Making Chemical Measurements Using the Lab Works Interface and a Handheld Graphing Calculator

The LabWorks learning system is a computer-controlled data acquisition interface that allows students to quickly obtain and analyze chemistry data. This article describes how the LabWorks interface can be controlled with an HP 48G hand-held calculator rather than a personal computer. The calculator provides users with the same automated data acquisition as if a computer were controlling the interface, but it costs less and requires less maintenance and laboratory bench space. The types of measurements made by the system are discussed and a sample experiment described. Student data and comments are also presented.     

PDAs and Lab Works—A New Way to Make Chemical Measurements

Computer-controlled data acquisition is rapidly becoming the rule rather than the exception in general chemistry laboratories. The LabWorks learning system is one of many computer-controlled data acquisition interfaces that allow students to quickly obtain and analyze chemistry data. This article explains how communication is established between a personal digital assistant (PDA) and the LabWorks interface. This project continues work previously accomplished using an HP 48 calculator to communicate with the LabWorks interface. The PDA has more computing power, more storage ability, and the Windows CE operating system provides a more user-friendly interface than the handheld graphing calculator. Sample experimental data is provided as an example of how this LabWorks/Palm PC combination can be applied to inexpensively enhance laboratory learning.     

Blending Technology Based on HPLC Fingerprint and Nonlinear Programming to Control the Quality of Ginkgo Leaves

The breadth and depth of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) applications have been expanding in recent years, yet the problem of quality control has arisen in the application process. It is essential to design an algorithm to provide blending ratios that ensure a high overall product similarity to the target with controlled deviations in individual ingredient content. We developed a new blending algorithm and scheme by comparing different samples of ginkgo leaves. High-consistency samples were used to establish the blending target, and qualified samples were used for blending. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used as the sample screening method. A nonlinear programming algorithm was applied to calculate the blending ratio under different blending constraints. In one set of calculation experiments, the result was blended by the same samples under different conditions. Its relative deviation coefficients (RDCs) were controlled within ±10%. In another set of calculations, the RDCs of more component blending by different samples were controlled within ±20%. Finally, the near-critical calculation ratio was used for the actual experiments. The experimental results met the initial setting requirements. The results show that our algorithm can flexibly control the content of TCMs. The quality control of the production process of TCMs was achieved by improving the content stability of raw materials using blending. The algorithm provides a groundbreaking idea for quality control of TCMs.     

Monolayer Characteristics of Bacteriocin AS-48, pH Effect and Interactions with Dipalmitoyl Phosphatidic Acid at the Air-Water Interface

Bacteriocin AS-48 produced by Enterococcus faecalis S-48 is a ribosomally synthesized cyclic peptide (7.4 kDa) of broad inhibitory spectrum against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Simple monolayers of AS-48 and of dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid (DPPA) at the air-water interface are studied. The AS-48 interfacial behavior in the function of pH explains the biological activity of the peptide. The lipid monolayers show the characteristic behavior of phosphatidic acid at the mentioned interface. The interactions between AS-48 and DPPA, a majority lipid of the bacterial cell membrane, are quantitatively investigated. The results indicate that only when the lipid molecules are charged enough (pH 10.5) is an attractive interaction between AS-48 and DPPA observed, although under these experimental conditions the results seem to indicate that a deformation of the peptide helical structure could take place. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

In‐Situ Polymerization at the Interface of Micelles: A Novel Method to Control Functionality and Morphology

A new method to control the morphology and functionality of micelles is reported. Triblock copolymer micelles with atom transfer radical polymerization initiators at the interface are prepared in aqueous solution. After in‐situ polymerization at the interface, the structures of the interface and corona change, and micelles with PDMAEMA‐PEG comb–coil coronal chains are obtained. In aqueous solution, the pH exerts an influence on the morphology of the micelles. The coronal chains adopt different conformations at different pH values. Upon drying, the two coronal chains phase separate and form nanometer‐sized domains.

