Biomimetic sensor based on 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-21H,23H- porphyrin iron (III) chloride and MWCNT for selective detection of 2,4-D

Exploitation of the electronic properties of carbon nanotubes for the development of voltammetric and amperometric sensors to monitor analytes of environmental relevance has increased in recent years. This work reports the development of a biomimetic sensor based on a carbon paste modified with 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-21H,23H-porphyrin iron (III) chloride (a biomimetic catalyst of the P450 enzyme) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), for the sensitive and selective detection of the herbicide 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The sensor was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry and amperometry, for electrochemical characterization and quantification purposes, respectively. Amperometric analyses were carried out at -100 mV vs. Ag/AgCl(KClsat), using a 0.1 mol L-1 phosphate buffer solution at pH 6.0 as the support electrolyte. Under these optimized analytical conditions, the sensor showed a linear response between 9.9 × 10-6 and 1.4 × 10-4 mol L-1, a sensitivity of 1.8 × 104 (±429) μA L mol -1, and limits of detection and quantification of 2.1 × 10 -6 and 6.8 × 10-6 mol L-1, respectively. The incorporation of functionalized MWCNT in the carbon paste resulted in a 10-fold increase in the response, compared to that of the biomimetic sensor without MWCNT. In addition, the low applied potential (-100 mV) used to obtain high sensitivity also contributed to the excellent selectivity of the proposed sensor. The viability of the application of this sensor for analysis of soil samples was confirmed by satisfactory recovery values, with a mean of 96% and RSD of 2.1% (n = 3). © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Growth of TiO2 nanotubes by anodization of Ti-7.5Mo in NH 4F solutions

Titanium and its alloys are widely used as biomaterials due to their mechanical, chemical and biological properties. To enhance the biocompatibility of titanium alloys, various surface treatments have been proposed. In particular, the formation of titanium oxide nanotubes layers has been extensively examined. According to the literature, it is possible to induce the growth of TiO2 on the surface of titanium, employing the aqueous anodizing electrolyte. This Ti-7.5Mo alloy was anodized in glycerol electrolytes containg 0.25 wt% of NH4F, with variations in time, voltage and calcinations temperature. After anodization, the sample surfaces were analyzed with a field emission scanning electron microscopy, DRX and contact angle measurements. It was possible to observe the formation of TiO2 on the surface and these findings represent a simple surface treatment for Ti alloys that has high potential for biomedical applications. Copyright © 2013 American Scientific Publishers. All rights reserved.

Determination of sildenafil and vardenafil by capillary zone electrophoresis using capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection

A method based on capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE-C4D) for determination of two important phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors (sildenafil and vardenafil) is introduced. The background electrolyte (BGE) consisted of an aqueous solution of 500 mmol L-1 acetic acid, and the capillary was previously treated with polybrene solution to prevent cationic analytes from adsorbing onto the inner surface. Although the analytes migrate in the counter flow, the total time is short. An instrument with two C4D detectors allowed a seamless transition from a fast method (less than one minute) but of low-efficiency using the first detector to a more efficient method using the second detector. The analysis of commercial tablets showed no significant difference between CE-C4D and HPLC methods. Conductivity detection is a well-known low selectivity detection scheme, which in conjunction with the high mobility of the co-ion in the BGE (hydroxonium) allows one to predict that other cationic analogues of sildenafil can also be detected. This is an interesting feature given the increasing number of compounds in this class. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Inhibitory mechanism of the nucleus of the solitary tract involved in the control of cardiovascular, dipsogenic, hormonal, and renal responses to hyperosmolality

The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is the primary site of visceral afferents to the central nervous system. In the present study, we investigated the effects of lesions in the commissural portion of the NTS (commNTS) on the activity of vasopressinergic neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei, plasma vasopressin, arterial pressure, water intake, and sodium excretion in rats with plasma hyperosmolality produced by intragastric 2 M NaCl (2 ml/rat). Male Holtzman rats with 15-20 days of sham or electrolytic lesion (1 mA; 10 s) of the commNTS were used. CommNTS lesions enhanced a 2 M NaCl intragastrically induced increase in the number of vasopressinergic neurons expressing c-Fos in the PVN (28 ± 1, vs. sham: 22 ± 2 c-Fos/AVP cells) and SON (26 ± 4, vs. sham: 11 ± 1 c-Fos/AVP cells), plasma vasopressin levels (21 ± 8, vs. sham: 6.6 ± 1.3 pg/ml), pressor responses (25 ± 7 mmHg, vs. sham: 7 ± 2 mmHg), water intake (17.5 ± 0.8, vs. sham: 11.2 ± 1.8 ml/2 h), and natriuresis (4.9 ± 0.8, vs. sham: 1.4 ± 0.3 meq/1 h). The pretreatment with vasopressin antagonist abolished the pressor response to intragastric 2 M NaCl in commNTS-lesioned rats (8 ± 2.4 mmHg at 10 min), suggesting that this response is dependent on vasopressin secretion. The results suggest that inhibitory mechanisms dependent on commNTS act to limit or counterbalance behavioral, hormonal, cardiovascular, and renal responses to an acute increase in plasma osmolality. © 2013 the American Physiological Society.

