Volume 61, Issue 3

Synthesis of metal nanoparticles with specific properties is a newly established research area attracting a great deal of attention. Several methods have been put forward for synthesis of these materials, namely chemical vapor condensation, arc discharge, hydrogen plasma—metal reaction, and laser pyrolysis in the vapor phase, microemulsion, hydrothermal, sol-gel, sonochemical, and microbial processes taking place in the liquid phase, and ball milling carried out in the solid phase. The properties of metal nanoparticles depend largely on their synthesis procedures. In this paper the fundamentals, advantages, and disadvantages of each synthesis method are discussed.

Syntheses and spectral characteristics of cadmium(II) compounds (CdSeO4, CdSeO3, and Cd(NCSe)2(nia)2) containing selenium in oxidation states (VI), (IV), and (-II) are described. In Cd(NCSe)2(nia)2, nicotinamide (nia) and selenocyanate anions are bonded to Cd atom as N-donor monodentate ligands. Nicotinamide is coordinated through the ring nitrogen atom. The effects of these selenium compounds as well as Cd(NCS)2(nia)2 on the growth and Cd accumulation in roots and shoots of hydroponically cultivated chamomile plants (cultivar Lutea) were studied. In the applied concentration range (12–60 µmol dm−3) Cd(NCS)2(nia)2 affected neither the length nor the dry mass of roots and shoots. Other compounds applied at 24 µmol dm−3 and 60 µmol dm−3 significantly reduced dry mass of roots and shoots. Selenium oxidation state in the cadmium compounds affected Cd accumulation in plant organs as well as Cd translocation within the plants, which was reflected in the values of bioaccumulation (BAF) and translocation factors (S/R). Cd amount accumulated by shoots was lower than that in the roots. The highest BAF values determined for Cd accumulation in shoots were obtained with CdSeO4. Substitution of S with Se in the Cd(NCX)2(nia)2 (X = Se or S) caused an increase of Cd translocation into the shoots.

The effect of ammonium nitrate concentration in the citric acid biosynthesis by Aspergillus niger NC-12 in single-stage continuous cultures with biomass retention was investigated. Experiments were carried out in a BIOMER laboratory fermenter with 5 dm3 working volume. At the initial stage of each cultivation, the substrate in the bioreactor contained 1.5 g NH4NO3 dm−3. After 120 h onwards, the bioreactor was fed continuously at a constant dilution rate of 0.009 h−1. NH4NO3 concentration in the feed was varied from one culture to another, ranging between 0.5 g dm−3 and 2.5 g dm−3. Promising results were obtained when NH4NO3 concentration of 1.5 g dm−3 was used. The observed concentration of citric acid (c P) and yield of citric acid with respect to the introduced sucrose (Y P/S) were 117.88 g dm−3 and 78.59 %, respectively. The efficiency coefficient of citric acid biosynthesis (K ef) was very high, amounting to 83.38.

The fate of main heavy metals in municipal sewage sludge (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn) was investigated using a fluidized-bed reactor. The behaviour of metals in the incinerator was explored by comparing metal contents in the two main ash streams: bottom (in-bed) ash and ash separated by a cyclone (cyclone-catch ash). All metals showed enrichment in the cyclone ash. The ash originating from sewage sludge is thermally quite stable consisting of quartz, hematite, spar(s), mica(s), apatite, and anhydrite. It does not soften nor becomes sticky and does not tend to agglomerate at temperatures up to 950°C.

The profile distribution of arsenic(III) and arsenic(V) species in soil and groundwater was investigated in the samples collected in 2005 from a hand-drilled well, in the Bozanta area, Baia Mare region, Romania. The total content of arsenic in the soil was in the range of 525–672 mg kg−1 exceeding 21–27 times the action trigger level for sensitive soil. 0.9–11.3 % of the total content was soluble in water, 83.0–92.6 % in 10 mol dm−3 HCl and 2.6–13.3 % was the residual fraction. Arsenic(V) was the dominant arsenic species in the soil in the range of 405–580 mg kg−1. The distribution and mobility of arsenic species was governed by soil pH and contents of Al, Fe, and Mn. The mobility of arsenic(V) decreased with depth, while that of arsenic(III) was high at the surface and in the proximity of groundwater. The total concentration of arsenic in groundwater was (43.40 ± 1.70) µg dm−3, which exceeded the maximum contaminant level of 10 µg dm−3.

