The cytotoxic effect of copper (II) complexes with halogenated 1,3-disubstituted arylthioureas on cancer and bacterial cells

A series of eight copper (II) complexes with 3-(4-chloro-3-nitrophenyl)thiourea were designed and synthesized. The cytotoxic activity of all compounds was assessed in three human cancer cell lines (SW480, SW620, PC3) and human normal keratinocytes (HaCaT). The complexes 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8 were cytotoxic to the studied tumor cells in the low micromolar range, without affecting the normal cells. The complexes 1, 3, 7 and 8 induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release in all cancer cell lines, but not in the HaCaT cells. They provoked early apoptosis in pathological cells, especially in SW480 and PC3 cells. The ability of compounds 1, 3, 7 and 8 to diminish interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration in a cell was established. For the first time, the influence of the most promising Cu (II) complexes on intensities of detoxifying and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging the enzymes of tumor cells was studied. The cytotoxic effect of all copper (II) conjugates against standard and hospital bacterial strains was also proved

Chicken cartilage-derived carbon for efficient xylene removal

Chicken cartilage was used for the first time as a raw material for the microwave-assisted synthesis of biochar and activated carbon. Various microwave absorbers, i.e., commercial active carbon, scrap tyres, silicon carbide, and chicken bone-derived biochar, as well as various microwave powers, were tested for their effect on the rate of pyrolysis and the type of products formed. Biochars synthesised under 400 W in the presence of scrap tyres and chicken bone-derived biochar were activated with KOH and K2CO3 with detergent to produce activated carbon with a highly develooped porous structure that would be able to effectively adsorb xylene vapours. All carbons were thoroughly characterised (infrared spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, nitrogen adsorption/desorption, Raman spectroscopy, proximate and ultimate analysis) and tested as xylene sorbents in dynamic systems. It was found that the activation causes an increase of up to 1042 m2 ·g −1 in the specific surface area, which ensures the sorption capacity of xylene about 300 mg·g −1 . Studies of the composition of biogas emitted during pyrolysis revealed that particularly valuable gaseous products are formed when pyrolysis is carried out in the presence of silicon carbide as a microwave absorber.Web of Science2413art. no. 1086

Formation of a Quasicrystalline Phase in Al–Mn Base Alloys Cast at Intermediate Cooling Rates

Al-rich 94Al–6Mn and 94Al–4Mn–2Fe alloys were suction-cast to evaluate thefeasibility of obtaining bulk quasicrystal-strengthened Al-alloys at intermediatecooling rates alloyed with non-toxic, easily accessible and affordable additions.The influence of different cooling rates on the potential formation of a quasicrystallinephase was examined by means of scanning and transmissionelectron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry.Increased cooling rates in the thinnest castings entailed a change in samplephase composition. The highest cooling rates turned out to be insufficient toform an icosahedral quasicrystalline phase (I-phase) in the binary alloy. Instead,an orthorhombic approximant phase occurred (L-phase). The addition of Fe tothe 94Al–6Mn binary alloy enhanced the formation of a quasicrystalline phase.At intermediate cooling rates of 102–103 K/s, various metastable phases wereformed, including decagonal and icosahedral quasicrystals and their approximants.Rods (1 mm in diameter) composed of I-phase particles embedded in Almatrix exhibited a hardness of 1.5 GPa, much higher than the 1.1 GPa of 94Al–6Mn