The electrochemical detection of As(III) was investigated on a platinum-iron(III) nanoparticles modified multiwalled carbon nanotube on glassy carbon electrode(nanoPt-Fe(III)/MWCNT/GCE) in 0.1 M $H_2SO_4$. The nanoPt-Fe(III)/MWCNT/GCE was prepared via continuous potential cycling in the range from -0.8 to 0.7 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), in 0.1 M KCl solution containing 0.9 mM $K_2PtCl_6$ and 0.6 mM $FeCl_3$. The Pt nanoparticles and iron oxide were co-electrodeposited into the MWCNT-Nafion composite film on GCE. The resulting electrode was examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). For the detection of As(III), the nanoPt-Fe(III)/MWCNT/GCE showed low detection limit of 10 nM (0.75 ppb) and high sensitivity of $4.76\;{\mu}A{\mu}M^{-1}$, while the World Health Organization's guideline value of arsenic for drinking water is 10 ppb. It is worth to note that the electrode presents no interference from copper ion, which is the most serious interfering species in arsenic detection.

This paper describes the development of an automated, hand-held sensor for the fast assessment of seafood freshness. The sensor developed here combined: an array-based chemical sensor, composed of incrementally different conducting polymer elements deposited on a small chip; a highly sensitive, custom-made electronics for the detection of very small signal changes; precise temperature control of the sensor chamber; and an on-board microcontroller for data collection, storage, automation, and analysis. The instrument was used to successfully test seafood samples with different degree of freshness and spoilage. A linear relationship between microbiological count and e-Nose signal for three different fish fillet was developed. Once the linear relationship is included into the hand-held unit software, the e-Nose signal can be used for assessment of seafood freshness without performing the microbiological count technique.

The core-shell $SnO_2$@AO (A=Ni, Cu, Zn and Mg) films were prepared and the effects of coatings on photovoltaic properties were investigated. Studies on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and transmission electron microscopy showed the formation of divalent oxides on the surface of $SnO_2$ nanoparticles. It was commonly observed that all the dye-sensitized core-shell films exhibited higher photovoltage than the bare $SnO_2$ film. Transient photovoltage measurements confirmed that the improved photovoltages were related to the decreased time constants for electron recombination.

A label-free DNA detection method was developed for a simple electrochemical DNA sensor with a short assay time. Self-assembled monolayers of peptide nucleic acid were used as a probe on gold electrodes. The formation of the self-assembled monolayers on the gold electrodes was successfully checked by means of cyclic voltammetry. The target DNA, hybridized with peptide nucleic acid, can be detected by the anodic peak current of ferrocene dendrimers, which interact electrostatically with the target DNA. This anodic peak current was measured by square wave voltammetry at 0.3 V to decrease the detection limit on the order of the nanomolar concentrations. As a result, the label-free electrochemical DNA sensor can detect the target DNA in concentrations ranging from 1 nM to $1\;{\mu}M$ with a detection limit of 1 nM.

Conducting polymers (CPs) are widely used as matrixes for the entrapment of enzymes in analytical chemistry and biosensing devices. However, enzyme-catalyzed polymerization of CPs is rarely used for immunosensing due to the difficulties involved in the quantitative analysis of colloidal CPs in solution phase. In this study, an enzyme-amplified electrocatalytic immunosensor employing a CP as a redox marker has been developed. A polyanionic polymer matrix, $\alpha$-amino-$\omega$-thiol terminated poly(acrylic acid), was employed for precipitation of CP. The acrylic acid group acts as a polyanionic template. The thiol terminus of the polymer was used to produce self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au electrodes and the amine terminus was employed for immobilization of biomolecules. In an enzymeamplified sandwich type immunosensor, the polyaniline (PANI) produced enzymatically is attracted by the electrostatic force of the matrix polymer. The precipitated PANI was characterized by electrochemical methods.

Flexible composite films of $V_2O_5$ and conductive polypyrrole ($V_2O_5$/PPy) were grown by facile electrochemical polymerization, wherein an anodization potential was applied to the substrate electrode in an electrolyte solution containing pyrrole monomer and dispersed $V_2O_5$ particles. The coating of polypyrrole (PPy) on the surface of $V_2O_5$ particles was induced by the oxidative catalytic action of $V_2O_5$ during the electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole. PPy in the composite film connects the isolated $V_2O_5$ particles. This results in the formation of conductive networks in the composite film cathode, thereby enhancing the Li+ ion diffusion to the surface of the isolated $V_2O_5$ particles and thus increasing the accessibility of the $Li^+$ ions. The specific capacity tests of the Li rechargeable batteries revealed that the discharge capacity of this composite film cathode was higher, i.e., $497\;mAhg^{-1}$, than that of $V_2O_5$/PPy powder or pristine $V_2O_5$.

The voltammetric study on a water-soluble calix[4]arene-diquinone-diacid (CDA) in pH 7.4 in the presence of $Ca^{2+}$ ion provided important information about the unique electrochemical behavior of CDA-$Ca^{2+}$ complex. Using CDA, $Ca^{2+}$ ion in aqueous solution was recognized quantitatively by voltammetric techniques.

