Direct Reaction Research Articles

Application of direct PCR technique using specified mitochondrial DNAencoded ND4 and D-Loop genes on detecting pork DNA in processed meat products

Adulteration or counterfeiting of food products raises public concerns about the halal issue. Many issues related to food products such as meatballs, sausages, and corned beef use pork for counterfeiting. This study aimed to determine a direct polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) technique for pork DNA detection in processed meat products such as meatballs, sausages, and corned beef in a short time and at a low cost using specific primers, ND4 and D-Loop. The study used a direct PCR technique with variations in the incubation time and temperature of the lysis process on the sample. The concentration of DNA obtained from the lysis results with variations in incubation time and temperature in fresh meat and processed meat products was 66.17-469.23 ng/µL, and the purity of DNA in fresh and processed meat products was 1.70-2.25. ND4 primer was more sensitive to DNA amplification than D-Loop in processed meat products using direct PCR. Meatballs, sausages, and corned beef products written on the packaging using beef did not detect any mixing or addition of pork. Direct PCR can detect pork DNA in processed meat products such as meatballs, sausages and corned beef.

High‐Pressure Synthesis of Ultra‐Incompressible, Hard and Superconducting Tungsten Nitrides

AbstractTransition metal nitrides, particularly those of 5d metals, are known for their outstanding properties, often relevant for industrial applications. Among these metal elements, tungsten is especially attractive given its low cost. In this high‐pressure investigation of the W–N system, two novel ultra‐incompressible tungsten nitride superconductors, namely W2N3 and W3N5, are successfully synthesized at 35 and 56 GPa, respectively, through a direct reaction between N2 and W in laser‐heated diamond anvil cells. Their crystal structure is determined using synchrotron single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. While the W2N3 solid's sole constituting nitrogen species are N3‐ units, W3N5 features both discrete N3‐ as well as N24‐ pernitride anions. The bulk modulus of W2N3 and W3N5 is experimentally determined to be 380(3) and 406(7) GPa, and their ultra‐incompressible behavior is rationalized by their constituting WN7 polyhedra and their linkages. Importantly, both W2N3 and W3N5 are recoverable to ambient conditions and stable in air. Density functional theory calculations reveal W2N3 and W3N5 to have a Vickers hardness of 30 and 34 GPa, and superconducting transition temperatures at ambient pressure (50 GPa) of 11.6 K (9.8 K) and 9.4 K (7.2 K), respectively. Additionally, transport measurements performed at 50 GPa on W2N3 corroborate with the calculations.

Palladium-Catalyzed Arylations towards 3,6-Diaryl-1,3a,6a-triazapentalenes and Evaluation of Their Fluorescence Properties.

Methyl 4-(1,3a,6a-triazapentalen-3-yl)benzoate (TAP1) shows interesting properties as a small molecule fluorophore. In the search for post-functionalization methods, palladium-catalyzed arylation reactions were demonstrated. Direct CH arylation reactions of TAP1 with various aryl halides resulted in 3,6-diaryltriazapentalenes TAP4, although mostly in poor yields. Bromination of TAP1 followed by Suzuki coupling, on the other hand, requires a more delicate procedure, but gave arylated products with the same regiochemistry (TAP4) in moderate to good yields. The structure of 6-phenyltriazapentalene TAP4a was confirmed by crystallographic analysis. In addition, the effect of the C6 arylation on the fluorescent properties of 3-aryl-1,3a,6a-triazapentalenes was studied in dichloromethane at room temperature and in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran at 77 K, while the photophysical properties of two saponified derivatives were measured in acetonitrile.

Diastereoselective Aldol Reaction of α‐Azido Ketones with α‐CF3 Pyruvate to Organoazides with Vicinal Tetrasubstituted Carbons

A direct diastereoselective aldol reaction of cyclic or acyclic α‐azido ketones with α‐trifluoromethyl (CF3) pyruvate catalysed by DABCO is developed, which allowed the facile access of CF3‐containing multifunctional organoazides with vicinal tetrasubstituted carbons in good to high yields and diastereoselectivities. Moreover, phenylethynyl trifluoro‐ and difluoromethyl ketones are also viable substrates. Up to 50% enantioselectivity could be obtained in the initial exploration of the catalytic asymmetric variant.

