Photoluminescence with an unusual open-loop and rigid delocalized conjugated structure in quantum dots.

It is well known that almost all photoluminescent molecules are aromatic or heterocyclic ring compounds for bioimaging analysis. A question remains as to whether a breakthrough can be achieved regarding a novel photoluminescent molecule without a ring structure, and in a what manner. In this study, we explored the photoelectric conversion and structure of photoluminescent compounds, and constructed an intra-molecular coupling positive-negative-junction (PNJ) with an open-loop and rigid Π56 delocalized conjugated structure of the coupling p-π conjugate system. This was performed to enable strong absorption of the R/tail-end band for the high probability of an n â†’ π*/n â†’ σ* electron transition for photoluminescence production. Subsequently, the Π56 structure was formed in a short-chain aliphatic molecule as a hydrolytic product of citric acid and urea, and computational methodology was employed to estimate the feasibility of the molecule photoluminescence. Finally, a quantum dot material was fabricated from the aliphatic molecule, the optical properties of the quantum dots were investigated, and the biocompatibility and bioimaging ability of quantum dots were assessed. This work presents not only a theoretical exploration but also practical application of a new strategy to obtain molecules, compounds, and materials with bioimaging.

Removal of trace DNA toxic compounds using a Poly(deep eutectic solvent)@Biomass based on multi-physical interactions.

DNA toxic compounds (DNA-T-Cs), even in trace amounts, seriously threaten human health and must be completely eliminated. However, the currently used separation media face great challenges in removing trace DNA-T-Cs. Based on the functional advantages of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and the natural features of biomass (BioM), a series of Poly(DES)@BioMs functioning as adsorbents were prepared for the removal of aromatic/hetero-atomic DNA-T-Cs at the ppm level. After optimisation of experimental conditions, the removal efficiency for DNA-T-Cs ranged from 92.4% to 96.0% with an initial concentration of 20.0 ppm, a temperature of 30 °C, duration of 30 min, and pH of 7.0. The removal processes between the DNA-T-Cs and Poly(DES)@BioMs are well described in the Temkin equilibrium and second-order kinetic adsorption models, and the desorption processes are well shown in the Korsmeryer-Peppas equilibrium and zero-order kinetic models. Molecular simulations revealed that the removal interactions include hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and hydrophobic/hydrophilic effects. The removal efficiency for the DNA-T-Cs at 8.0 ppm in industrial sewage ranged from 69.7% to 102%, while the removal efficiency for the DNA-T-Cs standing alone at 20.0 ppm in a methyl violet drug solution was 95.4%, confirming that the Poly(DES)@BioMs effectively removed trace DNA-T-Cs in field samples.

A choline chloride-acrylic acid deep eutectic solvent polymer based on Fe3O4 particles and MoS2 sheets (poly(ChCl-AA DES)@Fe3O4@MoS2) with specific recognition and good antibacterial properties for ß-lactoglobulin in milk.

With the development of deep eutectic solvents (DESs), more DES-based functional materials have been explored and applied in various areas. In this work, a novel choline chloride-acrylic acid (ChCl-AA) DES polymer, on a 2D magnetic base, was prepared for the recognition of ß-lactoglobulin (ß-LG) biomacromolecules in milk and for the inhibition of common bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas fluorescens (P. fluorescens), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis). The ChCl-AA DESs were polymerized on the surface of 2D MoS2 sheets doped with nano Fe3O4 particles, and the resulting polymer was abbreviated poly(ChCl-AA DES)@Fe3O4@MoS2. The free energy (ΔG=-92) of ChCl-AA DES was calculated using the Gaussian software, the composition and structure of poly(ChCl-AA DES)@Fe3O4@MoS2 were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, etc., the qualitative and quantitative analyses of ß-LG were done by fluorescence spectra, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and high performance liquid chromatography, and the bioactivity of bacteria was analyzed by flat colony counting. Based on the present analysis, poly(ChCl-AA DES)@Fe3O4@MoS2 specifically recognized ß-LG in a good fitting Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.9909) and second-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.9989) by affinity, and evidently inhibited three bacteria, namely, E. coil (65%), S. aureus (50%), and B. subtilis (54%), effectively reducing the relative colony number. As the poly(ChCl-AA DES)@Fe3O4@MoS2 material did not only exhibit specific recognition of biomacromolecules, but also had an antimicrobial effect against common bacteria, it could be an ideal separation media or carrier for biomacromolecules in real samples.

