Frequent analytical/experimental problems in lipase-mediated synthesis in solvent-free systems and how to avoid them

Compared with chemical catalysis, enzymatic catalysis is a relatively new topic. Experimental work involving lipases deserves careful attention and accurate procedures still need to be implemented. A rapid but careful survey of published data immediately demonstrates that experiments performed under similar conditions with similar reagents have led to very different results. The aim of this work is to point out the importance of accurate and systematic procedures in order to ensure the reproducibility of experimental data. We strongly believe that different results found by different labs are due to problems detected in the procedures used. Quantification of the immobilisation efficiency of lipase on several supports through UV/visible methods and sampling methods used to obtain correct enzymatic activity values are specifically analysed. After a brief review which demonstrates the big discrepancies found in the literature, original data from Candida rugosa lipase adsorption on polypropylene powder and its use in the solvent-free synthesis of ethyl oleate are introduced in order to exemplify the difficulties found in these kinds of systems. Several procedures described in the literature are assayed and the accuracy of the results obtained is carefully analysed. The aim of the whole analysis performed is that it would be useful for any powdered solid to be used as a support for a lipase in a solvent-free system for any synthesis reaction, especially for those involving a volatile reagent. Throughout this contribution, special emphasis is placed on how catalytic reaction results using enzymes (free and immobilised) are reported so as to allow comparison between published data, something which is usually difficult since very different units are used and often complementary data are not included.     

Preparation of apolar glass capillary columns by the barium carbonate procedure

As an extension of previous reports, the barium carbonate procedure has been optimized in detail for the preparation of apolar columns. The aim was to produce optimum overall column characteristics, and to maintain them unchanged under the prolonged influence of the highest possible temperature. The main parameters under optimization were glass variety, leaching of glass surface with aqueous HCl, and amount of barium carbonate deposited, while deactivation and coating were kept constant. The basic column characteristics were adsorption properties and thermostability of deactivation, acid/base behaviour and separation efficiency. They were determined by a new, quantitative testing procedure. Intense leaching was able to eliminate almost totally the differences between glass varieties and to create a well-defined glass surface. While untreated glass, leached glass, and barium carbonate treated glass showed specific weak points in the respective column quality, the combination of leaching and barium carbonate treatment yielded the highest and most stable quality. Some technical modifications of the preparation procedure are described, including deactivation in the gas phase, and use of pentane as a solvent for static coating.     

Theoretical study of the effect of frit quality on chromatography using computational fluid dynamics

Summary Frits at both ends of a chromatographic column, especially for a preparative column, have significant influence on the flow distribution within the column and thus the column efficiency. However, frits have received little attention from chromatographers in the past. Here a theoretical study was conducted with the aid of CFD software FLUENT to investigate the effect of frits on the performance of homogeneous and heterogeneous chromatographic columns. A dimensionless number,FQ, was applied to characterize frit quality. This study visualized how frit quality affects the flow distribution and the concentration band, the shape of eluted pulse at the colum exit and column efficiency. Simulation results show that the development length of the flow distribution is related toFQ but has nothing to do with the packing heterogeneity. The curvature of the concentration band in a column depends onFQ and packing quality. This study shows column efficiency can be improved significantly by increasingFQ and/or frit permeability.     

Factors affecting physicochemical properties of liposomes prepared with hydrogenated purified egg yolk lecithins by the microencapsulation vesicle method

We examined hydrogenated purified egg yolk lecithins, having practical advantages over non-hydrogenated ones, as liposomal membrane materials. Liposomes were prepared by the microencapsulation vesicle (MCV) method in which liposomes are formed through two-step emulsification and dispersion. Three types of purified egg yolk lecithins with different iodine values were examined after being dissolved in one of three lipid solvents. The liposome size increased as the temperature during the second emulsification increased, being closer to the boiling temperature of the solvent. The preparation temperature in relation to the transition temperature of each lecithin was also a factor affecting liposome sizes. As for the encapsulation efficiencies of the model compound calcein in liposomes, they differed mainly depending on the solubility of each lecithin in a lipid solvent and it was more obvious in hydrogenated lecithins. A high preparation temperature resulted in lower encapsulation efficiencies, suggesting that leakage of encapsulated calcein was facilitated at high temperature in the MCV methods. There was a significant correlation between liposome sizes and encapsulation efficiencies in non-hydrogenated purified egg yolk lecithin but not in hydrogenated ones. When using hydrogenated purified egg yolk lecithins as liposomal membrane materials, it was suggested that a lipid solvent should be chosen so that a lecithin completely dissolves under the preparation condition in order to achieve a higher encapsulation efficiency. Smaller liposome particles were obtained when the second emulsification was performed at a lower temperature compared with the boiling point of the lipid solvent. These findings can be applied to control encapsulation efficiencies and particle sizes in each particular liposome preparation enclosing therapeutic agents.     