     

金属有机骨架材料在金属锂电池界面的应用

金属锂电池是下一代高能量密度电池体系的代表。然而,高比能金属锂电池的发展受到界面诸多问题的限制,如:金属锂负极枝晶生长、隔膜界面兼容性、正极界面不稳定等,影响了金属锂电池的界面传质传荷过程,并导致金属锂界面环境恶化、电池的容量衰减、安全性能下降等问题。金属有机骨架(MOF)是一种具有稳定多孔结构的有机无机杂化材料,近年来在高比能金属锂电池领域受到广泛关注。其多孔结构与开放的金属位点(OMs)提供了优异的离子电导率,稳定的空间结构提供了较高的机械强度,多样的官能团与金属节点带来丰富的功能性。本文分析了金属锂电池界面的主要挑战,结合金属锂界面的成核模型,总结了MOF及其衍生材料在解决锂金属负极界面、隔膜界面、以及正负极界面稳定性相互作用等方面的研究进展和作用机理,为解决高比能金属锂电池界面失稳问题提供了解决途径,并展望了MOF基材料的设计与发展方向。     

含铜MCM-48催化剂上糠醛选择性加氢制糠醇

 以MCM-48为载体,采用新颖的负载方法(有机官能团化法)制备了铜基负载型催化剂. 结果表明,活性组分以较高的负载量均匀地分散在载体MCM-48表面,且负载活性组分后,分子筛的结构未被明显破坏. 本文首次将采用此负载方法制备的铜基MCM-48催化剂用于糠醛选择性加氢制糠醇反应,并得到了较高的活性、稳定性及糠醇选择性,该催化剂可以与商业催化剂相比,具有潜在的工业应用价值. 与一维结构的MCM-41相比,三维孔道结构的MCM-48有效避免了孔堵塞,大大提高了催化剂的稳定性. 引入助剂镧有利于羰基加氢,明显提高了糠醛的转化率. 使用后的催化剂并未被氧化,催化剂失活的主要原因之一是积炭.     

Isolating Reactions at the Picoliter Scale: Parallel Control of Reaction Kinetics at the Liquid–Liquid Interface

Miniaturized liquid–liquid interfacial reactors offer enhanced surface area and rapid confinement of compounds of opposite solubility, yet they are unable to provide in situ reaction monitoring at a molecular level at the interface. A picoreactor operative at the liquid–liquid interface is described, comprising plasmonic colloidosomes containing Ag octahedra strategically assembled at the water‐in‐decane emulsion interface. The plasmonic colloidosomes isolate ultrasmall amounts of solutions (<200 pL), allowing parallel monitoring of multiple reactions simultaneously. Using the surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technique, in situ monitoring of the interfacial protonation of dimethyl yellow (p‐dimethylaminoazobenzene (DY)) is performed, revealing an apparent rate constant of 0.09 min^?1 for the first‐order reaction. The presence of isomeric products with similar physical properties is resolved, which would otherwise be indiscernible by other analytical methods.     

Electrostatic Contribution to the Enthalpy of Charging at Hematite/Electrolyte Interface

A calorimetry study of hematite surface reactions is reported, with special emphasis on the estimation of the electrostatic contribution to the enthalpy of charging. The calorimetry titrations were performed outside the point of zero charge region where the electrostatic contribution is significant. The results were interpreted by the surface complexation model. The interpretation enabled the evaluation of standard protonation and deprotonation enthalpies as well as the electrostatic contribution to these quantities. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

Immobilizing a Fluorescent Dye Offers Potential to Investigate the Glass/Resin Interface

Silane coupling agents are commonly applied to glass fibers to promote fiber/resin adhesion and enhance durability in composite parts. In this study, a coupling agent multilayer on glass was doped with trace levels of the dimethylaminonitrostilbene (DMANS) fluorophore. The fluorophore was immobilized on the glass surface by tethering the molecule to a triethoxy silane coupling agent, creating the DMANS/silane coupling agent molecule (DMSCA). DMSCA was then diluted with commonly used coupling agents and grafted to a glass microscope coverslip to create a model composite interface. A 53-nm blue shift in fluorescence from the immobilized DMSCA can be followed during cure of an epoxy resin overlayer, giving this technique potential to monitor the properties of the fiber/resin interface during composite processing. Contact angle measurements on these coupling agent layers were similar in the presence or absence of the DMSCA molecule, suggesting that trace levels of the fluorescent probe did not affect the structure of the layer. The immobilized DMSCA molecule behaved similarly to the DMANS precursor in solution. Both showed longer wavelength fluorescence in more polar environments. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Control of the evolution of iron peroxide intermediate in superoxide reductase from Desulfoarculus baarsii. Involvement of lysine 48 in protonation

