The impedance of solutions of AOT/water micelles in hexane

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy was used to study the electric properties of solutions of reverse AOT/water micelles in hexane. An analysis of the frequency dependences of the complex electric modulus allowed us to find the region of frequencies in which dc-conductivity was observed and exclude the region of electrode effects. At frequencies f of ～ 10⁴Hz, the field dependences of dc-conductivity changed from linear (the Ohm law) to quadratic (the Mott law) as the volume fraction of micelles increased. This was evidence of a strengthening of the effect of current limitation by a volume charge. The upper and lower limits of the drift mobility of carriers μ responsible for dc-conductivity were estimated as 0.1 cm^?2 V^?1 s^?1 < μ < 0.3 cm^?2 V^?1 s^?1, which was close to the mobility of electrons in hexane. This allowed us to relate the nature of current carriers to that of free electrons; the activation energy of electron creation was found to be E _a ≈ 0.41 eV. The electron lifetime up to its trapping by acceptors was estimated. The results obtained and the literature data on the rate constants of such reactions led us to conclude that micelles were capable of absorbing acceptor impurities from solvents (additional solvent purification).     

Alteration of the formate dehydrogenase isoelectric point by rational design

In order to extend the pH stability optimum for NAD⁺-dependent formate dehydrogenase (FDH, EC 1.2.1.2) from the bacterium Pseudomonas sp. 101 (PseFDH), four mutant enzymes with Lys112Pro, Lys231Ala, Lys231Ser, and Lys317Asn substitutions were obtained by site-directed mutagenesis. The choice of the mutation sites and the types of substituting amino acids were based on the alignment of amino acid sequences of FDHs from various sources and the analysis of the three-dimensional structure of PseFDH. The kinetic properties and temperature stability were studied for all obtained mutant forms. It is shown that the substitutions in positions 112 and 231 slightly improved the kinetic properties; meanwhile, the Lys317Asn mutant possessed a decreased affinity for the coenzyme. A thermal stability assay for the obtained mutants revealed that the substitutions in positions 112 and 231 result in just a slight destabilization of the enzyme, while Lys317Asn substitution causes a significant decrease in thermal stability. The isoelectric point was decreased by 0.1 points for all obtained mutant forms.     

Optimization of HPLC technique for determining catalytic parameters of D-amino acid oxidase on cephalosporin C

Approximately half of cephalosporin antibiotics of different generations are produced from 7-aminocephalosporanic acid, which to date is prepared by organic synthesis. Instead of organic synthesis, a two-step enzymatic process is gradually being developed. The first step is enzymatic oxidation of natural antibiotic cephalosporin C by D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO). Yeast enzymes are used for this purpose due to the highest activity on cephalosporin C. The standard technique of determining the activity of D-amino acid oxidase is based on determining the concentration of released hydrogen peroxide using horseradish peroxidase. During cephalosporin C oxidation, hydrogen peroxide is involved in the spontaneous nonenzymatic reaction with the intermediate product. Thus, monitoring the substrate consumption with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is the most correct way to determine the activity. In this paper, we have optimized the HPLC technique of determining the cephalosporin C concentration during its oxidation with D-amino acid oxidase in the reaction mixture. Using the optimized technique, we have determined the catalytic parameters for wild-type and mutant D-amino acid oxidase on cephalosporin C.     

Increase in flotation activity of salts of higher aliphatic amines, potassium chloride collectors

For increasing the flotation activity of potassium chloride collector, salts of higher aliphatic amines, effects of a temperature of collector solutions, mixtures of homologues of different chain length, a solubilization of organic oleophilic compounds in the colloidal solutions of amine salts were examined on their micellar structure and ion-molecular composition.     

Effect of a lanthanide ion on the micellation and self-organization of lyotropic liquid crystal systems

Lanthanide-containing lyotropic liquidcrystalline systems were synthesized and their phase behavior, as well as the micellar behavior of aqueous solutions of decaethylene glycol monodecyl ether in the absence and presence of a lanthanide ion, were studied. Tensimetry and conductometry were used to determine the critical micellation concentration, and the values obtained by these methods were found to be in close agreement with each other. Polarization microscopy observations showed that, in concentrated aqueous solutions, ordered lyotropic mesophases arise. The parameters of the phase transitions in the systems under study were determined. The mesophase obtained was demonstrated to have a 2D hexagonal supramolecular structure.     

