Identification of Organic Volatile Markers Associated with Aroma during Maturation of Strawberry Fruits

In the present study, organic volatile markers of three strawberry varieties (Albion, Festival and Frontera) during the maturation process were investigated. Forty metabolites associated with aroma in fresh strawberries were monitored during seven stages of maturation using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) equipped with headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME). The data were evaluated using multivariate analysis to observe correlations between the organic volatile compound profile and the seven phenological stages of maturation for each strawberry variety. The dynamic levels of butanoic acid methyl ester, hexanoic acid methyl ester, octylcyclohexane, cyclohexane,1,1,2-trimethyl, linalool, tetradecane, and α-muurolene underwent distinctive changes in concentration during the maturation process. The multivariate analysis also allowed the identification of these compounds as possible volatile markers to measure the maturation of strawberry fruits in all three varieties. These findings highlight the importance of the timing of harvest and maturation stage in each variety to preserve or improve the desirable aromatic characteristics of strawberry fruits.     

Upgrading Solid Digestate from Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural Waste as Performance Enhancer for Starch-Based Mulching Biofilm

Developing a green and sustainable method to upgrade biogas wastes into high value-added products is attracting more and more public attention. The application of solid residues as a performance enhancer in the manufacture of biofilms is a prospective way to replace conventional plastic based on fossil fuel. In this work, solid digestates from the anaerobic digestion of agricultural wastes, such as straw, cattle and chicken manures, were pretreated by an ultrasonic thermo-alkaline treatment to remove the nonfunctional compositions and then incorporated in plasticized starch paste to prepare mulching biofilms by the solution casting method. The results indicated that solid digestate particles dispersed homogenously in the starch matrix and gradually aggregated under the action of a hydrogen bond, leading to a transformation of the composites to a high crystalline structure. Consequently, the composite biofilm showed a higher tensile strength, elastic modulus, glass transition temperature and degradation temperature compared to the pure starch-based film. The light, water and GHG (greenhouse gas) barrier properties of the biofilm were also reinforced by the addition of solid digestates, performing well in sustaining the soil quality and minimizing N₂O or CH₄ emissions. As such, recycling solid digestates into a biodegradable plastic substitute not only creates a new business opportunity by producing high-performance biofilms but also reduces the environmental risk caused by biogas waste and plastics pollution.     

3D Metal–Organic Frameworks Based on Co(II) and Bithiophendicarboxylate: Synthesis,Crystal Structures,Gas Adsorption,and Magnetic Properties

Three new 3D metal-organic porous frameworks based on Co(II) and 2,2′-bithiophen-5,5′-dicarboxylate (btdc²⁻) [Co₃(btdc)₃(bpy)₂]·4DMF, 1; [Co₃(btdc)₃(pz)(dmf)₂]·4DMF·1.5H₂O, 2; [Co₃(btdc)₃(dmf)₄]∙2DMF∙2H₂O, 3 (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridyl, pz = pyrazine, dmf = N,N-dimethylformamide) were synthesized and structurally characterized. All compounds share the same trinuclear carboxylate building units {Co₃(RCOO)₆}, connected either by btdc^2– ligands (1, 3) or by both btdc^2– and pz bridging ligands (2). The permanent porosity of 1 was confirmed by N₂, O₂, CO, CO₂, CH₄ adsorption measurements at various temperatures (77 K, 273 K, 298 K), resulted in BET surface area 667 m²⋅g⁻¹ and promising gas separation performance with selectivity factors up to 35.7 for CO₂/N₂, 45.4 for CO₂/O₂, 20.8 for CO₂/CO, and 4.8 for CO₂/CH₄. The molar magnetic susceptibilities χ_p(T) were measured for 1 and 2 in the temperature range 1.77–330 K at magnetic fields up to 10 kOe. The room-temperature values of the effective magnetic moments for compounds 1 and 2 are μ_eff (300 K) ≈ 4.93 μ_B. The obtained results confirm the mainly paramagnetic nature of both compounds with some antiferromagnetic interactions at low-temperatures T < 20 K in 2 between the Co(II) cations separated by short pz linkers. Similar conclusions were also derived from the field-depending magnetization data of 1 and 2.     

