Electron Spin-Dependent Electrocatalysis for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in a Chiro-Self-Assembled Iron Phthalocyanine Device.

The chiral-induced spin selectivity effect (CISS) is a breakthrough phenomenon that has revolutionized the field of electrocatalysis. We report the first study on the electron spin-dependent electrocatalysis for the oxygen reduction reaction, ORR, using iron phthalocyanine, FePc, a well-known molecular catalyst for this reaction. The FePc complex belongs to the non-precious catalysts group, whose active site, FeN4, emulates catalytic centers of biocatalysts such as Cytochrome c. This study presents an experimental platform involving FePc self-assembled to a gold electrode surface using chiral peptides (L and D enantiomers), i.e., chiro-self-assembled FePc systems (CSAFePc). The chiral peptides behave as spin filters axial ligands of the FePc. One of the main findings is that the peptides' handedness and length in CSAFePc can optimize the kinetics and thermodynamic factors governing ORR. Moreover, the D-enantiomer promotes the highest electrocatalytic activity of FePc for ORR, shifting the onset potential up to 1.01 V vs. RHE in an alkaline medium, a potential close to the reversible potential of the O2 /H2 O couple. Therefore, this work has exciting implications for developing highly efficient and bioinspired catalysts, considering that, in biological organisms, biocatalysts that promote O2 reduction to water comprise L-enantiomers.

Effect of Plasma Argon Pretreatment on the Surface Properties of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy.

Climate change has evidenced the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, and so for transport applications, lighter weight alloys have been studied, such as magnesium alloys. However, they are susceptible to corrosion; therefore, surface treatments have been extensively studied. In this work, the influence of argon plasma pretreatment on the surface properties of an AZ31 magnesium alloy focus on the enhancement of the reactivity of the surface, which was examined by surface analysis techniques, electrochemical techniques, and gravimetric measurements. The samples were polished and exposed to argon plasma for two minutes in order to activate the surface. Contact angle measurements revealed higher surface energy after applying the pretreatment, and atomic force microscopy showed a roughness increase, while X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed a chemical change on the surface, where after pretreatment the oxygen species increased. Electrochemical measurements showed that surface pretreatment does not affect the corrosion mechanism of the alloy, while electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals an increase in the original thickness of the surface film. This increase is likely associated with the high reactivity that the plasma pretreatment confers to the surface of the AZ31 alloy, affecting the extent of oxide formation and, consequently, the increase in its protection capacity. The weight loss measurements support the effect of the plasma pretreatment on the oxide thickness since the corrosion rate of the pretreated AZ31 specimens was lower than that of those that did not receive the surface pretreatment.

Effect of pH on the Electrochemical Behavior of Hydrogen Peroxide in the Presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The influence of pH on the electrochemical behavior of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated using electrochemical techniques. Cyclic and square wave voltammetry were used to monitor the enzymatic activity. A modified cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) carbon electrode (OPG), a known catalyst for reducing O2 to H2O2, was used to detect species resulting from the enzyme activity. The electrolyte was a sterilized aqueous medium containing Mueller-Hinton (MH) broth. The open-circuit potential (OCP) of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa culture in MH decreased rapidly with time, reaching a stable state after 4 h. Peculiarities in the E / I response were observed in voltammograms conducted in less than 4 h of exposure to the culture medium. Such particular E/I responses are due to the catalase's enzymatic action related to the conversion of hydrogen peroxide to oxygen, confirming the authors' previous findings related to the behavior of other catalase-positive microorganisms. The enzymatic activity exhibits maximum activity at pH 7.5, assessed by the potential at which oxygen is reduced to hydrogen peroxide. At higher or lower pHs, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) occurs at higher overpotentials, i.e., at more negative potentials. In addition, and to assess the influence of bacterial adhesion on the electrochemical behavior, measurements of the bacterial-substrate metal interaction were performed at different pH using atomic force microscopy.

Oxygen Reduction Reaction at Penta-Coordinated Co Phthalocyanines.

