Preparation and Characterization of Activated Carbon from Microwave and Conventional Heated Almond Shells Using Phosphoric Acid Activation

Activated carbon production from almond shells using phosphoric acid activation agent was achieved by applying both conventional heating and microwave heating in succession. The morphology and surface properties of activated carbon were studied using thermogravimetric and differential gravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. A surface area of 1128 m²/g was achieved by optimizing the microwave power (500?W), microwave application time (15?minutes), conventional heating time (45?minutes), conventional heating temperature (500?°C), and the phosphoric acid:sample ratio (0.7:1). An adsorption capacity of methylene blue of 148?mg/g and an iodine value of 791?mg/g was obtained for the prepared activated carbon.     

Aqueous dispersions of single-wall and multiwall carbon nanotubes with designed amphiphilic polycations

Poor solubility of single-walled and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (NTs) in water and organic solvents presents a considerable challenge for their purification and applications. Macromolecules can be convenient solubilizing agents for NTs and a structural element of composite materials for them. Several block copolymers with different chemical functionalities of the side groups were tested for the preparation of aqueous NT dispersions. Poly(N-cetyl-4-vinylpyridinium bromide-co-N-ethyl-4-vinylpyridinium bromide-co-4-vinylpyridine) was found to form exceptionally stable NT dispersions. It is suggested that the efficiency of macromolecular dispersion agents for NT solubilization correlates with the topological and electronic similarity of polymer-NT and NT-NT interactions in the nanotube bundles. Raman spectroscopy and atomic force and transmission electron microcopies data indicate that the polycations are wrapped around NTs forming a uniform coating 1.0-1.5 nm thick. The ability to wind around the NT originates in the hydrophobic attraction of the polymer backbone to the graphene surface and topological matching. Tetraalkylammonium functional groups in the side chains of the macromolecule create a cloud of positive charge around NTs, which makes them hydrophilic. The prepared dispersions could facilitate the processing of the nanotubes into composites with high nanotube loading for electronic materials and sensing. Positive charge on their surface is particularly important for biological and biomedical applications because it strengthens interactions with negatively charged cell membranes. A high degree of spontaneous bundle separation afforded by the polymer coating can also be beneficial for NT sorting.     

Conformation-dependent change in antitumor activity of linear and branched (1----3)-beta-D-glucans on the basis of conformational elucidation by carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The antitumor activity of (1----3)-beta-D-glucans was tested in order to clarify its conformation-dependent response together with conformational elucidation by carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR) spectroscopy. It was shown that the following three conformations, single chain, single helix and triple helix, are readily distinguished by the high-resolution solid-state 13C-NMR method. It turned out that preparations of linear (1----3)-beta-D-glucans of a triple helical conformation were ineffective in the inhibition of tumor growth. These linear (1----3)-beta-D-glucans were converted to an effective form in the inhibition of tumor growth when they were lyophilized from dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solutions as a result of a conformational change from the triple helical to the single chain forms. They were not effective, however, when assayed in DMSO solution. In contrast, it was found that a branched (1----3)-beta-D-glucan is effective not only in either saline solutions of the triple helical sample or the lyophilized sample from DMSO, but also in DMSO solution. The aforementioned drastic change in antitumor activity was interpreted in terms of resulting conformational changes as analyzed by the 13C-NMR method.     

Site-directed 13C solid-state NMR studies on membrane proteins: strategy and goals toward revealing conformation and dynamics as illustrated for bacteriorhodopsin labeled with [1-13C]amino acid residues

We have so far demonstrated that well-resolved and site-specifically assigned (13)C peaks as recorded by site-directed NMR study on (13)C-labeled membrane proteins can serve as a convenient probe to reveal their local conformation and dynamics. We attempted here to clarify the extent to which (13)C NMR spectra of (13)C-labeled fully hydrated bacteriorhodopsin (bR) as a typical membrane protein are visible or well resolved in the presence of inherent fluctuation motions with frequency of 10(2)-10(8) Hz, especially at the membrane surfaces. Accordingly, we estimated the relative proportion of (13)C NMR signals from the surface areas with and without peak suppression by the accelerated transverse relaxation effect by surface-bound Mn(2+) ions, which could be effective for residues within 8.7 angstroms of the membrane surface. It turned out that the experimental findings are consistent with the predicted amount of amino acid residues under consideration located within 8.7 angstroms of the surface for [1-(13)C]Val- and Ile-labeled bR and also [3-(13)C]Ala-bR. In contrast, (13)C NMR peaks from such surfaces area are almost completely or partially suppressed for [1-(13)C]Gly-, Ala-, Leu-, Phe- and Trp-labeled bR, as a result of plausible interference of the fluctuation frequency with frequency of magic angle spinning (10(4) Hz). We further assigned several (13)C NMR signals of [1-(13)C] Val-, Trp- and Ile-labeled bR on the basis of a variety of site-directed mutants with reference to those of the wild type. Further, we recorded the (13)C NMR of bR in lipid bilayers to search for the optimal conditions to be able to obtain signals with the highest peak intensities and spectral resolution. Backbone dynamics turn out to be essential for recording (13)C NMR spectra so as to escape from motional frequencies of the order of 10(4)-10(5) Hz, either in the direction of accelerated fluctuation or slowed motions in the direction of forming the 2D array.     

