Colorimetric Detection of Aliphatic Alcohols in β-Cyclodextrin Solutions

Improvement of Qualitative Analyses of Aliphatic Alcohols Using Direct Catalytic Fuel Cell and Chemometric Analysis Format

Direct catalytic methanol fuel cells (DCMFCs) have been studied for several years for energy conversion. Less extensive is the investigation of their analytical properties. In this paper, we demonstrate that the behavior of both the discharge and charger curves of DCMFCs depends on the chemical composition of the solution injected in the fuel cell. Their discharge and charge curves, analyzed using a chemometric data fusion method named ComDim, enable the identification of various types of aliphatic alcohols diluted in water. The results also show that the identification of alcohols can be obtained from the first portion of the discharge and charge curves. To this end, the curves have been described by a set of features related to the slope and intercept of the initial portion of the curves. The ComDim analysis of this set of features shows that the identification of alcohols can be obtained in a time that is about thirty times shorter than the time taken to achieve steady-state voltage.

Synthesis and Characterization of Cyclodextrin-Based Polyhemiaminal Composites with Enhanced Thermal Stability

Polyhemiaminal (PHA) polymers are a new class of thermosetting polymers that have recently gained attention owing to their high mechanical strength and excellent recycling behavior. However, low thermal stability is a common issue in PHA polymers due to the thermally labile crosslinked knots. Herein, crosslinked PHA polymer composites were synthesized by reacting formaldehyde with a precursor solution of 4,4ʹ-oxydianiline (ODA) and cyclodextrins (CDs) (α-, β-, and γ-). The material obtained under optimal conditions (ODA:CD molar ratio of 1:0.5, 37% aqueous solution of formaldehyde (formalin)) exhibited good film formability and high thermal stability with two characteristic decomposition phenomena and a high char yield. The early decomposition of CDs and char formation led to high thermal stability. Time-resolved NMR analysis was conducted to study hemiaminal bond formation via a condensation reaction between ODA and formaldehyde. Furthermore, PHA matrix formation was confirmed by the dissolution of the deposited CD layer in a solution of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone containing 8–9 wt.% LiBr at 80 °C and FTIR analysis. Based on the elemental analysis results, PHA network formation was confirmed by considering a single unit of the PHA network with CD composition, including the solvent and water.

Highly Sensitive Water Detection Through Reversible Fluorescence Changes in a syn-Bimane Based Boronic Acid Derivative

Reported herein is a fluorometric and colorimetric sensor for the presence of trace amounts of water in organic solvents, using syn-bimane based boronate ester 1. This sensor responds to the presence of water with a highly sensitive turn-off fluorescence response, with detection limits as low as 0.018% water (v/v). Moreover, analogously high performance was observed when compound 1 was adsorbed on filter paper, with the paper-based sensor responding both to the presence of liquid water and to humid atmospheres. Reusability of the paper-based sensor up to 11 cycles was demonstrated, albeit with progressive decreases in the performance, and 1H NMR and mass spectrometry analyses were used to explain the observed, hydrolysis-based sensor response.

Ronald C.D. Breslow (1931-2017): A career in review

Reviewed herein are key research accomplishments of Professor Ronald Charles D. Breslow (1931-2017) throughout his more than 60 year research career. These accomplishments span a wide range of topics, most notably physical organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and bioorganic chemistry. These topics are reviewed, as are topics of molecular electronics and origin of chirality, which combine to make up the bulk of this review. Also reviewed briefly are Breslow's contributions to the broader chemistry profession, including his work for the American Chemical Society and his work promoting gender equity. Throughout the article, efforts are made to put Breslow's accomplishments in the context of other work being done at the time, as well as to include subsequent iterations and elaborations of the research.

Efficient Detection and Removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Using Cyclodextrin-Modified Cellulose

Covalent functionalization of cellulose with β-cyclodextrin by succinic acid-promoted cross-linking leads to a dual-function material that efficiently promotes proximity-induced energy transfer from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to squaraine fluorophores with high quantum yields, and removes PAHs from aqueous solution through non-covalent binding. This material, which possesses a high functionalization density (0.17 μg/mm² of cyclodextrin on cellulose), promotes energy transfer efficiencies as high as 58 % (for an anthracene donor in combination with a squaraine fluorophore acceptor), and leads to the removal of up to 91 % of a PAH (pyrene) from aqueous solution by mixing of the solution with the functionalized material. Overall, the high performance of this material in both proximity-induced energy transfer and the removal of PAHs from water means that such a method has significant potential impact in a variety of real-world environmental remediation scenarios.

Use of α-cyclodextrin to Promote Clean and Environmentally Friendly Disinfection of Phenolic Substrates via Chlorine Dioxide Treatment

The use of chlorine dioxide to disinfect drinking water and ameliorate toxic components of wastewater has significant advantages in terms of providing safe water. Nonetheless, significant drawbacks toward such usage remain. These drawbacks include the fact that toxic byproducts of the disinfection agents are often formed, and the complete removal of such agents can be challenging. Reported herein is one approach to solving this problem: the use of α-cyclodextrin to affect the product distribution in chlorine dioxide-mediated decomposition of organic pollutants. The presence of α-cyclodextrin leads to markedly more oxidation and less aromatic chlorination, in a manner that is highly dependent on analyte structure and other reaction conditions. Mechanistic hypotheses are advanced to explain the cyclodextrin effect, and the potential for use of α-cyclodextrin for practical wastewater treatment is also discussed.

Detection of anabolic steroids via cyclodextrin-promoted fluorescence modulation

Reported herein is the detection of anabolic steroids through the use of cyclodextrin-promoted interactions between the analyte of interest and a high quantum yield fluorophore, which lead to measurable, analyte-specific changes in the fluorophore emission signal. By using a variety of β-cyclodextrin derivatives (unmodified β-cyclodextrin, methyl-β-cyclodextrin, and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin) in combination with high quantum yield fluorophore rhodamine 6G, we detected five anabolic steroid analytes with 100% differentiation between structurally similar analytes and micromolar level limits of detection. Overall, these results show significant potential in the development of practical, fluorescence-based steroid detection devices.