A new method for quantitative determination of two uronic acids by CZE with direct UV detection

A new method using capillary zone electrophoresis was developed for the rapid quantification of two common uronic acids, galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid, based on utilization of an alkaline background electrolyte with reversed electroosmotic flow (EOF) within 16 min. The method relies on in‐capillary reaction and direct UV detection at the wavelength 270 nm. The optimum electrolyte solution was prepared of 130 mm sodium hydroxide, 36 mm disodium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate and 0.5 mm cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. EOF was reversed to detect uronic acids and to improve the separation of neutral sugars. The established method was validated and the results showed good linearity, high precision and satisfactory sensitivity. The newly developed method was successfully applied to analyze galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid content in Forsythia suspensa polysaccharides. The method is fast since only sample hydrolysis and dilution are required in the sample preparation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multifunctional, biocompatible supramolecular hydrogelators consist only of nucleobase, amino acid, and glycoside

The integration of nucleobase, amino acid, and glycoside into a single molecule results in a novel class of supramolecular hydrogelators, which not only exhibit biocompatibility and biostability but also facilitate the entry of nucleic acids into cytosol and nuclei of cells. This work illustrates a simple way to generate an unprecedented molecular architecture from the basic biological building blocks for the development of sophisticated soft nanomaterials, including supramolecular hydrogels.     

Preferential binding of peptides to graphene edges and planes

Peptides identified from combinatorial peptide libraries have been shown to bind to a variety of abiotic surfaces. Biotic-abiotic interactions can be exploited to create hybrid materials with interesting electronic, optical, or catalytic properties. Here we show that peptides identified from a combinatorial phage display peptide library assemble preferentially to the edge or planar surface of graphene and can affect the electronic properties of graphene. Molecular dynamics simulations and experiments provide insight into the mechanism of peptide binding to the graphene edge.     

固相萃取-高效液相色谱/串联质谱法测定食醋中的3种甜味剂

建立了食醋中3种甜味剂的固相萃取-高效液相色谱/串联质谱分析方法。样品经酸性水稀释,弱阴离子固相萃取柱净化,Pursuit C18色谱柱分离,10 mmol/L醋酸铵(含0.1%氨水)和乙腈为流动相梯度洗脱,电喷雾负离子模式下多反应监测(MRM)模式检测。糖精钠、安赛蜜、甜蜜素的定量限分别为10、5、5 μg/kg,回收率为72.1%～96.8%,相对标准偏差小于15%。该方法准确、灵敏度高,可用于食醋中甜味剂的定性定量检验。     

Convenient Synthesis of Terminal Alkynes from anti‐3‐Aryl‐2,3‐dibromopropanoic Acids Using a K2CO3/DMSO System

A convenient, efficient, and generally applicable method was developed for the synthesis of terminal alkynes from anti‐3‐aryl‐2,3‐dibromopropanoic acids in the presence of DMSO and K₂CO₃.     

Iron-catalyzed bromination of aryl azides by N-bromosuccinimide:Efficient method for the synthesis of brominated aryl azides

An efficient and mild protocol for bromination of aryl azides with N-bromosuccinimide（NBS） under FeCl₃ catalysis in 1,2- dichloroethane was developed.It is proved to be an efficient method for obtaining brominated aryl azides.     

High-light induced superoxide radical formation in cytochrome b₆f complex from Bryopsis corticulans as detected by EPR spectroscopy

The generation of superoxide radical (O?·?) in Cyt b?f of Bryopsis corticulans under high light illumination was studied using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. This could be evidenced by the addition of SOD which specifically reacted with O?·?. The generation of O?·? was lost in the absence of oxygen and was found to be suppressed in the presence of NaN? and be scavenged by extraneous antioxidants such as ascorbate, β-carotene and glutathione which could also scavenged 1O?*. These results indicated that O?·? which produced under high light illumination in Cyt b?f of B. corticulans might rise from a reaction which 1O?* could participated in. Also the photo-protection mechanism to Cyt b?f complex by antioxidants which might contain in thylakoid was speculated.     

Study on tribological behaviors of short glass fiber and polytetrafluoroethylene reinforced polycarbonate composites via a d‐optimal mixture design

This study analyzed variations of tribological behaviors that depend on the injection molding techniques during the blending of short glass fiber (SGF) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) reinforced polycarbonate (PC) composites. The proposed planning of blending experiments is to use a D‐optimal mixture design (DMD). The tribological behaviors of friction coefficient and wear mass loss were selected for discussion. Nine experimental runs, based on a DMD method, utilized to train the back‐propagation neural network (BPNN) and then the simulated annealing algorithm (SAA) approach is applied to search for an optimal mixture ratio setting. In addition, the result of BPNN integrating SAA was also compared with response surface methodology (RSM) approach. The results of confirmation experiment show that DMD, RSM, and BPNN integrating SAA method are effective tools for the optimization of reinforced process. Furthermore, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that the abundant debris are peeled off from the matrix materials and predominant delamination mechanisms and plastic deformation are shown on the worn surface after tribological behavior tests. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Indium(III)-catalyzed asymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of Brassard-type diene with aliphatic aldehydes

A highly diastereo- and enantioselective hetero-Diels-Alder (HDA) reaction of a Brassard-type diene with aliphatic aldehydes has been developed. The chiral N,N'-dioxide L2/In(OTf)(3) complex was efficient toward the obtention of the corresponding β-methoxy-γ-methyl α,β-unsaturated δ-lactones in good yields (up to 86%) as well as dr and ee values (up to 97:3 cis/trans and 94% ee). In addition, the product 4a could be easily transformed into the methyl-protected epi-prelactone B by hydrogenation.     

Self-directed reconstitution of proteorhodopsin with amphiphilic block copolymers induces the formation of hierarchically ordered proteopolymer membrane arrays

Manipulating recognition and transport at the nanoscale holds great promise for technological breakthroughs in energy conversion, catalysis, and information processing. Living systems evolve specialized membrane proteins (MPs) embedded in lipid bilayers to exquisitely control communications across the insulating membrane boundaries. Harnessing MP functions directly in synthetic systems opens up enormous opportunities for nanotechnology, but there exist fundamental challenges of how to address the labile nature of lipid bilayers that renders them of inadequate value under a broad range of harsh non-biological conditions, and how to reconstitute MPs coherently in two or three dimensions into non-lipid-based artificial membranes. Here we show that amphiphilic block copolymers can be designed to direct proteorhodopsin reconstitution and formation of hierarchically ordered proteopolymer membrane arrays spontaneously, even when the membrane-forming polymer blocks are in entangled states. These findings unfold a viable approach for the development of robust and chemically versatile nanomembranes with MP-regulated recognition and transport performance.