Simultaneous determination of 32 antibiotics in aquaculture products using LC-MS/MS

An analytical multiclass, multi-residue method for the determination of antibiotics in aquaculture products was developed and validated. A fast, cheap, and straightforward extraction procedure followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis was proposed. This method covers 32 antibiotics of different classes, which are frequently used in aquaculture. Three different extraction procedures were compared, and the extraction with acetonitrile (0.1 vol. % formic acid) showed the best results. The selected extraction procedure was validated at four different fortification levels (10 μg kg^?1, 25 μg kg^?1, 50 μg kg^?1, and 100 μg kg^?1). Recoveries of the tested antibiotics ranged from 70 % to 120 %, with the relative standard deviation (RSD) of triplicates lower than 20 %. The limits of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.062 μg kg^?1 to 4.6 μg kg^?1, allowing for the analysis of trace levels of these antibiotics in aquaculture products. The method was applied to the analysis of selected antibiotics in fish and shrimp meat available in the Czech market.     

Aerogel nanoscale magnesium oxides as a destructive sorbent for toxic chemical agents

An autoclave hypercritical drying procedure has been used to prepare precursors of MgO from Mg(OCH₃)₂. This material was prepared with a specific surface area of 1200 m² g ¹. The dehydrated materials consisted of much smaller crystallites than conventionally prepared MgO and were free of OCH₃ groups. The precursors and samples of magnesium oxide were taken for experimental evaluation of their reactivity with mustard. The largest percentage of the conversion mustard into non-toxic products after the elapse of the reaction was 77%.     

Synthesis,Spectroscopy, X‐ray Crystallography,and DFT Computations of Nanosized Phosphazenes

Nanoparticles of nine phosphazenes with general formula 4‐CH₃C₆H₄S(O)₂N=PX₃ [X = Cl ( A ), NC₄H₈ ( 1 ), NC₆H₁₂ ( 2 ), NC₄H₈N–C(O)OC₂H₅ ( 3 ), NC₄H₈N–C(O)OC₆H₅ ( 4 ), NC₄H₈O ( 5 ), NHCH₂–C₄H₇O ( 6 ), N(CH₃)(C₆H₁₁) ( 7 ), NHCH₂–C₆H₅ ( 8 ), and 2‐NH‐NC₅H₄ ( 9 )] were synthesized using ultrasonic method and characterized by ¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P NMR, FT‐IR, fluorescence, as well as UV/Vis spectroscopy and additionally with XRD, FE‐SEM, N₂ sorption, and elemental analysis. The ³¹P NMR spectra of compounds 1 – 9 reveal the most up field shift δ(³¹P) for 9 at –11.45 ppm reflecting the most electron donation of 2‐aminopyridinyl rings through resonance to the phosphorus atom. The ¹H, ¹³C NMR spectra of 7 exhibit two sets of signals for the hydrogen and carbon atoms of its two isomers present in the solution state in 1:4 ratio. The FE‐SEM micrographs illustrate that the nanoparticles of compounds 1 – 9 have spherical morphology and a size of 27–42 nm. From the XRD patterns, the crystal sizes were estimated to about 24–86 nm. The highest bandgap was measured for 3 (3.81 eV) whereas the smallest was measured for 8 (3.50 eV). The structures of two polymorphs of compound 5 ( 5 , 5′ ) were determined by X‐ray crystallography at 120 K. Both of these polymorphs are triclinic with P1 space group but 5 has a doubled unit cell volume and two symmetrically independent molecules ( 5a and 5b ). In structures 5a and 5′ , the phosphorus and all endocyclic atoms of two morpholinyl rings display disorder, whereas the molecule 5b does not show disorder. The strong intermolecular O–H ··· O hydrogen bonds plus weak intermolecular C–H ··· O and C–H ··· N interactions create three‐dimensional polymers in the crystalline networks of 5 and 5′ . The DFT computations illustrate that molecule 5b is more stable than 5a by –1.1062 and –0.9779 kcal · mol^–1 at B3LYP and B3PW91 levels, respectively. The NBO calculations presented sp³d hybridization for phosphorus and sulfur atoms and sp², sp³ hybrids for the nitrogen and oxygen atoms.     

Counterion influence on the N–I–N halogen bond

A detailed investigation of the influence of counterions on the [N–I–N]⁺ halogen bond in solution, in the solid state and in silico is presented. Translational diffusion coefficients indicate close attachment of counterions to the cationic, three-center halogen bond in dichloromethane solution. Isotopic perturbation of equilibrium NMR studies performed on isotopologue mixtures of regioselectively deuterated and nondeuterated analogues of the model system showed that the counterion is incapable of altering the symmetry of the [N–I–N]⁺ halogen bond. This symmetry remains even in the presence of an unfavorable geometric restraint. A high preference for the symmetric geometry was found also in the solid state by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Molecular systems encompassing weakly coordinating counterions behave similarly to the corresponding silver(i) centered coordination complexes. In contrast, systems possessing moderately or strongly coordinating anions show a distinctly different behavior. Such silver(i) complexes are converted into multi-coordinate geometries with strong Ag–O bonds, whereas the iodine centered systems remain linear and lack direct charge transfer interaction with the counterion, as verified by ¹⁵N NMR and DFT computation. This suggests that the [N–I–N]⁺ halogen bond may not be satisfactorily described in terms of a pure coordination bond typical of transition metal complexes, but as a secondary bond with a substantial charge-transfer character.     