Green Tailoring With Water of Choline Chloride Deep Eutectic Solvents for the Extraction of Polyphenols From Palm Samples.

To address the problem of high viscosity of deep eutectic solvents (DESs), the viscosities of a series of choline chloride-based DESs and DESs-H2O were determined, and their extraction efficiencies were obtained for the extraction of polyphenols in palm samples. Tailoring the DESs by the addition of water successfully adjusted their viscosity from thousand to single-digit mPa s and aided the extraction of polyphenols from samples, by changing the hydrogen-bonding interactions of DESs. Among the compounds investigated, choline chloride-oxalic acid-water of DESs-H2O with various molar ratios with 1:0.1-1:50 showed the greatest change in viscosity with 3617-2 mPa s, and effectively extracted most of the target compounds of polyphenols (52.1 µg mL-1 for protocatechuic acid, 7.3 µg mL-1 for catechins, 34.0 µg mL-1 for epicatechin and 6.2 µg mL-1 for caffeic acid) from samples. The results confirm that tailoring with water can successfully adjust the viscosity and extraction efficiency of DESs, for effective extraction of bioactive compounds from samples.

Specific recognition of polyphenols by molecularly imprinted polymers based on a ternary deep eutectic solvent.

Typically, a target compound is selected as a template for a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP); however, some target compounds are not suitable as templates because of their poor solubility. Using the tailoring properties of a deep eutectic solvent (DES), the insoluble target compound caffeic acid was transformed into a ternary choline chloride-caffeic acid-ethylene glycol (ChCl-CA-EG) DES, which was then employed as a template to prepare MIPs. The ternary DES-based MIPs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The effects of time, temperature, ionic strength, and pH on the recognition processes for four polyphenols (caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, catechin, and epicatechin) by 13 ChCl-CA-EG ternary DES-based MIPs was investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography. The recognition specificity of the MIPs for CA was significantly better than that for the other polyphenols, and the MIPs exhibited obvious characteristics of chromatographic packing materials. In addition, the recognition processes mainly followed a second-order kinetics model and the Freundlich isotherm model, which together indicated that the MIPs mainly recognized the polyphenols by chemical interactions including ion exchange, electron exchange, and new bond formation. Furthermore, the specific recognition ability of the MIPs for polyphenols, which was better than those of C18, C8, or non-molecularly imprinted polymer adsorbents, was successfully applied to the recognition of polyphenols in a Radix asteris sample. The transformation of an insoluble target compound in a polymeric DES for MIP preparation and recognition is a novel and feasible strategy suitable for use in further MIP research developments.

Exploration of a ternary deep eutectic solvent of methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide/chalcone/formic acid for the selective recognition of rutin and quercetin in Herba Artemisiae Scopariae.

Methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide/chalcone/formic acid, a green ternary deep eutectic solvent, was applied as a functional monomer and dummy template simultaneously in the synthesis of a new molecularly imprinted polymer. Ternary deep eutectic solvent based molecularly imprinted polymers are used as a solid-phase extraction sorbent in the separation and purification of rutin and quercetin from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae combined with high-performance liquid chromatography. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy were applied to characterize the deep eutectic solvent based molecularly imprinted polymers synthesized using different molar ratios of chalcone. The static and competitive adsorption tests were performed to examine the recognition ability of the molecularly imprinted polymers to rutin and quercetin. The ternary deep eutectic solvent consisting of formic acid/chalcone/methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (1:0.05:0.5) had the best molecular recognition effect. After optimization of the washing solvents (methanol/water, 1:9) and eluting solvents (acetonitrile/acetic acid, 9:1), a reliable analytical method was developed for strong recognition towards rutin and quercetin in Herba Artemisiae Scopariae with satisfactory extraction recoveries (rutin: 92.48%, quercetin: 94.23%). Overall, the chalcone ternary deep eutectic solvent-based molecularly imprinted polymer coupled with solid-phase extraction is an effective method for the selective purification of multiple bioactive compounds in complex samples.

