Effect of Urea on the Morphology of Co3O4 Nanostructures and Their Application for Potentiometric Glucose Biosensor

In this study, an effect of different concentrations of urea on the morphology of cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) nanostructures was investigated. The Co₃O₄ nanostructures are fabricated on gold coated glass substrate by the hydrothermal method. The morphological and structural characterization was performed by scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray diffraction techniques. The Co₃O₄ nanostructures exhibit morphology of flowers‐like and have comprised on nanowires due to the increasing amount of urea. The nanostructures were highly dense on the substrate and possess a good crystalline quality. The Co₃O₄ nanostructures were successfully used for the development of a sensitive glucose biosensor. The presented glucose biosensor detected a wide range of glucose concentrations from 1×10^?6 M to 1×10^?2 M with sensitivity of a ?56.85 mV/decade and indicated a fast response time of less than 10 s. This performance could be attributed to the heterogeneous catalysis effect at glucose oxidase enzyme, nanoflowers, and nanowires interfaces, which have enhanced the electron transfer process on the electrode surface. Moreover, the reproducibility, repeatability, stability and selectivity were also investigated. All the obtained results indicate the potential use of the developed glucose sensor for monitoring of glucose concentrations at drugs, human serum and food industry related samples.     

Antioxidant activity of two wild edible mushrooms (Morchella vulgaris and Morchella esculanta) from North Turkey

The ethanol extracts of Morchella vulgaris (EEMV) and Morchella esculanta (EEME) were analysed for their antioxidant activities in different systems including reducing power, free radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, total antioxidant activity, and metal chelating activity. EEMV and EEME had similar reducing power, free radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and metal chelating activity at concentrations of 50, 100, and 150 microg/mL. These various antioxidant activities were compared to standard antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and alpha-tocopherol. The percent inhibition of different concentrations of EEMV on peroxidation in the linoleic acid system was 85 and 87 % respectively, which was greater than that of 100 and 250 microg/mL of alpha-tocopherol (50 and 77%, respectively) and similar to 250 microg/mL of BHA (85, 87%, respectively). The percent inhibition of different concentrations of EEME on peroxidation in the linoleic acid system was 80 and 87 % respectively, which was greater than that of 100 and 250 microg/mL of alpha-tocopherol (50, 77%) and similar to 250 microg/mL BHA (87%). On the other hand, the percent inhibition of 100 and 250 microg/mL of BHT was 97 and 99%, respectively. In addition, the total phenolic compounds in EEMV and EEME were determined as gallic acid equivalents.     

Photo-switchable azobenzene-functionalized block copolymers from atom transfer radical polymerizations

Diblock copolymers composed of monomers of tert-butyl acrylate and a side-chain azobenzenecontaining monomer, 4-[(E)-(4-nitrophenyl)diazenyl]phenyl prop-2-enoate were synthesized using atom transfer radical polymerization technique. Experimental strategy involved synthesis of block of tert-butyl acrylate macroinitiator followed by addition of second block of azobenzene-containing monomer to prepare desired block-copolymer. GPC analysis indicated narrow molecular weight distributions with degree of polymerization found in good agreement with targeted value. Prepared block copolymers of varying chain lengths can potentially be used to obtain morphologies that can find useful applications for biomedical applications including intriguing photo-switchable drug delivery systems.     

Preparation of QP4VP-b-LCP liquid crystal block copolymer and its application as a biosensor

The interface between nematic liquid crystal, 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl (5CB), and water in a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grid cell coated with QP4VP-b-LCP (quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) (QP4VP) and poly(4-cyanobiphenyl-4′-oxyundecylacrylate) (LCP)) was examined for protein and DNA detection. QP4VP-b-LCP was synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Quaternization of P4VP with iodomethane (CH₃I) made it a strong cationic polyelectrolyte and allowed QP4VP-b-LCP to form complexes with oppositely charged biological species. Several proteins, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA), hemoglobin (Hb), α chymotrypsinogen-A (ChTg), and lysozyme (LYZ), were tested for nonspecific protein detection. By injecting the protein solutions into the TEM grid cell, the initial homeotropic orientation of the TEM grid cell changed to a planar orientation above their isoelectric points (PIs) due to electrostatic interactions between QP4VP (+charge) and proteins (?charge), which did not occur below the PIs of the tested proteins. Their minimum concentrations at which the homeotropic to planar configurational change (H-P change) occurred were 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 wt.% for BSA, ChTg, Hb, and LYZ, respectively. One of the strong anionic polyelectrolytes, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) (due to the phosphate deoxyribose backbone) was also tested. A H-P change was observed with as little as 0.0013 wt.% salmon sperm DNA regardless of the pH of the cell. A H-P change occurred in 5CB and was observed by polarized optical microscopy. This simple and inexpensive setup for nonspecific biomaterial detection provides the basic idea for developing effective selective biosensors by introducing specific binding groups, such as the aptamer and antibody.     