Experimental investigation of the wall shear stress and the vortex dynamics in a circular impinging jet

The wall shear stress and the vortex dynamics in a circular impinging jet are investigated experimentally for Re = 1,260 and 2,450. The wall shear stress is obtained at different radial locations from the stagnation point using the polarographic method. The velocity field is given from the time resolved particle image velocimetry (TR‐PIV) technique in both the free jet region and near the wall in the impinging region. The distribution of the momentum thickness is also inspected from the jet exit toward the impinged wall. It is found that the wall shear stress is correlated with the large-scale vortex passing. Both the primary vortices and the secondary structures strongly affect the variation of the wall shear stress. The maximum mean wall shear stress is obtained just upstream from the secondary vortex generation where the primary structures impinge the wall. Spectral analysis and cross-correlations between the wall shear stress fluctuations show that the vortex passing influences the wall shear stress at different locations simultaneously. Analysis of cross-correlations between temporal fluctuations of the wall shear stress and the transverse vorticity brings out the role of different vortical structures on the wall shear stress distribution for the two Reynolds numbers.     

Interfacial constraints on water and proton transport across nafion membranes

Water and proton transport across a Nafion membrane are measured as functions of water activity and applied electric potential with a polymer electrolyte hydrogen pump. Water and proton transport across the membrane must match water and proton transport entering and leaving the electrode/membrane/vapor three phase interfaces at the anode and cathode. At low applied electric potential proton and water fluxes are correlated. At moderate to high applied electric potential the proton current is constant, independent of applied electric potential, while the water transport increases with increasing electric potential. At high applied electric potential water and proton transport become uncoupled at the membrane interfaces; water is transported across the membrane/vapor interface and protons are transported across the membrane/electrode interface. The applied electric potential drives electro‐osmosis to redistribute the water in the membrane. Water redistribution is limited by the interfacial transport of water across the membrane/vapor interface. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 1580–1589     

Quadrature Formulas Based on the Scaling Function

The scaling function corresponding to the Daubechies wavelet with two vanishing moments is used to derive new quadrature formulas. This scaling function has the smallest support among all orthonormal scaling functions with the properties M ₂ = M ₁ ² and M ₀ = 1. So, in this sense, its choice is optimal. Numerical examples are given.This work was partially supported by DFG grant GR 1777/2, by the Grant No 201/01/1200 of the CSF, by the grant MSMT 113200007 and by the grant IGS 116/5130/1 of FP TUL.     

Hyper-thin organic membranes with exceptional H2/CO2 permeation selectivity: importance of ionic crosslinking and self-healing

Single Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) bilayers derived from calix[n]arene-based surfactants (n = 4, 5 and 6) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) exhibit exceptional H(2)/CO(2) permeation selectivities. Evidence for the importance of ionic crosslinking and self-healing processes is presented.     

Minimizing defects in polymer-based Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers and bilayers via gluing

Polymeric surfactants were prepared by quaternization of poly(4-chloromethylstyrene) with N,N-dimethyl-N-n-dodecylamine and N,N-dimethyl-N-n-octylamine to give 1 and 2, respectively. Each of these polymers formed stable monolayers at the air/water interface. Injection of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) beneath the surface of these films led to a substantial increase in their cohesiveness (i.e., "gluing"), as evidenced by a dramatic increase in their surface viscosity. Examination of monolayers of 1 by atomic force microscopy, after being transferred to silicon wafers that were surface-modified with n-octadecyltrichlorosilane, showed that the presence of PAA leads to intact film. In contrast, transfer of unglued monolayers resulted in poor coverage. Comparison of the barrier properties of single glued and unglued LB bilayers formed in the presence and in the absence of PAA have shown that PAA minimizes defect formation within these ultrathin assemblies.     

S-alkylation of thiacalixarenes: how the regio- and stereoselectivities depend on the starting conformation

S-alkylation of all four thiacalix[4]arene conformations was accomplished using alkyl triflates. The corresponding sulfonium salts are formed in a highly regio- and stereoselective manner depending on the conformation used. Interestingly, only mono- or disubstituted sulfonium salts can be prepared. Although many regio- and stereoisomers are theoretically possible, only one dialkylated cone and 1,2-alternate derivatives were formed, while only a single isomer of monoalkylated partial cone and 1,3-alternate were isolated. The combination of experimental results with the quantum-chemical approach using the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) method resulted in the elucidation of the rules governing the regio- and stereochemical outcomes of the alkylation reactions. All S-alkylated compounds represent a novel type of substitution pattern in calixarene chemistry showing the wide-ranging possibility of thiacalixarene skeleton modifications.