Semi-industrial isolation of salicin and amygdalin from plant extracts using slow rotary counter-current chromatography

Salicin in the bark extract of Salix alba and amygdalin in the fruit extract of Semen armeniacae were each separated by slow rotary counter-current chromatography (SRCCC). The apparatus was equipped with a 40-L column made of 17 mm i.d. convoluted Teflon tubing. A 500g amount of crude extract containing salicin at 13.5% was separated yielding 63.5 g of salicin at 95.3% purity in 20h using methyl tert-butyl ether-l-butanol (1:3) saturated by methanol-water (1:5) as a stationary phase and methanol-water (1:5) saturated by methyl tert-butyl ether-1-butanol (1:3) as a mobile phase. A 400g amount of crude extract containing amygdalin at 55.3% was isolated to yield 221.2g of amygdalin at 94.1% purity in 19h using ethyl acetate-1-butanol (1:2) saturated by water as a stationary phase and water saturated by ethyl acetate-1-butanol (1:2) as a mobile phase. The flow rate of the mobile phase was 50 ml/min. The results show that industrial SRCCC separation of salicin and amygdalin is feasible using a larger column at a higher flow rate of the mobile phase.     

Immobilization and direct electrochemistry of cytochrome <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">c</Emphasis> at a single-walled carbon nanotube-modified electrode

A single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)-modified electrode was fabricated and characterized by SEM and ac impedance techniques. The direct electrochemistry of cytochrome c (Cyt c), which was adsorbed on the surface of the SWNT, was studied by cyclic voltammetry. The results from cyclic voltammetry and infrared spectroscopy indicated that Cyt c remained in its original structure and did not undergo structural change after its immobilization on the SWNT. Further results demonstrated that the SWNT had promotional effects on the direct electron transfer of Cyt c and also indicated that the immobilized Cyt c retained its electrocatalytic activity to the reduction of H₂O₂. This modified electrode might be used in development of new biosensors and the biofuel cells.     

Colominic acid: a novel chiral selector for capillary electrophoresis of basic drugs

Capillary zone electrophoresis was used for characterising nine samples of natural organic matter (NOM) using phosphate buffer (25 mM, pH 7) and various modifiers; methanol (50 mM), acetonitrile (10%,v/v), dimethyl sulfoxide (5%,v/v), and urea (5 M). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to examine whether the electrophoretic profiles can be utilised as fingerprints for tracing the NOM samples to their source and/or type of location. It was found that all modifiers except methanol affect the electropherograms. Furthermore, it was found that the PCA analysis carried out on the electrophoretic profiles recorded in buffer solution modified by urea gave the best results for fingerprinting. The distribution of the fingerprints suggests a model for the humic substances in which all samples can be regarded as mixtures between two endmembers: autochtonous and allocthoneous NOM.     

Epoxide networks as model networks

Summary The equilibrium mechanical behaviour of weak diepoxide-monoepoxide-diamine networks, prepared with an excess of diamine and measured in the rubbery state, was compared with theoretical predictions obtained by using the theory of branching processes. The experimental equilibrium moduli fit well the shape of theoretical curves over a broad range of crosslinking density regardless of whether the contribution by trapped entanglements is considered or not. The data fit equally well the theoretical dependence for the front factor A = 1 without entanglement contribution and forA = (f _e - 2)/f _e , (f _e is the average effective functionality of a junction) with an entanglement contribution based on the contact probability between any two units within elastically active network chains (Langley).Dedicated to Prof. Dr.G. Rehage on the occasion of his 60th birthday.With 5 figures     

Synthesis,crystal structure and spectroscopic characterization of a hydrogen-bonded 1D copper(II) complex

Novel 1:2 and 1:1 (M:L) copper(II) complexes have been prepared from the tridentate ligand 2-(1-methyl-2-aza-5-oxapentyl)phenol (H₂L¹). The crystal structure of [Cu(HL¹)₂] (1) exhibits a noncentrosymmetric square-planar geometry with a slightly tetrahedral distortion. The Cu^II atom is coordinated by two amino N and two phenoxo O atoms of two (HL¹)^– ligands. The phenoxo and the alkoxy groups are involved in two strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The coordination moieties are further connected to a 1D linear structure by the action of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the alkoxyl and the amino groups. The importance of steric hindrance introduced by the methyl group in the molecular structure and the packing of the complex molecules has been demonstrated. The e.p.r. parameters of (1) have been obtained: g = 2.231, g = 2.005, g _iso = 2.080, A = 185.0 G, A _iso = 86.5 G, A = (3A _iso – A )/2 = 37.3 G. These results confirm a distorted square planar stereochemistry with a ( )¹ ground state.     

Clean Aerobic Liquid Oxidation of Aldehydes with Solid Catalyst

Clean liquid oxidation of aldehydes can be accomplished using solid catalyst in the presence of molecular oxygen at room temperature, which is a valuable alternative to traditional counterparts.     

Michael additions of benzoins versus Michael-Stetter additions of aldehydes

Triethylamine catalyzed Michael additions of benzoins to chalcone can prevail over the expected Michael-Stetter additions when certain thiazolium ion conjugate bases - prepared $\text{in situ}$ from the pertinent thiazolium salts and triethylamine- are used as catalysts.     

A unique cyanide-bridged three-dimensional (3-D) copper(II)-copper(I) mixed-valence polymer containing 1-D water tapes with cyclic pentamer units

A unique cyano-bridged copper(II)-copper(I) mixed-valence polymer, {[Cu(3)(CN)(4)(H(2)O)(3)](H(2)O)(2)}(n) (1), has been prepared and structurally determined by X-ray diffraction. The cyanide anions with (mu(2),eta(2)) and (mu(3),eta(2)) bridging modes connect the copper centers into a complicated zeolite-like 3-D network. Of further interest, coordinated and lattice water molecules in this structure form 1-D hydrogen-bonded water tapes consisting of linked cyclic pentamer clusters.     

Organic/inorganic hybrid vesicles based on a reactive block copolymer

Presented in this communication is a novel hybrid vesicle with a cross-linked polyorganosiloxane wall based on a new reactive block copolymer, poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate) (PEO-b-PTMSPMA), which was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. The vesicles were prepared first by self-assembly of the block copolymer in a selective solvent, and then the PTMSPMA block was subjected to hydrolysis and polycondensation reaction to fix vesicle wall in the presence of triethylamine as a catalyst. Transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, NMR, and light scattering have been used to characterize the vesicles.     

Synthesis, Structure, and Antimicrobial Activity of Complexes of Pt(II), Pd(II), and Ni(II) with the Condensation Product of 2-(Diphenylphosphino)benzaldehyde and Semioxamazide

Complexes of Pt(II), Pd(II), and Ni(II) with the condensation derivative of 2-(diphenylphosphino)benzaldehyde and semioxamazide were synthesized, characterized, and their antimicrobial activity was evaluated. The ligand and the complexes were characterized by spectroscopic methods with the particular accent on NMR spectral analysis. For the palladium(II) complex, the crystal structure was determined by X-ray analysis. In all the complexes the ligand is coordinated as a tridentate via a P, N, O donor set. The Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes have a square planar geometry, whereas the geometry of the Ni(II) complex is tetrahedral. The ligand showed antibacterial and antifungal activity, which was enhanced upon complexation.