Extreme Basicity of Biguanide Drugs in Aqueous Solutions: Ion Transfer Voltammetry and DFT Calculations.

Ion transfer voltammetry is used to estimate the acid dissociation constants Ka1 and Ka2 of the mono- and diprotonated forms of the biguanide drugs metformin (MF), phenformin (PF), and 1-phenylbiguanide (PB) in an aqueous solution. Measurements gave the pKa1 values for MFH(+), PFH(+), and PBH(+) characterizing the basicity of MF, PF, and PB, which are significantly higher than those reported in the literature. As a result, the monoprotonated forms of these biguanides should prevail in a considerably broader range of pH 1-15 (MFH(+), PFH(+)) and 2-13 (PBH(+)). DFT calculations with solvent correction were performed for possible tautomeric forms of neutral, monoprotonated, and diprotonated species. Extreme basicity of all drugs is confirmed by DFT calculations of pKa1 for the most stable tautomers of the neutral and protonated forms with explicit water molecules in the first solvation sphere included.

Inhibitory effect of water on the oxygen reduction catalyzed by cobalt(II) tetraphenylporphyrin.

Stopped-flow kinetic measurements, UV-vis spectroscopy, rotating disk voltammetry, and quantum chemical calculations are used to clarify the role of water in the homogeneous two-electron reduction of O2 to H2O2 in 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) using ferrocene (Fc) as an electron donor, tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)boric acid (HTB) as a proton donor, and [5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine]cobalt(II) (Co(II)TTP) as a catalyst. Kinetic analysis suggests that the reaction is controlled by the intramolecular proton coupled electron transfer to the O2 molecule coordinated to the metal center producing the O2H(•) radical. This rate-determining step is common to both the O2 reduction by Fc catalyzed by Co(II)TPP and the O2 reduction by Co(II)TPP itself. Experimental data point to the competitive coordination of water to the metal center leading to a strong inhibition of the catalytic reaction. In agreement with this finding, quantum chemical calculations indicate that water is bound to the metal center much more strongly than triplet O2. A similar effect is demonstrated also for the O2 reduction catalyzed by the porphyrin free base (H2TPP), though its rate is lower by 2 orders of magnitude.

Competitive inhibition of a metal-free porphyrin oxygen-reduction catalyst by water.

A stopped-flow method is used to study the effects of water and reactant acid anion TB(-) = tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate on the homogeneous oxygen reduction catalyzed by the protonated tetraphenylporphyrin. Observed competitive inhibition of the catalyst is linked to the DFT free energy of extraction of O(2), water, and TB(-) from the porphyrin complex.

Fine tuning of the catalytic effect of a metal-free porphyrin on the homogeneous oxygen reduction.

The catalytic effect of tetraphenylporphyrin on the oxygen reduction with ferrocene in 1,2-dichloroethane can be finely tuned by varying the molar ratio of the acid to the catalyst present in the solution. The mechanism involves binding of molecular oxygen to the protonated free porphyrin base, in competition with ion pairing between the protonated base and the acid anion present.

Oxygen reduction catalyzed by a fluorinated tetraphenylporphyrin free base at liquid/liquid interfaces.

The diprotonated form of a fluorinated free base porphyrin, namely 5-(p-aminophenyl)-10,15,20-tris(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (H(2)FAP), can catalyze the reduction of oxygen by a weak electron donor, namely ferrocene (Fc). At a water/1,2-dichloroethane interface, the interfacial formation of H(4)FAP(2+) is observed by UV-vis spectroscopy and ion-transfer voltammetry, due to the double protonation of H(2)FAP at the imino nitrogen atoms in the tetrapyrrole ring. H(4)FAP(2+) is shown to bind oxygen, and the complex in the organic phase can easily be reduced by Fc to produce hydrogen peroxide as studied by two-phase reactions with the Galvani potential difference between the two phases being controlled by the partition of a common ion. Spectrophotometric measurements performed in 1,2-dichloroethane solutions clearly evidence that reduction of oxygen by Fc catalyzed by H(4)FAP(2+) only occurs in the presence of the tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate (TB(-)) counteranion in the organic phase. Finally, ab initio computations support the catalytic activation of H(4)FAP(2+) on oxygen.

Dioxygen reduction by cobalt(II) octaethylporphyrin at liquid|liquid interfaces.

Oxygen reduction catalyzed by cobalt(II) (2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrin) [Co(OEP)] at soft interfaces is studied by voltammetry and biphasic reactions. When Co(OEP) is present in a solution of 1,2-dichloroethane in contact with an aqueous acidic solution, oxygen is reduced if the interface is positively polarized (water phase versus organic phase). This reduction reaction is facilitated when an additional electron donor, here ferrocene, is present in excess in the organic phase.

Oxygen and proton reduction by decamethylferrocene in non-aqueous acidic media.

Experimental studies and density functional theory (DFT) computations suggest that oxygen and proton reduction by decamethylferrocene (DMFc) in 1,2-dichloroethane involves protonated DMFc, DMFcH(+), as an active intermediate species, producing hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen in aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively.

Molecular electrocatalysis for oxygen reduction by cobalt porphyrins adsorbed at liquid/liquid interfaces.