The water soluble redox polymer, poly(N-vinylimidazole) complexed with Os(4,4'-dichloro-2,2'-bipyridine)$_2Cl]^+$ (PVI-[Os(dCl-bpy)$_2Cl]^+$), was electrodeposited on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode by applying cycles of alternating square wave potentials between 0.2 V (2 s) and 0.7 V (2 s) to the electrode in a solution containing the redox polymer. The coordinating anionic ligand, $Cl^-$ of the osmium complex, became labile in the reduced state of the complex and was substituted by the imidazole of the PVI chain. The ligand substitution reactions resulted in crosslinking between the PVI chains, which made the redox polymer water insoluble and caused it to be deposited on the electrode surface. The deposited film was still electrically conducting and the continuous electrodeposition of the redox polymer was possible. When cycles of square wave potentials were applied to the electrode in a solution of bilirubin oxidase and the redox polymer, the enzyme was co-electrodeposited with the redox polymer, because the enzymes could be bound to the metal complexes through the ligand exchange reactions. The electrode with the film of the PVI-[Os(dCl-bpy)$_2Cl]^+$ redox polymer and the co-electrodeposited bilirubin oxidase was employed for the reduction of $O_2$ and a large increase of the currents was observed due to the electrocatalytic $O_2$ reduction with a half wave potential at 0.42 V vs. Ag/AgCl.

A highly sensitive electrochemical detection method for dopamine (DA) has been developed by relying on a multiwalled carbon nanotube (CNT)-sol-gel titania-Nafion composite film modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The CNT-titania-Nafion/GC electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards DA. Therefore, the CNT-titania-Nafion/GC electrode showed improved voltammetric and amperometric responses for DA compared to those obtained with both titania-Nafion/GC and Nafion/GC electrodes. The CNT-titania-Nafion/GC electrode gave a linear response ($R^2$ = 0.999) for DA from $0.5\;{\mu}M$ to 0.5 mM with a detection limit (S/N = 3) of $0.1\;{\mu}M$ and a good sensitivity of 150 mA/M while other electrodes such as CNT-Nafion/GC, titania-Nafion/GC, and a bare GC gave a sensitivity of 89, 39, and 36 mA/M, respectively. Besides, the CNT-titania-Nafion/GC electrode displayed very fast response time within 2 s. The modified electrode showed good selectivity against ascorbic acid. The modified electrode showed good stability and reproducibility. The CNT-titania-Nafion/GC electrode was applied to the determination of DA in urine and serum samples.

A disposable solid-state pH sensor was realized by utilizing two nanoporous Pt (npPt) electrodes and a copolyelectrolytic junction. One nanoporous Pt electrode was to measure the pH as an indicating electrode (pH-IE) and the other assembled with copolyelectrolytic junction was to maintain constant open circuit potential ($E_{oc}$) as a solid-state reference electrode (SSRE). The copolyelectrolytic junction was composed of cationic and anionic polymers immobilized by photo-polymerization of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, making buffered electrolytic environment on the SSRE. It was expected to make. The nanoporous Pt surrounded by a constant pH excellently worked as a solid state reference electrode so as to stabilize the system within 30 s and retain the electrochemical environment regardless of unknown sample solutions. Combination between the SSRE and the pH-IE commonly based on nanoporous Pt yielded a complete solid-state pH sensor that requires no internal filling solution. The solid state pH sensing chip is simple and easy to fabricate so that it could be practically used for disposable purposes. Moreover, the solid-state pH sensor successfully functions in calibration-free mode in a variety of buffers and surfactant samples.

The electrochemical properties of the liposoluble vitamin $K_1$ adsorbed on bare and lipid coated glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) were studied in unbuffered and well buffered aqueous media. The reduction products of vitamin $K_1$ were characterized by employing cyclic voltammetry and the in situ UV-visible spectroelectrochemical technique. The radical species of vitamin $K_1$ cannot be observed at the bare GCEs in well buffered media. The formation of the anion radical of vitamin $K_1$ was observed in unbuffered solutions above pH 5.9 or at the lipid coated GCE in a well-buffered solution. UV-visible absorption bands of neutral vitamin $K_1$ were observed at 260 nm and 330 nm, and a band corresponding to the anion radical species was observed at 450 nm. The derivative cyclic voltabsorptometric (DCVA) curves obtained for electrochemical reduction of vitamin $K_1$ confirmed the presence of both neutral and anion radical species. The anion radical of vitamin $K_1$ formed at the hydrophobic conditions with phosphatidylcholine (PC) lipid coated electrode was stable enough to be observed in the spectroelectrochemical experiments.

A model system has been established for the evaluation of the uncertainty of the value from measurements of multiple subsamples by isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS). In this report, we apply this model system for the evaluation of measurement uncertainty in determination of folic acid in infant formula. Five subsamples were analyzed by IDMS. The mean of the measurement results of the five subsamples was assigned as the final measurement value. The standard deviation (s) of the results from five subsamples was attributable to repeatability of the measurement. The uncertainty components in the IDMS measurement methods were categorized into two groups. Group I includes uncertainty components which give common systematic effects to all subsamples and do not contribute to the variation among multiple measurements (repeatability). Group II includes uncertainty components that give random effects on the measurement results, and are related with the measurement repeatability. These random effects are attributed to s. Therefore, the uncertainty of the final value was calculated by combining the standard deviation of the mean of multiple measurements, $s/{\surd}n$ (where n = 5), and the measurement uncertainty associated with the uncertainty components that give systematic effects.

Ruthenium catalysts modified by selenium have been introduced as alternative materials to Pt in Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). RuSe nano-particles were synthesized on the Vulcan XC72R carbon supports via polyol method. The prepared catalysts were electrochemically and physically characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV,) linear sweep voltammetry, methanol tolerance test, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energydispersive Spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Increasing the Se concentration up to 20 at % increased the electro-catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction. By increasing Se amount, Ru metallic form on the surface was increased. The $Ru_{80}Se_{20}$/C catalysts showed the highest oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and outstanding methanol tolerant property in half cell tests as well as single cell test.

