Development of diffuse double layers in column-wicking experiments: Implications for pH-dependent contact angles on quartz

The pH dependence of contact angles in quartz powder beds was studied by column wicking. The rate of capillary penetration was found to be highest at the isoelectric point of quartz which, by applying the classical Washburn equation, results in a minimum contact angle at the isoelectric point. Direct contact angle measurements however show that the contact angle is at a maximum at the point of zero charge (see e.g. [1], [2], [3], [4], [5] and [6]). By measuring the permeability of powder columns with aqueous solutions of varying pH, it is shown that the permeability reaches a maximum at the isoelectric point. This suggests that the rate of capillary penetration is influenced by the permeability of the powder columns towards respective aqueous solutions. The difference in permeability can be explained by the notion of an electroosmotic counter-pressure which was already recognized by Klinkenberg [7]. An approach is presented that involves the calculation of capillary constants from permeability measurements of the corresponding aqueous solutions. An equation is derived that takes direct account for the electroosmotic counter-pressure. Application of this equation combined with capillary constants calculated from permeabilities of the corresponding aqueous solutions results in the expected contact angle-pH relationship.     

Study of pH-dependent solubility of organic bases. Revisit of Henderson-Hasselbalch relationship

In this paper the pH-equilibrium solubility profiles of six organic drugs are presented. The equilibrium solubility values were determined using the saturation shake-flask and the Chasing Equilibrium Solubility (CheqSol) methods. Results obtained by the two methods are in good agreement. The aim of the present work was to study the validity of the Henderson-Hasselbalch (HH) relationship in the case of structurally diverse weak bases. The significance of pH control and the effect of the salt form (e.g., fumarate) was also investigated. In the case of monoprotic bases, namely papaverine, promethazine, propafenone and ticlopidine the experimental solubility data precisely follow the HH equation until the limit of salt solubility. The common ion effect on salt solubility was found to be significant at low pHs. Deviation from the HH equation in the case of dibasic quetiapine hydrogen fumarate and the ampholyte desvenlafaxine hydrogen fumarate can be easily interpreted with the formation of different salt compositions. It was concluded that precise pH control is essential in shake-flask solubility measurements. It is also critical that the pK_a value and the intrinsic solubility are accurately determined when the HH relationship is used to predict the pH-dependent aqueous solubility of drugs.     

Synthesis and Self-Assembly Behaviors of Four-Arm Star Block Copolymers Poly(ϵ-caprolactone)-b-poly(2- (diethylamino) ethyl methacrylate)) in Aqueous Solution

Four-arm star block polymers consisting of hydrophobic poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL) block and hydrophilic poly(2-(diethylamino) ethyl methacrylate)) (PDEAEMA) block were successfully synthesized by ring opening polymerization (ROP) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Chain lengths of PDEAEMA segments were varied to obtain a series of star copolymers with different hydrophilic/hydrophobic ratio, which were desired for self-assembly study. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) were used to study their self-assembly behavior. In the PBS solution with different pH value, the star polymers formed micelles or nanoparticles. Furthermore, the morphologies of the micelles were also pH-dependent. Critical micelle concentrations of star copolymers changed from 5.0 to 17.5 mg/L with the increase of hydrophilic block length or the pH decrease. Moreover, a steady increase was found on the micelles diameters when the pH decreased from 7.0 to 3.0. The low CMC value and slight changes on micelle diameter indicated that the micelle remained stable under the changing external stimulus.     

Synthesis, characterization and fluorescence studies of a novel europium complex based sensor

A novel europium(III) complex was synthesized using TTA (α-thenoyltrifluoroacetone) as the first ligand and H₂bpdc (2,2′-bipyridine-3,3′-dicarboxylate) as the second ligand. Elemental analysis, thermal analysis, IR and UV–vis spectrum and fluorescence spectrum of the europium(III) complex were carried out. A characteristic Eu³⁺ fluorescence emission was observed in ethanol–water (1:1) solution, indicating that the complex is stable in solution and the emission of Eu(III) ions was not influenced by the water molecules. The fluorescence emission of the complex was quenched completely by the Co²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions, but the quenched emission was recovered in the presence of glycine. Moreover, the Eu³⁺ emission was very sensitive to pH, so the complex can be used as pH-dependent fluorescence probe or chemosensors.     

pH-dependent assembly of two polyoxometalate-based coordination polymers: structures and electrocatalytic properties

Two new polyoxometalate-based coordination polymers have been synthesized at different pHs under identical hydrothermal conditions, (Hbib)[Cu₂(bib)₂(PMo₁₂O₄₀)] (1) and (Hbib)₂[Cu(bib) (PMo₁₂O₄₀)]·2H₂O (2) (bib = 4-bis(imidazol-1-yl) benzene). Their structures were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses and characterized by routine methods. When the pH was adjusted to 2.0???2.5, 1 was obtained, which exhibits a 1-D rail-like chain. Compound 2 was obtained at pH of 2.5???3.2 and exhibits a 2-D layer with (4⁴) sql net. The pH of the reaction plays a key role in the assembly of the polyoxometalate-based coordination polymer. The electrochemical experiments indicate that 2-based carbon paste electrode possesses high catalytic efficiency and high stability towards reduction of iodate and oxidation of ascorbic acid.     

