A simple,rapid and sensitive method based on modified multiwalled carbon nanotube for preconcentration and determination of lead ions in aqueous media in natural pHs

In this study, multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) was modified by the pyridine group using a silane agent and characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermal analysis (TG/DTA), and elemental analysis (CHN) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The application of this sorbent was investigated in determination of lead ions in aqueous samples, using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Through this study, different parameters such as pH and sample flow rate on adsorption process and eluent concentration, volume and flow rate were optimized. The limit of detection (LOD), the relative standard deviation and the recovery of the method were 2 ng mL^?1, 1.3% and 99.7%, respectively. Two standard reference materials (NIST 1571 and NIST 1572) were used to verify accuracy of this method. Finally, the sorbent was successfully applied for extraction and determination of low levels of Pb(II) ions in aqueous samples.     

Syntheses of 5‐alkylthio‐1,3‐diaryl‐1,2,4‐triazoles

Arylation of the readily available 3‐alkythio‐5‐aryl‐1,2,4‐triazoles gave 5‐alkylthio‐1,3‐diaryl‐1,2,4‐triazoles in moderate yield. The structures of the latter were confirmed by NOE and ¹³C‐NMR.     

Determination of association constants between enantiomers of orciprenaline and methyl-beta-cyclodextrin as chiral selector by capillary zone electrophoresis using a partial filling technique

The principles for the determination of conditional association constants of enantiomers by capillary zone electrophoresis employing a partial filling technique (PFT) using methyl-beta-cyclodextrin as chiral selector is presented. Orciprenaline was used as a model compound. Partial filling is a separation technique, where different lengths of the chiral selector solution are introduced into the capillary to a final zone length shorter than the effective length of the capillary, prior to application of the solutes. Lengthening of the separation zone results in improving enantioresolution in addition to decreasing electrophoretic mobility of the enantiomers, because of longer interaction time between the solute and chiral selector. The degree of the reduction in electromobility depends on the affinity of the solute to the chiral selector, i.e. strength of the complex formed between the solute and cyclodextrin. The decrease in the electrophoretic mobility with increasing length of the separation zone is used for determination of the association constant. The association constants of the enantiomers of orciprenaline and the chiral selector were evaluated from the slope of the plot, observed electrophoretic mobility versus the ratio between the length of the separation zone and the effective length of the capillary. It was found that the association constants were independent of the chiral selector concentration. The mean values were 110 M(-1) and 160 M(-1) for respective enantiomer. Constants obtained by a conventional CE technique were in good agreement with those from the PFT experiments. The highest enantioselectivityy was obtained when about 50% of the solute was distributed to the selector phase.     

Structural Elucidation of {[(CH3)2SnCl2·H2O]2·18-crown-6} n and its Hydrogen Bonding in Solution by HMBC Spectroscopy

Behavior of {[(CH₃)₂SnCl₂·H₂O]₂·18-crown-6}_n in solution have been investigated by HMBC NMR. The results show that coordination of water to tin containing species and its hydrogen bonding to crown ether remains intact in non-coordinating solvent in contrast to coordinating solvent. H-NMR reveals that the chemical shift of water in complex varies by solvent of crystallization.     

Theoretical study on interaction of different coordination modes of BH4 ligand with transition metal in [TM(BH4)(CO)4] (TM = Cr, Mo)

Density functional calculations were performed on bonding and structural features of [(ηⁿ-BH₄)TM(CO)₄]⁻ (n = 1, 2, 3; TM = Cr, Mo) complexes. Calculations show that the ground state is bidentate which is in good agreement with experimental results. It has been found that the bridge and terminal hydrogen atoms will interchange by two pathways: (i) twist of BH₄ about one of the bridge B-H and (ii) twist of BH₄ about one of the terminal B-H. The molecular orbital calculations and natural bond orbital methodologies for different isomers of these complexes have been evaluated. The final results indicate that case (i) is more preferable relative to another case.     

Renewable-surface sol-gel derived carbon ceramic electrode fabricated by [Ru(bpy)(tpy)Cl]PF6 and its application as an amperometric sensor for sulfide and sulfur oxoanions

