Zinc Chloride Concentration Research Articles

Zinc chloride inhibits lysine decarboxylase production from Eikenella corrodens in vitro and its therapeutic implications

ObjectivesDentifrices containing zinc reduce gingival inflammation and bleeding better than control dentifrices (no zinc). How zinc might work is not understood. We have shown that lysine decarboxylase (LdcE), an enzyme from Eikenella corrodens, converts lysine to cadaverine in dental biofilms. The lack of lysine impairs the dentally attached cell barrier to biofilm, causing biofilm products to leak into junctional epithelium and stimulate inflammation. In year-old beagle dogs, immunization with LdcE, induces antibodies that inhibit LdcE activity and retard gingivitis development. We therefore examined whether a zinc-mediated loss of LdcE activity could explain the beneficial effect of zinc dentifrices. MethodsWe grew E. corrodens in modified tryptic soy broth with or without zinc chloride, and extracted LdcE from the cell surface using a Potter Elvehjem homogenizer. ResultsUp to 0.96 mM zinc chloride in the bacterial growth medium did not change cell yield, but reduced the extracted protein content by 41% (R2 = 0.27, p < 0.05) and LdcE activity/mg extracted protein by 85% (R2 = 0.90, p < 0.001). In extracts from cells grown without zinc, 78 times this zinc chloride concentration (73 mM) was required to reduce LdcE activity by 75%. ConclusionsZinc ions inhibit the production of protein with LdcE activity at E. corrodens cell surfaces. The zinc ions may attach to cysteine residues that are unique to the N-terminal region of LdcE by interfering with the non-covalent polypeptide assembly that produces enzyme activity. Clinical significanceZinc ion-mediated inhibition of LdcE assembly may provide a rationale for the improved control of gingival inflammation by zinc dentifrices.

Influence of Punica granatum peel on sperm parameters of domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in zinc chloride -induced toxicity

Zinc is an essential component of biological function, play a significant role in male reproductive functioning and deficiency of this trace metal has negative impact on spermatogenesis and semen quality. The purpose of the present study was to find out if high concentrations of zinc lead to the opposite and evaluate the protective effect of natural products such as the ethanolic extract of P. granatum peel against the toxicity and oxidative stress induced by zinc chloride in male rabbitsTwenty adult rabbits were divided into equally four groups; the control, the ZnCl2 (5 mg/kg bw), the P.granatum peel(4 mg/kg bw) and the combined group (ZnCl2- PGP). The ZnCl2 and the PGP were administrated daily by gavage for a period of 6 weeks, and then the reproductive organs’ weight, the plasma testosterone, and the biology of sperms were evaluated.The results showed that the number of sperms in the epididymis and the concentration of testosterone in serum were decreased with an increased dose of ZnCl2 .Testicular and epididymis histopathological lesions like detachment, atrophy and vacuolization of germ, Leydig and epithelial cells were observed. On the other hand, the study shows improvement in all parameters when treated with P. granatum peel extract. In conclusion, High concentrations of zinc chloride may lead to sterility, which can be treated with natural product such as P. granatum peel.

Biochemical and Molecular Characteristics of Pc1 Virulent Phage Isolate Infecting Pectobacterium carotovorum.

Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum is a plant-pathogenic bacterium. It is a post-harvest pathogen and causes soft rot diseases in infected plants. Different virulent bacteriophages have been isolated from different regions in the world. These bacteriophages were tolerant to high concentrations of calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. Whereas, the high concentrations of zinc chloride and aluminum chloride decreased the activity and stability of phages. Therefore, the present research aimed to study the biology of P. carotovorum phage (Pc1) by using a one-step growth experiment, its stability to different concentrations of some chemicals and molecular characteristics of this phage isolate. One step growth experiment, chemical stability, and molecular characteristics by using RAPD-PCR of P. carotovorum phage (Pc1) were studied. The P. carotovorum phage (Pc1) isolate was found to have a latent period of 20 min and its burst size is about 92 pfu cell-1. Calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, and copper sulphate (from 0.1-0.5 mM) increased the infectivity of Pc1 phage, while, zinc chloride in the same concentrations reduced its infectivity. RAPD-PCR amplification was indicated that the total amplified products were 32 bands with size ranged from 0.179-2.365 Kbp. Since, zinc chloride (at concentrations of 0.1-0.5 mM) reduced infectivity of Pc1 phage isolate, therefore, any chemical compounds containing zinc must be avoided in designing biocontrol strategy by using phages against soft rot bacterium (P. carotovorum) in potatoes.