Direct Mechanocatalysis with Pd Alloys

In this study, we assess the suitability of Pd alloys in direct mechanocatalytic coupling reactions. Copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) were alloyed with palladium (Pd), alongside testing a high entropy alloy and palladium gold alloy. Compared to pure Pd balls the alloys are promising in terms of mechanical properties and costs. Combining Pd with Cu and Ni improved mechanical resilience by up to 330% while retaining catalytic activity, for the tested Suzuki‐Miyaura and Sonogashira‐Hagihara couplings. Both of which led to good to excellent yields within one hour. Notably, alloys containing 20% Pd showed increased yields of over 80% in the Sonogashira coupling, comparable to pure Pd. XPS and in‐situ PXRD analysis showcased the influence of alloyed metals on catalytic processes, emphasizing the significance of the surface composition of milling balls.

Photochemical nitrene transfer reactions of iminoiodinanes with sulfoxides

Nitrene, as an important and intriguing versatile synthon, is widely utilized for the formation of diverse nitrogenous skeletons under thermal or photochemical conditions. Typically, the N-sulfonyl nitrenes could be smoothly generated from iminoiodinanes at relatively low reaction temperatures to generate N-sulfonyl nitrenes. Herein, we described the direct immidation reaction of iminoiodinanes with sulfoxides through a blue-light-induced nitrenes transfer process. This strategy offers an efficient and gentle pathway for directly obtaining sulfoximines within a reaction time of only 10 minutes. Moreover, the reaction conditions do not necessitate the exclusion of moisture or air, rendering this photocatalytic amination reaction highly practical. A broad range of iminoiodinanes were well tolerated and reacted with sulfoxides smoothly to give the corresponding products in moderate to good yields, which provides a practical and green protocol to access N-sulfonyl architectures.

Metal-organic framework cobalt gallate derived high-voltage carbon coated lithium cobalt oxide cathode and porous carbon supported cobalt oxide anode materials for superior lithium-ion storage

Exploring innovative green synthesis strategies for both cathode and anode materials with improved lithium-ion storage capabilities is of great importance in developing advanced lithium-ion batteries. In this work, a metal-organic framework (MOF) typed sample cobalt gallate (Co-GA), prepared by the direct redox coprecipitation reaction using gallic acid (GA) molecules and metallic cobalt (Co) foils in mild hydrothermal condition, is employed as a precursor for engineering electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries with high atomic efficiency and low environmental impact. Taking the advantages of the unique microstructure and chemical composition of MOF materials, the Co-GA precursor can be easily converted to a rod-like porous carbon framework confined cobalt oxide nanoparticle anode material (Co3O4/RPC) and a thin carbon layer coated nanosized lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) cathode material (LCO/C), respectively, by simply changing the solid-state reaction conditions. In half-cells with metallic lithium as counter electrode, the LCO/C cathode delivers a stable reversible capacity of 189.33 mAh·g−1 after 100 cycles at 200 mA·g−1 and 128.61 mAh·g−1 after 800 cycles at 1000 mA·g−1 in the voltage range of 3.0–4.6 V, while the Co3O4/RPC anode shows a high reversible capacity of 1081.33 mAh·g−1 after 100 cycles at 200 mA·g−1 and 901.09 mAh·g−1 after 400 cycles at 1000 mA·g−1. This work provides a new perspective for green engineering of both anodic and cathodic materials with enhanced lithium-ion storage performances derived from MOF-typed precursors.

NC Loaded PtM Alloy from M-NC with Ultralow Pt Loading for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Developing low Pt or non-precious metal catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has becoming necessary in recent years. Herein, PtM alloy anchored on nitrogen-doped carbon (PtM/NC, M=Fe, Co) catalyst with ultralow Pt loading (∼1 wt%) is prepared from the simple two-process pyrolysis, namely from C to M-NC then to PtM/NC. The as-prepared PtM/NC (M=Fe, Co) shows an excellent ORR catalytic performance with the peak potential and half-wave potential of 0.901 and 0.870 V for PtFe/NC, 0.868 and 0.845 V for Pt3Co/NC. The ORR on PtM/NC (M=Fe, Co) is a mainly direct 4-electron reaction pathway (3.75–3.90) in alkaline solution. Moreover, they possess good methanol tolerance and stability. Synergistic effect of Pt and M together with N species result in the excellent ORR catalytic activity of PtM/NC (M=Fe, Co). The negative shift of Pt binding energy caused by both lattice contraction and electron orbital coupling from M is beneficial for reducing the d-band center of Pt, weakening the oxygen binding energy and enhancing the ORR intrinsic activity of Pt. The strong interactions between NC and PtM alloy are beneficial for anchoring PtM nanoparticles, promoting the stability of catalyst. This work provides a new strategy for preparing ultralow Pt loading catalysts.

