Preparation and Properties of Chitosan/Konjac Glucomannan Blend Fibers

Chitosan and konjac glucomannan (KGM) blend fibers were prepared by spinning their solution through a viscose‐type spinneret into a coagulating bath containing aqueous sodium hydroxide and ethanol. The structure and properties of the blend fibers were studied with the aids of infrared spectra (IR), scanning electron micrography (SEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The structure analysis indicated that there were strong interaction and good miscibility between the chitosan and KGM molecule which resulted from intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Mechanical properties and water‐retention properties were measured. Through controlling blend conditions, blend fibers can obtain better mechanical properties than the pure chitosan fiber. The water‐retention values (WRV) of blend fibers increase as the amount of KGM is raised. The fibers treated with alcoholic solution of acetic acid have good antibacterial activity to Staphylococcus aureus.     

平头pH电极-流动注射联用技术快速滴定食醋中醋酸的方法研究

采用一种具有平头结构的pH电极作为流动注射分析(FIA)的检测器,构建了流动注射自动化酸度滴定系统.优化了样品进样量、流速、载液浓度和反应管长度等参数.用NaOH溶液作为载液,在4.639×10-4～0.212 mol·L-1范围内醋酸浓度的对数与FIA峰的峰面积成正比,该方法的相对标准偏差(RSD)小于0.5%.采用...     

Potential of Agricultural Residues and Hay for Bioethanol Production

Production of bioethanol from agricultural residues and hays (wheat, barley, and triticale straws, and barley, triticale, pearl millet, and sweet sorghum hays) through a series of chemical pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation processes was investigated in this study. Composition analysis suggested that the agricultural straws and hays studied contained approximately 28.62-38.58% glucan, 11.19-20.78% xylan, and 22.01-27.57% lignin, making them good candidates for bioethanol production. Chemical pretreatment with sulfuric acid or sodium hydroxide at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% indicated that concentration and treatment agent play a significant role during pretreatment. After 2.0% sulfuric acid pretreatment at 121 degrees C/15 psi for 60 min, 78.10-81.27% of the xylan in untreated feedstocks was solubilized, while 75.09-84.52% of the lignin was reduced after 2.0% sodium hydroxide pretreatment under similar conditions. Enzymatic hydrolysis of chemically pretreated (2.0% NaOH or H2SO4) solids with Celluclast 1.5 L-Novozym 188 (cellobiase) enzyme combination resulted in equal or higher glucan and xylan conversion than with Spezyme(R) CP- xylanase combination. The glucan and xylan conversions during hydrolysis with Celluclast 1.5 L-cellobiase at 40 FPU/g glucan were 78.09 to 100.36% and 74.03 to 84.89%, respectively. Increasing the enzyme loading from 40 to 60 FPU/g glucan did not significantly increase sugar yield. The ethanol yield after fermentation of the hydrolyzate from different feedstocks with Saccharomyces cerevisiae ranged from 0.27 to 0.34 g/g glucose or 52.00-65.82% of the theoretical maximum ethanol yield.     

阴离子交换-积分脉冲安培检测法分离测定氨基酸注射液中的氨基酸和葡萄糖

 用阴离子交换 积分脉冲安培检测法测定了氨基酸注射液中 1 7种氨基酸和葡萄糖。研究了氨基酸和葡萄糖在阴离子交换中的保留行为。采用了优化的水、NaOH和NaAc三元梯度淋洗条件。在优化的梯度淋洗条件和积分脉冲安培检测条件下 ,氨基酸和葡萄糖的检出限为 0 3pmol～ 1 0 3pmol,线性范围约为 2个数量级。样品加标回收率为 88 3 %～ 1 0 4 6 %。方法简单、灵敏、准确。     

