Influence of water on the dielectric behaviour of chitosan films

 The dielectric properties of chitosan films with a degree of deacetylation of 86% have been investigated in the frequency range of 10^3–10⁶ Hz covering a broad range of temperatures from −150 to 150 °C. The variation of the dielectric pro-perties with temperature has been associated with two dielectric processes: (a) a local relaxation attributed to the presence of hydrogen-bonded water appearing at low temperatures (b) a conduction process related to water molecules which becomes desorbed upon heating at T>80 °C. Isothermal dielectric experiments have been performed in order to follow, in real time, the occurrence of both, the water sorption and desorption processes. Received: 20 June 1996 Accepted: 19 November 1996     

Microwave dielectric properties of potassium hydroxide aqueous solutions

Microwave dielectric properties of potassium hydroxide aqueous solutions were studied at frequencies of 13 to 25 GHz over a wide range of concentrations and temperatures of 288 to 308 K. Experimental electrical conductivity data were used to determine ionic losses at high frequencies. The static dielectric permittivity σ_s, dielectric relaxation time τ, and thermodynamic activation parameters of dielectric relaxation (ΔH _ɛ⁺⁺, ΔG _ɛ⁺⁺, and ΔS _ɛ⁺⁺) were calculated. These quantities decrease in transfer from water to solutions. Thereby we demonstrate that potassium hydroxide has a disturbing effect on the initial hydrogen-bond network of water.     

Dielectric permittivity and relaxation of aqueous cesium iodide solutions

The high-frequency dielectric permittivity and losses of CsI solutions were studied at 288–323 K in the range of water dielectric permittivity dispersion (7–25 GHz). The low-frequency electrical conductivity of these solutions was measured, and ionic losses at high frequencies were calculated. The Debye or Cole-Cole relaxation model was used for describing the spectra. The low-frequency limits of these relaxation region were calculated, which are the static dielectric constants ɛ_S and well as dielectric relaxation times (τ) and activation enthalpies (ΔH _ɛ⁺⁺). The ɛ_S values decrease in going from water to a solution. In concentrated solutions, the slope of the plot of ɛ_S versus temperature become zero. The decrease in τ and gDH _ɛ⁺⁺ is evidence of the structure-breaking effect of ions on water. At elevated temperatures (313 K), the decrease in τ is minimal. At 323 K, τ slightly increases in going from water to a solution.     

Transient entanglement behaviour in a poly(propylene glycole) melt: A field gradient NMR self-diffusion study

 We report measurements of the temperature dependence of the self-diffusion of a poly(propylene glycole) in the melt. Two kinds of magnetic field gradient NMR are used: pulsed field gradient NMR with large field gradients and static field gradient NMR in a specially designed cryomagnet. The emphasis is put on large field gradients. The (true) long-time self-diffusion coefficients are compared with those calculated from normal-mode relaxation times in dielectric spectroscopy using the Rouse model. They agree very well. For temperature below about 270 K, a time-dependent self-diffusion coefficient appears which is an indication of anomalous diffusion. At 253 K we observe complete transient entanglement behaviour of the PPG melt. These results are discussed in comparison with dielectric and other experimental data. Received: 6 September 1996 Accepted: 13 November 1996     

Comparison between Two Turbulence Models and Analysis of the Effect of the Substrate Movement on the Flow Field of a Plasma Jet

In the first part of the present study, an appropriate inflow turbulent boundary condition is chosen. Then, a comparison is made between two turbulence models for a plasma jet discharged into air atmosphere. The plasma jet gas phase flow is predicted with the standard k–ɛ model and the RNG model of turbulence. Particles behavior is modeled using stochastic particles trajectories. A validation of the plasma jet model is made by comparison with experimental data. This part of the study shows that the flow features are better predicted with the RNG model. The choice of appropriate boundary conditions seems to be crucial for a better simulation of plasma thermal spraying. Afterwards, computations are performed for projection of Ni particles. It is found that the computed particles velocities and temperatures are also better predicted with the RNG model compared with the k–ɛ model. The second part of this study is concerned with the effect of the substrate movement on the gas flow field. This is performed in order to simulate a realistic coatings process where a relative movement between the torch and the substrate always exists. Three substrate velocities have been used and it is found that the flow fields are affected only very near the substrate wall.     

