Analysis of phenols in water by high-performance liquid chromatography using coumarin-6-sulfonyl chloride as a fluorogenic precolumn label

A simple, sensitive and rapid reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method is proposed for the analysis of some environmentally important phenols in water. The use of coumarin-6-sulphonyl chloride (C6SCl) as a fluorescence-labeling reagent has been investigated. The compound reacts with phenols within 20 min under mild conditions (ambient temperature, pH 9.0) to give sulphonates that can be separated by RP-HPLC employing fluorescence detection at lambda(ex) = 360 and lambda(em) = 460 nm. The optimum conditions for fluorescence, derivatization and chromatographic separation have been established and detection limits in the range 0.1-0.9 microg l(-1) were obtained for the studied compounds. The calibration curves were linear for the range 6-200 microg l(-1) for phenol, 3-200 microg l(-1) for 2-chlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol and 2,3,5-trichlorophenol and for the range of 3-100 microg l(-1) for 2,3-dichlorophenol and 3,5-dichlorophenol. The practical applicability of the method to environmental samples was demonstrated by analyzing drinking and industrial water samples spiked with the phenolic compounds.     

Medium Initial pH and Carbon Source Stimulate Differential Alkaline Cellulase Time Course Production in Stachybotrys microspora

The production profile of cellulases of the mutant strain A19 from the filamentous fungus Stachybotrys microspora was studied in the presence of various carbon sources (glucose, lactose, cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and wheat bran) and a range of medium initial pH (5, 7, and 8). Two extracellular cellulases from the Stachybotrys strain (endoglucanases and β-glucosidases) were monitored by enzymatic assay, sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and zymogram analysis. Glucose and lactose repressed CMCase time course production while they permitted a strong β-glucosidase one. On Avicel cellulose, CMC, and wheat bran, both activities were highly produced. Wheat bran (WB) is the best carbon source with an optimum of production at days 5 and 6. The production kinetics of both activities were shown to depend on the medium initial pH, with a preference for neutral or alkaline pH in the majority of conditions. The exception concerned the β-glucosidase which was much more produced at acidic pH, on glucose and cellulose. Most interestingly, a constitutive and conditional expression of an alkaline endoglucanase was revealed on the glucose-based medium at an initial pH of 8 units. The zymogram analysis confirmed such conclusions and highlighted that carbon sources and the pH of the culture medium directed a differential induction of various endoglucanases and β-glucosidases.     

CDP-Ethanolamine and CDP-Choline: one-pot synthesis and P NMR study

Herein we report a one-pot multi-step synthesis of the cofactors CDP-Ethanolamine and CDP-Choline starting from cytidine 5′-monophosphate and using commercially available and/or easily prepared reagents. While studying the ³¹P NMR spectrum of CDP-Ethanolamine, an unexpected characteristic for a pyrophosphate diester was observed as it showed a singlet or two doublets depending upon the pH. Therefore, further NMR studies were undertaken to investigate the pH dependence of the peak splitting pattern and measure the acid dissociation constants of the compounds.     

A Laccase/Chitosan‐Lambda‐Carrageenan Based Voltammetric Biosensor for Phenolic Compound Detection

In this contribution, a new concept of voltammetric catechol biosensor, based on the encapsulation of laccase (LAC) in a chitosan+lambda‐carrageenan (CHIT+CAR) polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) employing a simple coacervation process is presented. Chitosan (CHIT) was prepared from α‐chitin extracted from shrimp shells and lambda‐carrageenan (CAR) was extracted from red algae, both polysaccharides and PEC being characterized using FTIR spectrometry and electrochemistry. Cyclic voltammetry was utilized to determine the analytical features of the laccase (LAC) biosensor for catechol detection. The linear range was from 10^?20 M to 10^?14 M with a sensitivity of 1.55 mA/p[catechol] and a limit of detection of 3×10^?21 M.The laccase biosensor exhibits good repeatability (RSD 2.38 %) and stability (four weeks). The developed biosensor was tested by applying it to the evaluation of the total polyphenolic content in natural oil samples.     

