Air‐stable and recoverable catalyst for copper‐catalyzed controlled/living radical polymerization of styrene; In situ generation of Cu(I) species via electron transfer reaction

Copper‐catalyzed controlled/living radical polymerization (LRP) of styrene (St) was conducted using the silica gel‐supported CuCl₂/N,N,N′,N′,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (SG‐CuCl₂/PMDETA) complex as catalyst at 110 °C in the presence of a definite amount of air. This novel approach is based on in situ generation and regeneration of Cu(I) via electron transfer reaction between phenols and Cu(II). Sodium phenoxide or p‐methoxyphenol was used as a reducing agent of Cu(II) complexes in LRP. The number–average molecular weight, M_n,GPC, increases linearly with monomer conversion and agrees well with the theoretical values up to 85% conversion The molecular weight distribution, M_w/M_n, decreases as the conversion increases and reaches values below 1.2. The catalyst was recovered in aerobic condition and reused in copper‐catalyzed LRP of St. For the second run, the number–average molecular weights increased with monomer conversion and the polydispersities decreased as the polymerization proceeded and reached to the value <1.3 at 81% conversion. The recycled catalyst retained 90% of its original activity in the subsequent polymerization. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 77–87, 2006     

Iodine-Catalyzed Addition of Methyl Thioglycolate to Chalcones

Abstract

A series of novel β-mercapto carbonyl compounds (3a–z), methyl 2-(3-oxo-1,3-diarylpropylthio)acetate, were synthesized and characterized via iodine-catalyzed addition of methyl thioglycolate to chalcones (1a–z).

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the free supplemental file.     

Electrochemical investigation and determination of ceftazidime in pharmaceutical dosage forms and human urine

A voltammetric study of the oxidation of Ceftazidime (CEFT) has been carried out at the glassy carbon electrode by cyclic, differential pulse (DPV) and square wave (SWV) voltammetry. The oxidation of CEFT was irreversible and exhibited diffusion controlled process depending on pH. The oxidation mechanism was proposed and discussed. According to the linear relationship between the peak current and concentration, DPV and SWV voltammetric methods for CEFT assay in pharmaceutical dosage forms and human urine were developed. For analytical purposes, a well resolved diffusion controlled voltammetric peak was obtained in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ at 1.00 and 1.02 V for differential pulse and square wave voltammetric techniques, respectively. The linear response was obtained within the range of 4 × 10^?6?8 × 10^?5 M with a detection limit of 6 × 10^?7 M for differential pulse and 4 × 10^?6–2 × 10^?4 M with a detection limit of 1 × 10^?6 M for square wave voltammetric technique. The determination of CEFT in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ was possible over the 2 × 10^?6–1 × 10^?4 M range in urine sample for both techniques. The standard addition method was used for the recovery studies.     

Ultrasound-assisted ozone bleaching of cotton

In this study, the effects of ultrasound on ozone treatment processes for bleaching cotton fabrics were investigated and compared with the conventional hydrogen peroxide bleaching process (60 °C over 90 min). Two ultrasonic + ozone treatments of cotton fabric samples were carried out: (1) ozone in an ultrasonic homogenizer (UH) and (2) ozone in an ultrasonic bath. Ozone dosages, temperature and time variations were determined with both ozone-ultrasonic bleaching processes. Whiteness, yellowness, weight, tensile strength properties, FTIR (ATR) spectra and visual appearance, via scanning electron microscopy of treated cotton fabrics as well as chemical oxygen demand (COD) of bleaching effluents, were investigated. It was concluded that the ozone + UH process, conducted for 30 min at 30 °C, produced closely equivalent values of cotton fabric whiteness and yellowness to the classic peroxide bleaching process, with slightly less weight loss, dramatically less COD in the process effluent (29 mg/l for ozone-UH vs. 4,316 mg/l for classical peroxide treatment), and without causing any adverse and/or detrimental effects on loss of fabric strength or elongation of the cotton fabrics. The ozone-UH process also leads to time and energy savings with much less environmental impact. Consequently, the combination of ozonation plus UH carried out at 30 °C over 30 min can be used successfully for cotton bleaching instead of the classic hydrogen peroxide bleaching process.     