This study was performed to develop analytical methods to better understand the properties and reactivity of petroleum, which is a highly complex organic mixture, using high-resolution mass spectrometry and statistical analysis. Ten crude oil samples were analyzed using negative-mode electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR MS). Clustering methods, including principle component analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), and k-means clustering, were used to comparatively interpret the spectra. All the methods were consistent and showed that oxygen and sulfur-containing heteroatom species played important roles in clustering samples or peaks. The oxygen-containing samples had higher acidity than the other samples, and the clustering results were linked to properties of the crude oils. This study demonstrated that clustering methods provide a simple and effective way to interpret complex petroleomic data.

Stable and non-hygroscopic polystyrene supported aluminium triflate (Ps-$Al(OTf)_3$), which is prepared easily from cheap and commercially available compounds was found to be an environmentally friendly heterogeneous catalyst for Friedel-Crafts acylation of arenes using acid chlorides in the absence of solvent under mild reaction conditions. The catalyst can be reused up to five times after simple washing with dichloromethane.

To realize highly selective recognition of oxalate in water, a new chemosensing ensemble that behaves highly selective colorimetric recognition of oxalate in water at pH 7.4 has been developed. The ensemble was constructed by a pyrrole containing mononuclear copper complex and chromeazurol S. The ensemble shows a highly selective recognition of oxalate through an obvious color change from blue to yellow upon the addition of oxalate, whereas, other dicarboxylates such as malonate, succinate, fumarate, maleate, glutarate, adipate, phthalate, isophthalate and terephthalate do not induce any noticeable color changes. The oxalate recognition process is not significantly affected by other coexisting dicarboxylate.

In this work, a novel method to synthesis of an acrylic superabsorbent hydrogel was reported. In the two stage hydrogel synthesis, first copolymerization reaction of acrylonitrile (AN) and acrylamide (AM) monomers using ammonium persulfate (APS) as a free radical initiator was performed. In the second stage, the resulted copolymer was hydrolyzed to produce carboxamide and carboxylate groups followed by in situ crosslinking of the polyacrylonitrile chains. The results from FTIR spectroscopy and the dark red-yellow color change show that the copolymerization, alkaline hydrolysis and crosslinking reactions have been do take place. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) verifies that the synthesized hydrogels have a porous structure. The results of Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis showed that the average pore diameter of the synthesized hydrogel was 13.9 nm. The synthetic parameters affecting on swelling capacity of the hydrogel, such as AM/AN weight ratio and hydrolysis time and temperature, were systematically optimized to achieve maximum swelling capacity (330 g/g). The swollen gel strength of the synthesized hydrogels was evaluated via viscoelastic measurements. The results indicated that superabsorbent polymers with high water absorbency were accompanied by low gel strength. The swelling of superabsorbent hydrogels was also measured in various solutions with pH values ranging from 1 to 13. Also, the pH reversibility and on-off switching behavior makes the hydrogel as a good candidate for controlled delivery of bioactive agents. Finally, the swelling of synthesized hydrogels with various particle sizes obey second order kinetics.

New complex $[Mn(II)H_{1.5}L]_2[Mn(II)H_3L]_2(ClO_4)_5{\cdot}3H_2O$ (1), where $H_3L$ is tris {2-(4-imidazolyl)methyliminoethyl} amine (imtren), has been prepared by reacting manganese(II) perchlorate hexahydrate with the imtren ligand in methanol. X-ray crystallographic study revealed that the imtren ligand hexadentately binds to Mn(II) ion through the three Schiff-base imine N atoms and three imidazole N atoms with a distorted octahedral geometry, and the apical tertiary amine N atom of the ligand pseudo-coordinates to Mn(II), forming overall a pseudo-seven coordination environment. The hydrogen-bonds between imidazole and imidazolate of $[Mn(II)H_{1.5}L]^{0.5+}$ complex ions are extended to build a 2D puckered network with trigonal voids. $[Mn(II)H_3L]^{2+}$ complex ions constitutes another extended 2D puckered layer without hydrogen bonds. Two layers are wedged each other to constitute overall stack of the crystal. Peroxidase activity of complex 1 was examined by observing the oxidation of 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of complex 1. Generation of $ABTS^{+{\cdot}}$ was observed by UV-vis and EPR spectroscopies, indicating that the complex 1, a fully-coordinated mononuclear Mn(II) complex with nitrogen-only ligand, has a heme-independent peroxidase activity.

A simple facile 'one pot' synthesis of 2-amino-3-cyano-4,6-diarylpyridine derivatives via three component reaction of chalcone, malanonitrile and ammonium acetate under ultrasonic irradiation and grindstone technology. All the synthesized compounds have been characterized on the basis of their elemental analyses and spectral data (IR, $^1H$ NMR, $^{13}C$ NMR and Mass).

In order to increase the specific capacitance and energy density of supercapacitors, non-aqueous supercapacitors were prepared using lithium transition-metal oxides and activated carbons as active materials. The electrochemical properties were analyzed in terms of the content of lithium transition-metal oxides. The results of cyclic voltammetry and AC-impedance analyses showed that the pseudocapacitance may stem from the synergistic contributions of capacitive and faradic effects; the former is due to the electric double layer which is prepared in the interface of activated carbon and organic electrolyte, and the latter is due to the intercalation of lithium ($Li^+$) ions. The specific capacitance and energy density of a supercapacitor improved as the lithium transition-metal oxides content increased, showing 60% increase compared to those of supercapacitor using a pure activated carbon positive electrode.

