Experimental study on the uranium(VI) extraction rate and droplet mass transfer coefficients from a sulfate leach liquor medium with Alamine 336 in a single drop column

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - The mass transfer coefficient and the extraction degree of uranium was investigated from a leach liquor by Alamine 336 in a single drop column....     

Kinetic properties of aryldialkylphosphatase immobilised on chitosan myristic acid nanogel

Organophosphorus (OP) compounds are extensively used in agricultural practice for pest management. However, their residues have a long half-life in the ecosystem as well as in the agro-products, posing a serious threat to human and animal health. Aryldialkylphosphatase (EC 3.1.8.1) is widely used in detoxification procedures. In the present study, aryldialkylphosphatase was immobilised on synthesised cross-linked nano-sized gel particles, also known as nanogels, in order to enhance the enzyme’s physicochemical properties. Accordingly, a new nanogel consisting of chitosan and myristic acid (CMA nanogel) was synthesised and characterised by way of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The aryldialkylphosphatase-CMA nanogel conjugate was then assayed by FTIR, and its physicochemical characteristics were also investigated. The data obtained from SEM and TEM showed the nanogels to be homogenous spherical particles less than 50 nm in diameter. The proper formation of the nanogel and nanobioconjugate was also confirmed by FTIR spectra. In comparison with the free enzyme, the pH and thermal stability of the aryldialkylphosphatase were enhanced by the covalent immobilisation. Moreover, the immobilised enzyme could maintain approximately half of its activity over more than one month. The kinetic parameters of the aryldialkylphosphatase-CMA nanogel conjugate were also shown to undergo remarkable improvements, hence the synthesised CMA-nanogel could act as a promising support for aryldialkylphosphatase immobilisation. It is suggested that the aryldialkylphosphatase-CMA nanogel could be used for detoxifying paraoxon; a nerve agent. Further clinical experiments are underway.     

A green,catalyst-free synthesis of pyrazolopyranopyrimidines in polyethylene glycol as a biodegradable medium at ambient temperature

Molecular Diversity - A facile, efficient and environmentally safe strategy for the synthesis of pyrazolopyranopyrimidines via one-pot, four-component reaction of hydrazine hydrate, barbituric...     

Inside-tube solid-phase microextraction as an interlink between solid-phase microextraction and needle device for n-hexane evaluation in air and urine headspace

Monitoring the trace amount of chemicals in various samples remains a challenge. This study was conducted to develop a new solid-phase microextraction (SPME) system (inside-tube SPME) for trace analysis of n-hexane in air and urine matrix. The inside-tube SPME system was prepared based on the phase separation technique. A mixture of carbon aerogel and polystyrene was loaded inside the needle using methanol as the anti-solvent. The air matrix of n-hexane was prepared in a Tedlar bag, and n-hexane vapor was sampled at a flow rate of 0.1 L/min. Urine samples spiked with n-hexane were used to simulate the sampling method. The limit of detection using the inside-tube SPME was 0.0003 μg/sample with 2.5 mg of adsorbent, whereas that using the packed needle was 0.004 μg/sample with 5 mg of carbon aerogel. For n-hexane analysis, the day-to-day and within-day coefficient variation were lower than 1.37%, with recoveries over 98.41% achieved. The inside-tube SPME is an inter-link device between two sample preparation methods, namely, a needle trap device and an SPME system. The result of this study suggested the use of the inside-tube SPME containing carbon aerogel (adsorbent) as a simple and fast method with low cost for n-hexane evaluation.     

2,2′-Azobenzothiazole as a New Recyclable Oxidant for Heterogeneous Thiocyanation of Aromatic Compounds with Ammonium Thiocyanate

A simple synthesis of thiocyanated aromatics has been developed by using heteroaromatic azo compounds such as 2,2′-azobenzothiazole as a mild and heterogeneous oxidant. The reactions proceed at room temperature with good regioselectivity. The hydrazine by-product can be easily separated by filtration and recycled for further use.     

Ab initio calculations and molecular dynamics simulation of H2 adsorption on CN3Be3+ cluster

Hydrogen adsorption properties of the CN₃Be₃⁺ cluster have been studied using density functional theory and MP2 method with a 6–31++G** basis set. Five hydrogen molecules get adsorbed on the CN₃Be₃⁺ cluster with a hydrogen storage capacity of 10.98 wt%. Adsorption of three H₂ molecules on one of the three Be atoms in a cluster is reported for the first time. It is due to the more positive charge on this Be atom than the remaining two. The average value for H₂ adsorption energy in CN₃Be₃⁺ (5H₂) complexes is 0.41 (0.43) eV/H₂ at MP2 (wB97XD) level, which fits well within the ideal range. Adsorption energy from electronic structure calculations plays an important role in retaining the number of H₂ molecules on a cluster during atom-centered density matrix propagation (ADMP) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. According to ADMP-MD simulations, out of five H₂ adsorbed molecules on CN₃Be₃⁺, four and two H₂ molecules remain absorbed on CN₃Be₃⁺ cluster at 275 K and 350 K, respectively, during the simulation.

     

DFT and ab initio calculations of the vibrational frequencies and visible spectra of triazenes derived from cyclic amines

We present a detailed analysis of the structural, infrared spectra and visible spectra of the 4-substituted aminoazo-benzenesulfonyl azides. The preparation of 4-sulfonyl azide benzenediazonium chloride with cyclic amines of various ring sizes (pyrrolidine, piperidine, 4-methylpiperidine, N-methylpiperazine, morpholine and hexamethyleneimine) have been investigated theoretically by performing HF and DFT levels of theory using the standard 6-31G* basis set. The optimized geometries and calculated vibrational frequencies are evaluated via comparison with experimental values. The vibrational spectral data obtained from solid phase FT-IR spectra are assigned modes based on the results of the theoretical calculations. The observed spectra are found to be in good agreement with the calculations.     

Electronic properties of B12N12 fullerene–like nanoclusters functionalized with Schiff bases: a DFT study

Structural Chemistry - In the present study, electronic properties of B12N12 nanocage functionalized with Schiff bases are studied by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations at...     

Hyper-cross-linked β-cyclodextrin nanosponge: a three-dimensional,porous and biodegradable catalyst in the one-pot synthesis of kojic acid-based heterocyclic compounds

Research on Chemical Intermediates - In the present study, β-cyclodextrin-based nanosponges were prepared by reaction of β-cyclodextrin with dicarbonyl imidazole as a crosslinker agent....