RhIII-Catalyzed Direct Heteroarylation of Unactivated C(sp3)-H with N-Heteroaryl Boronates.

Disclosed herein is a rhodium(III)-catalyzed direct heteroarylation reaction between unactivated aliphatic C(sp3)-H bonds in 2-alkylpyridines and heteroaryl organoboron reagents. This catalytic protocol is compatible with various heterocyclic boronates containing ortho- and meta-pyridine, pyrazoles, furan, and quinoline with strong coordination capability. The achievement of this methodology provides an efficient route to build new C(sp3)-heteroaryl bonds.

Simple Sol-Gel Protein Stabilization toward Rainbow and White Lighting Devices.

Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are heralded as a paradigm of sustainable materials for photonics/optoelectronics. However, their stabilization under non-physiological environments and/or harsh operation conditions is the major challenge. Among the FP-stabilization methods, classical sol-gel is the most effective, but less versatile, as most of the proteins/enzymes are easily degraded due to the need of multi-step processes, surfactants, and mixed water/organic solvents in extreme pH. Herein, sol-gel chemistry with archetypal FPs (mGreenLantern; mCherry) is revisited, simplifying the method by one-pot, surfactant-free, and aqueous media (phosphate buffer saline pH=7.4). The synthesis mechanism involves the direct reaction of the carboxylic groups at the FP surface with the silica precursor, generating a positively charged FP intermediate that acts as a seed for the formation of size-controlled mesoporous FP@SiO2 nanoparticles. Green-/red-emissive (single-FP component) and dual-emissive (multi-FPs component; kinetic studies not required) FP@SiO2 are prepared without affecting the FP photoluminescence and stabilities (>6months) under dry storage and organic solvent suspensions. Finally, FP@SiO2 color filters are applied to rainbow and white bio-hybrid light-emitting diodes featuring up to 15-fold enhanced stabilities without reducing luminous efficacy compared to references with native FPs. Overall, an easy, versatile, and effective FP-stabilization method is demonstrated in FP@SiO2 toward sustainable protein lighting.

The first in-beam reaction measurement at CRYRING@ESR using the CARME array

AbstractIn the last decade nuclear reaction measurements using heavy ion storage rings became an important tool for nuclear astrophysics studies. The new CRYRING Array for Reaction MEasurements (CARME), recently commissioned at the low energy CRYRING@ESR storage ring (GSI/FAIR), is designed to take this novel approach one step further and perform direct nuclear reaction measurements at stellar energies, as well as indirect studies of nuclear properties of interest for nuclear astrophysics. CRYRING is unique worldwide in being able to store high quality, isotopically pure, radioactive beams produced in-flight at the low energies required for nuclear astrophysics. This paper describes the first in-beam reaction measurement with CARME at CRYRING, the first beam on (conventional) target measurement for FAIR Phase-0, and the data analysis approach required by this unprecedented, unique experimental approach.

Mechanism of catalytic subcritical water oxidation of m-nitroaniline and nitrogen conversion by CuCo2O4 catalyst

Catalytic subcritical water oxidation (CSWO) of M−nitroaniline (M−NA) was investigated in a fused quartz tube reactor (FQTR) to determine the effects of reaction parameters on M−NA mineralization rate, total nitrogen (TN) removal rate and nitrogen-containing products distribution. The results indicated that the TN removal rate was only 26.36 % at 200 °C, 200 % excess oxidant and 15 min residence time, while the TN removal rate reached 67.83 % at 360 °C in SWO of M−NA. Compared with SWO of M−NA, the mineralization rate and TN removal rate of CSWO of M−NA increased by about 10 % and 17.83 %, respectively. The main reason is mainly attributed to CuCo2O4 catalyzing the preferential reaction of ·NO2 with ·NH4, hastening N2 generation. Alternatively, the CuCo2O4 catalyst may induce a direct reaction between the nitro and amino groups on M−NA within the benzene ring to form N2. Moreover, degradation pathways and nitrogen migration mechanism of M−NA under SWO/CSWO conditions were proposed. These crucial findings are expected to guide the development of environmentally sustainable catalytic technologies towards addressing significant water pollution challenges.

