Schiff's Bases and Crown Ethers as Supramolecular Sensing Materials in the Construction of Potentiometric Membrane Sensors

Utilization of a TiO2-CuO Bimetallic/Polyaniline Nanocomposite as a Transducer in a Solid Contact Potentiometric Sensor for the Determination of Vildagliptin

Current fundamental electrochemical research shows the potential of utilizing polymeric nanostructured materials as ion-to-electron transducers. In this paper, aniline was polymerized in the presence of TiO2 and CuO nanoparticles to yield a bimetallic/PANI nanocomposite. It was applied as a transducer in a carbon paste electrode for the potentiometric determination of vildagliptin in the presence of 18-crown-6-ether as a recognition element. The electrode's potentiometric performance was studied according to the IUPAC guidelines. It exhibited a wide linearity range of 1 × 10-2 M to 1 × 10-8 M, remarkable sensitivity (LOD of 4.5 × 10-9 M), and a fast response time of 10 s ± 1.3. The sensor did not show any potential drift due to the absence of the water layer between the carbon paste and the metallic conductor. This endowed the sensor with high stability and a long lifetime, as 137 days passed without the need to change the carbon paste surface. The electrode was utilized for the determination of the concentration of vildagliptin in bulk, pharmaceutical tablets, and human plasma, with average recovery ranging from 97.65% to 100.03%.

An electrochemical sensing platform to determine tetrahydrozoline HCl in pure form, pharmaceutical formulation, and rabbit aqueous humor

In the pharmaceutical industry, finding cost-effective and real-time analyzers that provide valid data is a good aim. The purpose of this work was to propose a link between the pharmaceutical industry and the recent innovations in solid-contact ion-selective electrodes (SC-ISEs) for the utilization of these electrodes as real-time analyzers to evaluate the concentration of tetrahydrozoline HCl in different matrices. The backbone of these new potentiometric sensors is the conjunction of calix[6]arene and (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin as molecular recognition elements and a network of multi-walled carbon nanotubes as a solid transducer material between an ionophore-doped PVC membrane and microfabricated Cu electrodes. The proposed sensors were optimized to determine tetrahydrozoline, and their performances were assessed according to the IUPAC recommendations. The proposed solid-contact sensors were compared with liquid contact sensors, and the former sensors were found to be better than the latter sensors in terms of durability, handling, and easier adaptation to industry with comparable sensitivity. The measurements were implemented using phosphate buffer (pH: 6). The best obtained linearity range was 1 × 10-2 to 1 × 10-7 M, and the best LOD was 1 × 10-8 M. The sensors with the best performance were successfully applied to determine tetrahydrozoline in a pharmaceutical eye preparation and rabbit tears. The obtained results were statistically compared to those obtained by the official method of analysis, and no significant difference was obtained. The eco-score of the method was assessed using the eco-scale tool and also compared with that of the official method. The proposed approach was validated according to the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines.

Homo- and Hetero-Oligonuclear Complexes of Platinum Group Metals (PGM) Coordinated by Imine Schiff Base Ligands

Chemistry of Schiff base (SB) ligands began in 1864 due to the discovery made by Hugo Schiff (Schiff, H., Justus Liebigs Ann. der Chemie 1864, 131 (1), 118-119). However, there is still a vivid interest in coordination compounds based on imine ligands. The aim of this paper is to review the most recent concepts on construction of homo- and hetero-oligonuclear Schiff base coordination compounds narrowed down to the less frequently considered complexes of platinum group metals (PGM). The combination of SB and PGM in oligonuclear entities has several advantages over mononuclear or polynuclear species. Such complexes usually exhibit better electroluminescent, magnetic and/or catalytic properties than mononuclear ones due to intermetallic interactions and frequently have better solubility than polymers. Various construction strategies of oligodentate imine ligands for coordination of PGM are surveyed including simple imine ligands, non-innocent 1,2-diimines, chelating imine systems with additional N/O/S atoms, classic N2O2-compartmental Schiff bases and their modifications resulting in acyclic fused ligands, macrocycles such as calixsalens, metallohelical structures, nano-sized molecular wheels and hybrid materials incorporating mesoionic species. Co-crystallization and formation of metallophilic interactions to extend the mononuclear entities up to oligonuclear coordination species are also discussed.

