Simple and Precise Quantification of Iron Catalyst Content in Carbon Nanotubes Using UV/Visible Spectroscopy

Iron catalysts have been used widely for the mass production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with high yield. In this study, UV/visible spectroscopy was used to determine the Fe catalyst content in CNTs using a colorimetric technique. Fe ions in solution form red–orange complexes with 1,10-phenanthroline, producing an absorption peak at λ=510 nm, the intensity of which is proportional to the solution Fe concentration. A series of standard Fe solutions were formulated to establish the relationship between optical absorbance and Fe concentration. Many Fe catalysts were microscopically observed to be encased by graphitic layers, thus preventing their extraction. Fe catalyst dissolution from CNTs was investigated with various single and mixed acids, and Fe concentration was found to be highest with CNTs being held at reflux in HClO₄/HNO₃ and H₂SO₄/HNO₃ mixtures. This novel colorimetric method to measure Fe concentrations by UV/Vis spectroscopy was validated by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, indicating its reliability and applicability to asses Fe content in CNTs.     

CHIP-mediated hyperubiquitylation of tau promotes its self-assembly into the insoluble tau filaments

The tau protein is a highly soluble and natively unfolded protein. Under pathological conditions, tau undergoes multiple post-translational modifications (PTMs) and conformational changes to form insoluble filaments, which are the proteinaceous signatures of tauopathies. To dissect the crosstalk among tau PTMs during the aggregation process, we phosphorylated and ubiquitylated recombinant tau in vitro using GSK3β and CHIP, respectively. The resulting phospho–ub-tau contained conventional polyubiquitin chains with lysine 48 linkages, sufficient for proteasomal degradation, whereas unphosphorylated ub-tau species retained only one–three ubiquitin moieties. Mass-spectrometric analysis of in vitro reconstituted phospho–ub-tau revealed seven additional ubiquitylation sites, some of which are known to stabilize tau protofilament stacking in the human brain with tauopathy. When the ubiquitylation reaction was prolonged, phospho–ub-tau transformed into insoluble hyperubiquitylated tau species featuring fibrillar morphology and in vitro seeding activity. We developed a small-molecule inhibitor of CHIP through biophysical screening; this effectively suppressed tau ubiquitylation in vitro and delayed its aggregation in cultured cells including primary cultured neurons. Our biochemical findings point to a “multiple-hit model,” where sequential events of tau phosphorylation and hyperubiquitylation function as a key driver of the fibrillization process, thus indicating that targeting tau ubiquitylation may be an effective strategy to alleviate the course of tauopathies.

Multiple-hit model for tau aggregation, where sequential events of tau phosphorylation and hyperubiquitylation function as a key driver of the fibrillization process.     

Radiation grafting from binary monomer mixtures. I. Vinyl ether of monoethanolamine and vinyl ether of ethyleneglycol

Gamma-radiation grafting of vinyl ether of monoethanolamine and vinyl ether of ethyleneglycol (VEEG) on polyethylene films has been studied from binary monomer mixtures. The effect of co-monomer composition and total exposure radiation dose on the grafting process is investigated. A combination of potentiometric and gravimetric techniques is applied to determine the grafting degree of each monomer in the final graft copolymer. The presence of more active monomer VEEG in the mixture was found to enhance the grafting of both monomers because the increasing of copolymerization rate which in turn increases the total grafting degree. The modification of the hydrophilic properties of the graft copolymer is studied by examining the grafted films for water- and copper (II) ions uptake.     

