Sulfur-functionalized porphyrin-based covalent organic framework as a metal-free dual-functional catalyst for photodegradation of organophosphorus pesticides under visible-LED-light.

Parathion and diazinon are two significant organophosphorus pesticides broadly used in agriculture. However, these compounds are toxic and can enter into the environment and atmosphere via various processes. Herein, we synthesized and post-functionalized a porphyrinic covalent organic framework (COF), COF-366, with elemental sulfur under solvent-free conditions to give polysulfide-functionalized COF-366, namely PS@COF. The resulting material consisting of porphyrin sensitizer and sulfur nucleophilic sites was used as a dual-functional heterogeneous catalyst for the degradation of these organic compounds using visible-LED-light. Accordingly, the effects of several pertinent parameters such as pH (3-9), the catalyst dosage (5-30 mg), time (up to 80 min), and substrate concentration (10-50 mg L-1) were studied in detail and optimized. The post-modified COF showed excellent photocatalytic activity (>97%) in the detoxification of diazinon and parathion for 60 min at pH 5.5. Kinetic studies indicated a fast degradation rate with pseudo-second order model for 20 mg L-1 of diazinon and parathion. The total organic carbon detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) confirmed the organic intermediates and byproducts formed during the process. PS@COF displayed good recyclability and high reusable efficiency for six cycles without a noteworthy lose in its catalytic activity, owing to its robust structure.

Iron species supported on a mesoporous zirconium metal-organic framework for visible light driven synthesis of quinazolin-4(3H)-ones through one-pot three-step tandem reaction.

A bioinspired iron(III)porphyrinic Zr-MOF, PCN-222(Fe), was modified by post-synthetic cluster metalation with iron(III) chloride, as a cheap, earth-abundant, and environmentally friendly metal precursor, towards formation a new multifunctional MOF, namely Fe@PCN-222(Fe). The MOF consists of bimetallic (Zr-oxo-Fe) nodes linked by Fe(III)porphyrin struts. The cluster metalation and pre-activation treatment of PCN-222(Fe) were performed cooperatively using the FeCl3. The respective MOF was characterized through various techniques, such as FT-IR, PXRD, ICP-AES, BET surface area, SEM, UV-Vis DRS, TGA/DSC, PL, and XPS analyses. The solid showed catalytic activity for one-pot tandem synthesis of quinazolin-4(3H)-ones from alcohols and 2-aminobenzamide through a three-consecutive-step reaction (oxidation-cyclization-oxidation) under visible light irradiation using air or oxygen without adding any additive. In addition, its catalytic performance was superior to that of the bare PCN-222(Fe) and the corresponding homogeneous catalysts. The experiments indicate that the solid MOF acts as both a photoredox and Lewis acid catalyst. Hot-filtration and Fe-leaching tests as well as reusability experiments confirm that the nominal MOF acts as an efficient reusable heterogeneous catalyst for at least three runs without significant decrease in its activity. This work demonstrates the potential of using MOFs as supports for single-site metal species towards preparation of multifunctional MOFs for modern organic transformations combining photocatalysis and catalysis.

Urea-based porous organic polymer/graphene oxide hybrid as a new sorbent for highly efficient extraction of bovine serum albumin prior to its spectrophotometric determination.

A 3D urea-based porous organic polymer (Urea-POP) was prepared via the reaction of tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)methane and 1,4-Phenylene diisocyanate. The polymer was subsequently reacted with 2D layered nanosheets of graphene oxide (GO) to prepare Urea-POP/GO as a novel and highly efficient sorbent for pre-concentration and extraction of serum albumin samples, prior to spectrophotometric determination. The hybrid material combines advantages of both POP and GO such as hydrophilicity, high dispersion stability, porosity, and having a large number of nitrogen- and oxygen-containing functional groups. Parameters which influence the extraction efficiency such as the amount of the adsorbent, pH of sample solution, ionic strength, adsorption and desorption time were investigated and optimized. For the method, detection limit of 0.068 mg L-1 and determination coefficient (R2) of 0.9991 were obtained. The intra- and inter-day was calculated with five replicates in the same day and seven consecutive days, respectively. Intra-day and inter-day precisions were 1.7% and 5.9%, respectively. The maximum sorption capacity was 357.1 mg g-1, which is higher than the other reported sorbents. The proposed method was demonstrated to be sensitive enough for determination of serum albumin from bio-samples.