From the early 60s, Co complexes, especially Co phthalocyanines (CoPc) have been extensively studied as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Generally, they promote the 2-electron reduction of O2 to give peroxide whereas the 4-electron reduction is preferred for fuel cell applications. Still, Co complexes are of interest because depending on the chemical environment of the Co metal centers either promote the 2-electron transfer process or the 4-electron transfer. In this study, we synthetized 3 different Co catalysts where Co is coordinated to 5 N atoms using CoN4 phthalocyanines with a pyridine axial linker anchored to carbon nanotubes. We tested complexes with electro-withdrawing or electro-donating residues on the N4 phthalocyanine ligand. The catalysts were characterized by EPR and XPS spectroscopy. Ab initio calculations, Koutecky-Levich extrapolation and Tafel plots confirm that the pyridine back ligand increases the Co-O2 binding energy, and therefore promotes the 4-electron reduction of O2. But the presence of electron withdrawing residues, in the plane of the tetra N atoms coordinating the Co, does not further increase the activity of the compounds because of pull-push electronic effects.

The Use of a Game-Based Decision Aid to Educate Pregnant Women about Prenatal Screening: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PURPOSE: This project developed and evaluated the efficacy of a game decision aid among pregnant women about prenatal screening in a randomized controlled study. STUDY DESIGN: Participants were recruited from an obstetric clinic of an academic urban medical center and randomized (n = 73) to one of two study groups: the control group (n = 39) that used a brochure or the intervention group (n = 34) that also used a game decision aid. RESULT: Participants who played the game had higher knowledge scores (m = 21.41, standard deviation [SD] = 1.74) than participants in the control group (m = 19.59; SD = 3.31), p = 0.004. The median time of game playing was 6:43 minutes (range: 2:17-16:44). The groups were similar in frequency of completing screening after the study, control = 6 (15%) versus intervention = 11 (32%), p = 0.087. However, the more interaction with the game resulted in more positive attitudes toward screening. CONCLUSION: The addition of a game decision aid was effective in educating pregnant women about prenatal screening. As other genetic testing decisions continue to increase within clinical care, game-based decision tools may be a constructive method of informed decision-making.

Surface Functionalization of an Aluminum Alloy to Generate an Antibiofilm Coating Based on Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) and Silver Nanoparticles.

An experimental protocol was studied to improve the adhesion of a polymeric poly(methyl methacrylate) coating that was modified with silver nanoparticles to an aluminum alloy, AA2024. The nanoparticles were incorporated into the polymeric matrix to add the property of inhibiting biofilm formation to the anticorrosive characteristics of the film, thus also making the coating antibiocorrosive. The protocol consists of functionalizing the surface through a pseudotransesterification treatment using a methyl methacrylate monomer that bonds covalently to the surface and leaves a terminal double bond that promotes and directs the polymerization reaction that takes place in the process that follows immediately after. This results in more compact and thicker poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) coatings than those obtained without pseudotransesterification. The poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix modified with nanoparticles was obtained by incorporating both the nanoparticles and the methyl methacrylate in the reactor. The in situ polymerization involved combining the pretreated AA2024 specimens combined with the methyl methacrylate monomer and AgNps. The antibiofilm capacity of the coating was evaluated against P. aeruginosa, with an excellent response. Not only did the presence of bacteria decrease, but the formation of the exopolymer subunits was 99.99% lower than on the uncoated aluminum alloy or the alloy coated with unmodified poly(methyl methacrylate). As well and significantly, the potentiodynamic polarization measurements indicate that the PMMA-Ag coating has a good anticorrosive property in a 0.1-M NaCl medium.

Comparison of the catalytic activity for O2 reduction of Fe and Co MN4 adsorbed on graphite electrodes and on carbon nanotubes.

We have compared the electrocatalytic activity of several substituted and unsubstituted Co and Fe N4-macrocyclic complexes (MN4) for the electro-reduction of oxygen with the complexes directly adsorbed on the edge plane of pyrolytic graphite or adsorbed on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). In the presence of CNTs, one order of magnitude higher surface concentrations of MN4 catalysts per geometric area unit could be adsorbed leading to a lower overpotential for the oxygen electro-reduction and activities in the same order of magnitude as the commercially available Pt/C catalysts in basic pH. From Koutecky-Levich regression analysis, the total number of electrons transferred was approximately 2 for all the Co complexes and 4 for all the Fe ones, both in the presence and in the absence of the carbon nanotubes. Furthermore, the Tafel slopes did not vary due to the presence of the CNTs and presented values in the range of -0.06 V decade-1 for the CoN4 compounds and in the range of -0.04 V decade-1 for FeN4. When plotting the log of kinetic current densities (i.e. log jk) at a constant potential for each complex divided by the surface concentration Γ, and the number of electrons transferred n for the ORR for each catalyst, versus the difference between the redox potential of the metal active site of the Co(ii)/(i) or Fe(iii)/(ii) catalyst and the reversible potential of the reaction they promote, the catalytic activity increases when the formal potential of the complex becomes more positive and the data obtained with complexes adsorbed on graphite are in agreement with the data obtained when using CNTs indicating that the increase in jk when CNTs are present is only due to an increase in the number of active sites per geometric area of the electrode.

