric, galvanostatic and potentiostatic techniques, the electrodeposition of cuprous thiocyanate on a copper amalgam electrode has been studied in acidic solutions containing various thiocyanate ion concentrations. Under the conditions used, the formation of two successive monolayers of CuSCN could be studied before the onset of bulk deposition. It was found that the formation of the first monolayer proceeds according to a complex adsorption-nucleation and growth mechanism. In the first stage, cuprous thiocyanate is adsorbed on the amalgam electrode; in the second, the disordered layer of adsorbate rearranges to form two-dimensional crystalline centres; and in the third stage, these centres grow, completing the formation of the entire monolayer. The second monolayer is formed in a much simpler way, according to a mechanism of two-dimensional, instantaneous nucleation and growth. At high thiocyanate ion concentration, the formation of the CuSCN layer is obscurred by the extensive formation of solution soluble species.     

Corrosion analysis of graphite sinter as bipolar plates in the low-temperature PEM fuel cell simulated environments

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The article presents the results of research and an analysis of the possibility of using sinters made of graphite powder as a material dedicated to the...     

Flow injection system with gas diffusion for the sequential determination of total nitrogen and phosphorus in vegetables

 A flow injection system was developed for the sequential determination of total nitrogen and phosphorus in digests of vegetables using potentiometric and spectrophotometric detection systems, respectively. A tubular ammonium selective electrode with a sensor system composed of nonactin/monactin in tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate was used. The selectivity limitations of this electrode were overcome by the inclusion of a gas-diffusion unit in the system that separated ammonium from the rest of the sample matrix and allowed the determination of total nitrogen and phosphorus by the partition of the sample plug between two streams. The results obtained with the developed FIA system were in good agreement with those of the reference methods. Sampling rates from 40 to 60 samples per hour and relative standard deviations below 3.5% were achieved. Received: 17 October 1996/Revised: 21 November 1996/Accepted: 27 November 1996     

How to Obtain the Maximum Properties Flexibility of 3D Printed Ketoprofen Tablets Using Only One Drug-Loaded Filament?

The flexibility of dose and dosage forms makes 3D printing a very interesting tool for personalized medicine, with fused deposition modeling being the most promising and intensively developed method. In our research, we analyzed how various types of disintegrants and drug loading in poly(vinyl alcohol)-based filaments affect their mechanical properties and printability. We also assessed the effect of drug dosage and tablet spatial structure on the dissolution profiles. Given that the development of a method that allows the production of dosage forms with different properties from a single drug-loaded filament is desirable, we developed a method of printing ketoprofen tablets with different dose and dissolution profiles from a single feedstock filament. We optimized the filament preparation by hot-melt extrusion and characterized them. Then, we printed single, bi-, and tri-layer tablets varying with dose, infill density, internal structure, and composition. We analyzed the reproducibility of a spatial structure, phase, and degree of molecular order of ketoprofen in the tablets, and the dissolution profiles. We have printed tablets with immediate- and sustained-release characteristics using one drug-loaded filament, which demonstrates that a single filament can serve as a versatile source for the manufacturing of tablets exhibiting various release characteristics.