Association between Serum Zinc and Calcification Propensity (T50) in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and In Vitro Effect of Exogenous Zinc on T50.

Zinc inhibits vascular calcification in vivo and in vitro. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus show hypozincemia and are at an elevated risk of cardiovascular events. Recently, an in vitro test (T50-test) was developed for determination of serum calcification propensity and a shorter T50 means a higher calcification propensity. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between serum zinc and T50 in 132 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with various kidney functions. Furthermore, the effect of exogenous zinc on T50 was also investigated in vitro using separately pooled serum samples obtained from healthy volunteers and patients with hemodialysis. We measured T50 levels using the established nephelometric method. The median (interquartile range) levels of T50 and serum zinc were 306 (269 to 332) min, and 80.0 (70.1 to 89.8) µg/dL, respectively. Serum zinc level showed a weak, but positive correlation with T50 (rs = 0.219, p = 0.012). This association remained significant in multivariable-adjusted analysis, and was independent of known factors including phosphate, calcium, and magnesium. Kidney function and glycemic control were not significantly associated with T50. Finally, in vitro experiments showed that addition of a physiological concentration of exogenous zinc chloride significantly increased serum T50. Our results indicate that serum zinc is an independent factor with a potential role in suppressing calcification propensity in serum.

Insights on the preparation and characterization of the poly(glycerol-co-malic acid) from renewable sources

Biopolymers are sustainable materials derived from renewable sources that have relevant and industrially attractive properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility and antimicrobial effect. Thus, these were the target of several experimental studies, widely published in the literature and used in our daily lives. This paper presents a preliminary investigation on the polyesterification of a malic acid/glycerol mixture in order to obtain the poly(glycerol-co-malic acid) to be evaluated as a bioadhesive. For this, different reaction conditions were evaluated by varying the concentrations of malic acid, glycerol and zinc chloride(II) as catalyst, carried out according to the central composite rotatable design. The polymerizations were monitored by acidity index, hydroxamic acid test and conversion rate and the obtained materials characterized by FTIR. Poly(glycerol-co-malic acid) was obtained in yields of 38 to 68% which show that such method is promising for obtaining this new biopolymer aimed as bioadhesive.

Isolation of ST398 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from pigs at abattoirs in Tohoku region, Japan.

Here, we investigated the presence of ST398 livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) in nasal swabs of 420 slaughtered pigs from 84 farms at three abattoirs in Tohoku, Japan. MRSA were isolated from 13 (3.1%) samples from 9 (10.7%) farms at two abattoirs. All isolates were classified as ST398 and were resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline. Ten and three isolates were classified as Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec) types V and IVa, respectively. All type V isolates possessed czrC. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of zinc chloride against types IVa and V were 1 and 4 mM, respectively. This study shows the presence of ST398 MRSA in pigs in this region. Antimicrobials and zinc compounds in feed and drugs might select SCCmec type V ST398 MRSA.