Mixed electrolytes formed by the combination of 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (BMP-TFSI) ionic liquid and standard liquid electrolyte are prepared and characterized. Linear sweep voltammetry measurements demonstrate that these mixed systems exhibit a wide electrochemical stability window, allowing them to be suitable electrolyte for carbonaceous anode-based lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion cells composed of graphite anode and $LiCoO_2$ cathode are assembled using the mixed electrolytes, and their cycling performances are evaluated. The cell containing proper content of BMP-TFSI shows good cycling performance comparable to that of a cell assembled with organic electrolyte. The presence of BMP-TFSI in the mixed electrolyte contributes to the reduction of the flammability of electrolyte solution and the improvement of the thermal stability of charged $Li_{1-x}CoO_2$ in the electrolyte solution.

We have performed molecular dynamics simulations of atomistic models of $C_{60}$ molecules and DMPC bilayer membranes to study the static and dynamic effects of carbon nanoparticles on biological membranes. All four $C_{60}$-membrane systems were investigated representing dilute and concentrated solutions of $C_{60}$ residing either inside or outside the membrane. The concentrated $C_{60}$ molecules in water phase start forming an aggregated cluster. Due to its heavy mass, the cluster tends to adhere on the surface of the bilayer membrane, hindering both translational and rotational diffusion of individual $C_{60}$. On the other hand, once $C_{60}$ molecules accumulate inside the membrane, they are well dispersed in the central region of the bilayer membrane. Because of the homogeneous dispersion of $C_{60}$ inside the membrane, each leaflet is pushed away from the center, making the bilayer membrane thicker. This thickening of the membrane provides more room for both translational and rotational motions of $C_{60}$ inside the membrane compared to that in the water region. As a result, the dynamics of $C_{60}$ inside the membrane becomes faster with increasing its concentration.

Previous work on the phase-shifted version of the multichannel quantum-defect theory (MQDT) for a system involving 2 closed and many open channels (Lee, C.-W. Bull. Korean Chem. Soc. 2010, 31, 1669) was extended to obtain the formulae of the spectral shape parameters with the structure of a pole extracted explicitly for general cases only limited by 2 non-degenerate closed channels. The theory was applied to the narrow $6p_{1/2,3/2}np$ J = 1 autoionizing Rydberg series in barium perturbed by the $6p_{3/2}nf$ states obtained by de Graaff et al.

A new rhodamine-based sensor 1 was designed and synthesized by incorporating rhodamine B and benzimidazole moieties. Sensor 1 exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity to $Cu^{2+}$ in $CH_3CN$-water solution (HEPES buffer, pH = 7.0) with an obvious color change from colorless to pink. Other metal ions such as $Hg^{2+}$, $Ag^+$, $Pb^{2+}$, $Sr^{2+}$, $Ba^{2+}$, $Cd^{2+}$, $Ni^{2+}$, $Co^{2+}$, $Fe^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, $Ce^{3+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $K^+$ and $Na^+$ had no such color change and have no significant influence on $Cu^{2+}$ recognition process. The interaction of $Cu^{2+}$ and sensor 1 was proven to adopt a 1:1 binding stoichiometry and the recognition process is reversible.

The electronic structures and bonding configuration of histidine on Ge(100) have been investigated with various sample treatments using core-level photoemission spectroscopy (CLPES). Interpretation of the Ge 3d, C 1s, N 1s, and O 1s core level spectra being included in these systems revealed that both the imino nitrogen in the imidazole ring and the carboxyl group in the glycine moiety concurrently participate in the adsorption of histidine on a Ge(100) surface at 380 K. Moreover, we could clearly confirm that the imino nitrogen with a free lone pair in the imidazole group adsorbs on Ge(100) more strongly than the carboxyl group in the glycine moiety by examining systems annealed at various temperatures.

This study investigates the requirements of lithium-air cathodes, which directly influence discharge capacity. The cathodes of Li-air cell are made by using five different carbon materials, such as Ketjen black EC600JD, Super P, Ketjen black EC300JD, Denka black, and Ensaco 250G. The Ketjen black EC600JD provides discharge capacity of 2600 mAh/g per carbon weight, while that of Ensaco 250G shows only 579 mAh/g. To figure out the differences of discharge capacity from carbon materials, their surface area and pore volume are analyzed. These are found out to be the critical factors in determining discharge capacity. Furthermore, carbon loading on Ni foam and amounts of electrolyte are significant factors that affect discharge capacity. In order to investigate catalyst effect, electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) is incorporated and delivered 4307 mAh/g per carbon weight. This infers that EMD facilitates to break $O_2$ interactions and leads to enhance discharge capacity.

The thermal conductivity of layered metal chalcogenides such as $MT_2$ (M = Mo, W; T = S, Se) shows a marked decrease after exfoliation and subsequent restacking process. Random stacking of two-dimensional crystalline sheets circumvents thermal conduction pathways along a longitudinal direction, which results in a reduction in thermal conductivity. $WS_2$ and $WSe_2$ compounds retain p-type conducting behavior after exfoliation and restacking with decreased electrical conductivity due to the change in carrier concentration. $MoSe_2$ compound exhibits metallic behavior < $130^{\circ}C$ with a small Seebeck coefficient, which results from metastable 1T-$MoSe_2$ structure of the restacked phase.

