The effect of the chemical composition and the volume of coated carbonate calcium on epoxy paint properties

Russian Journal of Applied Chemistry - Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is widely used in the paint industry as a white pigment. To reduce the high cost of TiO2, mineral fillers such as different calcites...     

Hydrogen-bonding interactions in ferrocene-peptide conjugates containing valine

The synthesis and characterization of a series of ferrocene (Fc) peptide conjugates containing the amino acid valine is reported, where the peptide substituents are part of the hydrophobic sequence of the amyloid β-peptide. The hydrogen-bonding (H-bonding) interaction in these compounds is studied by variable temperature ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The solid-state structures, determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography, of two of the conjugates (Fc[CO-Leu-Val-OMe]₂1 and Fc[CO-Gly-Val-OH]₂6) are reported. Both structures are stabilized by intramolecular H-bonds exhibiting the familiar “Herrick motif” involving the proximal amide NH and the amide CO of the adjacent amino acid. This motif is sufficiently rigid and is maintained in solution as suggested by CD studies. However, the intermolecular H-bonding patterns observed on conjugates 1 and 6 are significantly different resulting in very different supramolecular architectures. For conjugate 1, a more conventional set of head-to-tail stacking interactions which is stabilized by β-sheet-like H-bonding interactions between the individual molecules is observed. However, for conjugate 6, the presence of the C-terminal acid group and presumably the flexibility of the Gly linker enables the formation of a more open structure that contains hydrophobic channels occupied by solvent molecules.     

Highly Sensitive Nanostructured Electrochemical Sensor Based on Carbon Nanotubes-Pt Nanoparticles Paste Electrode for Simultaneous Determination of Levodopa and Tyramine

A multicomponent electrochemical sensor, with two nanometer-scale components in sensing matrix/electrode, was used to simultaneous determination of levodopa (LD) and tyramine (TR) in pharmaceutical and diet samples. Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used as carbonaceous materials in the electrode construction. 5-amino-3',4'-dimethoxy-biphenyl-2-ol (5ADMB) was used as electron mediator and Pt nanoparticles (nPt) as a catalyst. The 5ADMB catalyzes the oxidation of LD to the corresponding catecholamine, which is electrochemically reduced back to LD. Preparation of this electrode was very simple and modified electrode showed good properties at electrocatalytic oxidization of LD and TR. Using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), a highly selective and simultaneous determination of LD and TR has been explored at the modified electrode. Differential pulse voltammetry peak currents of LD and TR increased linearly with their concentrations at the ranges of 0.50–100.0 μM and 0.60–100.0 μM, respectively. Also, the detection limits for LD and TR were 0.31 and 0.52 μM, respectively. The electrode exhibited an efficient catalytic response with good reproducibility and stability.     

Multivariate optimization of the hollow fiber-based liquid phase microextraction of lead in human blood and urine samples using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

The present study developed a liquid-phase microextraction based on hollow fiber coupled with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for the effective extraction and quantitation of lead from urine and blood samples. A multivariate design was used for the optimization of the experimental conditions to ensure high extraction efficiency. Six factors (solvent type, chelating agent, time extraction, temperature, donor phase pH, and acceptor phase pH) were obtained by screening eleven factors of the Plackett–Burman design; these were optimized using the central composite design of response surface methodology. The optimum conditions of donor phase pH, acceptor phase pH, temperature, and extraction time were 5, 9.5, 40 °C, and 120 min, respectively. In addition, oleic acid containing dicyclohexyl-18-krone-6 was used for the membrane phase. Under optimal conditions, the enrichment factor, limit of detection, and limit of quantification were obtained in the ranges of 21.3–18.7, 0.001–0.002 ng mL^?1, and 0.008–0.01 ng mL^?1, respectively, in urine and blood samples. The linearity of the calibration curve was established for the concentration of Pb in the range of 1–50 ng mL^?1 (r²?=?0.9983). Finally, the performance of the developed method was evaluated for the determination of lead in urine and blood samples, and satisfactory results were obtained (RSDs <?10% with recovery >?95).     

Separation and determination of amitriptyline and nortriptyline by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with gas chromatography flame ionization detection

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) coupled with gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC–FID) was applied for the determination of two tricyclic antidepressant drugs (TCAs), amitriptyline and nortriptyline, from water samples. This method is a very simple and rapid method for the extraction and preconcentration of these drugs from environmental sample solutions. In this method, the appropriate mixture of extraction solvent (18 μL Carbon tetrachloride) and disperser solvent (1 mL methanol) are injected rapidly into the aqueous sample (5.0 mL) by syringe. Therefore, cloudy solution is formed. In fact, it is consisted of fine particles of extraction solvent which is dispersed entirely into aqueous phase. The mixture was centrifuged and the extraction solvent is sedimented on the bottom of the conical test tube. 2.0 μL of the sedimented phase is injected into the GC for separation and determination of TCAs. Some important parameters, such as kind of extraction and disperser solvent and volume of them, extraction time, pH and ionic strength of the aqueous feed solution were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factors and extraction recoveries were between 740.04–1000.25 and 54.76–74.02%, respectively. The linear range was (0.005–16 μg mL⁻¹) and limits of detection were between 0.005 and 0.01 μg mL⁻¹ for each of the analytes. The relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) for 4 μg mL⁻¹ of TCAs in water were in the range of 5.6–6.4 (n = 6). The performance of the proposed technique was evaluated for determination of TCAs in blood plasma.     

Effect of Aqueous Ablation Environment on the Characteristics of ZnO Nanoparticles Produced by Laser Ablation

Effect of ablation environment on the nature of ZnO nanoparticles produced by laser ablation method in liquid medium is investigated experimentally. High purity Zn plate was irradiated by the fundamental beam of a Q-switch Nd-YAG laser in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), acetone, sodium dodecyl sulfate and water. Produced nanoparticles were characterized by UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction spectrum, and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results show that the highest rate of ablation occurs in CTAB. Largest nanoparticles are produced in acetone, and crystallinity of nanoparticles produced in CTAB is higher than other samples. CTAB surfactant changed the morphology of ZnO nanoparticles.