Surface modification for nano‐lignocellulose fiber through vapor‐phase‐assisted surface polymerization

This study addresses the inherent issues surrounding surface modification methods of nanofibers and proposes an environmentally friendly and less toxic strategy for the surface modification of hydrophilic nanofiber. From the continuation of our previous work, which discussed the easy production of nanofiber (average size: 127 nm) from oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF), in this work, the surface of nanofibers (M‐IL‐OPMF) were modified through vapor‐phase‐assisted surface polymerization (VASP) to improve the affinity of interface between the polymer grafted M‐IL‐OPMF and non‐polar matrix. VASP of ε‐caprolactone was successfully proceeded from the [M‐IL‐OPMF] at 70 °C for 24 h and 72 h, and compositions were estimated to be 35.7% fiber/64.3% polymer and 27.8% fiber/72.2% polymer. To confirm the grafting of PCL, size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC) and Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetry (TG), and dispersibility test in hydrophobic solvent were carried out. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 2575–2580     

Development of a solid‐phase microextraction LC–MS/MS method for determination of oxidative stress biomarkers in biofluids

Recently the connection between oxidative stress and various diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer's, attracts notice as a pathway suitable for diagnostic purposes. 8‐Oxo‐deoxyguanosine and 8‐oxo‐deoxyadenosine produced from the interaction of reactive oxygen species with DNA become prominent as biomarkers. Several methods have been developed for their determination in biofluids, including solid‐phase extraction and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. However, still, there is a need for reliable and fast analytical methods. In this context, solid‐phase microextraction offers many advantages such as flexibility in geometry and applicable sample volume, as well as high adaptability to high‐throughput sampling. In this study, a solid‐phase microextraction method was developed for the determination of 8‐oxo‐deoxyguanosine and 8‐oxo‐deoxyadenosine in biofluids. The extractive phase of solid‐phase microextraction consisted of hydrophilic–lipophilic balanced polymeric particles. In order to develop a solid‐phase microextraction method suitable for the determination of the analytes in saliva and urine, several parameters, including desorption solvent, desorption time, sample pH, and ionic strength, were scrutinized. Analytical figures of merit indicated that the developed method provides reasonable interday and intraday precisions (<15% in both biofluids) with acceptable accuracy. The method provides a limit of quantification for both biomarkers at 5.0 and 10.0 ng/mL levels in saliva and urine matrices, respectively.     

Building an Iron Chromophore Incorporating Prussian Blue Analogue for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation

The replacement of traditional ruthenium-based photosensitizers with low-cost and abundant iron analogs is a key step for the advancement of scalable and sustainable dye-sensitized water splitting cells. In this proof-of-concept study, a pyridinium ligand coordinated pentacyanoferrate(II) chromophore is used to construct a cyanide-based CoFe extended bulk framework, in which the iron photosensitizer units are connected to cobalt water oxidation catalytic sites through cyanide linkers. The iron-sensitized photoanode exhibits exceptional stability for at least 5 h at pH 7 and features its photosensitizing ability with an incident photon-to-current conversion capacity up to 500 nm with nanosecond scale excited state lifetime. Ultrafast transient absorption and computational studies reveal that iron and cobalt sites mutually support each other for charge separation via short bridging cyanide groups and for injection to the semiconductor in our proof-of-concept photoelectrochemical device. The reorganization of the excited states due to the mixing of electronic states of metal-based orbitals subsequently tailor the electron transfer cascade during the photoelectrochemical process. This breakthrough in chromophore-catalyst assemblies will spark interest in dye-sensitization with robust bulk systems for photoconversion applications.     

Electrokinetic and electrorheological properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/polyindole conducting composites

In this study, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), polyindole (PIN), and PVC/PIN conducting composites having five different compositions were used. Particle sizes, densities, dielectric constants, and sedimentation ratios of the materials were determined. The zeta‐potentials of the samples were measured in aqueous and nonaqueous (silicone oil [SO]) media. The dispersions prepared in SO were subjected to external electric field strength, and their electrorheological properties were investigated. Then the effects of dispersed particle volume fraction, shear rate, external electric field strength, frequency, and temperature onto electrorheological activities of the dispersions were examined. Further, creep and creep‐recovery tests were applied to the PIN/SO and PVC/PIN/SO dispersions, and reversible viscoelastic deformations were observed. Finally, the vibration damping capacity of PVC (66%)/PIN (34%)/SO dispersion system was tested by using an automobile shock absorber. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

阴离子对鼠尾草提取物中Ni盐前体绿色合成的NiO纳米粒子磁性和结构性能的影响

采用绿色合成方法,将鼠尾草提取物用作还原和封端剂合成氧化镍纳米颗粒(NiO NPs)。此外,使用各种前驱体合成了NiO NPs,并使用扫描电子显微镜对其形貌进行了分析。利用傅里叶变换红外光谱和粉末X射线衍射(PXRD)对NiO NPs的结构进行了表征,使用振动样品磁强计测量了它们的磁性。PXRD研究表明,所有合成的NiO NPs都表现出具有高结晶度的面心立方相,并且形成了具有高纯度相的NiO。磁化研究结果表明,3种镍盐(乙酸盐、氯化物和硫酸盐)前驱体合成的NiO NPs分别表现出超顺磁、软铁磁和顺磁行为。     