Exogenous application of zinc (Zn) at the heading stage regulates 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) biosynthesis in different fragrant rice genotypes

Zinc (Zn) is an important microelement for rice and plays a key role in many physiological processes. This study assessed the physio-biochemical responses involved in biosynthesis of 2-acety-1-pyrroline (2-AP), which is a key compound in the aroma of fragrant rice, in four different fragrant rice varieties, i.e., Meixiangzhan-2, Xiangyaxiangzhan, Ruanhuayou-134, and Yunjingyou. Four concentrations (0, 0.50, 1.00 and 2.00 g L−1) of zinc chloride were applied to fragrant rice foliage at the heading stage and named CK, Zn1, Zn2 and Zn3, respectively. Our results showed that compared with CK, the Zn1, Zn2 and Zn3 treatments all significantly increased the 2-AP concentration in mature grains of the four fragrant rice genotypes. Furthermore, exogenous application of Zn not only enhanced the activities of enzymes, including proline dehydrogenase (PDH), △1-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid synthetase (P5CS), and diamine oxidase (DAO), which are involved in 2-AP biosynthesis, but also improved the contents of the related precursors, such as Δ1-pyrroline, proline and pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid (P5C). In addition, compared to the CK treatment, the Zn2 treatment markedly increased the net photosynthetic rate of fragrant rice during the grain filling stage and increased the seed-setting rate, 1000-grain weight and grain yield in all fragrant rice genotypes. Foliar application of Zn also markedly increased the grain Zn content. In general, 1.00 g L−1 seemed to be the most suitable application concentration because the highest 2-AP content and grain weight were recorded with this treatment.

Simonkolleite Coating on Poly(Amino Acids) to Improve Osteogenesis and Suppress Osteoclast Formation in Vitro.

Zinc can enhance osteoblastic bone formation and stimulate osteogenic differentiation, suppress the differentiation of osteoclast precursor cells into osteoclasts, and inhibit pathogenic bacterial growth in a dose-dependent manner. In this study, simonkolleite, as a novel zinc resource, was coated on poly (amino acids) (PAA) via suspending PAA powder in different concentrations of zinc chloride (ZnCl2) solution, and the simonkolleite-coated PAA (Zn–PAA) was characterized by SEM, XRD, FT-IR and XPS. Zinc ions were continuously released from the coating, and the release behavior was dependent on both the concentration of the ZnCl2 immersing solution and the type of soak solutions (SBF, PBS and DMEM). The Zn–PAA was cultured with mouse bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) through TranswellTM plates, and the results indicated that the relative cell viability, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization of BMSCs were significantly higher with Zn–PAA as compared to PAA. Moreover, the Zn–PAA was cultured with RAW264.7 cells, and the results suggested an inhibiting effect of Zn–PAA on the cell differentiation into osteoclasts. In addition, Zn–PAA exhibited an antibacterial activity against both S. aureus and E. coli. These findings suggest that simonkolleite coating with certain contents could promote osteogenesis, suppress osteoclast formation and inhibit bacteria, indicating a novel way of enhancing the functionality of synthetic bone graft material and identifying the underline principles for designing zinc-containing bone grafts.

Physico-chemical studies of Cd1−xZnxS thin films produced by simple two-electrode electrodeposition system for solar cell application

Cd1−xZnxS thin films have been cathodically electrodeposited on glass/fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates using a low-cost two-electrode configuration with an electrolytic bath containing cadmium chloride, zinc chloride and sodium thiosulphate precursors. The deposition was carried out by varying zinc chloride concentration (0 M, 0.3 M, 0.6 M and 0.9 M) in the deposition electrolyte. The structural, compositional, phonon vibrational, morphological and optical properties of the resulting films have been characterized using glancing incidence X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV–Vis spectrophotometry respectively. The XRD result indicates the existence of hexagonal structure of Cd1−xZnxS with intensities of the diffraction peaks decreasing as more Zn is incorporated into the film as a result of decrease in deposition rate. EDX results show the presence of Cd, Zn and S in the deposited Cd1−xZnxS thin films. SEM images show uniform and densely packed surface morphology of the films with distinct shaped grains which gradually less distinct as more Zn is incorporated into the films. The optical measurements reveal a significant increase in energy band gap of the Cd1−xZnxS material as more zinc is incorporated into the films and a film thickness decreases with the energy band gap increasing from 2.40 eV for CdS to 2.62 eV for Cd1−xZnxS. These results show that Cd1−xZnxS material can be applied as a better window material for CdTe, CIG(S,Se) and CZTS-based solar cells than CdS.

