We have been working to develop an enzymatic assay for the alcohol 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (232-MB), which is produced and emitted by certain pines. To this end we have isolated the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida MB-1, which uses 232-MB as a sole carbon source. Strain MB-1 contains inducible 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol (321-MB) and 3-methyl-2-buten-1-al dehydrogenases, suggesting that 232-MB is meta...

Intravenous amiodarone (Amiodarone i.v.) is widely used to treat cardiac arrhythmias. The most frequent clinical adverse event associated with Amiodarone i.v. administration is systemic hypotension which has been attributed to the cosolvents used in the formulation, polysorbate 80 and benzyl alcohol. To minimize hypotension Amiodarone i.v. is diluted in 5% dextrose in water prior to administrat...

A toluene-degrading sulfate-reducing bacterium, strain Tol2, was isolated from marine sediment under strictly anoxic conditions. Toluene was toxic if applied directly to the medium at concentrations higher than 0.5 mM. To provide toluene continuously at a nontoxic concentration, it was supplied in an inert hydrophobic carrier phase. The isolate had oval, sometimes motile cells (1.2 to 1.4 by 1....

The selective preparation of monobenzyl glyceryl ethers, which are potential commodity chemicals with special functions, was explored to find new applications for glycerol. Among the acid catalysts investigated (sulfuric acid, heteropoly acid, Nafion(R), and zeolite), Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 (ZSM-5) afforded better results. The reaction of equimolar amounts of glycerol and benzyl alcohol at 150º...

Antimicrobial liquids and foams were applied to the hands to determine their virucidal activity against rhinoviruses. Dilute solutions (1%) of iodine in ethyl alcohol or in water were most effective in causing inactivation of rhinovirus when applied immediately after viral contamination. Iodine also had a residual virucidal activity which persisted on the hands for up to 1 h. Less effective ina...

Potassium perruthenate (KRuO4), a known, effective oxidant for the conversion of primary and secondary alcohols into carbonyl compounds is impregnated into zeolite X and shown to be a shape-selective oxidant using benzyl alcohol (reacted) and pyrenemethanol (not reacted).

Highly dispersed iron oxide supported catalysts, prepared using HNO3-treated CMK-3 mesoporous carbons as supports, exhibit relatively high catalytic activity in selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol with oxygen.