Time-resolved and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopic studies of the human lens with comparison to argpyrimidine,pentosidine and 3-OH-kynurenine

The intrinsic fluorescence from the human lens on excitation in the UV region, referred to as blue lens autofluorescence, increases with age or in the presence of diabetes. The present study reveals that the relative contribution of compounds responsible for the blue autofluorescence appears to be a constant with age. Three potential candidates for the blue fluorescence were also studied with respect to fluorescence spectroscopic properties. These were argpyrimidine and pentosidine, both advanced glycation end products, and 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-OH-kynurenine), a photooxidative derivative of tryptophan. It was shown that the spectral properties of argpyrimidine and pentosidine are compatible with the observed blue fluorescence of the human lens, whereas the fluorescence from 3-OH-kynurenine is negligible.     

Eroded myelin figures

Myelin figures with unusual surface morphology were observed on contacting Tween85 with water. Myelins, which are normally smooth rodlike forms in other surfactants, are in this system found to be with an irregular, rough surface with vesiclelike structures adhered to the myelin tubes. Besides these, smooth myelin figures were also observed. We term the myelin figures with a rough surface eroded myelin figures. The same myelin could show a coexistence of smooth and rough areas with a sharp boundary between the smooth surface at one end whereas the other end shows a rough texture. The transformation of smooth myelins into eroded forms were observed often whereas the reverse is quite rare. In the later stage, the tip of the eroded myelin figures transforms into tentacles and acts as a source for new myelins and the growth of vesiclelike structures which were expelled into the surrounding medium. The eroded myelin figures are stable for a longer period in comparison to simple, smooth rodlike forms. By studying the myelin growth at different temperatures, it was found that eroded myelin figures were stable in the temperature range of 22-42 degrees C and at > 42 degrees C only smooth myelin figures were observed.     

Donnan equilibrium of ionic drugs in pH-dependent fixed charge membranes: theoretical modeling

We have studied theoretically the partition equilibrium of a cationic drug between an electrolyte solution and a membrane with pH-dependent fixed charges using an extended Donnan formalism. The aqueous solution within the fixed charge membrane is assumed to be in equilibrium with an external aqueous solution containing six ionic species: the cationic drug (DH(+)), the salt cations (Na(+) and Ca(2+)), the salt anion (Cl(-)), and the hydrogen and hydroxide ions. In addition to these mobile species, the membrane solution may also contain four fixed species attached to the membrane chains: strongly acid sulfonic groups (SO(3)(-)), weakly acid carboxylic groups in dissociated (COO(-)) and neutral (COOH) forms, and positively charged groups (COO...Ca(+)) resulting from Ca(2+) binding to dissociated weakly acid groups. The ionization state of the weak electrolyte groups attached to the membrane chains is analyzed as a function of the local pH, salt concentration, and drug concentration in the membrane solution, and particular attention is paid to the effects of the Ca(2+) binding to the negatively charged membrane fixed groups. The lipophilicity of the drug is simulated by the chemical partition coefficient between the membrane and external solutions giving the tendency of the drug to enter the membrane solution due to hydrophobic interactions. Comparison of the theoretical results with available experimental data allows us to explain qualitatively the effects that the pH, salt concentration, drug concentration, membrane fixed charge concentration, and Ca(2+) binding exert on the ionic drug equilibrium. The role of the interfacial (Donnan) electric potential difference between the membrane and the external solutions on this ionic drug equilibrium is emphasized throughout the paper.     

Asymmetric multicomponent reactions (AMCRs): the new frontier

Asymmetric multicomponent reactions involve the preparation of chiral compounds by the reaction of three or more reagents added simultaneously. This kind of addition and reaction has some advantages over classic divergent reaction strategies, such as lower costs, time, and energy, as well as environmentally friendlier aspects. All these advantages, together with the high level of stereoselectivity attained in some of these reactions, will force chemists in industry as in academia to adopt this new strategy of synthesis, or at least to consider it as a viable option. The positive aspects as well as the drawbacks of this strategy are discussed in this Review.     

Trapping Copper Phthalocyanine in a Silica Sono-Xerogel

A copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) has been encapsulated in silica. The trapping effects were studied comparing the UV-Vis absorption spectra of some CuPc solutions and composites prepared under different conditions. The trapped organic molecules’ stability was monitored during the gelation and drying processes. Leachability test have been carried out with the aim of checking the trapping efficiency. Hydrolysis water of pH=2 and a molar ratioR _w =6 mol acid H₂O/mol TMOS leads to a higher CuPc stacking angle homogeneity. The increase of Pc induces a narrower mesopore distribution and helps the stabilization of the composite.     