Ternary choline chloride/caffeic acid/ethylene glycol deep eutectic solvent as both a monomer and template in a molecularly imprinted polymer.

A molecularly imprinted polymer based on a ternary deep eutectic solvent comprised of choline chloride/caffeic acid/ethylene glycol was prepared. The caffeic acid in the ternary deep eutectic solvent was used as both a monomer and template. The molecularly imprinted polymer based on the ternary deep eutectic solvent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis, atomic force microscopy, and elemental analysis. A series of molecularly imprinted polymers based on choline chloride/caffeic acid/ethylene glycol with different molar ratios was prepared and applied to the molecular recognition of polyphenols. A comparison of the recognition ability of molecularly imprinted polymers to polyphenols revealed that the choline chloride/caffeic acid/ethylene glycol (1:0.4:1, molar ratio) molecularly imprinted polymer had the best molecular recognition effect with 132 µg/g of protocatechuic acid, 104 µg/g of catechins, 80 µg/g of epicatechin, and 123 µg/g of caffeic acid in 6 h, as well as good molecular recognition ability for polyphenols from a Radix Asteris sample. These results show that the ternary deep eutectic solvent based molecularly imprinted polymer is a potential medium that can be applied to drug purification, drug delivery, and drug analysis.

Pipette-tip solid-phase extraction based on deep eutectic solvent modified graphene for the determination of sulfamerazine in river water.

A green and novel deep eutectic solvent modified graphene was prepared and used as a neutral adsorbent for the rapid determination of sulfamerazine in a river water sample by pipette-tip solid-phase extraction. Compared with conventional graphene, deep eutectic solvent modified graphene can change the surface of graphene with wrinkled structure and higher selective extraction ability. The properties of deep eutectic solvent modified graphene and graphene were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Static adsorption showed deep eutectic solvent modified graphene had a higher adsorption ability (18.62 mg/g) than graphene. Under the optimum conditions, factors such as kinds of washing solvents and elution solvents and volume of elution solvent were evaluated. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.01 and 0.03 µg/mL, respectively. The method recoveries of sulfamerazine were in the range of 91.01-96.82% with associated intraday relative standard deviations ranging from 1.63 to 3.46% and interday relative standard deviations ranging from 0.68 to 3.84%. Deep eutectic solvent modified graphene showed satisfactory results (recovery was 95.38%) and potential for rapid purification of sulfamerazine in river water sample in combination with the pipette-tip solid-phase extraction method.

Environmentally friendly and non-polluting solvent pretreatment of palm samples for polyphenol analysis using choline chloride deep eutectic solvents.