Malachite green (MG) has been used world-widely in aquaculture as a parasiticide or fungicide. Although MG performed successfully, it has not been permitted for use in aquaculture from European Union, USA, and Canada because of its carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. We developed a sensitive and specific method to determine MG and its principal metabolite, leucomalachite green (LMG), respectively by isotope dilution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (ID-LC/MS). To enhance the extraction recovery of MG and LMG from fish tissue, an additional step, saponification, was introduced in sample preparation process to remove fat in sample extract, which hampered the performance of SPE columns. The residue of MG and LMG in fish was analyzed using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode by monitoring at m/z 329 and 334 for MG and $d_5$-MG and at m/z 331 and 337 for LMG and $^{13}C_6$-LMG, respectively. This method was validated by comparing with the value of the reference material provided by Laboratory Government Chemistry (LGC). The results agreed within the measurement uncertainty and the accuracy was much improved than the provided reference value by LGC.

A $Li[Ni_{0.3}Co_{0.4}Mn_{0.3}]O_2$ cathode was modified by coating with Li-La-Ti-O, and the effect of the coating thickness on their electrochemical properties was studied. The thickness of the coating on the surface of $Li[Ni_{0.3}Co_{0.4}Mn_{0.3}]O_2$ was increased by increasing the wt % of the coating material. The rate capability of the Li-La-Ti-O-coated electrode was superior to that of the pristine sample. 1- and 2-wt %-coated samples showed considerable improvement in capacity retention at high C rates. However, the rate capability of a 5-wt %-coated sample decreased. All the coated samples showed a high discharge capacity and slightly improved cyclic performance under a high cut-off voltage (4.8 V) condition. Results of a storage test confirmed that the Li-La-Ti-O coating layer was effective in suppressing the dissolution of the transition metals as it offered protection from the attack of the acidic electrolyte. In particular, the 2- and 5-wt %-coated samples showed a better protection effect than the 1-wt %-coated sample.

A new and efficient method for the preparation of substituted 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones via Biginelli synthesis using catalytic amounts of 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin is presented. Short reaction times, easy work-up, high yields of products and stability, easy-handling, non-toxicity and cheapness of the catalyst are noteworthy advantages of the present work.

NHERF ($Na^+/H^+$ exchanger regulatory factor) and E3KARP (NHE3 kinase A regulatory protein) play important roles in membrane targeting, trafficking and sorting of ion channels, transmembrane receptors and signaling proteins in many tissues. Each of these proteins contains two PDZ (PSD-95/Dlg-1/ZO-1) domains, which mediate the assembly of transmembrane and cytosolic proteins into functional signal transduction complexes. The interaction between NHERF and E3KARP was investigated by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (BIAcore), fluorescence measurement, His-tagged pull-down experiment, and size-exclusion column (SEC) chromatography. BIAcore experiments revealed that NHERF bound to E3KARP with an apparent $K_D$ of 7 nM. Fluorescence emission spectra of the NHERF-E3KARP complex suggested that the tight interaction between these proteins was accompanied by significant conformational changes in one or both. The CD spectra of NHERF and E3KARP show that the conformational changes of these proteins were dependent on pH and temperature. These results implicate that the NHERF-E3KARP complex allows intracellular signaling complexes to form through PDZ-PDZ interactions.

Molecular structures of the various conformers for the four stereoisomers of tetra-t-butyl-tetra-O-methylsulfinylcalix[4]arene (1) were optimized using DFT BLYP and mPW1PW91/6-31G(d,p) (hybrid HF-DF) calculation methods. We have analyzed the total electronic and Gibbs free energies and normal vibrational frequencies of 16 different structures from four major conformations (cone (CONE), partial cone (PC), 1,2-alternate (1,2-A), 1,3-alternate (1,3-A)) of the four stereoisomers [1(rccc), 1(rcct), 1(rctt), 1(rtct)]. The mPW1PW91/6-31G(d,p) calculations suggested that the $1(rccc)_{CONE}$, $1(rcct)_{PC}$, $1(rctt)_{PC}$, and $1(rtct)_{1,3-A}$ were the most stable conformations of the respective stereoisomers. These outcomes are in accordance with the experimental structures obtained from X-ray crystallography. The electrostatic repulsion between the sulfinyl and methoxy groups is a primary factor for the relative stabilities of the four different conformations. The IR spectra of the most stable conformers [$1(rccc)_{CONE}$, $1(rcct)_{PC}$, $1(rctt)_{PC}$, $1(rtct)_{1,3-A}$] of each stereoisomer were compared to each other.

In this study, the effects of the various parameters of spinning and drawing processes on the properties of polyester full drawn yarn (FDY) prepared by steam processing during high-speed spinning were investigated using several techniques. The wet shrinkage ratio of the FDY was able to be manipulated by controlling the temperature and draw ratio. The FDY made using the steam high speed spinning technique exhibited identical properties (such as tenacity, elongation, and wet shrinkage ratio) to that of regular FDY, made using the spin-draw process. FDY prepared using the steam process during high-speed spinning showed excellent dyeability. The dye pick-up of the polyester yarn spun at high-speed spinning was found to be improved when dyed under an atmospheric pressure of $100^{\circ}C$. This result was the same as regular FDY dyed under a high pressure of $130^{\circ}C$.

A label-free amperometric immunosensor has been proposed for the detection of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in human serum. To fabricate such an immunosensor, a composite film consisting of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ($EMIMBF_4$) suspension was initially formed on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Then cerium dioxide ($CeO_2$) dispersed by chitosan was coated on the GCE. After that, MPO antibodies (anti-MPO) were attached onto the nano$CeO_2$ surface. With a noncompetitive immunoassay format, the antibody-antigen complex formed between the immobilized anti-MPO and MPO in sample solution. The immunosensor was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The factors influencing the performance of the immunosensor were studied in detail. Under optimal conditions, the current change before and after the immunoreaction was proportional to MPO concentration in the range of 5 to $300\;ng\;mL^{-1}$ with a detection limit of $0.2\;ng\;mL^{-1}$.

