Biotechnological Production of Xylitol: Enhancement of Monosaccharide Production by Post-Hydrolysis of Dilute Acid Sugarcane Hydrolysate

Dilute-acid hydrolysis pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse resulted in release of 48% (18.4 g/L) of the xylan in the hemicellulose fraction into the hydrolysate as monomeric xylose. In order to enhance the recuperation of this monomer, a post-hydrolysis stage consisted of thermal treatment was carried out. This treatment resulted in an increase in xylose release of 62% (23.5 g/L) of the hemicellulose fraction. Original and post-hydrolysates were concentrated to the same levels of monomeric xylose in the fermentor feed. During the fermentation process, cellular growth was observed to be higher in the post-hydrolysate (3.5 g/L, Y _x/s?=?0.075 g cells/g xylose) than in the original hydrolysate (2.9 g/L, Y _x/s?=?0.068 g cells/g xylose). The post-treated hydrolysate required less concentration of sugars resulting in a lower concentration of fermentation inhibitors, which were formed primarily in the dilute acid hydrolysis step. Post-hydrolysis step led to a high xylose–xylitol conversion efficiency of 76% (0.7 g xylitol/g xylose) and volumetric productivity of 0.68 g xylitol/L h when compared to 71% (0.65 g xylitol/g xylose and productivity of 0.61 g xylitol/L h) for the original hemicellulosic hydrolysate.     

Graphite/Nanocrystalline Zeolite Platform for Selective Electrochemical Determination of Hepatitis C Inhibitor Ledipasvir

A simple and efficient procedure is described for the electrochemical determination of ledipasvir (LDP) in presence of co‐formulated drug sofosbuvir (SOF). Herein, a highly sensitive, low‐cost electrochemical protocol was utilized to fabricate a zeolite modified carbon paste electrode (ZY/CPE) through mixing of zeolite nanostructures with graphite powder. The fabricated sensor displayed high sensitivity, allowing optimal charge transfer/electrode kinetics. Different experimental and chemical factors, including electrode composition, effect of pH, scan rate and amount of ZY were evaluated carefully to obtain the highest electrochemical response. Under optimized conditions and using square wave voltammetry (SWV), the current response of the ZY/CPE electrochemical sensing platform exhibited a detection limit of 7.5×10^?9 M and a large linear range from 5.0×10^?8 to 1.0×10^?4 M. The practical applicability of the suggested electrochemical platform was verified in the assessment of LDP in pharmaceutical formulations with excellent recoveries in the range of 99.50–98.87 %. Moreover, a biological relevance of the developed sensor was established by the analysis of LDP in human urine and plasma samples with satisfactory recoveries of 99.00 and 99.68 %, respectively. Due to the simplicity and ease of preparation of the proposed sensor, it can be used in quality control laboratories and for clinical analysis.     

Theoretical Study of the Electronic and Optical Properties to Design Dye-Sensitivity for Using in Solar Cell Device

In this work, the structural and optoelectronic properties of phenanthrene-1,3,4-thaidiazoles oligomers were calculated using density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP/6-31G(d) basis set level, to evaluate their possible application as organic semiconductor materials in photovoltaic and solar cell devices. For this reason, the energy gaps, frontier orbital (HOMO, and LUMO) distributions, total energies, Fermi level energies, work functions and maximum wavelength absorption, vertical absorption energies, and oscillator strengths have been investigated and discussed. The structures of phenanthrene-1,3,4-thiadiazoles oligomers are expanded from 1 to 10 thiadiazole monomeric units, to examine the increase of thiadiazole monomeric units on the optoelectronic properties. We observed that increased the number of monomeric units lead to significantly enhance the optoelectronic properties, which caused to decrease the gap energy from 3.69 eV in the structure with one thiadiazole ring just to 2.36 eV with 10 units. These changes give the shift of maximum absorption wavelengths from 376 to 578 nm. Consequently, these molecules have main absorption bands within the solar spectrum, to give the best performance for photovoltaic and organic solar cells devices.     

ab-initio investigations of electronic and magnetic properties of the tetragonal chalcopyrite BeTiTe2 compound: DFT + U study

The spin-polarised structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of the chalcopyrite BeTiTe₂ compound in tetragonal structure (Be_0.50Ti_0.50Te) have been studied by employing first-principles full-potential linearised augmented plane wave plus local orbitals (FP-L/APW?+?lo) method within the density functional theory (DFT) and implemented in WIEN2k code. The exchange and correlation energy are described in two frameworks of GGA (generalised gradient approximation) and GGA?+?U (U is the Hubbard term). The structural analysis confirms that the ferromagnetic phase of the tetragonal BeTiTe₂ compound (Be_0.50Ti_0.50Te) is energetically more favourable; also different equilibrium lattice parameters, such as lattice constants (a₀ and c₀), bulk modulus (B₀), and its first-pressure derivative (B?) have been evaluated in both paramagnetic and ferromagnetic phases. The electronic results of the tetragonal BeTiTe₂ compound show a complete half-metallic behaviour. Moreover, the computed total magnetic moment of this compound is close to 4 μ_B, confirming its half-metallic ferromagnetic nature.     