In this work, choline chloride (ChCl) deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were evaluated for the pretreatment of palm samples in the analysis of polyphenols, such as protocatechuic acid, catechins, epicatechin, and caffeic acid. During the enrichment step of the pretreatment, eight DESs comprising ChCl with ethylene glycol (EG), glycerol (Gly), xylitol (Xyl), phenol (Ph), formic acid (FA), citric acid (CiA), oxalic acid (OA), or malonic acid (MA), were prepared and applied to the reflux extraction of polyphenols from palm samples. All the DESs exhibited higher polyphenol extraction efficiency than methanol, and the highest extraction efficiency was obtained using ChCl-FA (1:1, mole ratio). For the purification step of the pretreatment, eight ChCl DES-modified adsorbents were prepared by hydrothermal polymerization and packed into solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges, and ChCl-Urea, ChCl-Gly, ChCl-FA, and water, were used as eluents. The ChCl DES-modified adsorbents were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface analysis, and the polyphenols were analyzed by mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatograph-ultraviolet detection. The highest purification efficiency was obtained using the ChCl-Ph DES-modified adsorbent as the SPE packing material and ChCl-Urea-H2O (1:1:5, mole ratio), ChCl-Gly (1:1, mole ratio), ChCl-FA-H2O (1:1:5, mole ratio), and H2O as the eluents. Compared to conventional purification processes that employ commercial C18 or C8 SPE columns with organic solvents as eluents, the ChCl DES-based SPE purification process successfully avoided the use of expensive commercial SPE columns and organic solvents. Furthermore, it isolated a larger amount of the target compounds under the same experimental conditions, and could be applied over five cycles with good reversibility. This work indicates that DESs as green solvents have great potential for the totally green pretreatment of samples during the enrichment and purification processes.

Application of deep eutectic solvents in the extraction and separation of target compounds from various samples.

Deep eutectic solvents, as a new type of eco-friendly solvent, have attracted increasing attention in chemistry for the extraction and separation of target compounds from various samples. To summarize the application of deep eutectic solvents, this review highlights some of the unique properties of deep eutectic solvents and deep-eutectic-solvent-based materials, as well as their applications in extraction and separation. In this paper, the available data and references in this field are reviewed to summarize the application developments of deep eutectic solvents. Based on the development of deep eutectic solvents, the exploitation of new deep eutectic solvents and deep-eutectic-solvent-based materials are expected to diversify into extraction and separation.

Simultaneous extraction of flavonoids from Chamaecyparis obtusa using deep eutectic solvents as additives of conventional extractions solvents.

Three flavones (quercetin, myricetin and amentoflavone) were extracted from Chamaecyparis obtusa leaves using deep eutectic solvents (DESs) as additives to conventional extractions solvents. Sixteen DESs were synthesized from different salts and hydrogen bond donors. In addition, C. obtusa was extracted under optimal conditions of methanol as the solvent in the heating process (60°C) for 120 min at a solid/liquid ratio of 80%. Under these optimal conditions, a good linear relationship was observed at analyte concentrations ranging from 5.0 to 200.0 µg/mL (R(2) > 0.999). The extraction recovery ranged from 96.7 to 103.3% with the inter- and intraday relative standard deviations of <4.97%. Under the optimal conditions, from C. obtusa, the quantities of quercetin, myricetin and amentoflavone extracted were 325.90, 8.66 and 50.34 µg/mL, respectively. Overall, DESs are expected to have a wide range of applications.

Preparation of chlorocholine chloride/urea deep eutectic solvent-modified silica and an examination of the ion exchange properties of modified silica as a Lewis adduct.

Chlorocholine chloride/urea (ClChCl-urea), a deep eutectic solvent (DES), was applied successfully to the modification of silica. The resulting modified silica was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, and elemental analysis. Based on the ClChCl-urea modification of silica, the ClChCl-urea-modified silica is a Lewis adduct with ion exchange properties, and ferulic acid was adsorbed on the ClChCl-urea-modified silica via an ion exchange process. The adsorbed percentage of ferulic acid increased with the increasing amount of modified silica, and a high adsorbed percentage of 89% could be obtained by the ion exchange process. The Freundlich isotherm used to describe the adsorption of ferulic acid on the modified silica by ion exchange showed a good correlation (R(2) = 0.93). Based on the characterization of the structure and the analysis of the ion exchange property of the ClChCl-urea-modified silica, the modified silica as a potential medium can be applied in some analytical technologies such as solid phase extraction, chromatography, and so on.

Determination of pyrethroid pesticides in tomato using ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction.

