Volume 67, Issue 10

A new detection method using headspace single-drop microextraction (HS-SDME) coupled to gas chromatography (GC) was established to determine the iodine in milk powder and urine. The derivative from the reaction between iodine and butanone in the acidic media was extracted into a micro-drop then determined by GC-ECD. With the optimisation of HS-SDME and derivatisation, the calibration curve showed good linearity within the range of 0.004–0.1 μg mL−1 (0.004–0.1 μg g−1) (R 2 = 0.9991), and the limits of detection for milk powder and urine were 0.0018 μg g−1 and 0.36 μg L−1, respectively. The mean recoveries of milk powder and urine were 90.0–107 % and 89.4–101 % with mean RSD of 1.7–3.4 % and 2.7–3.3 %, respectively. This detection method affords a number of advantages, such as being simple, rapid, and inexpensive, with low organic solvent consumption, and is remarkably free from interference effects, rendering it an efficient method for the determination of iodine in milk powder and urine samples.

Bacterial strain ZJB-09211 capable of amidase production has recently been isolated from soil samples. The strain is able to asymmetrically hydrolyze l-tryptophanamide from d,l-tryptophanamide to produce l-tryptophan in high yield and with excellent stereoselectivity (enantiomeric excess > 99.9 %, and enantiomeric ratio > 200). Strain ZJB-09211 has been identified as Flavobacterium aquatile based on the cell morphology analysis, physiological tests, and the 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Optimization of the fermentation medium led to an about six-fold increase in the amidase activity of strain ZJB-09211, which reached 501.5 U L−1. Substrate specifity and stereoselectivity investigations revealed that amidase of F. aquatile possessed a broad substrate spectrum and high enantioselectivity.

Copper hydride derived from CuF(PPh3)3·2MeOH-bis[(2-diphenylphosphino)phenyl] ethersilane can reduce electron-deficient olefins selectively and efficiently.

Ag2O/ZnO heterostructure has been recently synthesized using a facile chemical-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results confirmed the Ag2O nanoparticles loading on ZnO nanorods. The Ag2O addition increased the visible light absorption ability and a red shift for Ag2O/ZnO heterostructure appeared when compared to pure ZnO. Photoluminescence spectra showed lower emission yield on the Ag2O/ZnO heterostructure than on pure ZnO. Such a decrease in the emission yield represents the fraction of the excited state Ag2O sensitizer involved in the charge injection process. Under compact fluorescent lamp irradiation, the Ag2O/ZnO heterostructure demonstrated higher photocatalytic activity than pure ZnO in the degradation of resorcinol, which can be attributed to the high separation efficiency of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs based on the cooperative roles of Ag2O loading on ZnO nanarods. All these characteristics represent a significant contribution of the Ag2O/ZnO heterostructure to the practical applications in indoor environmental remediation.

Anthocyanins present in the grapes of nine grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) varieties and ten interspecific hybrids were compared. Total anthocyanin levels were determined in fresh grapes and the values ranged from 0.50 g kg−1 to 4.99 g kg−1. A total of twenty-two different anthocyanins were identified. Malvidin 3-glucoside was the most abundant anthocyanin, with concentrations ranging from 30 % to 64 % of the totals observed. The ratio of acetylated to coumaroylated malvidin and peonidin derivatives ranged from 0.09 (variety: Regent) to 1.34 (variety: Cerason), depending on the variety. Diglucosylated anthocyanins were not found in particular interspecific hybrids such as the teinturier XIV 26–56, Laurot, Merlan, and Nativa.

Two new Schiff base-hydrazones bearing furan ring, (Z)-4-butoxy-N′-(furan-2-ylmethylene)benzohydrazide (IV) and (Z)-N′-(furan-2-ylmethylene)-4-(hexyloxy)benzohydrazide (V), as well as their Cu(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes have been synthesised and characterised. The DNA-binding and DNA-cleavage activities of both aroylhydrazone ligands and their transition metal complexes were examined using UV-VIS titration and agarose gel electrophoresis in the presence of an oxidative agent (H2O2). The results indicate that the copper complexes bind significantly to calf thymus DNA and effectively cleave pBR322 DNA whereas the nickel and zinc complexes interact slightly with DNA.

