Solvent extraction of Tm(III) by sulfoxides and mixtures of DPSO (di-N-pentyl sulfoxide) and HTTA (thenoyl-trifluoroacetone) from perchlorate and thiocyanate media

Extraction of Tm(III), from thiocyanate media, by different sulfoxides (R₂SO) has revealed that the extractable complex is Tm(SCN)₃·4 R₂SO. When mixtures of DPSO and HTTA are used for the extraction of Tm(III) from thiocyanate or perchlorate media, synergistic enhancement of the extraction of Tm(III) results. The complexes responsible for the enhanced extraction are Tm(TTA)₃·DPSO and Tm(TTA)₃·2 DPSO when perchlorate media were employed for the extraction and Tm(SCN)(TTA)₂·2 DPSO and Tm(SCN)₂(TTA)·3 DPSO, in addition to the above two when a thiocyanate medium was employed for the extraction. Values of equilibrium constants for some equilibria encountered in the extraction of Am(III) and Tm(III) by mixtures of DPSO and HTTA are given.     

A chemical enhancement method for the spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of arsenic

A highly sensitive spectrophotometric method for the determination of 0.03-1.0 microg of arsenic is described. After extraction as AsI(3) into benzene, it is selectively stripped into water. Both the arsenic(III) and iodide present in the aqueous phase are made to react with iodate in acidic medium in the presence of chloride to form the anionic chloro complex, ICl(-)(2). The determination is completed after extraction of ICl(-)(2) species as an ion-pair with Rhodamine 6G into benzene and measuring the absorption of the extract at 535 nm. The coefficient of variation is 1.5% for 10 determinations of 0.5 microg of arsenic. The method has been applied to the determination of arsenic content in plant materials, high purity iron, copper base alloys and inorganic arsenic levels of natural waters.     

Coherence spectroscopy in dissipative media: a Liouville space pathway approach

We address the possibility of using coherent control tools to extract useful information about the interaction of a system with a dissipative environment. To that end we extend previous work, which developed a coherence spectroscopy based on two-pathway excitation phase control, from the isolated molecule limit to dense media. Specifically, we explore the properties of the channel phase, an observable of energy-domain two-pathway excitation experiments that was shown in the isolated molecule limit to carry information about the phase properties of the material system. Our analysis is based on the combination of steady state and time-dependent analytical perturbative approaches within the density matrix formalism, complemented by nonperturbative numerical simulations. We find that the channel phase carries significantly richer information in the presence of decoherence mechanisms than in their absence. In particular, rescattering events in the structured continuum introduce new features in the channel phase spectrum, whose structure conveys information about both the molecular continuum and the system bath interaction.     

Identification and Purification of Metalloprotease from Dry Grass Pea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lathyrus sativus</Emphasis> L.) Seeds

Proteolytic enzymes play a central role in the biochemical mechanism of germination. The present study reported the presence of Zn²⁺-dependent endoproteases in the dry seeds of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) with maximum caseinolytic activity observed at pH 8.0. Studies with class-specific inhibitors (specific for cysteine, serine, aspartate, and metalloproteases) on crude extract identified the inhibitory effect of 1,10-phenanthroline. This inhibitory effect was overcome by addition of Zn²⁺, not with Fe, Ca, Cu, Mg, or Co and indicates that the protease is Zn²⁺ dependent. This metalloprotease was further characterized by attempting gelatin-PAGE zymography and observed three distinct zones of proteolytic activity with higher mobility. The protease fraction consisted of three isoforms as evidenced by the appearance of three different bands on gelatin-PAGE zymogram. We also purified these proteases to 110-fold by a three-step procedure comprising crude extract from dry seeds, (NH₄)₂SO₄ fractionation, and casein–alginate affinity chromatography. The molecular mass of isoforms of metalloproteases is 25, 18, and 14 kDa.     

Direct catalytic asymmetric method for the synthesis of tetrahydropyranopyrazoles through allene zwitterion chemistry

The enantioselective synthesis of the tetrahydropyranopyrazole scaffold has been achieved. The quinidine catalyzed reaction of allenoates with arylidenepyrazolones proceeded with high enantio- and diastereoselectivity while the reactions of alkylidenepyrazolones were less efficient. Allene ketones also afforded tetrahydropyranopyrazole derivatives in high yields, however, with only moderate enantioselectivity. The primary adduct undergoes further functional group transformations without effecting the initially formed chiral centre.     

Conductive Biomaterials as Substrates for Neural Stem Cells Differentiation towards Neuronal Lineage Cells

The injuries and defects in the central nervous system are the causes of disability and death of an affected person. As of now, there are no clinically available methods to enhance neural structural regeneration and functional recovery of nerve injuries. Recently, some experimental studies claimed that the injuries in brain can be repaired by progenitor or neural stem cells located in the neurogenic sites of adult mammalian brain. Various attempts have been made to construct biomimetic physiological microenvironment for neural stem cells to control their ultimate fate. Conductive materials have been considered as one the best choices for nerve regeneration due to the capacity to mimic the microenvironment of stem cells and regulate the alignment, growth, and differentiation of neural stem cells. The review highlights the use of conductive biomaterials, e.g., polypyrrole, polyaniline, poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene), multi‐walled carbon nanotubes, single‐wall carbon nanotubes, graphene, and graphite oxide, for controlling the neural stem cells activities in terms of proliferation and neuronal differentiation. The effects of conductive biomaterials in axon elongation and synapse formation for optimal repair of central nervous system injuries are also discussed.     

Mechanistic studies on covalent assemblies of metal-mediated hemi-aminal ethers

The use of reversible covalent bonding in a four-component assembly incorporating chiral alcohols was recently reported to give a method for determining the enantiomeric excess of the alcohols via CD spectroscopy. Experiments that probe the mechanism of this assembly, which consists of 2-formylpyridine (2-PA), dipicolylamine (DPA), Zn(ii) and alcohols to yield zinc complexes of tren-like ligands, are presented. The studies focus upon the mechanism of conversion of a hemi-aminal (1) to a hemi-aminal ether (3), thereby incorporating the fourth component. It was found that molecular sieves along with 3 to 4 equivalents of alcohol are required to drive the conversion of 1 to 3. Attempts to isolate an intermediate in this reaction via addition of strong Lewis acids led to the discovery of a five-membered ring pyridinium salt (5), but upon exposure to Zn(ii) and alcohols gave different products to the assembly. This was interpreted to support the intermediacy of an iminium species. Kinetic studies reveal that the conversion of 1 to 3 is zero-order in alcohol in large excesses of alcohol, supporting rate-determining formation of an intermediate prior to reaction with alcohol. Further, the magnitudes of the rate constants for interconversion of 1 and 3 are similar, supporting the notion that there are similar rate-determining steps (rds) for the forward and reverse reactions. Hammett plots show that the rds involves creation of a negative charge (interpreted as the loss of positive charge), supporting the notion that the decomplexation of Zn(ii) from the assemblies to generate apo-forms of 1 and 3 is rate-determining. The individual mechanistic conclusions are combined to create a qualitative reaction coordinate diagram for the interconversion of 1 and 3.