Investigation of Changes in Conductivity of Juice during the Evaporation Process

The creation of this article was the necessity of experimental determination of the electric conductivity of juice depending on the concentration of solids, expressed by the empirical formula, in order to more precisely control specific power supplied to the machine and foaming. Authors of the article held staged experimental studies using apple juice, the juice of red mountain ash, buckthorn and black currant. Found that the relationship between the conductivity of the juice solids content corresponds to the empirical formula of Kohlrausch, however, this formula does not represent the contribution juice acidity value of conductivity, and allows to correlate the specific power input to the device with the concentration of solids. The empirical formulas for the distribution of electrical juice conductivity depending on the acidity and for calculation of the specific power depending on the concentration of dry matter, allows to keep the speed of the foam below its destruction speed in the zone of vigorous reflux.     

Favipiravir (SARS-CoV-2) degradation impurities: Identification and route of degradation mechanism in the finished solid dosage form using LC/LC–MS method

Favipiravir finished dosage was approved for emergency use in many countries to treat SARS-CoV-2 patients. A specific, accurate, linear, robust, simple, and stability-indicating HPLC method was developed and validated for the determination of degradation impurities present in favipiravir film-coated tablets. The separation of all impurities was achieved from the stationary phase (Inert sustain AQ-C18, 250 × 4.6 mm, 5-μm particle) and mobile phase. Mobile phase A contained KH₂PO₄ buffer (pH 2.5 ± 0.05) and acetonitrile in the ratio of 98:2 (v/v), and mobile phase B contained water and acetonitrile in the ratio of 50:50 (v/v). The chromatographic conditions were optimized as follows: flow rate, 0.7 mL/min; UV detection, 210 nm; injection volume, 20 μL; and column temperature, 33°C. The proposed method was validated per the current International Conference on Harmonization Q2 (R1) guidelines. The recovery study and linearity ranges were established from the limit of quantification to 150% optimal concentrations. The method validation results were found to be between 98.6 and 106.2% for recovery and r² = 0.9995–0.9999 for linearity of all identified impurities. The method precision results were achieved below 5% of relative standard deviation. Forced degradation studies were performed in chemical and physical stress conditions. The compound was sensitive to chemical stress conditions. During the study, the analyte degraded and converted to unknown degradation impurities, and its molecular mass was found using the LC–MS technique and established degradation pathways supported by reaction of mechanism. The developed method was found to be suitable for routine analysis of research and development and quality control.     

基于甲基苯丙胺和吗啡的胶体金免疫层析试剂盒检测法的可靠性评价

通过固相萃取-液相色谱-多级质谱(SPE-LC-MS/MS)联用技术和毒品胶体金免疫层析试剂盒检测法对13种中药及调味品样品中甲基苯丙胺及吗啡分别进行定量分析,依据LC-MS/MS检测结果,对毒品胶体金免疫层析试剂盒检测法进行可靠性评价。实验结果表明:型号1试剂盒对甲基苯丙胺和吗啡的特异性均不高,检测准确率分别为57.7%与78.8%;型号2试剂盒对甲基苯丙胺的特异性不足,准确率为73.1%,但对吗啡的检测准确率达到100%。在利用毒品胶体金免疫层析试剂盒进行毒品快速筛查时,应注重排除干扰因素以提高免疫胶体金层析试剂盒的检测准确度。     

Engineering shapes of active colloids for tunable dynamics

Active particles can autonomously propel and have the tendency to organize into high-order ensembles and phases that evolve and reconfigure. They have emerged as a focused subject in contemporary colloid science, holding great promise in advancing fields, such as cargo delivery, sensing, micromachinery and microrobotics, and materials science. Realization of the full potentials of active particles requires delicate control of their dynamics in propulsion and assembly, which is challenging due to the out-of-equilibrium nature of such systems. Recently, systematically engineered colloidal shapes have been exploited as an effective means to tune and even program the dynamic behaviors of active particles. Various anisotropic particles, with controlled geometries and possessing either homogeneous or heterogeneous composition, have been fabricated, regulating how particles actively propel, interact, and assemble under several chemical and physical stimuli. In this paper, we provide an overview of these progresses. We also briefly discuss our view on the future directions and challenges.     

