Consecutive reactions in chemical kinetics: A method for the treatment of experimental data

A method is proposed for the treatment of data from a kinetic system of first order consecutive reactions by using an optimization procedure which converges to the correct solution of the two mathematically possible solutions and which does not need initial estimates of the parameters close to those to be determined.

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A Cyclic and Polymeric Phosphazene as Solid State Template for the Formation of RuO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Nanoparticles

Pyrolysis of the organometallic polymer: {{[N=P(R₁)]_0.8[N=P(OC₆H₄CH₂CN[Ru])₂]_0.15[N=P((OC₆H₅)(OC₆H₄CH₂CN[Ru]]_0.05}{Cl}_0.31} _n , [Ru]=CpRu(PPh₃)₂, R₁ = O₂C₁₂H₈ (1) as well of the cyclic specie {N₃P₃ (OC₆H₅)₅(OC₆H₄CH₂CN[Ru])}{PF₆} (2) under a flow of air at 800°C affords nanostructured RuO₂. Nanoparticles near to 10 nm were observed. The differences in the use of cyclic or polymeric phosphazenes, as solid state template, influence strongly the morphology and slightly the composition of the pyrolytic product. Temperature variable (SQUID) measurements in the range of 5–300 K of the material obtained from the polymer, indicate an antiferromagnetic interaction between the Ru atoms, although lower than that found for the crystalline ruthenium oxide, probably due to some amorphous product present in the pyrolytic material. The possible formation mechanism is discussed and the differences in using the cyclic or the polymeric compound as precursor is analyzed in terms of the relative content of Ru to P, N. A general formation method of nanostructured metal oxides is proposed.     

Dehydrogenation of cyclohexane over supported Pd catalysts, II. Influence of the support and reduction temperature

We have studied the activity of Pd/sepiolite and Pd/SiO₂–AlPO₄ catalysts in cyclohexane aromatization. The catalysts were characterized by H₂ chemisorption measurements. The influence of support and reduction temperature on the metal surface properties and activity of the catalysts is discussed.     

A very sensitive flow system for the direct determination of copper in natural waters based on spectrophotometric detection

A very sensitive flow injection method with spectrophotometric detection has been developed for the on-line determination of copper in natural waters. The method exhibits a limit of detection three times lower than the most sensitive direct spectrophotometric method previously described and then allows the direct and simple in situ determination of copper in most natural waters.The method was based on the measurement of the absorbance of the coloured complex formed by copper with the chromogenic reagent di-2-pyridyl ketone benzoylhydrazone (dPKBH) in an alkaline medium. This complex presents stoichiometry 1:2 (Cu:dPKBH), and exhibits maximum absorbance at 370 nm. The manifold used was very simple, and consisted of two channels. The first one contained the sample while the second one contained the colorimetric reagent (3.3×10⁻⁴ M dPKBH in 10% ethanol), in a 1.6×10⁻² M phosphate buffer solution at pH 8. The performance of the system was optimised by using both univariate and modified simplex methodologies. When modified simplex was used, the best signal was obtained for a sample injection volume of 529 μl, a reaction coil length of 1.29 m, and a reagent flow rate of 4.8 ml min⁻¹. Under optimum conditions, the response was linear up to 3 mg l⁻¹ copper, the equation of the straight line being y=0.314x+5.2×10⁻⁴ (r²=0.998). The method allowed a sampling frequency of 40 samples per hour and exhibited a precision of 2.11% (as R.S.D., n=11). The limit of detection was 4.6 μg l⁻¹ (calculated as 3s_b/m, where s_b is the standard deviation of the y-intercept and m represents the slope of the straight line), and was therefore more sensitive than all the direct continuous methods reported previously.The method was successfully applied to the analysis of real water samples, with an average relative error of 5.32%.     

Synthesis and Characterization of [(1,4‐diamine)dichloro]platinum(II) Compounds Preliminary Studies on their Biological Activity

Two 1,4‐diamine ligands were synthesized having 1,2‐bis(aminomethyl)‐cyclohexane and 1,2‐bis(aminomethyl)‐benzene structures. The two ligands have different electron density in the six‐membered ring: a cyclohexane versus a phenyl ring. The organic synthesis of the ligands was carried out by synthetic pathways of seven and four steps, respectively, starting from 1,2,3,6‐tetrahydrophthalic anhydride and diethyl phthalate. The coordination of platinum to these ligands afforded platinum(II) complexes which are analogue to the clinical drug cisplatin but form a seven‐membered chelate ring. The interaction of the platinum compounds with DNA was studied in order to know the relationship between the electron density of ligands and their capability to chelate DNA, by using three techniques: Circular Dichroism, Agarose Gel Electrophoresis and Atomic Force Microscopy. The degree of interaction of both compounds with DNA was slightly different, but both complexes showed a cisplatin‐like behaviour and are promising candidates to follow an extensive study of their cytotoxic activity.     

