Bioelectrochemical application of some PQQ-dependent enzymes.

This paper focuses on the use of PQQ-dependent enzymes (PQQ enzymes) in amperometrical biosensors and gives emphasis on their innovative designs and applications. The study covers some aspects in the evolution of biosensors based on PQQ enzymes. Main attention is focused on the electrochemical properties of PQQ enzymes as very promising materials for the formation of electrochemical biosensors. Immobilization approaches and redox mediators recently used in PQQ enzymes based biosensors are reviewed. The acceptance of polypyrrole as a very promising immobilization matrix for some PQQ enzymes is discussed.     

Researches on thiazolobenzodiazepines: Behavior of tetrahydro‐1,5‐benzodiazepinethiones with aromatic α‐haloketones

A number of 1‐substituted 4H,5H,6H‐[1,3]thiazolo[3,2‐a][1,5]benzodiazepinium‐11‐bromides and S‐(2‐oxo‐2‐phenyl‐X‐(p)‐ethyl)‐3‐(2‐methyl‐1H‐benzimidazol‐1‐yl) propane (or butane) thioate hydrobromides were obtained by direct reaction of the 5‐acetyl(or formyl, or anilinocarbonyl)‐substituted tetrahydro‐1,5‐benzodiazepine‐2‐thiones with aromatic α‐bromoketones. 2‐[(1‐Acetyl‐2(or 3)‐methyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐1,5‐benzodiazepin‐4‐yl) sulfanyl]‐1‐phenylethanones as intermediates of the formation of thiazolo [3,2‐a][1,5]benzodiazepine and N‐substituted 2‐methyl‐1H‐benzimidazole derivatives have been synthesized. Semiempirical AM1 calculations of a mechanism and energetic parameters for the heptatomic nucleus rearrangement to benzimidazole ring are presented. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 19:72–81, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20414     

Hilic MS/MS determination of amino acids in herbs of Fumaria schleicheri L., Ocimum basilicum L., and leaves of Corylus avellana L.

The aim of research was to study the content of amino acids using in extracts of Fumaria schleicheri L., Ocimum basilicum L., and Corylus avellana L. by HILIC MS/MS method. Separation of amino acids in the samples was carried out with Acquity H-class UPLC system (Waters, Milford, USA) equipped with SeQuant ZIC-Hilic collumn (2.1 × 150 mm, 3.5 μm) (Merck Millipore, Darmstadt, Germany). The MS/MS fragment ion chromatograms of the test solutions established the presence of 19 amino acids. The obtained results have shown that O. basilicum L. characterized the highest concentrations of different neurogenic amino acids (128.1 mg/kg), comparing with F. schleicheri L. and C. avellana L. (57.72 and 52.91 mg/kg, respectively).     

Degradation of substrate and/or product: mathematical modeling of biosensor action

Mathematical model for evaluation of the multilayer heterogeneous biocatalytic system has been elaborated. The model consists of nonlinear system of partial differential equations with initial values and boundary conditions. An algorithm for computing the numerical solution of the mathematical model has been applied. Two cases: when product diffuses out of the biosensor and when the outer membrane is impermeable for product (product is trapped inside the biosensor) have been dealt with by adjusting boundary conditions in the mathematical model. Profiles of the impact of the substrate and product degradation rates on the biosensor response have been constructed in both cases. Value of the degradation impact has been analyzed as a function of the outer membrane thickness. The initial substrate concentration also affects influence of the degradation rates on the biosensor response. Analytical formulae, defining approximate values of relationships between the degradation rates and the outer membrane thickness or the initial substrate concentration, have been obtained. These formulae can be employed for monitoring of the biosensor response.     

Conjugate reduction of alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds catalyzed by a copper carbene complex

[reaction: see text] An N-heterocyclic carbene copper chloride (NHC-CuCl) complex (2) has been prepared and used to catalyze the conjugate reduction of alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The combination of catalytic amounts of 2 and NaOt-Bu with poly(methylhydrosiloxane) (PMHS) as the stoichiometric reductant generates an active catalyst for the 1,4-reduction of tri- and tetrasubstituted alpha,beta-unsaturated esters and cyclic enones. The active catalytic species can also be generated in situ from 1,3-bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)-imidazolium chloride (1) CuCl(2).2H(2)O in the presence of NaOt-Bu and PMHS.     

Optimization of carvacrol,rosmarinic, oleanolic and ursolic acid extraction from oregano herbs (Origanum onites L., Origanum vulgare spp. hirtum and Origanum vulgare L.)

The aim of our study was to increase the extraction efficiency of carvacrol, rosmarinic, oleanolic and ursolic acid from the different species of oregano herbs (Origanum onites L., Origanum vulgare spp. hirtum and Origanum vulgare L.). Various extraction methods (ultrasound-assisted, heat-reflux, continuous stirring, maceration, percolation) and extraction conditions (different solvent, material:solvent ratio, extraction temperature, extraction time) were used, and the active substances were determined by HPLC. The lowest content of carvacrol, rosmarinic, oleanolic and ursolic acid was obtained by percolation. During heat-reflux extraction, the content of active substances depended on the solvent used: ethanol/non-aqueous solvent (glycerol or propylene glycol) mixture was more effective compared with ethanol alone. The results showed that for each species of oregano the most optimal extraction method should be selected to maximize the content of biologically active substances in the extracts.     

Intra-cavity frequency-doubled Yb:KYW laser using periodically poled Rb-doped KTP with a volume Bragg grating input coupler

An Yb:KYW laser intra-cavity frequency doubled to the green at 514.7 nm using a periodically poled Rb:KTP crystal with an output power exceeding 1 W is presented. Spectral narrowing and locking at the fundamental wavelength has been achieved by using a volume Bragg grating as the input coupler.     

Polarization-tunable Yb:KGW laser based on internal conical refraction

Using internal conical refraction, we demonstrate an Yb:KGW laser where the polarization state can be arbitrarily altered without any additional cavity components. The extinction ratio can also be altered between 1:1 and 40:1. The maximum output power achieved was 8.6 W at a slope efficiency of 60.5% with respect to incident pump power. This equals the power performance of a standard Yb:KGW laser used for reference.     

On the stability of the hydrogen chloride complexes with ethylene and acetylene. A high resolution gas phase and ab initio study

The temperature dependencies of the intensities of the HCl stretching bands of the hydrogen chloride complexes with acetylene and ethylene have been used to obtain estimates of the dissociation enthalpies of the two complexes. Quantum chemical calculations on the Hartree Fock and DFT/B3LYP levels of theory have been combined with experimental data to give estimates of the intensities of the HCl stretching vibration in the two complexes.