Multiple orthogonal polynomials applied to matrix function evaluation

Multiple orthogonal polynomials generalize standard orthogonal polynomials by requiring orthogonality with respect to several inner products. This paper discusses an application to the approximation of matrix functions and presents quadrature rules that generalize the anti-Gauss rules proposed by Laurie.     

Synthesis and structure of the unsymmetrical β-diimine precursor: The β-iminoamine

The reaction of benzoylacetone with ortho-substituted aniline derivatives gives the unsymmetrical β-iminoamine ligands (5–8) with high yields. A convenient synthesis is described. These compounds have been characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopies. The structure of the β-iminoamine 5, 3-N-(2,6-diisopropylphenylamino)-1-phenyl-1N-(2,6-diisopropylphenylimino)but-2-ene, was solved by X-ray diffraction methods.     

Adsorption Kinetics,Equilibrium, and Thermodynamics of Copper From Aqueous Solutions using Silicon Carbide Derived from Rice Waste

Adsorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solution on a novel adsorbent, silicon carbide ash (SiC ash), was studied using batch technique. The adsorbent was prepared by pyrolysis of Egyptian rice waste (rice straw and rice husk) and was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and surface area analysis by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) Theory. The influence of pH, contact time, initial Cu(II) concentration, adsorbent dose, agitation speed, and temperature was investigated. Adsorption kinetics was analyzed using the pseudo-first-order, the pseudo-second-order, and intraparticular diffusion model. The adsorption process was found to follow a pseudo-second-order rate mechanism. The adsorption isotherm data could be well described by the Langmuir and Freundlich than the Dubinin–Radushkevich adsorption model. The adsorption capacity of 22.06 mg g^?1for SiC ash was obtained at pH = 5 and temperature of 298 K. Thermodynamic parameters, change in the free energy (ΔG°), the enthalpy (ΔH°), and the entropy (ΔS°), were also calculated. The overall adsorption process was exothermic, spontaneous in nature, and proceeds with decreased randomness as the entropy is negative value. Adsorption process was successfully applied to remove Cu(II) from an industrial wastewater sample.     

Low temperature pyrolysis of carboxymethylcellulose

Unlike the common high temperature pyrolysis of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) targeting activated carbon, this study investigates the pyrolytic behaviour of plain CMC at low temperatures ranging between 260 and 300 °C. Preliminary experiments were conducted using differential scanning calorimetry to define the temperature range necessary for the process. Low-temperature pyrolysis was then simulated using thermogravimetric analysis under inert atmosphere. Investigations reveal that a minimum holding temperature of 260 °C is required for an isothermal process, at which pyrolysis is terminated after around 26 min. Increasing exposure temperature reduces pyrolysis time. Within the range of the investigated sample and CMC particle size, no significant effects could be measured regarding the decomposition behaviour. The resulting char was further analysed using X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Visual inspection was conducted using scanning electron microscopy. Upon pyrolysis, originally longitudinally shaped CMC was found to be converted into spherical particles of functionalised amorphous carbon with an average particle size of 41 µm.     

Development and validation of spectrophotometric, TLC and HPLC methods for the determination of lamotrigine in presence of its impurity

Three reliable, rapid and selective methods have been developed and validated for the determination of lamotrigine in the presence of its impurity, 2,3-dichlorobenzoic acid. The first method is spectrophotometric method using p-chloranilic acid forming a colored product with lambda(max) 519+/-2 nm. All variables affecting the reaction have been investigated and the conditions were optimized. Beer's law was obeyed over a concentration range of 10-200 microg ml(-1) with mean accuracy 100.13+/-0.44%. The molar ratio of the formed ion-association complex is found to be 1 : 1 as deduced by Job's method. The conditional stability constant (K(f)), standard free energy (DeltaG), molar absorptivity(epsilon), and sensitivity index were evaluated. The second method is based on TLC separation of the cited drug (Rf=0.75+/-0.01) from its impurity (Rf=0.23+/-0.01) followed by densitometric measurement of the intact drug spots at 275 nm. The separation was carried on silica gel plates using ethyl acetate : methanol : ammonia 35% (17 : 2 : 1 v/v/v) as a mobile phase. The linearity range was 0.5-10 microg/spot with mean accuracy 99.99+/-1.33%. The third method is accurate and sensitive stability-indicating HPLC method based on separation of lamotrigine from its impurity on a reversed phase C(18) column, using a mobile phase of acetonitrile : methanol : 0.01 M potassium orthophosphate (pH 6.7+/-0.1) (30 : 20 : 50 v/v/v) at ambient temperature 25+/-5 degrees C and UV detection at 275 nm in an overall analysis time of about 6 min., based on peak area. The injection repeatability, intraday and interday repeatability were calculated. The procedure provided a linear response over the concentration range 1-12 microg ml(-1) with mean accuracy of 99.50+/-1.30%. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of lamotrigine in bulk powder, in dosage form and in presence of its impurity. The results obtained were analyzed by ANOVA to assess that no significant difference between each of the three methods and the reported one. The validation was performed according to USP guidelines.     