Solvent effect on protein binding by polymer brush grafted onto porous membranes

An epoxy-group-containing polymer chain was grafted onto the hollow-fiber form of a porous polyethylene membrane by the immersion of the electron beam-irradiated trunk polymer in glycidyl methacrylate diluted with methanol and 1-butanol. The epoxy group density ranged from 8.5 to 13.4 mol per kg of the trunk polymer. Subsequently, the epoxy groups produced were converted into sulfonic acid and diethylamino groups. The density of -SOH and -N(C2H5), groups was 0.40 and 2.2 mol per kg of the product. respectively. The polymer brush, defined as a polymer chain extending from the surface of a pore toward the interior of the pore, was evaluated from the determination of an equilibrium binding capacity of hen egg lysozyme (HEL) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). The polymer brush prepared in 1-butanol was found to be longer than that prepared in methanol from the determinations of liquid permeability and protein adsorptivity. The proteins were bound to the polymer brush prepared in 1-butanol, followed by the functionalization, at higher degrees of multilayer binding: about 30 for HEL and 6 for BSA.     

Synthetic Access to New Pyridone Derivatives through the Alkylation Reactions of Hydroxypyridines with Epoxides

General methods for the preparation of a variety of pyridone and oxypyridine derivatives are described. 2‐,3‐,4‐Hydroxy pyridine and 2‐pyridinemethanol were alkylated with ethylene‐, propylene‐, and stryrene‐oxide and epichlorohydrin in the presence of different Lewis acids as a catalyst. The best yield of 3a was achieved in the presence of CdI₂/BF₃ · OEt₂. The corresponding pyridone derivatives (3a–d, 7a–d) were obtained from the reaction of 2‐and 4‐hydroxypyridine with oxiranes in good yields, whereas oxypyridine derivatives (5a–d, 9a,b) were obtained from reactions of 3‐hydroxypyridine and 2‐pyridinemethanol with oxiranes. Chlorohydrines (3d, 5d, 7d) were easily converted to corresponding epoxy derivatives (10, 11, 12) in basic medium; then amino alcohols (13–17) were obtained from the reaction of these epoxy derivatives with amines.     

A novel reaction cascade leading to a spontaneous intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition through simultaneous generation of 1,3-dipole and dipolarophile

Ornithine methyl ester reacts with aromatic aldehydes to generate bis-Schiff bases, which depending on the structure of the aromatic aldehyde, further undergo an intramolecular cycloaddition through the transient formation of a reactive 1,3-dipole.     

An inverse coefficient problem for a quasilinear parabolic equation with periodic boundary and integral overdetermination condition

In this paper, the inverse problem of finding the time‐dependent coefficient of heat capacity together with the solution periodic boundary and integral overdetermination conditions is considered. Under some natural regularity and consistency conditions on the input data, the existence, uniqueness, and continuous dependence upon the data of the solution are shown. Some considerations on the numerical solution for this inverse problem are presented with an example. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A triphenylamine based multi-analyte chemosensor for Hg and Cu ions in MeCN/H2O

A novel triphenylamine based oxidative chemosensor TOC was synthesized. The chromogenic and fluorogenic behaviors of TOC towards Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions in a binary mixture of MeCN/H₂O (9/1) were dramatically different. TOC displays colorimetric ‘naked eye’ recognition of Hg²⁺ and fluorogenic ‘turn on’ response towards Cu²⁺ via a unique cyclization reaction using two different detection modes. Moreover, TOCAZOL obtained from the oxidative cyclization reaction of TOC with Cu(ClO₄)₂ can be used as a selective fluorescent sensor toward Hg²⁺ ion.     

A sustainable method of mitigating acid corrosion of mild steel using jackfruit pectin (JP) as green inhibitor: Theoretical and electrochemical studies

This study is attempted to develop a green corrosion inhibitor from a waste material of Jack fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus). This method is therefore quite valuable to health, environment, and economic point of view. Pectin is isolated from the jackfruit peel waste using 0.05 ?N oxalic acid and used as an inhibitor for mild steel corrosion in acidic environment as it is highly water soluble. 250–1000 ?ppm of pectin was used in this study at a temperature range of 303–323 ?K. The protection efficiency of jack fruit pectin (JP) in 0.5 ?M HCl was evaluated by conventional weight loss and electrochemical techniques. The potentiodynamic polarization results revealed that JP could effectively reduce the corrosion of mild steel in acidic medium at 1000 ?ppm concentration with an inhibition efficiency of 89.75% and corrosion rate of 2.392 mpy. The mixed type behavior of the inhibitor is identified from Tafel polarization studies. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements suggest that the corrosion inhibition process is kinetically controlled. adsorption and kinetic behavior of the inhibitor also have been studied. Surface manifestations were followed using FESEM and AFM techniques. DFT calculations and Monte Carlo simulations were also carried out to corroborate the experimental results with theoretical outputs and succeeded to a great extent.