In situ photopolymerization-coated pellets for pH-dependent drug delivery

An in situ photopolymerization-coating technique was applied to wrap the pellets surface with a pH-sensitive hydrogel layer made from acrylic acid and hydrophobic acrylate monomers. Powdered cellulose (Elcema^® P100) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (Kollidon^® 30) pellets containing theophylline were prepared by extrusion-spheronization, sprayed with an ethanol:water 50:50 v/v solution of the monomers, the cross-linker (N,N′-methylenebis(acrylamide)) and the initiator (Irgacure^® 2959), and immediately irradiated at 366 nm. The composition of coating mixture and the time of irradiation were optimized using oscillatory rheometry and analyzing the swelling and the drug release behaviour of the resultant hydrogels. When acrylic acid:lauryl acrylate 88:12 molar ratio was used, the coating did not significantly change the shape, size, or friability of the pellets, but remarkably modified theophylline release profiles. The thicker the coating layer, the better the pH-dependent control of drug release.     

Synthesis and Guest-Binding Properties of pH/Reduction Dual-Responsive Cyclophane Dimer

A water-soluble cyclophane dimer having two disulfide groups as a reduction-responsive cleavable bond as well as several acidic and basic functional groups as a pH-responsive ionizable group 1 was successfully synthesized. It was found that 1 showed pH-dependent guest-binding behavior. That is, 1 strongly bound an anionic guest, 6-p-toluidinonaphthalene-2-sulfonate (TNS) with binding constant (K/M⁻¹) for 1:1 host-guest complexes of 9.6 × 10⁴ M⁻¹ at pH 3.8, which was larger than those at pH 7.4 and 10.7 (6.0 × 10⁴ and 2.4 × 10⁴ M⁻¹, respectively), indicating a favorable electrostatic interaction between anionic guest and net cationic 1. What is more, release of the entrapped guest molecules by 1 was easily controlled by pH stimulus. Large favorable enthalpies (ΔH) for formation of host-guest complexes were obtained under the pH conditions employed, suggesting that electrostatic interaction between anionic TNS and 1 was the most important driving force for host-guest complexation. Such contributions of ΔH for formation of host-guest complexes decreased along with increased pH values from acidic to basic solutions. Upon addition of dithiothreitol (DTT) as a reducing reagent to an aqueous PBS buffer (pH 7.4) containing 1 and TNS, the fluorescence intensity originating from the bound guest molecules decreased gradually. A treatment of 1 with DTT gave 2, having less guest-binding affinity by the cleavage of disulfide bonds of 1. Consequently, almost all entrapped guest molecules by 1 were released from the host. Moreover, such reduction-responsive cleavage of 1 and release of bound guest molecules was performed more rapidly in aqueous buffer at pH 10.7.     

Homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction by pH dependent phase separation with a fluorocarbon ionic surfactant and its application to the preconcentration of porphyrin compounds

Aqueous perfluorooctanoate (PFOA^–) solution of water-miscible organic solvent (SOLV), such as dioxane and acetone, was separated into two immiscible phases reversibly by charge neutralization of PFOA^– ion with proton (H⁺) (pK_a value of HPFOA was 1.01, atI = 0.1, 20 °C). The transparent heavier phase, in which HPFOA was concentrated quantitatively, consisted of three components in the molar ratio of HPFOASOLVH₂O = 14.06.6 for acetone system, and 10.471.9 for dioxane system, respectively. This separation provides a new homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction method, which can be successfully applied to the ultra-high preconcentration of water-soluble porphyrin compounds: 10⁴-fold concentration was achieved within 20 min.     

Synthesis and hybridization properties of 2′-O-(tetrazol-5-yl)ethyl-modified oligonucleotides

2′-O-(1H-Tetrazol-5-yl)ethyladenosine was synthesized using 2′-O-cyanoethyladenosine derivative as a key intermediate. The 2′-O-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)ethyl modifications exhibited intriguing properties such as the change in the structure of the tetrazole residue between a protonated and a deprotonated form. The T_m experiments of various oligodeoxynucleotides having a 2′-O-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)ethyl-modified adenosine showed reduced hybridization affinity in comparison to the unmodified oligonucleotides toward their complementary oligodeoxynucleotides. The mechanism of the reduced hybridization affinity was discussed on the basis of the structure and the physicochemical properties of the tetrazole moiety.     

pH-dependent self-assembly of copper(II) complexes with a new imidazole-containing polyamine ligand: Synthesis,structure and magnetic property

Four copper(II) complexes were synthesized by reactions of new imidazole-containing polyamine ligand N¹-(2-aminoethyl)-N¹-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-ethane-1,2-diamine (HL) with Cu(ClO₄)₂ · 6H₂O under different pH and their structures were characterized by X-ray crystallography. Interestingly, the complexes have diverse structures from protonated ligand [H₃(HL)][CuCl₄] · Cl (1), dinuclear [Cu₂(HL)₂Cl](ClO₄)₃ · H₂O (2), one-dimensional chain polynuclear {[Cu(L)](ClO₄)}_n (3) to cyclic-tetranuclear [Cu₄(L)₄](ClO₄)₄ · 3CH₃CN (4) coordination compounds by varying reaction pH from acidic to basic. The results indicate that the reaction pH has great impact on the formation and structure of the complexes. The magnetic measurements show that there are antiferromagnetic interactions between the Cu(II) centers with g = 2.09, J = −39.0 cm⁻¹ and g = 2.17, J = −36.8 cm⁻¹ for 3 and 4, respectively.