Phenanthrenoids from Juncus acutus L., new natural lipopolysaccharide-inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitors

The novel natural product juncutol (1), 1,4,7-trimethyl-8,9-dihydro-4H-cyclopenta[def]phenanthrene-2,6-diol, along with the three related metabolites juncusol (2), dehydrojuncusol (3), and 6-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl-5-vinyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-2-ol (4), were isolated from the rhizomes of Juncus acutus L. (Juncaceae) growing in Egypt. The structural identity of 1 was determined on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, including 2D NMR spectroscopy. The inhibitory effect of these natural products on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells was determined for the first time. The unprecedented symmetrical compound juncutol (1) was found to be the most potent inhibitor against the induction of the proinflammatory iNOS protein.     

Syntheses,characterization, in vitro antiglycation and DPPH radical scavenging activities of isatin salicylhydrazidehydrazone and its Mn (II), Co (II), Ni (II), Cu (II), and Zn (II) metal complexes

2-Hydroxy salicylhydrazide isatin hydrazone (L) and its Mn (II), Co (II), Ni (II), Cu (II), and Zn (II), metal complexes were synthesized. ¹H NMR, UV–Vis, IR spectroscopy and elemental (CHN/S) analysis techniques were applied for characterization. TG/DTA techniques revealed that all the synthetic compounds are thermally stable up to 300 °C. They were found non-electrolytes in nature. Furthermore, all these complexes were evaluated for antiglycation and DPPH radical scavenging activities. They showed varying degree of activity with IC₅₀ values between 168.23 and 269.0 μM in antiglycation and 29.63–57.71 μM in DPPH radical scavenging activity. Mn (II), Co (II), Ni (II), Cu (II), and Zn (II), metal complexes showed good antiglycation as well as DPPH radical scavenging activity. The IC₅₀ values for antiglycation activity are 168.23 ± 2.37, 234.27 ± 4.33, 257.1 ± 6.43, 267.7 ± 8.43, 269.0 ± 8.56 Ni for Co, Zn, Mn, Cu, and Ni complexes, respectively, while IC₅₀ value were found to be 29.63 ± 2.76, 31.13 ± 1.41, 35.16 ± 2.45, 43.53 ± 3.12, 57.71 ± 2.61 μM for Cu, Zn, Mn, Co and Ni complexes, respectively, for DPPH radical scavenging activity. These synthesized metal complexes were found to be better active than standards Rutin (IC₅₀ = 294.46 μM) for anti-glycation, and tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (IC₅₀ = 44.7 μM) for DPPH radical scavenging activity.     

Utilization of saffron (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crocus sativus L.</Emphasis>) as sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs)

Photoelectrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been prepared using nanosized titanium dioxide that have soaked in a solution of different saffron (Crocus sativus L.) spice content in ethanol. The optimized polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based gel polymer electrolyte with 40.93 wt.% ethylene carbonate, 37.97 wt.% propylene carbonate, 4.37 wt.% tetrapropylammonium iodide, 9.86 wt.% PAN, 1.24 wt.% 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide, 4.35 wt.% lithium iodide and 1.28 wt.% iodine has been used as the electrolyte for DSSC. The electrolyte has conductivity of 2.91 mS cm^?1 at room temperature (298 K). DSSCs were also sensitized with saffron solution that has been added with 30 wt.% chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) co-adsorbent and designated as DSSC P4. The solar cell converts light-to-electricity at an efficiency of 0.31%. This is 29% enhancement in efficiency for the DSSC without addition of CDCA in the saffron-ethanol solution. The DSSC exhibits current density at short-circuit (J _sc ) of 1.26 mA cm^?2, voltage at open circuit (V _oc ) of 0.48 V and 51% fill factor. DSSC P4 also exhibits the highest incident photon-to-current density of more than 40% at 340 nm wavelength.     

Interaction of biological buffers with electrolytes: Densities of aqueous solutions of two substituted aminosulfonic acids and ionic salts from T = (298.15 to 328.15) K

Biological buffers are of utmost importance for research in biological and clinical chemistry and in oceanography, but they may not be inert enough, thus interfering with the system under study. The N-[Tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl]-3-aminopropanesulfonic acid (TAPS) and N-[Tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl]-3-amino-2-hydroxypropanesulfonic acid (TAPSO) are useful zwitterionic buffers for pH control as standard buffers in the physiological region of pH 7.7 to 9.1 for TAPS and 7.0 to 8.2 for TAPSO, respectively. In this work, interaction between these zwitterionic compounds and electrolytes of potassium acetate (KAc), potassium bromide (KBr), potassium chloride (KCl), and sodium chloride (NaCl) were investigated through measuring the densities of these buffers in aqueous and in aqueous electrolyte solutions by a high precision vibrating tube digital densitometer from T = (298.15 to 328.15) K under atmospheric pressure. In this series of measurements, the aqueous samples were prepared with various concentrations of the zwitterionic buffers, up to saturated conditions, and over salt concentrations from (1 to 4) mol · dm^?3. The measured densities served to evaluate the cubic expansion coefficients, α(m, T) and the apparent molar volumes, V_?(m, T). An empirical equation was used to correlate quantitatively the experimental densities over the entire concentration ranges.