Insecticidal Activity and Free Radical Scavenging Properties of Isolated Phytoconstituents from the Saudi Plant Nuxia oppositifolia (Hochst.)

Chromatographic purification of the alcoholic extract from the aerial parts of the Saudi plant Nuxia oppositifolia (Hochst.), Benth., resulted in five isolated phenolic compounds. Two flavones, hispidulin (1) and jaceosidin (2), and the phenylethanoid glycosides, verbascoside (3), isoverbascoside (4), and conandroside (5), were identified and their chemical structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses. The insecticidal activity of compounds 1 and 2, in addition to 11 compounds isolated in a previous research (6–16), was evaluated against the Yellow Fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Four compounds displayed adulticidal activity with LD₅₀ values of 2–2.3 μg/mosquito. Free radical scavenging properties of the plant extracts and compounds (1–5) were evaluated by measuring the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate radical cation (ABTS^•+) scavenging activity. All compounds exhibited notable activity, compared with the positive control, l-Ascorbic acid. This study suggests that N. oppositifolia could be a promising source of secondary metabolites, some with lethal adulticidal effect against Ae. aegypti.     

Effect of carbon chain length of monocarboxylic acids on cloud point temperature of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)

The temperature-induced phase transition of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx) aqueous solution under mixing with a series of small carboxylic acids has been studied by turbidity measurements and laser light scattering. It has been found that cloud point temperature (T _cp) of the PEtOx was changed to varying degrees depending upon the pH, ionic strength, molar ratio of acids to 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline unit, and carbon chain length of small carboxylic acids. Significant change in T _cp was observed in the case of hexanoic acid. At acidic pH, an increase in the molar ratio of hexanoic acid to the 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline unit gradually decreased the phase transition temperature of the polymer as compared to the T _cp of pure PEtOx. At original pH 6 (pH?>?pK _a), T _cp shifts to higher value than that of pure PEtOx for lower molar ratios and decreased later on with increasing the molar ratio. The shift in the T _cp is described based on the differences in the driving force of phase transition, including hydrogen bonding between small carboxylic acids and PEtOx polymer and hydrophobic interaction.     

Biomonitoring of infant exposure to phenolic endocrine disruptors using urine expressed from disposable gel diapers

Infant exposure to endocrine disruptors (EDs) may cause adverse health effects because of their fast growth and development during this life stage. However, collecting urine from infants for exposure assessment using biological monitoring is not an easy task. For this purpose, we evaluated the feasibility of using urine expressed from disposable gel absorbent diapers (GADs) as a matrix for biomonitoring selected phenolic EDs. GADs urine was expressed with the assistance of CaCl₂ and was collected using a device fabricated in our laboratory. The analytes were extracted and concentrated using a liquid-liquid method and their hydroxyl groups were modified by dansyl chloride to enhance their chromatography and detection. Finally, the analytes were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The target chemicals were bisphenol A, triclosan, 17 α-ethynylestradiol, the natural hormone estrone, and 17 β-estradiol. The ratio of the CaCl₂ to the urine-wetted gel absorbent, variation of the inter-urination volume, and analyte deposition bias in the diaper were assessed. Analyte blank values in the diapers, the sample storage stabilities, and recoveries of the analytes were also evaluated. The results showed that 70–80 % of the urine could be expressed from the diaper with the assistance of CaCl₂ and 70.5–124 % of the spiked analytes can be recovered in the expressed urine. The limits of detections (LODs) were 0.02–0.27 ng/mL, well within the range for detection in human populations. Our pilot data suggest that infants are widely exposed to the selected EDs.     

Coupling of CFD Simulations and Population Balance Modeling to Predict Brownian Coagulation in an Emulsion Polymerization Reactor

In this study a framework consisting of a computational fluid dynamics simulation coupled to a population balance model for the modeling of emulsion polymerizations is proposed. The combined approach is used to understand the impact of changing length and time scales, as well as mixing conditions on the particle size distribution (PSD) of a polymer latex under different conditions. It is shown that the effect of agitation rate can have a profound impact on the distribution of ionic species in the reactor, and thus on the evolution of the PSD.