A Facile Approach of Fabricating Various ZnO Microstructures via Electrochemical Deposition

A facile electrochemical route was proposed for the shape-selective synthesis of ZnO structures on conductive substrates. Our strategy for designing ZnO structures was based on a double-electrodes electrochemical deposition approach, in which the well-oriented ZnO structures with variable morphology on different conductive substrates could be adjusted by monitoring electrochemical parameters (e.g., zinc chloride concentration, deposition potential, and deposition temperature). The variation in deposition parameters led to the ZnO formation of different structures, such as ZnO flowers, sheets and aggregates. In addition, the analysis of I-V characteristics illustrated that the ZnO flowers were composed of sheets clustered on the graphite substrate and exhibited higher dark current than other structures. Furthermore, the remarkable Schottky contact behaviour was found for ZnO flowers deposited on carbon paper and copper foil substrates. This work demonstrates a simple method for tuning the growth of desired ZnO structures and exploring its application in functional optoelectronic devices.

Black salve composition: An evaluation of the potential for normal tissue toxicity and treatment failure from black salve products

Black salve, used as an alternative skin cancer therapy, contains both herbal and chemical constituents, including extracts of the rhizomes of Sanguinaria canadensis and zinc chloride. Black salves may be ordered online and have been associated with cases of extensive tissue necrosis and treatment failures that have resulted in patient fatalities. Despite these adverse outcomes and continued use by patients, black salve products have not been quantitatively assessed to determine their constituent concentrations.Thirteen different black salve products from eight manufacturers were analysed using validated HPLC-MS and ICP-MS methods to assess S. canadensis alkaloid and zinc chloride concentrations. This analysis revealed a dramatic variation in constituent concentrations between manufacturers of black salve products. The alkaloid sanguinarine was found at concentrations significantly exceeding the cytotoxic IC50 of normal human epidermal keratinocytes in the majority of black salve products, with one black salve examined having a concentration 900 times the IC50 level. The majority of products contained zinc chloride at concentrations known to kill normal human tissue, while one black salve product was found to contain an elevated lead level of 258 ppm, which exceeds the 10 ppm FDA determined lead limit for cosmetic products. Whilst some of the black salve products were found to contain high concentrations of constituents cytotoxic to normal tissue, others were found to contain insufficient cytotoxic constituents to be reasonably expected to exert any anti-cancer activity.In their current formulations, the majority of black salves analysed pose a significant risk of harm to patients and should not be available for unregulated clinical use. Further black salve toxicity testing is urgently required.

Preparation and Characterization of Activated Carbon from Sesame Seed Shells by Microwave and Conventional Heating with Zinc Chloride Activation

ABSTRACTThe preparation of activated carbon from sesame shells as raw precursor was investigated in the study by sequentially applying microwave and conventional heating methods assisted by zinc chloride activation. The optimizisation of experimental parameters including microwave power, microwave treatment time, conventional activation time, conventional activation temperature and zinc chloride concentration ratio for the microwave and conventional heating method was performed. The characterization of the prepared activated carbon was done by thermogravimetric and differential thermal measurements, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and specific surface area analyses. The maximum surface area of 1254 m2/g for the prepared activated carbon was obtained at a microwave power of 750 W, a microwave treatment time of 20 min, an activation time of 45 min, an activation temperature of 500°C and zinc chloride concentration ratio of 1:1. Methylene blue and iodine adsorption capacities for the prepared activated carbon were 103 and 1199 mg/g, respectively.

