Poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) hydrogel confined in a hydrophobous porous matrix

A series of interpenetrated polymer networks (IPNs) in which the first component is a porous poly(ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) hydrophobic network and the second one is a poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA) hydrophilic network were synthesized. Equilibrium sorption isotherms can be reduced to a single master curve for all the IPNs when the water absorbed is expressed per gram of PHEA in them. The equilibrium water sorption in immersion is always much smaller than that of pure PHEA. This feature is due to the confining effect of the stiff PEMA matrix. The plasticizing effect of the absorbed water on the PHEA phase was characterized using thermally stimulated depolarization currents, dynamic-mechanical analysis and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. The results show that the shift of the main relaxation peak towards lower temperatures is unaffected by the presence of the PEMA matrix, and only depends on the water content per gram of PHEA in the IPN.     

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.     

1,2-Dihydroisoindolines from Intramolecular [4+2] Cycloaddition of N-Allyl-2-Furfurylamine Halohydrates

A number of 1,2 Dihydroisoindolines have been directly obtained from the corresponding allyl-furfurylamine hydrochlorides.     

On idempotents of a class of commutative rings

Abstract

In the present work, a procedure for determining idempotents of a commutative ring having a sequence of ideals with certain properties is presented. As an application of this procedure, idempotent elements of various commutative rings are determined. Several examples are included illustrating the main results.     

Janus Gold Nanostars–Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for NIR-Light-Triggered Drug Delivery

Janus gold nanostar–mesoporous silica nanoparticle ( AuNSt–MSNP ) nanodevices able to release an entrapped payload upon irradiation with near infrared (NIR) light were prepared and characterized. The AuNSt surface was functionalized with a thiolated photolabile molecule ( 5 ), whereas the mesoporous silica face was loaded with a model drug (doxorubicin) and capped with proton-responsive benzimidazole-β-cyclodextrin supramolecular gatekeepers ( N 1 ). Upon irradiation with NIR-light, the photolabile compound 5 photodissociated, resulting in the formation of succinic acid, which induced the opening of the gatekeeper and cargo delivery. In the overall mechanism, the gold surface acts as a photochemical transducer capable of transforming the NIR-light input into a chemical messenger (succinic acid) that opens the supramolecular nanovalve. The prepared hybrid nanoparticles were non-cytotoxic to HeLa cells, until they were irradiated with a NIR laser, which led to intracellular doxorubicin release and hyperthermia. This induced a remarkable reduction in HeLa cells viability.