Catalytic aspects of metallophthalocyanines adsorbed on gold-electrode. Theoretical exploration of the binding nature role.

The need of deeper insights regarding the inner working of catalysts represents a current challenge in the search of new ways to tune their activities towards new chemical transformations. Within this field, metallophthalocyanines-based (MPc) electrocatalysis has gained tremendous attention due to their versatility, low cost, great stability and excellent turn-over properties. In this concern, here we present a quantum chemical study of the formation of supramolecular complexes based on the adsorption of MPcs on gold substrates, and the effect of the substrate on their electrocatalytic properties. For this purpose, we used iron- (FePc), cobalt- (CoPc) and copper-phthalocyanines (CuPc). To model the gold surface we used two gold clusters of different sizes, given by Au26 and Au58 accounting for gold electrode Au(111) surface. Thus, both electronic and binding strength features of the adsorption process between the complexes were analyzed in detail in order to gain a deeper description of the nature of the MPc-Au(111) formation, by using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, at the PBE and TPSS levels including the dispersive contribution according to the Grimme approach (D3). Our results show that dispersion forces rule the MPc-gold interaction, with binding strengths ranging between 61 and 153 kcal mol-1, in agreement to the reported experimental data. To provide a detailed picture of our findings we used the non-covalent interactions index (NCIs) analysis, which offers additional chemical insights regarding the forces that control their interaction strength. Finally, our calculations revealed that among the three MPcs, CuPc required less energy for its oxidation. However, the removal of the electron involves a tremendous decrease of the MPc-gold surface interaction strength thus suggesting its desorption, which would prevent the required reversibility of the redox reaction, explaining its low performance observed experimentally.

Reactivity Descriptors for the Activity of Molecular MN4 Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Similarities are established between well-known reactivity descriptors of metal electrodes for their activity in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the reactivity of molecular catalysts, in particular macrocyclic MN4 metal complexes confined to electrode surfaces. We show that there is a correlation between the MIII /MII redox potential of MN4 chelates and the M-O2 binding energies. Specifically, the binding energy of O2 (and other O species) follows the MIII -OH/MII redox transition for MnN4 and FeN4 chelates. The ORR volcano plot for MN4 catalysts is similar to that for metal catalysts: catalysts on the weak binding side (mostly CoN4 chelates) yield mainly H2 O2 as the product, with an ORR onset potential independent of the pH value on the NHE scale (and therefore pH-dependent on the RHE scale); catalysts on the stronger binding side yield H2 O as the product with the expected pH-dependence on the NHE scale. The suggested descriptors also apply to heat-treated pyrolyzed MN4 catalysts.

Multiscale Approach to the Study of the Electronic Properties of Two Thiophene Curcuminoid Molecules.

We studied the electronic and conductance properties of two thiophene-curcuminoid molecules, 2-thphCCM (1) and 3-thphCCM (2), in which the only structural difference is the position of the sulfur atoms in the thiophene terminal groups. We used electrochemical techniques as well as UV/Vis absorption studies to obtain the values of the HOMO-LUMO band gap energies, showing that molecule 1 has lower values than 2. Theoretical calculations show the same trend. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of these molecules were studied by using electrochemistry, showing that the interaction with gold reduces drastically the HOMO-LUMO gap in both molecules to almost the same value. Single-molecule conductance measurements show that molecule 2 has two different conductance values, whereas molecule 1 exhibits only one. Based on theoretical calculations, we conclude that the lowest conductance value, similar in both molecules, corresponds to a van der Waals interaction between the thiophene ring and the electrodes. The one order of magnitude higher conductance value for molecule 2 corresponds to a coordinate (dative covalent) interaction between the sulfur atoms and the gold electrodes.

Detection of total phenol in green and black teas by flow injection system and unmodified screen printed electrode.