A sensitive determination method was developed for the analysis of pyrethroid pesticide residues in tomato samples using ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. A hydrophobic ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) and acetonitrile were used as the extraction solvent and dispersive solvent, respectively. The following experimental parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were examined: types of extraction solvent and volume of extraction solvent, types of dispersive solvent and volume of dispersive solvent and pH and ion strength of the sample solution. Under the optimum conditions, the extraction recoveries ranged from 83.9 to 96.7%. Moreover, the enrichment factors for esbiothrin, fenpropathrin and cyhalothrin were 42, 48 and 45, respectively. The calibration curves were linear with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9997 to 0.9999 at concentrations of 0.05-1.5 µg/kg. The relative standard deviation (n = 5) was 1.7-4.5%. The limits of detection for esbiothrin, fenpropathrin and cyhalothrin were 8.1, 9.9 and 14.3 µg/kg, respectively.

Polyhydroxy glucose functionalized silica for the dehydration of bio-ethanol distillate.

Although most of the water in a bio-ethanol fermentation broth can be removed by distillation, a small amount of water remains in the bio-ethanol distillate as the water-ethanol azeotrope. To improve the use of ethanol as a fuel, glucose-modified silica, as an adsorbent, was prepared using a facile method and applied to the dehydration of bio-ethanol distillate. The factors affecting the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent, such as the particle size, initial concentration of water in the samples, adsorption temperature and adsorbent dose, were examined by measuring the adsorption kinetics and equilibrium. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms were used to evaluate the adsorption efficiency. Of these, the Freundlich and Temkin isotherms showed a good correlation with the experimental data. The Langmuir isotherm showed some deviation from the experimental results, and indicated that adsorption in this case was not a simple monolayer adsorption. The property of the adsorbent was attributed to functionalized silica with many hydroxyl groups on its surface. An examination of the separation factors of water/ethanol revealed the modified silica to have preferential selectivity for water. Compared to activated carbon and silica, glucose-modified silica exhibited higher adsorption capacity for water under the same adsorption conditions. In addition, the glucose-modified silica adsorbent exhibited a relatively constant adsorption capacity for five adsorption/desorption cycles.

Examination of 1-methylimidazole series ionic liquids in the extraction of flavonoids from Chamaecyparis obtuse leaves using a response surface methodology.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are a new type of reagent that has accelerated research in extraction technology. On the other hand, few studies have systematically applied 1-methylimidazole ([MIM]) series ILs to the extraction of bioactive compounds from plants. In this study, [MIM] series ILs were used to extract four bioactive flavonoids, such as dihydrokaempferol, quercitrin, amentoflavone and myricetin, from Chamaecyparis obtuse (CO) leaves. First, a screen of the extraction method and solvent revealed the [MIM] series ILs to be suitable as additives in methanol in Soxhlet extraction. Second, an examination of a range of cations and anions of [MIM] series ILs for extraction revealed 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([DMIM][Br]) to be the best selection as an additive in methanol for the Soxhlet extraction of flavonoids from (CO) leaves. Finally, some factors of extraction, such as temperature, time and amount of samples, were examined systematically using a response surface methodology (RSM). Based on the above optimization, 2.41, 3.47, 0.76 and 3.15mg/g of dihydrokaempferol, quercitrin, amentoflavone and myricetin, respectively, were extracted from 15g of CO leaves by 2.5mgmL(-1) of [DMIM][Br] as additives in 200mL of methanol in Soxhlet extraction at 200°C for 8h. This study highlights the potential of [MIM] series ILs as promising reagents for the extraction of bioactive compounds from plants.

Using poly([1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium] [bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide]) to adsorb bio-ethanol from a Chamaecyparis obtuse leaves fermentation broth.

