The effect of morphological changes on the coprecipitation of strontium by calcium phosphate

The coprecipitation of strontium by a calcium phosphate phase formed at an elevated pH 10.8 was investigated. The first phase obtained under these conditions in the amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) which is transformed into crystalline hydroxyapatite (HA) after the induction period. Is has been shown that this transformation together with morphological changes of the precipitated solid phase, influences the amount of the sorbed strontium significantly. The possible consequences of this finding on practical application of coprecipitation of strontium by calcium phosphate have been discussed.     

Certification of total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in mussel homogenate (Mytilus edulis) reference material, IAEA-142

Due to the increased demand for new reference materials certified for total and methylmercury (MeHg) a sample of mussel homogenate (IAEA-142) has been prepared. Thirteen experienced laboratories reported results for total Hg of which 9 laboratories also reported results for MeHg content. Laboratories reporting MeHg results used various isolation techniques (solvent extraction, saponification, acid leaching, ion-exchange separation, and distillation) and detection systems (cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS), cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV AFS), gas chromatography with electron capture detector (GC/ECD) and HPLC with CV AAS detector). In the case of total Hg, most of the laboratories used acid digestion, only two used alkaline dissolution, followed either by CV AAS or CV AFS. One laboratory used neutron activation analyses with radiochemical separation. The data received were in good agreement. The value for total Hg was certified to be 126 ng/g, with a 95% confidence interval from 119 to 132 ng/g. For MeHg the certified value of 47 ng/g expressed as Hg was assigned, with a 95% confidence interval from 43 to 51 ng/g. Stability testing has shown that both total and MeHg are stable if samples are stored in a dry and dark place at room temperature. The sample is now available as a certified reference material and is, in particular, useful for quality control measurements of Hg and MeHg in mussel samples at low concentration levels.     

N,N′-Di-Boc-2H-Isoindole-2-carboxamidine—First Guanidine-Substituted Isoindole

Synthesis of N,N′-Di-Boc-2H-isoindole-2-carboxamidine, the first representative of isoindoles containing guanidine functionality, was carried out. The cycloaddition reactivity of this new Diels–Alder heterodiene was studied and the title compound was employed as a cycloaddition delivery reagent for guanidine functionality. Higher reactivity was found in comparison with the corresponding pyrrole derivative. Substitution with fluorine or guanidine functionality does not change the reactivities of isoindoles, and these findings are in good accord with computational results.     

Chiral analytical method development of liquiritigenin with application to a pharmacokinetic study

Pharmacometric characterization studies of liquiritigenin have historically overlooked its chiral nature. To achieve complete characterization, an analytical method enabling the detection and quantification of the individual enantiomers of racemic (±) liquiritigenin is necessary. Resolution of the enantiomers of liquiritigenin was achieved using a simple high‐performance liquid chromatographic method. A Chiralpak® ADRH column was employed to perform baseline separation with UV detection at 210 nm.The standard curves were linear ranging from 0.5 to 100 µg/mL for each enantiomer. Limit of quantification was 0.5 µg/mL. The assay was applied successfully to stereoselective serum disposition of liquiritigenin enantiomers in rats. Liquiritigenin enantiomers were detected in serum as both aglycones and glucuronidated conjugates. Both unconjugated enantiomers had a serum half‐life of ~15 min in rats. The volume of distribution (V_d) for S‐ and R‐liquiritigenin was 1.49 and 2.21 L/kg, respectively. Total clearance (Cl_total) was 5.12 L/h/kg for S‐liquiritigenin and 4.79 L/h/kg for R‐liquiritigenin, and area under the curve (AUC_0‐inf) was 3.95 µg h/mL for S‐liquiritigenin and 4.23 µg h/mL for R‐liquiritigenin. The large volume of distribution coupled with the short serum half‐life suggests extensive distribution of liquiritigenin into tissues. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural evidence for the arc-shaped topology of hetero[5]polynorbornanes

Two novel polarofacial-[5]-polynorbornanes, O ² N ₂ O ²– and COCOC–, were synthesized by cycloaddition reactions and their molecular and crystal structures were determined. These hetero[5]polynorbornanes posses heteroatoms at the norbornene bridges located at the outer convex surface, whereas functionalities are positioned on the inner concave surface. Molecular structures attest the extent of the curvature of their polycyclic backbone, and established that the COCOC-[5]-polynorbornane possesses more curved topology due to larger steric repulsion of 7-norbornane bridges. These experimental results are in good agreement with computational predictions of geometry. Quantum chemical study has identified lone pair repulsive interactions and steric repulsions of bridges as important factors for determining curvature.     

Composite layers consisting of polyaniline and poly(o-phenylenediamine): Electrochemical deposition, electrochromic and electrocatalytic properties

The composite polymer layers consisting of polyaniline (PANI) and poly(o-phenylenediamine) (poly(o-PDA)) were electrodeposited on a platinum electrode by simultaneous electrochemical oxidation of corresponding monomers from aquaeous hydrochloric solutions. The growth of PANI and poly(o-PDA) occurs separately resulting in layers with two distinct, finely distributed phases. The first deposited layers are composed mainly of poly(o-PDA) and become richer in PANI as the electropolymerization proceeds. The aniline/o-PDA copolymer was not formed during electrodeposition, as evidenced by cyclic voltammetry and Fourier-transformed IR spectroscopy. It was demonstrated that the electrochromic properties of resulting composite layers are the combination of yellow/brown-reddish and green/dark blue observable color transitions which are characteristics of poly(o-PDA) and PANI, respectively. Electrocatalytic properties of the electrosynthesized composite layers were investigated on quinone/hydroquinone (Q/H₂Q) redox system and it was shown that the composite layers increase the heterogeneous electron transfer rate with a magnitudes ranging from those obtained on pure poly(o-PDA) to those obtained on pure PANI layer.     

Semiquinol and phenol compounds from seven <Emphasis Type="Italic">Senecio</Emphasis> species

In this paper, examination of the aerial parts of seven Senecio species from Serbia and Montenegro is reported. Phytochemical investigation of Senecio erucifolius led to the isolation and characterization of semiquinol butyl 2-(1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclohexa-2,5-dienyl)acetate (I), along with methyl 2-(1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclohexa-2,5-dienyl)acetate (jacaranone, II), and methyl 2-(4-hidroxyphenyl)acetate (III). The structure of I was established based on spectroscopic studies (¹H- and ¹³C-NMR, IR, and CI-MS). Compound II was also isolated from S. carpathicus and S. subalpinus. The presence of jacaranone in the methanol extracts of S. wagneri, S. othonnae, and S. paludosus was confirmed by LC/ESI-TOF MS.     

Primitive symmetric designs with up to 2500 points

By this article we conclude the construction of all primitive ( v, k,λ ) symmetric designs with v < 2500 , up to a few unsolved cases. Complementary to the designs with prime power number of points published previously, here we give 55 primitive symmetric designs with v ≠ p ^m , p prime and m positive integer, together with the analysis of their full automorphism groups. The research involves programming and wide‐range computations. We make use of the software package GAP and the library of primitive groups which it contains. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 19:463‐474, 2011