Simple Dehydration Research Articles

A new methodology for a rapid and high-throughput comparison of molecular profiles and biological activity of phytoextracts.

To robustly discover and explore phytocompounds, it is necessary to evaluate the interrelationships between the plant species, plant tissue, and the extraction process on the extract composition and to predict its cytotoxicity. The present work evaluated how Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy can acquire the molecular profile of aqueous and ethanol-based extracts obtained from leaves, seeds, and flowers of Cynara Cardunculus, and ethanol-based extracts from Matricaria chamomilla flowers, as well the impact of these extracts on the viability of mammalian cells. The extract molecular profile enabled to predict the extraction yield, and how the plant species, plant tissue, and extraction process affected the extract's relative composition. The molecular profile obtained from the culture media of cells exposed to extracts enabled to capture its impact on cells metabolism, at a higher sensitivity than the conventional assay used to determine the cell viability. Furthermore, it was possible to detect specific impacts on the cell's metabolism according to plant species, plant tissue, and extraction process. Since spectra were acquired on small volumes of samples (25 µL), after a simple dehydration step, and based on a plate with 96 wells, the method can be applied in a rapid, simple, high-throughput, and economic mode, consequently promoting the discovery of phytocompounds.

Optical Investigation of 2-amino-7-isocyanofluorene, a Novel Blue-Emitting Solvatochromic Dye

Smart solvatochromic isocyano-aminoarenes (ICAArs) have been gaining attention owing to their unique photophysical, antifungal and anticancer properties. Using a simple dehydration reaction with in situ-generated dichlorocarbene, we prepared 2-amino-7-isocyanofluorene (2,7-ICAF). We studied the effect of the longer polarization axis provided by the fluorene core on the spectral properties and we also compared it to those of the starting diamine. 2,7-ICAF shows a clear solvatochromic behavior close to the blue part (370–420 nm) of the visible spectrum. Quantum chemical calculations show internal charge transfer (ICT) between the donor amino and the electron-withdrawing isocyano groups. 2,7-ICAF has high molar absorptivity (ε = 15–18·103 M−1cm−1) and excellent quantum yield (Φf = 70–95%) in most solvents; however, its fluorescence is completely quenched in water. The high brightness (ε·Φf) and close to zero quantum yield in water may be favorable in biolabeling applications, where background fluorescence should be kept minimal. Overall, 2,7-ICAF shows enhanced photophysical properties compared to its previously investigated relative 4-amino-4′-isocyano-1,1′-biphenyl (4,4′-ICAB).

Carbonyl and imine conjugated frameworks for aqueous Organo-Aluminum batteries with high specific capacity and low dissolution

Carbonyl or imine-based compounds have received a great deal of attention due to their high specific capacity and designability as cathodes for aqueous rechargeable organo-aluminum batteries. However, the inherent low conductivity and high solubility of carbonyl and imine-based compounds severely affect the cycling stability of aluminum batteries. Therefore, it is urgent to find an organic cathodes material with low solubility and good cycling performance. In this work, dibenzo[a,c]dibenzo[5,6:7,8]quinoxalino[2,3-i]phenazine-10,21-dione (DDQP) were synthesized by simple dehydration condensation to form new imine covalent bonds, which led to the synthesis of imine-conjugated backbone structures with carbonyl, extended π-conjugation planes, and increased active sites, resulting in increased specific capacities. Its storage mechanism with Al(OTF)2+ has also been confirmed. This monovalent ion usually possesses a lower coulombic interaction, which leads to a reduced solubility of DDQP during redox processes and improves its cyclic stability. The specific capacity of DDQP is 252.22 mAh/g at a current density of 400 mA g−1. After cycling, the discharge specific capacity remains at 219 mAh/g. Surprisingly, the conductivity of the battery also is improved by this structure of multiple active sites. And it can be further confirmed by theoretical calculations that the synthesis of DDQP realigns the arrangement of the electron cloud, enhances the electron affinity, and reduces the energy gap. This study provides a new reference for improving the performance of aqueous organic aluminum batteries.

An improved synthesis of Karahanaenone

Abstract: An improved synthesis of the monoterpene cyclic ketone karahanaenone, an ingredient in cosmetics, perfumery, and pest-control agents, is reported. The synthesis uses linalyl acetate as the starting material, which is converted to the epoxide with m-CPBA and submitted to an anhydrous lithium perchlorate catalyzed rearrangement to the corresponding ketone. Hydrolysis and thermolysis of the ketone afford karahanaenone in good yield. The catalyst can be recycled by simple dehydration and reused without affecting the yield for the rearrangement.

