Microwave-assisted extraction of phenolic acids and flavonoids and production of antioxidant ingredients from tomato: a nutraceutical-oriented optimization study

The production of natural extracts requires suitable processing conditions to maximize the preservation of the bioactive ingredients. Herein, a microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) process was optimized, by means of response surface methodology (RSM), to maximize the recovery of phenolic acids and flavonoids and obtain antioxidant ingredients from tomato. A 5-level full factorial Box-Behnken design was successfully implemented for MAE optimization, in which the processing time (t), temperature (T), ethanol concentration (Et) and solid/liquid ratio (S/L) were relevant independent variables. The proposed model was validated based on the high values of the adjusted coefficient of determination and on the non-significant differences between experimental and predicted values. The global optimum processing conditions (t=20 min; T=180 ºC; Et=0 %; and S/L=45 g/L) provided tomato extracts with high potential as nutraceuticals or as active ingredients in the design of functional foods. Additionally, the round tomato variety was highlighted as a source of added-value phenolic acids and flavonoids.

Interface properties and capacitance-voltage behaviour of diamond devices prepared by microwave-assisted CVD

Free standing diamond films were used to study the effect of diamond surface morphology and microstructure on the electrical properties of Schottky barrier diodes. By using free standing films both the rough top diamond surface and the very smooth bottom surface are available for post-metal deposition. Rectifying electrical contacts were then established either with the smooth or the rough surface. The estimate of doping density from the capacitance-voltage plots shows that the smooth surface has a lower doping density when compared with the top layers of the same film. The results also show that surface roughness does not contribute significantly to the frequency dispersion of the small signal capacitance. The electrical properties of an abrupt asymmetric n(+)(silicon)-p(diamond) junction have also been measured. The I-V curves exhibit at low temperatures a plateau near zero bias, and show inversion of rectification. Capacitance-voltage characteristics show a capacitance minimum with forward bias, which is dependent on the environment conditions. It is proposed that this anomalous effect arises from high level injection of minority carriers into the bulk.

Microwave-assisted solvent extraction and analysis of shikimic acid from plant tissues.

A better method for determination of shikimate in plant tissues is needed to monitor exposure of plants to the herbicide glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] and to screen the plant kingdom for high levels of this valuable phytochemical precursor to the pharmaceutical oseltamivir. A simple, rapid, and efficient method using microwave-assisted extraction (MWAE) with water as the extraction solvent was developed for the determination of shikimic acid in plant tissues. High performance liquid chromatography was used for the separation of shikimic acid, and chromatographic data were acquired using photodiode array detection. This MWAE technique was successful in recovering shikimic acid from a series of fortified plant tissues at more than 90% efficiency with an interference-free chromatogram. This allowed the use of lower amounts of reagents and organic solvents, reducing the use of toxic and/or hazardous chemicals, as compared to currently used methodologies. The method was used to determine the level of endogenous shikimic acid in several species of Brachiaria and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) and on B. decumbens and soybean (Glycine max) after treatment with glyphosate. The method was sensitive, rapid and reliable in all cases.

Interface properties and capacitance-voltage behaviour of diamond devices prepared by microwave-assisted CVD

Free standing diamond films were used to study the effect of diamond surface morphology and microstructure on the electrical properties of Schottky barrier diodes. By using free standing films both the rough top diamond surface and the very smooth bottom surface are available for post-metal deposition. Rectifying electrical contacts were then established either with the smooth or the rough surface. The estimate of doping density from the capacitance-voltage plots shows that the smooth surface has a lower doping density when compared with the top layers of the same film. The results also show that surface roughness does not contribute significantly to the frequency dispersion of the small signal capacitance. The electrical properties of an abrupt asymmetric n(+)(silicon)-p(diamond) junction have also been measured. The I-V curves exhibit at low temperatures a plateau near zero bias, and show inversion of rectification. Capacitance-voltage characteristics show a capacitance minimum with forward bias, which is dependent on the environment conditions. It is proposed that this anomalous effect arises from high level injection of minority carriers into the bulk.

Facile fabrication of polyester filament fabric with highly and durable hydrophilic surface by microwave-assisted glycolysis

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabric with highly and durable hydrophilic surface was fabricated using microwave-assisted glycolysis. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as a catalyst was proven to be suitable for PET glycolysis under assistance of microwave. The modified PET fabric (0.5% NaOH, irradiation 120 s) showed high surface hydrophilicity with a contact angle of 17.4 ° and a wicking length of 19.36 mm. The exposure of the carboxyl- and hydroxyl-end groups on the surface of PET and the introduction of etches were confirmed by Methylene Blue staining and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), receptively. Although the strength of PET fabric decreased after modification, it was still high enough for textile applications. The thermal properties of the modified PET fabrics were well maintained. The high hydrophilicity and its original properties of PET could be controlled by changing the irradiation time from 60 s to 120 s and adjusting the content of sodium hydroxide from 0.2% to 0.5%. These results suggest microwave-assisted glycolysis with sodium hydroxide is an effective method for PET hydrophilic finishing.

