Electrospinning of nylon-6,66,1010 terpolymer

Ultrafine nylon fibers were prepared by electrospinning of nylon-6,66,1010 terpolymer solution in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE). The morphology, crystallinity and mechanical properties of the electrospun nylon-6,66,1010 fibers were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and tensile test. The effects of electrospun process parameters such as solution concentration, voltage and tip-to-collector distance on the morphology and the average size of the electrospun fibers were also studied. The results show that the spinnable concentration of nylon-6,66,1010/TFE solution is in the range of 6-14 wt%, and higher solution concentration favors the formation of uniform fibers without beads. The diameters of the electrospun fibers increase with increasing the solution concentration and decrease slightly with increasing the voltage and needle tip-to-collector distance. But no obvious morphology changes were found with the increase of the voltage and collection distance. DSC and WAXD results suggest that the electrospun nylon-6,66,1010 membranes have lower crystallinity than those of the corresponding casting films. The electrospun nylon-6,66,1010 membrane obtained from the 14 wt% concentration exhibits the largest tensile strength and elongation at break.     

Parametric analysis of kinetic models. XIV. Autocatalytic trigger and oscillator in a flow system

In a flow catalytic reactor with an autocatalytic trigger as a kinetic subsystem, the conditions have been found, in which oscillations appear. Some peculiarities of the kinetic model dynamics, where the kinetic subsystem is an autocatalytic oscillator, are investigated.     

Liquid fluidized bed starter culture ofTrichoderma reesei for cellulase production

A starter culture ofTrichoderma reesei (Rut-C30) prepared in a liquid fluidized bed reactor (LFBR) gave better growth and greater cellulase production in submerged fermentation than a conventional shake flask inoculum. The LFBR starter was prepared by first coatingT. reesei spores to 0.25 mm size corncob (1.0x10⁸g^-1) in a medium containing 1.0% corncob, 0.5 gL^-1 xylose and 0.1 gL^-1 lactose in a balanced salt solution, then fluidizing the particles in the LFBR for 36 h to allow germination of the spores, and covering the particles with an approx 30 μm thick biofilm. This biofilm that developed in constant adherence to the lignocellulosic carrier, apparently became well adapted to grow rapidly on insoluble cellulose substrates (Solca Floc), and had the enzymes of the cellulase complex induced for increased cellulase production. The LFBR starter used in a stirred tank reactor (STR) gave 15 gL^-1 biomass production and 6.5 IU mL^-1 overall cellulase activity with a volumetric productivity of 64 IU L^-1h^-1 in a 5 d fermentation, compared with a 7 d shake flask inoculum that gave 11 gL^-1 biomass and 3.2 IU mL^-1 cellulase activity, with a volumetric productivity of 31IU L^-1h^-1. The LFBR starter culture retained its viability in dry storage for 6–9 mo.     

A preliminary study on fabrication of nanoscale fibrous chitosan membranes in situ by biospecific degradation

A new approach for in situ fabrication of nanoscale fibrous chitosan membrane by biospecific degradation under physiological situation was studied. The chitosan binary blend membranes were fabricated by solvent casting of chitosan solution containing highly deacetylated chitosan (HDC) and moderately deacetylated chitosan (MDC) with different ratio. The biodegradation process was performed in PBS (pH 7.4) containing lysozyme at the temperature of 37 °C. Experimental results from weight loss, reducing sugar in surrounding media, FT-IR, X-ray diffraction, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and SEM throughout the study showed that the biospecific degradation by lysozyme had removed MDC component selectively. When the ratio of MDC in the binary blend membranes amounted to 0.5, nanoscale domains of HDC and MDC were obtained, and thus a nanoscale fibrous structure was fabricated after biospecific degradation of MDC. This nanofibrous structure and the biospecific degradation of chitosan membranes can have potential advantages and interesting implications in tissue engineering and drug delivery.     

Two-dimensional Blue Native/sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis for analysis of multimeric proteins in platelets

Two-dimensional (2-D) Blue Native/SDS gel electrophoresis combines a first-dimensional separation of monomeric and multimeric proteins in their native state with a second denaturing dimension. These high-resolution 2-D gels aim at identifying multiprotein complexes with respect to their subunit composition. We applied this method for the first time to analyze two human platelet subproteomes: the cytosolic and the microsomal membrane protein fraction. Solubilization of platelet membrane proteins was achieved with the nondenaturing detergent n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside. To validate native solubilization conditions, we demonstrated the correct assembly of the Na,K-ATPase, a functional multimeric transmembrane protein, when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. We identified 63 platelet proteins after in-gel tryptic digestion of 58 selected protein spots and liquid chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry. Nine proteins were detected for the first time in platelets by a proteomic approach. We also show that this technology efficiently resolves several known membrane and cytosolic multiprotein complexes. Blue Native/SDS gel electrophoresis is thus a valuable procedure to analyze specific platelet subproteomes, like the membrane(-bound) protein fraction, by mass spectrometry and immunoblotting and could be relevant for the study of protein-protein interactions generated following platelet activation.     