Searching for Potential Markers of Glomerulopathy in Urine by HS-SPME-GC×GC TOFMS

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exiting in urine are potential biomarkers of chronic kidney diseases. Headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) was applied for extraction VOCs over the urine samples. Volatile metabolites were separated and identified by means of two-dimensional gas chromatography and time of flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC TOF MS). Patients with glomerular diseases (n = 27) and healthy controls (n = 20) were recruited in the study. Different VOCs profiles were obtained from patients and control. Developed methodology offers the opportunity to examine the metabolic profile associated with glomerulopathy. Four compounds found in elevated amounts in the patients group, i.e., methyl hexadecanoate; 9-hexadecen-1-ol; 6,10-dimethyl-5,9-undecadien-2-one and 2-pentanone were proposed as markers of glomerular diseases.     

Simply Applicable Method for Microplastics Determination in Environmental Samples

Microplastics (MPs) have gained significant attention in the last two decades and have been widely researched in the marine environment. There are, however, less studies on their presence, routes of entry, and impacts on the biota in the soil environment. One of the main issues in the study of MPs is a lack of standardized methods for their identification in environmental samples. Currently the most commonly used techniques are thermal desorption gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) methods and pyrolysis followed by GC–MS. In this study, headspace-solid phase microextraction followed by GC–MS is proposed as a simple and widely applicable method for the determination of commonly present polymer MPs (polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, and polypropylene) in environmental samples, for analytical laboratories with basic equipment worldwide. The proposed method is based on the identification of compounds, which are formed during the well-controlled melting process of specific coarse (1–5 mm) and fine fraction (1 mm–100 μm) MPs. The method was upgraded for the identification of individual polymer type in blends and in complex environmental matrices (soil and algae biomass). The successful application of the method in complex matrices makes it especially suitable for widescale use.     

化学反应-顶空气相色谱法测定气相二氧化硅表面硅羟基

建立了一种基于化学反应-顶空气相色谱测定气相二氧化硅表面硅羟基含量的新方法。实验取气相二氧化硅放入顶空瓶中于105 ℃烘箱中加热2 h去除水分,将甲苯稀释的格氏试剂注入密闭的顶空瓶中,格氏试剂与气相二氧化硅表面硅羟基快速反应产生甲烷(CH₄),甲烷量与气相二氧化硅表面硅羟基含量成正比。经过气相色谱-氢火焰离子化检测器测定甲烷,通过外标法定量,根据化学反应方程式计算出样品中羟基含量。同时对反应溶液用量与反应时间等条件进行优化,确定2.0 mL反应溶液,反应15 min为最优的前处理条件。结果表明,硅羟基含量与气相色谱信号值之间存在良好的线性相关性,相关系数为0.9990,相对标准偏差小于3%,本方法的检出限为0.30 mg/g,定量限为1.00 mg/g,开展了4家实验室对5个不同比表面积的样品测试,数据结果的重复性限(r)小于2.5%,再现性限(R)小于6.5%。该方法结合自动化技术,顶空反应操作简单,样品量和试剂用量少,准确性高,重复性好,优于酸碱滴定法,适用于快速检测气相二氧化硅表面硅羟基的含量,解决了硅羟基利用传统方法难以准确测定的难题。该方法的建立对我国二氧化硅产业硅羟基检测标准的制定和产业技术优化,均具有重要的理论和现实意义。     

同位素稀释-高分辨气相色谱/高分辨质谱测定大气中有机氯农药

建立了测定大气中25种有机氯农药(OCPs)的同位素稀释-高分辨气相色谱/高分辨质谱法(ID-HRGC/HRMS)。样品用正己烷/二氯甲烷(1∶1, v/v)进行加速溶剂萃取(ASE)。通过柱洗脱实验、单柱和组合柱净化实验,最终确定样品的净化方案为弗罗里硅土固相萃取柱和石墨化炭黑固相萃取柱组合净化。样品萃取液净化后进行HRGC/HRMS分析。采用平均相对响应因子(RRF)法对样品中目标物进行定量,6点校准溶液RRF的相对标准偏差(RSD)均≤20%。线性范围为0.4~800 μg/L,相关系数R²均>0.992。对空白样品依次进行100 pg、400 pg和15 ng水平下的加标试验,各添加水平下OCPs测定值的RSD为0.64%~16%,加标回收率为67.2%~135%。穿透试验表明,滤膜+聚氨酯泡沫/聚氨酯泡沫作为吸附介质的大体积主动大气采样器(AAS)在采集环境空气时,五氯苯极易发生穿透,有效采样模式待进一步研究。在上述采样模式下,六氯苯的有效采样体积较小,标准状态(101.325 kPa, 273 K)采样体积应≤30 m³,其他OCPs应≤1200 m³。以上述体积计算,25种目标化合物的检出限为0.002~0.7 pg/m³。对北京环境空气样品分析测定,结果显示除反式-环氧七氯、异狄氏剂、顺式-九氯和4,4'-滴滴滴在部分样品中未检出外,其他OCPs均为100%检出;六氯苯浓度在514~563 pg/m³之间,其他OCPs的浓度在0.01~18.9 pg/m³之间;替代标回收率为33.9%~155%。由于现有相关监测标准的仪器灵敏度较低、方法检出限较高,已无法满足目前空气中痕量OCPs的测定需求,因此亟待修订新的高灵敏度监测方法标准。该方法适用于目前大气中OCPs的超痕量水平分析,为新标准的制订奠定基础,也为国家履行相关国际公约提供有力技术指导。     

