Coupling of ultrasound‐assisted extraction and expanded bed adsorption for simplified medicinal plant processing and its theoretical model: Extraction and enrichment of ginsenosides from Radix Ginseng as a case study

A high‐efficient and environmental‐friendly method for the preparation of ginsenosides from Radix Ginseng using the method of coupling of ultrasound‐assisted extraction with expanded bed adsorption is described. Based on the optimal extraction conditions screened by surface response methodology, ginsenosides were extracted and adsorbed, then eluted by the two‐step elution protocol. The comparison results between the coupling of ultrasound‐assisted extraction with expanded bed adsorption method and conventional method showed that the former was better than the latter in both process efficiency and greenness. The process efficiency and energy efficiency of the coupling of ultrasound‐assisted extraction with expanded bed adsorption method rapidly increased by 1.4‐fold and 18.5‐fold of the conventional method, while the environmental cost and CO₂ emission of the conventional method were 12.9‐fold and 17.0‐fold of the new method. Furthermore, the theoretical model for the extraction of targets was derived. The results revealed that the theoretical model suitably described the process of preparing ginsenosides by the coupling of ultrasound‐assisted extraction with expanded bed adsorption system.     

Comparison of sample preparation methods combined with gas chromatography with electron‐capture detection for the analysis of multipesticide residues in lotus seeds

Sample preparation is always the major bottleneck in analytical chemistry for the determination of pesticide residues. Different sample preparation methods have been proposed due to the wide variety of pesticides used and the inherent complexity of the matrices. In this study, different sample preparation methods including SPE, matrix solid‐phase dispersion, the quick, easy, cheap, efficient, rugged, and safe method, and a one‐step completion method were compared and evaluated for extracting pesticides from lotus seeds. Analysis was carried out using GC with electron‐capture detection. The results showed that good recoveries for tested pesticides were obtained by using Florisil in the four methods, and the extraction efficiency of the one‐step completion method was superior to the other three methods. The one‐step completion method was confirmed to have good linearity, reproducibility, stability, and recovery for the detection of 36 pesticides in lotus seed samples. The data collected from this study are expected to prove useful in regulating the concentration of the residues in lotus seeds, as well as in protecting human health from the hazards posed by these residues.     

ZnII and CuII complexes generated from 5‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)‐3‐[2‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)ethyl]‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole‐2(3H)‐thione

A new 1,3,4‐oxadiazole‐containing bispyridyl ligand, namely 5‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)‐3‐[2‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)ethyl]‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole‐2(3H)‐thione (L), has been used to create the novel complexes tetranitratobis{μ‐5‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)‐3‐[2‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)ethyl]‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole‐2(3H)‐thione}zinc(II), [Zn₂(NO₃)₄(C₁₄H₁₂N₄OS)₂], (I), and catena‐poly[[[dinitratocopper(II)]‐bis{μ‐5‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)‐3‐[2‐(pyridin‐4‐yl)ethyl]‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole‐2(3H)‐thione}] nitrate acetonitrile sesquisolvate dichloromethane sesquisolvate], {[Cu(NO₃)(C₁₄H₁₂N₄OS)₂]NO₃·1.5CH₃CN·1.5CH₂Cl₂}_n, (II). Compound (I) presents a distorted rectangular centrosymmetric Zn₂L₂ ring (dimensions 9.56 × 7.06 Å), where each Zn^II centre lies in a {ZnN₂O₄} coordination environment. These binuclear zinc metallocycles are linked into a two‐dimensional network through nonclassical C—H...O hydrogen bonds. The resulting sheets lie parallel to the ac plane. Compound (II), which crystallizes as a nonmerohedral twin, is a coordination polymer with double chains of Cu^II centres linked by bridging L ligands, propagating parallel to the crystallographic a axis. The Cu^II centres adopt a distorted square‐pyramidal CuN₄O coordination environment with apical O atoms. The chains in (II) are interlinked via two kinds of π–π stacking interactions along [01]. In addition, the structure of (II) contains channels parallel to the crystallographic a direction. The guest components in these channels consist of dichloromethane and acetonitrile solvent molecules and uncoordinated nitrate anions.     