Maghemite nanoparticle-decorated hollow fiber electromembrane extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for determination of thymol from Carum copticum.

BACKGROUND: A novel technique using maghemite nanoparticle-decorated hollow fibers to assist electromembrane extraction is proposed. Electromembrane extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (EME-DLLME) was applied for the extraction of thymol from Carum copticum, followed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). RESULTS: The use of maghemite nanoparticle-decorated hollow fibers was found to improve the extraction efficiency of thymol significantly. Important operational parameters, including pH of acceptor phase, extraction time, voltage and temperature, were investigated and optimized. At the optimal conditions, linearity in the range 4-1800 µg L-1 with a determination coefficient of 0.9996 was obtained. The limit of detection was 0.11 µg L-1 (S/N = 3) and the pre-concentration factor was 200. The intra- and inter-day precision was 5.9 and 2.2% respectively. The intra- and inter-day accuracy was higher than 93.6%. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that EME-DLLME/GC-FID is a useful technique for the extraction and determination of thymol in C copticum. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

The role of acetoacetate in Amadori product formation of human serum albumin.

Amadori product is an important and stable intermediate, which is produced during glycation process. It is a marker of hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus, and its accumulation in the body contributes to microvascular complication of diabetes including diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy. In this study, the effect of acetoacetate on the formation of Amadori products and biophysical properties of human serum albumin (HSA), after incubation with glucose, was investigated using various methods. These included circular dichroism (CD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. Our results indicated that the production of Amadori products in HSA incubated with glucose (GHSA) was increased in the presence of acetoacetate. We also detected alterations in the secondary and tertiary structure of GHSA, which was increased in the presence of acetoacetate. These changes were attributed to the formation of covalent bonds between the carbonyl group of acetoacetate and the nucleophilic groups (lysine residues) of HSA. Thus, acetoacetate can enhance the production of Amadori products through formation of covalent bonds with biomaterials.

Acetoacetate promotes the formation of fluorescent advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

Acetoacetate (AA) is an important ketone body, which produces reactive oxygen species (ROS). Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are defined as final products of glycation process whose production is influenced by the levels of ROS. The accumulation of AGEs in the body contributes to pathogenesis of many diseases including complications of diabetes, and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Here, we evaluated the impact of AA on production of AGEs upon incubation of human serum albumin (HSA) with glucose. The effect of AA on the AGEs formation of HSA was studied under physiological conditions after incubation with glucose for 35 days. The physical techniques including circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopy were used to assess the impact of AA on formation and structural changes of glycated HSA (GHSA). Our results indicated that the secondary and tertiary structural changes of GHSA were increased in the presence of AA. The fluorescence intensity measurements of AGEs also showed an increase in AGEs formation. Acetoacetate has an activator effect in formation of AGEs through ROS production. The presence of AA may result in enhanced glycation in the presence of glucose and severity of complications associated with accumulation of AGEs.

Mechanism and behavior of silver nanoparticles in aqueous medium as adsorbent.

In recent years there has been a rising interest in the application of nanomaterial such as silver nanoparticles (AgNps) in many areas of scientific research. The most active areas of investigation are related to the study and application of optical, biomedical, and newly applied adsorption properties of AgNps. The recent evaluation of adsorptive properties of AgNPs has added new areas to their wide range of applications in analytical separations and pre-concentrating steps. They have also been used for removal of several environmental organic pollutants and uptake of heavy metals. The main objective of this review is to describe the characteristics, mechanisms, and behavior of AgNPs as adsorbent in aquatic systems and sample solutions.

Modeling of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for determination of essential oil from Borago officinalis L. by using combination of artificial neural network and genetic algorithm method.

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) coupled with gas chromatography was applied for the extraction and determination of essential oil constituents of the Borago officinalis L. In this study, an experimental data-based artificial neural network (ANN) model was constructed to describe the performance of DLLME method for various operating conditions. The volume of extraction and dispersive solvents, extraction time and salt effect were the input variables of this process, whereas the extraction efficiency was the output. The ANN method was found to be capable of modeling this procedure accurately. The overall agreement between the experimental data and ANN predictions was satisfactory showing a determination coefficient of 0.982. The optimum operating condition was then determined by the genetic algorithm method. The optimal conditions were 248 µL volume of extraction solvent, 260 µL volume of dispersive solvent, 2.5 min extraction time and 0.16 mol L(-1) of salt. The limit of detection and linear dynamic range were 0.15-24.0 and 1.2-1,800 ng mL(-1), respectively. The main components of the essential oil were δ-cadinene (31.02%), carvacrol (24.91%), α-pinene (20.89%) and α-cadinol (16.47%).