A series of 6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-5-hydroxyphenyl-2-benzylidine-3-substituted hydrazino thiazolo (2,3-b) quinazolines have been synthesized to meet the structural requirements essential for anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties. The synthesized series of heterocycles, 6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-5-hydroxyphenyl-2-benzylidine-3-substituted hydrazino thiazolo (2,3-b) quinazoline by the reaction of 6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-5-hydroxy phenyl thiazolo (2,3-b) quinazolin-3(2H)-one with appropriate hydrazine hydrate and ketones/aldehydes in the presence of anhydrous sodium acetate and glacial acetic acid as presented in Scheme 1. Their antinociceptive activity were evaluated by tailflick technique, anti-inflammatory was evaluated by carrageenan-induced paw edema test and their ulcerogenicity index determined by reported protocol. The compounds exhibited the lowest ulcer index ($0.51{\pm}1.63$, $0.48{\pm}1.28$ and $0.50{\pm}1.53$, respectively. The 6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-5-hydroxy phenylhydroxy-2-benzylidine-3-(N'-3-pentylidenehydrazino) thiazolo (2,3-b) quinazoline and 6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-5-hydroxy phenyl-2-benzylidine-3-(N'-2-pentylidene-hydrazino) thiazolo (2,3-b) quinazoline exhibited the most potent antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities.

Synthesis and structural characterization of peripherally ferrocene-substituted zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc-Fc) were carried out for efficient far-red/near-IR performance in dye-sensitized nanostructured $TiO_2$ solar cells. Incorporating ferrocene into phthalocyanine strongly improved the dye solubility in polar organic solvents, and reduced surface aggregation due to the steric effect of bulky ferrocene substituents. The involvement of electron transfer reaction pathways between ferrocene and phthalocyanine in ZnPc-Fc was evidenced by completely quenched fluorescence from S1 state (< 0.08% vs ZnPc). Strong absorption bands at 542 and 682 nm were observed in the transient absorption spectroscopy of ZnPc-Fc in DMSO, which was excited at a 670 nm laser pulse with a 15 ps full width at half maximum. Also, the excited state absorption signals at 450 - 600 and 750 - 850 nm appeared from the formation of charge separated state of phthalocyanine's anion. The lifetime of the charge separate state in ZnPc-Fc was determined to be $170{\pm}8$ ps, which was almost 17 times shorter than that of the ZnPc.

The reaction rates of 4-X-2,6-dinitrochlorobenzenes (X = $NO_2$, CN, $CF_3$) with Y-substituted benzylamines (Y = p-$OCH_3$, p-$CH_3$, H, p-Cl) in MeOH-MeCN mixtures were measured by conductometry at $25^{\circ}C$. It was observed that the rate constant increased in the order of X = $NO_2$ > CN > $CF_3$ and in the order of Y = p-$OCH_3$ > p-$CH_3$ > H > p-Cl. When the solvent composition was varied, the rate constant increased in the order of 100% MeOH < 50% (v/v) MeOH-MeCN < 100% MeCN. These results may be ascribed to the formation of hydrogen bonds between the alcoholic hydrogen and nitrogen of benzylamines in groud state (GS). We conclude that the reaction takes place via $S_NAr$ base on the transition state parameters ${\rho}x$, ${\rho}Y$, $\beta_{nuc}$, and solvent effects.

The gas-phase dehydration of glycerol to acrolein was carried out over 10 wt % HSiW catalysts supported on different supports, viz. $\gamma-Al_2O_3$, $SiO_2-Al_2O_3$, $TiO_2$, $ZrO_2$, $SiO_2$, AC, $CeO_2$ and MgO. The same reaction was also conducted over each support without HSiW for comparison. Several characterization techniques, $N_2$-physisorption, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia ($NH_3$-TPD), temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) with mass spectroscopy and CHNS analysis were employed to characterize the catalysts. The glycerol conversion generally increased with increasing amount of acid sites. Ceria showed the highest 1-hydroxyacetone selectivity at $315^{\circ}C$ among the various metal oxides. The supported HSiW catalyst showed superior catalytic activity to that of the corresponding support. Among the supported HSiW catalysts, HSiW/$ZrO_2$ and HSiW/$SiO_2-Al_2O_3$ showed the highest acrolein selectivity. In the case of HSiW/$ZrO_2$, the initial catalytic activity was recovered after the removal of the accumulated carbon species at $550^{\circ}C$ in the presence of oxygen.

A gelastatins (1), natural MMP inhibitors, and their hydroxamate analogues (2) in TACE enzyme evaluated for discovery of potent TACE inhibitors. We have employed molecular dynamics simulations to compute the relative free energy of hydration and binding to TACE for gelastatin (1) and its hydroxamate analogue (2). The relative free energy difference is directly described in this article using the free energy perturbation approach as a means to accurately predict the TACE inhibitor of gelastatin analogues. The results show that the good agreement between the experimental and theoretical relative free energies of binding, gelastatin hydroxamate (2) binds stronger to TACE by -3.37 kcal/mol. The desolvation energy costs significantly reduced binding affinity, hydroxamate group associated with high desolvation energy formed strong favorable interactions with TACE with more than compensated for the solvation costs and therefore led to an improvement in relative binding affinity.

