Recent advances in graphite powder-based electrodes

Graphite powder-based electrodes have the electrochemical performance of quasi-noble metal electrodes with intrinsic advantages related to the possibility of modification to enhance selectivity and their easily renewable surface, with no need for hazardous acids or bases for their cleaning. In contrast with commercial electrodes, for example screen-printed or sputtered-chip electrodes, graphite powder-based electrodes can also be fabricated in any laboratory with the form and characteristics desired. They are also readily modified with advanced materials, with relatively high reproducibility. All these characteristics make them a very interesting option for obtaining a large variety of electrodes to resolve different kinds of analytical problems. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art, advantages, and disadvantages of graphite powder-based electrodes in electrochemical analysis in the 21st century. It includes recent trends in carbon paste electrodes, devoting special attention to the use of emergent materials as new binders and to the development of other composite electrodes. The most recent advances in the use of graphite powder-modified sol–gel electrodes are also described. The development of sonogel–carbon electrodes and their use in electrochemical sensors and biosensors is included. These materials extend the possibilities of applications, especially for industrial technology-transfer purposes, and their development could affect not only electroanalytical green chemistry but other interesting areas also, for example catalysis and energy conversion and storage.     

Efficient removal of iodine and chromium as anionic species from radioactive liquid waste using prepared iron oxide nanofibers

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Three synthetic hematite (SH) materials as iron oxides nanofibers were prepared and applied for the removal of 51Cr and radioiodine (131I) as...     

Environmental radioactivity of soils and sediments: Egyptian sector of the Nile valley

The activity concentrations of natural ⁴⁰K, ²³²Th, and ²³⁸U in 89 soil and 84 sediment samples collected over the entire Egyptian Nile River basin including the Nile delta are reported based on the results of epithermal neutron activation analysis. The average activity concentrations of ⁴⁰K, ²³²Th, and ²³⁸U equal to 15.3?±?6.6, 15.6?±?11.1 and 220?±?31 Bq/kg, respectively, are significantly lower than those reported for the Upper Continental Crust, World Average Sediments as well as World Average Soils, suggesting the presence of a considerable portion of mafic material, most probably originating from the Ethiopian High Plateau. Their average activity concentrations are statistically the same in soil and sediments, indicating that the Nile sediments and soil material are of the same origin. The main goal of this study was not only to estimate the radiological hazards but also to show the influence of sedimentary material transportable by the Blue Nile from the Ethiopian High Plateau. The different hazard indices like the radium equivalent, gamma index, external hazard as well as the internal hazard show a low radiological exposure either on direct contact or if local mud bricks are used in the construction of dwellings.     

Polymer complexes. LXX. Synthesis,spectroscopic studies,thermal properties and antimicrobial activity of metal(II) polymer complexes

The monomer 3‐allyl‐5‐(phenylazo)‐2‐thioxothiazolidine‐4‐one (HL) was prepared by the reaction of allyl rhodanine with aniline through diazo‐coupling reaction. Reaction of HL with Ni(II) or Co(II) salts gave polymer complexes ( 1 – 8 ) with general stoichiometries [M(HL)(Cl)₂(OH₂)₂]_n, [M(HL)(O₂SO₂)(OH₂)₂]_n, [M(L)(O₂NO)(H₂O)₂]_n and [M(L)(O₂CCH₃)(H₂O)₂]_n (where M = Ni(II) or Co(II)). The structures of the polymer complexes were identified using elemental analysis, infrared and electronic spectra, molar conductance, magnetic susceptibility, X‐ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. The interaction between the polymer complexes and calf thymus DNA showed a hypochromism effect. HL and its polymer complexes were tested against bacterial and fungal species. Co(II) polymer complex 2 is the most effective against Klebsiella pneumoniae and is more active than penicillin. The results showed that Ni(II) polymer complex 5 is a good antibacterial agent against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Molecular docking was used to predict the binding between the monomer with the receptors of prostate cancer (PDB code: 2Q7L Hormone) and breast cancer (PDB code: 1JNX Gene regulation). Coats–Redfern and Horowitz–Metzger methods were applied for calculating the thermodynamic parameters of HL and its polymer complexes. The thermal activation energy of decomposition for HL is higher than that for the polymer complexes.     