Electromembrane Extraction of Organic Acid Compounds in Biological Samples Followed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.

Electromembrane extraction (EME) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography was developed for determination of organic compounds including citric, tartaric and oxalic acid in biological samples. Organic compounds moved from aqueous samples, through a thin layer of 1-octanol immobilized in the pores of a porous hand-made polypropylene tube, and into a basic aqueous acceptor solution present inside the lumen of the tube. This new set-up for EME has a future potential such as simple, cheap and fast sample preparation technique for extraction of organic compounds in various complicated matrices. The pH of acceptor phase, extraction time, voltage, ionic strength, temperature and stirring speed were studied and optimized. Optimum conditions were: the pH of acceptor phase, 7; extraction time, 30 min; voltage, 30 V and stirring speed, 500 rpm. At the optimum conditions, the preconcentration factors of 175-200, the limits of detection of 1.9-3.1 µg L(-1) were obtained for the analytes. The developed procedure was then applied to the extraction and determination of organic acid compounds from biological samples.

Caseoperoxidase, mixed ß-casein-SDS-hemin-imidazole complex: a nano artificial enzyme.

A novel peroxidase-like artificial enzyme, named "caseoperoxidase", was biomimetically designed using a nano artificial amino acid apo-protein hydrophobic pocket. This four-component nano artificial enzyme containing heme-imidazole-ß-casein-SDS exhibited high activity growth and k(cat) performance toward the native horseradish peroxidase demonstrated by the steady state kinetics using UV-vis spectrophotometry. The hydrophobicity and secondary structure of the caseoperoxidase were studied by ANS fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Camel ß-casein (Cß-casein) was selected as an appropriate apo-protein for the heme active site because of its innate flexibility and exalted hydrophobicity. This selection was confirmed by homology modeling method. Heme docking into the newly obtained Cß-casein structure indicated one heme was mainly incorporated with Cß-casein. The presence of a main electrostatic site for the active site in the Cß-casein was also confirmed by experimental methods through Wyman binding potential and isothermal titration calorimetry. The existence of Cß-casein protein in this biocatalyst lowered the suicide inactivation and provided a suitable protective role for the heme active-site. Additional experiments confirmed the retention of caseoperoxidase structure and function as an artificial enzyme.

Application of hollow cylindrical wheat stem for electromembrane extraction of thorium in water samples.

In this study, wheat stem was used for electromembrane extraction (EME) for the first time. The EME technique involved the use of a wheat stem whose channel was filled with 3 M HCl, immersed in 10 mL of an aqueous sample solution. Thorium migrated from aqueous samples, through a thin layer of 1-octanol and 5%v/v Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (DEHP) immobilized in the pores of a porous stem, and into an acceptor phase solution present inside the lumen of the stem. The pH of donor and acceptor phases, extraction time, voltage, and stirring speed were optimized. At the optimum conditions, an enrichment factor of 50 and a limit of detection of 0.29 ng mL(-1) was obtained for thorium. The developed procedure was then applied to the extraction and determination of thorium in water samples and in reference material.

Implication of disulfide bridge induced thermal reversibility, structural and functional stability for luciferase.

Firefly luciferase is a relatively unstable protein and commonly loses its activity at room temperature because of structural changes. The structural and functional stability of this protein is critical for its enzymatic applications. Different approaches are applied to increase the stability of this enzyme such as designing of covalent cross-links (disulfide bonds). In this study, luciferase mutants containing one or two disulfide bonds were compared to the native protein for their for their structural, thermodynamic, and functional properties. Mutant forms of P. Pyralis luciferase A²96C-A³²6C and A²96C-A³²6C/P45¹C-V469C were used. Thermodynamic and biophysical studies were carried out using UV-Vis, fluorescence, circular dichroism, luminescence spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). We observed that both mutant forms of the protein were more stable than the wild-type enzyme. However, the single disulfide bond containing mutant was structurally and functionally more stable than the mutant protein containing two disulfide bonds. Furthermore, the enzymatic activity of the single disulfide bond containing mutant protein was 7-folds greater than the wild type and the double disulfide bond proteins. The A²96C-A³²6C mutation also increased the reversibility and disaggregation of the protein. The enhanced activity of the single disulfide bond mutant protein was contributed to the expansion of its active site cleft, which was confirmed by bioinformatics tools.