Electrochemical redox reaction of zinc ions at a Ni electrode in ZnCl2-based aqueous solutions

The electrochemical redox reaction of zinc ions on a nickel electrode was investigated in aqueous solutions containing different concentrations of zinc chloride (ZnCl2). A relatively good cycle efficiency was obtained from the high-concentration solution. The charge and discharge of the nickel electrode exhibited a high cycle efficiency of 92% in the fiftieth cycle in a 2 mol dm−3 (M) solution, and a low cycle efficiency of ~43% in the 0.02-M solution. Atomic force microscopy revealed that the dendritic zinc formed on Ni produced different morphologies as the electrolyte concentration increased, resulting in the changes in cycle efficiency. Moreover, the sizes of the zinc particles deposited on the nickel electrode were dependent on the electrolyte concentration. After five cycles, the zinc particles generated in the 0.02-M solution were smaller than those generated in the 2-M solution; however, after fifty cycles, the former particles were larger than the latter.

Effects of three seeding methods on optimization of temperature, concentration and reaction time on optical properties during growth ZnO nanorods

Today, use of zinc oxide nanorods is necessary in optoelectronic industry. Therefore, control of growth parameters are affected on zinc oxide nanostructures. In this paper, the effect of different seed methods such as spin coating, vapour liquid solid and spray coating on morphology of surface-crystal plates of zinc oxide nanorods has been investigated. Also, growth of zinc oxide nanorods has been done using new method by use of different concentrations of zinc chloride and ammonia at75, 97 and 110 °C. Finally, morphology of surface, crystal plates, structure purity and optical properties of zinc oxide nano rods have been examined by changes of reagent concentration, growth solution temperature and reaction time through SEM, XRD, EDAX and photoluminescence analyses. The different optical properties and surface morphology of zinc oxide nanorods were generated differ by change in concentration. By changes of concentration, pH of growth solution has been changed. Therefor influences defects of crystal structure in the visible and ultraviolet region were obtained. Finally, the ideal thermal annealing is 430 °C. Thermal annealing in vacuum for growth the zinc oxide nano rods at the range of 400–450 °C were showed that, the defects are decreased and or increased due this method for growth in the visible and ultraviolet region. The samples prepared by VLS, have visible and ultraviolet region emission. So there are useful for LED application. It is suitable for UV-laser diodes.

Effect of zinc chloride and PEG concentrations on the critical flux during tangential flow microfiltration of BSA precipitates.

There is renewed interest in the possibility of using precipitation for initial capture of high value therapeutic proteins as part of an integrated continuous downstream process. These precipitates can be continuously washed using tangential flow filtration, with long term operation achieved by operating the membrane modules below the critical filtrate flux for fouling. Our hypothesis was that the critical flux for the precipitated protein would be a function of the properties of the precipitate as determined by the precipitation conditions. We evaluated the critical flux using a flux-stepping procedure for model protein precipitates (bovine serum albumin) generated using a combination of a crosslinking agent (zinc chloride) and an excluded volume precipitant (polyethylene glycol [PEG]). The critical flux varied with shear rate to approximately the 1/3 power, consistent with predictions of the classical polarization model. The critical flux increased significantly with increasing zinc chloride concentration, going from 60 L/m2 /h for a 2 mM ZnCl2 solution to 200 L/m2 /h for an 8 mM ZnCl2 solution. In contrast, the critical flux achieved a maximum value at an intermediate PEG concentration. Independent measurements of the effective size and viscosity of the protein precipitates were used to obtain additional understanding of the effects of ZnCl2 and PEG on the precipitation and the critical flux. These results provide important insights into the development of effective tangential flow filtration systems for processing large quantities of precipitated protein as would be required for large scale continuous protein purification by precipitation. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1561-1567, 2017.