Cyclodextrin Solubilization of the Antibacterial Agents Triclosan and Triclocarban: Effect of Ionization and Polymers

The natural β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and its complexes have limited solubility in aqueous solutions. This low aqueous solubility, as well as low aqueous solubility of the guest molecule (i.e. triclosan or triclocarban (TCC)), can result in low complexation efficiency (CE). The purpose of this study was to enhance the apparent intrinsic solubility (S ₀) of the guest molecule and its βCD complexes through ionization and addition of auxiliary compounds such as polymers, amino acids and metal ions. Both triclosan (pK _a 7.9) and TCC (pK _a 12.7) are weak acids. Addition of ethanol to the complexation medium enhanced S ₀ of both triclosan and TCC but at the same time ethanol lowered the stability constant (K _c ) of their βCD complexes resulting in overall lowering of CE. Addition of small amount of water-soluble polymers enhanced the βCD solubilization of both guests, and addition lysine enhanced the solubilization of TCC. Ionization of triclosan resulted in significant enhancement of CE and enhanced triclosan release from tablets containing triclosan/βCD complex. The effect of ionization was not as pronounced in the case of TCC.This revised version was published online in July 2005 with a corrected issue number.     

Polymer-protected palladium nanoparticles. Morphologies and catalytic selectivities

Colloidal palladium nanocatalysts prepared by in situ reductions of palladium chloride were immobilized and protected by either of two water-soluble polymers. The particle sizes and size distributions of the palladium colloids were determined by transmission electron microscopy. Their selectivities as catalysts were determined by comparing the extents of hydrogenation of carefully chosen pairs of small-molecule olefins. There was found to be high hydrogenation selectivity with regard to cyclic vs. noncyclic olefins. Selectivity was relatively low, however, among olefins that differed only in size (such as hexene vs. octene), or olefins differing only with regard to the positions of the double bonds (such as 1-octene vs. 3-octene). Selectivity could be improved by careful choice of the immobilizing polymer, and by its use at relatively high concentrations.     

杨村烟煤快速液化反应性的研究

用共振搅拌反应器研究了杨村烟煤的高温快速液化。研究发现，在体系保持较高活性氢浓度时，适当提高反应温度，缩短反应时间——在短时间内达到较高的煤转化率,即高温快速液化是可行的。高温快速液化的最佳反应温度正是热重曲线反映的煤活泼热解温度范围的上限。从液化产物看，高温快速液化反应产物中苯可溶物占绝大多数，这对于煤液化产物的进一步利用非常有利。     

层状正极材料LiNi1/6Co1/6Mn2/3O2的制备及电池性能

0引言为解决目前日益严重的汽车尾气排放对城市空气造成污染问题,作为绿色能源的锂离子电池已成为动力电池的首选对象。国际上,高容量、大功率锂离子电池早于1995年已开始研制。1996年,我国天津电源研究所也进行了大容量锂离子蓄电池及电池组的探索[1]。目前,锂离子电池的正极材料是制约其大规模推广应用的关键。现研究的正极材料主要包括具有层状结构的LiCoO2,LiN iO2和LiM nO2及具有尖晶石结构的LiM n2O4等。其中LiC oO2作为目前唯一已经商业化的正极材料具有理论容量高、可循环性能好等优点,但因Co资源的相对缺乏导致其价格高昂。…     

基于三阶段SBM模型的中国节能服务上市企业效率研究

节能服务企业效率对于推动节能服务产业发展和确保国家“双碳”目标实现具有重要意义。运用三阶段SBM模型,对2020年60家中国节能服务上市企业的综合效率进行实证研究,并分析效率的影响因素。研究结果表明,经济发展水平对综合效率具有双重影响,合适的产业结构和较高的投入资本回报率有利于综合效率提升,而政府补贴与企业存续时间制约了综合效率改进;剔除环境因素与随机误差影响后,多数企业综合效率下降,整体效率偏低;提高规模效率是提升综合效率的关键,且绝大部分企业处于规模收益递增状态。研究最后提出创新补贴方式、建立企业认证制度、开展综合能源服务和推动企业间兼并重组等可行建议,以提升节能服务企业的综合效率。     

含有偏好的DEA-BWM评价方法研究

针对传统的DEA模型在评估过程中并未考虑决策者对相关指标权重的偏好,将最优最差方法(BWM)嵌入到传统DEA模型中,基于决策者偏好排序的判断矩阵,构建一种含有偏好的DEA-BWM评价方法。首先在保持传统DEA方法的优势基础上,构建了CCR-BWM评价模型对各DMU进行评价。同时考虑为了便于各决策单元在统一权重基础上相互比较,构建了CSW-BWM公共权重模型。另外考虑决策单元自评和互评,构建了NCE-BWM中立型交叉效率。然后采用min-max方法分别将上述三种多目标评价模型转换为单目标线性规划进行求解。最后,选择一组算例对三种模型的有效性与合理性进行验证。