Application of principal component regression to the determination of Captopril by differential pulse polarography with no prior removal of dissolved oxygen

As shown in this paper, multivariate calibration in general and principal component regression (PCR) in particular allow the determination of Captopril by differential pulse polarography (DPP) in the presence of oxygen despite the overlap between their polarographic bands. Electrochemical parameters (pulse amplitude, pulse delay and drop time) are optimized from response surfaces using PCR to determine the relationship between the variables to be optimized and the relative square error of prediction (RSEP), which was adopted as the parameter to be minimized. The proposed method is quite fast and inexpensive as a result of the decreased analysis times and sparing use of the inert gas. It was applied to the determination of Captopril in synthetic samples and a commercially available pharmaceutical preparation, with relative errors and confidence intervals <2.5% and 2.0%, respectively. It should be noted that the sample can be analysed directly following dissolution in water without the need to remove the excipients.     

2-Mercaptomethyl-thiazolidines use conserved aromatic–S interactions to achieve broad-range inhibition of metallo-β-lactamases

Infections caused by multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria are a major public health threat. Carbapenems are among the most potent antimicrobial agents that are commercially available to treat MDR bacteria. Bacterial production of carbapenem-hydrolysing metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) challenges their safety and efficacy, with subclass B1 MBLs hydrolysing almost all β-lactam antibiotics. MBL inhibitors would fulfil an urgent clinical need by prolonging the lifetime of these life-saving drugs. Here we report the synthesis and activity of a series of 2-mercaptomethyl-thiazolidines (MMTZs), designed to replicate MBL interactions with reaction intermediates or hydrolysis products. MMTZs are potent competitive inhibitors of B1 MBLs in vitro (e.g., K_i = 0.44 μM vs. NDM-1). Crystal structures of MMTZ complexes reveal similar binding patterns to the most clinically important B1 MBLs (NDM-1, VIM-2 and IMP-1), contrasting with previously studied thiol-based MBL inhibitors, such as bisthiazolidines (BTZs) or captopril stereoisomers, which exhibit lower, more variable potencies and multiple binding modes. MMTZ binding involves thiol coordination to the Zn(ii) site and extensive hydrophobic interactions, burying the inhibitor more deeply within the active site than d/l-captopril. Unexpectedly, MMTZ binding features a thioether–π interaction with a conserved active-site aromatic residue, consistent with their equipotent inhibition and similar binding to multiple MBLs. MMTZs penetrate multiple Enterobacterales, inhibit NDM-1 in situ, and restore carbapenem potency against clinical isolates expressing B1 MBLs. Based on their inhibitory profile and lack of eukaryotic cell toxicity, MMTZs represent a promising scaffold for MBL inhibitor development. These results also suggest sulphur–π interactions can be exploited for general ligand design in medicinal chemistry.

Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are major culprits of resistance to carbapenems in bacteria. A series of thiazolidines are potent MBL inhibitors, restoring the activity of carbapenems. Metal binding and sulphur–π interactions are key to inhibition.     

Nickel(II) and copper(II) – l-cysteine,l-methionine,l-tryptophan-nucleotide ternary complexes

Four new ternary complexes of Cu^II with l-methionine and the nucleotides 5AMP (adenosine 5-phosphate), 5GMP (guanosine 5-phosphate) and 5IMP (inosine 5-phosphate), and with l-tryptophan and 5AMP, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and i.r. spectroscopy. One ternary complex of N^II with l-cysteine and 5IMP was also prepared and characterized. The study of the three ternary compounds of Cu^II, of general formulae Cu-5NMP-l-methionine, indicates coordination of the phosphate group and of N(7) of the purinic ring. l-Methionine is bound by the carboxylic and amino groups. The ternary complex obtained from a mixture of Cu-5AMP and l-tryptophan is a dimer in which the nucleotide bridges the two copper atoms. In the complex of Ni-5IMP and l-cysteine, the nucleotide seems to bind the metal through the N(7) of the heterocyclic ring, and the l-cysteine is coordinated as a bidentate chelate by the carboxyl and thiol groups. E.s.r. spectra of the copper complexes are in good agreement with the low symmetry structure proposed. The one-electron reduction potentials E_c(Fc⁺/Fc) (V) of Cu^II to Cu^I were established for the four copper complexes from cyclic voltammetry studies. The one-electron oxidation potential E_a(Fc⁺/Fc⁺) (V) of Ni^II to Ni^III was also measured for the nickel complex.     

Diodes as sensors in solution thermochemistry

The advantages of using diodes as thermal sensors in solution thermochemistry are discussed and a simple, low-cost circuit for the use of diodes as temperature sensors is reported. In preliminary studies, the titration of TRIS and hydrochloric acid is used to compare the precision of thermistors and diodes in thermometric titrimetry. Several systems are assayed at various temperatures by enthalpimetric methods to illustrate the advantages of diodes as sensors for monitoring thermal methods capable of being used in quality control system.