On the photoproduction of DNA/RNA cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers

The UV photoreactivity of different pyrimidine DNA/RNA nucleobases along the singlet manifold leading to the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers has been studied by using the CASPT2 level of theory. The initially irradiated singlet state promotes the formation of excimers between pairs of properly oriented nucleobases through the overlap between the ?? structures of two stacked nucleobases. The system evolves then to the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers via a shearing-type conical intersection activating a [2?+?2] photocycloaddition mechanism. The relative location of stable excimer conformations or alternative decay channels with respect to the reactive degeneracy region explains the differences in the photoproduction efficiency observed in the experiments for different nucleobases sequences. A comparative analysis of the main structural parameters and energetic profiles in the singlet manifold is carried out for thymine, uracil, cytosine, and 5-methylcytosine homodimers. Thymine and uracil dimers display the most favorable paths, in contrast to cytosine. Methylation of the nucleobases seems to increase the probability for dimerization.     

Antioxidant capacity and phenolic content of Caesalpinia pyramidalis Tul. and Sapium glandulosum (L.) Morong from Northeastern Brazil

The aims of this study were to quantify the phenolic content and evaluate the antioxidant potential of extracts from the bark and leaves of C. pyramidalis and S. glandulosum. The total phenolic content (TPC) and total tannin content (TTC) were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and the total flavonoids content (TFC) was measured via complexation with aluminum chloride. The antioxidant activity was evaluated with DPPH (2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and FIC (ferrous ion chelating) assays. The TPC ranged between 135.55 ± 9.85 and 459.79 ± 11.65 tannic acid equivalents (TAE) in mg/g material (mg TAE/g). The leaves of both species contained high levels of tannins and flavonoids. The crude ethanol extracts (CEE) from the bark of C. pyramidalis showed high antioxidant activity when compared to ascorbic acid and rutin, whereas the CEE from the leaves was more efficient in chelating ferrous ions. C. pyramidalis had very high phenolic content and anti-radical activity, which indicates a need for further studies aimed at the purification and identification of compounds responsible for the antioxidant activity.     

Radical polymerization of 1‐alkenes catalyzed by lithium salts of carboranes

Radical polymerization of selected 1‐alkenes, (1‐hexene, 1‐octene and 2‐methyl‐1‐heptene), initiated with classical radical initiators and catalyzed by lithium salts of selected carboranes was studied. In accordance with recently published results it was found that the use of radical initiators under catalysis by “naked” lithium cation of carboranes promotes the radical polymerization of 1‐alkenes, otherwise nonpolymerizable by the radical mechanism. However, although in our experiments relatively high monomers conversions are reached for some of the thermal initiators used, only low‐molecular‐weight oligomers with M_n < 1000 are formed, regardless of the initiator and carborane anion used. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Fast batch injection analysis of H(2)O(2) using an array of Pt-modified gold microelectrodes obtained from split electronic chips

A fast and robust analytical method for amperometric determination of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) based on batch injection analysis (BIA) on an array of gold microelectrodes modified with platinum is proposed. The gold microelectrode array (n=14) was obtained from electronic chips developed for surface mounted device technology (SMD), whose size offers advantages to adapt them in batch cells. The effect of the dispensing rate, volume injected, distance between the platinum microelectrodes and the pipette tip, as well as the volume of solution in the cell on the analytical response were evaluated. The method allows the H(2)O(2) amperometric determination in the concentration range from 0.8 μmolL(-1) to 100 μmolL(-1). The analytical frequency can attain 300 determinations per hour and the detection limit was estimated in 0.34 μmolL(-1) (3σ). The anodic current peaks obtained after a series of 23 successive injections of 50 μL of 25 μmolL(-1) H(2)O(2) showed an RSD<0.9%. To ensure the good selectivity to detect H(2)O(2), its determination was performed in a differential mode, with selective destruction of the H(2)O(2) with catalase in 10 mmolL(-1) phosphate buffer solution. Practical application of the analytical procedure involved H(2)O(2) determination in rainwater of S?o Paulo City. A comparison of the results obtained by the proposed amperometric method with another one which combines flow injection analysis (FIA) with spectrophotometric detection showed good agreement.     

Influence of ultrathin poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) film supports on the electrodeposition and electrocatalytic activity of discrete platinum nanoparticles

Coating a carbon electrode surface, specifically highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) with an ultrathin film of poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), PEDOT, provides a support on which a high density of uniformly dispersed Pt nanoparticles (NPs) can readily be formed by electrodeposition. The NPs tend to be much smaller, have a higher surface coverage, better dispersion and show a much lower tendency to aggregate, than Pt NPs produced under identical electrochemical conditions on HOPG alone. The electrocatalytic activity of the NPs was investigated for methanol (MeOH) and formic acid (HCOOH) oxidation. Significantly, for similarly prepared particles, Pt NP-PEDOT arrays exhibited higher catalytic activity (in terms of current density, based on the Pt area), towards MeOH oxidation, by an order of magnitude, and towards HCOOH oxidation at high potentials, than Pt NPs supported on native HOPG. These findings can be rationalised in terms of the enhanced oxidation of adsorbed CO, a key reaction intermediate and a catalyst poison. This research provides strong evidence that employing conducting polymers, such as PEDOT, as a support substrate, can greatly improve particular catalytic reactions, allowing for better catalyst utilisation in fuel cell technology.     

