Synergistic effect of Thiourea and HCl on Palladium (II) recovery: An investigation on Chemical structures and thermodynamic stability via DFT

This work duly investigates the recovery of Pd (II) chlorocomplexes from industrial wastewater. Chemical structures and thermodynamic stabilities of the complex formed are evaluated via density functional theory (DFT). By applying synergistic solutions of thiourea mixed with hydrochloric acid (HCl), the stripping reaction of Pd (II) in the loaded Aliquat 336 occurs and Pd (II) chlorocomplexes coordinated thiourea ligands are formed, thus 80.19% of Pd (II) chlorocomplexes can be recovered. The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of the stripping mechanisms and the structure of the complexes formed via the synergistic system. Such an understanding is still limited since little research has been conducted in this field. Owing to their molecular geometry, ligand coordination and donor groups play a vital role in the reactivity of palladium (II) complex. Quantum models have been developed to evaluate the chemical structure and thermodynamics stability of ((NH₂)₂CS·PdCl₂) namely: (i) DFT with B3LYP/6-31g(d,p) and MP2/6-31g(d,p) basis set, (ii) MP2 with cc-pVTZ basis set and (iii) CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ. Results demonstrate that the highest geometric stability exhibited is the structure of Pd-S bonding with 180° Cl-Pd-Cl. The distance (r) and angle (a) of the selected geometrical parameters for (NH₂)₂CS·PdCl₂ complex are reported. Additionally, FTIR and UV–vis spectroscopies have been conducted to analyze the sampling solutions. Further, the calculated vibrational frequencies and experimental spectroscopic results show good agreement with the optimized geometry.     

Development of Novel Isoindolone-Based Compounds against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense

This study identified the isoindolone ring as a scaffold for novel agents against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and explored the structure-activity relationships of various aromatic ring substitutions. The compounds were evaluated in an integrated in vitro screen. Eight compounds exhibited selective activity against T. b. rhodesiense (IC₅₀<2.2 μm ) with no detectable side activity against T. cruzi and Leishmania infantum. Compound 20 showed low nanomolar potency against T. b. rhodesiense (IC₅₀=40 nm ) and no toxicity against MRC-5 and PMM cell lines and may be regarded as a new lead template for agents against T. b. rhodesiense. The isoindolone-based compounds have the potential to progress into lead optimization in view of their highly selective in vitro potency, absence of cytotoxicity and acceptable metabolic stability. However, the solubility of the compounds represents a limiting factor that should be addressed to improve the physicochemical properties that are required to proceed further in the development of in vivo-active derivatives.     

Crassolide Suppresses Dendritic Cell Maturation and Attenuates Experimental Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the production of β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI)-dependent autoantibodies, with vascular thrombosis or obstetrical complications. Around 20% of APS patients are refractory to current treatments. Crassolide, a cembranoid diterpene extracted from soft corals, is a potential therapeutic candidate. Here, to examine the anti-inflammatory properties of crassolide, we first determined its effects on bone marrow-derived and splenic dendritic cells (DC). Specifically, we applied lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or β2GPI stimulation and measured the expressions of CD80 and CD86, and secretions of cytokines. We also determined in the OT-II mice, if bone marrow-derived DC was able to stimulate antigen-specific T cells. Moreover, we examined the therapeutic potential of crassolide postimmunization in a murine model of APS that depended on active immunization with β2GPI. The vascular manifestations were evaluated in terms of fluorescein-induced thrombi in mesenteric microvessels, whereas the obstetric manifestations were evaluated based on the proportion of fetal loss after pregnancy. We also measured blood titers of anti-β2GPI antibody, splenic cell proliferative responses and cytokine secretions after β2GPI stimulation ex vivo. Finally, we determined in these mice, hematological, hepatic and renal toxicities of crassolide. Crassolide after LPS stimulation suppressed DC maturation and secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12 and IL-23, and downstream T cell activation. Crassolide could partially ameliorate both the vascular and obstetric manifestations of APS in BALB/c mice. Both blood titers of anti-β2GPI antibody and splenic cell proliferation after β2GPI stimulation were reduced. Splenic Th1 and Th17 responses were also lowered after β2GPI stimulation. Finally, within therapeutic doses of crassolide, we found no evidence of its toxicity. In conclusion, we showed the ability of crassolide to suppress DC and downstream T cell responses. Crassolide is therefore a potential candidate for adjunctive therapy in APS.     

A Label-Free Fluorometric Glutathione Assay Based on a Conformational Switch of G-quadruplex

In this paper, a label-free fluorescent method for glutathione (GSH) detection based on a thioflavin T/G-quadruplex conformational switch is developed. The sensing assay is fabricated depending on the virtue of mercury ions to form a thymine–thymine mismatch, which collapses the distance between two ssDNA and directs the guanine-rich part to form an intra-strand asymmetric split G-quadruplex. The newly formed G-quadruplex efficiently reacts with thioflavin T and enhances the fluorescent intensity. In the presence of GSH, Hg²⁺ is absorbed, destroying the G-quadruplex formation with a significant decrease in fluorescence emission. The proposed fluorescent assay exhibits a linear range between 0.03–5 μM of GSH with a detection limit of 9.8 nM. Furthermore, the efficacy of this method is examined using human serum samples to detect GSH. Besides GSH, other amino acids are also investigated in standard samples, which display satisfactory sensitivity and selectivity. Above all, we develop a method with features including potentiality, facility, sensitivity, and selectivity for analyzing GSH for clinical diagnostics.     