Growth of calcium phosphate coating on Ti-7.5Mo alloy after anodic oxidation

Titanium and its alloys are widely used as biomaterials due to their mechanical, chemical and biological properties. To enhance the biocompatibility of titanium alloys, various surface treatments have been proposed. In particular, the formation of titanium oxide nanotubes layers has been extensively examined. Among the various materials for implants, calcium phosphates and hydroxyapatite are widely used clinically. In this work, titanium nanotubes were fabricated on the surface of Ti-7.5Mo alloy by anodization. The samples were anodized for 20 V in an electrolyte containing glycerol in combination with ammonium fluoride (NH4F, 0.25%), and the anodization time was 24 h. After being anodized, specimens were heat treated at 450 °C and 600°C for 1 h to crystallize the amorphous TiO2 nanotubes and then treated with NaOH solution to make them bioactive, to induce growth of calcium phosphate in a simulated body fluid. Surface morphology and coating chemistry were obtained respectively using, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), AFM and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was shown that the presence of titanium nanotubes induces the growth of a sodium titanate nanolayer. During the subsequent invitro immersion in a simulated body fluid, the sodium titanate nanolayer induced the nucleation and growth of nano-dimensioned calcium phosphate. It was possible to observe the formation of TiO2 nanotubes on the surface of Ti-7.5Mo. Calcium phosphate coating was greater in the samples with larger nanotube diameter. These findings represent a simple surface treatment for Ti-7.5Mo alloy that has high potential for biomedical applications. © (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.

Photoelectrochemical properties of FTO/m-BiVO4 electrode in different electrolytes solutions under visible light irradiation

Photoelectrochemical properties of FTO/BiVO4 electrode were investigated in different electrolytic solutions, potassium chloride (KCl) and sodium sulphate (Na2SO4), and under visible light irradiation condition. In order to accomplish that, an FTO/BiVO4 electrode was built by combining the solution combustion synthesis technique with the dip-coating deposition process. The morphology and structure of the BiVO4 electrode were investigated through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Photoelectrochemical properties were analyzed through chronoamperometry measurements. Results have shown that the FTO/BiVO4 electrode presents higher electroactivity in the electrolyte Na2SO4, leading to better current stabilization, response time, and photoinduced current density, when compared to KCl electrolyte. Besides, this electrode shows excellent performance for methylene blue degradation under visible light irradiation condition. In Na2SO4, the electrode has shown higher degradation rate, 51 %, in contrast to 44 % in KCl, plus higher rate constant, 174 × 10-4 min-1 compared to 150 × 10-4 min-1 in KCl. Results presented in this communication leads to the indication of BiVO4 thin films as alternate materials to use in heterogeneous photoelectrocatalysis, more specifically in decontamination of surface water. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Electrochemical sensor for ranitidine determination based on carbon paste electrode modified with oxovanadium (IV) salen complex

The preparation and electrochemical characterization of a carbon paste electrode modified with the N,N-ethylene-bis(salicyllideneiminato)oxovanadium (IV) complex ([VO(salen)]) as well as its application for ranitidine determination are described. The electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode for the electroreduction of ranitidine was investigated using cyclic voltammetry, and analytical curves were obtained for ranitidine using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) under optimized conditions. The best voltammetric response was obtained for an electrode composition of 20% (m/m) [VO(salen)] in the paste, 0.10 mol L- 1 of KCl solution (pH 5.5 adjusted with HCl) as supporting electrolyte and scan rate of 25 mV s- 1. A sensitive linear voltammetric response for ranitidine was obtained in the concentration range from 9.9 × 10- 5 to 1.0 × 10- 3 mol L- 1, with a detection limit of 6.6 × 10- 5 mol L- 1 using linear sweep voltammetry. These results demonstrated the viability of this modified electrode as a sensor for determination, quality control and routine analysis of ranitidine in pharmaceutical formulations. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Tribocorrosion behaviour of anodic treated titanium surfaces intended for dental implants

Tribocorrosion plays an important role in the lifetime of metallic implants. Once implanted, biomaterials are subjected to micro-movements in aggressive biological fluids. Titanium is widely used as an implant material because it spontaneously forms a compact and protective nanometric thick oxide layer, mainly TiO2, in ambient air. That layer provides good corrosion resistance, and very low toxicity, but its low wear resistance is a concern. In this work, an anodizing treatment was performed on commercial pure titanium to form a homogeneous thick oxide surface layer in order to provide bioactivity and improve the biological, chemical and mechanical properties. Anodizing was performed in an electrolyte containing β-glycerophosphate and calcium acetate. The influence of the calcium acetate content on the tribocorrosion behaviour of the anodized material was studied. The concentration of calcium acetate in the electrolyte was found to largely affect the crystallographic structure of the resulting oxide layer. Better tribocorrosion behaviour was noticed on increasing the calcium acetate concentration. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Estudo por simulação computacional da interação entre polianfóteros fracos e macroíons cilíndricos

Pós-graduação em Biofísica Molecular - IBILCE

Síntese e caracterização de cátodos de perovskitas 'La IND.0,6''Sr IND.0,4''Fe IND.y''Co IND.1-y''O IND.3-'delta'', para células a combustível de eletrólito sólido (SOFC) operando em temperaturas intermediárias

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estudo da eletrocatálise da reação de oxidação do glicerol sobre as fases intermetálicas ordenadas PtSn e AuSn

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Utilização de uma língua eletrônica para classificação de amostras de açúcar em uma usina

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Fistulização temporária do ceco em equinos: estudo experimental da técnica cirúrgica e da viabilidade desta via para a administração de fluído enteral

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Urolitíase em bovinos da raça Guzerá (Bos taurus indicus): estudo comparativo em animais oriundo de propriedades com e sem o problema

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Caracterização das alterações laboratoriais e histopatológicas associadas à obstrução uretral experimentalmente induzida em ratos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)