Different Types of Meatballs Enriched with Wild Thyme/Lemon Balm Aqueous Extract—Complex Characterization

In the context of the increasing lactation problems among breastfeeding women, the development of a healthy lifestyle is needed. Different variants of pork, turkey, and beef meatballs, with added lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) and wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.) aqueous extract (6%), were obtained. These herbs were selected and used due to their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and lactogenic potential. Two thermal treatments, hot air convection (180 °C) and steam convection (94 °C), were applied for meatballs processing. The obtained meatballs were further subjected to a complex characterization. The functionality of the plant extracts was proved by the values of total content of polyphenols (2.69 ± 0.02 mg AG/g dw) and flavonoids (3.03 ± 0.24 mg EQ/g dw). FT-IR analysis confirmed the presence of trans-anethole and estragole at 1507–1508 cm⁻¹ and 1635–1638 cm⁻¹, respectively. Costumers’ overall acceptance had a score above 5.5 for all samples, on a scale of 1 to 9. Further analysis and human trials should be considered regarding the use of lactogenic herbs, given their health benefits and availability.     

3D Arrangement of Magnetic Particles in Thin Polymer Films Assisted by Magnetically Patterned Exchange Bias Layer Systems

The possibility to arrange and embed magnetic micro- and nanoparticles in thin polymer film systems using flat magnetically patterned substrate templates is investigated. In contrast to self-organized particle rows forming by applying a homogeneous magnetic field, particles adapt to the magnetic field landscape of the substrate's magnetic pattern prior to polymer crosslinking. Crosslinking then fixes the particle positions in the polymer. The process is tested for composites of hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and maghemite nanoparticles as well as for hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and hydrophilic functionalized, superparamagnetic core–shell microspheres. The substrate template is an exchange bias layer system magnetically patterned into parallel-stripe domains with in-plane magnetizations and head-to-head/tail-to-tail remanent magnetization orientation in adjacent magnetic domains. A high occupancy percentage of magnetic beads on a domain wall as well as anisotropic actuation of the composite is achieved.     

Chemometric Assessment of the Interactions Between the Metal Contents,Antioxidant Activity,Total Phenolics,and Flavonoids in Mushrooms

The elemental composition and antioxidant activity have been obtained for regional mushrooms species, wild and cultivated, from Dambovita County, Romania. A multivariate approach and data mining techniques (principal component analysis and cluster analysis, respectively) were applied in order to evaluate the correlation matrix for these parameters for both caps and stipes of mushrooms. The associations between metallic elements (i.e., Fe, Cu, Cd, Pb, Co, Ni, Zn, Mn, Cr, Na, K, Ca and Mg) correlated with antioxidant activity, total phenolics, and total flavonoids were carried out by using a full factorial linear design. The multivariate functional analysis revealed on associated accumulation of several elements in mushrooms. In the cluster analysis, the dataset was treated to appreciate the correlation between metals group (e.g., heavy metals, such as Fe, Cu, Cd, Pb, Co, Ni, Zn, Mn, Cr, and important nutritional elements, such as Na, K, Ca, and Mg). Fungal species with similar characteristics in terms of metal accumulation formed two distinctive clusters. From a point of view of the consumer, the content of Cd and especially Pb in the fruiting bodies of the analyzed mushrooms species may be considered elevated, so that mapping the risk is compulsory. Applying the chemometric tools in the sense mentioned above, as well as in helping the scientific research by optimizing the number of data points, was shown to be extremely useful.     

Pressurized liquid extraction of cyclitols and sugars: optimization of extraction parameters and selective separation

Cyclitols and sugars were obtained as a mixture from Medicago sativa L., in a comparative study by using maceration, and pressurized liquid extraction, as a modern and green extraction techniques. The influence of extraction parameters including: extraction temperature, time and number of cycles on the content of sugars and cyclitols was investigated based on response surface methodology. The highest total amount of sugars and cyclitols (62.27 ± 2.30 and 50.35 ± 0.77 mg/g of dry material, respectively) was obtained when extraction was performed at 88°C, for 22 min, in two cycles. The methodology used involved extraction, purification, selective separation (using yeast and anion exchange resin) and derivatization, followed by gas chromatography ‐mass spectrometry analysis. The use of yeast treatment realized an effective fractionation of cyclitols and sugars, which allowed the removal of most sugars. The involvement of anion exchange resin after yeast allowed the removal of sugar alcohols and lactose, together with other sugar traces remained and to obtain a solution containing six cyclitols. The recrystallization of dry residue after solvent evaporation, from ethanol, allowed us to obtain 14.65 mg of white pure crystals identified with NMR spectroscopy, liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, optical rotation and melting point as analysis D‐pinitol.     