A highly sensitive and fast responding sensor for the determination of thiosulfate, sulfite, sulfide and dithionite is described. It consists of a chemically modified carbon ceramic composite electrode (CCE) containing [Ru(bpy)(tpy)Cl]PF6 complex that was constructed by the sol-gel technique. A reversible redox couple of Ru(II)/Ru(III) was observed as a solute in acetonitrile solution and as a component of carbon based conducting composite electrode. Electrochemical behavior and stability of modified CCE were investigated by cyclic voltametry, the apparent electron transfer rate constant (kappa(S)) and transfer coefficient (a) were determined by cyclic voltametry which were about 28 s(-1) and 0.43 respectively. Electrocatalytic oxidation of S(2-), SO3(2-), S2O4(2-) and S2O3(2-) were effective at the modified electrode at significantly reduced overpotentials and in the pH range 1-11. Optimum pH values for amperometric detection of thiosulfate, dithionite, sulfide and sulfite are 7, 9, 2 and 2. Under the optimized conditions the calibration curves are linear in the concentration ranges 1-500, 3-80, 2-90 and 1-100 microM for S2O3(2-), SO3(2-), S2- and S2O4(2-) determination. The detection limit (signal to noise is 3) and sensitivity are 0.5 and 12, 2.8 and 6, 1.6 and 8, and 0.65 microM and 80 nA microM(-1) for thiosulfate, sulfite, sulfide and dithionite detection. The modified carbon ceramic electrode doped with Ru-complex shows good reproducibility, a short response time (t < 2 s), remarkable long term stability (> 6 month) and especially good surface renewability by simple mechanical polishing (RSD for eight successive polishing is 2%). The advantages of this sulfur compound amperometric detector based on ruthenium doped CCE are high sensitivity, inherent stability at a broader pH range, excellent catalytic activity, less expense and simplicity of preparation in comparison with recently published papers. This sensor can be used as a chromatographic detector for analysis of sulfur derivatives.     

Synthesis and calcium channel antagonist activities of new derivatives of dialkyl 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-(5-phenylisoxazol-3-yl)pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylates

The new analogues of nifedipine, in which 2-nitrophenyl group at position 4 is replaced by phenylisoxazolyl substituent, were synthesized. The symmetrical dialkyl 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-(5-phenylisoxazol-3-yl)pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylates were prepared by classical Hantzsch condensation, and the asymmetrical analogues were synthesized using a procedure reported by Dagnino that involved the condensation of alkyl acetoacetate with alkyl 3-aminocrotonate and 5-phenylisoxazole-3-carboxaldehyde. The structure of all compounds was confirmed by IR, ¹H NMR and Mass spectra. In vitro calcium channel antagonist activities were evaluated as calcium channel antagonists using the high K⁺ concentration of guinea-pig ileum longitudinal smooth muscle (GPILSM) assay. These compounds exhibited moderate calcium antagonist activity (IC₅₀ = 10^?7 to 10^{? 5} M range) relative to the reference drug nifedipine (IC₅₀ = 1.10 ± 0.40 × 10^?8 M).     

Density functional theory study on structural isomers and bonding of model complexes M(CO)5(BH3 · PH3) (M = Cr, Mo, W) and W(CO)5(BH3 · AH3) (A = N, P, As, Sb)

The influence of group 15 various substituents and effect of metal centers on metal-borane interactions and structural isomers of transition metal-borane complexes W(CO)₅(BH₃ · AH₃) and M(CO)₅(BH₃ · PH₃) (A = N, P, As, and Sb; M = Cr, Mo, and W), were investigated by pure density functional theory at BP86 level. The following results were observed: (a) the ground state is monodentate, η¹, with C₁ point group; (b) in all complexes, the η¹ isomer with C_S symmetry on potential energy surface is the transition state for oscillating borane; (c) the η² isomer is the transition state for the hydrogens interchange mechanism; (d) in W(CO)₅(BH₃ · AH₃), the degree of pyramidalization at boron, interaction energy as well as charge transfer between metal and boron moieties, energy barrier for interchanging hydrogens, and diffuseness of A increase along the series A = Sb < As < P < N; (e) in M(CO)₅(BH₃ · PH₃), interaction energy is ordered as M = W > Cr > Mo, while energy barrier for interchanging hydrogens decreases in the order of M = Cr > W > Mo.     

Joint optimisation of transmission and waiting times in cognitive radio

Transmission time optimisation is one of the key considerations of cognitive network design. There are many studies in cognitive radio networks (CRNs) focusing on finding the best transmission time for secondary users (SUs) to maximise transmission or energy efficiency. While longer sensing duration leads to a higher sensing accuracy and causes less interference, the SU spends less time for transmission and more energy on sensing spectrum. On the other hand, when the transmission duration becomes longer, although the SU has more opportunities to access the channel, it may encounter higher interference due to primary user (PU) returns and the probability of collision becomes higher. In this article, in a decentralised slotted protocol for CRN, the SU spectrum access is proved as a renewal process, then the interference due to PU return during SU transmission, the missed opportunities due to waiting for the channel to become idle and the energy consumed by the SU in the whole spectrum access process including idling energy, transmission energy and sensing energy consumption are formulated and integrated into newly defined efficiency to obtain the optimum transmission time and waiting time.     

Cardiac motion and deformation recovery from MRI: a review

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a highly advanced and sophisticated imaging modality for cardiac motion tracking and analysis, capable of providing 3D analysis of global and regional cardiac function with great accuracy and reproducibility. In the past few years, numerous efforts have been devoted to cardiac motion recovery and deformation analysis from MR image sequences. Many approaches have been proposed for tracking cardiac motion and for computing deformation parameters and mechanical properties of the heart from a variety of cardiac MR imaging techniques. In this paper, an updated and critical review of cardiac motion tracking methods including major references and those proposed in the past ten years is provided. The MR imaging and analysis techniques surveyed are based on cine MRI, tagged MRI, phase contrast MRI, DENSE, and SENC. This paper can serve as a tutorial for new researchers entering the field.