Publications

Abstract The electrochemical Interfaces of several deep eutectic solvents based on choline chloride mixtures with 1 2-ethanediol 1 2-propanediol 1,3-propanediol urea or thiourea and mixtures of acetylcholine chloride with urea were studied at a Hg electrode The cyclic voltammetric results identified the potential domains of electrochemical stability and illustrated their dependence on the deep eutectic solvents composition The differential capacitance-potentials C(E) curves for the electrical double layers were obtained from electrochemical impedance data by adjusting the appropriate equivalent circuits The structure of the interfaces is proposed to be dominated by adsorption of choline cations at large negative polarizations while at less negative or positive polarizations the structure is dominated by the adsorption of the anion The temperature coefficients of capacitance were found to be nearly zero for Hg

Abstract The crystal structure of 1,3‐diphenyl‐propan‐2‐one oxime, C15H15NO, is described. The compound crystallises in the monoclinic space group C2/c. Centrosymmetrically related molecules are linked to form R22 (6) dimers. An update, since 2003, of a systematic analysis of the hydrogen bonding patterns in oxime structures with and without competitive O‐H...A type acceptors (an acceptor other than the nitrogen of the oxime) functional group is made, taking into account their moieties. The majority of these oximes form dimeric, R22 (6), structures but R33 (8) and R44 (12) were also found. C3 chains which were classically claimed as the usual oxime H‐bond pattern were rarely observed. They are mostly found in aldoxime structures.

Abstract Biomembrane models built at the interface between two immiscible electrolytes (ITIES) are useful systems to study phenomena of biological relevance by means of their electrochemical processes: The unique properties of ITIES allow one either to control or-measure the potential difference across the biomimetic membranes. Herein we focus on phospholipid monolayers adsorbed at liquid-liquid interfaces; and besides discussing recent developments on the subject, we deseribe electrochemical techniques that can be used to get insight on the interfacial processes and electrostatic properties of phospholipid membranes at the ITIES. In particular, we examine the electrochemical and physicochemical properties of (modified) phospholipid monolayers and their interaction with other biologically relevant compounds. The use of liquid-liquid electrochemistry as a powerful tool to characterize drug properties is outlined. Although this review is not a survey of all the work in the field, it provides a comprehensive referencing to current research.

Abstract A new cost-effective amperometric proton selective sensor utilizing a single microhole interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) is developed. The sensing methodology is based on measuring currents associated with proton transfer across the interface assisted by a proton selective ionophore. The ellipse shaped micro-interface was first fabricated by simple mechanical punching with a sharp needle on a thin PVC film (12 mu m thick) commercially available as a food wrapping material. The microhole was then filled up with a gellified polyvinylchloride (PVC)-2-nitrophenyloctylether (NPOE) to create a single microhole liquid/liquid interface. Direct ion transfer reactions across the polarized interface serving as ion sensing platforms were studied using cyclic voltammetry. In order to enhance the selectivity of proton sensing, a proton selective ionophore, octadecyl isonicotinate (ETH1778), was incorporated into the organic gel layer and their electrochemical sensing characteristics were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse stripping voltammetry. As an example, we employed the proton selective sensor for the determination of glucose concentrations. The detection scheme involves two steps: (i) protons are first generated by the oxidation of glucose with glucose oxidase in the aqueous phase; and (ii) the current associated with the proton transfer across the interface is then measured for correlating the concentration of glucose.

Abstract Pure 1,10-decanedithiol (C(10)-SH) and mixed (1-decanethiol:1,10-decanedithiol) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) prepared from ethanolic solution on Au(111) surfaces have been used in order to investigate the effect of the SAM organization and the availability of free -SH groups at the SAM/solution interface on the development of layer-by-layer architectures containing SAMs and gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs). The SAM modified electrodes have been electrochemically characterized by cyclic voltammetry in alkaline medium (reductive desorption) and in the presence of an electroactive species, Fe(CN)(6)(3-), in KNO(3) solution, enabling the evaluation of the stability and organization of the SAMs. Enhanced stability, organization, and hindrance to the electron transfer were found for the mixed SAMs with increasing thiol content, when compared with the pure dithiol SAM. The mixed SAM prepared from solution containing the thiol to dithiol proportion of (50:1) and pure C(10)-SH SAMs have been selected for further modification; the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) enables the detection of different amount of citrate stabilized Au-NPs attachment to the selected SAMs modified electrodes due to distinct availability of free -SH groups at the SAM/solution interface and the electrochemical characterization of the layer-by-layer assemblies (based on pure C(10)-SH and mixed SAMs) showed that the electron transfer (ET) properties of the such architectures strongly depend on the nature of the base SAM and amount of immobilized Au-NPs. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) morphological characterization of the C(10)-SH SAM upon layer-by-layer modification was performed ex situ in air.