Superoxide reductase is a nonheme iron metalloenzyme that detoxifies superoxide anion radicals O(2)(?-) in some microorganisms. Its catalytic mechanism was previously proposed to involve a single ferric iron (hydro)peroxo intermediate, which is protonated to form the reaction product H(2)O(2). Here, we show by pulse radiolysis that the mutation of the well-conserved lysine 48 into isoleucine in the SOR from Desulfoarculus baarsii dramatically affects its reaction with O(2)(?-). Although the first reaction intermediate and its decay are not affected by the mutation, H(2)O(2) is no longer the reaction product. In addition, in contrast to the wild-type SOR, the lysine mutant catalyzes a two-electron oxidation of an olefin into epoxide in the presence of H(2)O(2), suggesting the formation of iron-oxo intermediate species in this mutant. In agreement with the recent X-ray structures of the peroxide intermediates trapped in a SOR crystal, these data support the involvement of lysine 48 in the specific protonation of the proximal oxygen of the peroxide intermediate to generate H(2)O(2), thus avoiding formation of iron-oxo species, as is observed in cytochrome P450. In addition, we proposed that the first reaction intermediate observed by pulse radiolysis is a ferrous-iron superoxo species, in agreement with TD-DFT calculations of the absorption spectrum of this intermediate. A new reaction scheme for the catalytical mechanism of SOR with O(2)(?-) is presented in which ferrous iron-superoxo and ferric hydroperoxide species are reaction intermediates, and the lysine 48 plays a key role in the control of the evolution of iron peroxide intermediate to form H(2)O(2).     

Mixed Cationic-Nonionic Surfactants Route to MCM-48: Effect of the Nonionic Surfactant on the Structural Properties

Structurally ordered MCM-48 silicas were facilely synthesized using the mixtures of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and p-Octyl polyethylene glycol phenyl ether (OP-10) as co-templates with low molar ratio of CTAB to silica (0.139:1) and low concentration of mixed surfactants (ca. 5%) and within a wide range of OP-10/CTAB ratio (0.08–0.25). For comparison purpose, the cubic material was also prepared with only CTAB as the structure-directing agent under the same preparation conditions. The products obtained by different templating method were thoroughly characterized by XRD, N₂ sorption, TEM, TG-DSC and ²⁹Si MAS NMR. Measurement results from these techniques indicated that the introduction of nonionic OP-10 had significant effect on the structural properties of MCM-48 and the mixed surfactants' route allowed an efficient synthesis and a more condensed product compared to the only cationic CTAB templating protocol. Finally, our preliminary explanation for that why cubic MCM-48 materials could be obtained in this system and structural properties were sensitive to the OP-10/CTAB ratios was discussed in detail.     

Conformational Properties of Arenicins: From the Bulk to the Air–Water Interface

The structures of two antimicrobial peptides (arenicin Ar‐1 and its linear derivative C/S‐Ar‐1) are studied in different solutions and at the air–water interface using spectroscopic methods such as circular dichroism (CD) and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) as well as grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction (GIXD) and specular X‐ray reflectivity (XR). Both peptides exhibit similar structures in solution. In the buffer used for most of the experiments the main secondary structure elements are 22 % β‐turn, 38 % β‐sheet and 38 % random coil. The amphiphilic peptides are surface‐active and form a Gibbs monolayer at the air–buffer interface. The surface activity is drastically increased by increasing the ionic strength of the subphase. The β‐sheet layer is quite stable and can be compressed to higher surface pressures. This adsorption layer is very crystalline. Bragg peaks corresponding to an interstrand distance of 4.78 Å and to an end‐to‐end distance have been observed. This end‐to‐end distance can be connected with the observed differences in the layer thickness leading to the assumption that the peptides form a hairpin which is bended depending on the interactions with the counterions.     