Microwave-assisted synthesis and local analyses of positive insertion electrodes for Li-ion batteries

Efficient energy storage holds the key to reducing waste energy and enabling the use of advanced handheld electronic devices, hydrid electric vehicles and residential energy storage. Recently, Li-ion batteries have been identified and employed as energy storage devices due to their high gravimetric and volumetric energy densities, in comparison to previous technologies. However, more research is required to enhance the efficiency of Li-ion batteries by discovering electrodes with larger electrochemical discharge capacities, while maintaining electrochemical stability. The aims of this study are to develop new microwave-assisted synthesis routes to nanostructured insertion cathodes, which harbor a greater affinity for lithium extraction and insertion than bulk materials. Subsequent to this, state-of-the-art synchrotron based techniques have been employed to understand structural and dynamic behaviour of nanostructured cathode materials during battery cell operation. In this study, microwave-assisted routes to a-LiFePO4, VO2(B), V3O7, H2V3O8 and V4O6(OH)4 have all been developed. Muon spin relaxation has shown that the presence of b-LiFePO4 has a detrimental effect on the lithium diffusion properties of a-LiFePO4, in agreement with first principles calculations. For the first time, a-LiFePO4 nanostructures have been obtained by employing a deep eutectic solvent reaction media showing near theoretical capacity (162 mAh g–1). Studies on VO2(B) have shown that the discharge capacity obtained is linked to the synthesis method. Electrochemical studies of H2V3O8 nanowires have shown outstanding discharge capacities (323 mAh g–1 at 100 mA g–1) and rate capability (180 mAh g–1 at 1 A g–1). The electrochemcial properties of V4O6(OH)4 have been investigated for the first time and show a promising discharge capacity of (180 mAh g–1). Lastly, in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy has been utilised to track the evolution of the oxidation states in a-LiFePO4, VO2(B) and H2V3O8, and has shown these can all be observed dynamically.

Microwave-assisted solvent extraction and analysis of shikimic acid from plant tissues.

2008

High microwave susceptibility of NaH2PO4 center dot 2H(2)O: Rapid synthesis of crystalline and glassy phosphates with NASICON-type chemistry

High microwave susceptibility of NaH2PO4 . 2H(2)O has been discovered, This hydrated acid phosphate of sodium can be heated upto 1000 K or more when exposed to 2.45 GHz microwaves. Using this, a novel microwave-assisted preparation of a number of important crystalline and glassy materials with NASICON-type chemistry has been accomplished in less than 8 min which is only a fraction of the time required for conventional synthetic procedures, The present single-shot approach to the preparation of phosphates is attractive in terms of its simplicity, rapidity, and general applicability, A ''step-ladder'' heating mechanism has been proposed to account for the high microwave absorbing ability of NaH2PO4 . 2H(2)O.

Modelling transport processes during microwave heating: A review

The review is concerned with models that analyze transport:processes that occur during microwave heating. Early models on microwave. heating used Lambert's law to describe the microwave power absorption. Over the last decade, models for transport processes have been developed with the microwave power derived from Maxwell's equations. Those models, primarily based on plane waves, have been used for analyzing microwave heating of solids, liquids, emulsions, microwave thawing and drying. The models illustrate phenomena such a resonances, hot spots, edge and runaway heating. The literature on microwave sintering, susceptor heating and microwave assisted synthesis is largely experimental in nature and only key issues are highlighted. To fully appreciate the models for microwave heating, a section on the theory of electromagnetic wave propagation is included, where expressions for the electric field in dielectric slabs and cylinders are presented.

Microwave preparation of oxide bronzes

Several vanadium, tungsten, and molybdenum oxide bronzes have been prepared using microwave irradiation. Metal oxides and alkali metal iodides were used as starting materials, Intermittent grinding and inert atmosphere were found to be necessary for the synthesis of most of the bronzes, The reaction temperatures are remarkably lower than those employed for conventional synthetic techniques and the microwave assisted reactions proceed at extremely fast rates. The microwave synthesized bronzes consist of particles having long, rectangular rod-like morphology. (C) 1999 Academic Press.

Accessing highly-halogenated flavanones using protic ionic liquids and microwave irradiation

A series of highly-functionalized 2'-hydroxychalcones have been synthesized using a microwave-assisted Claisen-Schmidt condensation. Conversion of these 2'-hydroxychalcones to their corresponding flavanones was then performed utilizing protic ionic liquids (pIL) and microwave irradiation. This methodology drastically reduces reaction time to 15 minutes compared to typical thermal methods (24 hrs) and is tolerant to a broad range of functional groups. Several chalcones reported bear four and five substituents - a degree of substitution rarely reported in the literature.

Quantum Mechanics Insight into the Microwave Nucleation of SrTiO3 Nanospheres

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

High-efficient microwave synthesis and characterisation of SrSnO3

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

In2O3 microcrystals obtained from rapid calcination in domestic microwave oven

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

Influence of mineralizer agents on the growth of crystalline CeO 2 nanospheres by the microwave-hydrothermal method

Cystalline ceria (CeO2) nanoparticles have been synthesized by a simple and fast microwave-assisted hydrothermal (MAH) under NaOH, KOH, and NH4OH mineralizers added to a cerium ammonium nitrate aqueous solution. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transformed-IR and Raman spectroscopies. Rietveld refinement reveals a cubic structure with a space group Fm3m while infrared data showed few traces of nitrates. Field emission scanning microcopy (FEG-SEM) revealed a homogeneous size distribution of nanometric CeO2 nanoparticles. The MAH process in KOH and NaOH showed most effective to dehydrate the adsorbed water and decrease the hydrogen bonding effect leaving a weakly agglomerated powder of hydrated ceria. TEM micrographs of CeO2 synthesized under MAH conditions reveal particles well-dispersed and homogeneously distributed. The MAH enabled cerium oxide to be synthesized at 100 °C for 8 min. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.