Reduction of patulin in apple cider by UV radiation.

The presence of the mycotoxin patulin in processed apple juice and cider presents a continual challenge to the food industry as both consumer health and product quality issues. Although several methods for control and/or elimination of patulin have been proposed, no unifying method has been commercially successful for reducing patulin burdens while maintaining product quality. In the present study, exposure to germicidal UV radiation was evaluated as a possible commercially viable alternative for the reduction and possible elimination of the patulin mycotoxin in fresh apple cider.

Cruciform oligo(phenylenevinylene) with a bipyridine bridge: synthesis, its rhenium(I) complex and photovoltaic properties.

A cruciform-shaped oligo(phenylenevinylene) (OPV) with a phosphorescent rhenium(I) chromophore incorporated at the centre and grafted triphenylamines around the periphery was designed as a new organic photovoltaic material, in which the chelation of rhenium(I) to the cruciform successfully constructs a three-dimensional intramolecular charge transfer system and extends the exciton lifetime; as a result, the rhenium-OPV complex shows a power conversion efficiency almost two times that of the metal ion-free parent compound.