From orientation disordered to ordered—An ab initio simulation on ammonia borane phase transition within van der Waals corrections

In this work, we report a detailed theoretical investigation of the phase transition of ammonia borane (NH₃BH₃; AB), from a tetragonal I4mm ( ) phase with disordered orientation of hydrogen to an orthorhombic phase with Pmn2₁ ( ) symmetry, as a function of temperature based on Density Functional Theory calculations with semiempirical dispersion potential correction. We define a series of substructures with the NH₃BH₃ moiety always in C_3v symmetry and the partially occupied high temperature state can be described as a continuous transformation between these substructures. To understand the role of the van der Waals corrections to the physical properties, we use the empirical Grimme's dispersion potential correction (PBE‐D2). Both Perdew–Burke–Emzerhof (PBE) and PBE‐D2 functional yield almost the same energy sequence along the transition path. However, PBE‐D2 functional shows obvious advantage in describing the lattice parameters of AB. The rigid rotor harmonic oscillator approximation is used to compute the free energy and the entropies contribution along the transition pathway. With knowledge of free energy surfaces along rotations of the ? [NH₃] and ? [BH₃] groups, complete transformation paths are mapped out. The phase transition is found to follow the sequence of partially occupied tetragonal system (I4mm) of a mixture of states with monoclinic (Cc), (CM) and orthorhombic (Pmn2₁) symmetries to fully occupied quasitetragonal system (the intermediate phase, Pmn2₁) to fully occupied orthorhombic system (Pmn2₁). © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Calculation of the stability of nonperiodic solids using classical force fields and the method of increments: N2o as an example

Combining classical force fields for the Hartree–Fock (HF) part and the method of increments for post‐HF contributions, we calculate the cohesive energy of the ordered and randomly disordered nitrous oxide (N₂O) solid. At 0 K, ordered N₂O is most favorable with a cohesive energy of ?27.7 kJ/mol. At temperatures above 60 K, more disordered structures become compatible and a phase transition to completely disordered N₂O is predicted. Comparison with experiment in literature suggests that experimentally prepared N₂O crystals are mainly disordered due to a prohibitively high activation energy of ordering processes. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy based on conical holed enhancing substrates

In this contribution, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on conical holed glass substrates deposited with silver colloids was reported for the first time. It combines the advantages of both dry SERS assays based on plane films deposited with silver colloids and wet SERS assays utilizing cuvettes or capillary tubes. Compared with plane glass substrates deposited with silver colloids, the conical holed glass substrates deposited with silver colloids exhibited five-to ten-folds of increase in the rate of signal enhancement, due to the internal multiple reflections of both the excitation laser beam and the Raman scattering photons within conical holes. The application of conical holed glass substrates could also yield significantly stronger and more reproducible SERS signals than SERS assays utilizing capillary tubes to sample the mixture of silver colloids and the solution of the analyte of interest. The conical holed glass substrates in combination with the multiplicative effects model for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MEM_SERS) achieved quite sensitive and precise quantification of 6-mercaptopurine in complex plasma samples with an average relative prediction error of about 4% and a limit of detection of about 0.02 μM using a portable i-Raman 785H spectrometer. It is reasonable to expect that SERS technique based on conical holed enhancing substrates in combination with MEM_SERS model can be developed and extended to other application areas such as drug detection, environmental monitoring, and clinic analysis, etc.     

Magnetic Relaxation in Single‐Electron Single‐Ion Cerium(III) Magnets: Insights from Ab Initio Calculations

Detailed ab initio calculations were performed on two structurally different cerium(III) single‐molecule magnets (SMMs) to probe the origin of magnetic anisotropy and to understand the mechanism of magnetic relaxations. The complexes [Ce^III{Zn^II(L)}₂(MeOH)]BPh₄ ( 1 ) and [Li(dme)₃][Ce^III(cot′′)₂] ( 1 ; L=N,N,O,O‐tetradentate Schiff base ligand; 2 ; DME=dimethoxyethane, COT′′=1,4‐bis(trimethylsilyl)cyclooctatetraenyldianion), which are reported to be zero‐field and field‐induced SMMs with effective barrier heights of 21.2 and 30 K respectively, were chosen as examples. CASSCF+RASSI/SINGLE_ANISO calculations unequivocally suggest that m_J|±5/2〉 and |±1/2〉 are the ground states for complexes 1 and 2 , respectively. The origin of these differences is rooted back to the nature of the ligand field and the symmetry around the cerium(III) ions. Ab initio magnetisation blockade barriers constructed for complexes 1 and 2 expose a contrasting energy‐level pattern with significant quantum tunnelling of magnetisation between the ground state Kramers doublet in complex 2 . Calculations performed on several model complexes stress the need for a suitable ligand environment and high symmetry around the cerium(III) ions to obtain a large effective barrier.     

Synthesis of Cembranoid Analogues through Ring‐Closing Metathesis of Terpenoid Precursors: A Challenge Regarding Ring‐Size Selectivity

A systematic study on ring‐closing metathesis with Grubbs II catalyst to cembranoid macrocycles is described. Acyclic terpenoids with a functional group X in the homoallylic position relative to an RCM active terminus and substituents R, R¹ directly attached to the other terminal double bond were prepared from geraniol derived trienes and fragments that are based on bromoalkenes and dimethyl malonate. Such terpenoids were suitable precursors, despite the presence of competing double bonds in their framework. The size of R and R¹ is crucial for successful macrocyclization. Whereas small alkyl substituents at the double bond directed the RCM towards six‐membered ring formation, cross metathesis leading to dimers dominated for bulkier alkyl groups. A similar result was obtained for precursors without functional group X. In the case of unsymmetrically substituted terpenoid precursor (R=Et, R¹=Me) with homoallylic OTBS or OMe group, the RCM could be controlled towards formation of macrocyclic cembranoids, which were isolated with excellent E‐selectivity. The role of the substituents was further studied by quantum chemical calculations of simplified model substrates. Based on these results a mechanistic rationale is proposed.     