Surface excitation probabilities in surface electron spectroscopies

The phenomenon of surface excitation is competitive in nature for elastic and other inelastic scattering processes in surface electron spectroscopies; the knowledge of influence of surface excitations in electron energy loss spectra is then essential for quantitative surface analysis with these spectroscopies. The inelastic scattering of an electron moving in the vicinity of a surface is considered in a self-energy formalism to estimate the contribution of surface excitation in electron-solid interactions via the total surface excitation probability. The formulation uses the optical bulk dielectric function and provides the spatial and angular dependence of the differential and total inelastic cross-sections. The kinetic energy range of probing electrons considered is 100-5000 eV and the numerical evaluation of total surface excitation probabilities are performed for several metals, Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, Fe and Ti; empirical formulae for the surface excitation probability are given for each of these materials and compared with experimental results for the surface excitation parameter. The total surface excitation probability is higher in Ag as compared to other metals under consideration, for identical conditions of electron-solid interactions.     

Utilization of 2-ylidene-4-thiazolidinones in the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds. Part I: Synthesis of pyrazoles

2-Ylidene and 2,5-diylidene-4-thiazolidinones 2a–d were synthesized and converted into pyrazole derivatives 4a–d by reaction with hydrazine hydrate. A mechanism of this novel conversion is suggested.     

Internal path investigation of the acting electrons during the photocatalysis of panchromatic ruthenium dyes in dye-sensitized solar cells

A series of heteroleptic Ru(II) complexes were theoretically investigated using time-dependent density functional theory. These dyes, including K8 and N3, are based on a common motif formed by Ru center, NCS, and polypyridyl ligands, but differ only by the nature of the added group in para position of each pyridyl. The presence of these ligands will enable the evaluation of the electronic effects ±I and ±M. This work focuses on the localization of the part, among the metal, the NCS, the polypyridyl ligands, and the added group R, which is most actively involved in the photocatalysis process. We dealt with both ground and excited states as well as the electronic transitions between them. To illustrate the effect of each functional group R on its photophysical properties, the geometries of five dyes were optimized in the molecular and univalent cationic states. All molecules are asymmetrical in shape with a distorted octahedral coordination of the RuN6 core. Atomic charge and spin density distributions show that a charge transfer process occurs from the NCS/Ru to polypyridyl ligand. Analysis of the electronic absorption spectra reveals that the band with the highest wavelength value is assigned to metal-to-ligand charge transfer transition. On the contrary, two other bands are assigned to multitransitions Ru/NCS to polypyridyl–π*. These attributions have been confirmed by the localization of all atoms intervening in them. We also introduced an adapted way to estimate the ionization probability values in each atomic center in the ground and first excited states. Phenomenal properties such as mobility, redox potential, electronic spectrum, ionization potential, and optical gap of the most efficient dye, which is the N3, fit well with experimental values.     

Novel lanthanum sulfide–decorated zirconia nanohybrid for enhanced electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Metal sulfide and oxides have drawn interest as economical substitutes to noble metal catalysts due to their ability for oxygen evolution reaction (OER)...     

Establishing Relationship between Vitamins,Total Phenolic and Total Flavonoid Content and Antioxidant Activities in Various Honey Types

Honey is a well-known natural sweetener and is rich in natural antioxidants that prevent the occurrence of oxidative stress, which is responsible for many human diseases. Some of the biochemical compounds in honey that contribute to this property are vitamins and phenolic compounds such as phenolic acids and flavonoids. However, the extent to which these molecules contribute towards the antioxidant capacity in vitro is inconsistently reported, especially with the different analytical methods used, as well as other extrinsic factors that influence these molecules’ availability. Therefore, by reviewing recently published works correlating the vitamin, total phenolic, and flavonoid content in honey with its antioxidant activities in vitro, this paper will establish a relationship between these parameters. Based on the literature, vitamins do not contribute to honey’s antioxidant capacity; however, the content of phenolic acids and flavonoids has an impact on honey’s antioxidant activity.