Entrapment of Metalloporphyrins Within an Electrodeposition Paint Layer as a Basis for Developing a Nitric Oxide Sensor

Ni tetra(4-N-methyl pyridyl)porphyrin was electrochemically entrapped within a polymer matrix formed by an anodic electrodeposition paint on the surface of Pt electrodes. Due to positive charges from the quaternised pyridinium side chains, the metalloporphyrin is soluble in water. By means of charge interactions between the positively charged metalloporphyrin and the negatively charged polymer backbone of the applied anodic electrodeposition paint, the entrapment of the metalloporphyrin in an insoluble polymer capsule prevents it from rapidly leaking off the electrode surface. The chemically modified electrodes obtained could be successfully applied to the sensitive determination of nitric oxide, and they displayed satisfactory stability for multiple nitric oxide measurements. The modified electrodes were employed for monitoring the decomposition of methylamine hexamethylene methylamine NONOate by continuous detection of the liberated nitric oxide.     

Performance Evaluation of Nickel Separation and Extraction Process from Simulated Spent Cr/Ni Electroplating Bath Solutions by ELM Process Using LIX63 and PC88A

The study was conducted to investigate synergistic extraction of nickel from simulated spent Cr–Ni electroplating bath solutions by emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) process using 5,8-diethyl-7-hydroxydodecan-6-one oxime (LIX 63) and 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (PC88A) as carriers. The importance of ELM composition and the properties of simulated spent electroplating bath solution have been optimized to synergistically extract nickel. The important parameters affecting the nickel extraction efficiency and ELM stability, such as acid concentration, stripping solution type and concentration, extractant concentration, surfactant concentration, and phase ratio, were experimentally studied. Along with obtained results, higher than 99% of nickel was selectively extracted within 30 minutes from simulated electroplating bath solutions that their metal concentrations was in the range of 100–500 mg/L. in the optimum conditions. The higher separation factor value of nickel over chromium (β_Ni/Cr) was obtained as 898. As a result, the nickel extraction kinetic was found to depend on PC88A, since extraction mechanism of PC88A is slower than that of LIX63. So, the combined use of LIX63 and PC88A improved the selective extraction of nickel in that process.     

Quantitative Mobility Spectrum Analysis for Determination of Electron and Magneto Transport Properties of Te-Doped GaSb

Resistivity, magnetoresistivity and Hall effect measurements in n-type Te-doped GaSb grown by the liquid encapsuled Czochralski technique are carried out as functions of temperature （35-350 K） and magnetic field （0-1.35 T）. The power law model is used to explain the temperature-dependent resistivity. The magnetic-field-dependent data are analysed using the quantitative mobility spectrum analysis technique. The effect of individual band parameters （nL, nr, μL, μr, p and μp） on both the electron and magneto transports have been discussed. The EL - Er energy separation between the L and conduction band edges is also derived.     

Determination of chemopreventive role of Foeniculum vulgare and Salvia officinalis infusion on trichloroacetic acid-induced increased serum marker enzymes lipid peroxidation and antioxidative defense systems in rats

Today's world is increasingly seeking ways to replace the synthetic drugs with the therapeutic power of natural products. This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of Foeniculum vulgare (FV) and Salvia officinalis (SO) waters infusions against carcinogen chemical trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-exposure in rats. The chemopreventive potential of the plant infusions were evaluated by measuring levels of serum marker enzymes [aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanin aminotransferase (ALT), creatine phosphokinase (CPK), acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)], antioxidant defense systems [Reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT)] and lipid peroxidation level (Malondialdehyde = MDA) in various tissues of rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 150-200 g, were randomly allotted into four experimental groups. While the control group (A) received only natural spring water, the treatment B group (0.2% TCA) supplied with the drinking water containing 0.2% TCA, the treatment C (TCA + FV infusion) and D (TCA + SO infusion) groups drank the drinking water containing 0.2% TCA and 2.5% the plant grains and leaves ad libitum for 50 days during experiment. At the end of the 50 days experiment, TCA and the plant's infusions caused different affect on the serum marker enzymes, tissues antioxidant defense systems and lipid peroxidation against TCA-exposed in rats with comparison to those of TCA exposed and control rats. According to the results, both TCA and TCA + plants infusions caused a significant increase in serum AST, ALT and CPK activity. Non-enzymic antioxidant GSH level significantly increased in the brain whereas reduced in the erythrocytes and kidney of TCA + FV and TCA + SO as compared to TCA group and control. While MDA content slightly increased in tissues of TCA group in comparison to those of control, significantly decreased in the brain, liver and kidney of rats of TCA + FV and TCA + SO groups as compared to TCA group and control. Antioxidative enzyme activity such as CAT and SOD significantly increased in the brain, liver and kidney tissues of TCA induced group whereas reduced the same enzymes activities as compared to TCA group. The ancillary enzyme GR activity significantly depleted in the brain and kidney of TCA + FV and TCA + SO groups in comparison to those of TCA exposed and control rats. In addition, the drug metabolizing enzyme GST activity significantly declined in the brain and kidney of TCA + FV and TCA + SO groups in comparison to those of TCA exposed and control rats, whereas, also reduced in the liver of TCA + FV and TCA + SO groups in comparison to those of TCA exposed rats. It was concluded that the levels of serum marker enzymes were found not to be decreased in plants treated groups due to hepatic damage induced by TCA. Also the four antioxidant enzymes were found to be activated in different degrees following TCA treatment and declined the activation of the enzymes the plant infusions accompanied by significant reduction in MDA concentration in the tissues. The observations, along with changes, might suggest that the both FV and SO may possess antioxidant properties during the period of a 50-day protective exposure.     