Computational Study of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Dependent RNA Polymerase Allosteric Site Inhibition

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of fatalities since 2019. Despite the availability of vaccines for this disease, new strains are causing rapid ailment and are a continuous threat to vaccine efficacy. Here, molecular docking and simulations identify strong inhibitors of the allosteric site of the SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). More than one hundred different flavonoids were docked with the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp allosteric site through computational screening. The three top hits were Naringoside, Myricetin and Aureusidin 4,6-diglucoside. Simulation analyses confirmed that they are in constant contact during the simulation time course and have strong association with the enzyme’s allosteric site. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) data provided medicinal information of these top three hits. They had good human intestinal absorption (HIA) concentrations and were non-toxic. Due to high mutation rates in the active sites of the viral enzyme, these new allosteric site inhibitors offer opportunities to drug SARS-CoV-2 RdRp. These results provide new information for the design of novel allosteric inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 RdRp.     

Synthesis of polybenzoxazine/clay nanocomposites by in situ thermal ring‐opening polymerization using intercalated monomer

A new class of polybenzoxazine/montmorillonite (PBz/MMT) nanocomposites has been prepared by the in situ polymerization of the typical fluid benzoxazine monomer, 3‐pentyl‐5‐ol‐3,4‐dihydro‐1,3‐benzoxazine, with intercalated benzoxazine MMT clay. A pyridine‐substituted benzoxazine was first synthesized and quaternized by 11‐bromo‐1‐undecanol and then used for ion exchange reaction with sodium ions in MMT to obtain intercalated benzoxazine clay. Finally, this organomodified clay was dispersed in the fluid benzoxazine monomers at different loading degrees to conduct the in situ thermal ring‐opening polymerization. Polymerization through the interlayer galleries of the clay led to the PBz/MMT nanocomposite formation. The morphologies of the nanocomposites were investigated by both X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopic techniques, which suggested the partially exfoliated/intercalated structures in the PBz matrix. Results of thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that the thermal stability and char yield of PBz nanocomposites increased with the increase of clay content. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Synthesis and characterization of a double photochromic initiator for cationic polymerization

A novel cationic photoinitiator namely, 2-benzyl-2-(N,N-dimethyl-2-oxo-2-phenylethyl) ammonium hexafluoroantimonate-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-butane-1-one (BDMPP⁺ ), carrying two photochromophoric groups was synthesized and characterized. Theoretical absorption characteristics of the salt were studied and compared with those obtained experimentally. Photoinitiation activity of this salt was demonstrated by polymerization of various monomers at λ = 350 nm. Upon irradiation by UV light, cationic species formed from homolytic dissociation followed by electron transfer or directly by heterolytic scission initiate cationic polymerization.     

阴离子对鼠尾草提取物中Ni盐前体绿色合成的NiO纳米粒子磁性和结构性能的影响

采用绿色合成方法,将鼠尾草提取物用作还原和封端剂合成氧化镍纳米颗粒(NiO NPs)。此外,使用各种前驱体合成了NiO NPs,并使用扫描电子显微镜对其形貌进行了分析。利用傅里叶变换红外光谱和粉末X射线衍射(PXRD)对NiO NPs的结构进行了表征,使用振动样品磁强计测量了它们的磁性。PXRD研究表明,所有合成的NiO NPs都表现出具有高结晶度的面心立方相,并且形成了具有高纯度相的NiO。磁化研究结果表明,3种镍盐(乙酸盐、氯化物和硫酸盐)前驱体合成的NiO NPs分别表现出超顺磁、软铁磁和顺磁行为。     

Effect of Catalytically Active Zinc Oxide−Carbon Nanotube Composite on Sensitive Assay of Desloratadine Metabolite

Desloratadine is one of the most effective second‐generation antihistamines and the electrochemical behavior of the active agent of desloratadine was investigated with a new nanosensor designed with the addition of zinc oxide and multiwalled carbon nanotube (ZnO : MWCNT) mixture on glassy carbon (GCE). By investigating and using cyclic, differential pulse and square wave voltammetry techniques with ZnO : MWCNT/GCE, it is planned to obtain information about quantification and mechanism of desloratadine. The efficiency of experimental parameters such as pH, scan rate, accumulation potential and time on the anodic response of desloratadine were studied. Differential pulse voltammetry was selected as assay method and under developed method and optimized conditions, the current showed linear dependence with concentration in the range between 2×10^?8 and 8×10^?6 M in pH 5.5 acetate buffer. The achieved limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) are 0.769 nM and 2.56 nM respectively. Applicability of the methods was demonstrated by their implementation in pharmaceutical dosage forms of desloratadine and the accuracy, precision, selectivity, sensitivity, intra‐day and day‐to‐day reproducibility of the methods were clearly explored. Finally, this sensor was successfully applied on real sample as a selective, simple, reproducible, repeatable an electrochemical sensor.