Relationship between temperature-programmed reduction profile and activity of modified ferrite-based catalysts for WGS reaction

A series of modified ferrites were prepared by doping iron oxide with various transition/non-transition/inner-transition metal ions [M = Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Ce] in situ during synthesis. All the modified ferrites thus obtained exhibit remarkably high surface areas, greater than that of pure iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) sample. The efficacy of the dopant ions in modifying the resultant specific surface area, could be directly related to variations in the rate of crystal growth. The nature and concentration of the foreign cations present in the system govern this variation. Interestingly all the modified ferrites, exhibit a narrow pore size distribution in the range of 4.9–25 nm. XRD analysis revealed the existence of hematite (Fe₂O₃) phase in all the as-prepared samples. The X-ray diffraction experiments performed on activated catalysts, confirmed the existence of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) phase with a nominal composition of Fe_2.73M_0.27O₄. These inverse or mixed spinels with general formula A_(1−δ)B_δ[A_δB_(2−δ)]O₄, possess highly facile Fe³⁺  Fe²⁺ redox couple, the degree of facileness depends on the extent of synergistic interaction between iron and the other substitutent metal ion. The rapid electron hopping between Fe³⁺  Fe²⁺ in the Fe₃O₄ lattice system is essential to catalyze WGS reaction. From TPR it was observed that, incorporation of metal cations into the hematite (-Fe₂O₃) crystal structure alters the reducibility of the hematite particles, which in turn depends on the nature of the incorporated metal cation. A plausible explanation for the WGS activity over various modified ferrites has been attempted with the help of TPR analysis.     

A click-flipped enzyme substrate boosts the performance of the diagnostic screening for Hunter syndrome

We report on the unexpected finding that click modification of iduronyl azides results in a conformational flip of the pyranose ring, which led to the development of a new strategy for the design of superior enzyme substrates for the diagnostic assaying of iduronate-2-sulfatase (I2S), a lysosomal enzyme related to Hunter syndrome. Synthetic substrates are essential in testing newborns for metabolic disorders to enable early initiation of therapy. Our click-flipped iduronyl triazole showed a remarkably better performance with I2S than commonly used O-iduronates. We found that both O- and triazole-linked substrates are accepted by the enzyme, irrespective of their different conformations, but only the O-linked product inhibits the activity of I2S. Thus, in the long reaction times required for clinical assays, the triazole substrate substantially outperforms the O-iduronate. Applying our click-flipped substrate to assay I2S in dried blood spots sampled from affected patients and random newborns significantly increased the confidence in discriminating between these groups, clearly indicating the potential of the click-flip strategy to control the biomolecular function of carbohydrates.

Click-triggered flip of the conformation of a sulfated iduronyl azide afforded a superior enzyme substrate to screen for Hunter syndrome.     

Pressurized solvent extraction and monolithic column-HPLC/DAD analysis of anthocyanins in red cabbage

The aim of this work was to develop a fast method for extraction and analysis of anthocyanins in red cabbage. Pressurized hot water containing 5% of ethanol was used as an extremely efficient extraction solvent. HPLC/DAD with a monolithic column was used to accomplish a fast analysis—24 anthocyanin peaks within 18 min. Statistical design was used to optimize the studied extraction parameters: temperature (80–120 °C); sample amount (1–3 g); extraction time (6–11 min); concentration of formic acid in the extraction solvent (0–5 vol.%). The best extraction conditions for a majority of the anthocyanin peaks were 2.5 g of sample, 99 °C (at 50 bar), 7 min of extraction and a solvent composition of water/ethanol/formic acid (94/5/1, v/v/v).     

Modification of Guanine with Photolabile N‐Hydroxypyridine‐2(1H)‐thione: Monomer Synthesis,Oligonucleotide Elaboration,and Photochemical Studies

The photochemistry of N‐hydroxypyridine‐2(1H)‐thione (NHPT), inserted as a photolabile modifier at the 6‐position of 2′‐deoxyguanosine or guanosine, has been evaluated. In particular, 6‐[(1‐oxidopyridin‐2‐yl)sulfanyl]‐ ( 1a ) and 6‐[(pyridin‐2‐yl)sulfanyl]‐2′,6‐dideoxyguanosine ( 2a ), novel photolabile derivatives of the natural nucleosides, were synthesized and characterized. The observed photolysis products of 1a in organic solvents could only be rationalized by assuming a rapid equilibrium with the corresponding 6‐[(2‐thioxopyridin‐1(2H)‐yl)oxy] analogue 3a (Scheme 5). Transient spectroscopy of 1a indicated a strong triplet‐excited state suitable for triplet → triplet energy transfer or singlet‐oxygen generation. The NHPT function was stable enough for (slightly modified) automated solid‐phase oligonucleotide synthesis. The utility of the above compounds is discussed, as well as their potential use in photosensitization of reactive oxygen species in DNA.     