Copolymer microgels by precipitation polymerisation of N-vinylcaprolactam and N-isopropylacrylamides in aqueous medium

In this work, we designed copolymer microgels by the copolymerisation of N-vinylcaprolactam (VCL) and two acrylamides (N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and N-isopropylmethacrylamide (NIPMAAm)) under precipitation conditions in aqueous phase. In synthesis protocols, the ratio between monomers was varied from 1:5 to 5:1 mol/mol. By NMR and Raman spectroscopy, we determined the chemical composition of PVCL/NIPAAm and PVCL/NIPMAAm copolymer microgels reflecting the initial monomer ratio in the reaction mixture. The hydrodynamic radii of PVCL/NIPAAm microgels are around 375 nm (at 25 °C) and do not vary with the copolymer composition. On the contrary, for PVCL/NIPMAAm microgels, the size decreases from 450 to 250 nm with an increase of the VCL amount in copolymer structure. The heterogeneity of the microgel structure in terms of the distribution of the monomer units was probed by ¹H transverse magnetization relaxation NMR, showing that the VCL, NIPAAm and NIPMAAm units are unorderly distributed in the colloidal networks. The investigation of volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) for copolymer microgels was performed using dynamic light scattering, NMR and differential scanning calorimetry. It has been found that PVCL/NIPAAm microgels show VPTT around 35 °C independently from the copolymer composition; however, PVCL/NIPMAAm particles exhibit a nonlinear increase of VPTT from 34 to 45 °C as the NIPMAAm fraction in copolymer structure increases.     

Electropolymerizable IrIII Complexes with β‐Ketoiminate Ancillary Ligands

A series of electropolymerizable cyclometallated Ir^III complexes were synthesized and their electrochemical and photophysical properties studied. The triphenylamine electropolymerizable fragment was introduced by using triphenylamine‐2‐phenylpyridine and, respectively, triphenylamine‐benzothiazole as cyclometalated ligands. The coordination sphere was completed by two differently substituted β‐ketoiminate ligands deriving from the condensation of acetylacetone or hexafluoroacetylacetone with para‐bromoaniline. The influence of the ‐CH₃/‐CF₃ substitution to the electrochemical and photophysical properties was investigated. Both complexes with CH₃ substituted β‐ketoiminate were emissive in solution and in solid state. Highly stable films were electrodeposited onto ITO coated glass substrates. Their emission was quenched by electron trapping within the polymeric network as proven by electrochemical studies. The ‐CF₃ substitution of the β‐ketoiminate leads instead to the quenching of the emission and inhibits electropolymerization.     

Asymmetric aldol reaction catalyzed by the anion of an ionic liquid

Herein we report the synthesis of a chiral imidazolium salt derived from trans-L-hydroxyproline and its applications as a catalyst for the asymmetric aldol reaction. By performing the aldol reaction in [Bmim]NTf(2) as a solvent, we report excellent isolated yields of the aldol product (up to 99%), as well as modest to excellent selectivities (dr superior to 99:1. ee up to 89%). Mechanistic insights and the origins of the selectivity of the aldol reaction are discussed on the basis of the results obtained with two catalytic imidazolium salts having different H-bonding potential.     

Hypergolic ionic liquids to mill, suspend, and ignite boron nanoparticles

Boron nanoparticles prepared by milling in the presence of a hypergolic energetic ionic liquid (EIL) are suspendable in the EIL and the EIL retains hypergolicity leading to the ignition of the boron. This approach allows for incorporation of a variety of nanoscale additives to improve EIL properties, such as energetic density and heat of combustion, while providing stability and safe handling of the nanomaterials.     

Azulene‐substituted pyranylium salts. Syntheses and products characterization

The synthesis of 4‐azulene‐substituted 2,6‐diphenyl‐ and 2,6‐dimethyl‐pyranylium salts and 2‐azulenesubstituted 4,6‐dimethyl‐pyranylium salts by nucleophilic substitution at pyranylium moiety with various azulenes was studied. The starting materials for 2,6‐diphenyl derivatives were 4 chlorinated pyranylium salts. They were obtained by the halogenation with PCl₅ of corresponding pyranones and were used either in situ or after separation. For the synthesis of dimethyl derivatives the corresponding pyranones were treated with POCl₃ and the resulted intermediate was reacted in situ with azulene. In the aim to study the influence of dihedral angle between azulene and pyranylium planes on the recorded spectra, both moieties were adequately substituted. The obtained results were in accord with the calculated values.