Swelling behavior of amphiphilic hydrogels of copolymers of the vinyl ether of ethylene glycol and vinyl isobutyl ether,and their interaction with cationic surfactant

Amphiphilic hydrogels of copolymers of the vinyl ether of ethylene glycol and vinyl isobutyl ether were synthesized by -radiation-induced free radical polymerization. Hydrogels with certain copolymer compositions showed thermo-sensitive behavior in aqueous solutions. The swelling behavior of the hydrogels in cetylpyridinium bromide aqueous solution was studied. Increased swelling of the hydrogels was observed in the surfactant solutions. The increased swelling was more prominent for the hydrogels with a higher content of hydrophobic moiety in the copolymer composition, and with higher surfactant concentration. The reason for this phenomenon is discussed. Treatment of some hydrogels in the surfactant solutions resulted in higher swelling ability in distilled water with distinct thermo-induced contraction over a narrow temperature interval.     

A study of electronic structures of Pt3M (M=Ti,V,Cr,Fe,Co,Ni) polycrystalline alloys with valence-band photoemission spectroscopy

The surface valence-band densities of states (DOS) of Pt(3)M (M=Ti,V,Cr,Fe,Co,Ni) polycrystalline alloys were investigated with ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. Upon annealing the ion-sputter-cleaned alloys at high temperatures, the observed valence-band DOS spectra clearly show the modified electronic structures on the surfaces suggesting the surface segregation of Pt as predicted in thermodynamic models. The measured d-band centers and widths for the annealed alloy surfaces show qualitatively the same trend as predicted by density-functional-theory calculations based on the model of a Pt "skin" on the topmost surface layer and a subsurface layer enriched in the 3d transition metal.     

Kopsifolines A–F: a New Structural Class of Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids from Kopsia

Six new indole alkaloids, named kopsifolines A–F ( 1 – 6 ), with an unprecedented hexacyclic carbon skeleton, constituting a new structural group of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, were obtained from the leaf extract of a Malayan Kopsia species, and their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis.     

Preliminary study of fabrication technology for transmutation fuels using surrogate alloy

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - A preliminary study on the fabrication of transmutation fuels was carried out using an injection casting technique. Melts of binary U–Zr, a...     

Rapid colorimetric detection of Salmonella typhimuriumusing a selective filtration technique combined with antibody–magnetic nanoparticle nanocomposites

Detection of pathogenic bacteria that pose a great risk to human health requires a rapid, convenient, reliable, and sensitive detection method. In this study, we developed a selective filtration method using monoclonal antibody (MAb)–magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) nanocomposites for the rapid and sensitive colorimetric detection of Salmonella typhimurium. The method contains two key steps: the immunomagnetic separation of the bacteria using MAb–MNP nanocomposites and the filtration of the nanocomposite-bound bacteria. Color signals from the nanocomposites remaining on the membrane were measured, which reflected the amount of bacteria in test samples. Immunomagnetic capture efficiencies of 8 to 90 % for various concentrations of the pathogen (2?×?10⁴–2?×?10¹ cells) were obtained. After optimization of the method, 2?×?10¹ cells of S. typhimurium in pure culture solution was detectable as well as in artificially inoculated vegetables (100 cells/g). The method was confirmed to be highly specific to S. typhimurium without cross-reaction to other pathogenic bacteria and could be concluded within 45 min, yielding results in a shorter or similar time period as compared with recently reported antibody immobilized on magnetic-particle-based methods. This study also demonstrated direct application of MAb–MNP nanocomposites without a dissociation step of bacteria from magnetic beads in colorimetric assays in practice.     

Observation of insulating–insulating monoclinic structural transition in macro‐sized VO2 single crystals [Phys. Status Solidi RRL 5, No. 3, R107–R109 (2011)]

In our article, we reported the observation of monoclinic M2 to M1 structural phase transition in VO₂ single crystal near the temperature of ～49 °C. However, the re‐examination of Laue patterns reveals that previously defined monoclinic M1 and M2 phases can be interpreted as monoclinic M2 and triclinic T phases instead. Careful experimental geometry calibration and further refinement of the lattice parameter ratios and angles show that monoclinic M2 and triclinic T phases fit better with the experimental data. On the other hand, our previous misidentification of the insulating phases does NOT affect the conclusions of our article. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)