Analysis of carbohydrates by anion exchange chromatography and mass spectrometry

A versatile liquid chromatographic platform has been developed for analysing underivatized carbohydrates using high performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC) followed by an inert PEEK splitter that splits the effluent to the integrated pulsed amperometric detector (IPAD) and to an on-line single quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS). Common eluents for HPAEC such as sodium hydroxide and sodium acetate are beneficial for the amperometric detection but not compatible with electrospray ionisation (ESI). Therefore a membrane-desalting device was installed after the splitter and prior to the ESI interface converting sodium hydroxide into water and sodium acetate into acetic acid. To enhance the sensitivity for the MS detection, 0.5 mmol/l lithium chloride was added after the membrane desalter to form lithium adducts of the carbohydrates. To compare sensitivity of IPAD and MS detection glucose, fructose, and sucrose were used as analytes. A calibration with external standards from 2.5 to 1000 pmole was performed showing a linear range over three orders of magnitude. Minimum detection limits (MDL) with IPAD were determined at 5 pmole levels for glucose to be 0.12 pmole, fructose 0.22 pmole and sucrose 0.11 pmole. With MS detection in the selected ion mode (SIM) the lithium adducts of the carbohydrates were detected obtaining MDL's for glucose of 1.49 pmole, fructose 1.19 pmole, and sucrose 0.36 pmole showing that under these conditions IPAD is 3-10 times more sensitive for those carbohydrates. The applicability of the method was demonstrated analysing carbohydrates in real world samples such as chicory inulin where polyfructans up to a molecular mass of 7000 g/mol were detected as quadrupoly charged lithium adducts. Furthermore mono-, di-, tri-, and oligosaccharides were detected in chicory coffee, honey and beer samples.     

新的液晶性壳聚糖衍生物——氰乙基壳聚糖的合成与表征

甲壳素是自然界蕴藏量最丰富的天然高分子化合物之一,但人们对它的了解却远不如纤维素和淀粉.仅就液晶领域而言,纤维素衍生物的液晶性早已为人们所认识,例如氰乙基纤维素的液晶性已有很多研究.     

A mild,convenient, and inexpensive procedure for conversion of vinyl halides to alpha-haloketones

Treatment of a vinyl chloride with commercially available aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution in a 2:5 mixture of acetic acid/acetone at 0 degrees C for about 1 h cleanly leads to the corresponding alpha-chloroketone. Similarly, if a vinyl bromide is exposed to sodium hypobromite (freshly prepared from bromine and sodium hydroxide) at 0 degrees C in 2:5 acetic acid/acetone as solvent, an alpha-bromoketone is produced. This methodology has been applied to a number of vinyl chlorides and vinyl bromides, and the transformations generally proceed in high yields. The mild reaction conditions are compatible with a variety of functional groups including amides, esters, and imines.     

The assay of sodium citrate and sodium potassium tartrate by cation exchange and non-aqueous titrimetry

Sodium citrate and sodium potassium tartrate are assayed by passing aqueous solutions of the salts through cation exchange resin columns, concentrating the effluents from the columns, and then titrating the effluents with standard sodium hydroxide solution. Sodium citrate is assayed by titrating a solution of the salt in glacial acetic acid with standard acetous perchloric acid, the end-point being detected potentiometrically; sodium potassium tartrate is assayed by stirring the salt in excess standard acetous perchloric acid, and then backtitrating the excess acetous perchloric acid with standard acetous potassium acetate, the end-point being detected potentiometrically.     

Coulometric titration of iron by electrolytically generated bromine

Iron^II reacts with bromine more smoothly in acetic acid-sodium acetate medium than in sulphuric acid medium, producing a marked potential change at the end-point. The titration curves and the reaction velocities of the reaction have been studied with regard to various compositions of the electrolytic solution. It was found that iron^IIfrom 0.01 meq to 0.1 meq could be titrated coulometrically with less than about 1% error, if the electrolytic solution contained 0.1M potassium bromate, 1N acetic acid and 0.2N sodium hydroxide.     