A carbonyl-rich conjugated organic compound for aqueous rechargeable Na+ storage with wide voltage window workability

Organic compounds have become an important electrode material for aqueous electrochemical energy storage. However, organic electrodes still face poor performance in aqueous batteries due to insufficient electrochemical activity. In this work, a novel conjugated quinone compound containing a rich carbonyl group was designed. The quinone compound was synthesized by a simple dehydration reaction of pyrene-4,5,9,10-tetrone (PTO) and 1,2-diaminoanthraquinone (1,2-AQ); it contains 4 pyrazines (CN) from AQ and 4 carbonyl groups (CO), as well as a large number of active sites and the excellent conductivity brought by its conjugated structure ensures the high theoretical capacity of PTO-AQ. In the context of aqueous sodium ion batteries (ASIBs), the electrode material known as PTO-AQ exhibits a notable reversible discharge capacity of 117.9 mAh/g when subjected to a current density of 1 A/g; impressively, it maintained a capacity retention rate of 74.3 % even after undergoing 500 charge and discharge cycles, a performance significantly surpassing that of pristine PTO and AQ. Notably, PTO-AQ exhibits a wide operating voltage range (-1.0–0.5 V) and a cycle life of up to 10,000 cycles. In situ Raman and ex situ measurements were used to analyze the structural changes of PTO-AQ during charge and discharge and the energy storage mechanism in NaAC. The effective promotion of Na+ storage brought by a rich carbonyl group was obtained. The structural energy level and electrostatic potential of PTO-AQ were calculated, and the active center distribution of PTO-AQ was obtained. This work serves as a guide for designing high-performance aqueous organic electrode materials that operate across a wide voltage range while also explaining their energy storage mechanism.

Stannic oxide quantum dots constructed evenly alloyable layer stabilizing lithium metal batteries

Dendrite growth is still a problem that high energy density lithium metal batteries must face to commercialize. At present, the introduction of lithiophilic materials on the current collector has proved to be an effective strategy. However, most works are not conducive to the practical application of lithium metal batteries due to the neglect of the preparation cost and the excessive and uncontrollable modifier. Herein, stannic oxide (SnO2) quantum dots (QDs) were prepared by a simple dehydration reaction to construct a lithiophilic modification layer on the surface of copper foil. In addition, SnO2 QDs could induce uniform nucleation and growth of lithium ions at the quantum scale. More importantly, when the copper collector was modified by SnO2 QDs, the symmetric cell could cycle stably for 3200 h at a current density of 1 mA cm−2, which is better than other reports. LiFePO4 was employed as cathodic materials to fabricate a full battery, which delivered a capacity of 130.4 mAh g−1 with a capacity retention rate of 87.75% at 0.5 C for 200 cycles. Therefore, this work can be extended to practical applications, and help lithium metal batteries to be industrialized.

Syntheses and Preliminary Biological Evaluations of the Dibromopyrrole‐Containing Marine Natural Products Agesasine A, Agesasine B, Longamide E and Various Congeners

AbstractTotal syntheses of the title marine natural products have been achieved and so confirming the structures originally assigned to them. Upon subjecting agesasine A and its corresponding ethyl ester to Mitsunobu conditions, a 1,5‐cyclodehydration reaction takes place to give 2‐oxazolines. In contrast, on subjecting agesasine B to the same Mitsunobu conditions, a simple dehydration reaction occurs to give the corresponding acrylate. A total synthesis of longamide E was achieved by engaging a 1,2‐disubstituted pyrrole in a lactam‐forming reaction and this was followed by a two‐fold and fully regio‐controlled bromination reaction. A distinctly different and possibly biomimetic route was used to synthesize, via the open‐chain natural product nakamurine B, longamide B and its methyl ester. Preliminary biological evaluations of the title alkaloids and various analogues against a small human cancer cell line panel reveals cytotoxic properties that vary significantly with structure.

Determination of the Anticarcinogenic Activity of 5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furfural Produced from Grape Must Under in vitro Conditions

Every year, millions of tons of food and beverage waste are thrown away unused around the world. The carbohydrates found in food waste create a raw material potential for the production of high value-added products that are used in energy, feed and pharmacology. One of these products, 5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (5-HMF), is a by-product of simple dehydration of carbohydrates. It finds wide use in the field of pharmacy due to its anticancer, antifungal and antimicrobial activities. Many studies have stated that the sugar source with the highest conversion rate in 5-HMF production is fructose. For this reason, in this study, it was aimed to realize the production of 5-HMF in autoclave sterilization carried out under high temperature and pressure using grape must waste, which is known to have high fructose content, and determine the anticarcinogenic activity and cytotoxicity of the produced 5-HMF under in vitro conditions. In this study, it was determined that the medium containing DMSO increased the sugar conversion percentage, 5-HMF efficiency and selectivity in the waste grape must more than the medium containing only water. In the production of 5-HMF, the conversion of sugar in the medium saturated with salt, and the efficiency and selectivity of 5-HMF were determined as 97.04%, 68.61% and 70.82%, respectively, when DMSO organic solvent was used. In addition, it has been determined that 5-HMF produced from waste grape must has a toxic effect on both healthy cells and cancer cells and has anticancer properties.

