Determinação voltamétrica por redissolução anódica de Cu(II) em águas residuárias empregando um eletrodo de pasta de carbono modificado com quitosana

The electrochemical applications of a CPE modified with chitosan for the determination of Cu(II) in wastewater samples using anodic stripping voltammetry are described. The best voltammetric response was observed for a paste containing 25% m/m of chitosan. A 0.10 mol L-1 NaNO3 solution (pH 6.5) as supporting electrolyte, a pre-concentration potential of -0.20 V, pre-concentration time of 270 s and a scan rate of 25 mV s-1 were selected. The calibration graph was linear in the Cu(II) concentration range from 2.0 x 10-7 to 7.4 x 10-6 mol L-1, with a detection limit of 8.3 x 10-8 mol L-1.

Produção biotecnológica de poli-hidroxialcanoatos para a geração de polímeros biodegradáveis no Brasil

In recent years, several studies have been developed in Brazil to produce biodegradable materials. A particular family of bacterial polymers, the polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), has received special attention. PHAs are thermoplastic, biodegradable, biocompatible, are synthesised from renewable resources and can substitute petrochemical plastics in some applications. Different aspects have been focused to increase productivity and to reduce the cost of PHA production: bacterial improvement, use of industrial by-products as raw material, bioreactor design, process operation strategies, downstream process, mathematical modelling, polymer characterisation, application and biodegradability of blends. A production process was transferred to industry and studies to produce new PHA by controlling monomer composition are in progress. All these aspects are presented in this review.

A relevante potencialidade dos centros básicos nitrogenados disponíveis em polímeros inorgânicos e biopolímeros na remoção catiônica

This review reports the application of inorganic and organic polymeric materials for cation removal by using nitrogenated basic centers. The data demonstrate the importance of the desired groups when free or immobilized on natural or synthesized inorganic polymers through silanol groups. Thus, the most studied silica gel is followed by natural crysotile and talc polymers, and the synthesized mesopore silicas, talc-like, silicic acids, phosphates and phyllosilicates. The organic natural biopolymeric chitin and cellulose were chemically modified to improve the availability of the amine groups or the reactivity with desirable molecules to enlarge the content of basic centers. The cation removal takes place at the solid/liquid interface and some interactive effects have their thermodynamic data determined.

Alargamento da distribuição de massa molar de polímeros sintetizados com catalisadores metalocênicos dual-site

The main topics related to the use of dual-site catalysts in the production of polymers with broad molecular weight distribution are reviewed. The polymerization using dual-site catalysts is more economical and allows to produce a higher quality product than other processes, such as polymer blend and multistage reactors. However, the formulation of these catalysts is quite complicated since the same catalyst must produce distinct polymer grades. In addition, the release of patents concerning the combination of metallocenes and new technologies for polymerization shows that polymerization processes using dual-site catalysts are of current industrial interest.

Sintesis de poliuretanos a partir de polioles obtenidos a partir del aceite de higuerilla modificado por transesterificación con pentaeritritol

Castor oil was reacted by transesterification with various percentages in mass of pentaerythritol to obtain different esters of pentaerythritol. Alternatively, glycerol was also used instead of pentaerythritol for the same reaction in order to establish comparative reference products. The products of the reactions were characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy in order to detect and quantify (in terms of the molecular mass and structural information) the components of the products obtained. Analysis for hydroxyl value, acid value, viscosity and specific gravity were used to complete the characterization of the polyols obtained and also of the original castor oil. The polymer characterization was accomplished by tensile stress-strain tests, Shore A hardness, thermogravimetric analysis and chemical resistance to solvents.

Estudos espectroscópicos e estruturais dos polímeros de coordenação 2D, ∞[Tb(DPA)(HDPA)] e ∞[Gd(DPA)(HDPA)]

This paper presents the synthesis of the coordination polymers ∞[Ln(DPA)(HDPA)] (DPA=2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate; Ln= Tb and Gd), their structural and spectroscopic properties. The structural study reveals that the ∞[Ln(DPA)(HDPA)] has a single Ln+3 ion coordinated with two H2DPA ligands in tridentade coordination mode, while two others H2DPA establish a syn-bridge with a symmetry-related Ln3+, forming a two-dimensional structure. The spectroscopic studies show that ∞[Tb(DPA)(HDPA)] compound has high quantum yield (q x≈ 50.0%), due to the large contribution of radiative decay rate. Moreover triplet level is localized sufficiently over the emitter level 5D4 of theTb3+ ion, avoiding a retrotransference process between these states.

Isolamento de polímeros da parede celular de Saccharomyces cerevisiae e avaliação da atividade antioxidante da manana-proteína isolada

Yeast cell wall contains polymers glucan and mannan-protein that have received much attention with respect to their biological activities. Conventional isolation process involving treatments with hot alkali and acids cause degradation of these polymers. The aim of this paper was to study a low-degrading process for the isolation of glucan and mannan-protein from S. cerevisiae cell wall comprising physic and enzymatic treatments. Yeast cell glucan was obtained in a purity of 87.4% and a yield of 33.7%. The isolated mannan-protein presented antioxidant activity that was increased after thirty minutes of protease treatment. Antioxidant activity was determined by β-carotene/linoleate model system.