Laboratory corrosion immersion tests were carried out to investigate the effectiveness of a physical water treatment (PWT) using zinc and ceramic tourmaline-based catalytic materials for the control of carbon steel corrosion in acidic still water (i.e., pH 4.5–5). The tests were carried out at different water temperatures over 168 h. Our results showed a maximum of 22 % reduction in the corrosion rate using PWT in comparison with the control case. Furthermore, the corrosion products depicted more agglomerated particles after the PWT treatment. In both cases, differences were observed in the crystal structures, showing in general lower corrosion activity when PWT was used. The present results could find potential applications in water distribution systems and where metallic materials are exposed to stagnant acidic water.

For the synthesis of Ca2XBiO6 (X = Dy, Fe, Al) metal oxides with ordered double-perovskite structure, the sol-gel auto-combustion method has been used for the first time. The synthesis progress was followed by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the samples structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction. The samples morphology was studied by means of scanning electron microscopy. The influence of the nature of the trivalent B-site cation on the dielectric properties was evaluated by resistivity measurements in vacuum at frequencies between 102–105 Hz. The best dielectric behavior was obtained for Ca2AlBiO6 and Ca2DyBiO6, while the best semiconductor behavior was found for Ca2FeBiO6.

The stereoselective synthesis of sulfamisterin I and its unnatural analogues II and V in their protected form was achieved through a common strategy. The Wittig reaction of aldehydes VIII and IX with the C14 hydrophobic side-chain X served as the key C-C connecting transformation. Subsequent functional group inter-conversions in the coupling products XI and XX completed the total synthesis.

Copper(II) complex systems, containing 3,5-dichlorosalicylic acid (3,5-Cl2salH) and different copper salts (Cu(ac)2 or CuSO4), with varying concentrations of 3-pyridylmethanol (ronicol, ron) or N,N′-diethylnicotinamide (denia) as ligands, were prepared. The effects of Cu(II) salts containing anions of different basicity and two different N-donor ligands with varying ligand-to-metal ratio (x) on the formation of the resultant complexes in the water/methanol solutions were studied by EPR spectroscopy at low temperature of 98 K. When ligand concentration was increased, the resolution and signal intensity of the 14N perpendicular super-hyperfine splitting patterns increased (for ron more progressively), becoming saturated at higher ligand concentrations. In comparing the ronicoland denia-containing systems, both g-factors (g ⊥, g ‖) are systematically higher and the parallel hyperfine splitting (A ‖) systematically lower in denia-containing systems for both Cu(II) salts.

Aminophosphine of the type (Ph2PNHR) derived from 1-amino-4-methylpiperazine and its chalcogen derivatives (Ph2P(X)NHR X = S, Se) were used as ligands in solvent extraction of metal picrates such as Cu2+, Ni2+, and Pb2+ from the aqueous to the organic phase. Influence of parameters such as pH of the aqueous phase, ligand concentration in the organic phase, and concentration of the extractant extracted from the aqueous to the organic phase was investigated to determine the ligands’ ability to extract metal ions. Metal picrate extraction was investigated at 25°C using UV-VIS spectrophotometry in dichloromethane in the absence and in the presence of Ph2PNHR and chalcogenides. The extraction results revealed that the extraction percentage of Cu2+, Ni2+, and Pb2+ metals was much higher at lower pH values, indicating an acidity dependent complexation equilibrium.

The electrical conductivity of molten binary and ternary mixtures based on the NaF-AlF3-SiO2 system was investigated by means of a tube-cell (composed of pyrolytic boron nitride) with stationary electrodes. An impedance/gain-phase analyser (National Instruments; a high-performance modular chassis controlled by Labview™ software) was used for the cell impedance measurement. The conductivity was found to vary linearly with temperature in all the mixtures investigated. The concentration dependence of electrical conductivity (isotherms) thus obtained was divided into two parts. The first represents the concentration region of up to 10 mole % of SiO2, the second the region with a higher concentration of SiO2 (from 10 mole % to 40 mole %). While the conductivity decreased considerably with the concentration of SiO2 in the second part, it increased surprisingly in the low concentration range. From these results, the influence of electrolyte composition and temperature on the electrical conductivity was examined.