Gel filtration study of mushroom proteins

Summary Proteins from six edible wild mushrooms were extracted by sodium chloride, ethanol or sodium hydroxide and analysed by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200. Analysis of the whole extracts and the separated proteins of different molecular weight as well as the determination of their amino acid content demonstrated that the soluble mushroom proteins are dimers, trimers and decamers of the simple main protein (polypeptide) with an approximate molecular weight of 15,000. The polymers were stabilized by both covalent and non-covalent forces as demonstrated by gel filtration in acetic acid before and after reduction of the covalent bonds.     

Study of dynamics of glucose-glucose oxidase-ferricyanide reaction

This work is focused on dynamics of the glucose-glucose oxidase-ferricyanide enzymatic reaction with or without sodium hydroxide in a continuous-flow stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and in a batch reactor. This reaction exhibits pH-variations having autocatalytic character and is reported to provide nonlinear dynamic behavior (bistability, excitability). The dynamical behavior of the reaction was examined within a wide range of inlet parameters. The main inlet parameters were the ratio of concentrations of sodium hydroxide and ferricyanide and the flow rate. In a batch reactor we observed an autocatalytic drop of pH from slightly basic to medium acidic values. In a CSTR our aim was to find bistability in the presence of sodium hydroxide. However, only a basic steady state was found. In order to reach an acidic steady state, we investigated the system in the absence of sodium hydroxide. Under these conditions the transition from the basic to the acidic steady state was observed when inlet glucose concentration was increased.     

Characterization of Fast Pyrolysis Bio-oils Produced from Pretreated Pine Wood

The pretreatment of biomass prior to the fast pyrolysis process has been shown to alter the structure and chemical composition of biomass feed stocks leading to a change in the mechanism of biomass thermal decomposition. Pretreatment of feed stocks prior to fast pyrolysis provides an opportunity to produce bio-oils with varied chemical composition and physical properties. This provides the potential to vary bio-oil chemical and physical properties for specific applications. To determine the influence of biomass pretreatments on bio-oil produced during fast pyrolysis, we applied six chemical pretreatments: dilute phosphoric acid, dilute sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, and hydrogen peroxide. Bio-oils were produced from untreated and pretreated 10-year old pine wood feed stocks in an auger reactor at 450 °C. The bio-oils’ physical properties of pH, water content, acid value, density, viscosity, and heating value were measured. Mean molecular weights and polydispersity were determined by gel permeation chromatography. Chemical characteristics of the bio-oils were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared techniques. Results showed that the physical and chemical characteristics of the bio-oils produced from pretreated pine wood feed stocks were influenced by the biomass pretreatments applied. These physical and chemical changes are compared and discussed in detail in the paper.     

Kinetic description of the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and nitrosobenzene on skeletal nickel in aqueous solutions of propan-2-ol of different compositions

The kinetics of the hydrogenation of nitrosobenzene and nitrobenzene is simulated taking into account accompanying processes and specific features of the conversion of reactive groups. The constants of the hypothetical reaction steps are calculated. The influence of sodium hydroxide and acetic acid on the kinetic parameters of the reactions is discussed.     

Pilot-Scale Fermentation of Aqueous-Ammonia-Soaked Switchgrass

Aqueous-ammonia-steeped switchgrass was subject to simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) in two pilot-scale bioreactors (50- and 350-L working volume). Switchgrass was pretreated by soaking in ammonium hydroxide (30%) with solid to liquid ratio of 5 L ammonium hydroxide per kilogram dry switchgrass for 5 days in 75-L steeping vessels without agitation at ambient temperatures (15 to 33 °C). SSF of the pretreated biomass was carried out using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (D₅A) at approximately 2% glucan and 77 filter paper units per gram cellulose enzyme loading (Spezyme CP). The 50-L fermentation was carried out aseptically, whereas the 350-L fermentation was semiaseptic. The percentage of maximum theoretical ethanol yields achieved was 73% in the 50-L reactor and 52–74% in the 350-L reactor due to the difference in asepsis. The 350-L fermentation was contaminated by acid-producing bacteria (lactic and acetic acid concentrations approaching 10 g/L), and this resulted in lower ethanol production. Despite this problem, the pilot-scale SSF of aqueous-ammonia-pretreated switchgrass has shown promising results similar to laboratory-scale experiments. This work demonstrates challenges in pilot-scale fermentations with material handling, aseptic conditions, and bacterial contamination for cellulosic fermentations to biofuels.     