Aplicações de fibras lignocelulósicas na química de polímeros e em compósitos

The use of lignocellulosic fibers and their constituents, as raw materials in the production of polymeric and composite materials, represent an exceptional opportunity of sustainable technological development. In the present report works that discuss promising alternatives of obtaining and use of materials such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, cellulose nanocrystals and biocomposites were revised. The advance in the use of biomass can be, in a near future, capable of going beyond the application difficulties of these vast materials, especially in relation to the economical unviability, by the production of high performance polymeric and composite materials. This advance would represent a higher profitability to some areas of agrobusiness, especially the sector of biofuels, which produces elevated amounts of biomass waste.

Termoestabilidade de processos extrativos de Nasturtium officinale R. Br., brassicaceae por sistema Soxhlet modificado

This work had as objective verified the term-stability of the Soxhlet modified system with analytical and pharmacothecnical application in extractive processes of Nasturtium officinale. It has proven that the process is thermo-stable. The analysis with analytical have determined 3.606 mg g-1 in chlorogenic acid and 11.813 mg g-1 in rutin (extract 1:20 w/v) and with pharmacotecnical 3.427 mg g-1 in chlorogenic acid and 11.278 mg g-1 in rutin (extract 1:6 w/v). The income of the pharmacothecnical process was inferior to the analytical, suggesting that the pharmacothecnical process would need of at least the double of time in each extraction system.

Polímeros com capacidade de reconhecimento molecular no controlo da libertação de fármacos. Parte 1: síntese e caracterização

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) consist of synthetic macromolecular matrix, obtained through molecular imprinting-based methods that show ability to selectively recognize important biological molecules and its application in the drug delivery field is under development. In the present review the main aspects related to the synthesis and characterization of MIPs are studied. The fundamental variables participating in the synthesis process, such as template molecule, functional monomers, cross-linking agents, solvents and imprinting approaches are discussed. Moreover, the main available methods for MIPs chemical and morphological characterization are presented and the importance of the obtained information is discussed.

Auto-associação do dodecilsulfato de sódio (SDS) com o polímero hidrofobicamente modificado etil(hidroxietil) celulose (EHEC)

Mixtures of ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose (EHEC) and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) were investigated using surface tension, conductivity and viscosity measurements in aqueous solutions. The parameters of the surfactant to polymer association processes such as the critical aggregation concentration (cac) and saturation of the polymer by SDS (psp) were determined from the plots of surface tension and specific conductivity versus surfactant concentration. Through the final results we see that there was no specific link of polymer with the surfactant, implying therefore a phenomenon of only cooperative association.

Poliuretanos elastoméricos obtenidos a partir de aceite de ricino y almidón de yuca original y modificado con anhídrido propiónico: síntesis, propiedades fisicoquímicas y fisicomecánicas

Chemical modification of cassava starch was conducted through an acylation reaction by using pyridine and propionic anhydride to replace the functional groups of starch. Polyurethane elastomers were prepared using suspensions of the mixture obtained from castor oil and yucca starch that was modified by a propionic anhydride reaction. The suspensions were characterized by means of tests based on The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and the Hydroxyl Index. The castor oil-AMP suspensions were used for the PU synthesis. The PUs were characterized by their physical-mechanical properties like tension- deformation and Shore A. hardness, thermal gravimetric analysis and swelling test. The density cross-linking of from swelling tests was determined by applying the Flory-Rehner equation.

Síntese de fotoprotetores e sua imobilização em poli(metacrilato de metilo): um projeto integrado de química orgânica, química de polímeros e fotoquímica

Dibenzalacetone and other aldol condensation products are known sunscreens commonly used in cosmetics. This type of compounds can easily be prepared in an Organic Chemistry Lab by reaction of aldehydes with ketones in basic medium. These compounds can be incorporated in poly(methyl methacrylate) and used as UV light absorbers, for example in sunglasses. This project has the advantage of using inexpensive reagents which are readily available in Chemistry Laboratories. This experiment can also be a base starting point for discussions of organic, polymer and photochemistry topics.

Oligômeros e polímeros derivados do tiofeno: síntese e aplicações

In this review we summarize recent synthetic investigations about the preparation of oligothiophenes and polythiophenes, the most important π-conjugated organic materials for applications in electrochromic and electroluminescent devices. It is showed that many interesting and novel functionalized oligothiophenes have been synthesized by convenient coupling strategies (Heck, Kumada, Negishi, Suzuki, Stille and Ullmann) and oxidative coupling methods. Synthesis of polythiophenes are also presented and described according to chemical and electrochemical polymerization methodologies. The description of these noteworthy synthetic methods illustrates how important and promising are the interdisciplinary approaches in the obtaining of oligothiophenes and polythiophenes.

Otimização e validação de método empregando quechers modificado e lc-esi-ms/ms para determinação de agrotóxicos em cebola

An evaluation of the pesticides extraction from onion using a modern sample preparation method (QuEChERS) and determination by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was carried out. All the calibration curves showed r>0.99. The recoveries ranged between 61.8 and 120.0% with relative standard deviation lower than 20% for all compounds. Due to the occurrence of matrix effect, the quantification was performed using matrix-matched calibration. The limits of quantification of the method were between 0.0005 and 0.05 mg kg-1. The method shows the advantages of not require the clean-up step and consume low volume of organic solvents, decreasing time, costs and residues.