Bis(triethanolamine)cadmium(II) and -­mercury(II) saccharinates: seven-coordinate complexes containing both tri- and tetradentate triethanolamine ligands

The structures of the title triethanol­amine (tea) complexes of Cd^II and Hg^II saccharinates, bis­(triethanol­amine)-κ³O,N,O′;κ⁴O,N,O′,O′′-cadmium(II) 1,2-benziso­thia­zol-3(2H)-onate 1,1-dioxide, [Cd(C₆H₁₅NO₃)₂](C₇H₄NO₃S)₂, (I), and bis­(tri­ethanol­amine)-κ³O,N,O′;κ⁴O,N,O′,O′′-mercury(II) 1,2-benz­iso­thia­zol-3(2H)-onate 1,1-dioxide, [Hg(C₆H₁₅NO₃)₂](C₇H₄NO₃S)₂, (II), or [M(tea)₂](sac)₂, where M is Cd^II or Hg^II and sac is the saccharinate anion, reveal seven-coordinate metal ions in both complexes. Both complex cations, [M(tea)₂]²⁺, adopt a monocapped trigonal prism geometry in which the two tea ligands exhibit different coordination modes to achieve seven-coordination. One tea ligand acts as a tetradentate ligand using all its donor atoms, while the other behaves as a tridentate O,N,O′-donor ligand, with one of its ethanol groups remaining uncoordinated. The H atoms of the free and coordinated hydroxyl groups of the tea ligands are involved in hydrogen bonding with the amine N atom, and with the carbonyl and sulfonyl O atoms of neighbouring sac ions, forming an infinite three-dimensional network. A weak π–π interaction between the phenyl rings of the sac ions also occurs.     

Synthesis of new aryl(hetaryl)-substituted tandospirone analogues with potential anxiolytic activity via reductive Heck type hydroarylations

Tandospirone (I), developed as an anxiolytic drug, is an aryl-piperazine compound that binds to both 5-HT_1A and dopamine D4 receptors. Palladium-catalysed hydroarylation reactions of tandospirone analogues containing an oxygen bridge and 3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl or 2,3-dichlorophenyl groups were studied in order to find a new stereoselective access to a series of new exo-aryl(hetaryl)-substituted derivatives with potential biological activity.     

Liquid crystalline mesophases of pluronics (L64, P65, and P123) and transition metal nitrate salts ([M(H2O)6](NO3)2)

The triblock poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers, Pluronics (L64, P65, and P123), form liquid crystalline (LC) mesophases with transition metal nitrate salts (TMS), [M(H(2)O)(n)](NO(3))(2), in the presence and absence of free water in the media. In this assembly process, M-OH(2) plays an important role as observed in a TMS:C(n)EO(m) (C(n)EO(m) is oligo(ethylene oxide) nonionic surfactants) system. The structure of the LC mesophases and interactions of the metal ion-nitrate ion and metal ion-Pluronic were investigated using microscopy (POM), diffraction (XRD), and spectroscopy (FTIR and micro-Raman) techniques. The TMS:L64 system requires a shear force for mesophase ordering to be observed using X-ray diffraction. However, TMS:P65 and TMS:P123 form well structured LC mesophases. Depending on the salt/Pluronic mole ratio, hexagonal LC mesophases are observed in the TMS:P65 systems and cubic and tetragonal LC mesophases in the TMS:P123 systems. The LC mesophase in the water/salt/Pluronic system is sensitive to the concentration of free (H(2)O) and coordinated water (M-OH(2)) molecules and demonstrates structural changes. As the free water is evaporated from the H(2)O:TMS:Pluronic LC mesophase (ternary mixture), the nitrate ion remains free in the media. However, complete evaporation of the free water molecules enforces the coordination of the nitrate ion to the metal ion in all TMS:Pluronic systems.