New crystal structure of Eu(DMF)4(H2O)3Co(CN)6·H2O (DMF = N,N′-dimethylformamide) (Eu-Co) has been determined to be monoclinic, P2(1)/n, a = 19.796(12) Å, b = 8.862(11) Å, c = 17.525(10) Å, β = 96.26(5)°, V = 3056(5) Å3, Z = 4. The Eu(III) ion adopts an antiprismatic eight-coordination and forms a cyano bridge with r(Eu-N) = 2.496(7) Å and Θ(Eu-N-C) = 165.7(7)° to the Co(III) ion. The complex exhibits some common features with the Eu-Fe complex. Diffuse reflectance electronic spectra and magnetic susceptibility of Eu-Cr, Eu-Mn, Eu-Fe, and Eu-Co complexes were compared. By substituting the metal ions, both electronic and structural features affected the charge transfer bands and superexchange interactions concerning cyanide ligands. In addition, only Eu-Co exhibited 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 and 5 D 0 → 7 F 1 luminescence bands at 16300 cm−1 and 16900 cm−1, respectively at 298 K (λex = 360 nm (27000 cm−1)), because quenching by cyano-bridged ions did not prevent Eu(III) ion from exhibiting emission. Thus, only Eu-Co may be suitable for verification of an assumption of mechanism concerning drastic photoinduced magnetic changes for Nd-Fe. Merely small decrease of magnetization was observed for Eu-Co after UV light irradiation at 2.0 K. This result was attributed to slight structural changes around cyano bridges without transitions of spin states.

The oxidative polycondensation of 4-[(pyridin-3-ylimino)methyl]phenol (4-PIMP) with O2, H2O2, and NaOCl was studied in an aqueous alkaline medium between 50°C and 90°C. Oligo-4-[(pyridin-3-ylimino)methyl]phenol (O-4-PIMP) prepared was characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, FT-IR, UV-VIS, size-exclusion chromatography, and elemental and thermal analyses techniques. At the optimum reaction conditions, the yield of O-4-PIMP was 18.9%, 39.4%, and 46.8% using H2O2, O2, and NaOCl oxidant, respectively. According to the TG analysis, the initial degradation temperature of O-4-PIMP was 218°C, which was by 50°C higher than that of 4-PIMP. Thermal analyses of 4-PIMP and O-4-PIMP were carried out in N2 atmosphere at 15–1000°C. The highest occupied molecular orbital, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, and electrochemical energy gaps of 4-PIMP and O-4-PIMP were determined from the onset potentials for n-doping and p-doping, respectively. Also, optical band gaps of 4-PIMP and O-4-PIMP were determined according to UV-VIS measurements.

The basic physicochemical properties, lipophilicity parameters of dibasic alkyloxy-substituted phenylcarbamic acids were estimated. For the prepared set of compounds the experimentally obtained solubility, acidity, and lipophilicity parameters were correlated with those computed using various computer programs based on the associative artificial neural network and fragmental methods. The results of pharmacological evaluation were used as entry data for the complex correlations.

An improved procedure for determination of the residual DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free radical concentration was proposed taking into account the absorbance of both DPPH free radicals and DPPH nonradical (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine) stable form. The calculated residual DPPH free radical concentrations were compared with those obtained from a calibration curve and variation coefficients below 10 % were found.

The chemical notation of the reaction products in the system NaF—AlF3—Al2O3 was reevaluated and its modifications were suggested. Based on these modifications, the equilibrium constants of selected reactions were calculated. Some of the equilibrium constants differed by one or two orders of magnitude from the values of the corresponding original equilibrium constants.

The areas of the fusion and crystallization peaks of Na3FeF6 and of four calibration substances (KCl, NaCl, Na2SO4, and K2SO4) were measured using the DSC mode of a high-temperature calorimeter. Using the measured quantities and known values of the enthalpy of fusion of the calibration substances, the enthalpy of fusion of Na3FeF6 was determined. Its value at the temperature of fusion 1224 K was 70 ± 4 kJ mol−1.

A new idea of the nanorods preparation and a novel application of calixarenes are presented. Calix[4]arene was introduced into solvothermal system to produce one-dimensional inorganic nanomaterial. The obtained product was characterized by XRD and TEM. Results of the XRD analysis showed that the product was pure cubic phase of PbS with high crystallinity. TEM images revealed that the diameter and length of the PbS nanorods were about 200 nm and up to 3.5 µm, respectively. Optical properties of the product were also studied. PL emission image showed that the product exhibited an emission peak at 308 nm in ultraviolet region showing a blue shift of 14 nm compared to the bulk material. The formation mechanism of PbS nanorods in the presence of calix[4]arene is discussed.

The Heck coupling of halobenzenes with various alkenes and the Suzuki cross coupling of halobenzenes with phenylboronic acid were successfully performed in glycerol as the reaction solvent using homogeneous and heterogeneous palladium catalysts. Glycerol is a renewable and recyclable green solvent that is able to dissolve organic substrates, inorganic bases, and palladium complexes, and that allows easy isolation of the reaction product by simple extraction with glycerol-immiscible solvents such as diethyl ether, hexane, and dichloromethane.

Condensation of 4-chloro-2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbonitrile with selected heteroarylamines in acetonitrile containing a catalytic amount of triethylamine, followed by intramolecular cyclization, gave the new coumarin derivatives with yields ranging from 43 % to 78 %. The novel compounds were subjected to acid hydrolysis giving the corresponding oxo derivatives in 66–70 % yield. The structural assignments of the synthesized compounds were based on elemental, IR, 1H and 13C NMR analyses.