A flow injection system using an unmodified gold screen-printed electrode was employed for total phenol determination in black and green teas. In order to avoid passivation of the electrode surface due to the redox reaction, preoxidation of the sample was realized by hexacyanoferrate(III) followed by addition of an EDTA solution. The complex formed in the presence of EDTA minimizes or avoids polymerization of the oxidized phenols. The previously filtered tea sample and hexacyanoferrate(III) reagent were introduced simultaneously into two-carrier streams producing two reproducible zones. At confluence point, the pre-oxidation of the phenolic compounds occurs while this zone flows through the coiled reactor and receives the EDTA solution before phenol detection. The consumption of ferricyanide was monitorized at 360 mV versus Ag/AgCl and reflected the total amount of phenolic compounds present in the sample. Results were reported as gallic acid equivalents (GAEs). The proposed system is robust, versatile, environmentally-friendly (since the reactive is used only in the presence of the sample), and allows the analysis of about 35-40 samples per hour with detection limit = 1 mg/L without the necessity for surface cleaning after each measurement. Precise results are in agreement with those obtained by the Folin-Ciocalteu method.

Carbon nanotubes, phthalocyanines and porphyrins: attractive hybrid materials for electrocatalysis and electroanalysis.

The manuscript discusses different ways of forming hybrid materials between single (SWCNT) or multi (MWCNT) walled carbon nanotubes and biomimetic compounds such as metalloporphyrins, metallophthalocyanines and other MN4 complexes. The hybrid materials are employed for electrocatalysis of reactions such as oxygen and hydrogen peroxide reduction, nitric oxide oxidation, oxidation of thiols and other pollutants. Methods of characterizing the hybrid materials such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) are discussed.

Tuning the redox properties of metalloporphyrin- and metallophthalocyanine-based molecular electrodes for the highest electrocatalytic activity in the oxidation of thiols.

In this work we discuss different approaches for achieving electrodes modified with N(4) macrocyclic complexes for the catalysis of the electrochemical oxidation of thiols. These approaches involve adsorption, electropolymerization and molecular anchoring using self assembled monolayers. We also discuss the parameters that determine the reactivity of these complexes. Catalytic activity is associated with the nature of the central metal, redox potentials and Hammett parameters of substituents on the ligand. Correlations between catalytic activity (log i at constant E) and the redox potential of catalysts for complexes of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu are linear with an increase of activity for more positive redox potentials. For a great variety complexes bearing the same metal center (Co) correlations between log i and E(o') of the Co(II)/Co(I) couple have the shape of an unsymmetric volcano. This indicates that the potential of the Co(II)/Co(I) couple can be tuned using the appropriate ligand to achieve maximum catalytic activity. Maximum activity probably corresponds to a DeltaG of adsorption of the thiol on the Co center equal to zero, and to a coverage of active sites by the thiol equal to 0.5.

Electrocatalytic activity of cobalt phthalocyanine CoPc adsorbed on a graphite electrode for the oxidation of reduced L-glutathione (GSH) and the reduction of its disulfide (GSSG) at physiological pH.

Modified electrodes coated by adsorbed cobalt phthalocyanines are known to show substantial electrocatalytic activity for the electro-oxidation of several thiols in alkaline aqueous solution. In this context, we explore in this study the electrocatalytic activity of adsorbed cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) on ordinary pyrolytic graphite electrode for the oxidation of reduced L-glutathione GSH and the reduction of its disulfide GSSG at physiological pH. To do so, cyclic and rotating disk voltammetries were performed and the amperometric results show that a stable electrochemical sensing material, with good reproducibility and sensitivity (in accordance with the concentrations of GSH expected in biological media), can be easily achieved. This opens the way for the design of an electrochemical sensor able to detect these two analytes in biologically relevant experimental conditions (in terms of pH).

Theoretical modeling of the oxidation of hydrazine by iron(II) phthalocyanine in the gas phase. Influence of the metal character.

The hydrazine oxidation by iron(II) phthalocyanine (Fe(II)Pc) has been studied using an energy profile framework through quantum chemistry theoretical models calculated in the gas phase at the density functional theory B3LYP/LACVP(d) level. We applied two models of charge-transfer mechanisms previously reported (J. Phys. Chem. A 2005, 109, 1196) for the hydrazine oxidation mediated by Co(II)Pc. Model 1 consists of an alternated loss of one electron and one proton, involving anionic and neutral species. Model 2 considers an alternated loss of two electrons and two protons and includes anionic, neutral, and cationic species. Both applied models describe how the charge-transfer process occurs. In contrast with the obtained results for Co(II)Pc, we found that the hydrazine oxidation mediated by Fe(II)Pc is a fully through-bond charge-transfer mechanism. On the other hand, the use of different charge-transfer descriptors (spin density, electronic population, condensed Fukui function) showed a major contribution of the iron atom in comparison with the cobalt atom in the above-mentioned process. These results could explain the higher catalytic activity observed experimentally for Fe(II)Pc in comparison with Co(II)Pc. The applied theoretical models are a good starting point to rationalize the charge-transfer process of hydrazine oxidation mediated by Fe(II)Pc.

