Tyrosinase-inhibitory long-chain esters from Amberboa ramosa

Long-chain esters 1 and 2 have been isolated from the chloroform-soluble fraction of Amberboa ramosa and their structures assigned to be methyl 2beta(2S)-hydroxyl-7(E)-tritriacontenoate (1) and methyl 2beta(2S)-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-7(E)-tetratriacontenoate (2). In addition, tricontane (3) and apigenin (4) are also reported for the first time from this species. The structures were assigned on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Compounds 1 and 2 showed strong to moderate inhibitory activity against tyrosinase.     

Bifunctional Lewis acid-nucleophile-based asymmetric catalysis: mechanistic evidence for imine activation working in tandem with chiral enolate formation in the synthesis of beta-lactams

We report a mechanistically based study of bifunctional catalyst systems in which chiral nucleophiles work in conjunction with Lewis acids to produce beta-lactams in high chemical yield, diastereoselectivity, and enantioselectivity. Chiral cinchona alkaloid derivatives work best when paired with Lewis acids based on Al(III), Zn(II), Sc(III), and, most notably, In(III). Homogeneous bifunctional catalysts, in which the catalyst contains both Lewis acidic and Lewis basic sites, were also studied in detail. Mechanistic evidence allows us to conclude that the chiral nucleophiles form zwitterionic enolates that react with metal-coordinated imines. Alternative scenarios, which postulated metal-bound enolates, were disfavored on the basis of our observations.     

Redox behavior of juglone in buffered aq.: Ethanol media

The present work reports the redox mechanism of 5-hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione (HND), commonly known as juglone, in buffered aqueous media having 50% of ethanol. HND followed different mechanistic routes depending upon the pH of the media and more than one pK_a were evaluated from the changes in the slope of the E_p vs. pH plot. The change of pH from acidic to neutral conditions was found to switch the mechanism from CEC to EE mechanism. Pulse techniques were utilized to determine the number of electrons involved in the oxidation and/or the reduction step and to ensure the nature of the redox process. Based upon the obtained results, an electrode reaction mechanism was proposed. Computational studies of HND supported the experimental results. UV-Visible spectroscopy was also employed for the detailed characterization of the compound in a wide range of pH and for the determination of its pK_a.     

氮掺杂长竹节状碳纳米管的制备及其生长机理

本文采用电弧放电法,通过阳极棒与不锈钢片的共蒸发,制备了氮掺杂长竹节状碳纳米管。借助扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、场发射高分辨透射电子显微镜（HRTEM）及其附带能量色散X射线（EDX）光谱仪和电子能量损失谱（EELS）、透射电子显微镜（TEM）等表征方法,对产物的形貌、结构和组成进行表征。表征结果表明,氮掺杂长竹节状碳纳米管的长度在640~835nm之间,其内径在23~35nm之间,外径在28~47nm之间;且在每一节“竹节”与另一节“竹节”的连接处形成的内腔中均有一个黑色纳米颗粒,其直径尺寸以及产物中的氮掺杂长竹节状碳纳米管的含量均与熔化、蒸发的不锈钢片的面积有关。本文还对氮掺杂长竹节状碳纳米管的生长机理进行了简单的探讨。     

Synthesis,characterisation and supramolecular interaction of Rh-biphenylic-imidazole-phenanthroline with antibiotics

A novel rhodium biphenylic imidazole phenanthroline metal-organic complex (BIP-MC) has been synthesised and characterised as a stable supramolecule. The structure of compound was established on the basis ESI, ¹H NMR and UV–vis spectroscopic data. The selectivity of BIP-MC as a new fluorescent chemosensor for various antibiotics has been explored. The supramolecular interaction of amoxicillin with BIP-MC enhanced the fluorescence activity of BIP-MC. A linear response of the sensor was observed in the measuring ranges of excitation 240–298 nm and emission 290–360 nm with detection limits of up to 10 μg/ml at an optimum pH 8.0. Based on the observations made here, a new quantitative method for the determination of this drug in synthetic samples without the use of separation of matrix is developed. It is also inferred that the possible fluorescence enhancement is due to the formation of exciplex between the BIP-MC and amoxicillin. These finding will thus help in pharmacokinetics studies of drugs. The sensor was used for the direct assay of amoxicillin antibiotic in commercial pharmaceutical preparations.     