Flame sprayed zinc doped hydroxyapatite coating with antibacterial and biocompatible properties

Abstract Hydroxyapatite (HA) has good biocompatibility, high strength and low fracture toughness. It is often used as the main material for artificial bones in bioceramics because of the similar composition. In this study, we prepared zinc-doped hydroxyapatite by the co-precipitation method to produce artificial bone material has antibacterial properties, for use in post joint surgery to inhibit bacterial infection or proliferation and ultimately the incidence of osteomyelitis. The co-precipitation method prepared hydroxyapatite with different concentrations of zinc chloride. The experimental results revealed that after sintering, it has some new phases generated of ZnO and CaZn2(PO4)2 when we add zinc chloride that concentration reaches 0.15 M. The minimum inhibition zone revealed the antibacterial ability of Zinc-HA increased when the concentration of zinc chloride increased from 0.0125 M to 0.15 M. The granulated powder of zinc-doped hydroxyapatite was coated on the titanium substrate by the flame-spraying method. The Zinc-HA coating was found with good biocompatibility and antibacterial ability in the biological and antibacterial test.

Effect of Additives on Electrodeposited Aluminum Alloy Films By Using Dimethylsulfone As an Organic Solvent

Aluminum alloy films have been electroplated by using Dimethylsulfone (DMSO2) as an organic solvent. Several kinds of additives, Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), and Manganese (Mn), have been prepared. In this paper, the Aluminum-Zinc (Al-Zn) alloy films have been mainly focused. Aluminum Chloride, AlCl3, were used as aluminum source. Plating bath composition, mol ratio between DMSO2 to AlCl3 was 67:33. The alloy films were electroplated by using electrochemical measurement equipment, Hz-5000 made by Hokuto Denko Co. Ltd., and Al wire whose diameter was 1mm was used as a reference electrode. Aluminum plate (50mm x 10mm) was used as a counter electrode, both Cu (10mm x 5mm) and Ni (8mm x 6.2mm) substrates were used. Bath temperature was adjusted at 150oC by hot plated. Surface morphology was observed by scanning electron spectroscopy (SEM), VE-8800 made by KEYENCE Co. Ltd., film composition was determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, JCM-6000 made by JEOL Co. Ltd., and film structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction, RINNT2200 made by Rigaku Co. Ltd. Figure 1 showed effect of ZnCl2 concentration on Zn content of the Al-Zn films plated by three different current density, 3.0, 6.0 and 10.0 A/dm2. There were three regions, from 0 to 0.25 mol%, from 0.25 to 0.6 mol% and from 0.6 to 1.0 mol%. The zinc content gradually increased with increasing ZnCl2 concentration and reached at constant values less than 20 at% in the region from 0 to 0.25 mol% ZnCl2 concentration. On the other hand, the zinc content abruptly increased with increasing ZnCl2 concentration in the region from 0.25 to 0.6 mol% ZnCl2 concentration and the Zn content reached more than 90 at%. In the third region, the Zn content gradually increased with increasing ZnCl2 concentration in the region from 0.6 to 1.0 mol% ZnCl2 concentration and the Zn content reached almost 100 at%. The zinc content in the Al-Zn alloy films showed strong dependence on ZnCl2 concentration in the baths. However, the current density showed very little dependence on ZnCl2 concentration in the baths. There was one apparent result, Zn content in the Al-Zn alloy films plated by 6.0 A/dm2 current density showed higher values than those plated by 10.0 A/dm2 current density. The films plated by 3.0 A/dm2 current density showed maximum Zn content in the region less than 0.15 mol% ZnCl2 concentration and showed minimum Zn content in the region from 0.4 to 0.5 mol% ZnCl2 concentration. Therefore, zinc chloride concentration in the bath was more important factor than current density. Following results were obtained. The zinc-aluminum alloy films which were plated from the bath with low ZnCl2 concentration showed metallic luster, however, the alloy films which were plated at higher ZnCl2 concentration showed no metallic luster and showed gray. By scanning electron microscopy measurement, there were dendrite morphology for certain ZnCl2 concentration regions which were affected by current density. On the whole, the alloy films were composed with fine grains. By X-ray diffraction measurement, peak shifts, due to Al lattice, to lower angle side were observed. These results showed that the Zn atoms substituted Al atoms and formed a substitutional solid solution. There are three regions of the crystal structure change. First, degree of aluminum crystallization was deteriorated by codeposition of zinc. Second, alloy films which were plated at 3.0 and 10.0 A/dm2 current density showed alloy structure, however alloy films which were plated by 6.0 A/dm2 current density showed phase separation, Al and Zn. Third, zinc phase was matrix and Al grains were segregated in the Al matrix. Figure 1