A fresh view on phoresis and self-phoresis

Phoresis, a classic example of particle transport driven by thermodynamic gradients, is enjoying a resurgent research interest motivated both by technological developments and by its relevance to the motility of chemically active particles. Here we succinctly review, using the case of chemophoresis (also called diffusiophoresis), the general framework of phoresis and self-phoresis formulated as a Stokes-flow problem for a liquid solution (solvent and solute) maintained out of thermodynamic equilibrium by solute gradients. Within the constraints of local equilibrium, we discuss the simplest extension of the theory in order to account for correlations in the fluid. We show that this leads to a shift from the paradigm based on the ideal case, in that self-phoresis can no longer be represented as phoresis in a self-generated composition gradient. Our review concludes with a concise overview of a few directions which we think hold the potential to reveal a rich behavior in future investigations.     

Development and validation of high-performance liquid chromatography method for analysis of β-CCT and its related substances

Compound 2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-chlorophenyl)tropane (β-CCT) is a key intermediate for the synthesis of some clinical dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging agents. Potential impurities from synthesis process of β-CCT and degradation during storage might have detrimental effect on the final imaging agents. Thus, it is necessary to guarantee the quality of β-CCT. In this study, a rapid, sensitive and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed and validated for the analysis of β-CCT and its related substances. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a reverse-phase phenomenex? Gemini C18 column with an isocratic mobile phase consisted of methanol, water and TFA (30:70:0.1 v/v/v). The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min at 30 °C and samples were monitored at 220 nm. The method was validated concerning system suitability, linearity, accuracy, precision, specificity, robustness and stability. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) of β-CCT were 0.5 and 1.5 μg/mL, respectively. The linearity range of β-CCT was 1.5–450 μg/mL with a good linear correlation coefficient (R² = 0.9999) between the peak response and concentration. Specificity investigation through forced degradation experiments displayed that β-CCT was stable in acidic, thermal and photolytic degradation conditions, but significantly unstable in alkaline and oxidative conditions. With the developed chromatographic method, possible impurity α-CCT from synthetic process and potential degradation products could be well separated from β-CCT. Good recovery and precision were manifested in the assay method. These results indicated that the present method would be suitable for not only the quality assurance of β-CCT in regular production sample assays but also the monitoring and determination of its related substances.     

Key factors for designing single-atom metal-nitrogen-carbon catalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction

The electrochemical CO₂ reduction (CO₂RR) is a sustainable approach to mitigate the increased CO₂ emissions and simultaneously produce value-added chemicals and fuels. Metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) based single-atom catalysts (SACs) have emerged as promising electrocatalysts for CO₂RR with high activity, selectivity, and stability. To design efficient SACs for CO₂RR, the key influence factors need to be understood. Here, we summarize recent achievements on M-N-C SACs for CO₂RR and highlight the significance of the key constituting factors, metal sites, the coordination environment, and the substrates, for achieving high CO₂RR performance. The perspective views and guidelines are provided for the future direction of developing M-N-C SACs as CO₂RR catalysts.     

Effect of small amounts of Al on the surface silanol structure and their correlation to the improved catalytic performances of WOx/SiO2–Al2O3 in the propene self-metathesis

Surface silanol structures, acid properties, and tungsten dispersion of the sol-gel-derived 7W/SiO₂–xAl₂O₃ (x = 0.2–23 wt%) were investigated by means of ²⁹Si, ²⁷Al, and ¹H MAS NMR, NH₃-TPD, in-situ NH₃-IR spectroscopy, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy. The surface silanol structure changed upon Al and tungsten loadings; however, loading of 1 wt% Al₂O₃ appeared to be the threshold for preserving the Si(OH)Al with isolated bridge after impregnation of 7 wt% W. The 7W/SiO₂–1Al₂O₃ (1 wt% Al₂O₃) was also found to exhibit the lowest ratio of Bronsted to Lewis acid with the highest amount of Lewis acid sites and the best catalyst performances in propene self-metathesis at 550 °C in terms of both propene conversion and ethylene/butene selectivity. Despite its low tungsten dispersion, the metathesis activity was correlated well with the higher amount of tungsten carbene species, which were formed on the catalysts containing higher isolated bridge silanol and the presence of higher Lewis acid sites.     