Molecular electrocatalysis for oxygen reduction at a polarized water/1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) interface was studied, involving aqueous protons, ferrocene (Fc) in DCE and amphiphilic cobalt porphyrin catalysts adsorbed at the interface. The catalyst, (2,8,13,17-tetraethyl-3,7,12,18-tetramethyl-5-p-amino-phenylporphyrin) cobalt(II) (CoAP), functions like conventional cobalt porphyrins, activating O(2) via coordination by the formation of a superoxide structure. Furthermore, due to the hydrophilic nature of the aminophenyl group, CoAP has a strong affinity for the water/DCE interface as evidenced by lipophilicity mapping calculations and surface tension measurements, facilitating the protonation of the CoAP-O(2) complex and its reduction by ferrocene. The reaction is electrocatalytic as its rate depends on the applied Galvani potential difference between the two phases.

Proton-coupled oxygen reduction at liquid-liquid interfaces catalyzed by cobalt porphine.

Cobalt porphine (CoP) dissolved in the organic phase of a biphasic system is used to catalyze O(2) reduction by an electron donor, ferrocene (Fc). Using voltammetry at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES), it is possible to drive this catalytic reduction at the interface as a function of the applied potential difference, where aqueous protons and organic electron donors combine to reduce O(2). The current signal observed corresponds to a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reaction, as no current and no reaction can be observed in the absence of either the aqueous acid, CoP, Fc, or O(2).

Voltammetry of ion transfer across a polarized room-temperature ionic liquid membrane facilitated by valinomycin: theoretical aspects and application.

Cyclic voltammetry is used to investigate the transfer of alkali-metal cations, protons, and ammonium ions facilitated by the complex formation with valinomycin at the interface between an aqueous electrolyte solution and a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) membrane. The membrane is made of a thin (approximately 112 microm) microporous filter impregnated with an RTIL that is composed of tridodecylmethylammonium cations and tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate anions. An extension of the existing theory of voltammetry of ion transfer across polarized liquid membranes makes it possible to evaluate the standard ion-transfer potentials for the hydrophilic cations studied, as well as the stability constants (K(i)) of their 1:1 complexes with valinomycin, as log K(i) = 9.0 (H(+)), 11.1 (Li(+)), 12.8 (Na(+)), 17.2 (K(+)), 15.7 (Rb(+)), 15.1 (Cs(+)), and 14.7 (NH(4)(+)). These data point to the remarkably enhanced stability of the valinomycin complexes within RTIL, and to the enhanced selectivity of valinomycin for K(+) over all other univalent ions studied, compared to the conventional K(+) ion-selective liquid-membrane electrodes. Selective complex formation allows one to resolve voltammetric responses of K(+) and Na(+) in the presence of an excess of Mg(2+) or Ca(2+), which is demonstrated by determination of K(+) and Na(+) in the table and tap water samples.

Proton pump for O2 reduction catalyzed by 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrinatocobalt(II).

The role of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrinatocobalt(II) ([Co(tpp)]) as a catalyst on molecular oxygen (O(2)) reduction by ferrocene (Fc) and its two derivatives, 1,1'-dimethylferrocene (DFc) and decamethylferrocene (DMFc) at a polarized water|1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) interface has been studied. The water|DCE interface essentially acts as a proton pump controlled by the Galvani potential difference across the interface, driving the proton transfer from water to DCE. [Co(tpp)] catalyzed O(2) reduction by Fc, DFc and DMFc is then followed to produce hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). The catalytic mechanism is similar to that proposed by Fukuzumi et al. for bulk reactions. This interfacial system provides a platform for a very efficient collection of H(2)O(2), by extraction immediately after its formation in DCE to the adjacent water phase, thus decreasing the possibility of degradation and further reaction with ferrocene derivatives.

Evidence of tetraphenylporphyrin monoacids by ion-transfer voltammetry at polarized liquid|liquid interfaces.

We present a simple methodology to illustrate the existence of tetraphenylporphyrin monoacid based on ion-transfer voltammetry at a polarized water|1,2-dichloroethane interface and organic pK values are also estimated.

Potentiometric sensor for heparin polyion: transient behavior and response mechanism.

Chronopotentiometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to study the transient behavior and the potentiometric response mechanism of the polymer membrane-based sensor for heparin. Membrane with a composition of 66 wt % poly(vinyl chloride), 33 wt % o-nitrophenyl octyl ether (plasticizer), and 0.05 M tridodecylmethylammonium chloride (ion exchanger) was deposited on the surface of a silver or a glassy carbon (GC) electrode. In the latter case, the membrane contained also 0.1 M 1,1'-dimethylferrocene/1,1'-dimethylferricenium+ couple ensuring the electronic contact between the membrane and GC. The sensor was dipped in an aqueous solution of 0.1 M LiCl, which was stirred with a magnetic stirrer (2-18.2 Hz), and eventually spiked with heparin (0.05-5 U mL-1). Chronopotentiometric measurements were carried out using either the Ag supported membrane with a thickness>100 microm or the GC supported membrane with a defined thickness of 2-30 microm, which was also used in impedance measurements. Remarkable features of the potentiometric response include the linear dependence of the initial slope of the potential transient on the heparin concentration in the aqueous phase and on the square root of the stirring frequency, and the absence of the effect of the membrane thickness. Impedance measurements (0.1 Hz-10 kHz) made it possible to identify and to evaluate the geometric capacitance and the capacitance of the electric double layer at the membrane/solution interface, the bulk membrane and charge-transfer resistances, and the Warburg impedance of the chloride transport. Changes in the membrane bulk and charge-transfer resistances and the Warburg impedance upon spiking the aqueous solution with heparin were found to be consistent with the steady-state response of approximately -25 mV, indicating that the bulk chloride concentration in the membrane decreased to about half of its initial value. A novel theoretical model of the transient behavior was developed based on the balance of the charging and the faradic currents of chloride and heparin, in accordance with the ion-exchange mechanism that has been proposed previously. It was concluded that the initial slope of the potential transient is linked to the charging of the double layer coupled to the chloride ion transfer across the membrane/solution interface and to the diffusion-limited transport of heparin in the solution. The potentiometric assay of heparin could be based on measurements of the initial slope of the potential transient or the potential at a fixed time shortly after the heparin injection.

Dynamics of phospholipid monolayers on polarised liquid-liquid interfaces.

Quasi-elastic laser light scattering (QELS) is used to investigate dynamics of the polarised water/1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) interface in the presence of adsorbed DL-alpha-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) over a range of the interfacial potential differences (+/-0.3 V) and DPPC concentrations (0-20 microM). An analysis of the frequency of thermally excited capillary waves reveals some novel features in the adsorption of DPPC. The effect of the capillary wavenumber on the capillary wave frequency and the damping factor suggest that the dynamic behaviour of ITIES is consistent with the theoretical predictions for a sharp liquid-liquid interface.

Effect of the phase volume ratio on the potential of a liquid-membrane ion-selective electrode.

Two-phase liquid system IA(w)|IX(o) comprising the interface between the aqueous solution (w) of uni-univalent electrolyte IA and an organic solvent solution (o) of a uni-univalent electrolyte IX with the common cation I(+) is considered as a simple model of a liquid-membrane ion-selective electrode (ISE). Taking into account the electroneutrality and mass balance conditions, the equilibrium Galvani potential difference (pd) between the aqueous and organic phases, phi = phi(w) - phi(o), is calculated numerically as a function of the ratio of the initial electrolyte concentrations, x = / = 10(-)(4)-10(4), for the selected values of the phase volume ratio r = V(o)/V(w) = 10(-)(3), 1, and 10(3), and the standard ion transfer potentials of the present ions ranging from -0.5 to 0.5 V. Numeric results corroborate the symbolic expressions derived for the cases when X(-) and A(-) are extremely lipophilic and hydrophilic ions, respectively, or when the concentration ratio x is extremely large or small. In contrast to the extraction system, where both electrolytes are initially present in the aqueous phase, the effect of the phase volume ratio on the equilibrium pd in the ISE model is rather weak, unless the counterions X(-) and A(-) differ little in their lipophilicity from the target ion I(+). It is shown that both the ISE and extraction model exhibit the Nernstian behavior only in a limited range of the concentration ratio x depending on the value of the standard ion transfer potentials of the counterions. When this ratio is extremely large or small, equilibrium pd approaches the limiting value given by the distribution potential of the electrolyte IA or IX, respectively. Similar conclusions can be drawn for the two-phase liquid system AI(w)|XI(o) with the common anion I(-).

Reversible voltage-induced assembly of au nanoparticles at liquid/liquid interfaces.

The voltage-induced assembly of mercaptosuccinic acid-stabilized Au nanoparticles of 1.5 +/- 0.4 nm diameter is investigated at the polarizable water/1,2-dichloroethane interface. Admittance measurements and quasi-elastic laser scattering (QELS) studies reveal that the surface concentration of the nanoparticle at the liquid/liquid boundary is reversibly controlled by the applied bias potential. The electrochemical and optical measurements provide no evidence of irreversible aggregation or deposition of the particles at the interface. Analysis of the electrocapillary curves constructed from the dependence of the frequency of the capillary waves on the applied potential and bulk particle concentration indicates that the maximum particle surface density is 3.8 x 10(13) cm(-2), which corresponds to 67% of a square closed-pack arrangement. This system provides a unique example of reversible assembly of nanostructures at interfaces, in which the density can be effectively tuned by the applied potential bias.

Ion amperometry at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions in view of realizing the amperometric ion-selective electrode.

This article reviews the development in ion amperometry at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) in view of realizing the amperometric ion-selective electrode (ISE). The concept of polarizability of ITIES in a multi-ion system is outlined. Principle aspects of ion amperometry at ITIES are discussed including the use of amperometry as a tool for the clarification of the ion sensing mechanism, and for determining the concentrations of ions in the solution. The reference is made to recent amperometric measurements at the supported liquid membrane (SLM) and polymer composite liquid membranes (PCLM), which, together with the micro-hole supported ITIES, appear to be particularly suitable for realization of the amperometric ISE.