Effect of Versenium Hydrogensulfate on Properties of Nickel Coatings.

The salt of formula [H2EDTA2+][HSO4-]2 (dihydrogen ethylenediaminetetraacetate di(hydrogen sulfate(VI)) was used to examine the physicochemical properties of the resulting Ni layer and evaluate the applicability of the salt as a new additive for Watts-type baths. The Ni coatings deposited from baths containing [H2EDTA2+][HSO4-]2 were compared with those obtained from other baths. The nucleation of nickel on the electrode was proven to occur the slowest in the bath that contained the mixture of [H2EDTA2+][HSO4-]2 and saccharin compared with other baths. The addition of [H2EDTA2+][HSO4-]2 alone (bath III) generated a coating with a morphology similar to that obtained from bath I (without additives). Despite the similar morphology and wettability of the Ni-coated surfaces plated from various baths (all Ni coatings were hydrophilic with contact angles in the range of 68 to 77°), some differences in electrochemical properties were noted. The corrosion resistance for the coatings plated from baths II and IV containing saccharin (Icorr = 1.1 and 1.5 µA/cm2, respectively) and the mixture of saccharin and [H2EDTA2+][HSO4-]2 (Icorr = 0.88 µA/cm2), respectively, was similar or even better than the coating obtained from baths without [H2EDTA2+][HSO4-]2 (Icorr = 9.02 µA/cm2).

Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activity of Novel Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids.

In this study, a series of 10 novel 1-methyl-3-octyloxymethylimidazolium derivatives carrying various anionic moieties (4-hydroxybenzenesulfonate, benzenesulfonate, carvacroloxyacetate, chloride, formate, propionate, thymoloxyacetate, vanillinoxyacetate, eugenoloxyacetate and trimethylacetate) were synthesized. Compounds were tested for their antimicrobial activity against six microbe strains (Staph-ylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans), cytotoxic activity against the mouse melanoma cell line (B16 F10), and surface active properties. All synthesized compounds exhibited antimicrobial activity (expressed as minimum inhibitory concentration; in range of 0.10-27.82 mM/L), especially against Gram-positive bacteria and fungi. In addition, all compounds demonstrated cytotoxicity on B16 F10 cells (IC50 values 0.0101-0.0197 mM/L). Surface properties defined as CMC values, ranged from 0.72 to 32.35 mmol L-1. The obtained results provide an insight into the promising activity of a novel group of quaternary imidazolium derivatives having ionic liquid properties. The most potent compounds, containing a thymoloxyacetate and eugenoloxyacetate moiety, could be candidates for new antimicrobial agents or surfactants.

Bifunctional Double-Salt Ionic Liquids Containing both 4-Chloro-2-Methylphenoxyacetate and l-Tryptophanate Anions with Herbicidal and Antimicrobial Activity.

The goal of this research was to obtain and characterize ionic liquids based on a bisammonium cation and both 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetate (MCPA) and l-tryptophanate anions. The concept of including two structurally different anions was utilized to achieve improved biological activity, while crucial functional traits could be designed by modifying the cation. The synthesis process was efficient and resulted in high yields. Subsequent analyses (nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)) confirmed the chemical structure, purity, and molar ratio of ions in the obtained compounds. The described compounds are novel and have not been previously described in the literature. Evaluations of physicochemical properties indicated that the obtained double-salt ionic liquids (DSILs) exhibited high thermal stability, high solubility in water, and surface activity. A biological activity assessment using greenhouse tests revealed that the herbicidal efficiency of the studied DSILs was notably increased compared to the reference commercial herbicide (even by ∼50% in the case of oilseed rape), which could be attributed to their high wettability toward hydrophobic surfaces. The compounds also efficiently inhibited the growth of several microbial species, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)/minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values at the level of several µg·mL-1. The length of the spacer and alkyl substituent in the cation notably influenced the physicochemical and biological properties of the DSILs, which allowed us to design the structures of the obtained compounds in accordance with needs. The presented results confirm the high application potential of the described DSILs and provide a new and promising path for obtaining new and efficient plant-protection agents.

Caproic acid production from acid whey via open culture fermentation - Evaluation of the role of electron donors and downstream processing.

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of supplementing ethanol and lactic acid as electron donors in reverse ß-oxidation for short chain carboxylic acids chain elongation during anaerobic fermentation of acid whey. Best results were achieved when lactic acid was added at concentration of 300 mM. It resulted in medium chain carboxylic acids (MCCAs) concentration of 5.0 g/L. In the trials with ethanol addition, the overall yield was 20% lower. Subsequently liquid-liquid extraction with ionic liquids (ILs) was investigated as a potential purification method of caproic acid. The most promising, with respect to recovery of caproic acid, was piperazinium IL [C1C1C10Ppz][NTF2], however, the selectivity was only 0.39. Less effective [C1C1C6Ppz][NTF2] recovered 85.9% of caproic acid while reaching a higher selectivity of 0.53. Technoeconomic model revealed that to meet the conservative value of $2.25 per kg of caproic acid, the downstream processing should not exceed $0.65 per kg.