Determination of components of the Cd(II)-Pb(II)-Cu(II) system in aqueous solutions of (polyethylene imine)methylthiourea by stripping voltammetry

Conditions were studied for the stripping voltammetric determination of components of the Cd(II)-Pb(II)-Cu(II) system in aqueous solutions of (polyethylene imine)methylthiourea (PMT), the most efficient polymer complexant for the membrane preconcentration of heavy metal ions. It was shown that PMT significantly enhances the selectivity of determining Pb(II) and Cd(II) in solutions of Cu(II) by stripping voltammetry. Pb(II) and Cd(II) can be determined in the presence of up to 200- and 50-fold amounts of Cu(II), respectively. The limits of detection for Pb(II) and Cd(II) after a 40-s accumulation were 6.9 x 10^-8 and 6.8 x 10^-7 M, respectively.     

Decoration of Carbon Nanomaterial Powders with Dispersed Platinum Metal Particles

Russian Journal of Applied Chemistry - Carbon nanomaterials (fullerite, detonation nanodiamonds, Taunit, fullerenol, fullerene-containing black) were decorated with platinum group metal...     

Influence of the Structure of the Aminoalkyl Group in Polysiloxane on the Selectivity of Its Interaction with Metal Ions

Russian Journal of Applied Chemistry - Polysiloxanes containing nonchelating 3-aminopropyl and chelating N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyl groups with the degree of functionalization of 28 and 24%,...     

Phenoxy-substituted boron subphthalocyanine as a ionophore of ion-selective electrodes

Phenoxy-substituted boron subphthalocyanine was synthesized and studied as an ionophore of plasticized polyvinyl chloride membranes of ion-selective electrodes. The electrodes exhibit reversible response to dobutamine, demonstrating the cation function, as well as reversible response to the salicylate anion. The effects of concentration of the ionophore (0.2–5 wt %) and ionic components (sodium tetraphenylborate, TPhBNa, and tributylhexadecylphosphonium bromide, TBGDPBr), including ionic liquids (ILs), such as diphenylbutylethylphosphonium bis(triflyl)imide, diphenylbutylethylphosphonium hexafluorophosphate, and 1,3-dihexadecylimidazolium chloride, as well as plasticizers, such as ortho-nitrophenyloctyl ether and diethyl sebacate, on the electrochemical characteristics of membranes were studied. For the electrode containing 2% of the phenoxy-substituted boron subphthalocyanine in dobutamine and salicylate solutions, the slopes of the electrode function were 36 ± 1 mV/dec and–46 ± 3 mV/dec and the limits of detection (LODs) were 4 × 10^–5 M and 3 × 10^–4 M, respectively. The addition of an ionic liquid containing the diphenylbutylethylphosphonium cation and the bis(triflyl)imide and hexaflurophosphate anions to the membrane composition had no effect on the response of membrane electrodes to both dobutamine and salicylate. The use of phenoxy-substituted boron subphthalocyanine in an amount of 2% and the TPhBNa additive significantly improved sensor characteristics: the slope of the electrode function (S) for the dobutamine-selective electrode was (54 ± 1) mV/dec and LOD was 1 × 10^–5 M. Dobutamine can be determined in the presence of dopamine, adrenalin, and glucose. Electrodes based on 2% phenoxy-substituted boron subphthalocyanine and 0.5% (C₁₆H₃₃)₂ImCl, or TBGDPBr in salicylate solutions demonstrate the slope of the electrode function close to the theoretical one and a low limit of detection: S = (–59 ± 1) mV/dec, LOD = 2 × 10^–5 M and S = (–57 ± 1) mV/dec, LOD = 4 × 10^–5 M, respectively. The anti-Hofmeister selectivity of sensors was observed. The electrode based on phenoxy-substituted boron subphthalocyanine and (C₁₆H₃₃)₂ImCl was used for the assay of acetylsalicylic acid in the drug Cardiomagnyl.