Ion chromatographic methods for the detection of starch hydrolysis products in ruminal digesta.

Dionex high-performance ion chromatographic methods were evaluated for separation and quantitation of plant sugars and starch digestion products in the ruminal digesta of cattle. Mono- and disaccharides were eluted from a Dionex CarboPac PA1 column with sodium hydroxide used isocratically or as a pH gradient. Maltooligosaccharides which had a degree of polymerization (DP) less than 30 glucose residues were eluted in 60 min by a sodium hydroxide eluent containing a sodium acetate gradient. Carbohydrates were detected amperometrically. Responses were linear (r2 greater than 0.99) for glucose, disaccharides and maltooligosaccharides (DP less than 8). Precipitation and solid-phase extraction methods were evaluated for clean-up of samples of feedstuffs, ruminal contents, and bacterial culture fluids. Perchloric acid precipitation hydrolyzed sucrose but did not affect recoveries of cellobiose, isomaltose or maltose. Ethanol in concentrations of 79 and 86% precipitated maltooligosaccharides having chain lengths larger than 14 and 9 glucose residues, respectively. Maltooligosaccharide recoveries from solid-phase extraction columns varied with maltooligosaccharide size and column packing. Recoveries were greater than 94% for short chains (DP less than 6) eluted from phenyl-substituted columns and variable for all oligosaccharides eluted from C18 columns. Applications of these methods are presented and include: (1) detection of sugars in ruminant feed, (2) monitoring changes in ruminal sugars after feeding and (3) monitoring changes in extracellular sugars and oligosaccharides in the culture fluids of the ruminal bacterium, Bacteroides ruminicola.     

Substitution titration: a new approach to automatic titration : Determination of Acidity in Precipitation Samples

In substitution titrations, a small portion of the sample is repeatedly replaced by an exactly equal volume of titrant, by means of a rotary injection valve. The titration curves obtained in this manner can be linearized by using suitable functions, and hence equivalence volumes can be calculated. The substitution process means that there is no increase in volume during a titration. It is therefore possible to use a completely closed system, which is advantageous for samples that are sensitive to the ambient atmosphere. The principle is demonstrated for the potentiometric titration of hydrochloric acid containing varying amounts of weak acid (acetic acid or ammonium ion) with sodium hydroxide solutions. By the substitution titration, it is possible to determine the strong and weak acid in HCl/NH₄Cl mixtures with an accuracy of ca. 2%, but acetic acid is difficult to determine in the mixture because of partial protolysis at the concentration level examined. Sample concentrations are chosen in the range 125–1000 μM total acidity, to conform with the concentrations normally found in precipitation samples. The development of a procedure for determining the acidity in rain-watet and throughfall samples is described. The substitution titrations are easily automated and provide adequate sensitivity for routine work.     

Sequential extraction for the speciation of some heavy metals in soils

The five step sequential extraction for speciation of copper and nickel originally designed for sediments has been applied to soil samples. The extractant solutions were: 1 mol/l ammonium acetate, 1 mol/l hydroxylammonium chloride in 25% acetic acid (1∶1), 0.1 mol/l hydrochlorid acid, 0.5 mol/l sodium hydroxide and 8 mol/l nitric acid. The residue was decomposed by HF and HNO₃. Using this procedure the metal fraction bound to the organic matter can be distinguished. The concentrations of analytes were determined in the soil extracts by FAAS and ETAAS. Accuracy was assessed by comparing the sum of the contents of copper and nickel in soil extracts with the total certified values of CRMs of soils. The overall recovery values for nickel was 84–105% and for copper 105–114%.     

