Amperometric morphine sensing using a molecularly imprinted polymer-modified electrode

This study incorporates morphine into a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the amperometric detection of morphine. The polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), PEDOT, is an electroactive film that catalyzes morphine oxidation and lowers the oxidization potential on an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. The MIP-PEDOT modified electrode is prepared by electropolymerizing PEDOT onto an ITO electrode in a 0.1 M LiClO₄ solution with template addition (morphine). After template molecule extraction, the oxidizing current of the MIP-PEDOT modified electrode is measured in a 0.1 M KCl solution (pH = 5.3) at 0.75 V (versus Ag/AgCl/sat’d KCl) with the morphine concentration varying in the 0.1-5 mM range. A linear range, displaying the relationship between steady-state currents and morphine concentrations, from 0.1 to 1 mM, is obtained. The proposed amperometric sensor could be used for morphine detection with a sensitivity of 91.86 μA/cm² per mM. A detection limit of 0.2 mM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 is achieved. Moreover, the proposed method can discriminate between morphine and its analogs, such as codeine.     

Isocratic Separation of Dansylated Biogenic Amines on a C8‐Bonded Silica Column under the LC Elution of Methanol‐Based Mobile Phase

Under the elution of methanol‐based mobile phase, the isocratic resolution of 12 biogenic amines, including 1 aromatic, 2 heterocyclic and 9 aliphatic amines, as the dansylated derivatives has been accomplished in less than 25 minutes on a 15 cm C₈‐bonded column. The resolution can not be reproduced on other examined alkyl‐bonded phases (e.g., C₄ and C₁₈) under the same chromatographic conditions, or in the reversed‐phase mode. The retention, mainly as a result of hydrophobic interaction between analyte and stationary phase, can be adjusted by varying the percentage of methanol in the mobile phase. Also, incorporating acetic acid as additive to the mobile phase to protonate the analyte and silanol groups that are little shielding on the surface of silica gel reduces the dipole‐dipole interaction, and thus the retention scale, which in turn deteriorates the resolution. Furthermore, the elution reversal is plausible for some of analytes as a greater percent of acetic acid is used in the elution. Values of correlation coefficients (R²) range between 0.9995 and 0.9996, indicating good linearity.     

Alcohol Selective Optical Sensor Based on Porous Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Polymer Networks

A responsive hydrogen-bonded cholesteric liquid crystal polymer (CLCP) film with controlled porosity was fabricated as an optical sensor to distinguish between methanol and ethanol in alcohol solutions. To facilitate responding the alcohols, porosity was generated by removing the nonreactive liquid crystal agent, and the hydrogen bridges of CLCP were broken. The sensitivities of CLCPs to ethanol and methanol were obtained by monitoring the wavelength shifts of the transmission spectrum at different alcohol concentrations and ratios of methanol/ethanol. Changes in the central wavelength of the CLCP network transmission spectrum allowed the methanol–ethanol ratio to be discriminated. A linear relationship between wavelength shift of CLCP networks and alcohol concentration was obtained experimentally, and the sensor characteristics were explored. The sensitivities of the CLCPs were 1.35 and 0.18 nm/% to ethanol and methanol, respectively. The sensing sensitivity of cholesteric networks to alcohol molecules increased as the methanol–ethanol ratio declined. Therefore, CLCP could act as a stimuli-responsive material to distinguish the concentrations of acetone and ethanol in mixed solutions. Furthermore, the impact of UV intensity for curing a CLC mixture on the sensing sensitivity to the different alcohol concentrations was also studied. The higher UV intensity could enhance the sensitivity to alcohol molecules and distinguishing ability between methanol and ethanol.     

3-Substituted Sydnone Derivatives. Structures of 3-Cyclohexylsydnone and of Two Forms of 3-(3-Pyridyl)sydnone