液液萃取-气相色谱-质谱法同时测定水中46种半挥发性有机物

半挥发性有机物主要包括多环芳烃类(PAHs)、邻苯二甲酸酯类(PAEs)、有机氯农药类(OCPs)和硝基苯类(NBs)等化合物,这些物质多具有致癌、致畸、致突变作用,以及内分泌干扰效应。因此,快速准确测定水中半挥发性有机物非常重要,目前国内尚无水中半挥发性有机物的检测标准。该研究从氮吹温度、水样pH值和萃取时间3个方面进行了优化,旨在建立一种液液萃取-气相色谱-质谱(LLE-GC-MS)同时测定水中46种半挥发性有机物的方法。结果表明:氮吹温度对46种半挥发性有机物的回收率影响不大,考虑回收率及浓缩效率,将氮吹温度设定为35 ℃;水样在中性环境下萃取效果好于碱性环境下的效果;萃取时间由7 min增加至10 min时,回收率也随之提高,但时间增加至15 min时,17种(占比37%)化合物回收率有所增加,29种(占比63%)化合物回收率则呈降低趋势。因此,将萃取时间设定为每次10 min。采用气相色谱-质谱仪进行检测,内标法定量。该方法在20.0~2000 μg/L范围内线性良好,相关系数(r ²)≥0.9916, 46种SVOCs检出限为0.28~16.55 ng/L,定量限为0.92~55.16 ng/L;在0.02、0.2、0.4 μg/L 3个加标水平下的平均回收率为63.6%~125%,相对标准偏差(n=6)为1.03%~17.0%。采用该方法检测了黄河流域济南段的27个地表水样品,检出的物质以PAEs和PAHs为主,2种OCPs在部分点位有检出,NBs均未检出。该方法操作简单,通用性强,准确度及精密度良好,检出限低,适用于地表水及地下水中46种半挥发性有机物的同时检测。     

Probing the Local Reaction Environment During High Turnover Carbon Dioxide Reduction with Ag-Based Gas Diffusion Electrodes

Discerning the influence of electrochemical reactions on the electrode microenvironment is an unavoidable topic for electrochemical reactions that involve the production of OH⁻ and the consumption of water. That is particularly true for the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR), which together with the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) exert changes in the local OH⁻ and H₂O activity that in turn can possibly affect activity, stability, and selectivity of the CO₂RR. We determine the local OH⁻ and H₂O activity in close proximity to a CO₂-converting Ag-based gas diffusion electrode (GDE) with product analysis using gas chromatography. A Pt nanosensor is positioned in the vicinity of the working GDE using shear-force-based scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) approach curves, which allows monitoring changes invoked by reactions proceeding within an otherwise inaccessible porous GDE by potentiodynamic measurements at the Pt-tip nanosensor. We show that high turnover HER/CO₂RR at a GDE lead to modulations of the alkalinity of the local electrolyte, that resemble a 16 m KOH solution, variations that are in turn linked to the reaction selectivity.     

植物油中脂肪酸不同定量方法的比较分析

比较峰面积归一化法与标准曲线法两种方法分析植物油中脂肪酸百分比含量的差异。利用气相色谱-质谱联用仪(GC-MS)检测10种市售食用植物油中的8种主要脂肪酸,峰面积归一化法和标准曲线法计算脂肪酸的百分比含量。结果表明,标准曲线法与峰面积归一化法相比,肉豆蔻酸、棕榈酸、十七烷酸、硬脂酸和棕榈油酸所占的百分比升高,而油酸、亚油酸和亚麻酸比例降低;饱和脂肪酸比例升高,不饱和脂肪酸百分比降低。利用峰面积归一化法计算植物油中脂肪酸百分比时,降低了饱和脂肪酸比例,升高了不饱和脂肪酸比例,可能对健康有潜在的不利影响。建议使用标准曲线法计算不同植物油中脂肪酸的百分比。