Composite cathode materials Ag-Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3 for solid oxide fuel cells

Silver-Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3-δ (BSCF) cathodes were prepared in two ways. In the first method, Ag-BSCF composite powder was prepared in ethanol solution, where Ag nanoparticles serving as a component in the preparation of Ag-BSCF composite cathodes had been previously obtained via one-step synthesis in absolute ethanol using a neutral polymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to use a Ag sol obtained by the above method for preparation of Ag-BSCF composite powder. Then, a paste containing this powder was screen-printed on a Sm_0.2Ce_0.8O_1.9 electrolyte and sintered at 1,000 °C. In the second technique, an aqueous solution of AgNO₃ was added to a previously sintered BSCF cathode, which was then sintered again at 800 °C. The oxygen reduction reaction at the quasi-point BSCF cathode on the Sm_0.2Ce_0.8O_1.9 electrolyte was tested by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at different oxygen concentrations in three electrode setup. The continuous decrease of polarization resistance was observed under polarization ?0.5 V at 600 °C. The comparative studies of both obtained composite Ag-BSCF materials were performed in hydrogen-oxygen IT-SOFC involving samaria-doped ceria as an electrolyte and Ni-Gd_0.2Ce_0.8O_1.9 anode. In both cases, the addition of silver to the cathode caused an increase in current and power density compared with an IT-SOFC built with the same components but involving a monophase BSFC cathode material.     

The structure of bis(trimethylammonium) undecachlorotriantimonate(III) [(CH3)3NH]2Sb3Cl11 containing a novel antimony(III) anion

The structure of [(CH₃)₃NH]₂Sb₃Cl₁₁ (space group P2₁/n; a = 10.374(2), b = 23.723(5), c = 11.884(2) Å, = 113.46(3)°; V = 2682.9(9) ų) consists of a structurally novel [Sb₃Cl^2– ₁₁] anion and two crystallographically nonequivalent trimethylammonium cations. The anion is composed of three deformed octahedra in the asymmetric part of the unit cell. The octahedra are connected with each other by edges and corners forming a characteristic polyanionic layer. Trimethylammonium cations, one ordered and one disordered, are connected to the inorganic sublattice by N—H···Cl hydrogen bonds.     

Tricine as a convenient scaffold for the synthesis of C-terminally branched collagen-model peptides

A novel and convenient method for the synthesis of C-terminally branched collagen-model peptides has been achieved using tricine (N-[tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl]glycine) as a branching scaffold and 1,2-diaminoethane or 1,4-diaminobutane as a linker. The peptide sequence was incorporated directly onto the linker and scaffold during solid-phase synthesis without additional manipulations. The resulting branched triple-helical peptides exhibited comparable thermal stabilities to the parent, unbranched sequence, and served as substrates for matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1). The tricine-based branch reported herein represents the simplest synthetic scaffold for the convenient synthesis of covalently linked homomeric collagen-model triple-helical peptides.     

Chemometric outlook on correlations between retention parameters of polar and semipolar HPLC columns and physicochemical characteristics of ampholytic substances of biological and pharmaceutical relevance

The Quantitative Property-Retention Relation (QPRR) approach was applied to analyze the correlations between the retention parameters of ampholytic, biologically active substances and their physicochemical (predicted/spectral) characteristics. The retention parameters were obtained for polar and semipolar HPLC columns at various compositions of mobile phases and pH conditions. These values are a unique collection of chromatographic parameters that are a measure of lipophilicity and, consequently, can be very helpful in assessing pharmacological potency of the compounds investigated. Three QPRR models that meet the predictive capability criteria were developed. The relationships can be used to gain pharmacologically interesting information on the biologically active ampholytic substances.

     

Crystal Structures and Biological Studies Two Novel Zinc Complexes Derived from <Emphasis Type="Italic">para</Emphasis>-Vanillin and Acetylacetone. Two New Precursors for Preparation ZnO Nanoparticles

In the present study, two new zinc complexes with the chemical formulas of [Zn(2-Ampy)(Acac)₂] (I) and [Zn(p-Van)₂(H₂O)₂] (II) were synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Moreover, the crystal structures of the complexes were determined by X-ray diffraction technique. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses (CIF files CCDC nos. 1513672 (I) and 1513673 (II)) revealed that complex I has a distorted square pyramid environment, and complex II has a distorted octahedral geometry. The complexes were also screened for in vitro antibacterial activities against some bacteria. The results show that complexes have the effective antibacterial activities. The complexes were employed to prepare ZnO nanoparticles by the combustion synthesis method at 700°C for 8 h. The nanoparticles were characterized, using powder X-ray diffraction analysis (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope. PXRD analysis showed the presence of pure phase in both samples. Furthermore, the crystallite size was approximately 37 and 42 nm for ZnO prepared from complexes I and II, respectively.     

Application of capillary electrophoresis-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to comparative studying of the reactivity of antitumor ruthenium(III) complexes differing in the nature of counter-ion toward human serum proteins

Varying the counter-ion is a highly supportive practice in tackling the problem of poor water-solubility of metal complexes of pharmaceutical importance. As a matter of fact, the relevant structural modification may alter the metabolic pathways and possibly the mode of action of a drug. To prove that this does not take place for one of the lead anticancer metal-based developmental compounds, indazolium trans-[RuCl(4)(1H-indazole)(2)] (KP1019), its reactivity toward human serum proteins was assessed under simulated physiological conditions and compared to that of a much more soluble analogue, sodium trans-[RuCl(4)(1H-indazole)(2)] (KP1339). For such kinetic assaying, capillary electrophoresis (CE) interfaced online with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to specifically monitor changes in the metal speciation following the formation of ruthenium-protein adducts was applied. The rate constants of interaction with albumin and transferrin were determined at pharmacologically fitting drug-to-protein ratios as on average 0.0319+/-0.0021 min(-1) and 0.0931+/-0.0019 min(-1) (KP1019) and 0.0316+/-0.0018 min(-1) and 0.0935+/-0.0053 min(-1) (KP1339), respectively. The results of this brief study showed that changing from organic to inorganic counter-ion at the stage of formulation could commonly be recommended for improving ruthenium-based drug solubility and bioavailability.     

Photoexcitation and photoionization dynamics of water photolysis

Despite the importance of water photolysis in atmospheric chemistry, its mechanism is not well understood. Two different mechanisms for water photolysis have been proposed. The first mechanism is driven by water photoexcitation, followed by the reaction of the active hydrogen radical with water clusters. The second mechanism is governed by the ionization process. Both photoexcited and photoionized mechanisms are complementary, which is elucidated by using excited-state ab initio molecular dynamics simulations based on complete active space self-consistent field approach and unrestricted M?ller-Plesset second-order perturbation theory based Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations.     

Ultrafast carbene-carbene isomerization

The photochemistry of two isomeric aryl diazo ketones was investigated by fs time-resolved UV-vis and IR spectroscopies. Both diazo ketone excited states decompose in less than 300 fs by multiple pathways. One pathway involves concerted Wolff rearrangement and nitrogen extrusion, most likely in the syn rotomer. In the anti rotomer of one isomer, oxygen migration proceeds in concert with nitrogen extrusion to form rearranged keto carbene. This rotomer excited state also decomposes to form unrearranged carbene, which isomerizes in 5 ps.