Direct conversion of fructose-based carbohydrates to 5-ethoxymethylfurfural catalyzed by AlCl3·6H2O/BF3·(Et)2O in ethanol

Direct conversion of fructose-based carbohydrates to 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF) catalyzed by Lewis acid in ethanol was investigated. It was found that BF₃·(Et)₂O was favorable for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) etherification to EMF. BF₃·(Et)₂O combination with AlCl₃·6H₂O with the molar ratio of 1 was an effective catalyst system for synthesis of EMF from fructose-based carbohydrates. 55.0%, 45.4% and 23.9% of EMF yields were obtained from fructose, inulin and sucrose under optimized conditions, respectively.     

Development of a Sensitive Method for the Determination of 4‐(Methylnitrosamino)‐1‐(3‐pyridyl)‐1‐butanol in Human Urine Using Solid‐phase Extraction Combined with Ultrasound‐assisted Dispersive Liquid–liquid Microextraction and LC‐MS/MS Detection

An efficient and sensitive analytical method based on molecularly imprinted solid‐phase extraction (MISPE) and reverse‐phase ultrasound‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (USA‐DLLME) coupled with LC–MS/MS detection was developed and validated for the analysis of urinary 4‐(methylnitrosamino)‐1‐(3‐pyridyl)‐1‐butanol (NNAL), a tobacco‐specific nitrosamine metabolite. The extraction performances of NNAL on three different solid‐phase extraction (SPE) sorbents including the hydrophilic‐lipophilic balanced sorbent HLB, the mixed mode cationic MCX sorbent and the molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) sorbent were evaluated. Experimental results showed that the analyte was well retained with the highest extraction recovery and the optimum purification effect on MIP. Under the optimized conditions of MIP and USA‐DLLME, an enrichment factor of 23 was obtained. Good linearity relationship was obtained in the range of 5‐1200 pg/mL with a correlation coefficient of 0.9953. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.35 pg/mL. The recoveries at three spiked levels ranged between 88.5% and 93.7%. Intra‐ and inter‐day relative standard deviations varied from 3.6% to 7.4% and from 5.4% to 9.7%, respectively. The developed method combing the advantages of MISPE and DLLME significantly improves the purification and enrichment of the analyte and can be used as an effective approach for the determination of ultra‐trace NNAL in complex biological matrices.     

Facile Synthesis of 2‐Alkylthio‐3‐alkyl‐5‐phenylmethylidene‐4H‐imidazol‐4‐ones

2‐Alkylthio‐3‐alkyl‐5‐phenylmethylidene‐4H‐imidazol‐4‐ones 6 were synthesized by N‐alkylation and S‐alkylation of 2‐thioxo‐5‐phenylmethylidene‐4‐imidazolidinone 5, which was obtained via cyclization of vinyl isothiocyanate 4 with excess ammonium hydroxide (28% NH₃ in water).     

Bismuth Trichloride–Catalyzed C‐Alkylation of Pyrroles with Electron‐Deficient Olefins

The BiCl₃‐catalyzed reaction of pyrroles with electron‐deficient olefins generated the corresponding Michael adducts in high yields.     

Organic Reactions in Ionic Liquids: Ionic Liquid Ethylammonium Nitrate–Promoted Knoevenagel Condensation of Meldrum's Acid With Aromatic Aldehydes

The Knoevenagel condensation of Meldrum's acid with aromatic aldehydes proceeded efficiently in a reusable ionic liquid, ethylammonium nitrate, at room temperature in the absence of any catalyst with high yields.     

A Stereoselective Synthetic Route To (E)-α,β-Unsaturated Thioesters

Terminal alkynes 1 react with Cp₂Zr(H)Cl (Cp = η⁵-C₅H₅) and CO to give acylzirconocene chloride derivatives 2, which are trapped with arylsulfenyl chlorides to afford (E)-α,β-unsaturated thioesters.