Prediction of the Raman spectrum of the aqueous formate anion by a combined density functional theory and self-consistent-reaction-field study

Formate, HCOO⁻, is a small ion that can be used as a convenient model to represent general carboxylic acids as well as the terminal side chains of glutamic and aspartic amino acids in biological systems. Several ab initio techniques (Hartree–Fock and density functional theory methods) were used to study the formate anion in aqueous solution, where the solvent was treated as an electrostatic influence by means of a self-consistent-reaction-field (SCRF) method. The comparison of calculated frequencies with Raman experimental data constitutes a good test for the solvation model employed in this work. The results showed that the application of a SCRF method not only produced smaller errors but also improved the linear correlation between predicted and experimental values. This latter characteristic enables a more efficient application of a linear scaling factor, λ, which corrects the calculated frequencies. In fact, the application of λ to the values calculated for the continuum, when compared to those obtained for a vacuum, resulted in smaller root-mean-square errors of the deviations from the experimental data. Received: 15 May 2000 / Accepted: 19 June 2000 / Published online: 11 September 2000     

Experimental determination of the static permittivity of extremely thin liquid layers of water dependent on their thickness

 A new method for determining the static permittivity (dielectric constant) of extremely thin liquid interlayers is illustrated. A special condenser, which can be filled with a test liquid, is constructed. Both condenser plates – one planar, the other spherically curved – are made of vitreous carbon and are supplied with a high-grade politure. In order to adjust plate separation distances from 10 nm up to about some μm the planar plate can be easily shifted by a piezoelectric translation stage; the plate separation is monitored by an optical system supported by displacement transducers. The measuring frequency was kept constant at 1 MHz. Water was chosen as the test liquid. At 19.8 °C thin water layers having thickness smaller than 0.3 μm exhibit a decrease of the dielectric constant. The experimental data are consistent with a decay length α^-1 of the order of 1 nm which in view of the underlying crude model must be regarded as approximative. Received: 28 May 1996 Accepted: 30 September 1996     

Dielectric relaxation of sulfolane in benzene solution from microwave absorption data

The electric constant (ɛ′) and dielectric loss (ɛ″) for dilute solutions of sulfolane in benzene solution has been measured at 9.885 GHz at different temperatures (25, 30, 35, and 40°C) by using standard microwave techniques. Following the single frequency concentration variational method, the dielectric relaxation time (τ) and dipole moment (μ) have been calculated. It is found that dielectric relaxation process can be treated as the rate process, just like the viscous flow. Based on the above studies, monomer structure of sulfolane in benzene has been inferred. The presence of solute-solvent associations in benzene solution has been proposed. Energy parameters (ΔH _ɛ, ΔF _ɛ, ΔS _ɛ) for dielectric relaxation process of sulfolane in benzene at 25, 30, 35, and 40°C have been calculated and compared with the corresponding energy parameters (ΔH _η, ΔF _η, ΔS _η) for the viscous flow.     

On the application of the modeling of the relaxation spectrum to the prediction of linear viscoelastic properties of surfactant systems

 In this work, the linear viscoelastic properties of cetyl-trimethylammonium tosilate–water system are predicted by the modeling of the relaxation spectrum. The modeled spectrum of relaxation times is of the “wedge-box” type where the “wedge” portion is located at the short-time scale of relaxation times and the “box” part covers the long-time scale. The linear viscoelastic properties are calculated through the exact relationships with the suggested spectrum. Agreement between the calculated expressions and experimental data of the moduli and the stress relaxation function is found. Comparison is also made with predictions of the empirical expressions of the Cole–Cole and the Williams–Watts models. Received: 17 December 1996 Accepted: 1 July 1997     

Dielectric relaxation processes and ionic conduction behaviour in poly(ethylene oxide)–montmorillonite clay nanocomposite aqueous colloidal suspensions

The relative complex dielectric function, electric modulus, alternating current (ac) electrical conductivity and complex impedance spectra of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)–montmorillonite (MMT) clay aqueous colloidal suspension (hydrocolloids) were investigated over the frequency range 20 Hz to 1 MHz at 27 °C. The relaxation time corresponding to electrode polarisation and Maxwell–Wagner polarisation processes (ionic conduction) were determined from these plots. The direct current (dc) electrical conductivity is evaluated from the fitting of real part ac conductivity data to the Jonscher power law. A correlation of increase in dc conductivity and decrease of ionic conduction relaxation time with increase of clay concentration is discussed considering intercalation of PEO chains and its dynamics and exfoliation of MMT clay nanoplatelets in these complex fluids. The formation of PEO–MMT clay supramolecular lamellar nanostructures with increase in continuity of lamellae arrangements were explored for the structural conformation of these nanocomposite novel materials.     