Fluorometric quantification of total d-gluconate by a flow-injection system using an immobilized-enzyme reactor

A method for the quantification of total d-gluconate by flow-injection analysis was developed using an immobilized-enzyme reactor and fluorescence detection. d-Gluconate was quantified using co-immobilized gluconate kinase (GK) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGDH) reactor. d-Gluconate was phosphorylated to 6-phospho-d-gluconate by GK in the presence of ATP, and then the 6-phospho-d-gluconate produced was oxidized by PGDH with NADP⁺. The NADPH produced by the GK-PGDH reactor was monitored fluorometrically at 455 nm (excitation at 340 nm). A linear relationship between the responses and concentrations of d-gluconate was obtained in the ranges of 1.0 × 10⁻⁶–1.6 × 10⁻⁴ M. The relative standard deviation for 10 successive injections was 0.57% at the 0.1 mM level. This analytical method was applied to the quantification of d-gluconate in honeys, vinegars and noble rot wines, and the results showed good agreement with those obtained using the conventional F-kit method.     

微反应器和微聚合反应器

微反应器是指容量仅为零点几μm^3或宽度为1μm左右的反应“容器”，反应在这个微小区域内有控地进行。以表面科学与微制造技术为核心，新型微反应器近年来发展很快。本文介绍五种微反应器，即反相胶束微反应器，聚合物微反应器，固体模板微反应器，微条纹反应器和微聚合反应器，以及它们在各高科技领域中的可能应用。     

Reverse permeation of sodium ions driven by pH difference across a liquid membrane: time dependencies of membrane resistance and membrane potential in a reverse permeation system

The diffusional flux of sodium ions across a liquid membrane was observed as a reverse permeation phenomenon: sodium ions were transported across the membrane against their own concentration difference. A supported liquid membrane having stearic acid as an ionic carrier was used. The internal aqueous phase contained NaCl and HCl and the external aqueous phase contained NaOH of the same initial concentration as NaCl in the internal aqueous phase. The reverse permeation occurred with a long time delay. During the delay, sodium ions flowed from the acidic to alkaline solution. The diffusion coefficient of sodium ion estimated from the flux equation taking into account the Donnan equilibrium at the interface was found to be much greater than that in the membrane solvent, 1-octanol. In the same membrane system as for the flux measurement, the membrane conductance and the membrane potential were measured as a function of time. The time dependence of the membrane potential in the presteady state showed a biphasic behavior. The initial rapid phase could be attributed to the change in the phase boundary potential and the subsequent slow step to the change in the diffusion potential within the membrane. Before the steady membrane potential had been reached, the reverse permeation of sodium ions against their own concentration difference was not observed. During the slow relaxation process of the membrane potential, the membrane resistance decreased to approach the steady state. Moreover, the oscillation of membrane potential abruptly started at a time in the slow step of the potential change and continued during the steady state. It was suggested that, at the presteady state, the increase in the amount of water in the membrane would drive a drastic change in the state of the liquid membrane in the filter pore, e.g. an inverted micellar structure making.     

A New Neutral Carrier for Silver Ions Based on a Bis(Thiothiazole) Derivative and its Evaluation in Membrane Electrodes

Membrane electrodes based on 2,2-dithiobis(benzothiazole), DTBBT, as a neutral carrier for silver ions are described. Silver-selective membrane electrodes formulated with 2wt% DTBBT ionophore and 50mol% TFPB in an FPNPE plasticized poly (vinyl chloride) exhibited near-Nernstian responses towards silver ions (60.3±0.5mVdecade^–1) over a wide silver ion activity range of 0.83µM to 94mM. Increasing the amount of anionic sites, TFPB, to 100 or 150mol% (relative to the DTBBT weight) resulted in super-Nernstian responses toward silver ions. Membrane electrodes prepared using a low dielectric constant plasticizer, however, exhibited sub-Nernstian responses. Polymer membrane electrodes with optimal composition (i.e., 2wt% DTBBT, 50mol% TFPB in FPNPE plasticized poly(vinyl chloride)) exhibited high potentiometric selectivity towards silver ions over alkali, alkaline earth, transition metal ions, as well as heavy metal ions such as Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺. A good correlation was found between the potentiometric selectivity coefficients and the change in the UV-visible spectra of the ionophore upon exposure to different metal ions. The overall performance of the silver-selective membrane electrodes based on DTBBT ionophore, which is available at low cost, was found to be comparable to the performance of silver electrodes prepared with Fluka silver ionophore-IV. A DTBBT-based silver electrode was used as an indicator electrode for titrations of silver ions using standard sodium chloride solutions. Sharp inflections occur at the end point, and the data obtained showed 99.4% recovery with a standard deviation of 0.7% (n=3). In addition, the applicability of the DTBBT-based silver-selective electrode is illustrated by measuring the silver concentrations in natural water spiked with silver nitrate and by analyzing the silver in electroplating wastewater samples. The results obtained utilizing a DTBBT-based silver electrode showed very good agreement with the standard methods of analysis.     

Utility of copper(II) oxide as a packed reactor in flow injection assembly for rapid analysis of some angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors

A new simple, sensitive, rapid and precise flow injection (FI) procedure based on the formation of copper complexes with some angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors has been developed and evaluated for the analysis of lisinopril (LN), enalapril maleate (EP), ramipril (RP) and perindopril tert-butylamine (PD). In this method, samples were injected into a flowing stream of distilled-deionized water, carried through the packed reactor of CuO for derivatization followed by ultraviolet (UV) detection. The flow rate was 1.5 ml min⁻¹ and column temperature was ambient (25 °C). Lisinopril was injected directly into the flowing stream and the detector response was measured at 262 nm. The hydrolysis products of enalapril maleate, ramipril and perindopril tert-butylamine in 0.2N NaOH were injected after neutralization with 1N HCl and the detector response was measured at 272, 265 and 252 nm, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of tested drugs in pharmaceutical preparations at a sampling rate of 60 samples h⁻¹ and a recovery near 100% for all compounds.