Unmodified Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanostructure promoted with external magnetic field: safe,magnetically recoverable,and efficient nanocatalyst for N- and C-alkylation reactions in green conditions

Transition metal compounds have emerged as suitable catalysts for organic reactions. Magnetic compounds as soft Lewis acids can be used as catalysts for organic reactions. In this report, the Fe₃O₄ nanostructures were obtained from Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺-salts, under an external magnetic field (EMF) without any protective agent. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy tools were used to characterize these magnetic compounds. The two-dimensional (2-D, it showed nanometric size in the two dimensions, nanorod structure) Fe₃O₄ compound showed high catalytic activity and stability in N- and C-alkylation reactions. A diverse range of N- and C-alkylation products were obtained in moderate to high yield under green and mild conditions in air. Also the N- and C-alkylation products can be obtained with different selectivity and yield by exposure reactions with EMF. Results of alkylation reactions showed that the presence of Fe(II) and Fe(III) species on the surface of magnetic catalysts (phase structure of magnetic compounds) are essential as very cheap active sites. Also, morphology of magnetic catalysts had influence on their catalytic performances. After the reaction, the catalyst/product(s) separation could be easily achieved with an external magnet and more than 95% of catalyst could be recovered. The catalyst was reused at least four times without any loss of its high catalytic activity for N- and C-alkylation reactions.     

Methylmercury in marine fish from Malaysian waters and its relationship to total mercury content

The study evaluated methylmercury concentrations, the methylmercury to total mercury ratio (%MeHg) and their correlations in ten fish species from different trophic levels. Methylmercury levels in fish studied were in the range of 0.007 to 0.914 µg g^?1 wet wt. Muscle tissue of predatory fish contained significantly (p < 0.05) higher content of methylmercury than non-predatory fish. The methylmercury to total mercury ratio ranged from 49.1% to 87.5%, with the highest ratio in predatory fish. This ratio was always higher in muscle tissue compared to the liver tissues, indicating tissue-specific binding and accumulation of methylmercury in the muscle. All the fish species showed strong positive correlation between methylmercury and total mercury levels (R ²> 0.86). Except for long tail tuna and short-bodied mackerel, all fish species showed lower methylmercury levels and estimated weekly intake as compared to the maximum values established by US FDA (of 0.5 µg g^?1) and by FAO/WHO (1.5 µg kg^?1 bodyweight), respectively. This study showed that the percentage of methylmercury is rather high in fish and fish represents the major source of this toxic mercury form to the local population.     

Electrocatalytic Reduction of Metronidazole on Bismuth Modified Pencil‐lead Electrode

We report a new and simple approach based on an experimental design method for the preparation of pencil‐lead electrode modified with bismuth thin film. The fabrication process consists of reduction of bismuth on the surface of electrode with potentiostate method. Response surface methodology was developed as experimental strategies for modeling and optimization of the influence of some variables on the performance of modified electrode. The electrocatalytic behavior of this modified electrode was exploited as a sensitive detection system for the mercury‐free reduction and determination of metronidazole in pharmaceutical and biological samples by using differential pulse voltammetry and amperometry methods.     

A cyclometalated diplatinum complex containing 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene as spacer ligand: Antitumor study

Cyclometalated platinum(II) complex [Pt(C^N)Cl(dmso)], 1, in which C^N = N(1),C(2′)-chelated deprotonated 2-phenylpyridine and dmso = dimethylsulfoxide, was reacted with 1 equiv of 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene, dppf, to give the cyclometalated diplatinum(II) complex [Pt₂(C^N)₂Cl₂(μ-dppf)], 2, along with 0.5 equiv of unreacted dppf. However, the related reaction with 0.5 equiv of dppf produced complex 2 in pure form. Complex 2 in solution was fully characterized by using multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P, and ¹⁹⁵Pt) and a number of 2D NMR experiments. The structure of complex 2 in solid state was determined by X-ray crystallography showing that the bridging dppf ligand is arranged close to “antiperiplanar staggered” conformation. Cytotoxicity of the complex 2 was studied in three human cancer cell lines derived from ovarian carcinoma(CH1), lung carcinoma(A549), and colon carcinoma (SW480) by means of the MTT assay (MTT = 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide).     

Rapid growth of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles using ultrasonic irradiation

A rapid, environmental friendly and low-cost method to prepare hydroxyapatite nanoparticles is proposed. In this method, hydroxyapatite is produced in a sonicated pseudo-body solution. The sonication time was found effective in the formation of the crystalline phase of nanoparticles. In our experimental condition, 15 min sonication resulted in the most pure hydroxyapatite phase. Also it was shown that growth temperature is a crucial factor and hydroxyapatite crystallizes only at 37 °C. The particles formed by sonication were generally smaller and more spherical than those obtained without sonication. Sonication increased the hydroxyapatite crystal growth rate up to 5.5 times compared to non-sonication condition. The comparison between the specific surface area of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles obtained by sonication and without sonication demonstrated that sonication increased the specific surface area from 63 m²/g to 107 m²/g and decreased the size of nanoparticles from 30 nm to 18 nm. Analysis on the pore structure demonstrated that the fractal structures obtained with and without sonication were considerably different.