Graphene as Solid-Phase Extraction Adsorbent for CZE Determination of Sulfonamide Residues in Meat Samples

A solid-phase extraction (SPE) using graphene as adsorbent coupled with capillary zone electrophoresis method was developed for the determination of four sulfonamide residues (sulfadimidine, sulfadimethoxine, sulfathiazole and sulfadiazine) in meat sample. Several condition parameters, such as elution solvents and volumes, sample pH and sample volume were optimized to obtain high SPE recoveries and extraction efficiency. Intra-day precisions of sulfonamides were in the range of 2.5–2.6 % and the inter-day precisions of sulfonamides were in the range of 2.6–3.4 %. Recoveries were 60.9–66.6 % for sulfadiazine and 86.1–111.4 % for other three sulfonamides in spiked meat sample. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of sulfonamides in meat samples.     

Nitration of Simple Aromatics with NO2 under Air Atmosphere in the Presence of Novel Brønsted Acidic Ionic Liquids

Abstract

Aromatics nitrate with NO₂/air catalyzed by novel Brønsted acidic ionic liquids (ILs) without any volatile chlorinated organic solvent under mild conditions. The ILs employed were caprolactam based, [Caprolactam]X (X^?=pTSO^?, BSO^?, BF₄ ^?, NO₃ ^?), which are of relatively lower cost and lower toxicity than traditional imidazolium‐based ILs. The nitration reactions were carried out at ?15 to ?0°C first, then at room temperature for a longer time with a little excessive NO₂ (ca. 1.4 eqv.) for moderate yield (for toluene). The IL could be reused four times.     

Copper-Catalyzed Cyanopropylation of Activated Alkenes

A practical copper-catalyzed alkylarylation of activated alkenes with azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) and beyond has been developed, in which incorporation of 3^o nitrile moiety into an oxindole scaffold proceeded smoothly through cascade radical addition/C(sp²)-H cyclization. The use of readily available AIBN as radical source and inexpensive CuI as catalyst, as well as broad substrate scope and the simplicity of operation and handling, make this protocol a highly attractive approach to oxindoles bearing 3^o nitrile moiety.     

New Cytotoxic Triterpenoids from the Aerial Parts of Euphorbia sieboldiana

Phytochemical investigation of the EtOH extract of Euphorbia sieboldiana led to the isolation of four new oleanane‐type triterpenoids, (1β,2α,3β,19β)‐1,2,3,19‐tetrahydroxyolean‐12‐en‐28‐oic acid, (1β,3β,19β)‐1,3,19‐trihydroxyolean‐12‐en‐28‐oic acid, (1β,2α,3β,16β,19β)‐1,2,3,16,19‐pentahydroxyolean‐12‐en‐28‐oic acid, and (1β,2α,3β,19β,23)‐1,2,3,19,23‐pentahydroxyolean‐12‐en‐28‐oic acid, along with 16 known compounds. Their structures were established by extensive 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR, as well as other spectral analyses. Biological evaluation of the four new triterpenoids revealed potent cytotoxic activities against HeLa and Hep‐G2 cells.     

H2S splitting on Cu(110): Insight from combined periodic density functional theory calculations and microkinetic simulation

Practical copper (Cu)‐based catalysts for the water–gas shift (WGS) reaction was long believed to expose a large proportion of Cu(110) planes. In this work, as an important first step toward addressing sulfur poisoning of these catalysts, the detailed mechanism for the splitting of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) on the open Cu(110) facet has been investigated in the framework of periodic, self‐consistent density functional theory (DFT‐GGA). The microkinetic model based on the first‐principles calculations has also been developed to quantitatively evaluate the two considered decomposition routes for yielding surface atomic sulfur (S*): (1) H₂S → H₂S* → SH* → S* and (2) 2H₂S → 2H₂S* → 2SH* → S* + H₂S* → S* + H₂S. The first pathway proceeding through unimolecular SH* dissociation was identified to be feasible, whereas the second pathway involving bimolecular SH* disproportionation made no contribution to S* formation. The molecular adsorption of H₂S is the slowest elementary step of its full decomposition, being related with the large entropy term of the gas‐phase reactant under realistic reaction conditions. A comparison of thermodynamic and kinetic reactivity between the substrate and the close‐packed Cu(111) surface further shows that a loosely packed facet can promote the S* formation from H₂S on Cu, thus revealing that the reaction process is structure sensitive. The present DFT and microkinetic modeling results provide a reasonably complete picture for the chemistry of H₂S on the Cu(110) surface, which is a necessary basis for the design of new sulfur‐tolerant WGS catalysts. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Microwave-Assisted Esterification of Diverse Carboxylic Acids and Chiral Amino Acids

A facile and efficient synthetic method of esters from their corresponding carboxylic acids and amino acids is described. The esterification reaction of carboxylic acids and amino acids could be greatly accelerated under microwave irradiation because the reactions described in this article took place in only 5 min with almost quantitative yields, and distinct acidity of catalytic acids was well tolerated. Unlike the racemation problem in microwave-assisted N-acylation reactions, the esters of chiral amino acids could be achieved with retention of configuration under this condition.     