In this study, the 3D-QSARs (three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships: CoMFA and CoMSIA) between structural changes of N-phenyl-O-phenylthionocarbamate analogues (1-30) and their fungicidal activities against the capsicum phytophthora (Phyophthora capsici) fungi were analyzed, then considered quantitatively in terms of minimum structural requirements for fungicidal evaluation. The statistical qualities ($r^2_{cv.}$ = 0.510 and $r^2_{ncv.}$ = 0.948) of the optimal CoMFA 1 model are improved over the other models in the conditions of field combinations, and the two alignments. In the optimal CoMFA 1 model, relative contribution percentages of the CoMFA field were: steric field, 52.3%; electrostatic field, 37.8%; hydrophobic field, 9.9%. Results were similar for the CoMFA 2 model. Therefore, the steric field of the analogues had the highest contribution ratio for fungicidal activity. Specifically, with the contour map of steric fields, the fungicidal activity increased when bulky steric Y-substituents were introduced to the meta-position on the N-phenyl ring and small steric Y-subsituents were introduced to its para-position.

Two new diterpenoid alkaloids, N(19)-en-denudatine (1) and N(4)-butanone-flavaconitine (2), were isolated from Aconitum brachypodum Diels.. Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses including UV, IR, MS, 1D- and 2D-NMR.

Condensation of 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-($\alpha$-naphthyl)-s-triazole (1) with cyanogen bromide gives 6-amino-3-($\alpha$-naphthyl)-s-triazolo[3,4-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazole (2) which on condensation with chloranil yields 3,9-di-($\alpha$-naphthyl)-6,14-dioxo-bis-(s-triazolo[3,4-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazolo[3,2-b]imidazo[4,5-b]cyclohexane]-5a,6a-diene) (3). 3-($\alpha$-naphthyl)-s-triazolo[3,4-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazolo[3,2-b]imidazo[4,5-b]quinoxaline (4) is obtained by a similar condensation of (2) with 2,3-dichloroquinoxaline. The reaction of (2) with $\alpha$-haloketones followed by bromination affords 7-aryl-3-($\alpha$-naphthyl)-imidazo[2,1-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazolo[2,3-c]-s-triazoles (5) and their 6-bromo analogues 6 respectively. The structures of all newly synthesized compounds were established on the basis of elemental analyses, IR, $^1H$-NMR. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of all newly synthesized compounds have also been evaluated.

D-[$^{18}F$]FMAU and L-[$^{18}F$]FMAU are F-18 labeled nucleoside analogue which have been efficiently synthesized in order to be a PET imaging probe. D-[$^{18}F$]FMAU and L-[$^{18}F$]FMAU were compared as PET imaging agents using HSV1-TK gene expressing tumor-bearing mice. Their cellular uptake profiles were also compared using MCA and MCA-TK cell lines. D-[$^{18}F$]FMAU demonstrated higher cellular uptake and higher accumulation in MCA-TK tumor regions than L-[$^{18}F$]FMAU. On the other hand, L-[$^{18}F$]FMAU showed higher MCA-TK/MCA ratio of %ID/g than that of D-[$^{18}F$]FMAU. L-[$^{18}F$]FMAU can be utilized as a good candidate for HSV1-TK PET imaging. It can be used for antiviral drug evaluation.

A simple and efficient synthetic route for making purpurin-18-N-aminoimides is described. The purpurin-18-Naminoimides are obtained by treatment of purpurin-18 methyl ester with various amines. These new compounds have long wavelength absorptions in the range of 706 - 711 nm. In preliminary screening, the purpurin-18-N-aminoimides have shown promising photosensitizing activity for the cancer cell by in vitro study in photodynamic therapy.

Five new series of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene derivatives carrying important pharamacophores, viz., amide, ester, ether and active secondary aryl moieties have been designed and synthesized through multistep reactions starting from thiodiglycolic ester and diethyl oxalate. They have been characterized by elemental and spectral data. All the target compounds have been screened for their anticonvulsant activity at three different models viz. maximal electroshock (MES), subcutaneous metrazole (scMET), and 6 Hz screen and evaluated for their neurotoxicity in rotorod model. Compound 6a emerged as lead with no neurotoxicity. All the five series of compounds are safe in the toxicity studies at the maximum dose of 300 mg/kg of body weight. Amongst the tested compounds, the ester pharmacophore with thioamide fragment has showed better activity than the other analogs.

We investigated the effects of newly synthesized 4-[(butylsulfinyl)methyl]-1,2-benzenediol (SMBD) on the prevention of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. SMBD exhibited stronger inhibition of $Cu^{2+}$-induced low-density lipoprotein oxidation than that of ascorbic acid or simvastatin. Three-month-old rabbits were fed an atherogenic diet containing 0.5% cholesterol and 10% coconut oil, while other two groups were given an atherogenic diet with intravenous injection of either simvastatin or SMBD (0.33 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. The concentrations of plasma cholesterol and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were significantly decreased in SMBD groups, compared to the control group. Also, aortic lipid level in the SMBD group significantly lower than that in the control group. Furthermore, compared with the control group, the SMBD group significantly inhibited the increase of aortic intimal thickness by 36% via reducing of aortic reactive oxygen species and cyclooxygenase-2 protein levels. We conclude that raised antioxidant effect of SMBD results in significant prevention against hypercholesterolemia.

A three dimensional pharmacophore model was generated for the molecules which are responsible for anti-inflammatory activities targeting Interleukin-2 inducible tyrosine kinase (Itk). 16 structurally diverse molecules were selected as training set to generate the hypotheses using Discovery Studio v2.1. The best hypothesis, Hypo1, comprises two hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), one hydrophobic aromatic (HA), one ring aromatic (RA) and shows high cost difference (63.71), high correlation coefficient (0.97) as well as low RMS deviation (0.81). Hypo1 has been further validated toward a test set, decoy set and Fischer's randomization method. Furthermore, Hypo1 was used to screen NCI and Maybridge databases. Finally, 2 hit molecules were identified as potential leads against Itk, which may be useful for future drug development.

