An-Najah Staff

Peroxidase entrapment in different Sol-Gel matrices was successful. The enzyme did not show a decrease in activity for at least 2 months as well as storage at room temperature and dry condition for periods exceeding 3 weeks. It was evident that the enzymatic activity was a function in the type of the alkoxysilane precursor. In addition, the optimum temperature which resulted in maximum enzymatic activity was also dependent on the type of Sol-Gel matrix. Excellent results were obtained for the determination of glucose in serum samples using soluble glucose oxidase in conjunction with the Sol-Gel entrapped peroxidase. The enzymatically produced hydrogen peroxide is oxidized by the entrapped peroxidase yielding oxygen which oxidizes the faint blue variamine blue into the intensely violet colored species (the molar absorptivity is about 1.8 × 10⁴ 1 mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹). The characteristics of this chromogenic system as well as optimized conditions for its use in the spectrophotometric determination of enzymatically generated hydrogen peroxide were investigated. Excellent agreement between the results obtained by the proposed method and the widely used standard method, utilizing a commercial reagents kit, was always observed.

Novel hybrid xerogel materials were synthesized by a sol-gel procedure. n-octadecyltriethoxysilane was co-condensed with and without different cross-linkers using Q0 and T0 mono-functionalized organosilanes in the presence of n-hexadecylamine with different hydroxyl silica functional groups at the surface. These polymer networks have shown new properties, for example, a high degree of cross-linking and hydrolysis. Two different synthesis steps were carried out: simple self-assembly followed by sol-gel transition and precipitation of homogenous sols. Due to the lack of solubility of these materials, the compositions of the new materials were determined by infrared spectroscopy, 13C and 29Si CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.

An investigation into the potential ruthenium(II) 1-3 complexes of type [RuCl2(P)2(N)2] using triphenylphosphine and 1,3-bis-diphenylphosphinepropane and 3-(triethoxysilyl)propylamine has been carried out at room temperature in dichloromethane under an inert atmosphere. The structural behaviors of the phosphine ligands in the desired complexes during synthesis were monitored by 31P{1H}-NMR. The structure of complexes 1-3 described herein has been deduced from elemental analyses, infrared, FAB-MS and 1H-, 13C- and 31P-NMR spectroscopy. Xerogels X1-X3 were synthesized by simple sol-gel process of complexes 1-3 using tetraethoxysilane as co-condensation agent in methanol/THF/water solution. Due to their lack of solubility, the structures of X1-X3 were determined by solid state 13C-, 29Si- and 31P-NMR spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and EXAFS.

Syntheses of four new ruthenium(II) complexes of the [RuCl2(P)2(N)2] type using 2-(diphenylphosphino)ethyl methyl ether (P~O) as ether-phosphine and triphenylphosphine (PPh3) as monodentate phosphine ligands in the presence of [3-(2-aminoethyl)aminopropyl]trimethoxysilane as diamine co-ligand are presented for the first time. The reactions were conducted at room temperature and under an inert atmosphere. Due to the presence of the trimethoxysilane group in the backbone of complexes 1 and 2 they were subjected to an immobilization process using the sol-gel technique in the presence of tetraethoxysilane as cross-linker. The structural behavior of the phosphine ligands in the desired complexes during synthesis were monitored by 31P{1H}-NMR. Desired complexes were deduced from elemental analyses, Infrared, FAB-MS and 1H-, 13C- and 31P-NMR spectroscopy, xerogels X1 and X2 were subjected to solid state, 13C-, 29Si- and 31P-NMR spectroscopy, Infrared and EXAF. These complexes served as hydrogenation catalysts in homogenous and heterogeneous phases, and chemoselective hydrogenation of the carbonyl function group in trans-4-phenyl-3-butene-2-al was successfully carried out under mild basic conditions.

Novel hybrid xerogel materials were synthesized by a sol-gel procedure. n-octadecyltriethoxysilane was co-condensed with and without different cross-linkers using Q0 and T0 mono-functionalized organosilanes in the presence of n-hexadecylamine with different hydroxyl silica functional groups at the surface. These polymer networks have shown new properties, for example, a high degree of cross-linking and hydrolysis. Two different synthesis steps were carried out: simple self-assembly followed by sol-gel transition and precipitation of homogenous sols. Due to the lack of solubility of these materials, the compositions of the new materials were determined by infrared spectroscopy, 13C and 29Si CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.