Enantioseparation of Novel Amino Analogs of Indole Phytoalexins on Macrocyclic Glycopeptide-Based Chiral Stationary Phase

Direct chiral separation of the enantiomers of spirobrassinin, 1-methoxyspirobrassinin and ten novel cis- and trans-diastereoisomers of 2-amino analogs of indole phytoalexin 1-methoxyspirobrassinol methyl ether on macrocyclic glycopeptide-based chiral stationary phase (CSP) with teicoplanin (Chirobiotic T) was studied. Normal phase eluents containing n-hexane with modifiers ethanol and 2-propanol were used. The effects of mobile phase composition, structure of the analytes and temperature were investigated. Chiral resolution on teicoplanin CSP was achieved only in the case of trans-diastereoisomers. The van??t Hoff plots were found to show linear behavior in all cases. It was found that studied normal phase enantioseparations were enthalpy driven. The elution order of the enantiomers was determined in some cases.     

Solvent extraction of europium trifluoromethanesulfonate into nitrobenzene in the presence of p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene and p-tert-butylcalix[8]arene

From extraction experiments and ??-activity measurements, the extraction constants corresponding to the general equilibrium Eu³⁺(aq) + 3A^?(aq) + L(nb) ? EuL³⁺(nb) + 3A^?(nb) taking part in the two-phase water?Cnitrobenzene system (A^? = CF₃SO₃ ^?; L = p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene, p-tert-butylcalix[8]arene; aq = aqueous phase, nb = nitrobenzene phase) were evaluated. Further, the stability constants of the EuL³⁺ complexes in nitrobenzene saturated with water were calculated for a temperature of 25 °C as log ?? _nb(EuL³⁺) = 6.4 ± 0.1 (L = p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene) and log ?? _nb(EuL³⁺) = 11.3 ± 0.1 (L = p-tert-butylcalix[8]arene).     

Characterization and Wear Behavior of Plasma Nitrided Nickel Based Dental Alloy

In the present work, the plasma nitriding behavior of a nickel based dental alloy was investigated. Plasma nitriding experiments carried out under constant gas mixture (15% H₂?C85% N₂) for different process parameters including time (4, 6, 10, and 20 h) and temperature (400, 450, 500, and 550 °C). Depending on nitriding parameters, it was found that triple or double layers formed on the surface of the samples. Increasing of treatment time and temperature has resulted in a double layer. ??_N1 layer was in formed all nitrided samples. However, ??_N2 layer is formed only at low temperatures and in short times. Layer growth of nickel based alloys increases until a critical time or a critical temperature reached. Above these critical values, it is observed that the layer thickness decreases. It was also found that plasma nitriding not only increases the surface hardness but also improves the wear resistance of nickel based dental alloy. The maximum wear resistance was observed at 400 °C for 10 h due to the high hardness and thickness of the nitride layers.     

Polyvinyl- and polyphenylsilsesquioxanes and their films: an investigation by X-ray diffractometry, positron diagnostics, and 29Si NMR spectroscopy

Polyvinyl- and polyphenylsilsesquioxanes (RSiO_1,5) _n were synthesized by hydrolytic polycondensation. The cross section surface areas of the polymer chain were measured and the sizes of ??traps?? of the free and ordered volumes and the ratio of the T₂ and T₃ units in (RSiO_1,5) _n were determined by time positron diagnostics, ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry. The density of polyvinyl- and polyphenylsilsesquioxanes was determined picnometrically and from the X-ray phase analysis data, and the content of hydroxyl groups was found by thermogravimetry. The cross section surface area of the silsesquioxane chains containing vinyl and phenyl radicals at Si were calculated by the Miller-Boyer method. The elementary volumes of the chain segments determined by different methods were compared. The geometric models for ??traps?? of the free volume were proposed. The optical properties and morphology of the polyvinylsilsesquioxane films were studied by atomic force microscopy and UV spectroscopy.     

Synthesis and properties of ZnII and CdII complexes with chiral N-derivatives of aminoacetic acid based on natural monoterpenes (+)-3-carene and (?)-��-pinene. Crystal structure of coordination polymer [Zn(HL)Cl��2H2O] n

Chiral sodium salts of N-derivatives of aminoacetic acid based on (+)-3-carene (HLNa) and (?)-??-pinene (HLNa) were synthesized. Complexes Zn(HL)Cl (1), Cd(HL)Cl·0.5H₂O (3), Zn(HL??)Cl·0.5H₂O (4), and Cd(HL??)Cl·0.5H₂O (5) were obtained. The single crystals of the coordination polymer [Zn(HL)Cl·2H₂O] _n (2) were grown. According to the X-ray diffraction analysis, the crystal structure of 2 consists of 1D chains built of Zn(HL)Cl and water molecules. The coordination polyhedron ClN₂O₂ is a distorted square pyramid. The HL^? ligand performs the chelating tetradentate-bridging function, and the COO^? group binds two adjacent Zn atoms. The IR spectroscopy data for compounds 1 and 3?C5 indicate the coordination of the COO^?, NOH, and NH functional groups. The excitation and photoluminescence (PLM) spectra of the solid samples of compounds HLNa, HL??Na, 1, and 3?C5 were recorded at room temperature. The compounds exhibit blue PLM. The intensity of PLM of the CdII complexes is higher than that of the ZnII complexes, which is a characteristic feature of PLM of the studied compounds.