Application of gold-labeled antibody biosensor in simultaneous determination of total aflatoxins using artificial neural network

Preparation of antibody-coated gold nanoparticles (GNPs) specific to aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 and its use in developing aflatoxins diagnostic method were presented in this paper. The formation of gold-labeled antibodies was accomplished at optimal condition. Due to severe overlapping between the emission profiles for the aflatoxins, they cannot be determined by direct inspection of data. The strategy used in this study, constituted by artificial neural network (ANN), was easy to implement and to originate reliable results. ANN can be successfully applied to spectrofluorimetric spectra matrices to simultaneous determination of total aflatoxins. Quantitative results obtained using ANN method for aflatoxins in pistachio nuts samples were compared to those obtained using the HPLC method. Obtained results using these two methods did not show significant differences.     

Effect of block lengths on the association behavior of poly(l-lactic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA–PEG–PLA) micelles in aqueous solution

A series of poly(l-lactic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) triblock copolymers with a PLA–PEG–PLA architecture were synthesized by a ring-opening polymerization (ROP) process. The copolymers were characterized by ¹H NMR and GPC. The total number average molecular weights were in the range of 4,700–50,000, whereas the degrees of polymerization of the PLA and PEG blocks varied from 15 to 359 and from 68 to 136, respectively. The self-association of these copolymers in aqueous environment was studied by emission fluorescence spectroscopy of anilinonaphthalene probe and the critical association concentration (CAC) of the copolymers was measured. It was found that the micellization process of these copolymers was mainly determined by the length of the hydrophobic LA block, while the length of the hydrophilic PEG block had little effect. Furthermore, the low CAC values of the copolymers suggest that the copolymers form stable supramolecular structures in aqueous solutions.     

Synthesis of CaWO4:Er3+@SiO2 and CaWO4:Tm3+@SiO2 nano-particles via a combustion pathway and study of their optical properties

Use of citric acid as a chelating agent and fuel, ammonium nitrate as fuel, boric acid as flux material and silica as supports, CaWO₄:Ln³⁺@SiO₂ (Ln = Er and Tm) nanoparticles were synthesized via a combustion reaction at 800 °C. Characterization of the samples was performed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), reflectance UV–Vis spectrophotometer, fluorescence spectrophotometer (PL) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). XRD patterns showed that tetragonal crystalline structure of scheelite and silica supports were formed, and that the formation of a silica support could enhance the luminescence intensity of CaWO₄:Ln³⁺. The reflectance UV–Vis and PL spectra indicated the broad absorption band of WO₄ ^2? groups about 240 nm, the WO₄ ^2? wide excitation band with maximum at 240 nm, a broad emission band of WO₄ ^2? with maximum about 420 nm, and characteristic emissions of Ln³⁺ ions. According to the TEM analysis, CaWO₄:Er³⁺@SiO₂ and CaWO₄:Tm³⁺@SiO₂ nanoparticles have almost the same morphology with average particle sizes about 50 nm.     

Conductometric study of complex formation between benzylbisthiosemicarbazone and metal cations in acetonitrile,dimethylformamide, and their binary mixtures

We report on conductometric study of complexation between benzylbisthiosemicarbazone [(2E,2′E)-2,2′-(1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diylidene)bis(hydrazine-1-carbothioamide)] with Zn²⁺, Cr³⁺, Co²⁺, and Ni²⁺ cations at different temperatures in acetonitrile-dimethylformamide binary solvents of varied composition. The equilibrium constant and standard thermodynamic parameters (Δ_c H ⁰ and Δ_c S ⁰) of the complexes formation have been determined and found to be dependent on the binary solvent composition, the metal ion nature, and temperature.     