A single amino acid Gly-tag enables metal-free protein purification

Analytically pure proteins are indispensable for diverse applications, including therapeutics. Here, we report a methodology where a single amino acid, glycine, enables metal-free protein purification. This robust platform is enabled by a Gly-tag resin for site-specific capture, enrichment, and release through chemically triggered C–C bond dissociation by resonance-assisted electron density polarization.

Gly-tag resin precisely captures and releases a protein with one glycine at the N-terminus. The user-friendly protocol delivers analytically pure protein free of metal contaminants.     

Positron annihilation studies of poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) gel in mixed solvents

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy was used to characterize the reentrant volume‐phase‐transition behavior of poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) hydrogel in an ethanol/water mixed solvent. The polymer gel was synthesized with γ irradiation. The ortho‐positronium lifetime (τ₃) in the gel slowly increased with an increase in the ethanol content in the mixed solvent. τ₃ was not influenced by the volume phase transition. The ortho‐positronium intensity decreased with the collapse of the gel in an approximately 10% ethanol/water mixture. When swelled in pure ethanol, τ₃ initially increased with the solvent amount in the gel, showing the destruction of intramolecular hydrogen bonding and the relaxation of polymer chains. The lower critical solution temperature of the gel in the 10% ethanol/water mixture was lower than that in pure water, and τ₃ for various solvent contents showed behavior similar to that seen in pure solvent. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1028–1036, 2002     

Effect of Artabotrys odoratissimus extract as an environmentally sustainable inhibitor for mild steel corrosion in 0.5 M H2SO4 media

Artabotrys odoratissimus inhibitory effect on mild steel (MS) corrosion in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution has been assessed utilizing mass loss, electrochemical potentiodynamic polarization, and impedance spectroscopy techniques. The Artabotrys odoratissimus plant has a wide range of bioactive compounds. Phytochemicals were tested for ethanolic Artabotrys odoratissimus leaves extract (AOLE) using the FeCl₃ test, Salkowaski's test, and others. Corrosion tests were conducted at varying inhibitor concentrations and temperatures. The inhibitory impact of AOLE on corrosion of MS was reported to improve with increasing concentration. Polarization experiments revealed that AOLE is a mixed kind of inhibitor and the inhibition efficacy (η_w) for MS is 93.27% for 1.25 g/L AOLE. For Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), maximal inhibitory efficacy (η_w) was 91.62% due to AOLE adsorption on the MS surface. The obtained results using each methodology are highly consistent and closely resemble each other. The adsorption of AOLE molecules on an MS surface from the bulk of the solution causes the inhibitor's inhibition action, and the adsorption mechanism follows Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The computed $\Delta G_{ads}^o$ values ranged between ?32.919 and ?33.520 kJ mol^?1, implying a spontaneous and exothermic inhibitory action. The thermodynamic and activation parameters are often used to understand corrosion inhibition mechanisms. The comparison of corrosion product and pure extract FT-IR spectrum indicates the nature of AOLE adsorption on the MS surface. The surface morphology of MS samples was assessed using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and contact angle techniques.     

Langmuir monolayers of the zwitterionic surfactant hexadecyl 1-N-L-tryptophan glycerol ether

We report the formation of Langmuir monolayers of pure zwitterionic hexadecyl 1-N-L-tryptophan glycerol ether (C(16)-TGE) surfactant and mixed monolayers of cationic-zwitterionic surfactant obtained modifying the pH of the subphase. The pressure-area and surface potential-area isotherms and fluorescence microscopy measurements have been used to characterize the surface phase transitions in the monolayers. These transitions appeared at larger areas as the pH decreased from 6.0 to 2.0 and almost disappeared as the pH decreased further. The analysis of the surface potential and the infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy data suggests that the phase transition is associated with a change of orientation of both the hydrocarbon chain and the aromatic group of the surfactant with respect to the air-water surface. The surface rheology of the monolayers was studied by quasielastic light scattering and by the oscillatory barrier technique. The results indicate that there is at least one relaxation process in the monolayer.     

Transmission electron microscopy and X-Ray diffraction analysis of aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon in alpha-Si:H/Al and Al/alpha-Si:H structures.

Solid phase crystallization of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited (PECVD) amorphous silicon (alpha-Si:H) in alpha-Si:H/Al and Al/alpha-Si:H structures has been investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Radiative heating has been used to anneal films deposited on carbon-coated nickel (Ni) grids at temperatures between 200 and 400 degrees C for TEM studies. alpha-Si:H films were deposited on c-Si substrates using high vacuum (HV) PECVD for the XRD studies. TEM studies show that crystallization of alpha-Si:H occurs at 200 degrees C when Al film is deposited on top of the alpha-Si:H film. Similar behavior was observed in the XRD studies. In the case of alpha-Si:H deposited on top of Al films, the crystallization could not be observed at 400 degrees C by TEM and even up to 500 degrees C as seen by XRD.