纳米SiO_2表面基团在MMA原位本体聚合中的阻缓聚作用

分别以3-(甲基丙烯酰氧)丙基三甲氧基硅烷(MPS)和辛基三甲氧基硅烷(OTMS)为活性和惰性硅烷的代表,对SiO2进行不同锚固密度的表面修饰,并以改性SiO2的甲基丙烯酸甲酯(MMA)单体分散液为原料,通过原位本体聚合制得一系列SiO2含量不同的高分散性SiO2/PMMA复合材料.考察SiO2表面基团活性程度和SiO2含量对聚合反应动力学、基体聚合物分子量以及复合材料硬度的影响,探究修饰状态不同SiO2在本体自由基聚合中的作用机制.发现SiO2表面硅羟基及其锚固MPS的活性双键会对聚合反应起阻缓聚作用,进而会显著降低基体聚合物的分子量及复合材料的硬度.而惰性硅烷OTMS对SiO2表面的锚固则会消耗SiO2表面硅羟基、并屏蔽其影响,因而随着OTMS锚固密度的提高,基体分子量和复合材料硬度均会随之提高,特别是当表面修饰达到饱和状态时,SiO2的阻缓聚作用已可忽略.     

重组人胰岛素注射液中B3和B3iso脱氨人胰岛素的分析与鉴定

建立了有效分离重组人胰岛素注射液中B3和B3iso脱氨人胰岛素的反相高效液相色谱(RP-HPLC)法,并采用高效液相色谱-四极杆-飞行时间质谱联用技术(HPLC-MS/MS)对其进行氨基酸序列的鉴定。在《中国药典》2010版重组人胰岛素注射液有关物质检查分析方法的基础上,优化流动相p H值,以0.2mol/L硫酸盐缓冲液(p H 3.6)-乙腈(90∶10)作为A相,乙腈-水(50∶50)为B相,梯度洗脱,分别收集杂质峰1和杂质峰2,脱盐浓缩后,用丝氨酸蛋白酶(V8酶)酶切,取部分酶切溶液经三(2-羧乙基)膦盐酸盐(TCEP)还原,分别得到还原和非还原肽段溶液,利用LC-MS/MS鉴定氨基酸序列,未知杂质分别为重组人胰岛素B3位发生脱氨和异构化的产物,即B3和B3iso脱氨人胰岛素。将优化后的方法与《中国药典》方法对市售重组人胰岛素注射液进行有关物质的对比分析,已上市厂家的重组人胰岛素注射液均有不同程度的B3和B3iso脱氨人胰岛素存在。该方法不影响重组人胰岛素其它有关物质的检测,可用于监控人胰岛素注射液产品储存过程中脱氨类杂质的增长趋势。     

Anti-tumor effects of combined doxorubicin and siRNA for pulmonary delivery

Direct administration of drugs and genes to the lungs by pulmonary delivery offers a potential effective therapy for lung cancers.In this study,combined doxorubicin(DOX)and Bcl2 siRNA was employed for cancer therapy using polyethylenimine(PEI)as the carrier of Bcl2 siRNA.Most of the DOX and siRNA possessed high cellular uptake efficiency in B16F10 cells,which was proved by FCM and CLSM analysis. Real-time PCR showed that PEI/Bcl2 siRNA exhibited high gene silencing efficiency with 70% Bcl2 mRNA being knocked down.The combination of DOX and siRNA could enhance the cell proliferation inhibition and the cell apoptosis against B16F10 cells compared to free DOX or PEI/Bcl2 siRNA.Furthermore,the biodistribution of DOX and siRNA via pulmonary administration was studied in mice with B16F10 metastatic lung cancer.The results showed that most of the DOX and siRNA were accumulated in lungs and lasted at least for 3 days,which suggested that combined DOX and siRNA by pulmonary administration may have high anti-tumor effects for metastatic lung cancer treatment in vivo.     

新型聚合物多孔涂层毛细管开管柱的制备及电色谱研究

以甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯(GMA)和乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯(EDMA)为前驱体制备了新型聚合物多孔涂层毛细管开管(PLOT)柱固定相。通过优化聚合反应时间、致孔剂比例及交联剂比例获得了色谱性能良好的PLOT柱,扫描电镜结果显示毛细管柱内的多孔涂层厚度适中且均匀。在毛细管电色谱模式下,PLOT柱以反相色谱分离机理有效分离了中性、酸性和碱性小分子。人血清白蛋白(HSA)共价结合的蛋白亲和PLOT柱对5对手性对映体实现了较好的分离,且其分离度远高于HSA修饰的单层聚合物毛细管开管柱。PLOT柱分离烷基苯的日内、日间和柱间的相对标准偏差分别小于1.7%、4.8%和7.8%。     

液相色谱-串联质谱法快速筛查减肥类中药及保健品中非法添加30种化学药

建立了中药及保健品中30种减肥类化学药的高效液相色谱-串联质谱(LC-MS/MS)快速筛查方法。实验优化了前处理方法、色谱分离条件和质谱参数。样品采用甲醇超声萃取,Agilent poroshell 120 ECC18(4.6 mm×100 mm,2.7μm)色谱柱分离,流动相为乙腈-水溶液(含10 mmol/L甲酸铵,0.1%甲酸,10%甲醇),梯度洗脱,流速0.25 m L/min,采用正负离子切换模式的电喷雾质谱检测,多反应选择离子监测(MRM)。该方法能同时筛查30种化学药,覆盖面广,简便、快速、准确可靠,已用于减肥类中药及保健品中非法添加化学药的筛查及检测。