Novel sponge-like molecularly imprinted mesoporous silica material for selective isolation of bisphenol A and its analogues from sediment extracts

Bisphenol A (BPA) imprinted sponge mesoporous silica was synthesized using a combination of semi-covalent molecular imprinting and simple self-assembly process. The molecularly imprinted sponge mesoporous silica (MISMS) material obtained was characterized by FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements. The results show that the MISMS possessed a large specific surface area (850.55 m² g⁻¹) and a highly interconnected 3-D porous network. As a result, the MISMS demonstrated a superior specific adsorption capacity of 169.22 μmol g⁻¹ and fast adsorption kinetics (reaching equilibrium within 3 min) for BPA. Good class selectivity for BPA and its analogues (bisphenol F, bisphenol B, bisphenol E and bisphenol AF) was also demonstrated by the sorption experiment. The MISMS as solid-phase extraction (SPE) material was then evaluated for isolation and clean-up of these bisphenols (BPs) from sediment samples. An accurate and sensitive analytical method based on the MISMS–SPE coupled with HPLC–DAD has been successfully established for simultaneous determination of five BPs in river sediments with detection limits of 0.43–0.71 ng g⁻¹ dry weight (dw). The recoveries of BPs for lyophilizated sediment samples at two spiking levels (50 and 500 ng g⁻¹ dw for each BP) were in the range of 75.5–105.5% with RSD values below 7.5%.     

Tutorial review on validation of liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry methods: Part I

This is the part I of a tutorial review intending to give an overview of the state of the art of method validation in liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and discuss specific issues that arise with MS (and MS/MS) detection in LC (as opposed to the “conventional” detectors). The Part I briefly introduces the principles of operation of LC–MS (emphasizing the aspects important from the validation point of view, in particular the ionization process and ionization suppression/enhancement); reviews the main validation guideline documents and discusses in detail the following performance parameters: selectivity/specificity/identity, ruggedness/robustness, limit of detection, limit of quantification, decision limit and detection capability. With every method performance characteristic its essence and terminology are addressed, the current status of treating it is reviewed and recommendations are given, how to determine it, specifically in the case of LC–MS methods.     

An anion effect on the separation of AgI-containing melts using sound waves

Sound velocities in molten ((LiF + AgI)) and ((LiBr + AgI)) mixtures have been measured to investigate the relationship between the sound velocity and the temperature and the role of the anion in the (liquid + liquid) phase transition. Our results show that the ((LiBr + AgI)) system is biphasic between the melting point and T = 984 K and becomes monophasic above this temperature. We show that the upper consolute critical temperature for the AgI-containing melts increases with decreasing anion size in the series F⁻ > Cl⁻ > Br⁻. The ((LiF + AgI)) melt remains biphasic at all temperatures investigated up to T = 1218 K. The temperature coefficients for the sound velocities in the upper and lower phases of the ((LiBr + AgI)) system have opposite signs because of the superposition of the temperature and composition factors. The difference between the magnitudes of the velocities for the coexisting phases decreases exponentially with increasing temperature and is described by a critical exponent of 0.85 for the ((LiBr + AgI)) melt near the critical temperature. This value is 15% less than that found for alkali halide melts, in which long-range Coulomb forces between ions prevail. This difference may result from the fact that silver halides are intermediate between the typical ionic salts and the fully covalently bonded ones.     

Tetrazolo[1,5‐a]quinoline‐4‐carbaldehyde and its Schiff base on mild steel as corrosion inhibitor in 1 M HCl solution: electrochemistry,theoretical and SEM surface analysis

The corrosion inhibition impact of two quinoline derivatives, viz tetrazolo [1,5‐a] quinoline‐4‐carbaldehyde ( TQC ) and (Z) ?5‐methyl‐N‐(tetrazolo [1,5‐a] quinolin‐4‐ylmethylene) thiazol‐2‐amine ( MTQT ), has been examined against mild steel in 1 M HCl solution using conventional weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization, linear polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, quantum chemical, and scanning electron microscopic studies. The experimental results have showed that TQC and MTQT revealed a good corrosion inhibition and that the inhibition efficiency increases with the increase of concentration of inhibitor to attain 94.54% for TQC and 99.25% for MTQT at 25 ppm. Polarization measurements suggest that TQC and MTQT act as a mixed‐type inhibitor. A synergism between inhibitors can be observed by polarization measurements. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements show an increase of the transfer resistance with the inhibitor concentration. Adsorption of TQC and MTQT on the mild steel surfaces in 1 N HCl solution follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. Furthermore, quantum chemical calculations have been conducted using B3LYP functional and 6‐31G(d,p) basis set to complement the experimental evidences. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Momentum transfer effects in near surface electron energy loss