Abstract Gold nanorods (AuNRs) with an aspect ratio of 2.33 or 3.16 were self-assembled onto 1,6-hexanedithiol-modified gold electrodes based on covalent interaction at a solution temperature of 35 degrees C. The formation of the 1,6HDT/AuNR bilayers as a function of the nanorods' adsorption time was studied by atomic force microscopy and quartz crystal microbalance, whereas their physical properties and chemical bonding were studied by contact angle and FT-IRRAS spectroscopy measurements. It was found that both types of nanorods were covalently bonded to the Au-1,6HDT-SAM modified electrodes in an end topography and with a high surface density. The electrochemical properties of the Au-1,6HDT-AuNR modified electrodes, as a function of the nanorods' adsorption time, were studied by cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy using [Fe(CN)(6)](3-/4-) as the redox probes. The highest enhancement of the electrical current in the cyclic voltammograms was recorded at the Au-1,6HDT-AuNR modified electrodes for 7 h of chemisorption of 2.33 aspect ratio rods or 15 h of chemisorption of 3.16 aspect ratio rods. The high decrease of the apparent charge-transfer resistance upon nanorod self-assembly suggests a charging of the rods by the [Fe(CN)(6)](3-/4-) in solution and electron transfer across them. Moreover, the variation of the tunneling parameter beta suggests that the electron tunneling process through the 1,6HDT molecules is more efficient at the electrodes modified with bilayers containing short rods (beta = 0.78 +/- 0.08 angstrom(-1)/per methylene unit) than at the electrodes modified with bilayers containing long rods (beta = 0.84 +/- 0.10 angstrom(-1)/per methylene unit). The self-assembly of the AuNRs in an end-bonding topography with a high surface coverage restored almost completely the electronic communication that was entirely blocked by the preceding 1,6HDT layer.

Abstract The standard (pA(0)A = 0.1 MPa) molar enthalpies of formation in the condensed state of chromone-3-carboxylic acid and coumarin-3-carboxylic acid were derived from the standard molar energies of combustion in oxygen at T = 298.15 K, measured by combustion calorimetry. The standard molar enthalpies of sublimation were obtained by Calvet microcalorimetry. From these values the standard molar enthalpies in the gaseous phase, at T = 298.15 K, were derived. Additionally estimates of the enthalpies of formation, of all the studied compounds in gas-phase, were performed using DFT and other more accurate correlated calculations (MCCM and G3MP2), together with appropriate isodesmic, homodesmic or atomization reactions. There is a reasonable agreement between computational and experimental results.

Abstract Interfaces between two immiscible electrolyte solutions are recognized as a simplified model for biological systems and they can be of great relevance to the characterization of biomolecules and their role in biological systems. In this work, ion transfer and facilitated ion transfer of protonated catecholamines (dopamine and noradrenaline) by dibenzo-18-crown-6 are investigated at the water/1,6-dichlorohexane interface. The formation constant of the complex between both dopamine and noradrenaline with dibenzo-18-crown-6 was evaluated and the experimental conditions for the analytical determination of those catecholamines are established. These results can improve the understanding of the pharmacodynamics of the catecholamines, and contribute to the study of their interaction with biological membranes. Furthermore it can be used to develop an alternative method for the determination of neural signal transmission catecholamines.

Abstract Free fatty acids were derivatized as amides (DFFA) by reaction with (R)-(+)-1-phenyl-ethylamine, using a simple, fast and robust reaction scheme. A HPLC method with diode array and ESI MS detection was developed for the analysis of the derivatized substances. Six fatty acids were used in the method development: myristic, linoleic, palmitic, oleic, margaric and stearic acids. Under these conditions the elution of the DFFA are well resolved with retention times raging from 6.9 to 16.0 min. Fatty acids were extracted from cemetery soil and from adipocere formation experimental soils using a Soxhlet extraction, using as solvent ether/dichloromethane (1:1). Each DFFA is characterized by three m/z peaks: molecular weight of the substance; molecular weight of a dimer of the substance; the molecular weight of the dimer plus the atomic mass of sodium. The analysis of soil samples detected the six fatty acids used in the method developed plus palmitoleic and pentadecanoic. Beside this set of eight fatty acids other 13 fatty acids were detected in trace quantities or only in some soils and some were tentatively assigned as: 10-hydroxystearic, myristoleic, heptadecenoic and arachidic acids.