Bridging the gap between the topological and orbital description of hydrogen bonding: the case of the formic acid dimer and its sulfur derivatives.

Several molecular descriptors, based on topological approaches as well as on a more traditional orbital-based decomposition, have been used to asses relations with hydrogen bond strengths in a series of formic acid dimers and its sulfur derivatives. Particular attention has been devoted to the analysis of the core-valence bifurcation topological index and to the bond order index. Their values are seen to be linearly related to bond energies estimated through a bond-energy-bond-order relationship; also, the mean value of the topological index appears to be related to the complexation energy computed by methods based on density functional theory. The dependence of the index upon the donor-acceptor couple in relation to its applicability is discussed.

Optical determination of differential coverage-potential relations of redox-active species immobilized on electrode surfaces.

Single-wavelength (HeNe laser, lambda = 633 nm), normal incidence UV-visible reflectance spectroscopy was used to monitor the optical properties of the glassy carbon (GC)|0.2 M NaOH(aq) interface as a function of the applied potential, E. Whereas the electroreflectance coefficient for bare GC was found to be small and potential independent, surface functionalization by an irreversibly adsorbed layer of tetrasulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine (CoTSPc) yielded a clearly defined sigmoidally shaped normalized reflectance change (DeltaR/R) vs E curve over the potential region in which the adsorbate displayed redox peaks. Assuming DeltaR/R is proportional to the extent of redox conversion, as has been reported for macrocycles adsorbed on other types of carbon (e.g., Kim, S.; Xu, X.; Bae, I. T.; Wang, Z.; Scherson, D. A. Anal. Chem. 1990, 62, 2647-2650), differential coverage-potential relations were determined based purely on the optical data collected. A similar optical behavior was found for irreversible adsorbed CoPc and tetraamino CoPc (CoTAPc) adsorbed on GC, for which the voltammetric peaks were ill-defined, too small for coulometric analyses to be reliably performed, or both. No detectable changes in the DeltaR/R vs E profiles of either bare or macrocyclic-functionalized surfaces were observed upon addition of hydrazine to the neat 0.2 M NaOH solution at potentials at which these surfaces display electrocatalytic properties for its oxidation. Possible factors responsible for this behavior are discussed.

Hiperbilirrubinemia externa asociada a esferocitosis y coledocolitiasis / Extreme hiperbilirubinemia secondary to sphetocytosis and choledochcolithiasis

La esferocitosis condiciona destrucción exagerada de los glóbulos rojos ocupando en esto el bazo un papel fundamental, ya que la forma esférica condiciona mayor fragilidad y labilidad del glóbulo rojo al medio esplénico. La manifestaciones clínicas son: anemia, ictericia, esplenomegalia y eventualmente ocurren crisis hemolíticas y aplásicas asociadas a infecciones virales. La colelitiasis es una manifestación que se puede encontrar desde temprana edad, aún en casos con manifestaciones leves. La coledocolitiasis es muy rara tal vez porque el tratamiento quirúrgico se instituye tempranamente. Los niveles de bilirrubina son variables pero habitualmente no mayores de 10mg/dL (117µmol/L) a expensas de la fracción indirecta; la elevación de la directa debe hacer sospechar obstrucción o daño hepático. Reportamos el caso de un niño de 10 años de edad con esferocitosis y manifestaciones severas que desarolló colelitiasis y obstrucción total del colédoco y en quien la manifestación clínica más importante fue la ictericia por elevación de la bilirrubina total a 89 mg/dL (1521.9 µmol/L)corroborada doblemente. Se le efectuó esplenectomía, colecistectomía y exploración de vías biliares. Los controles subsecuentes son normales. Estos niveles de bilirrubinas no han sido reportados previamente. Hiperbilirrubinemia; esferocitosis; coledocolitiasis