Monodisperse Mw-Pt NPs@VC as Highly Efficient and Reusable Adsorbents for Methylene Blue Removal

Addressed herein, monodisperse Vulcan carbon supported Pt nanoparticles (Mw-Pt NPs@VC) have been reproducibly synthesized using the microwave assisted method and their application for methylene blue (MB) removal from aqueous solutions was investigated through the adsorption mechanism. The prepared nanomaterials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. All results show that highly crystalline and colloidally stable nanoparticles have been formed and Mw-Pt NPs@VC were found to be one of the the most active catalyst. The results showed that the Mw-Pt NPs@VC nanoparticles had remarkable MB adsorption capacity of 271.15 mg/g. The equilibrium for MB adsorption was attained in ～55 min. Moreover, Mw-Pt NPs@VC is a reusable and promising material for MB removal since it preserves 95.6 % of its initial efficiency after six successive cycles of adsorption–desorption.     

Density functional theory study of interactions between carbon dioxide and functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes

Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS) are cage‐structured inorganic–organic hybrid materials which can be used in various industrial applications. It is recently discovered that POSS structures with certain functional groups can be solubilized in supercritical CO₂ allowing their applications in environmentally benign supercritical processing of materials. In this theoretical study, nature and energetics of the interactions of octatrifluoropropyl POSS, octatrifluoromethyl POSS, and octamethyl POSS with CO₂ are investigated according to the principles of density functional theory (DFT) by use of Gaussian 09 software. Simulations show that CO₂‐octamethyl POSS pair has hydrogen bonding between the O atom of CO₂ and the H atom of the methyl group, and CO₂‐octatrifluoromethyl POSS pair has interactions between the C atom of CO₂ and the F atom of the trifluoromethyl group. CO₂‐octatrifluoropropyl POSS pair is found to have both interaction types. The octamethyl, the octatrifluoromethyl and the octatrifluoropropyl POSS structures have interaction energies of ?2.18 kcal/mol, ?3.10 kcal/mol, and ?3.77 kcal/mol, respectively. This shows that the presence of Lewis acid–Lewis base interaction between C and F instead of hydrogen bonding between O and H atoms enhances the interaction of the molecule with CO₂, while the presence of both interactions between the octatrifluoropropyl POSS‐CO₂ pair makes the intermolecular interaction even stronger.     

Ethylene epoxidation catalyzed by chlorine-promoted silver oxide

It is demonstrated that, on a silver oxide surface, direct formation of ethylene oxide (EO) through the reaction between gas phase ethylene and surface oxygen is possible. The direct reaction channel produces EO selectively without competing with acetaldehyde (AA) formation. The oxometallacycle (OMC) forms on an oxygen vacant surface and reduces EO selectivity. Cl adsorption removes these surface vacant sites and hence prevents the formation of the OMC intermediate.     

Functionalised electrode array for the detection of nitric oxide released by endothelial cells using different NO-sensing chemistries

In a preliminary study aimed at developing strategies for the simultaneous detection of various biologically important molecules, a procedure is described that allows the electrochemical detection of nitric oxide (NO) released by a population of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) by using an array of electrodes comprising three individually addressable electrodes. Each electrode in the array was modified with a different NO-sensitive electrocatalyst, thereby demonstrating the possibility of modifying the individual electrodes in an array with different sensing chemistries. This study opens a doorway to the development of arrays of electrodes for the simultaneous detection of multiple analytes in a complex environment by suitably tailoring the sensitivity and selectivity of each electrode in the array to a specific analyte in the test medium.