The crystal and molecular structures of three sydnone derivatives are reported. The compound 3-cyclohexylsydnone crystallizes in space group C2/c of the monoclinic system with sixteen molecules in a cell of dimensions a = 19.326 (3), b = 9.471 (2), c = 20.005 (4)Å, β = 106.85(1)°. The structure has been refined to a final value of 0.0581 for the conventional R-factor based on 2222 independent observed intensities. Form I of 3-(3-pyridyl)sydnone crystallizes in space group P2/n of the monoclinic system with eight molecules in a cell of dimensions a = 7.317(2), b = 9.283 (2), c = 20.891 (6) Å, β = 99.61(2)°. The structure has been refined to a final value of 0.0514 for the conventional R-factor based on 1208 independent observed intensities. Form II of 3-(3-pyridyl)sydnone crystallizes in space group P2₁/c of the monoclinic system with eight molecules in a cell of dimensions a=9.073 (2), b = 22.267 (5). c = 7.494(2)Å, β = 112.15 (2)°. The structure has been refined to a final value of 0.0462 for the conventional R-factor based on 1330 independent observed intensities. Each of the three structures contains two crystallographically independent molecules in the cell. In the case of 3-cyclohexylsydnone, one of the independent molecules exhibits disorder around the exocyclic bond at N(3). A comparison of bond lengths indicates that the (electron donating) cyclohexyl group brings about enhanced electron density in the N(3)-C(4) bond, and possibly in the N(3)-N(2) bond. All three structures studied here exhibit intermolecular hydrogen bonding involving C(4)-H(4)…O(6) interactions. Although there are no stacking interactions in the cyclohexyl derivative, there is evidence for such interactions in the 3-pyridyl derivatives.     

Facile and efficient synthesis of 1-[2-(6,7-dimethyl-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)ethyl]pyrrolidine hydrochloride

An efficient and facile procedure for the preparation of 1-[2-(6,7-dimethyl-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)ethyl]pyrrolidine hydrochloride from 6,7-dimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphtalen-1-one in four steps is proposed. It includes one-step synthesis of 1-(6,7-dimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-yl)acetic acid as key intermediate and subsequent transformations of functional groups therein. Published in Russian in Zhurnal Organicheskoi Khimii, 2008, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 449–453. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Simplified method for concentration of mitochondrial membrane protein complexes

Extracting and concentrating mitochondrial protein complexes from gel strips after blue native PAGE (BN‐PAGE) can be daunting tasks using the traditional methods, such as electroelution, passive diffusion and centrifugal concentration. We present a simplified gel electrophoresis method to concentrate mitochondrial protein complexes with excellent recovery rate. Mitochondrial complex I present in a long gel strip from BN‐PAGE can be easily concentrated into a 0.8 cm gel strip when a second BN‐PAGE is performed with a Y‐shaped gel and the addition of 0.01% n‐dodecyl β‐D ‐maltoside and 0.001% SDS in the cathode buffer. Once completed, the concentrated protein complex in the gel strip is ready for SDS‐PAGE or proteomic studies.     

Light beams and radiation patterns in random media

The purpose of this paper is to apply a numerical technique in solving problems involving light beams in a random medium. The technique starts by generating numerically sample media with prescribed statistical properties. Rays are then traced in these sample media and the ray statistics are compiled. These statistics are utilized to find the mean square displacement and distribution of a beam. Problems on beam broadening and distortion of radiation patterns are considered. Fluctations in wave amplitude and phase are also investigated. When possible, the numerical results are compared with the analytical results and experimental results.It seems that the numerical technique has a potential to solve a great variety of problems. This is because it does not have severe restrictive conditions as those imposed on the analytic formulation. For example the technique is equally applicable when the irregularities are anisotropic, or when the background medium is inhomogeneous, or when the background is anistropic, or when there exist background wind. Some of these are discussed.     

Mach reflection and KP solitons in shallow water

Reflection of an obliquely incident solitary wave onto a vertical wall is studied analytically and experimentally. We use the Kadomtsev-Petviashivili (KP) equation to analyze the evolution and its asymptotic state. Laboratory experiments are performed using the laser induced fluorescent (LIF) technique, and detailed features and amplifications at the wall are measured. Due to the lack of physical interpretation of the theory, the numerical results were previously thought not in good agreement with the theory. With proper treatment, we demonstrate that the KP theory provides an excellent model to predict the present laboratory results as well as the previous numerical results. The KP theory also indicates that the present laboratory apparatus is too short to achieve the asymptotic state. The laboratory and numerical results suggest that the maximum of the predicted four-fold amplification would be difficult to be realized in the real-fluid environment. The reality of this amplification remains obscure.     

Catalan and Motzkin numbers modulo 4 and 8

In this paper, we compute the congruences of Catalan and Motzkin numbers modulo 4 and 8. In particular, we prove the conjecture proposed by Deutsch and Sagan that no Motzkin number is a multiple of 8.