Exploring ion-ion preferences through structure-property correlations: amino acid-derived, bis(guanidinium) disiloxane salts

In a more synthetical approach to the study of ion-specific phenomena, four dipodal bis(guanidinium) siloxanes have been synthesized starting from glycine, β-alanine, γ-aminobutanoic acid, L-proline and 1,3-bis(3-aminopropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane. Together with their non-amide progenitor they were comparatively studied in regards to their interactions with nine different anions: sulphate, chromate, molybdate, benzoate, chloride, azide, nitrite, nitrate and thiocyanate. Their aqueous solubilities, form, 1H NMR and FT-IR spectra were examined while searching for anion-specific interactions falling in- or outside of the Hofmeister series. We show that although the "chao-" and "kosmotropic" ions affect the properties of solutions in a predictable way, more selective cation-anion pairing is responsible for phase separation and crystallinity. As a prominent example, crystal structure of one of the benzoate salts was successfully obtained and reveals a synergy of hydrophobic packing, ionic and hydrogen bonding. Immobilized but still flexible siloxane bridges give rise to crystals described by P 42/n space group and neatly segregated into hydro- and lipophilic sections.

A novel biphenyl-derived salicylhydrazone Schiff base fluorescent probes for identification of Cu2+ and application in living cells

A novel biphenyl-derived salicylhydrazone Schiff base (BSS) fluorescent probes for highly sensitive and selective identification of Cu²⁺ has been synthesized. In addition, the recognition has been proved experimentally. The results indicated that the complex forms a 1:1 complex with Cu²⁺ shows fluorescent quenching. Furthermore, the detection limit of 1.54×10^-8M. More interesting, the probe BSS not only have a good biocompatibility in living cells, but also the sense behavior of Cu²⁺ in the cell nucleus.

Global trends in nanomedicine research on triple negative breast cancer: a bibliometric analysis

Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising tool in the clinic to combat several difficult-to-manage diseases, such as cancer, which is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Chemotherapeutic drugs present several limitations such as undesired side effects, low specificity, resistance, and high relapse rates. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is caused by cells that lack specific receptors in their membrane, such as estrogen (ER+) and progesterone (PR+) receptors, or by cells that do not express the amplification of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2+). This cancer type has poor prognosis, high relapse rates, and no targeted therapies. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the trends of nanotechnology research in TNBC and compare the contribution of research from different regions, institutions, and authors. A search of the studies published between 2012 and 2017, related to nanotechnology and TNBC, with different keyword combinations, was performed in the Scopus database. The keywords found in this search were grouped into four clusters, in which "breast cancer" was the most mentioned (1,133 times) and the word "MCF-7 cell line" is one of the latest hotspots that appeared in the year 2016. A total of 1,932 articles, which were cited 26,450 times, were identified. The USA accounted for 28.36% of the articles and 27.61% of the citations; however, none of its centers appeared in the list of 10 most productive ones in terms of publications. The journals Biomaterials and International Journal of Nanomedicine had the highest number of publications. The USA and China had the highest number of articles produced and cited; however, the highest average citation per article was from Singapore. The studies focused on the research of antineoplastic agents in animal models and cell culture, and these were the most used topics in research with nanotechnology and TNBC.

Synthesis of 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles using an aza-Wittig-equivalent process

Based on an aza-Wittig-equivalent process, a novel synthetic approach for 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles has been successfully designed, which provides mild reaction conditions and excellent yields.

Rapid detection of mercury contamination in water by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Mercury (Hg) is a potent neurotoxin in fish, wildlife, and humans.

Recent Progress in Electrochemical Biosensors for Glycoproteins

This review provides an overview of recent progress in the development of electrochemical biosensors for glycoproteins. Electrochemical glycoprotein sensors are constructed by combining metal and carbon electrodes with glycoprotein-selective binding elements including antibodies, lectin, phenylboronic acid and molecularly imprinted polymers. A recent trend in the preparation of glycoprotein sensors is the successful use of nanomaterials such as graphene, carbon nanotube, and metal nanoparticles. These nanomaterials are extremely useful for improving the sensitivity of glycoprotein sensors. This review focuses mainly on the protocols for the preparation of glycoprotein sensors and the materials used. Recent improvements in glycoprotein sensors are discussed by grouping the sensors into several categories based on the materials used as recognition elements.

Electronic absorption spectroscopic behavior and acidity constants of some new dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives

In the present study, UV-visible electronic spectra of three new 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives (C1, C2 and C3) have been studied. Different bands observed have been assigned to the proper electronic transitions. The solvatochromic behaviors of these compounds were investigated by studying their electronic spectra in several organic solvents with different polarities. The longer wavelength band is assigned to an intermolecular charge transfer transition. The solvated H-bonding complexes formed between dimethylformamide and 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives were also investigated. ΔG, and the Kf values of the molecular complexes formed in solution have been determined. Effects of temperature increase and concentration changes on the longer spectroscopic wavelength band of the studied compounds were investigated. In this work, the behavior of acidity constants of these compounds in different pH values is studied by a multiwavelength spectrophotometric method too.