Two-soliton interaction as an elementary act of soliton turbulence in integrable systems

Two-soliton interactions play a definitive role in the formation of the structure of soliton turbulence in integrable systems. To quantify the contribution of these interactions to the dynamical and statistical characteristics of the nonlinear wave field of soliton turbulence we study properties of the spatial moments of the two-soliton solution of the Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation. While the first two moments are integrals of the KdV evolution, the 3rd and 4th moments undergo significant variations in the dominant interaction region, which could have strong effect on the values of the skewness and kurtosis in soliton turbulence.     

Synthesis of New Pyrazolo[1.5.4-de]quinoxalines

New pyrazolo[1.5.4-de]quinoxaline derivatives were prepared by the action of 7-aminoindazole 1 on diethyl and dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylates. The structures of the obtained compounds and the direction of cyclization were investigated through a crystallographic study of compound 2. Further alkylation, hydrogenation, and bromination were also explored. The action of potassium thiocyanate on the obtained halo product led to a tetracyclic compound of 1.3-thiazolo[3.4-a]pyrazolo[1.5.4-de]quinoxaline series.     

Random Poly(Lactic Acid-co-β-Alanine): Synthesis and Characterizations

A series of random polyesteramides (PEAs) within a range of molar composition from 90/10 to 10/90 were synthesized by a direct melt polycondensation of lactic acid and β-alanine. Their structures were fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The resulting copolymers are amorphous; they are thermally stable to temperatures up to 254°C, and present increasing glass transition temperatures at increasing amide content. The copolymers were also characterized by FTIR and viscosimetry measurements.     

Band structures of symmetrical graphene superlattice with cells of three regions

We study the electronic band structures of massless Dirac fermions in symmetrical graphene superlattice with cells of three regions. opening gaps and additional Dirac points. Finally, we inspect the potential effect on minibands, the anisotropy of group velocity and the energy bands contours near Dirac points. We also discuss the evolution of gap edges and cutoff region near the vertical Dirac points.     

Comparative study between two fabricated potentiometric sensors to enhance selectivity towards ferrous ions

Electroanalytical methods are highly selective for measuring electrical quantities including the charge, potential and current with their relation to chemical parameters. They are widely applied in various fields such as biochemical analysis, industrial quality control and environmental monitoring. They have many advantages over other techniques in that they are not time consuming and are specific for certain oxidation states of certain elements which give these techniques high selectivity and sensitivity features. This paper is based on two parts: the first part describes the fabrication of screen‐printed electrodes (SPEs) modified with methyl red as electroactive material, while second part describes the preparation and characterization of Fe(II)–methyl red complex using various spectroscopic tools, the complex being used for the construction of carbon paste electrodes (CPEs). The two proposed electrodes were successfully applied for the determination of Fe(II) in water and pharmaceutical (pharovit) samples. The electrodes under investigation show potentiometric response for Fe(II) in the concentration range 8.0 × 10^?7–1.0 × 10^?2 and 5.0 × 10^?7–1.0 × 10^?2 M at 25°C for SPE and CPE, respectively, and the electrode response is independent of pH in the range 1.5–7.0. These sensors show Nernstian slopes of 29.1 ± 0.2 and 29.7 ± 0.16 mV decade^?1 with detection limit values of 8.0 × 10^?7 and 5.0 × 10^?7 M for SPE and CPE, respectively. These electrodes show fast response time of 6 and 4 s and exhibit a lifetime of 100 and 30 days for SPE and CPE, respectively. The mechanism of chemical reaction between modifier and Fe(II) on the SPE surface was studied using infrared spectra, scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis. The proposed potentiometric method was validated according to the IUPAC recommendations. The results obtained using the proposed sensors were comparable with those obtained with inductively coupled plasma analysis.