Poly([1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium] [bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide]) (poly([VHIM][Tf2N])) was assessed for its ability to adsorb bio-ethanol from Chamaecyparis obtuse leaves fermentation broths. Poly([VHIM][Tf2N]) was prepared by poly([VHIM][Br]) ion exchange with Li(Tf2N). Poly([VHIM][Br]) was obtained using a thermal-initiated polymerization method. The factors affecting the adsorption capacity of poly([VHIM][Tf2N]), such as the initial concentration of bio-ethanol in the fermentation broth, adsorption temperature and dosage of the adsorbent, as well as the adsorption kinetics and equilibrium of poly([VHIM][Tf2N]) were investigated. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms used to describe the adsorption of bio-ethanol on the adsorbent showed good correlation coefficients of 0.97, 0.96 and 0.98, respectively. A comparison of the separation factors for ethanol/water, ethanol/glucose and ethanol/xylose revealed poly([VHIM][Tf2N]) to have preferential selectivity for bio-ethanol. Compared to activated carbon, poly([VHIM][Tf2N]) exhibited higher adsorption capacity for bio-ethanol under the same adsorption conditions. The adsorbent could be used for 5 cycles with good efficiency, highlighting its reusability as an adsorbent.

Development of gas chromatography analysis of fatty acids in marine organisms.

The gas chromatographic analysis of fatty acids has attracted considerable interest. In this analysis, the common derivatives of fatty acids, such as fatty acid methyl esters, can be detected using a flame ionization detector and the mass spectra can indicate the true structure of fatty acids. This paper reviews gas chromatographic methods for obtaining fatty acids from marine organisms. The stationary phase and detector for applications in gas chromatography are discussed. This article also reviews the components of fatty acids in marine animals, marine plants and marine microorganisms.

Dehydration of ethanol by facile synthesized glucose-based silica.

Bioethanol is considered a potential liquid fuel that can be produced from biomass by fermentation and distillation. Although most of the water is removed by distillation, the purity of ethanol is limited to 95-96 % due to the formation of a low-boiling point, water-ethanol azeotrope. To improve the use of ethanol as a fuel, many methods, such as dehydration, have been proposed to avoid distillation and improve the energy efficiency of extraction. Glucose-based silica, as an adsorbent, was prepared using a simple method, and was proposed for the adsorption of water from water-ethanol mixtures. After adsorption using 0.4 g of adsorbent for 3 h, the initial water concentration of 20 % (water, v/v) was decreased to 10 % (water, v/v). For water concentrations less than 5 % (water, v/v), the adsorbent could concentrate ethanol to 99 % (ethanol, v/v). The Langmuir isotherms used to describe the adsorption of water on an adsorbent showed a correlation coefficient of 0.94. The separation factor of the adsorbent also decreased with decreasing concentration of water in solution.

Adsorption of alcohol from water by poly(ionic liquid)s.

Bioethanol is used widely as a solvent and is considered a potential liquid fuel. Ethanol can be produced from biomass by fermentation, which results in low concentrations of alcohol in water. Conventional distillation is normally used to separate ethanol from water, but it required high energy consumption. Therefore, alternative approaches to this separation are being pursued. This study examined the potential use of poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) for the extraction and separation of alcohols from the aqueous phase. Hydrophobic PILs were developed and evaluated by the adsorption of ethanol from ethanol/water solutions. All the necessary parameters, such as cations and anions of the ionic liquid, morphology of the polymer and processing conditions, were evaluated.

Application of ionic liquid in liquid phase microextraction technology.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are novel nonmolecular solvents. Their unique properties, such as high thermal stability, tunable viscosity, negligible vapor pressure, nonflammability, and good solubility for inorganic and organic compounds, make them excellent candidates as extraction media for a range of microextraction techniques. Many physical properties of ILs can be varied, and the structural design can be tuned to impart the desired functionality and enhance the analyte extraction selectivity, efficiency, and sensitivity. This paper provides an overview of the applications of ILs in liquid phase microextraction technology, such as single-drop microextraction, hollow fiber based liquid phase microextraction, and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. The sensitivity, linear calibration range, and detection limits for a range of target analytes in the methods were analyzed to determine the advantages of ILs in liquid phase microextraction.