Microwave dielectric properties of aqueous potassium iodide solutions as a function of temperature

The complex dielectric permittivity of aqueous KI solutions was studied for molalities of 0.50–4.01 m and temperatures of 288–323 K in the region of water dielectric permittivity dispersion. The values of high-frequency of dielectric permittivity (ε) and dielectric losses (ε″) were obtained at seven frequencies ranging between 7.5 and 25 GHz. The low-frequency electrical conductivity of the aforementioned solutions was measured for calculating ionic losses. A single relaxation process is observed in these solutions, fitted by the Debye or Cole-Cole equation with small distribution parameters. The static dielectric constant and dielectric relaxation time were studied as functions of temperature and concentration; the activation enthalpy of dielectric relaxation was calculated. The temperature dependence of the static dielectric constant was found to disappear in highly concentrated solutions. The structure-breaking effect on water caused by K⁺ and I⁻ ions was affirmed, this effect disappearing in going to elevated temperatures.     

Dielectric behaviour of Gelatin solutions and Gels

 Sol and Gel state properties of aqueous gelatin solutions of concentrations 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% (w/v) have been investigated through dielectric relaxation studies done at various temperatures in the range T=20–60 °C carried out over a frequency range f=20 Hz–10 MHz and no relaxation of any nature was observed. The sharp transition observed at the gelation temperature T _gel provided an excellent matching with the same measured through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The capacitance (C _p) values above f=100 kHz became increasingly negative as the gel was melted to the sol state. However, in the gel state C _p was found to be almost independent of temperature for frequencies above 100 kHz. At frequencies lower than 10 kHz, C _p measured was ∼10⁵ F, implying pronounced interfacial polarization either due to electro-chemical reaction or because of ions getting trapped at some interface within the bulk. Received: 10 February 1997 Accepted: 2 September 1997     

A density functional theory study of a concerted mechanism for proton exchange between amino acid side chains and water

 A concerted mechanism for proton exchange between water and the amino acid side chains of cysteine, serine, arginine and glutamic acid has been investigated with hybrid density functional theory. The models used include, besides the amino acid side chain, a number of water molecules ranging from one to five in some cases. The modeling of the amino acids without their backbones is shown to be an excellent approximation. Long-range polarization effects were incorporated through a dielectric cavity method allowing a better comparison to existing measurements for free amino acids in water. The barriers converge rather fast with the number of water molecules for all the present amino acids and the converged values are in reasonable agreement with experiments with discrepancies in the range 2–6 kcal/mol. The dielectric effects were found to be small for all systems except cysteine, where there is a lowering of the barrier by 3–5 kcal/mol. The transition states for these concerted pathways form rings in which the separated charges can be stabilized. Received: 25 October 1999 / Accepted: 5 April 2000 / Published online: 21 June 2000     

Dielectric properties and Fourier transform IR analysis of MCM-48, Al-MCM-48 and Ti-MCM-48 mesoporous materials

 Broad-band dielectric spectroscopy was used to investigate the dielectric properties of the meso- porous materials MCM-48, Al-MCM-48 and Ti-MCM-48. The samples were examined in the frequency range from 20 Hz to 1 MHz and in the temperature range from −100 to 250 °C. The dielectric relaxation of the materials has a complex nonexponential behavior with some common features for all the samples. The dielectric spectroscopy and Fourier transform IR measurements identified the relaxation process related to percolation of H⁺ ions associated with silanol groups and water adsorbed in the materials. The non-Debye behavior of the macroscopic dipole correlation functions related to the percolation process allowed us to extract the fractal dimensions of the paths of excitation transfer within the porous medium, and the porosity of each sample was estimated. Received: 7 September 1999 Accepted: 10 December 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of inexpensive 3-Nɛ-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysyl-morpholine-2,5-dione

In this paper, we call 3-N^ɛ-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysyl-morpholine-2,5-dione “Compound A”. The starting material used abroad is expensive and the yield is low (16%–28%); furthermore, to our best knowledge, no characterization of Compound A is available in the open literature. We now use low-cost L-lysine as starting material, succeed in raising the yield of Compound A to about 66%, and characterize it. In the synthesis of Compound A, the reactive processes used by us included the protection of amino group of lysine, acetylation, and intramolecular cyclizative condensation reaction. Benzoxycarbonyl chloride was selected as amino group protection agent, and the yield was elevated by replacing sodium bicarbonate with triethyl amide as the acid’s neutralizer. The resulting material or Compound A was cyclizative; its structure and properties were characterized by infrared (IR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and elemental analysis. The results of characterization show that: (1) Compound A has a chiral carbon next to the carbonyl group, so the formation of the ring structure is not sterospecific; (2) the melting point is about 254.5°C. The homopolymer and copolymers of Compound A with lactide or caprolactone have reaction-active groups and excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability; so they can be used in tissue engineering and as controlled-drug-release carriers. Translated from Journal of Northwestern Polytechnical University, 2006, 24(4): 444–447 (in Chinese)     