Molecular detection of Ovine listeric abortion in Nineveh governorate, Iraq

Listeriosis is a important abortive diseases in sheep , and is considered one of the most risky bacterial zoonotic disease worldwide.The study was carried out in 50 sheep flocks placed in the Nineveh governorate, Iraq during November and December 2022, a total of 300 specimens of blood , abomasum content and brain ( 100 each)were collected from local breed ovine aborted fetues(in the last stage of gestation) were obtained to be tested for molecular detection of Listeria monocytogenes . L monocytogenes DNA was detected in a total of 61(20.3%) specimens , distributed as: 35(57.4%) ,15(24.6% and 11(18.0%) strains from fetal brain, abomasum and blood specimens respectively using direct genus-specific conventional polymerase chain reaction (prfA gene) C- PCR. Two L. monocytogenes strains ( HMB1 listeriolysin, HMB 2 listeriolysin ) deposited in GenBank under accession numbers LC769365.1,and LC769366.1. All L. monocytogenes strains were positive for three genes (InlJ, InlA, and hlyA) except actA gene was detected in 46 (75.4%) strains. In conclusion , L. monocytogenes is one of the important causal agents of abortion in sheep flocks in Nineveh province , Iraq, and most of the brain specimens were positive for listeric infection compared to the other specimens.

Reactant-Product Decoupling Technique Using the Intermediate Coordinate Method.

Although the reactant-product decoupling (RPD) technique was proposed over two decades ago, it remains an efficient approach for calculating product state-resolved information on some simple direct reactions using the quantum wave packet method. In the past, usually the RPD technique employed the collocation method to transform the wave function between reactant and product arrangements, which requires quite large computational efforts. In this work, the intermediate coordinate (IC) method is employed to realize the RPD technique. Numerical examples demonstrate that this new IC RPD (IRPD) technique has superior computational efficiency compared with the original method employing the collocation method. Especially, the new IRPD technique significantly saves disk space and computer memory. To illustrate the features of our new method, the total reaction probabilities of the H + H2, H + Br2, and F + H2 reactions with J = 0 and the differential cross sections of the H + H2 and F + H2 reactions at a series of collision energy are calculated and presented. With this efficient and effective new RPD technique, the Li + HF reaction, which involves sharp resonances with long-range wave functions in the van der Waals wells in both the reactant and product arrangements, is also calculated with several J at the product state-resolved level to reveal the ability of the RPD technique for describing resonance wave functions. With these numerical examples, it is found that, for the reaction with resonances, the RPD approach should be applied carefully. Otherwise, it is very possible that the resonances could disappear with the application of the RPD technique.

Exploration of Hierarchically Porous Perovskite Ba0.5Sr0.5FeO3 Catalyst Through Experimental and Computational Investigations for Sustainable Synthesis of Acrolein

AbstractBa0.5Sr0.5FeO3, SrMn0.5Fe0.5O3, and BaMn0.5Fe0.5O3 perovskite catalysts were synthesized via the hydrothermal method. The developing perovskite catalysts with dual bed, redox and acid/base sites, for direct oxidation reactions is one of the recent/important research ideas. Therefore, this study deals with the impact of substituting A and/ or B sites on the catalytic oxidative reactivity of mixed oxides perovskite catalysts. Then, their reactivity was tested in a single reactor oxidative coupling of methanol/ethanol mixture for sustainable acrolein production. The Ba0.5Sr0.5FeO3 perovskite sample has the highest catalytic performance at low temperatures (300○C) with 78% acrolein selectivity, followed by SrMn0.5Fe0.5O3 (65%), then BaMn0.5Fe0.5O3 (58%). The enhanced catalytic reactivity of Ba0.5Sr0.5FeO3 is associated with its effective acidic property and the ability to form O-vacancies easily, so, the strong proclivity for C–C coupling formation.

Two-stage co-pyrolysis of Kraft lignin and palm oil mixture to biofuels: The role of lignin as a methylation agent for methyl ester formation

In this work pyrolysis of palm oil and lignin has been investigated using a two-stage process at 550 °C, with a first step configuration of continuous condensation for vapors and separation of gases, and a second step with distillation of vapors. Experiments were realized as pyrolysis of palm oil, palmitic acid, and Kraft lignin, as well as co-pyrolysis of palm oil/lignin, palmitic acid/lignin and palmitic acid/guaiacol. It has been shown that the addition of lignin improves the quality of palm oil pyrolysis bio-oil, thanks to the conversion of fatty acids coproduct to fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). The production of methyl esters in the reaction environment using palm oil and lignin was studied by conducting experiments with palmitic acid and lignin, as well as palmitic acid and guaiacol (the main product obtained from lignin pyrolysis). The results highlighted that during pyrolysis, the production of FAME is a consequence of a direct esterification reaction on palmitic acid. The formation of FAMEs during pyrolysis presents a promising avenue to optimize the utilization of palm oil by generating FAMEs as supplementary fuel products, Furthermore, it is possible to consider the application of the studied process for the conversion of free fatty acids into FAME.