Electroanalytical investigation and determination of pefloxacin in pharmaceuticals and serum at boron-doped diamond and glassy carbon electrodes

The anodic behavior and determination of pefloxacin on boron-doped diamond and glassy carbon electrodes were investigated using cyclic, linear sweep, differential pulse and square wave voltammetric techniques. In cyclic voltammetry, pefloxacin shows one main irreversible oxidation peak and additional one irreversible ill-defined wave depending on pH values for both electrodes. The results indicate that the process of pefloxacin is irreversible and diffusion controlled on boron-doped diamond electrode and irreversible but adsorption controlled on glassy carbon electrode. The peak current is found to be linear over the range of concentration 2 × 10⁻⁶ to 2 × 10⁻⁴ M in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ at about +1.20 V (versus Ag/AgCl) for differential pulse and square wave voltammetric technique using boron-doped diamond electrode. The repeatability, reproducibility, precision and accuracy of the methods in all media were investigated. Selectivity, precision and accuracy of the developed methods were also checked by recovery studies. The procedures were successfully applied to the determination of the drug in pharmaceutical dosage forms and humans serum samples with good recovery results. No electroactive interferences from the excipients and endogenous substances were found in the pharmaceutical dosage forms and biological samples, respectively.     

Sensitive Nucleic Acid Detection at NH2‐MWCNTs Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode and its Application for Monitoring of Gemcitabine‐DNA Interaction

An electrochemical dsDNA nanobiosensor was fabricated using amino‐functionalized multi walled carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode (NH₂fMWCNTs/GCE) for the sensitive detection of DNA bases and electrochemical monitoring of drug‐DNA interaction. The influence of functional groups on MWCNT was studied by MWCNT functionalized with NH₂ (NH₂fMWCNTs) and COOH (COOHfMWCNT) groups based on the signal of DNA bases. The modified electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. One layer of calf thymus double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ct‐dsDNA) was immobilized onto the NH₂fMWCNTs/GCE (dsDNA/NH₂fMWCNTs/GCE). The dsDNA/NH₂fMWCNTs/GCE were used to investigate the interaction between the dsDNA and the anticancer drug gemcitabine by differential pulse voltammetry in acetate buffer of pH 4.70. For the confirmation of interaction, the lowering in intensity of the current signals of guanine and adenine was considered as an indicator. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies were performed for the comparison of the modified surfaces. In order to define and visualize the interaction mechanism between gemcitabine and dsDNA/NH₂fMWCNTs/GCE at the molecular level, in silico methods including docking and molecular dynamics simulations were employed.     

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Campanula alliariifolia

In this study, the chemical constituents of Campanula alliariifolia Willd. (Campanulaceae) are being investigated for the first time with the aid of this article. Five known compounds, which were quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, lobetyolin (9-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-2,10-tetradecadien-4,6-diyne-8,14-diol) and lobetyol (2,10-tetradecadien-4,6-diyne-8,9,14-triol), were isolated from the methanol extract. The antioxidant activity of the methanol extract and the purified compounds of the plant was investigated with DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-picrilyhydrazyl) (free radical scavenging activity) and reducing power methods. The methanol extract has antioxidant capacity according to the mentioned methods. Lobetyol and lobetyolin showed significant antioxidant activity more than both methanol extract and other purified compounds.     

Synthesis,crystal structure and biological activity of the nickel(II) complex of 2,6-diacetylpyridinedihydrazone

A complex of Ni^II with 2,6-diacetylpyridinedihydrazone (L) towards nickel(II) has been prepared and characterized by means of elemental analyses, IR, electronic spectra and single crystal X-ray analyses. [NiL₂](NO₃) was crystallized in the tetragonal space group P-4 21 c. The complex exhibits the expected coordination sphere with six nitrogen atoms coordinated to the central Ni^II with a deformation from pseudo-octahedral geometry. Antimicrobial activities of the ligand and its complex were investigated.     

A modular curve of level 9 and the class number one problem

In this note we give an explicit parametrization of the modular curve associated to the normalizer of a non-split Cartan subgroup of level 9. We determine all integral points of this modular curve. As an application, we give an alternative solution to the class number one problem.     

Chloro-Bridged Dimeric Cadmium(II)-Isothiocyanate Complex with a Tridentate NNN Type Ligand: Synthesis,X-ray Structure,Thermal Analysis

Abstract  

The dinuclear cadmium(II) complex with 2,6-bis(3,4,5-trimethyl-N-pyrazolyl)pyridine (btmpp) has been synthesized, and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, IR, UV–Vis and TGA–DTA methods. Cd atoms are located in a distorted octahedral environment in the complex. The complex crystalizes in monoclinic space group C 2/c, with unit cell dimensions a = 20.5636(12) Å, b = 14.0167(13) Å, c = 15.6598(11) Å, β = 113.425(5)o, V = 4141.7(5) Å³. There are two intermolecular and a intramolecular hydrogen bonds interactions in crystal.