Crystal structure of 2-{[2-methoxy-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]iminomethyl}-4-nitrophenol

In the title compound, C₁₅H₁₁F₃N₂O₄, the N=C bond of the central imine group adopts an E conformation. The dihedral angle between two benzene rings is 6.2 (2)°. There is an intra­molecular bifurcated O—H⋯(N,O) hydrogen bond with S(6) and S(9) ring motifs. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a helical chain along the 3₁ screw axis parallel to c. The –CF₃ group shows rotational disorder over two sites, with occupancies of 0.39 (2) and 0.61 (2).

Synthesis of new colori/fluorimetric chemosensor for selective sensing of biologically important Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ metal ions

New Schiff base chemosensors (1 and 2) based on aryl ether amine were synthesized and demonstrated positional isomer and functional group dependent colori/fluorimetric sensing of Fe(3+), Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) at ppm level. Methoxy salicylaldehyde based chemosensor 1 exhibited selective colorimetric sensing of Fe(3+) whereas 2-hydroxy naphthaldehyde based chemosensor 2 showed selective disappearance of yellow color for Cu(2+) ions. Interestingly, both 1 and 2 exhibited a highly selective strong turn-on fluorescence for Zn(2+). The significance of COOH group in 1 and 2 for Zn(2+) turn-on fluorescence sensing has been confirmed by structure-property studies. Concentration dependent studies of 1 and 2 indicate that Fe(3+), Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) can be detected up to 10 μM. The formation of 1:1 Zn(2+) and chemosensor (1 and 2) confirmed by NMR studies. High selectivity of 1 and 2 was demonstrated by interference studies in presence of different metal ions.

Silicon-containing bis-azomethines: synthesis, structural characterization, evaluation of the photophysical properties and biological activity

A new diamine, (dimethylsilanediyl)bis(methylene)bis(4-aminobenzoate) (1), containing dimethylsilane spacer, was prepared by the condensation of p-aminobenzoic acid with bis(chloromethyl)dimethylsilane. This was subsequently reacted with salicylaldehyde, 3-hydroxy-salicylaldehyde, and 3-methoxy-salicyladehyde, when corresponding Schiff bases (E)-(dimethylsilanediyl)bis(methylene)bis(4-((E)-(2-hydroxybenzilidene)amino)benzoate (2), (E)-(dimethylsilanediyl)bis(methylene)bis(4-((E)-(2-hydroxybenzilidene)amino)benzoate (3), and (E)-(dimethylsilanediyl)bis(methylene) bis(4-((E)-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzilidene)amino)benzoate (4), respectively were formed. All the obtained compounds were structurally characterized by spectral (FT-IR, (1)HNMR, (13)CNMR) analyses and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Photophysical studies revealed that the new prepared Schiff bases are good UV light absorbing and fluorescent materials. Thus, they exhibit strong UV/Vis-absorption at 250-400nm and violet or orange emission, in sensitive dependence on the polarity of the solvents and the nature of the substituent (H, OH and OCH3) at the aromatic ring. The antimicrobial activity of these compounds was first studied in vitro by the disk diffusion assay against two species of bacteria and three fungi. The minimum inhibitory concentration was then determined with the reference of standard compounds. The results displayed that Schiff bases 3 and 4 having hydroxy- and methoxy-substituents on the aromatic ring were better inhibitors of both types of species (bacteria and fungi) than standard compounds, Caspofungin and Kanamycin.

Novel functionalization of porous polypropylene microfiltration membranes: via grafted poly(aminoethyl methacrylate) anchored Schiff bases toward membrane adsorbers for metal ions

A comb-like grafted functional polymer layer with Schiff base side groups provides an efficient porous membrane adsorber for copper ions.

Synthesis of a series of new platinum organometallic complexes derived from bidentate Schiff-base ligands and their catalytic activity in the hydrosilylation and dehydrosilylation of styrene

Substituents on Schiff base ligands impact the rate and selectivity for Pt-catalysed dehydro/hydrosilylation reactions.

Cobalt(ii/iii), nickel(ii) and copper(ii) coordination clusters employing a monoanionic Schiff base ligand: synthetic, topological and computational mechanistic aspects

Nine coordination clusters (M = Co^II/III, Ni^II, Cu^II) using a monoanionic Schiff base ligand were synthesized and characterized. A series of transformations occur in the ligand in certain compounds.

Lewis base controlled supramolecular architectures via non-covalent interactions of dioxomolybdenum(vi) complexes with an ONS donor ligand: DFT calculations and biological study

Fascinating supramolecular frameworks of Mo(vi) complexes.