Coacervates as models of membraneless organelles

Coacervates are condensed liquid-like droplets, usually formed with oppositely charged polymeric molecules. They have been studied extensively in colloid and interface science for their remarkable material properties. The liquid–liquid phase separation underlying coacervate formation also plays an important role in the formation of various membraneless organelles (MLOs) that are found in many living cells. Therefore, there is an increasing interest to use well-characterized coacervates as in vitro models that mimic specific aspects of MLOs. Here, we review five aspects – physical and chemical properties, hierarchical organization, uptake selectivity, formation dynamics, and maturation – that are of particular interest and discuss how useful coacervates are to better understand these aspects of MLOs.     

MoO3和Nb2O5助剂对Pt/ZrO2催化剂上短链烷烃燃烧反应的不同促进作用

贵金属Pt催化剂具有高活性和热稳定性,广泛应用于催化挥发性有机物的完全氧化反应(燃烧反应).短链烷烃(甲烷、乙烷、丙烷等)化学性质稳定,是最难氧化的一类有机物,常用作考察燃烧反应催化剂性能的模型反应物.然而,目前报道的研究工作通常仅限于针对某一种烷烃底物的催化燃烧,系统考察催化剂以及助剂对不同短链烷烃的催化燃烧活性鲜有报道.在短链烷烃中,甲烷只有C–H键;而其它烷烃除了C–H键;还有C–C键.因此,研究催化剂对甲烷、乙烷和丙烷燃烧反应催化性能的差异性,对于认识催化剂上C–H键和C–C键的活化具有非常重要的意义.本文制备了MoO3或Nb2O5修饰的Pt/ZrO2催化剂并用于短链烷烃的燃烧反应.研究发现,MoO3助剂对甲烷燃烧有明显的抑制作用,但对乙烷,丙烷和正己烷燃烧反应具有促进作用,促进作用随着烷烃碳链的增长逐渐增加;Nb2O5助剂对甲烷、乙烷、丙烷和正己烷燃烧反应均具有促进作用,然而促进作用随着碳链的增长而逐渐减弱.MoO3和Nb2O5助剂的不同促进作用与助剂影响催化剂表面酸性以及Pt物种的氧化或还原态有关.NH3-TPD结果表明,MoO3助剂可以显著增加Pt/ZrO2催化剂表面强酸位点数量,而Nb2O5助剂可以显著增加Pt/ZrO2催化剂表面中强酸位点数量.HTEM结果表明,两种助剂的添加都不会明显改变Pt物种的颗粒尺寸.在Pt-Mo/ZrO2催化剂上,MoO3覆盖部分Pt物种形成丰富的Pt-MoO3界面,促进了金属Pt物种和强表面酸性位点的生成,提高了丙烷燃烧反应活性;Pt-Nb/ZrO2催化剂上载体表面的部分Nb2O5被Pt物种包覆,使得生成的表面Pt-Nb2O5界面低于Pt-Mo/ZrO2催化剂,但由于催化剂表面酸性位的提升,也促进了丙烷燃烧反应活性的提高.XPS结果表明,在甲烷燃烧反应中,Pt-Nb/ZrO2催化剂上Ptn+物种能够更加稳定地存在,这可能是Nb2O5助剂提高Pt-Nb/ZrO2催化剂上甲烷燃烧活性的关键.而Pt-Mo/ZrO2催化剂上Ptn+物种在甲烷反应中可以更容易地被还原,并且由于MoO3的包裹导致暴露的Pt位点数量降低,使催化剂催化甲烷燃烧的活性受到抑制.可见,MoO3助剂更有利于C–C键活化,而Nb2O5助剂更有利于高键能的C–H键活化.综上,本文系统性地研究MoO3助剂和Nb2O5助剂对Pt/ZrO2催化剂上不同短链烷烃的燃烧反应的影响,证实了两种助剂的促进作用与碳链长度的关系是截然不同的.