Theoretical study of the role of low-barrier hydrogen bonds in enzyme catalysis: a model of proton transfer in serine protease

 A model of low-barrier hydrogen bonds (LBHBs) in enzymes has been studied by ab initio quantum mechanical calculations including the self-consistent reaction field solvent model. The hydrogen-bond strengths and the deprotonation energies for the hydrogen-bonded and non-hydrogen-bonded cis-urocanic acid were calculated at the HF/6-31 + G(d,p) level at various dielectric constants. The same calculations were performed for the α,β-dihydrourocanic acid to model the catalytic dyad of serine protease. The deprotonation energy of N^ɛ2 in α,β-dihydrourocanic acid is increased by formation of LBHBs and depends very much on the dielectric constant. This study suggests that the formation of LBHBs increases the basicity of the dyad, and the polarity change near the reaction center in the active site could help the proton abstraction from Ser 195 and the donation to the leaving group. Both the LBHBs and the environment can play crucial roles in the enzyme catalysis. Received: 8 March 2000 / Accepted: 3 January 2001 / Published online: 3 May 2001     

Relationships between ringed spherulitic morphology and miscibility in blends of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) with poly(benzyl methacrylate) versus poly(phenyl methacrylate)

 Ringed spherulites are an interesting phenomenon that is observed only in very few miscible systems. For the first time, the relationship between the state of chain intermixing and the ring-band pattern was demonstrated. Two previously demonstrated miscible blend systems, poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) with poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA) and PCL with poly(phenyl methacrylate) (PPhMA), were studied in order to understand the mechanism of ring-band formation in the spherulites and the relationships between the ring-band pattern and the state of miscibility. In both miscible PCL/PBzMA and PCL/PPhMA systems, extinction rings were observed within the PCL spherulites. In the PCL/PBzMA blend, the extinction rings are not as distinct (owing to distortion) as those in the PCL/PPhMA blend system. Analysis was performed and discussions were made to reveal relationships between miscibility, interaction strength, and the pattern of the ring bands in the PCL spherulites in polymeric mixtures. Received: 5 January 2000/Accepted: 14 March 2000     

Development of positively charged colloidal drug carriers: Chitosan-coated polyester nanocapsules and submicron-emulsions

 Positively charged colloidal drug carriers have shown interesting properties with respect to the negatively charged systems: they have improved stability in the presence of biological cations and their interaction with negatively charged biological membranes is facilitated. In the present work, a new approach in order to provide a positive charge to colloidal systems, i.e., poly-ɛ-caprolactone (PECL) nanocapsules and submicron emulsions, is presented. This is based on the coating of the colloidal droplets with the cationic polysaccharide chitosan (CS). An experimental factorial design 3³ was used to investigate the influence of several factors (CS viscosity, PECL concentration and lecithin concentration) on the physicochemical properties of the systems. All the formulations displayed a particle size in the nanometer range (200–500 nm) and a high positive surface charge (from +30 up to +60 mV). The statistical analysis of these data (surface response methodology) indicated that both size and surface charge of the nanocapsules and submicron emulsions, were significantly affected by all factors under investigation, the CS viscosity being the most relevant factor. The CS coating of the nanocapsules was found to be efficient in preventing their destabilization in the presence of Ca²⁺. Furthermore, the presence of CS permitted the adequate dispersion of the nano-capsules upon freeze-drying. Finally, using diazepam as model drug, it was observed that the encapsulation efficiency was, in all cases, higher than 90% irrespective of the presence of CS in the preparation. As expected, the diazepam release rate from the nanocapsules and submicron emulsions occurred rapidly and it was slightly slowed down due to the CS coating. These results clearly demonstrated that coating nano-capsules and submicron emulsion with CS increases their potential use as drug delivery systems. Received: 17 May 1996 Accepted: 15 August 1996     

Removal of nitrate from groundwater by heterotrophic denitrification using the solid carbon source

Removal of nitrate from groundwater was investigated using biodegradable meal box(BMB) and poly(ε-caprolactone)(PCL) as carbon source and biofilm carrier.The experimental results show that nitrate in groundwater can be effectively removed using BMB and PCL as carbon source.Denitrification rates supported by BMB and PCL were 52.80 and 42.77 mg(NO3-N)/(m2h),respectively,at 30 ℃ and pH 7.5.The pH value of effluent ranged from 7 to 8,and NO2-N concentration was less than 0.1 mg/L.Compared with BMB,PCL could dec...