Surfactant-induced forces between carbon nanotubes

Dissipative particle dynamics simulations are employed to study surfactant-mediated forces between a pair of perpendicular carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coated by surfactants which form spherical micelles in bulk solution and on the tubes. Two force regimes are observed: at small tube/tube distances the force is attractive, whereas it is repulsive at larger distances. The attractive regime is dominated by a central micelle binding the tubes, while in the repulsive regime the contact region is depleted. The two regimes are separated by a discontinuous transition. The repulsive regime is critical for stabilizing CNT suspensions. Viewing rebundling as a thermally activated process, a connection between the repulsive force and the rebundling rate is established. We find that a larger hydrophilic surfactant headgroup creates a stronger and longer ranged tube/tube force, which reduces the rebundling rate significantly. The longer range originates directly from the further reaching head corona of the adsorbed surfactant layer. The larger magnitude of the force appears to be related to the axial compression force the adsorbed phase can sustain. This compression force appears to be the most critical factor for suspension design.     

Modeling the interplay of inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonding in conformational polymorphs

The predicted stability differences of the conformational polymorphs of oxalyl dihydrazide and ortho-acetamidobenzamide are unrealistically large when the modeling of intermolecular energies is solely based on the isolated-molecule charge density, neglecting charge density polarization. Ab initio calculated crystal electron densities showed qualitative differences depending on the spatial arrangement of molecules in the lattice with the greatest variations observed for polymorphs that differ in the extent of inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonding. We show that accounting for induction dramatically alters the calculated stability order of the polymorphs and reduces their predicted stability differences to be in better agreement with experiment. Given the challenges in modeling conformational polymorphs with marked differences in hydrogen bonding geometries, we performed an extensive periodic density functional study with a range of exchange-correlation functionals using both atomic and plane wave basis sets. Although such electronic structure methods model the electrostatic and polarization contributions well, the underestimation of dispersion interactions by current exchange-correlation functionals limits their applicability. The use of an empirical dispersion-corrected density functional method consistently reduces the structural deviations between the experimental and energy minimized crystal structures and achieves plausible stability differences. Thus, we have established which types of models may give worthwhile relative energies for crystal structures and other condensed phases of flexible molecules with intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding capabilities, advancing the possibility of simulation studies on polymorphic pharmaceuticals.     

Study of poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide)/CdS nanocomposite organic/inorganic gels

CdS nanoparticles have been synthesized and stabilized in poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) hydrogels. The properties of the composite material have been characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and steady-state and time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy. This material can be obtained in three different states: swollen, shrunk, and freeze-dried. The swollen and the freeze-dried states correspond to a nanocomposite organic/inorganic (wet or dry) gel containing CdS nanoparticles of approximately 50 nm diameter while the shrunk state is a two-phase system containing CdS crystals, which precipitate forming interesting geometrical shapes.     

Integrated analytical techniques for the study of ancient Greek polychromy

The materials used in the decoration of three painted astragaloi (knucklebones) from the Koroneia cave (Greece) were investigated by means of sequential application of non-destructive and destructive techniques: optical microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy coupled with X-ray microanalysis (ESEM-EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with micro-attenuated total reflection (μ-ATR) technique, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with UV-fluorescence and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used.The main results highlighted that the three astragaloi were prepared with a ground of ochre or iron clay and painted with a proteinaceous matter such as binder egg tempera. Both FTIR and GC-MS agree in the detection of lipids that can be related to egg. Organic dyestuffs identified as madder lake and shellfish purple were used together with inorganic pigments.     

Trace Elements in Pleurotus Ostreatus,P. Eryngii,and P. Nebrodensis Mushrooms Cultivated on Various Agricultural By-Products

Abstract

Mushrooms are efficient accumulators of essential and toxic elements. Although oyster (Pleurotus spp.) mushrooms are widely commercialized and consumed, few data exist regarding trace elements content and bioaccumulation in cultivated P. ostreatus and P. eryngii, while no data are available for P. nebrodensis. The contents of Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, V, and Zn were monitored using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and atomic emission spectrometry (AES) in P. ostreatus, P. eryngii, and P. nebrodensis mushrooms and their cultivation substrates that include wheat straw (WHS), grape marc (GMC), olive leaves (OLV), and two-phase olive mill wastes (OMW), separately or in mixtures. Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) less than 0.3 were obtained for Al, Ba, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and V; BAFs exceeding 1 for K?>?Zn?>?Cd?>?Cr?>?Rb?>?As, while the BAFs for Na were less 0.7. Mushrooms grown on OLV and OMW presented lower BAFs than those grown on WHS and GMC for all elements except for K, Cd, and Cu. P. ostreatus was an effective accumulator for Cr, Fe, and Zn; P. eryngii for Al, Cs, Ni, and V; and P. nebrodensis for As and Cd. The estimated daily intakes (μg kg^?1 body weight) from mushroom consumption were less than 0.010 for As, Cd, Co, Cs, Pb, and V, 0.010–0.10 for Ba, Cr, Ni, and Sr, 0.10–5.0 for Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Rb, and Zn, 65–83 for Na, and 858–1030 for K. Overall, the mushrooms studied provide significant amounts of K, adequate amounts of Mn and Zn and low amounts of Na and toxic elements.