Kinetic study of acrylamide radical polymerization initiated by the horseradish peroxidase–mediated system

The polymerization kinetics of acrylamide (AAM) in water initiated by a ternary enzymatic system of horseradish peroxidase (HRP)/H₂O₂/acetylacetone (ACAC) was investigated. Conversion–time plots were obtained by dilatometry under different conditions of reaction temperatures and initial concentrations of HRP, ACAC, H₂O₂, and AAM. The results showed that the effect of the initial concentration of ACAC on the inhibition period was significant. The inhibition period decreases with increasing the initial concentration of ACAC. The inhibition period can be even eliminated by the use of a comparatively large amount of ACAC. From the conversion–time plots, the polymerization rate equation was obtained. Some kinetic features were explained on the basis of analysis of the reaction mechanism. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 44: 475–481, 2012     

Rapid Sample Pretreatment,Identification and Determination of Active Constitutents in Water‐soluble Radix isatidis Extract via MAE,ESI‐MS and RODWs‐HPLC

In this study, we successfully studied water‐soluble extract from Radix isatidis. Optimized conditions of MAE were listed, the sample can be extracted completely in 10 minutes under microwave power of 400W and solid/liquid ratio of 1:80. Active compounds in water‐soluble extract from R. isatidis were identified with HPLC‐DAD/ESI‐MS, these compounds followed by cytidine, uridine, guanosine, (R,S)‐goitrin and adenosine. RODWs–HPLC as a new sensitive chromatography were also first proposed and investigated, we favoringly used this method for simultaneous determination of these active constitutents in water‐soluble R. isatidis extract. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Diamonsil C18 column (5 μm, 150 mm × 4.6 mm) with a mobile phase gradient consisting of methanol and water at a flow‐rate of 1.0 mL/min, detection wavelengths 240, 250, 260 and 270 nm, the retention times of the tested five compounds were about 4.2, 5.8, 11.1, 14.2 and 20.8 min respectively, the limits of detection were 15, 12, 20, 5.8 and 24 ng/mL for cytidine, uridine, guanosine, (R,S)‐goitrin and adenosine respectively, their linear ranges were between 0.045 and 350 μg/mL with correlation coefficient (R) of 0.9998‐0.9999. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of intra‐day and inter‐day assays were 0.30‐2.36% and 0.86‐2.54% respectively. Extraction recoveries were 94.25‐106.21%. This novel analytical method was shown to be simple, low‐cost, sensitive and reliable for multiple components in complex or undeveloped materials via MAE, ESI‐MS and RODWs‐HPLC.     

Preparation of hierarchical polyaniline nanotubes based on self‐assembly and its electrochemical capacitance

This article reports the preparation and self‐assembly of polyaniline (PANI) nanotubes, which were chemically synthesized by using in situ doping polymerization in the presence of ammonium persulfate (APS; (NH₄)S₂O₈) as the oxidant without the use of an external template. The synthesized hierarchically nanotubes with a shape of a single nanotube with a length of 0.6 to 0.8 µm and an average with of 100 nm assembled from nanoparticles. The effects of the [salicylic acid]/[aniline] ratio on the size and capacitance of PANI nanotubes were studied. The specific capacitance behavior of the PANI nanotubes was also investigated by using cyclic voltammogram and galvanostatic charge–discharge tests. A maximum discharge‐specific capacitance of 422.5 F/g could be achieved, suggesting its potential application in electrode material for electrochemical capacitors. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sorption of Sr(II) and Eu(III) onto pyrite under different redox potential conditions

Understanding sorption processes is fundamental for the prediction of radionuclide migration in the surroundings of a deep geological disposal of high-level nuclear wastes. Pyrite (FeS2) is a mineral phase often present as inclusions in temperate soils. Moreover, it constitutes an indirect corrosion product of steel, a containment material that is candidate to confine radionuclides in deep geological disposals. The present study was thus initiated to determine the capacity of pyrite to immobilize Sr(II) and Eu(III). An air oxidized pyrite and a freshly acid-washed (non-oxidized) pyrite were used in background electrolytes of varying reducing-oxidizing ability (NaCl, NH3OHCl, and NaClO4) to study the sorption of both cationic species. The sorptive capacity of pyrite appeared directly correlated to the oxidation of the surface. Non-oxidized pyrite had nearly no affinity for the studied cations whereas Sr(II) and Eu(III) species were significantly retained by oxidized pyrite surface. Using the surface complexation theory, sorption mechanisms were modeled with the Fiteql v3.2 and the Jchess 2.0 codes. Sorption of both Sr and Eu was well fitted, assuming hydroxylated species as the major surface species. This study demonstrates that not only the components of a barrier but also the redox conditions and specifications should be well characterized to predict transport of contaminants in the surrounding of a nuclear wastes disposal.     