Recent progress in primitive polyester synthesis and membraneless microdroplet assembly.

While it is often believed that the origins of life required participation of early biomolecules, it has been recently proposed that "non-biomolecules", which would have been just as, if not more, abundant on early Earth, could have played a part. In particular, recent research has highlighted the various ways by which polyesters, which do not participate in modern biology, could have played a major role during the origins of life. Polyesters could have been synthesized readily on early Earth through simple dehydration reactions at mild temperatures involving abundant "non-biological" alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) monomers. This dehydration synthesis process results in a polyester gel, which upon further rehydration, can assemble into membraneless droplets proposed to be protocell models. These proposed protocells can provide functions to a primitive chemical system, such as analyte segregation or protection, which could have further led to chemical evolution from prebiotic chemistry to nascent biochemistry. Here, to further shed light into the importance of "non-biomolecular" polyesters at the origins of life and to highlight future directions of study, we review recent studies which focus on primitive synthesis of polyesters from AHAs and assembly of these polyesters into membraneless droplets. Specifically, most of the recent progress in this field in the last five years has been led by laboratories in Japan, and these will be especially highlighted. This article is based on an invited presentation at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society of Japan held in September, 2022 as an 18th Early Career Awardee.

Simple dehydration technique using drainage string to treat drinking water sludge for utilization as geomaterial

Simple dehydration technique using drainage string to treat drinking water sludge for utilization as geomaterial

Chiral Bicyclic Imidazole-Catalyzed Direct Enantioselective C -Acetylation of Indolones

Chiral Bicyclic Imidazole-Catalyzed Direct Enantioselective <i>C</i> -Acetylation of Indolones

Unpredicted Concentration-Dependent Sensory Properties of Pyrene-Containing NBN-Doped Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

Pyrene molecules containing NBN-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been synthesized by a simple and efficient intermolecular dehydration reaction between 1-pyrenylboronic acid and aromatic diamine. Pyrene-B (o-phenylenediamine) with a five-membered NBN ring and pyrene-B (1,8-diaminonaphthalene) with a six-membered NBN ring show differing luminescence. Pyrene-B (o-phenylenediamine) shows concentration-dependent luminescence and enhanced emission after grinding at solid state. Pyrene-B (1,8-diaminonaphthalene) exhibits a turn-on type luminescence upon fluoride ion addition at lower concentration, as well as concentration-dependent stability. Further potential applications of Pyrene-B (o-phenylenediamine) on artificial light-harvesting film were demonstrated by using commercial NiR dye as acceptor.

Multifunctional heteroatom doped sustainable carbon nanocomposite for rapid removal of persistent organic pollutant and iodine from water

The development of a rapid and efficient strategy for removal of organic and inorganic pollutant in aqueous solution remain a challenge for protecting environment and human health. World is fascinated by the heteroatom doped carbon based multifunctional sorbent for the real-world applications in sustainable energy and environmental remediation due to its cost-effective, bio-inspired, simplicity of the process and good efficiency. Herein, we have demonstrated a novel economically and green method to synthesize boron and nitrogen doped fluffy carbon ([email protected]) from tapioca root, boric acid, and melamine via a simple dehydration method only concentrated H2SO4. The [email protected] nanostructure was successfully prepared within few minutes (~15 min) at room temperature without any additional energy treatment. The constitution and surface morphology of [email protected] were scrutinized by using different techniques. The photocatalytic activity and iodine capture capacity of as-synthesized material have been evaluated by the removal of methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RhB) and iodine (I2). [email protected] nanomaterial was able to remove MB, RhB and I2 up to ~ 99.75%, 97.86%, 94.56 %, whereas CS was able to remove ~ 72.44%, 68.62%, 71.30%, respectively, within 21 min from their initial concentration of 100 ppm solution of MB, RhB and 200 ppm solution of I2. The above outcome demonstrates that our [email protected] nanomaterial has outstanding photocatalytic activity and iodine capture ability as compared to only CS, [email protected] and [email protected] due to providing more active site and low recombination of photogenerated electrons and hole. The current study indicates new aspect for the synthesis of large-scale production of [email protected] in a very short time for different applications in sustainable chemistry, including the removal of organic pollutants and radioactive I2 from water resources.