Sequential injection redox or acid-base titration for determination of ascorbic acid or acetic acid

Two sequential injection titration systems with spectrophotometric detection have been developed. The first system for determination of ascorbic acid was based on redox reaction between ascorbic acid and permanganate in an acidic medium and lead to a decrease in color intensity of permanganate, monitored at 525 nm. A linear dependence of peak area obtained with ascorbic acid concentration up to 1200 mg l⁻¹ was achieved. The relative standard deviation for 11 replicate determinations of 400 mg l⁻¹ ascorbic acid was 2.9%. The second system, for acetic acid determination, was based on acid–base titration of acetic acid with sodium hydroxide using phenolphthalein as an indicator. The decrease in color intensity of the indicator was proportional to the acid content. A linear calibration graph in the range of 2–8% w v⁻¹ of acetic acid with a relative standard deviation of 4.8% (5.0% w v⁻¹ acetic acid, n=11) was obtained. Sample throughputs of 60 h⁻¹ were achieved for both systems. The systems were successfully applied for the assays of ascorbic acid in vitamin C tablets and acetic acid content in vinegars, respectively.     

Chestnut Shell as Unexploited Source of Fermentable Sugars: Effect of Different Pretreatment Methods on Enzymatic Saccharification

Chestnut shell (CS) is an agronomic residue mainly used for extraction of antioxidants or as adsorbent of metal ions. It also contains some polysaccharide that has not been considered as potential source of fermentable sugars for biofuel production until now. In this study, the effect of different pretreatment methods on CS was evaluated in order to obtain the greatest conversion of cellulose and xylan into fermentable sugars. Hot acid impregnation, steam explosion (acid-catalysed or not), and aqueous ammonia soaking (AAS) were selected as pretreatments. The pretreated biomass was subjected to saccharification with two enzyme cocktails prepared from commercial preparations, and evaluation of the best pretreatment and enzyme cocktail was based on the yield of fermentable sugars produced. As AAS provided the best result after preliminary experiments, enhancement of sugar production was attempted by changing the concentrations of ammonium hydroxide, enzymes, and CS. The optimal pretreatment condition was 10 % ammonium hydroxide, 70 °C, 22 h with CS at 5 % solid loading. After saccharification of the pretreated CS for 72 h at 50 °C and pH 5.0 with a cocktail containing cellulase (Accellerase 1500), beta-glucosidase (Accellerase BG), and xylanase (Accellerase XY), glucose and xylose yields were 67.8 and 92.7 %, respectively.     

Relative effectiveness of pretreatments on performance of Rhizomucor miehei lipase in nonpolar reaction media

Enzymes can be used in nonpolar reaction media to modify waterinsoluble substrates. A variety of pretreatments, applied to the enzyme prior to introduction to the nonpolar media, can improve enzyme activity. However, the various pretreatments have not been studied using directly comparable conditions, nor have they been applied simultaneously to test for interactive effects. This work evaluates pretreatment of lipase with various classes of additives. The pretreated lipase is used to catalyze esterification between citronellol and acetic acid in a medium of n-hexane. The effectiveness of a particular pretreatment is presented in terms of relative performance (RP), which is equal to the number of times faster the pretreated lipase catalyzes the reaction relative to untreated lipase. The individual and interactive effects of the pretreatment factors were studied and compared. Buffer salts had a much stronger performance-enhancing effect than nonbuffer salts; pretreatment with 90% (w/w) sodium phosphate yielded lipase with an RP of approx 64. A strong interaction was found between the treatments with sodium phosphate and pH adjustment. These treatments may mitigate the inhibitory effect of acetic acid. Activating effects of phase interfaces and active-site protectants are shown to be complementary to other treatments, demonstrating that they likely act by distinct mechanisms.