Valence Tautomerism in Octahedral and Square‐Planar Phenoxyl–Nickel(II) Complexes: Are Imino Nitrogen Atoms Good Friends?

The two tetradentate ligands H(2)L and H(2)L(Me) afford the slightly distorted square-planar low-spin Ni(II) complexes 1 and 2, which comprise two coordinated phenolate groups. Complex 1 has been electrochemically oxidized into 1(+), which contains a coordinated phenoxyl radical, with a contribution from the nickel orbital. In the presence of pyridine, 1(+) is converted into 1(Py) (+), an octahedral phenolate nickel(III) complex with two pyridines axially coordinated: An intramolecular electron transfer (valence tautomerism) is promoted by the geometrical changes, from square planar to octahedral, around the metal center. The tetradentate ligand H(2)L(Me), in the presence of pyridine, and the hexadentate ligand H(2)L(Py) in CH(2)Cl(2) afford, respectively, the octahedral high-spin Ni(II) complexes 2(Py) and 3, which involve two equatorial phenolates and two axially coordinated pyridines. At 100 K, the one-electron-oxidized product 2(Py) (+) comprises a phenoxyl radical ferromagnetically coupled to the high-spin Ni(II) ion, with large zero-field splitting parameters, while 3(+) involves a phenoxyl radical antiferromagnetically coupled to the high-spin Ni(II) ion.     

A high-throughput liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for simultaneous quantification of a hydrophobic drug candidate and its hydrophilic metabolite in human urine with a fully automated liquid/liquid extraction

ABT-869 (A-741439) is an investigational new drug candidate under development by Abbott Laboratories. ABT-869 is hydrophobic, but is oxidized in the body to A-849529, a hydrophilic metabolite that includes both carboxyl and amino groups. Poor solubility of ABT-869 in aqueous matrix causes simultaneous analysis of both ABT-869 and its metabolite within the same extraction and injection to be extremely difficult in human urine. In this paper, a high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for high-speed simultaneous quantitation of the hydrophobic ABT-869 and its hydrophilic metabolite, A-849529, in human urine. The deuterated internal standards, A-741439D(4) and A-849529D(4), were used in this method. The disparate properties of the two analytes were mediated by treating samples with acetonitrile, adjusting pH with an extraction buffer, and optimizing the extraction solvent and mobile phase composition. For a 100 microL urine sample volume, the lower limit of quantitation was approximately 1 ng/mL for both ABT-869 and A-849529. The calibration curve was linear from 1.09 to 595.13 ng/mL for ABT-869, and 1.10 to 600.48 ng/mL for A-849529 (r2 > 0.9975 for both ABT-869 and A-849529). Because the method employs simultaneous quantification, high throughput is achieved despite the presence of both a hydrophobic analyte and its hydrophilic metabolite in human urine.     

A Selective Cholesterol Biosensor Based on Composite Film Modified Electrode for Amperometric Detection

An amperometric cholesterol biosensor based on immobilization of cholesterol oxidase in a Prussian blue (PB)/polypyrrole (PPy) composite film on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode was fabricated. Hydrogen peroxide produced by the enzymatic reaction was catalytically reduced on the PB film electrode at 0 V with a sensitivity of 39 μA (mol/L)^?1. Cholesterol in the concentration range of 10^?5 ? 10^?4 mol/L was determined with a detection limit of 6 × 10^?7 mol/L by amperometric method. Normal coexisting compounds in the bio‐samples such as ascorbic acid and uric acid do not interfere with the determination. The excellent properties of the sensor in sensitivity and selectivity are attributed to the PB/PPy layer modified on the sensor.     

A New Ent‐Trachylobane Diterpenoid from the Roots of Sapium Sebiferum

A new ent‐trachylobane diterpenoid, saposebifeic acid, together with thirteen known compounds, were isolated from the roots of Sapium sebiferum. Compounds, 5,7,8‐trimethoxycoumarin, baccatin, n‐alkyl trans‐ferulate and 2,6‐dimethoxyquinone, were reported for the first time from this plant. The structures of the new and known compounds were established on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectral data.