Matrix solid-phase dispersion with chitosan-zinc oxide nanoparticles combined with flotation-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of 13 n-alkanes in soil samples.

In this study, chitosan-zinc oxide nanoparticles were used as a sorbent of miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion combined with flotation-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the simultaneous determination of 13 n-alkanes such as C8 H18 and C20 H42 in soil samples. The solid samples were directly blended with the chitosan nanoparticles in the solid-phase dispersion method. The eluent of solid-phase dispersion was applied as the dispersive solvent for the following flotation-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for further purification and enrichment of the target compounds prior to gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Under the optimum conditions, good linearity with correlation coefficients in the range 0.9991 < r(2) < 0.9995 and low detection limits between 0.08 to 2.5 ng/g were achieved. The presented procedure combined the advantages of chitosan-zinc oxide nanoparticles, solid-phase dispersion and flotation-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, and could be applied for the determination of n-alkanes in complicated soil samples with acceptable recoveries.

Modified ß-casein restores thermal reversibility of human carbonic anhydrase II: the salt bridge mechanism.

Modified ß-casein (mß-CN) was investigated as an efficient additive for thermal reversibility of human carbonic anhydrase II (HCA II) at pH 7.75. The mß-CN was obtained via modification of ß-casein (ß-CN) acidic residues using Woodward's reagent K. The effects of mß-CN on the reversibility and stability of HCA II were determined by differential scanning calorimetry, UV-vis, and 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid fluorescence spectroscopic methods. The mß-CN, as an additive, enhanced thermal reversibility of HCA II by 33%. Together, our results indicated that mß-CN is very efficient in decreasing thermal aggregation and enhancing the stability of HCA II. Using theoretical studies, we propose that the mechanism for thermal reversibility is mediated through formation of a salt bridge between the Woodward part of mß-CN and the Zn ion of HCA II.

Heat-induced conformational unfolding of fatty acid-free and fatted camel serum albumin: a comparative study.

Albumin is a multifunctional non-glycosylated, negatively charged plasma protein, with extraordinary ligand-binding and transport properties, antioxidant functions, and enzymatic activities. Physiologically, albumin transports free fatty acids in plasma and contributes in maintaining colloid osmotic pressure. Recent progresses in using albumin as a versatile protein carrier for drug targeting and for improving the pharmacokinetic profile of peptide or protein-based drugs, increased the attempts for improving albumin stability. Studying the thermal stability of camel albumin may provide us not only new clues for designing recombinant albumins, but also molecular insights on camel physiology. This study aims to determine the thermal stability of camel albumin. Fatted camel serum albumin (FCSA) was purified from blood via combination of Cohn's method and anion-exchange chromatography. Activated charcoal treatment was used to obtain defatted camel serum albumin (CSA). Fluorescence spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to study thermal denaturation of this protein. The set of fluorescence spectra were deconvoluted using the convex constraint analysis method (CCA). The results from deconvolution of fluorescence spectroscopy and DSC showed three and two components for CSA and FCSA, respectively. The bimodal DSC transition can be attributed to a crevice between domains I and II and formation of two independent thermodynamic domains. The crevice formation can be prevented by fatty acid binding between domains I and II. The calculated values of ∆H v/∆H cal, approximately 0.4 for CSA and near 1 for FCSA, confirmed the presence of at least one intermediate in thermal unfolding of CSA and the absence of the intermediate for FCSA. The obtained midpoint transition temperature (T m) of FCSA was about 20 °C higher than that of CSA. Such enormous stabilizing effect may be attributed to the fact that fatty acid serves as glue which preserves different domains beside each other and prevents formation of the mentioned intermediate.

Effects of silica nanoparticle supported ionic liquid as additive on thermal reversibility of human carbonic anhydrase II.

Silica nanoparticle supported imidazolium ionic liquid [SNImIL] was synthesized and utilized as a biocompatible additive for studying the thermal reversibility of human carbonic anhydrase II (HCA II). For this purpose, we prepared additive by modification of nanoparticles through the grafting of ionic liquids on the surface of nanoparticles (SNImIL). The SNImIL were fully characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermo gravimetric analysis. The characterization of HCA II was investigated by various techniques including UV-vis and ANS fluorescence spectrophotometry, differential scanning calorimetry, and docking study. SNImIL induced disaggregation, enhanced protein stability and increased thermal reversibility of HCA II by up to 42% at pH 7.75.