Characteristics of electrolyte imbalance and pseudo-bartter syndrome in hospitalized cystic fibrosis children and adolescents

IntroductionPseudo-Bartter syndrome (PBS) is a rare manifestation of Cystic fibrosis (CF) and can often be the initial presentation in these patients, however, due to significantly overlapping symptoms it is often misdiagnosed as simple dehydration or Bartter syndrome. The objective of our study was to highlight the key features of PBS and electrolyte imbalance in CF patients helping in early and prompt diagnosis. MethodWe performed a retrospective study from January 2015 to December 2019 at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Pakistan. CF patients aged from 1–18 years, admitted at AKUH were enrolled and their laboratory data and individual charts were reviewed. Patients were categorized into three groups based on their serum electrolyte profile and their clinical findings were compared. ResultWe enrolled 72 CF patients, out of which 42 (58%) were categorized into the Normal Electrolyte (NE) group, 19 (26%) into the Electrolyte Imbalance (EI) group and 11 (15%) in the PBS group. Out of 11 cases, 6 (54.54%) patients in PBS group presented with features consistent with PBS leading to CF diagnosis labeled as “early presenters”. Mean age of patients in the PBS group was 3.81± 0.86 years and their age at diagnosis were significantly lower as compared to other groups. Gastrointestinal disturbances including diarrhea, vomiting and constipation were more common in the EI and PBS groups. Polyuria was most common in the PBS (72%) group. Length of hospital stay showed no significant difference. ConclusionPseudo-Bartter syndrome can be a presenting feature of cystic fibrosis. Electrolyte imbalance should be anticipated in hospitalized CF children and adolescent.

Whole egg powder makes nutritious diet more affordable for Ethiopia: A cost of the diet and affordability analysis.

Despite sustained nutrition education, consumption of animal source foods (ASFs) has been hindered by their low availability, accessibility and affordability. Drying eggs into powder can reduce transport/storage costs, increase shelf-life and allow easier dosage for use of smaller portions. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of integrating egg powder to the nutrient adequacy and affordability of diets. Using the 'cost of the diet' analysis, we simulated the incorporation of egg powder into households' and children's diet and evaluated its contribution to the nutrient adequacy and affordability of diets. Analysis of the household consumption and expenditure survey (HCES 2016) revealed that only 0.2% of the total consumption expenditure was allocated for eggs, far below the 2.2% and 4.3% required to allow the consumption of one egg a day by the average and the poorest households, respectively. However, the minimum-cost nutritious diet required only 2.5 g of egg powder/person/day to reduce the cost of the optimized diet by 14% (0-24%), allowing an additional 1.2 million households (~4-6 million individuals) afford the optimized diet. The optimized diet for a child 6-23 months of age could be afforded by all households, except by those in the poorest wealth quintile. But, free distribution of egg powder to households in the poorest wealth quintile, if supplemented by effective nutrition education, can allow them to afford the minimum-cost nutritious diet for their 6- to 23-month child. The simple dehydration of egg into egg powder can have a substantial contribution towards increased egg consumption by increasing the affordability of the minimum-cost nutritious diet.

Embedding Cultured Cells in Matrigel for Staining.

Adherent cells normally are prepared for cell staining by growing on a suitable support. Suspension cells can be fixed directly or can be attached to a solid support by centrifugation, chemical cross-linking, or simple dehydration. An alternative approach for cells grown in culture is to prepare a fixed cell pellet that is embedded in a scaffold, such as Matrigel, and then processed, embedded in paraffin, and stained in a manner identical to formalin-fixed tissue specimens.

Modeling the transformation of І and ІІІ types kerogen by the method of entropy maximization