Phosphate Removal from Aqueous Solution by an Effective Clay Composite Material

Adsorption is an effective treatment process for removing phosphorus and thus controlling eutrophication. In this study, a clay composite material called Al–dolomite–montmorillonite (Al–DM) was prepared and characterized. Al–DM performed well with respect to phosphate removal, with its performance depending on the Al–DM loading, contact time, initial phosphorus concentration and initial solution pH. Adsorption mechanisms were investigated by conducting batch tests on phosphate adsorption using the Al–DM. The adsorption process fitted both the pseudo-second-order kinetics model and the intra-particle diffusion model. The Langmuir, Freundlich and BET models all adequately described the adsorption isotherm data. Thermodynamic studies showed that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous in nature. Al–DM is an effective adsorbent for phosphate removal mainly due to its hierarchical porous structures as shown by characterization with SEM and EDS. Chemical changes occurring before and after adsorption in a water environment indicated that Al–DM had little negative effect on water quality.     

Investigation on the Stability of the Dispersion System of Cross-Linked Polyacrylamide Microspheres

The salt resistance, temperature resistance, and shear stability of a cross-linked polyacrylamide microsphere system are studied by microfiltration, light diffraction analysis, and optical microscopy. The results show that other conditions being equal, the particle diameter of cross-linked polyacrylamide microspheres decreases with increased NaCl concentration. When NaCl concentration is lower than 10,000 mg/L, its effect on the plugging performance of a cross-linked polyacrylamide microsphere system in regard to the nuclear pore membrane is weak in comparison with a linked polymer solution, but the former system has better salt tolerance. Particle diameter decreases with increased swelling temperature. When the swelling temperature is below 90°C, its effect on the plugging performance of the cross-linked polyacrylamide microsphere system in regard to nuclear pore membrane is weak in comparison with the linked polymer solution, but has better temperature tolerance. Particle size shows little change, with shearing rate being increased, while the shape remains about the same and the effect of shearing on the plugging performance of the cross-linked polyacrylamide microsphere dispersion system in regard to the nuclear pore membrane is weak in comparison with the linked polymer solution, but has better shear stability. The salt tolerance, temperature tolerance, and shear stability of microspheres are associated with a particular cross-linked structure.     

仿生制备有机-无机复合微囊固定化葡萄糖氧化酶

将层层自组装技术与仿生矿化技术相结合,由聚苯乙烯磺酸钠、聚二甲基二烯丙基氯化铵和二氧化硅成功制备(聚苯乙烯磺酸钠-聚二甲基二烯丙基氯化铵)₂-二氧化硅复合微囊.采用扫描电子显微镜、红外光谱和热重对微囊的形貌和化学结构进行了表征.以该复合微囊作为理想载体固定化葡萄糖氧化酶.结果表明,固定于复合微囊中的葡萄糖氧化酶的热稳定性、pH稳定性、操作稳定性得到了提高;在最适条件下,复合微囊固定化葡萄糖氧化酶的酶活回收率为72.85%,米氏常数是游离葡萄糖氧化酶的2.21倍.复合微囊在化学/生物催化、药物/基因传递系统和生物传感器应用方面具有一定的潜能.     

Preparation of Hyaluronic Acid Micro-Hydrogel by Biotin–Avidin-Specific Bonding for Doxorubicin-Targeted Delivery

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally ionic polysaccharide with cancer cell selectivity. It is an ideal candidate material for delivery of anticancer agents. In this study, hyaluronic acid (HA) micro-hydrogel loaded with anticancer drugs was prepared by the biotin–avidin system approach. Firstly, carboxyl groups on HA were changed into amino groups with adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH) to graft with biotin by 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride named as HA–biotin. When HA–biotin solution mixed with doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX·HCl) was blended with neutravidin, the micro-hydrogels would be formed with DOX loading. If excess biotin was added into the microgel, it would be disjointed, and DOX will be released quickly. The results of the synthesis procedure were characterized by ¹H-NMR and FTIR; ADH and biotin have been demonstrated to graft on the HA molecule. A field emission scanning electron microscope was used to observe morphologies of HA micro-hydrogels. Furthermore, the in vitro DOX release results revealed that the release behaviors can be adjusted by adding biotin. Therefore, the HA micro-hydrogel can deliver anticancer drugs efficiently, and the rate of release can be controlled by biotin-specific bonding with the neutravidin. Consequently, the micro-hydrogel will perform the promising property of switching in the specific site in cancer therapy.