Synthesis and Characterization of New Polyetheramides

Polyetheramides (PEAs) are prepared by polycondensation of N,N′-diacetyl-o-tolidide with Bisphenol A, C, or F, phenolphthalein, resorcinol, catechol, hydroquinone, or 1,5- or 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene or ethylene, butylene, propylene, diethylene, or triethylene glycol. The fusible and soluble oligomers are characterized. An attempt is made to bring out the relationship between various properties of PEAs and their structures.     

Flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of chloramben

Abstract

A method for the dechlorination of PCB mixtures (Aroclor formulations) to biphenyl was extended to soils. The contaminated sample was mixed with magnesium flakes, potassium hexachloropalladiate (K₂PdCl₆), propan-2-ol and water then permitted to react for up to six hours. Biphenyl, recovered by extraction into hexane, was quantified by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The reaction was very efficient in propan-2-ol / water (～95%), surfactant emulsion or sand mixture and virtually complete in soil provided that excess magnesium (2 g) and the K₂PdCl₆ were added to the sample prior to the addition of water. Higher PCB loadings were readily determined in field contaminated soils either by direct determination within the matrix or by standard additions. However, analyte concentrations were appreciably over-estimated in Soxhlet or sonication extracts of a certified reference material that contained sub-ppm levels of analyte. The over-estimation is considered to result from the conversion in part of natural organic matter to biphenyl.     

Spectrophotometric method for determination of atrazine and its application to commercial formulations and real samples

A simple sensitive spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of atrazine in herbicide formulations and real samples. The method was based on the reaction of atrazine with pyridine to form a quaternary halide which in the presence of alkali forms a carbinol base. The heterocyclic ring of the carbinol base breaks and forms the glutaconic dialdehyde. The glutaconic dialdehyde group was coupled with sulfanilic acid to form a yellow coloured product having λ _max 450 nm or coupled with aniline to form a orange red coloured product having λ _max 480 nm. The Beer's law was obeyed over the range from 0.1 to 25 µg mL^?1 and molar absorptivity 1.5 × 10⁴ L mol^?1 cm^?1 for sulfanilic acid, and from 0.08 to 12 µg mL^?1 and molar absorptivity 1.3 × 10⁴ L mol^?1 cm^?1 for aniline were observed. The reaction conditions and other analytical parameters were optimised. The proposed method has been successfully applied for the analysis of commercial formulations and real samples.     

Determination of Trace Elements in Tea and Coffee by Neutron Activation Analysis

Thermal neutron activation analysis, a high-resolution Ge(Li) gamma-ray spectrometer, and an IBM 360/67 digital computer were used to determine the concentration of Na, K, Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Rb, Sb, Cs, and Hg in ground coffee and tea. This nondestructive multielement technique requires neither pre- nor postirradiation chemistry and eliminates problems of reagent contamination. The method is simple, precise and sensitive to 15 elements. Interferences from fast neutron (n, p) and (n, α) reactions are small and, if necessary, corrections may be applied easily. This technique can be applied to percolated tea and coffee.     

Micellar Enhanced Ultrafiltration of Reactive Black 5 from Aqueous Solution by Cationic Surfactants

Reactive black 5 (RB-5) dye was removed from a water stream using two cationic surfactants, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), via micellar enhanced ultrafiltration. Three membranes with different pore size were used for the determination of rejection coefficient and permeate flux of the solution at 1.5 bar trans-membrane pressure (TMP). The two surfactants (CPC and CTAB) played an almost negligible role in rejection efficiency with 5000 and 10,000 molecular weight cut-off membrane (MWCO), respectively. In this case, high rejection and low permeate flux was the result of a larger molecular size of RB-5 DYE being retained by comparatively smaller sized pores of membrane via ultrafiltration. However, CPC and CTAB surfactants showed 83% and 98% rejection coefficient, respectively, at a concentration greater than their CMC values against 30,000 MWCO. Permeate flux remained low and constant in presence of 5000 and 10,000 MWCO with a small variation against 30,000 MWCO for the two surfactants, thereby no appreciable effect on both surfactant concentrations on concentration polarization was estimated. Thus, RB-5 dye alone was determined to be responsible for membrane plugging or concentration polarization and ultimately for low permeate flux. The effect of trans-membrane pressure was also investigated during this study.