Vacuum-Processed Propylene Urea Additive: A Novel Approach for Controlling the Growth of CH3NH3PbI3 Crystals in All Vacuum-Processed Perovskite Solar Cells.

In this study, we present a novel method for controlling the growth of perovskite crystals in the vacuum thermal evaporation process by utilizing a vacuum-processable additive, propylene urea (PU). By coevaporation of perovskite precursors with PU to form the perovskite layer, PU, acting as a Lewis base additive, retards the direct reaction between the perovskite precursors. This facilitates a larger domain size and reduced defect density. Following the removal of the residual additive, the perovskite layer, exhibiting improved crystallinity, demonstrates reduced charge recombination, as confirmed by a time-resolved microwave conductivity analysis. Consequently, there is a notable enhancement in open-circuit voltage and power conversion efficiency, increasing from 1.05 to 1.15 V and from 17.17 to 18.31%, respectively. The incorporation of a vacuum-processable and removable Lewis base additive into the fabrication of vacuum-processed perovskite solar cells offers new avenues for optimizing these devices.

Warm reactive autoantibodies detected by solid phase technology: Patient characteristics, laboratory features, and clinical significance.

This study focused on the serology, clinical characteristics, and hemolytic potential of warm reactive autoantibodies detected by solid phase red cell adherence. Ninety-seven patients with warm autoantibodies were evaluated. Serologic characteristics included the strength of solid phase reactivity, the results of tube-based ancillary testing, direct antiglobulin test and eluate results, and an assessment for contemporaneous alloantibodies. Clinical characteristics of the patients included age, sex, and primary diagnosis. Each patient was also assessed for evidence of hemolysis. Most of the 97 study patients were female (63.9%), and the average age was 66 years. Hematologic disorders were the most common diagnosis. A majority (70.1%) of the warm autoantibodies had 3 to 4+ reaction strengths, and approximately 90% had negative testing with at least 1 test tube method. There was an even distribution of direct antiglobulin test reaction strengths, with 74% reactive with anti-immunoglobulin G only. Alloantibodies were identified in 20% of patients. Evidence of hemolysis was identified in only 13 patients (13.4%). Warm reactive autoantibodies are more likely to be hemolytic, have strongly reactive indirect and direct antiglobulin tests, remain reactive in tube-based ancillary testing methods, and are seen primarily in patients with hematologic disorders.

Bond Formation at C8 in the Nucleoside and Nucleotide Purine Scaffold: An Informative Selection.

This paper presents methods for the introduction and exchange of substituents in a nucleobase and its nucleosides and nucleotides with emphasis on the C8-position in the purine skeleton. The nucleobase is open for electrophilic and nucleophilic chemistry. The nucleophilic chemistry consists mainly of displacement reactions when the C8-substituent is a good leaving group such as a halogen atom. The heteroatom in amines, sulfides, or oxides is a good nucleophile. Halides are good reaction partners. Metal-promoted cross-coupling reactions are important for carbylations. Direct oxidative metalation reactions using sterically hindered metal amides offer chemo- and regio-selectivity besides functional tolerance and simplicity. The carbon site is highly nucleophilic after metalation and adds electrophiles resulting in chemical bond formation. Conditions for metal-assisted reactions are described for nucleobases and their glycosides.

Novel Alkane Dehydrogenation Routes via Tailored Catalysts

Alkane dehydrogenation to alkene represents a promising alternative route for conventional petroleum cracking processes heavily reliant on fossil resources. This Concept outlines the latest advancements of novel alkane dehydrogenation routes that offer potential solutions to intrinsic problems existing in routine direct dehydrogenation or oxidative dehydrogenation reactions, including CO2 assisted alkane dehydrogenation, chemical looping alkane oxidative dehydrogenation, dual‐path dehydrogenation and auto‐accelerated multiple alkane dehydrogenation route. These novel reaction routes exhibit unique advantages in enhancing the activity, selectivity and stability of the alkane dehydrogenation reaction system. The rational design of novel catalysts and proper choice of the reaction condition that well‐fitted these reaction routes is the key for achieving highly efficient and stable alkane dehydrogenation process. These present examples in this manuscript also highlight the importance of fundamental in‐depth understandings on the mechanism and structure‐function relations, which is the foundation for developing novel alkane dehydrogenation routes for practical applications.