Purpose, methods and research methodology. The aim of the work is to calculate and compare the trends of transformation of organic matter of I-A and III-A type kerogen, which is in contact with organic and inorganic gases in the process of immersion of organ-containing rocks. The calculations were performed for I and III type kerogen and a mixture of organic and inorganic gases within depths of 1-20 km and heat flows from 40 to 100 mW / m2. Results, scientific novelty and practical significance of research. A comparison and analysis of changes in the total entropy of the system was performed for I and III type kerogen, which showed the complex nature of the total entropy functional dependence on depth. It was revealed that the entropy has two reversible sections, the maxima of which are at a depth of 6 and 12 km. The analysis of changes in the Gibbs energy during the immersion of the geochemical system unambiguously indicates the presence of a stability zone for the hydrocarbon component. The maximum of this zone corresponds to the minimum value of the Gibbs energy, depends on the kerogen type and heat flow, is in the range of 4-7 km and indicates the area of stability, or "oil window". The complex nature of the balance between constitutional water and kerogen, depending on the heat flow and depth, has been established. To analyze this equilibrium, a simple dehydration equilibrium constant (Kd) was proposed, which generalizes the transformations of water in the kerogen matrix. Thermodynamic methods were used to calculate and compare the gas-generating capacity of I and III type kerogen for all heat flows, which showed that I type kerogen is the most productive with gas-generating potential, and III type is the least productive. To estimate the proportional composition of hydrocarbon gases in equilibrium with kerogen, the fat content coefficient of the gas generated by I and III type kerogen was calculated. It is shown that with immersion, the fat content coefficient first increases rapidly, which indicates an increase in the proportional content of alkanes heavier than methane. This growth reaches a maximum within 2-3 km for all considered heat flows, after which the fat content coefficient decreases. The equilibrium constant of the Kolbe-Schmitt reaction is calculated, which showed that regardless of the heat flow, the rate of kerosene decarboxylation decreases with increasing depth due to the shift of equilibrium to the left, and the contribution of this reaction to kerogen conversion is insignificant.

Egg white based biological microlasers

Biolasers made of biological materials hold great potential for implantable biosensing and cell-tracking. However, the current bio-extracted materials used for biolasers generally require a complicated synthesis process and therefore suffer from high cost. In this work, we demonstrate that low-cost natural egg white is an excellent biomaterial for a laser cavity. Using a simple dehydration method, dye-doped goose egg white microspheres are obtained with various sizes from 20 to 160 µm in diameter. These microspheres can act as excellent laser sources under optical excitation with lasing threshold of ∼26 µJ mm−2 and quality (Q) factor up to 3 × 103. The lasing mechanism is studied and ascribed to the whispering gallery mode. Size-dependence of the lasing spectrum and Q factor are also investigated. Owing to the ease of fabrication, the cost-effectiveness, goose egg white based microlasers are promising for biosensing and bioimaging applications.

Novel Strategy To Analyze Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry Data of Biomass Pyrolysis Oil for Oligomeric Structure Assignment

Among the most prominent challenges for the analysis of biomass pyrolysis products is the characterization of the abundant oligomer fraction of bio-oil. This fraction is principally made up of pyrolytic lignins and dehydrated, highly modified sugar oligomers, called humins, in liquid phase. An emerging technique for analysis of this oligomer fraction is high-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), which allows for accurate determination of CxHyOz formulas for detected oligomers. Additionally, using simple dehydration and fragmentation reaction schemes, similar formulas can be developed from cellulose-, hemicellulose-, and lignin-derived oligomers, which are primary depolymerization products. In this study, FT-ICR MS analysis is coupled with combinatoric dehydration and fragmentation modeling to match experimentally detected bio-oil oligomers with hypothetical pathways for their formation during pyrolysis. In this way, we present a novel strategy by which oligomeric structures can be proposed for bio-oils. Using this approach, it becomes possible to advance the understanding of both the molecular structures comprising the bio-oil oligomer fraction and the pathways by which these structures form during biomass pyrolysis reactions.

Ultrasensitive and Stretchable Temperature Sensors Based on Thermally Stable and Self-Healing Organohydrogels.

It is essential to impart the thermal stability, high sensitivity, self-healing, and transparent attributes to the emerging wearable and stretchable electronics. Here, a facile solvent replacement strategy is exploited to introduce ethylene glycol/glycerol (Gly) in hydrogels for enhancing their thermal sensitivity and stability synchronously. For the first time, we find that the solvent plays a key role in the thermal sensitivity of hydrogels. By adjusting the water content in hydrogels using a simple dehydration treatment, the thermal sensitivity is raised to 13.1%/°C. Thanks to the ionic transport property and water-Gly binary solvent, the organohydrogel achieves an unprecedented thermal sensitivity of 19.6%/°C, which is much higher than those of previously reported stretchable thermistors. The mechanism for the thermal response is revealed by considering the thermally activated ion mobility and dissociation. The stretchable thermistors are conformally attached on curved surfaces for the practical monitoring of minute temperature change. Notably, the uncovered Gly-organohydrogel avoids drying and freezing at 70 and -18 °C, respectively, reflecting the excellent antidrying and antifreezing attributes. In addition, the organohydrogel displays ultrahigh stretchability (1103% strain), self-healing ability, and high transparency. This work sheds light on fabricating ultrasensitive and stretchable temperature sensors with excellent thermal stability by modulating the solvent of hydrogels.