A series of oxazolidinone-based strobilurin analogues were efficiently synthesized by the reaction of 3-(2-bromomethylphenyl) oxazolidin-2-one with 1-substituted phenyl-2H-pyrazolin-3-one. Their structures were confirmed and characterized by $^1H$-NMR, $^{13}C$-NMR, elemental analysis, and mass spectroscopy. In addition, the crystal structure of the target compound 3-(2-((1-phenyl-2H-pyrazol-3-yloxy)methyl)phenyl) oxazolidin-2-one was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The bioassay results of these compounds indicated that some of the oxazolidin-2-one derivatives containing N-substituted phenyl 2H-pyrazol ring exhibited potential in vivo fungicidal activities against M. grisea at the dosage of $1\;g\;L^{-1}$.

Novel 4'-ethyl-5'-norcarbocyclic adenosine phosphonic acid analogues were synthesized from propionaldehyde 5 through a de novo acyclic synthetic route using reiterative Grignard additions and ring-closing metathesis (RCM) as key reactions. The synthesized nucleoside phosphonic acids analogues 17, 18, 19, and 21 were subjected to antiviral screening against human immunodeficiency virus.

3,4-Dihydroquinazoline 1 as T-type calcium channel blocker was in vivo evaluated against A549 xenograft in BALB/c-nu Slc mice, which exhibited 54% tumor growth inhibition through oral administration of 8 mg/kg of body weight and was slightly less active than doxorubicin (68%). In addition, this compound was also profiled for its acute toxicity to ICR mice to afford oral $LD_{50}$ value of 1,038 mg/kg of body weight.

The incorporation of microwave irradiation with the prevalent "click chemistry" is currently of considerable synthetic interest. We describe here the introduction of such laboratorial shortcut into carbohydrate-based drug discovery, resulting in the rapid formation of a series of triazole-linked salicylic $\beta$-D-O-glycosides with biological activities. All "clicked" products were achieved in excellent yields ($\approx$ 90%) within only a quarter. In addition, based on the structural characteristics of the afforded glycomimetics, their inhibitory activities were evaluated toward protein tyrosine phosphatases 1B (PTP1B) and a panel of homologous protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). Docking simulation was also conducted to plausibly propose binding modes of this glycosyl salicylate series with the enzymatic target.

The specific rates of solvolysis of t-butyl fluoroformate (1) have been measured at $40.0^{\circ}C$ in 21 pure and binary solvents. These give a satisfactory correlation over the full range of solvents when the extended Grunwald-Winstein equation, with incorporation of the solvent nucleophilicity and the solvent ionizing power, is applied. The actual values are very similar to those obtained in earlier studies of the solvolyses of isopropyl chloroformate and ethyl chlorothioformate in the more ionizing and least nucleophilic solvents, which are believed to proceed by an ionization pathway. The small negative values for the entropies of activation are consistent with the ionization nature of the proposed rate-determining step. These observations are also compared with those previously reported for the corresponding primary and secondary alkyl haloformate esters.

In this study, quantitative and pattern recognition analysis for the quality evaluation of Magnoliae Flos using HPLC/UV was developed. For quantitative analysis, eleven major bioactive lignan compounds were determined. The separation conditions employed for HPLC/UV were optimized using ODS $C_{18}$ column ($250{\times}4.6\;mm$, $5\;{\mu}m$) with isocratic elution of acetonitrile and water with 1% acetic acid as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and a detection wavelength of 278 nm. These methods were fully validated with respect to the linearity, accuracy, precision, recovery, and robustness. The HPLC/UV method was applied successfully to the quantification of eleven major compounds in the extract of Magnoliae Flos. The HPLC analytical method for pattern recognition analysis was validated by repeated analysis of twenty one reference samples corresponding to seven different species of Magnoliae Flos and nine samples purchased from market. The results indicate that the established HPLC/UV method is suitable for the quantitative analysis and quality control of multi-components in Magnoliae Flos.

A new synthetic route to ($\pm$)-aspidospermidine was devised, starting from the cycloadduct of 3-ethyl-5-bromo-2-pyrone with vinyl sulfide through a tandem conjugate addition-alkylation sequence. The requisite 3-ethyl-5-bromo-2-pyrone was prepared via the C3-selective Pd-catalyzed coupling reaction with $Et_3Al$-dimethylaminoethanol complex.

$Li^+$ ion complex of azacrown ether with restricted motion of freedom and pseudo-bilateral symmetry was studied by infrared spectroscopy, which has shown simplified and broadened vibrational features. The C=O and N-H stretching bands, in particular, shows anomalous broadening nearly ${\sim}50\;cm^{-1}$. The density functional calculation at the level of BP86/6-31+$G^{**}$ shows that $Li^+$ ion is trapped and rather free to move around inside the cavity, as much as about $0.70\;{\AA}$. Through the relocation of $Li^+$ ion inside the cavity, the conformational changes would occur rapidly in its symmetry $C_1\;{\rightleftarrows}\;C_2\;{\rightleftarrows}\;C_1$$. The potential barrier was obtained to be merely ~2.2 kJ/mol for $C_1\;{\rightarrow}\;C_2$. During this conformational alteration, the amide backbone twists concurrently its dihedral angle side to side about up to ${\pm}3$ degree. Selected vibrational modes were interpreted in terms of the force constant variations of local symmetry coordinates between conformations in the framework of $C_1\;{\rightleftarrows}\;C_2\;{\rightleftarrows}\;C_1$.