PVT properties of imidazolium-, phosphonium-, pyridinium- and pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquids using critical point constants

Song and Mason equation of state (EOS) with a simple modification has been extended to modelling PVT properties of ionic liquids (ILs). The considered ILs are [C₁mim][MeSO4], [C₁mim][CH₃OC₂H₅SO₄], [C₁mim][(CH₃)₂PO₄], [C₂mim][MeSO4], [C₂mim][BF₄], [C₂mim][SCN], [C₂eim][NTf₂], [C₄mim][C(CN)₃], [C₄mim][CF₃SO₃], [C₄mim][SCN], [C₅mim][NTf₂], [C₈mim][NTf₂], [(C₆H₁₃)₃P(C₁₄H₂₉)][Cl], [(C₆H₁₃)₃P(C₁₄H₂₉)][NTf₂], [(C₆H₁₃)₃P(C₁₄H₂₉)][Ac], [C₃mpyr][NTf₂], [C₄mpyr][NTf₂] and [Py][C₂H₅OC₂H₄SO₄]. Three temperature-dependent parameters in the proposed EOS have been scaled as functions of reduced temperature with the use of the law of corresponding states. It is shown that the knowledge of just critical temperature and critical density is sufficient to predict the PVT properties of these ILs. The overall average absolute deviation of calculated densities from literature values for 1347 data points of 18 ILs was found to be 0.58%. The predicted density of ILs from proposed EOS has been compared with those obtained by other literature work. Moreover, we indicate that the Zeno line regularity can well be predicted by proposed model for ILs.     

Synthesis,characterization and heterogeneous catalytic application of a nickel(II) Schiff base complex immobilized on MWCNTs for the Hantzsch four-component condensation

A nickel(II) Schiff base complex immobilized on multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) surface as a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst was synthesized and characterized by IR, X-ray diffraction patterns, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma, elemental analysis, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Then a facile and environmentally benign procedure was developed for synthesis of polyhydroquinoline derivatives via Hantzsch one-pot condensation reaction of aromatic aldehydes, 1,3-diones, ethyl acetoacetate, and ammonium acetate in the presence of above synthesized catalyst under solvent-free conditions. This protocol has the advantages of stability, easy availability, recyclability and eco-friendly nature of catalyst, simple experimental and work-up procedure, and also high to excellent yields. Considering the solvent-free condition and also temperature, time, and yield of the model reaction, the nanocatalyst reported here is among the best catalysts reported so far for synthesis of polyhydroquinolines.     

Physicochemical Investigation of HDDP Azomethine Dye as Turn-On Fluorescent Chemosensor for High Selectivity and Sensitivity of Al<Superscript>3+</Superscript> Ions

4-[(2-Hydroxy-naphthalen-1-ylmethylene)-amino]-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-pyrazol-3-one (HDDP) was synthesized by the reaction of 4-amino-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one with 2-hydroxy-l-naphthaldehyde. The structure was confirmed by the IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and EI-MS spectra and elemental analysis. Physicochemical parameters of the HDDP such as extinction coefficient, oscillator strength, transition dipole moment, Stokes shift, and fluorescence quantum yield in different solvents were studied on the basis of polarities. The interactions of various metal ions with HDDP were also studied using steady state fluorescence measurements. The emission profile reveals that it acts as off–on type fluorescent chemosensor for selective and sensitive detection of Al³⁺ ions. Complexation stoichiometry and mechanism of enhancement were determined from a Benesi–Hildebrand plot.     

A selective colorimetric and fluorescence chemosensing sensor for Cr<Superscript>3+</Superscript> based on a rhodamine base derivative

A rhodamine-conjugated coumarin (L) was used in designing a selective fluorescence chemosensor for the determination of trace amounts of Cr³⁺ ions in acetonitrile–water (MeCN/H₂O (90:10, %v/v) solutions. The intensity of the fluoresce emission of the chemosensor is intensified upon addition of Cr³⁺ ions in MeCN/H₂O (90:10, %v/v) solutions, due to the formation of a selective 1:1 complex between L and Cr³⁺ ions. The fluorescence enhancement versus Cr³⁺ concentration has been found to be linear from 1.0?×?10^?7 to 1.8?×?10^?5 M and a detection limit of 7.5?×?10^?8 M. The proposed fluorescent probe proved to be highly selective towards Cr³⁺ ions as compared to other common metal ions and could be successfully applied to the determination of Cr³⁺ concentrations in some water and wastewater samples.