Optical and structural characterization of ultrananocrystalline diamond/hydrogenated amorphous carbon composite films deposited via coaxial arc plasma

Ultrananocrystalline diamond/hydrogenated amorphous carbon composite films were deposited in the ambient of hydrogen by coaxial arc plasma deposition. The film compositions and chemical bonding structures were investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoemission and hydrogen forward scattering spectroscopies. The sp³/(sp²+sp³) ratio and hydrogen content in the film were estimated to be 64% and 35?at.%, respectively. The optical parameters and the optical dispersion profile were determined by using a variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometer at 55°, 65° and 75° angle of incidence in the photon energy range of 0.9–5?eV. Combinations of multiple Gaussian, and Tauc-Lorentz or Cody-Lorentz dispersion functions are used to reproduce the experimental data. Results of ellipsometry showed a refractive index of approximately 2.05 (at 2eV) and optical band gap of 1.63?eV. The imaginary part of dielectric function exhibited a peak at 3.8?eV, which has assigned to π-π* electron transitions. Furthermore, Electron spin resonance measurements implied the existence of dangling bonds, which might have a partial contribution to the optical absorption properties of the deposited films. A correlation between optical parameters and structural profile of the deposited films is discussed.     

Bond character,optical properties and ionic conductivity of Li2O/B2O3/SiO2/Al2O3 glass: Effect of structural substitution of Li2O for LiCl

A glass of composition (20 ? x)Li₂O–xLiCl–65B₂O₃–10SiO₂–5Al₂O₃ where 0 ? x ? 12.5 wt% is prepared using the normal melt-quenching technique. The optical constants and electrical conductivity and their correlation are investigated, furnished and discussed with the substitution of Li₂O for LiCl. The mechanism of the optical absorption and the calculated Urbach energy follow the rule of phonon-assisted transitions. The ionic conduction mechanism is determined by activation energy process. Substitution up to 10 wt% LiCl provides high ionic conductivity (1.9 × 10^?2 Ω^?1 m^?1) due to the high average electronegativity of LiCl which increases the polarizability of lithium ions. The small cation–anion distance approach confirmed the enhancement in ionic conductivity of LiCl containing glass compared to that of Li₂O. Due to the large size of Cl^? ions, there is an expansion of the lattice which in turn broadens the available path windows. For 12.5 wt% LiCl, anomalous density behavior is observed and a reduction in conductivity is occurred, σ = 5.4 × 10^?3 Ω^?1 m^?1. Owing to the model of bond fluctuation, the reduction is attributed to the increase in the alkali halide concentration which creates bottlenecks that hinder the motion of Li⁺ ions. The ionic conductivity character is strongly supported by the behavior of the glass ionicity factor, density, molar volume, refractive index, average boron–boron separation, molar refraction, metallization criterion and non-bridging oxygen concentration of the studied glass.     

Evanescent-wave in perturbed optical fibers

Two adjacent components may express the total electromagnetic fields of an optical fiber. The first one is defined as a summation over bound modes describing the spatial steady state where the light energy is guided along a non-absorbing waveguide. The second component is the radiation field, which describes the spatial transient. Since total internal reflection on a straight fiber is malfunctioned by bending, therefore the evanescent wave which represents the second component has been investigated in a bent single-mode fiber. The decay constant and phase propagation constant of the evanescent field are determined for the first time as a function of curvature at two standard operating wavelengths 1300 and 1550 nm using an interferometric technique.     

A new synthesis of symmetrical 2,5-disubstituted 1,3,4-oxadiazoles

Several new 2,5-disubstituted 1,3,4-oxadiazoles have been synthesized in good yields by reaction of aromatic acids with hydrazine dihydrochloride in a mixture of orthophosphoric acid, phosphorus pentoxide and, in general, with addition of phosphorus oxychloride to the reaction mixture. The structures of new oxadiazoles derivatives were confirmed by analytical and spectral data.