Development of a membrane-based vapor-phase bioreactor

A vapor-phase bioreactor has been developed utilizing porous metal membranes in a cylindrical design employing radial flow as opposed to traditional axial flow for the vapor stream. The system was evaluated for the biodegradation ofp-xylene (p-xylene) from a water-saturated air stream byPseudomonas putida ATCC 23973 immobilized onto sand. The biocatalyst was placed in the annular space between two cylindrical, porous stainless-steel membranes. Details of the reactor system are presented along with biological data verifying system performance. The feed flow rate andp-xylene concentration were varied between 60 and 130 cm³/min and 15–150 ppm, respectively. Continuous reactor operation was maintained for 80–200 h with removal efficiencies (based onp-xylene disappearance) between 80 and 95%. The effluent concentration histories were compared to determine the operating range of the bioreactor.     

Synthesis of soluble oligo- and polymeric pentacene-based materials

Functionalization of pentacene at the 6- and 13-positions affords versatile building blocks for oligomer and polymer formation. Di- and trimeric materials are synthesized using unsymmetrical building block 18, while symmetrical diol monomer 17 allows for the synthesis of polymers. The materials reported herein are soluble in common organic solvents and air-stable. UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopic properties have been investigated. Solid-state X-ray crystallography of building blocks 17 and 19 shows that these derivatives can π-stack with significant acene face-to-face interactions with spacing of less than 3.5 Å.     

烃类化合物碳氢键解离焓的密度泛函理论研究

通过比较10种密度泛函方法对烃类化合物碳氢键解离焓的计算精度, 发现新型密度泛函BMK方法具有最高的计算精度. 利用该方法计算了包含饱和链烃,、不饱和链烃、脂环烃和芳香烃在内的172个烃类化合物的碳氢键解离焓,计算均方根误差仅为7.95 kJ•mol^－1, 线性拟合常数为0.985. 通过自然键轨道法分析发现, 烃类物质的碳氢键解离焓与母体的碳氢键杂化轨道成分p%, 自由基奇电子轨道杂化成分p%及自由基的自旋密度三个参数之间存在较好的定量关系. 此外, 饱和链烷烃及不饱和链烃的碳氢键解离焓与碳氢键键长之间也存在较好的线性关系.     

Computational Studies on the Structures of Nanographenes with Various Edge Functionalities

Computational studies have often been carried out on hydrogen-terminated nanographenes (NGs). These structures are, however, far from those deduced from experimental observations, which have suggested armchair edges with two carboxy groups on the edges as dominant. We conducted computational studies on NGs consisting of C₄₂, C₆₀, C₇₈, C₉₆, C₁₄₂, and C₁₇₄ carbon atoms with hydrogen, carboxy, and N-methyl imide-terminated armchair edges. DFT calculations inform distorted basal planes and similar HOMO-LUMO gaps, indicating that the edge oxidation and functionalization do not very influence the electronic structure. Comparison of observed UV-vis spectra of carboxy- and N-octadecyl chain terminated NGs with calculated spectra of model NGs informs the contribution of π-π* transitions on the basal plane to the absorptions in the visible region. A dimeric structure of NG and octadecyl-installed NG demonstrate that both the distorted basal planes and the steric contacts among the functional groups widen the surface-to-surface distance thereby allowing the invasion of solvent molecules between the surfaces. This picture is consistent with the improved solubility of edge-modified NGs.     

Monitoring the Light-induced Isomerisation of the Prototypical Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons C10H8+ through Ion-Molecule Reactions

Structural rearrangements in ions are essential for understanding the composition and evolution of energetic and chemically active environments. This study explores the interconversion routes for simple polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, namely naphthalene and azulene radical cations (C₁₀H₈⁺), by combining mass spectrometry and vacuum ultraviolet tunable synchrotron radiation through the chemical monitoring technique. Products of ion-molecule reactions are used to probe C₁₀H₈⁺ structures that are formed as a function of their internal energies. Isomerisation from azulene radical cation towards naphthalene radical cation in a timescale faster than 80 μs was monitored, whereas no reverse isomerisation was observed in the same time window. When energising C₁₀H₈⁺ with more than 6 eV, the reactivity of C₁₀H₈⁺ unveils the formation of a new isomeric group with a contrasted reactivity compared with naphthalene and azulene cations. We tentatively assigned these structures to phenylvinylacetylene cations.     

Synthesis and Properties of New Tricephalic Tetrasiloxane Surfactants Containing Carbohydrate and Hydrocarbon Chain

A new family of tricephalic tetrasiloxane surfactants containing carbohydrate and hydrocarbon chain (SiC(n + 1)N-GA, in which n + 1 represents a hydrocarbon chain length of 1, 8, 12, 16), was synthesized using two-step method. Their structures were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR). Their surface activities and aggregation properties in aqueous solution were investigated by surface tension measurements, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. The results indicated that the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of these surfactants increased and the surface tension (γ_CMC) at the CMC decreased with an increase in the number of hydrocarbon chain, and they can self-assemble into spherical micelles with average diameters in the range from 5 to 200 nm, which are smaller than for single-headed surfactants.     

Mechanisms of aliphatic hydrocarbon formation during co-pyrolysis of coal and cotton stalk

Pyrolysis experiments were carried out in a tubular furnace. The characteristics of pyrolysis tar were analyzed by GC/MS. The results indicated that the aliphatic hydrocarbon yield derived from co-pyrolysis tar of cotton stalk and Shenmu coal was obviously higher than that of Shenmu coal pyrolysis under optimum condition. Moreover, microcrystalline cellulose was selected as a model compound and the copyrolysis tar of microcrystalline cellulose and Shenmu coal was analyzed for comparison. Base on the experimental results, it was indicated that the alkyl radicals generated from pyrolysis were converted to aliphatic hydrocarbons by radical reactions. Furthermore, the mechanisms of aliphatic hydrocarbon formation were discussed during co-pyrolysis of cotton stalk and Shenmu coal.     

气相色谱-质谱联用法同时测定纺织品中的8种多环芳烃

建立了同时快速测定纺织品中8种多环芳烃的气相色谱-质谱联用(GC-MS)方法。样品经正己烷-丙酮(1∶1)超声波提取,氮吹浓缩后采用DB-17MS色谱柱程序升温分离,选择离子模式采集,外标法定量。研究了纺织品中8种多环芳烃的提取方法,并对色谱和质谱条件进行了优化。实验结果表明,多环芳烃的浓度在0.05~1.00 mg/L或0.10~1.00 mg/L范围内与峰面积呈良好的线性关系,相关系数(r2)均大于0.995,方法检出限(LOD)为0.02~0.05 mg/kg,方法定量下限(LOQ)为0.05~0.10 mg/kg。在3个加标水平下的回收率为81.2%~106.4%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为2.5%~8.5%。该方法灵敏度高,操作简便,定量准确,适用于纺织品中8种多环芳烃的分析测定。