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Red mud (RM) is composed of a waste alkaline solution (pH = 13.3) obtained from the production of alumina. It contains high concentrations of hematite (Fe2O3), goethite (FeOOH), gibbsite [Al(OH)3], a boehmite (AlOOH), anatase (Tetragonal–TiO2), rutile (Ditetragonal dipyramidal–TiO2), hydrogarnets [Ca3Al2(SiO4)3−x(OH)4x], quartz (SiO2), and perovskite (CaTiO3). It was shown to be an excellent catalytic mixture for biodiesel production. To demonstrate the value of RM, an environmentally friendly process of transesterification in aqueous medium using waste cooking oil (WCO), MeOH, and waste alkaline solution (WAS) obtained from aluminum production was proposed. Triglycerides of WCO reacted with MeOH at 60 °C to yield mixtures of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in the presence of 0.019% (w/w) WAS/WCO using the WAS (0.204 mol L−1, predetermined by potentiometric titration) from aluminum production by the Bayer process. The use of the new catalyst (WAS) resulted in a high yield of the products (greater than 99% yield). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents, for the first time, the voltammetric behavior of clonidine (CLO) drug and its determination, using an unmodified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). CLO exhibited only an irreversible oxidation process on the GCE, with peak potential at +0.85 V in pH 12 (vs Ag/AgCl). CLO oxidation process is pH‐dependent and the electrochemical mechanisms on the GCE were proposed in acidic and basic medium. The determination of CLO was optimized in 0.1 mol L−1 phosphate buffer solution at pH 12.0 using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), which provides a good linear range (0.65 to 106.00 μmol L−1) and low theoretical limit of detection (0.14 μmol L−1) for the quality control of this drug in pharmaceutical samples. In addition, stable responses of CLO at the GCE were obtained in the same day (RSD = 3.4 %; n = 5) and different days (RSD = 2.0 %; n = 3). Moreover, the determination of CLO in a pharmaceutical formulation using the proposed GCE‐DPV method presented good accuracy, since the recovery was close to 100 % and the dosing result was in agreement with an official method (HPLC‐UV). The proposed method demonstrates a good analytical performance for CLO determination in pharmaceutical samples, providing a faster, simpler and lower‐cost alternative for quality control of CLO than other reported methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one‐pot protocol was developed for the synthesis of unsymmetrical 1,3‐butadiynes. The procedure is based on two sequential reactions: deprotection of R–C≡C–C≡C–C(Me)2OH derivatives in a retro‐Favorskii reaction to furnish a terminal 1,3‐butadiyne compound, which reacted with aryl iodides in a Sonogashira‐type cross‐coupling reaction catalyzed by Pd(PPh3)4 and CuI, using TBAOH as activator and toluene as solvent under reflux for 10 min. We also studied in situ thiocyclization of 1,3‐butadiynes, leading to unsymmetrical 2,5‐diarylthiophenes. The principal features of this method are operational simplicity, good substrate scope, very fast reaction, and high yields. A one‐pot, fast, and efficient protocol was developed to synthesize unsymmetrical 1,3‐diynes, consisting of a retro‐Favorskii reaction to furnish a terminal diacetylenic compound, and its coupling with organic iodide in a Sonogashira reaction under reflux in toluene for ten minutes. The described protocol was also extended to prepare 2,5‐diarylthiophenes through in situ thiocyclization of 1,3‐butadiynes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiO2-SO3H, with a surface area of 115 m2·g−1, pore volumes of 0.38 cm3·g−1 and 1.32 mmol H+/g, was used as a transesterification catalyst. Triglycerides of waste cooking oil reacted with methanol in refluxing toluene to yield mixtures of diglycerides, monoglycerides and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in the presence of 20% (w/w) catalyst/oil using the hydrophilic sulfonated silica (SiO2-SO3H) catalyst alone or with the addition of 10% (w/w) co-catalyst/oil [(Bun4N)(BF4) or Aliquat 336]. The addition of the ammonium salts to the catalyst lead to a decrease in the amounts of diglycerides in the products, but the concentrations of monoglycerides increased. Mixtures of (Bun4N)(BF4)/catalyst were superior to catalyst alone or Aliquat 336/catalyst for promoting the production of mixtures with high concentrations of FAMEs. The same experiments were repeated using DMSO as the solvent. The use of the more polar solvent resulted in excellent conversion of the triglycerides to FAME esters with all three-catalyst media. A simplified mechanism is presented to account for the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]