ZnO Electrodeposition on Boron-Doped Diamond: Effects of Diamond Surface Terminations

Diamond and zinc oxide (ZnO) are two highly important, wide band gap, semiconductors with a great number of attractive properties. Recently the combination of n-type ZnO and p-type diamond has attracted much attention for different applications as the fabrication of heterojunctions [1], surface acoustic-wave (SAW) devices [2] or biosensors electrodes [3]. In these works, ZnO was mainly deposited on diamond surfaces by high temperature processes such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) [4], magnetron sputtering [5] or atomic layer deposition (ALD) [6]. Electrochemical deposition (ECD) is emerging as an important method to prepare semiconductor thin films such as ZnO. This chemical route presents many advantages such as low cost, low temperature, soft processing of materials and possibility to obtain a large range of structures from dense layers up to well-defined nanostructures by means of appropriate growth parameters. Since the last decades, the electrodeposition of ZnO has been successfully performed on many conductive substrates [7] leading to the growth of various structures but it was studied only one time on diamond from a Zn(NO3)2solution [8]. Whatever the process, the first step in the ECD of ZnO consists in the production of hydroxides near the electrode surface to raise the local pH. Three precursors can be used to produce the OH- ions: Hydrogen peroxide, nitrate salts or dissolved oxygen. Unlike zinc nitrate, using oxygen as a precursor allows the modulation of [OH-]/[Zn2+] ratio in the bath. Recently our group has thus investigated the ECD of ZnO on Boron Doped Diamond (BDD) electrodes using the method based on the reduction of dissolved O2, developed by Peulon and Lincot [9]. The reduction of dissolved oxygen leads to the formation of hydroxide (step (1) or (1)’), by raising the local pH the precipitation of zinc hydroxide (step (2)) occurs in presence of Zn2+ions, which is finally transformed into zinc oxide by dehydration (step (3)). O2 + 2 H2O + 4 e- → 4 OH- (1) O2 + 2 H2O + 2 e- → H2O2 + 2 OH- (1)’ Zn2+ + 2 OH- → Zn(OH)2 (2) Zn(OH)2 → ZnO + H2O (3) We studied the influence of bath temperature and zinc chloride concentrations and evidenced that the ECD of zinc oxide was promising on as-grown H terminated BDD electrodes [10, 11]. In the present work, we focus on the influence of the BDD surface chemistry either H- or O-terminated obtained by different oxidation treatments (electroless [12] or anodic [13]) on the ZnO deposition process. Surface terminations are followed by contact angle measurments and XPS analyses. The morphologies and structures of ZnO deposits are characterized by XRD and SEM. Besides playing on deposit morphology, this work shows that the surface terminations of BDD (-CH, -CHx, C-OH, -COOH, -COC or -C=O) have also a strong effect on the ZnO deposit adhesion. [1] Wang, C. X.; Yang, G. W.; Zhang, T. C.; Liu, H. W.; Han, Y. H.; Luo, J. F.; Gao, C. X.; Zou, G. T. Diam. Relat. Mater. 2003, 12, 1548–1552. [2] Luo, J. T.; Zeng, F.; Pan, F.; Li, H. F.; Niu, J. B.; Jia, R.; Liu, M. Appl. Surf. Sci. 2010, 256, 3081–3085. [3] Zhao, Z.; Lei, W.; Zhang, X.; Wang, B.; Jiang, H. Sensors (Basel). 2010, 10, 1216–1231. [4] Sang, D.; Li, H.; Cheng, S. Appl. Surf. Sci. 2011, 258, 333–336. [5] Yu, Q.; Li, H. D.; Zou, G. T. Diam. Relat. Mater. 2011, 20, 351–354. [6] Hikavyy, a.; Clauws, P.; Vanbesien, K.; De Visschere, P.; Williams, O. a.; Daenen, M.; Haenen, K.; Butler, J. E.; Feygelson, T. Diam. Relat. Mater. 2007, 16, 983–986. [7] Lincot, D. Thin Solid Films 2005, 487, 40–48. [8] Chatterjee, A.; Foord, J. Diam. Relat. Mater. 2006, 15, 664–667. [9] Peulon, S.; Lincot, D. 1996, 05, 166–170. [10] P. Gautier, A. Vallee, C. Sinito, A. Etcheberry, N. Simon , Diam. Relat. Mater. 2016, 62, 1–6 [11] P. Gautier, A. Vallee, A. Etcheberry, N. Simon, , Electrochem. Soc. Trans.2015, 66 (6) 141-149. [12] N. Simon, G. Charrier, A. Etcheberry, Electrochimica Acta. 2010, 55, 5753 [13] H.A. Girard, E. de La. Rochefoucauld, D. Ballutaud, A. Etcheberry and N. Simon, Electrochem. Solid State Lett. 2007,10, F34