     

A kinetic investigation of surfactant‐free emulsion polymerization of styrene using laponite clay platelets as stabilizers

We report the kinetics and mechanism of soap‐free emulsion polymerization of styrene using laponite platelets as stabilizers. The polymerization was initiated by potassium persulfate and the latex particles were stabilized by laponite platelets dispersed in water. Laponite adsorption on the polymer particles was enhanced by the addition of poly(ethylene glycol) monomethylether methacrylate (PEGMA). Particle nucleation can be described using the classical homogeneous nucleation mechanism followed by coagulation of unstable precursors. Oligomeric radicals formed in the water phase become insoluble and precipitate on the laponite surface leading to primary precursor particles composed of a few polymer chains and one or several clay platelets. Mature latex particles are then generated by coagulation and growth of the previously formed precursor particles. Both the nucleation and initial aggregation rates increased in the presence of PEGMA. Calorimetric monitoring of the polymerization allowed estimating the heat produced by the reaction and the monomer conversion. Hence, using the monomer material balance, the number of radicals in the polymer particles could be estimated precisely. The average number of radicals per particle, $ \bar n $ , was found to be high in the range 3–6. This result was attributed to strong attractive interactions between the growing radicals and the clay surface. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011.     

Electrophoretic deposition of PVA coated hydroxyapatite on 316L stainless steel

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coated hydroxyapatite was deposited onto a 316L stainless steel substrate by electrophoretic deposition. Deposition was carried out in a methanol suspension at pH 5.5 using a graphite rod as an anode. Parameters such as PVA concentration, deposition voltage and time were optimized to achieve a homogeneous, crack-free adhesive coating. Techniques such as X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to study the phase composition of the coated materials and the stability of hydroxyapatite in the presence of PVA.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of some titanium butoxides modified with chloroacetic acids

Reactions of Ti(OBu^s)₄ and Ti(OBuⁿ)₄ with chloroacetic acids (mono-, di-, and tri-) were carried out in toluene in 1:1 and 1:2 molar ratios at room temperature to generate new precursors of titania. These modified alkoxides/oxo-alkoxides were characterized by spectroscopic methods. A solution of Ti(OBuⁿ)₂(OOCCCl₃)₂ in toluene left for crystallization at ?30 °C yielded single crystals of the product Ti₆(μ₂-O)₂(μ₃-O)₂(μ₂-OC₄H₉)₂(OC₄H₉)₆(OOCCCl₃)₈. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed the molecular structure to be composed of a hexanuclear unit in which two Ti₂O₁₀ units (made by two edge-sharing octahedra) are linked with two corner-sharing octahedra.     

Highly Selective and Sensitive Benzimidazole Based Bifunctional Sensor for Targeting Inedible Azo Dyes in Red Chilli,Red Food Color,Turmeric Powder,and Cu(Ii) in Coconut Water

In this study, a simple Benzimidazole based bifunctional chemosensor 4-(2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-6-yl) benzene-1,2-diamine, L was synthesized and characterized. The sensor proved to be selective and sensitive towards detecting banned azo dyes Sudan Dye I, II, and Metanil Yellow via fluorescence turn-off response. The proposed mechanism of fluorescence quenching was the inner filter effect. LODs for Sudan I, II, and Metanil Yellow were found to be 0.009 µM, 0.012 µM, and 0.0073 µM, respectively. The developed chemosensor also showed a colorimetric response towards Cu (II) ions via an apparent color change from yellow to pink. LOD for Cu (II) ions was found to be 1.2 µM. The synthesized benzimidazole based bifunctional chemosensor was adequately tested to determine Sudan I in Red chili powder and red Food color samples, Metanil yellow in turmeric powder, and Cu(II) packaged coconut water.