We examine two formulations for the differential surface excitation parameter (DSEP): one provided by Tung et al. and the other given by the Chen–Kwei position‐dependent differential inverse inelastic mean free path integrated over the electron trajectory. We demonstrate that the latter converges to the former provided that the dielectric function of the solid does not depend on the momentum transfer or it depends on just the momentum transfer component parallel to the surface. Tung's DSEP represents therefore an approximation to the Chen–Kwei DSEP calculated for a dielectric function with no restrictions on the momentum dependence. The approximation is shown to work in the limit of small momentum transfer and to imply an error of 4%–5% for electrons traveling through the solid with energy E = 1 keV. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Natural and artificial light-harvesting systems utilizing the functions of carotenoids

Carotenoids are essential pigments in natural photosynthesis. They absorb in the blue–green region of the solar spectrum and transfer the absorbed energy to (bacterio-)chlorophylls, and so expand the wavelength range of light that is able to drive photosynthesis. This process is an example of singlet–singlet energy transfer and so carotenoids serve to enhance the overall efficiency of photosynthetic light reactions. Carotenoids also act to protect photosynthetic organisms from the harmful effects of excess exposure to light. In this case, triplet–triplet energy transfer from (bacterio-)chlorophyll to carotenoid plays a key role in this photoprotective reaction. In the light-harvesting pigment–protein complexes from purple photosynthetic bacteria and chlorophytes, carotenoids have an additional role, namely the structural stabilization of those complexes. In this article we review what is currently known about how carotenoids discharge these functions. The molecular architecture of photosynthetic systems will be outlined to provide a basis from which to describe the photochemistry of carotenoids, which underlies most of their important functions in photosynthesis. Then, the possibility to utilize the functions of carotenoids in artificial photosynthetic light-harvesting systems will be discussed. Some examples of the model systems are introduced.     

Direct Imaging of Octahedral Distortion in a Complex Molybdenum Vanadium Mixed Oxide

Complex Mo,V‐based mixed oxides that crystallize in the orthorhombic M1‐type structure are promising candidates for the selective oxidation of small alkanes. The oxygen sublattice of such a complex oxide has been studied by annular bright field scanning transmission electron microscopy. The recorded micrographs directly display the local distortion in the metal oxygen octahedra. From the degree of distortion we are able to draw conclusions on the distribution of oxidation states in the cation columns at different sites. The results are supported by X‐ray diffraction and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements that provide integral details about the crystal structure and spin coupling, respectively.     

复合纤维增强混凝土阻尼测试装置开发与试验研究

纤维与聚合物的掺入可以明显改善混凝土材料的阻尼性能。本文首先给出了正弦交变激励下粘弹性材料三点弯曲梁阻尼特性关系,其次首次自主开发了大尺寸材料的阻尼性能测试装置,然后利用开发的装置在频率(0.5~2.0Hz)条件下测定了6种不同配比复合纤维增强阻尼混凝土的损耗因子与储存模量,最后对纤维的阻尼增强机理进行了初步探讨。试验结果表明:复合纤维增强阻尼混凝土与素混凝土相比,提高了混凝土的损耗因子80%~200%。主要原因是聚合物分子在外力作用下的内耗增加了普通混凝土的阻尼能力,而纤维的阻尼增强机理在于纤维的掺入增加了纤维与水泥基材的界面摩擦力。     

Integral formulation for a circular cylindrical cavity in infinite solid and a finite length coaxial cylindrical crack compressed axially

A method for solving problems of fracture of an infinite solid with a circular cylindrical cavity and a coaxial cylindrical crack near the surface under an uniform axial compression is proposed using a non-classical criterial approach associated with a mechanism of a local stability loss near the defect. The theory of integral Fourier transforms and series expansions are used to reduce these problems to a system of paired integral equations and then to a system of linear algebraic equations with respect to the contraction parameter.     

沉淀对A1-Cu—Mg合金中锯齿形屈服现象影响及其微观实验研究

经固溶处理的A1-Cu—Mg合金在常应变率拉伸实验中具有显著的锯齿形屈服现象，且屈服行为随固溶处理温度的改变而呈现不同的特征。塑性变形特性与合金材料的微细观结构，尤其是位错运动的演化密切相关。本文运用透射电子显微镜，研究在不同温度下固溶处理的Al—Cu—Mg合金的微观结构，尤其是析出颗粒的大小和含量。并结合宏观的拉伸实验结果，分析Al—Cu—Mg合金动态应变时效的机制。