Osmoregulated Chloride Currents in Hemocytes from Mytilus galloprovincialis.

We investigated the biophysical properties of the transport mediated by ion channels in hemocytes from the hemolymph of the bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis. Besides other transporters, mytilus hemocytes possess a specialized channel sensitive to the osmotic pressure with functional properties similar to those of other transport proteins present in vertebrates. As chloride fluxes may play an important role in the regulation of cell volume in case of modifications of the ionic composition of the external medium, we focused our attention on an inwardly-rectifying voltage-dependent, chloride-selective channel activated by negative membrane potentials and potentiated by the low osmolality of the external solution. The chloride channel was slightly inhibited by micromolar concentrations of zinc chloride in the bath solution, while the antifouling agent zinc pyrithione did not affect the channel conductance at all. This is the first direct electrophysiological characterization of a functional ion channel in ancestral immunocytes of mytilus, which may bring a contribution to the understanding of the response of bivalves to salt and contaminant stresses.

Quantitative assessment of the effect of anhydrous zinc chloride catalysis on the synthesis of some imine derivatives in toluene

Imines are formed when any primary amines react with an aldehyde or a ketone under specific conditions. The classical synthesis reported by Schiff involves the condensation of a carbonyl compound with an amine under azeotropic distillation. In the 1990s an in-situ method for water elimination was developed using dehydrating solvents such as tetramethyl orthosilicate or trimethyl orthoformate another way to remove the water by-product is to use substances that function as Bronsted-Lowry or Lewis acids like ZnCl2, TiCl4, MgSO4, H3COOH, Mg(ClO4)2 to activate the carbonyl group of benzaldehyde, catalyse the nucleophilic attack by amines, and dehydrate the system, and eliminate water as the final steps. Anhydrous zinc chloride has been extensively used in literature for its affordability and reliability, however there is limited information if any, of its quantitative effects in synthesis, this has prompted this present study. The reaction involved the condensation between 4-Methoxybenzaldehyde and para- substituted aniline derivatives (4-chloroaniline, 4-nitroaniline and 4-methylaniline) in toluene. The reaction process was evaluated to determine the effect of temperature, concentration of anhydrous zinc chloride and effect of microwave assisted synthesis on the yield of the products. Results show that increasing the concentration anhydrous zinc chloride at elevated temperature increases the yield of the imine derivatives studied.Keywords: Imines, anhydrous zinc chloride, toluene, microwave assisted synthesis