编程计算法研究两级压缩低温热泵性能

为了优化热泵系统效率,主要采用编程计算,对以R32、R290以及R410A为工质的两级压缩热泵系统进行性能研究,对比了系统的蒸发温度、冷凝温度、中间温度和混合温度等对COP_h的影响。研究发现不完全冷却系统COP_h比完全冷却系统更高,在不同工况下存在不同的最佳中间温度,使得COP_h有最大值,R290和R410A的混合温度变化对系统COP_h影响较大。     

界面改性对玻纤增强聚丙烯弯曲强度的影响

为了提高玻纤增强聚丙烯（ＰＰ）的界面粘结，分别用Ｂ３０１或硅烷偶联剂对玻纤表面进行了处理，用过氧化物和顺丁烯二酸酐对ＰＰ进行了改性。经处理和改性后，ＰＰ／ＧＦ复合材料的弯曲强度有明显提高，对玻纤增强聚丙烯的界面结构也作了探讨。     

Emission Control by Molecular Manipulation of Double‐Paddled Binuclear PtII Complexes at the Air‐Water Interface

Molecular functions depend on conformations and motions of the corresponding molecular species. An air–water interface is a suitable asymmetric field for the control of molecular conformations and motions under a small applied force. In this work, double‐paddled binuclear Pt^II complexes containing pyrazole rings linked by alkyl spacers were synthesized and their orientations and emission properties dynamically manipulated at the air–water interface. The complexes emerge from water with concurrent variation of interface orientation of the planes of the Pt^II complexes from perpendicular to parallel during mechanical compression suggesting a unique ‘submarine emission‘. Phosphorescence of the complexes is quenched at the air–water interface prior to monolayer formation with intensities subsequently rapidly increasing during monolayer compression. These results indicate that asymmetric reactions and motions might be controlled by applying mechanical force at the air–water interface.     

Control of β‐Branching in Kalimantacin Biosynthesis: Application of 13C NMR to Polyketide Programming

The presence of β‐branches in the structure of polyketides that possess potent biological activity underpins the widespread importance of this structural feature. Kalimantacin is a polyketide antibiotic with selective activity against staphylococci, and its biosynthesis involves the unprecedented incorporation of three different and sequential β‐branching modifications. We use purified single and multi‐domain enzyme components of the kalimantacin biosynthetic machinery to address in vitro how the pattern of β‐branching in kalimantacin is controlled. Robust discrimination of enzyme products required the development of a generalisable assay that takes advantage of ¹³C NMR of a single ¹³C label incorporated into key biosynthetic mimics combined with favourable dynamic properties of an acyl carrier protein. We report a previously unassigned modular enoyl‐CoA hydratase (mECH) domain and the assembly of enzyme constructs and cascades that are able to generate each specific β‐branch.     

Regulating the Oil-Water Interface to Construct Double Emulsions: Current Understanding and Their Biomedical Applications

Double emulsions have been extensively used in scientific researches and industrial applications due to their attractive unique feature of multiple phases. However, constructing droplets with such a complex structure is not a simple task for all time. The simultaneous existence of two contradictory interfaces makes it hard to prepare stable double emulsions in principle and in practice. Over the past century, tremendous efforts have been devoted by myriads of scientists to make progresses in both theory and preparation of double emulsions. In this review, the current understanding of double emulsions is systematically revealed. In addition to emphasizing the corresponding pioneer and landmark works as many as possible, the state-of-the-art achievements will also be discussed. By regulating the oil-water interface with smartly designed interface-active agents in combination with varying the phase volume fractions, the basic theory framework based on the phase inversion from simple emulsions to double emulsions is also summarized. Technical preparation strategies of emulsification are introduced to show the building process of the two contradictory interfaces in one system. Furthermore, some specific biomedical applications of double emulsions are also discussed, which is expected to stimulate further innovation and utilization of double emulsions.