金属相1T´ MoS2增强类石墨相C3N4的可见光催化性能

通过煅烧和静电自组装的方法制备了1T′ MoS₂超薄纳米片和类石墨烯相氮化碳(g-C₃N₄)纳米片的复合材料. 该材料在光催化实验中展现出6.24 μmol?g^?1?h^?1的产氢速率, 优于贵金属铂修饰的g-C₃N₄纳米片的性能(4.64 μmol?g^?1?h^?1). 此外, 该复合材料在光催化降解有机染料甲基橙的实验中表现出0.19 min^?1的催化速率, 而纯g-C₃N₄纳米片只有0.053 min^?1的催化速率. 材料光催化性能的提升可归结于1T′MoS₂ 和g-C₃N₄之间的协同效应, 包括光吸收的增强以及因1T′MoS₂优异电子导电性而得到的高效电荷分离.     

Discrete approximations for complex Kac–Moody groups

We construct a map from the classifying space of a discrete Kac–Moody group over the algebraic closure of the field with p elements to the classifying space of a complex topological Kac–Moody group and prove that it is a homology equivalence at primes q different from p. This generalizes a classical result of Quillen, Friedlander and Mislin for Lie groups. As an application, we construct unstable Adams operations for general Kac–Moody groups compatible with the Frobenius homomorphism. Our results rely on new integral homology decompositions for certain infinite dimensional unipotent subgroups of discrete Kac–Moody groups.     

Investigation of solid-state reaction in Ag/Sn nanostructured thin films at room temperature

Diffusion intermixing processes in nanostructured Ag/Sn thin-film system at room temperature were investigated by means of secondary neutral mass Spectrometry depth profiling technique. As it was confirmed by X-ray diffraction too, the reaction started already in the as-deposited sample. Since the bulk diffusion was frozen at room temperature, the Ag₃Sn phase was formed along the grain boundaries (GBs), gradually consuming the interior of grains, and was grown perpendicular to the GBs. At the same time, formation and growth of a small compact reaction layer near the interface were observed and the shift of the bordering parallel interfaces was controlled by GB diffusion. From the kinetics of the diffusion process in the above two mechanisms, both the interface velocity in the diffusion-induced grain boundary motion regime as well as the coefficient of parabolic growth in the planar growth regime were determined.     

Selective Uptake of Cylindrical Poly(2‐Oxazoline) Brush‐AntiDEC205 Antibody‐OVA Antigen Conjugates into DEC‐Positive Dendritic Cells and Subsequent T‐Cell Activation

To achieve specific cell targeting by various receptors for oligosaccharides or antibodies, a carrier must not be taken up by any of the very many different cells and needs functional groups prone to clean conjugation chemistry to derive well‐defined structures with a high biological specificity. A polymeric nanocarrier is presented that consists of a cylindrical brush polymer with poly‐2‐oxazoline side chains carrying an azide functional group on each of the many side chain ends. After click conjugation of dye and an anti‐DEC205 antibody to the periphery of the cylindrical brush polymer, antibody‐mediated specific binding and uptake into DEC205⁺‐positive mouse bone marrow‐derived dendritic cells (BMDC) was observed, whereas binding and uptake by DEC205^? negative BMDC and non‐DC was essentially absent. Additional conjugation of an antigen peptide yielded a multifunctional polymer structure with a much stronger antigen‐specific T‐cell stimulatory capacity of pretreated BMDC than application of antigen or polymer–antigen conjugate.     

T-symmetric 40-nucleus silver clusters assembled by hetero-anions

We report two anion-templated Ag₄₀ clusters, [Ag₄₀(E)₄(SO₄){S₂P(OEt)₂}₂₄](PF₆)₆ (E = S, 1 ; Se, 2 ). The anionic templates were generated in situ from the decomposition of dithiophosphate (dtp) ligands. The extrusion of sulfur undergoes disproportionation reactions to generate sulfide and sulfate anions, which provide the source of templates in the subsequent cluster assembly reactions. Two Ag₄₀ clusters display high similarity in their structures. The sulfide (selenide) anions and the central sulfate anion reveal a six-coordinate and a rare dodecametallic dodecaconnective pattern, respectively. Four near-equivalent [Ag₁₀(E){S₂P(OEt)₂}₆]²⁺ motifs were assembled via the connection of central sulfate anion to construct Ag₄₀ clusters. The cluster cation, [Ag₄₀(E)₄(SO₄){S₂P(OEt)₂}₂₄]⁶⁺, displayed in T symmetry, is unprecedented in anion-templated silver clusters.